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Quite right!
The Spectator
93 episodes
Welcome to Quite right!, the podcast from The Spectator that searches for sanity and common sense in a world which increasingly seems devoid of both. Each week, join Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator, and Madeline Grant, assistant editor of The Spectator, for a mixture of politics, culture and mischief as they unpack the stories that most piqued their interest, amusement or exasperation.
More about the show
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Episodes page 1 of 2
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Douglas Murray: integration has failed – and Britain faces civil conflict | Part one
As the embers fade from last week’s unrest in France, could Britain be heading for a similar fate? In the first of a two-part interview, Michael Gove is joined by author and Spectator columnist Douglas Murray to…
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Andrew Roberts: Napoleon’s fatal flaw – and why he lost Waterloo | LIVE
Napoleon was one of history’s greatest military commanders – but was his downfall ultimately of his own making? Michael Gove and Madeline Grant are joined by historian Andrew Roberts, Lord Roberts of Belgravia, to…
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France is burning – could Britain be next? And the truth about Sally Rooney's ‘ban’
France is burning. Over the weekend, students protesting about school conditions were joined by rural voters angry at fuel prices and a violent hard-left fringe. Michael and Maddie ask whether Britain should be…
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Simon Schama: British Jews feel unsafe – and history shows Gaza isn’t a genocide
Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Schama to discuss the resurgence of antisemitism in Britain, why many British Jews increasingly feel unsafe, and what history can teach us about the war in Gaza. Simon argues…
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Britain must ‘come down like a ton of bricks’ on Islamist extremism – Nick Timothy | Quite right! LIVE
Michael Gove is joined by shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, live at Conservative party conference in Birmingham, to discuss prisons, policing and the fight against Islamist extremism. Nick reflects on swapping…
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Are the Tories back? – and how the Greens became ‘Home Counties Hezbollah’ | LIVE
Kemi Badenoch has opened Conservative party conference 2026 with statement on her political philosophy, and Michael and Maddie are in Birmingham to go through it. Michael is struck by how much of it disavows the…
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Jeffrey Archer on his extraordinary life – and his biggest regrets
Michael Gove is joined by novelist and former Conservative Party deputy chairman Jeffrey Archer to discuss his final novel, Adam and Eve, and a life spent close to the centre of British politics. Jeffrey explains how…
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Meet the Labour MP taking on his own party | Jonathan Hinder
Michael Gove is joined by Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, one of the leading voices of Blue Labour, to discuss class, borders and the common good in a conversation recorded live at Labour conference.…
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Should we ban the burqa? – and Michael Gove pretends to be the Prime Minister
In this week's Q&A: should Britain follow Giorgia Meloni and ban the burqa in schools? Michael says that head teachers should set uniform policy free of pressure from outside the school gates – but would he go as far…
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Spencer vs Windsor: the battle over Diana’s legacy
Earl Spencer's new memoir, Swan Song, has drawn a rare direct response from Buckingham Palace. Michael and Maddie weigh up the book's most salacious charges against the King, and ask whether the Earl is driven by…
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I can’t say this on The Rest Is Politics – Rory Stewart | Part two
In the second part of his conversation with Michael Gove, Rory Stewart defends the most taboo position in British politics: that private schools are worth protecting. He further argues that the only excuse for…
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Rory Stewart on immigration, Islam and Britain's biggest problem | Part one
Michael Gove is joined by Rory Stewart, for a conversation he admits would ‘revolt’ his podcasting partner Alastair Campbell. Rory sets out the migration policy he would impose: every boat he would return to France,…
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Danny Kruger: Britain is in a ‘revolutionary moment’ – and the Tories can’t save it | LIVE
Michael Gove is joined by Reform UK MP Danny Kruger to discuss the party’s plans for government and why he believes Britain is in a ‘revolutionary moment’. Kruger sets out how Reform would overhaul Whitehall,…
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Francis Fukuyama: how the American right ran out of ideas – and why I’m still a conservative
Michael Gove is joined by political scientist Francis Fukuyama to discuss liberalism, populism and the future of democracy in an increasingly unstable world. Francis reflects on The End of History and why its argument…
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Burnham’s ‘cheesy Blairism’ exposed – as the Tories prepare for an early election
Kemi Badenoch has kicked off the new political term with a major reshuffle of her top team. Michael and Maddie ask what the changes tell us about the direction of the Conservative party, whether Andrew Griffith can…
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How the modern Middle East was made – and why it’s still at war | Simon Sebag Montefiore
This week, Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the rulers, revolutionaries and nation builders who shaped one of the world’s most turbulent regions. From Ibn Saud’s dramatic conquest…
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Is Michael Gove missing Bridget Phillipson already? – and the Cambridge University saga continues
The tale of the Cambridge professor, Jason Arday continues, as Michael and Maddie weigh in on the fantasy. How much of a role has Cambridge played in enabling such a serially misleading individual, and can the…
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Katharine Birbalsingh: children are taught to hate Britain – I blame the adults
Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School in Wembley, and has been dubbed Britain’s strictest headteacher. Under her leadership, Michaela has become one of the country’s most…
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‘He’s made enemies’ – inside Burnham’s brutal Labour takeover
Andy Burnham has begun his premiership with a sweeping reshuffle, purging many of Keir Starmer’s closest allies and installing a cabinet in his own image. Has he ended Labour factionalism – or simply created a new…
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Louis Mosley: Burnham is wrong to ditch Palantir – and how AI threatens the 'lanyard class'
Louis Mosley is the UK head of Palantir, one of the world’s most powerful – and controversial – technology companies. Its work with the NHS, the US government and western militaries has made it a lightning rod for…
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Parliament’s greatest speeches – and does Labour have a women problem?
In this week’s Q&A: does Labour have a women problem? Michael and Maddie discuss why the party has never had a female leader, whether its embrace of identity politics has created a rod for its own back, and why…
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Farage's gamble: is 'the establishment' out to destroy him?
Nigel Farage has resigned as MP for Clacton and will fight a by-election in an attempt to turn questions over his finances into a referendum on ‘the people vs the establishment’. Is this a political masterstroke or a…
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Am I a 'spiteful class warrior' too!? – Kemi vs Bridget
In this week’s Q&A: as Bridget Phillipson and Kemi Badenoch clash over Labour’s education policy, Michael asks whether he is a ‘spiteful class warrior’ too. He has written before about his scepticism over the…
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'All vibes, zero detail' – Burnham's plan to fix broken Britain
This week: Burnham’s strategy – or lack of one – a ‘number ten of the North’ and why immigration is the real test. What is so wrong with the South: Andy Burnham thinks devolution is the answer to Broken Britain, but…
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Burnham's dream cabinet – and why Prince George should go to Eton
This week: Burnham’s cabinet, Prince George’s schooling – and the buildings that make Britain beautiful. As Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street, Michael and Madeline ask who should make up his dream Labour…
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Starmer’s fall – and the rise of King Burnham
This week: Starmer’s exit, Burnham’s rise – and the court of King Andy. As Keir Starmer resigns after less than two years in office, Michael and Madeline ask what really brought his premiership to an end. Was Starmer…
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SPECIAL: was Enoch Powell right about Britain?
Enoch Powell is one of the most polarising figures in modern British politics. His infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech – in which he warned that immigration would spark ethnic conflict – continues to shape some of…
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Brexit 10 years on – have we changed our minds?
In this special edition of Quite right!, Michael Gove and Rachel Johnson revisit the argument that divided British politics – and their own families – as the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum approaches.…
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‘It will be a bloodbath’ – why Starmer won’t go quietly
This week: Keir Starmer’s legacy, Andy Burnham’s next move – and should there be a general election? With the Makerfield by-election just days away, Michael Gove is joined by Rachel Johnson to ask whether an Andy…
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‘DEI mindset is killing people’ – Henry Nowak & Britain’s two-tier policing crisis
This week: the Henry Nowak case, two-tier policing – and what the latest Mandelson files reveal about Labour. After the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, Michael and Madeline ask whether the police response exposed…
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When was Britain’s finest hour? – and how to beat Burnham
This week: what makes a great battle? From Waterloo, Trafalgar, the Battle of Britain to Stalingrad, Michael and Maddie discuss what separates a decisive victory from a merely dramatic one, and why great military…
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Peter Murrell's mafia-style SNP – and inside the Reform-Restore feud
This week: the Peter Murrell scandal and the collapse of the SNP’s moral authority. After Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband and the party’s former chief executive pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from…
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If Burnham loses Makerfield, Labour is finished – Maurice Glasman | Part two
Maurice Glasman returns for the second part of his conversation with Michael and Maddie – this time to ask whether the Makerfield by-election could write Labour’s obituary notice. As Andy Burnham prepares to take on…
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Maurice Glasman: how the progressives killed Labour | Part one
Maurice Glasman, Labour peer and founder of Blue Labour, has spent years warning that Labour has lost touch with the people it was created to represent. In the first of a two-part conversation on Quite right!, he joins…
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Forget Wes, this is who we really need as PM
In this week’s Q&A: as Wes Streeting finally breaks cover, which former prime minister would you parachute into No. 10 to save the country? Michael makes the case for Palmerstonian vigour, while Maddie weighs up Lord…
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Keir Starmer’s last stand – will Labour force him out?
This week: Keir Starmer’s leadership is in crisis. As pressure builds on the Prime Minister, Michael and Madeline ask whether Starmer can survive the rebellion now gathering pace in his own party. They discuss the…
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My advice for the next Labour leader
In this week’s Q&A: how do you mount a Labour leadership coup? As the results of the local elections roll in and speculation builds about Starmer’s future, Michael and Maddie discuss the mechanics of leadership bids,…
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Britain’s antisemitism 'emergency' – and have Reform gone too far?
This week: antisemitism in Britain, the government’s response – and where Reform may have gone too far. After the attack in Golders Green, Michael and Madeline ask whether antisemitism has become a daily reality for…
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Katie Lam on the grooming gangs, Jenrick & why Farage is not fit to be PM
Katie Lam is one of the brightest lights of the Conservative party. Frequently tipped as a future leader, her interventions in the House on immigration and the grooming gangs scandal have won her a large following on…
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Why you should be proud to be English – and Rowling vs Campbell
In this week’s Q&A: what should make you proud to be English? With St George’s Day prompting reflection, Michael and Maddie discuss the traditions, institutions and cultural inheritance that define England – from pubs…
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Starmer out? — be careful what you wish for
This week: the Mandelson row deepens – and a bigger question about Keir Starmer’s judgment and authority. After a bruising appearance from Olly Robbins at the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael and Madeline ask…
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Local elections preview: how bad will it be for Labour?
In this week’s Q&A: are the local elections about to deliver a political shock? With Labour facing pressure from Reform, the Greens and resurgent local challengers, Michael and Maddie assess whether the party is…
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Southport inquiry: they knew he was evil, why wasn’t he stopped?
This week: the Southport inquiry and a deeper question about why Britain’s institutions keep failing to act. After a damning report into the killings revealed that Axel Rudakubana was ‘known to authorities’, Michael…
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Anas Sarwar: why I said Starmer should go – and what I told Wes Streeting
One month on from calling for Keir Starmer's resignation, Anas Sarwar – the leader of Scottish Labour – joins Michael Gove to reflect on British politics ahead of the May elections. Does he stand by his call for the…
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Q&A: Do the Tories need a bigger kicking?
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright. In this week’s Q&A: do the Conservatives need an even bigger kicking? After their worst defeat in generations, they debate whether…
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Coexistence or 'dominance'? The political Islam debate
This week: the row over political Islam and a bigger question beneath it. After Nick Timothy’s comments on public prayer in Trafalgar Square caused a political firestorm, Michael and Madeline ask whether Britain can…
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Q&A: The Greens' secret weapon – and what happened to liberalism?
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright. In this week’s Q&A: the Green party and the rise of new MP Hannah Spencer. Does a softer, more appealing political style mask…
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What’s the point of Keir Starmer? – and the Lords vs the Commons
This week: the stark question of Keir Starmer’s leadership. After a bruising week in Westminster – from fresh revelations about the Mandelson appointment to renewed scrutiny of the Prime Minister’s governing style –…
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Q&A: Should Starmer go left or right? – and Thimothée Chalemet’s tragédie en musique
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright. In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie discuss whether Keir Starmer faces a deeper political dilemma: should the Labour party tack…
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Is Britain still a great power? – and why Ed Miliband should go | Quite right!
This week: Michael and Maddie discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East and ask a bigger question about Britain’s place in the world – is the UK still a great power, or has the conflict exposed just how limited…
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