Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
300 episodes
Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to.
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Episodes page 1 of 6
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Quite right!: Douglas Murray interview | 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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Coffee House Shots: Col Richard Williams on the SAS witch hunt
Just days after The Sunday Times revealed that five SAS soldiers were sent back into the war zone while under a three-year murder investigation, MPs passed the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, which the SAS Regimental…
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Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Lionel Shriver, Toby Young & Lara Prendergast
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale tells all about his trip to Plymouth with Reform party leader Nigel Farage; Lionel Shriver asks what the destruction in France has actually achieved; Toby Young talks us…
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Book Club: Lindsey Fitzharris – Sleuth-Hound
Who was the real Sherlock Holmes? In this episode Sam Leith is joined by medical historian and author Lindsey Fitzharris to discuss her new book, Sleuth Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes. Fitzharris tells…
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The Edition: Can Macron still control France? with Louis Sarkozy & Loyd Grossman
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons, writer Louis Sarkozy and broadcaster Sir Loyd Grossman. This week: is France heading for revolution? As protests…
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Reality Check: Andy Haldane on Burnham, Badenoch & the Budget
Andy Burnham’s first Budget as Prime Minister is approaching – but higher borrowing costs have already made the sums more difficult. Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane joins Michael Simmons to warn…
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Quite right!: France is burning – could Britain be next?
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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Americano: Trump’s decade of power – what went wrong?
Freddy Gray speaks with Spectator columnist Christopher Caldwell about the ten-year legacy of Donald Trump since his 2016 election victory, assessing his second administration's high-water marks alongside the recent…
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Spectator Out Loud: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lara Brown, Matthew Parris & William Atkinson
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Jacob Rees-Mogg talks all things Tory Conference and Tucker Carlson; Lara Brown explores the growing rebellion against screens in schools; Matthew Parris reflects on what will survive…
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Holy Smoke: Should we worry about Pope Leo?
Pope Leo XIV is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, with doctors removing the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says his recovery is progressing normally, but questions remain over…
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The Edition: Are we failing the next generation?
For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s commissioning editor Lara Brown, Financial Times columnist and peer Camilla Cavendish and broadcaster and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero. This…
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Reality Check: Fraser Nelson exposes Britain's welfare pipeline
Is Britain’s welfare state still a safety net or has it become a pipeline for long-term dependency? Almost one in ten six-year-olds are now categorised as disabled through the benefits system and, on current trends,…
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Quite right!: Simon Schama Interview
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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Book Club: Shaun Bythell – Return of the Bookseller Diarist
For this week’s Book Club, Sam Leith, the Spectator’s literary editor, is joined by Shaun Bythell, proprietor of The Book Shop in Wigtown, Scotland, and author of The Diary of a Bookseller series, to discuss the fourth…
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Quite right! LIVE: Nick Timothy on Islamist extremism
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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Spectator Out Loud: Prue Leith, John Connolly, Flora Watkins & Lloyd Evans
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Prue Leith covers her foray into fashion and her life post-Bake Off; John Connolly explores Manchester's close links with the UAE; Flora Watkins asks whatever happened to the midlife…
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Holy Smoke: Charles Owen on hearing God through Liszt
Franz Liszt is remembered as one of the great showmen of the 19th century: a dazzling virtuoso, breaker of pianos and notorious womaniser who inspired a frenzy among his admirers. But a profound Catholic faith ran…
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Reality Check LIVE: Why aren't Britain's young people working? | with Laura Trott
For this special edition of Reality Check, economics editor Michael Simmons hosts a panel from Conservative Party conference on Britain’s growing NEETs crisis: the hundreds of thousands of young people not in…
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The Edition: Why is antisemitism rising in Britain? – with Andrew Roberts & Peter Hitchens
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s commissioning editor Tali Fraser, Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens and the historian and Conservative peer Andrew Roberts. This week: why…
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Book Club: Matthew Sweet – The Great Dictator
In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by author Matthew Sweet to discuss his new biography, The Great Dictator, about the bestselling novelist Barbara Cartland. They explore the extraordinary life…
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Quite right! LIVE: Are the Tories back?
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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Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Angus Colwell, Lisa Haseldine & Chas Newkey-Burden
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale reflects on Labour party conference; Angus Colwell goes on the hunt for Britain’s wokest bar; Lisa Haseldine reveals what she has been stockpiling; and Chas Newkey-Burden…
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Coffee House Shots LIVE: Antisemitism, Man City & abolishing the Triple Lock
James Heale, Tim Shipman and Tali Fraser record live from Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. As we pass the two year mark of Kemi Badenoch's leadership of the Tory Party, the panel discuss whether she has…
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Quite right!: 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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Coffee House Shots: can Kemi win the battle for the right?
James Heale is joined by Tim Shipman and Liam Halligan, Telegraph columnist and the new director of the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), to look ahead to Conservative party conference, which kicks off today. Kemi…
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Reality Check LIVE: TUC boss Paul Nowak on taxpayers subsidising 'crappy jobs'
Michael Simmons is joined live at Labour conference by TUC general secretary Paul Nowak to discuss the state of Britain’s labour market. Are higher wages and stronger employment rights making it harder to hire, or are…
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The Edition: how Badenoch plans to follow Burnham – with Poppy Coburn
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s political editor Tim Shipman, restaurant critic Angus Colwell and Telegraph associate editor Poppy Coburn. This week: does the country want Kemi…
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The Book Club: Steven Pinker
In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker to discuss his new book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows… Pinker explores the powerful idea of ‘common…
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Quite right!: 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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Coffee House Shots: do you buy Burnham's big pitch?
Andy Burnham has used his Labour conference speech to set out his clearest vision yet for the country and it was a strikingly ambitious one. Noa Hoffman is joined in Liverpool by Tim Shipman and Michael Simmons to…
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Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray, Michael Simmons, Elisabeth Braw & Angus Colwell
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray delves into how a smooth-talking Democrat could win the Michigan mid-terms; Michael Simmons explores where the billionaires who leave Britain actually go; Elisabeth Braw…
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Americano: the truth about Xi & Trump’s summit
In this episode of Americano, Freddie Gray speaks with Dr. Edward Howell, an Oxford University lecturer in international relations, about the high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, examining Beijing’s…
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Coffee House Shots: Labour conference lookahead | with Jonathan Ashworth
Ahead of Labour Party conference, Tim Shipman is joined by former shadow cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth to discuss the mood inside the party, Andy Burnham’s growing authority and whether he could be tempted to call…
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The Edition: should Burnham call a snap general election?
For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray, commissioning editor Lara Brown and deputy political editor James Heale. This week: will Andy Burnham call an early…
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The Book Club: John Sellars – Stoicism Is Not What You Think
In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by philosopher John Sellars to discuss his new book, Stoicism Is Not What You Think. Sellars explores the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and challenges some of its…
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Quite right!: the battle over Diana’s legacy
On this week’s episode of Quite right!: 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…
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Reality Check: the AI apocalypse is just good marketing
Some whistleblowers from the AI industry claim there is a more than 10% chance that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within a few years. A group of mostly Labour MPs has written to Andy Burnham calling…
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Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman, Charles Steel, Alex Diggins & Rachel Johnson
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman delves into the impact Ed Miliband’s Israeli sanctions have had on UK security; Charles Steel explores the men on the spectrum who rule the world; Alex Diggins talks about…
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Holy Smoke: Pakistani Christians fear backlash over Lambeth Palace award
Pakistani Christians could face renewed persecution following the Archbishop of Canterbury’s decision to withdraw an honour to a leading Muslim cleric, Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali warns in this episode of Holy Smoke.…
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Americano: Steve Bannon on the AI extinction threat
is episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks with Steve Bannon – former White House chief strategist for Donald Trump - about the ideological convergence between national populists and progressive Leftists as they…
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The Edition: Peter Hitchens & Toby Young on whether we should fear the manosphere
For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s associate editor and director of the Free Speech Union Toby Young, journalist and author Esther Walker, and Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens.…
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Quite right!: Rory Stewart interview | 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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The Book Club: Anand Gopal – Days of Love and Rage
In this week's Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by The New Yorker writer Anand Gopal, whose new book, long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize, is Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Revolution. What does freedom…
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Quite right!: Rory Stewart interview | 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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Spectator Out Loud: Tali Fraser, John Power, Sophia Money-Coutts & Angus Colwell
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tali Fraser delves into why Labour’s socioeconomic duty is attacking the middle classes; John Power tells us how clipping is changing politics, Sophia Money-Coutts muses over which…
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Holy Smoke: Catholic Burnham barred – should the law change?
Andy Burnham has announced his intention to change a law which bars him from advising the King on appointments to the Church of England. The Victorian-era law explicitly bars Catholics like Burnham, as well as Jews –…
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The Edition: Will Andy drill deep for oil & gas – and is Bayeux in Britain as good as it gets?
William Moore is joined by The Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons, The Spectator's commissioning editor and writer at large Tali Fraser, and the Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party Alex Burghart MP. This…
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Reality Check: Arthur Laffer vs Aaron Bastani | LIVE
Arthur Laffer, the economist, former adviser to Ronald Reagan and architect of the Laffer Curve, goes head-to-head with journalist and left-wing author Aaron Bastani over one question: should Britain introduce a wealth…
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The Book Club: Hannah Richell
In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by bestselling novelist Hannah Richell to discuss her new memoir, An Ocean and a Day. When Hannah’s husband died in a surfing accident, her life in Australia was…
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Quite right!: Danny Kruger interview | LIVE at Reform Conference
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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