The Edition

Lorries backing up in Kent, a Mars bar shortage, and no more Rome city breaks – these are just some of the things that we have been warned about when it comes to a no deal Brexit. But what will really happen (00:40)? Plus, is China a greater force to be reckoned with than Russia (22:30)? And last, what is it with Brits and obsessing over aristocratic sex scandals (33:10)? With Lord Peter Lilley, I...

As we move into 2019, two big elections could shake up the rest of the year. In May, the European elections could see an unprecedented populist surge. What would that mean for the European Union (00:45)? And back home, a potential general election, and Corbyn’s chances at government have never looked better (11:10). We discuss both of these. And last, is it ever okay to call a woman ‘a girl’ (24:3...

So, it’s the end of the year, and we can safely say 2018 hasn’t been any less loopy than its recent predecessors. In this year’s final Spectator Podcast, we’ll be taking a look at some of the major political and cultural events of the year, with a star-studded cast of commentators and experts, and casting a look forward at 2019. We’ll be talking about Labour – it hasn’t had a great year, but is it...

With just days to go till the meaningful vote, the government looks set to lose it by a humiliating margin. What next for Theresa May? We ask one of the MPs opposing her deal – former universities minister, Sam Gyimah (00:45). And over on the continent, France buckles down for another weekend of riots from the gilet jaunes – can Macron give them what they want (19:00)? And last, has Britain become...

This week the Treasury and the Bank of England gave their forecasts for the post-Brexit economy, but is a Jeremy Corbyn government more threatening to economic growth (00:45)? In Italy, growth is a distant memory, as the economy stagnates and youth unemployment is at 35%. The government and the EU are at loggerheads over how to solve it. Is Italy the next Eurosceptic time bomb (19:35)? And last, w...

This week, Theresa May is putting the final touches on her Brexit deal – but is this a point to celebrate, or has she left behind an irrevocably toxic legacy (00:35)? We also take a look at the Democratic Party’s new darling – Beto O’Rourke (13:05); and last, are British parents too obsessed with their children’s education (25:55)? With James Forsyth, Lord Heseltine, Freddy Gray, Karin Robinson, L...

We’re bringing you this podcast from the midst of the Brexit omni-shambles, and this episode contains a special Brexit edition (15:00). But before that, something just as monumental is happening on the other side of the world. China is developing a social credit system to rate its own citizens and their social behaviour. Just how dangerous is this idea (00:35)? With James O'Malley, Cindy Yu, James...

As Theresa May prepares to unveil her Brexit deal, we ask: just how bad is it, and what happened to ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’ (00:45)? In the American midterms, the Blue Wave didn’t happen, but Democrats did take control of the House of Representatives – what next for Trump’s presidency (17:10)? And last, as we approach Remembrance Sunday, who are the lives we are remembering, and is it...

As Angela Merkel steps down as party leader – what was her legacy and can the EU project survive without her (00:35)? We also discuss whether WhatsApp has made it harder for MPs to plot (12:20); and last, should Brits be allowed to forage wild mushrooms (22:45)? With Douglas Murray, Sophie Pedder, Katy Balls, Paul Staines, Stewart Jackson, Daniel Butler, and Josh Barrie. Presented by Lara Prenderg...

Somehow it has already been two years into a Trump presidency, and America is facing midterm elections. Will Democrats win in a landslide (00:40)? We also delve a little deeper at the political faultlines behind the Jamal Khashoggi story – is Turkey taking advantage of his death (15:10)? And last, is the use of wild animals in circuses really the great injustice that campaigners say it is (25:35)?...

This week, Brexit negotiations grind to a halt again as Brussels and the UK draw mutually exclusive red lines on the Irish border problem. We talk to James Forsyth and Dan Hannan on what next for Brexit (00:40). We also look a little deeper into the methods and mission of Bellingcat, the investigators that unveiled the true identities of the Salisbury suspects (13:20). And last, we investigate a s...

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has disappeared at his country's consulate in Istanbul, with reports emerging of his brutal murder. But who was Jamal Khashoggi, why did this happen to him and what should happen next (00:38)? Also on this podcast, the Irish may harbour more anti-EU opinion than commonly thought. Is there the prospect of an 'Irexit' (12:48)? And finally, with three top public schoo...

The debate over rights for transgender people rumbles on in the wake of proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Is there a so-called ‘trans orthodoxy’ shutting down debate on this issue (00:30)? Meanwhile, across the channel, French socialist Jean-Luc Mélenchon is aiming to unseat an increasing unpopular Emmanuel Macron. Does Mélenchon have a chance of becoming president (20:10)? With Made...

As we head into Conservative Party Conference, Theresa May has never looked more alone. We talk to Iain Duncan Smith and James Forsyth about a Prime Minister abandoned (1:25). And while chaos reigns in the Conservative Party, Labour is gearing up, led by a pragmatic but radical Shadow Chancellor. Just who is John McDonnell (18:50)? And last, why is Tesco’s new discount retailer so Brexity (38:10)?...

It seems that everyone, young or old, has a smartphone these days. But why are the brightest in Silicon Valley taking screen time away from their children (00:40)? Also on this podcast, Tory MEPs recently voted in favour of the Viktor Orban government in European Parliament. Are British Tories flirting with the far right (9:25)? If they are, it could be because the Conservative Party has no attrac...

This week, Tory in-fighting comes to the fore, but could the party be even more divided than we thought (00:35)? Meanwhile, across the Pond, Donald Trump continues to cause backlash. Is he to blame for an ideological shift to the left in the country (14:25)? Thankfully, our own Head of State isn’t on Twitter, though that doesn’t stop people speculating about her Majesty’s personal opinions. Is the...

This week antagonism between Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Matteo Salvini ratcheted up over immigration – are they the leaders of an ideological battle in Europe (00:35)? But pro-immigration or not, both Macron and Salvini smashed through conventional politics in the global surge of populism. As we reach the tenth anniversary of the 2008 crash, we ask, did the financial crisis lead to greater populi...

The clamours for a second referendum are growing. But are those calling for a ‘people’s vote’ really interested in what voters think? Or is this just a plot to stop Brexit? In Sweden, voters go to the polls next weekend. The Swedish Democrats, once regarded as a sinister group of far-right cranks, could become the largest party. So what’s changed? And the Soho of the eighties, a hotbed of debauche...

Venezuela is racked with hyperinflation. The crisis is now so bad that the President has instituted a new currency which essentially cuts off several zeros from the old currency. Will Maduro’s mad policies make things worse (00:50)? And back home, prisons have been in the limelight as we hear about the horrendous conditions in Birmingham Winson Green prison. But is Birmingham an anomaly (11:30)? I...