Best of the Spectator

Despite her government’s underperformance on education, health and Covid-19, Nicola Sturgeon’s popularity continues to climb – why? (01:10) Does spending more on overseas aid mean we care more? (14:05) And finally, are we all followers of the cult of casualness? (26:25) With The Spectator ’s Scotland editor Alex Massie, former SNP finance spokesperson Andrew Wilson, development adviser Gilbert Gre...

Sam's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the winner of the 2020 Booker Prize, Douglas Stuart. His first novel, Shuggie Bain , tells the story of a boy growing up in poverty in 1980s Glasgow with an alcoholic single mother. It's a story close to the author's own. He joins Sam from the States to tell him about the ten years he spent writing the book and the dozens of rejections he had from pu...

Pen Vogler is the author of Scoff , which describes the history of food in the British class system. On the podcast, she tells Lara and Liv about being vegetarian for a year, eating at Oxford colleges in the 1980s, and why avocados are so popular. Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts talk to celebrity guests about their life story, through the food and drink t...

Joe Biden's supporters say he will restore America's standing in the world, but with his foreign policy team looking like an Obama-era reunion, will the country simply become more interventionist? Freddy Gray speaks to Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, senior adviser at the Quincy Institute, about whether a Biden presidency will mean more wars. Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politi...

Andrew Neil is joined by Sir Ivan Rogers, the UK's permanent representative to the EU between 2013 and 2017; Dr Stuart Ritchie, a behavioural scientist at Kings College London; and a team of Spectator journalists. On this week's episode, we discuss how the government plans to pay for coronavirus; whether you can persuade vaccine sceptics; and if a Brexit deal is on the horizon. To watch the show,...

On this week's episode, Rod Liddle reflects on the public sector pay freeze, and wonders why teachers won't teach. (00:50) Next, Paul Embery argues that the Labour Party has become disassociated with the working class. (07:03) Finally, Rachel Johnson explains why she wishes Christmas was cancelled. (17:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gillian Keegan is the minister for apprenticeships and skills, and Conservative MP for Chichester. She previously worked at Natwest, Mastercard, Travelport and Amadeus. On the podcast, she tells Katy about growing up in a Labour stronghold, working in a car factory, pitching to be apprenticeships minister, and having her social life ruined by a friend's advice to have a perm. Women With Balls is a...

The vaccine might be just around the corner, but can the country truly recover? (01:00) How can the Labour party win back the working class? (11:15) And finally, should we celebrate the new statue of Mary Wollstonecraft? (23:10) With The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth, chair of the Health Select Committee Jeremy Hunt, firefighter and writer Paul Embery, Times Radio presenter and former...

On this week's Book Club podcast, we're talking about a subject that never ceases to arouse strong feelings: Auntie Beeb. Sam's guests, Patrick Barwise and Peter York, say - in their new book The War Against The BBC: How an unprecedented combination of hostile forces is destroying Britain's greatest cultural institution... And why you should care - that if we lose the BBC we will miss it. But isn'...

Marcus Wareing is a celebrated, Michelin-starred chef, a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals and Chef Patron at Marcus in Knightsbridge. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Livvy about eating in school canteens, working with Gordon Ramsay, and catering during coronavirus. Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts talk to celebrity guests about their life story, th...

As the UK and much of the West continues to struggle against Covid, in China, things largely seem back to normal. Pictures from the 'Golden Week', a week of state holidays to celebrate the People's Republic's founding, showed mountains and seas of people. On this longer episode than usual, Cindy Yu takes a deep dive into China's Covid response - finding out about life in China right now, China's '...

On this week's episode, Douglas Murray is first, reflecting on the US election, and wondering why people who see the same thing can come to different conclusions. (00:51) Lara Prendergast is next, with her profile of the Prime Minister's fiancee, Carrie Symonds. (09:07) Finally, Andrew Wilson, who makes the case for an independent Scotland. (14:37) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

With essayist Mary Eberstadt, whose recent article for First Things argued that the riots in the wake of George Floyd's killing come down to the sexual revolution and fatherlessness. Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits and experts stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on A...

After two of Boris Johnson's most influential advisers left Downing Street last week, can the PM reset his relationship with the Tory party and find his way again? (00:58) Lara is joined by the Spectator's deputy political editor, Katy Balls, and former director of communications for David Cameron, Craig Oliver. A coronavirus vaccine seems to be the only way out of continued lockdowns, so should e...

In this week's Book Club podcast, Sam Leith's guest is James Hawes. The bestselling author of The Shortest History of Germany turns his attention in his latest book to our own Island Story: The Shortest History of England . He tells Sam why he thinks there's real value in so brief an overview of our history, how Jurassic rock formations doomed our politics, why we never got over the Conquest, how...

Sharmadean Reid is an entrepreneur and the founder of Beautystack. On the podcast, she tells Lara and Livvy about her grandfather's allotment, cooking roasts and trying crab for the first time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ant Group is the business magnate Jack Ma's fintech subsidiary, the company behind the ubiquitous 'Alipay' app, which has one billion users. Last week, it was due to begin trading on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Set to raise US$37 billion, it would have been the biggest IPO ever. But at the eleventh hour, the Chinese government scuppered the plans with crippling new financial reform...

On this week's episode, Dr Simon Clarke tells us why a vaccine may not be as close as we've been led to believe. (00:51) Next, Simon Barnes gives us a history of the mink. (07:13) And finally, Jeremy Clark tells us about his US election night from an olive grove. (11:08) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alice Bunn is a scientist and international director at the UK Space Agency. She tells Katy about falling in love with the stars, finding the right career and the threat of space debris.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, France has been shaken by a series of gruesome terror attack – yet western leaders seem remarkably reluctant to support President Emannuel Macron. (01:04) Lara speaks to The Spectator's associate editor Douglas Murray and writer Ed Husain. Next, this year's US election was truly remarkable – but what was it like to report on it? Lara is joined by the editor of The Spectator's US edition Fre...

In this week's books podcast, Sam Leith is joined by the sculptor Antony Gormley and the art critic Martin Gayford to talk about their new book Shaping The World: Sculpture from Prehistory to Now. They talk about the special place sculpture occupies in the arts, the lines of connection between its ancient origins and the avant-garde, and their views on the new fashion for tearing down statues. Plu...

Dan Keeling is a wine writer behind the magazine and restaurant Noble Rot. He tells Lara and Livvy about how he discovered his love of wine; working in the music industry; and how to start a restaurant with zero experience.  Presented by Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fallout from the election is ongoing, but Joe Biden has reached 270 electoral college votes, and he last night vowed to 'unify' the country. What kind of president will he be? Freddy Gray speaks to Tim Stanley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Sam Carlisle, a mother of a disabled child, says her family has been abandoned during the pandemic; Alberto Giubilini considers the ethics of lockdown; and Taki explains why New Yorkers are leaving the city in droves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the latest developments in the US presidential election?  (01:15) - Lara is joined by the Spectator's economics correspondent Kate Andrews and the Spectator US's editor Freddy Gray, who is currently in Pennsylvania. What is it like to care for a disabled child during a time of lockdown? (09:19) - The journalist Sam Carlisle discusses the lack of support for her daughter Elvi with the Educ...