Best of the Spectator

Martin Vander Weyer, our Business Editor, speaks to three leading businesspeople for Scotland and Northern Ireland about the Economic Disruptor finalists in this region. Tune in to find out more about underwater wifi, a digital 3D map of the entire world, and more. --- Human progress has depended on economic disruptors since long before the advent of the internet. Motor cars remained rare luxuries...

Comedian Simon Evans joins journalist Benedict Spence and comedy club founder Andy Shaw on a new podcast from Spectator Life. 'That's Life' is a sideways look at the events, people, words and ideas that shape the news agenda. Andy and Benedict talk to Simon about cancel culture, Boris’s hospital debacle and why Guy Verhofstadt is his unlikely hero (or villain) of the week. Simon has performed stan...

With John Rick MacArthur, president of Harpers Magazine. Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian talks to Jewish pianist Ariel Lanyi about the cruel cat-and-mouse game that the Soviet Union played with Jewish classical musicians at a time when it was sneakily trying to extinguish both their religion and their ethnic identity. Holy Smoke is a series of podcasts where Damian Thompson dissects the most important and controversial topics in world religion, with a range of high profile gues...

As the Supreme Court wraps up its trial into prorogation, we ask – are the courts overreaching (00:25)? We also find out about the prevalence of mental illness in the homeless and the rough sleeping (10:20). And last, Mary Killen tells us why she’s no longer a Remainer (20:45). With Richard Ekins, Jack Simson Caird, Mary Wakefield, Dominic Williamson, Mary Killen, and Rachel Johnson. Presented by...

Sam's guest in this week’s podcast is the Turkish novelist Elif Shafak, whose latest novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World has just been shortlisted alongside Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood for this year’s Man Booker Prize. Elif talks to Sam about living in exile, writing in a second language, her relationship with Istanbul, and how the West’s culture war over 'free speech' looks t...

With James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Presented by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Vander Weyer, the Spectator’s Business Editor, hosts a series of podcasts discussing the entrepreneurs who are disrupting their respective industries. Sponsored by Julius Baer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Joe Twyman, Director of Deltapoll, and Fraser Nelson. Presented by Katy Balls. Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought to you daily, click here to find more episodes that are not released on Spectator Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kavi and Shamil Thakrar are cousins, and they're also the co-founders of restaurant chain, Dishoom, inspired by the cafes of early 20th century Bombay. They join Lara and Livvy to celebrate the launch of their first cookbook, and chat Bombay street food, the risks of profit-maximising, and the great British curry house. Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts tal...

A cross-party remain alliance successfully tied Boris Johnson’s hands in parliament last week, but with a general election looming, will this unlikely coalition last (00:30)? We also find out about ‘study drugs’ – what are the little blue pills that American students are turning to (17:35)? And last, is Boris Johnson anything like his classical heroes (31:00)? With Katy Balls, Polly Mackenzie, Mad...

This week's books podcast was recorded live at a Spectator event in Central London. Sam's guest is the distinguished historian Frank Dikötter, whose new book - expanding from his award-winning trilogy on Chairman Mao - considers the nature of tyranny. How To Be A Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century looks at what unites and what divides the regimes of dictators from Mussolini...

With Jacob Heilbrunn, Editor of the National Interest. Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Presented by Isabel Hardman. Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought to you daily, click here to find more episodes that are not released on Spectator Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new episode of Holy Smoke is about the persecution of Christians. That's a familiar concept, even if we don't read much about it in the media. Damian is joined on the podcast by a fearless campaigner on behalf of the suffering Church, Fr Benedict Kiely, founder of the charity Nasrean. Org . Tune in to what he has to say about the Vatican's cynical deal with China – and Britain's wretched Depar...

With Joe Walsh, a conservative talk radio host who is challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katy talks to Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, about walking in Theresa May's shoes, No 10's SpAd jihad, and the government's whip withdrawal for the 21 Tory rebels this week. Women With Balls is a podcast series where Katy Balls speak to women at the top of their respective games. To hear past episodes, visit spectator.co.uk/balls . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

This week, Boris Johnson decided to seek a general election. But will his gamble pay off (00:20)? Plus is trophy hunting really as immoral as Carrie Symonds says it is (18:25)? With James Forsyth, Antoinette Sandbach MP, Joe Twyman, Patrick Galbraith, and Dr Mark Jones. Presented by Isabel Hardman. Produced by Cindy Yu and Christy Cooney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

Eighty years on from the start of the Second World War, Sam's guest in this week’s podcast is Ian Sansom — who’s talking about 'September 1, 1939', the Auden poem that marked the beginning of that war. Ian’s new book is a 'biography' of the poem, and he talks about how it showcases all that is both best and worst in Auden’s work, how Auden first rewrote and then disowned it, and how Auden’s posthu...

In this special episode of Coffee House Shots, James Forsyth talks to Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister of Australia. They discuss Britain's Brexit showdown, what an Anglo-Australian trade deal could look like, and the geopolitical threat of China in a post-Brexit world. Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought...

With Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth. Presented by Katy Balls. Click here for Isabel Hardman's chart of possible outcomes this week. Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought to you daily, click here to find more episodes that are not released on Spectator Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

With columnist and BBC Radio 5 Live broadcaster, Emma Barnett. Katy talks to Emma about stepping in for Andrew Marr, interviewing the Prime Minister, and how her granddad is her most loyal fan. Women With Balls is a podcast series where Katy Balls speak to women at the top of their respective games. To hear past episodes, visit spectator.co.uk/balls . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

This week, has Boris lost sight of the 'Global Brexit' we were promised (00:35)? We hear from one EU national caught up in Britain's messy departure (13:15). Plus, how worried should we be about fires in the Amazon (19:40)? And finally, what really causes homelessness, and what can be done to solve it (32:15)? With Fraser Nelson, Sunder Katwala, Anna Amato, Toby McGrath, Camilla Costa, Adam Hollow...

My guest on this week’s Books Podcast is the poet and playwright Lemn Sissay. Lemn’s new memoir My Name Is Why describes his early life — given up for fostering in the late 1960s as the son of an unmarried Ethiopian mother — and his progress, when his foster family gave him up, through the care system and out the other side. It’s a powerfully affecting story, and Lemn joins me to fill in some of t...

With James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman. Presented by John Connolly. Coffee House Shots is a series of podcasts on British politics from the Spectator's political team and special guests. Brought to you daily, click here to find more episodes that are not released on Spectator Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.