Spectator Out Loud

This week: James Heale on Farage's plan to win the left-wing vote, Geoffrey Cain on Trump's visit to China, Rachel Johnson has lost her luggage and Melissa Kite wonders why the French love Cork. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@...

This week: Lisa Haseldine on Britain's failing maternity services, Roya Nikkah writes the diary and Lionel Shriver on gerrymandering in America. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

This week: Martin Vander Weyer on British steel and his chat with Andy Haldane, Freddy Gray has been stateside & Arabella Byrne on why she's no fan of the social climbing dog – whippets. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectato...

This week: Max Jeffery on the transgender nihilists agitating for ‘a new era of rage’; Peter James reads his diary; Zoe Strimpel on Lena Dunham’s version of feminism; and Graeme Thomson takes us through the rock and roll alter egos.  Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spe...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : as the King prepares to head to America, Robert Hardman looks ahead to what would have been Elizabeth II’s centenary celebration; Melissa Kite reports from the fuel protests in Ireland (featuring one of the disgruntled truckers); Julian Glover mourns the demise of the railway restaurant car; and finally, do you love it or hate it – Sarah Carlson provides h...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Catherine Ostler, the former editor of  Tatler , ponders the drama of the courtroom as she travels around the Kent countryside; following the news of the ceasefire with Iran, Paul Wood says that no-one knows what Trump will do next; John Power encourages Gen Z men to go hiking; and finally, astrophysicist David Whitehouse explores the dark s...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Lisa Haseldine reports from Svalbard; Matthew Parris reflects on the Iran crisis during Holy Week; Damian Thompson assesses how Pope Leo XIV is quietly reshaping the Vatican; Peter Pomerantsev reviews Jack Watling’s Statecraft ; Chas Newkey-Burden provides his notes on marathons; and finally, from Provence, Catriona Olding reflects on comfort and comp...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : looking back to 1973, Tim Shipman wonders how bad the energy crisis could get; Ben Clerkin interviews Steve Hilton, the former Cameron aide running to be California’s next governor; Maxwell Marlow explains how to solve the student debt crisis; and finally, ‘disorientatingly enjoyable’ is the verdict of Hermione Eyre as she reviews David Hockney a...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Ruaridh Nicoll reads his letter from Havana; Angus Colwell takes us through an A-Z of London horrors; Mary Wakefield points out the glaring flaw in Keir Starmer’s ‘cohesion plan; Philip Hensher reviews an increasingly reflective Alan Bennett; and finally, Nicholas Farrell reflects on Jeffrey Epstein, Silvio Berlusconi – and nudists in Italy. Produced and p...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Damian Thompson says his addiction to the piano has only got worse with age; Francis Pike ponders if Kim Jong-Un is lining up a female successor; Ysenda Maxtone-Graham explains the art to left-wing boasting; and finally, Lloyd Evans contemplates becoming a magistrate.   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subsc...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Geoffrey Cain explains why Trump’s real target with Iran is China; Justin Marozzi argues ancient history might be on the side of Ayatollah Khamenei’s supporters; Alex Diggins warns about the catastrophic consequences that may befall the Palace of Westminster; and finally, Sam France celebrates the 50p coin.   Produced and presented by Patric...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Angus Colwell ponders why young Brits seem to aspire to be more Australian; Paul Wood analyses the daring plan to reclaim the Chagos islands; Andrew Rule explains why to read is to love; and finally, Jonathan Meades declares that John Vanbrugh defies taxonomy as events kick off to mark the 300th anniversary of his death.   Produced and prese...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : James Heale reflects on Nigel Farage's leadership team; Lisa Haseldine argues that Europe is in denial over its defence; Simon Heffer looks at the extraordinary rise – and tragic fall – of the first Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald; and finally, Lloyd Evans reviews the plays I'm Sorry, Prime Minister and American Psycho .   Produced a...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Tina Brown explains her bafflement at how Jeff Bezos destroyed the  Washington Post ; Travis Aaroe warns against Britain putting its hopes in military man Al Carns MP; Genevieve Gaunt explores survival of the fittest as she reviews books by Justin Garcia and Paul Eastwick; and finally, Deborah Ross declares herself a purist as she reviews Em...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Piers Morgan reveals what Donald Trump told him from his hospital bed; Melanie McDonagh ponders the impermanence of email, amidst the Peter Mandelson scandal; Matt Ridley argues that polar bears – which are currently thriving – pose problems for climate enthusiasts; and finally, Rachel Johnson attends the memorial service for Dame Jilly Cooper – and says s...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Sean Thomas explains how an AI-generated goth girl became a nationalist icon; Mary Killen argues we should all regret the loss of the landline; Owen Matthews says that banning Russian art only weakens Ukraine; and finally, Patrick Kidd makes the case for letting children experience alcohol.   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectat...

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud : Gavin Mortimer reports on the battle between the EU and farmers; John Campbell explains Lord Haldane’s significance to politics today; reviewing Polar War by Kenneth R, Rosen, Mark Piesing ponders who will rule the arctic; and, Daisy Dunn celebrates the history of poems on the underground.   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subs...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Mickey Down, co-creator of Industry, reads his diary for the week; Charlie Gammell argues that US intervention could push Iran into civil war and terrorism – warning that there are more possibilities than just revolution or regime survival; false dichotomy at the heart of; Sean Thomas bemoans the bittersweet liberation from his libido; and, Douglas Murray...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Justin Marozzi analyses what Trump’s coup in Venezuela means for Iran; Lisa Haseldine asks why Britain isn’t expanding its military capabilities, as European allies do so; William Atkinson argues that the MET’s attack on freemasonry is unjustified; and, Toby Young explains why the chickenpox vaccine is a positive health measure. Produced and presented by P...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Cosmo Landesman says life is too short to watch boring shows; Alex Diggins reports back from the Bukhara art biennial; Lucy Dunn provides her notes on BuzzBallz – which featured at the Spectator’s Christmas party; and, Richard Bratby reviews  L’amour des trois oranges  at the Royal Northern College of Music and  Ariodante  at the Royal...

For this special Spectator Out Loud , Sarah Perry reads her short story Slipshod , from the Spectator 's Christmas issue. The story follows an academic tasked with reconstructing a disturbing incident involving two long-standing colleagues whose close friendship unravels under the weight of envy, illness – and something harder to explain. What emerges from the investigation is a chilling reflectio...

On this week’s special Christmas edition of  Spectator Out Loud – part two : Dominic Sandbrook reflects on whether Lady Emma Hamilton is the 18th century’s answer to Bonnie Blue; Philip Hensher celebrates the joy of a miserable literary Christmas; Steve Morris argues that an angel is for life, not just for Christmas; Christopher Howse ponders the  Spectator ’s enduring place in fiction;...

On this week’s special Christmas edition of  Spectator Out Loud – part one : James Heale wonders if Keir Starmer will really have a  happy  new year ;  Gyles Brandreth discusses Her Majesty The Queen’s love of reading, and reveals which books Her Majesty has personally recommended to give this Christmas; Avi Loeb explains why a comet could be a spaceship; Melanie McDonagh compa...

For this week's Spectator Out Loud, we include a compilation of submissions by our writers for their greatest artwork of the 21st century so far. Following our arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic, you can hear from: Graeme Thomson, Lloyd Evans, Slavoj Zizek, Damian Thompson, Richard Bratby, Liz Anderson, Deborah Ross, Calvin Po, Tanjil Rashid, James Walton, Rupert Christiansen and Christopher Howse. Pr...

On this week’s  Spectator Out Loud : Lara Brown reports on how young women are saying ’no’ to marriage; James Heale takes us through the history of the Budgets via drink; Sam Olsen reviews  Ruthless  by Edmond Smith and looks at Britain’s history of innovation and exploitation; and, Toby Young questions the burdensome regulation over Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).&nbs...