The Critic Show

Where does the Labour Party stand on trans rights? Is fear of being branded "transphobic" now putting the party of Barbara Castle and Jennie Lee at odds with mainstream feminism? In this podcast, the feminist campaigner, writer, and former Labour party member, Jo Bartosch, talks to The Critic's political editor, Graham Stewart, about how the gender battle is shaking-up British party politics. -- R...

Does the Mediterranean have a common culture that transcends its national, political and religious differences and did its modern tourist industry develop naturally or as part of government planning and incentives? In this podcast, Professor Jeremy Black, author of ‘A Brief History of the Mediterranean’, talks to The Critic’s political editor, Graham Stewart, about the trading, colonial and strate...

As Parliament heads into recess, politics isn't stopping. Graham Stewart and David Scullion discuss what we can expect in the coming weeks: from Brexit talks and the renewal of Coronavirus legislation, to the Lib Dem leadership election and who's likely to be fired in a coming reshuffle. -- Image: (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) Music: "Modern Jazz Samba" Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech.com ) Lice...

In 1950, over 20 million newspapers were bought every weekday in Britain, equivalent to one-and-a-half newspapers for every household per day. By 2010, they were buying 10 million a day, or 0.4 newspapers per household. Now it's closer to five million. or 0.2 per household. In this podcast, Professor Jeremy Black, author of The English Press: A History, talks to The Critic's political editor and o...

As social and political movements, such as Black Lives Matter, continue to gain traction nationwide, cancel culture is becoming an increasingly worrying trend. People who privately question or disagree with parts of such organisations are being publicly vilified with their jobs on the line. In this podcast, David Scullion talks to physicist Mike Mcculloch, ex-charity boss Nick Buckley and Free Spe...

For the first time in half a century, Britain is planning a major permanent Royal Navy deployment in the seas of Southeast and East Asia, led by the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. But how important was the Royal Navy in Asia-Pacific between the 1830s and 1960s? In this podcast The Critic’s political editor, Graham Stewart, discusses with Professor Jeremy Black, author of Geopolitics an...

How did Huawei destroy its western competitors to achieve such dominance? And does the government’s decision to phase Huawei out of the UK’s 5G network go far enough to address security fears? In this podcast, former leader of the Conservative Party, Iain Duncan Smith MP, talks to The Critic’s political editor, Graham Stewart, about the issues that remain to be settled concerning Huawei’s presence...

Much of Europe is now open again for British summer holiday-makers. But how different are the aims and experience of leisure travellers to Europe now compared to the 18th century? The Critic's political editor, Graham Stewart, talks to Professor Jeremy Black, author of The British Abroad, Italy and the Grand Tour, France and the Grand Tour and most recently, A Short History of the Mediterranean ab...

Opinion polls show a majority of Scots saying they would vote 'yes' for Scottish independence in a second referendum - which may be granted if the SNP win next May's Scottish parliamentary elections. -- Why has Scottish opinion shifted in favour of breaking-up the UK at a time when the UK Treasury is pumping billions into Scotland's Coronavirus response? In this podcast, The Critic's political edi...

Half the world has seen a James Bond film, or so the estimates have it, making 007 one of the most globally recognisable British brands as well as the longest, most successful film franchise in history. But what does Bond stand for and how has he changed since Ian Fleming created him in the 1950s? Professor Jeremy Black, author of The World of James Bond and The Politics of James Bond unpicks the...

What did the radical essayist and polemical journalist, Christopher Hitchens, and the conservative philosopher, Sir Roger Scruton, have in common? In this podcast, Douglas Murray, the commentator and author of The Strange Death of Europe and, most recently, The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity, talks to the political editor of The Critic, Graham Stewart, about the personal debt he owes...

As we grow further and further away from the twentieth century, has our perceptions on its course changed? And do we consider the themes and events that shaped it - and us - differently? The Critic's political editor, Graham Stewart, discusses with the historian, Professor Jeremy Black, senior fellow at Policy Exchange, whether greater distance from the twentieth century alters our perception of i...

In the first of a new series of podcasts featuring those who shaped politics over the last fifty years, The Critic's political editor, Graham Stewart, talks to Lord Taverne of Pimlico. As Dick Taverne, he was a minister in Harold Wilson's government, working with Roy Jenkins on many of the economic and social reforms of the 1960s, before being forced out of the Labour Party in 1973 because of his...

The spirit of 1968 has returned. From protests, to boycotts and even riots, ‘direct action’ is back in vogue as protestors impatient with the pace of change raise consciousness about the issues they want to put centre-stage. The Critic’s political editor, Graham Stewart, asks Professor Jeremy Black, senior fellow at Policy Exchange, whether we are witnessing a new age of emancipation or the underm...

The Cold War ended with the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. But when did it start? Shortly after the end of the Second World War is the common view. But did it really start with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917? And if we view it as a confrontation between the West and Soviet Union are we forgetting about the actions and influence of Communist China? Profess...

Can the West live without China? Would decoupling from China inflict greater damage to the American and British economies than it would hurt China? Graham Stewart talks to Stewart Paterson, research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation and author of  China, Trade and Power: Why the West's Economic Engagement Has Failed  about whether disengagement is an act of self-harm or a sensible stitch in time.  ...

He won a large majority in last December's election, but with his judgment and performance increasingly questioned, is Boris Johnson the wrong man to be leading the government? Simon Heffer, professor of modern British history at Buckingham University and a columnist for the Sunday and Daily Telegraph argues that the prime minister is unsuited to the job. And Graham Stewart also talks to Professor...

This week, Graham Stewart speaks to Nick Timothy, former Downing Street adviser and now  Daily Telegraph  columnist and author of  Remaking One Nation: the Future of Conservatism , on what future there is for liberalism in British politics, as well as to Emeritus Professor of History at Exeter University, Jeremy Black, on the relationship between war and the power of the state. -- Right now we're...

This week, Graham Stewart speaks to Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress of Michaela Community School in Brent, on education and schooling during Coronavirus. Michaela Community School ( mcsbrent.co.uk/ ) is a trail-blazing school achieving very high results from its pupils. Also in this podcast, Graham asks Jeremy Black, Emiritus Professor of History at Exeter University, whether there is a point...

In this week's Critic podcast, Professor Jeremy Black, author of Imperial Legacies: the British Empire around the world, argues that campaigns across universities to "decolonise the curriculum" are often less about broadening the range of interpretations of the past and more about promoting a radical alternative political agenda.  Graham Stewart also talks to the critic, Nicholas T. Parsons, autho...

How much longer should the lockdown go on and is it now causing more problems than it is solving? To discuss the suppositions that got us into the lockdown and whether the government's 5 tests are valid measures to meet before relaxing it, the Critic's political editor Graham Stewart talks to the lockdown sceptic and entrepreneur, Luke Johnson, who was formally chairman of Channel 4 and who is now...

In this week's Critic podcast, our political editor, Graham Stewart asks Professor Jeremy Black why Britain's armed forces are better trusted to deliver procurement than other state bodies (like the Department of Health and Public Health England) and whether Britons have always held the armed forces in such high esteem? Graham also talks to John McTernan, former special adviser to Tony Blair, on t...

As working from home becomes the new norm, Natascha Engel (former Labour MP for North East Derbyshire and Deputy Speaker for the House of Commons) discusses with Graham Stewart about the shift to online parliament, and why we should be wary about making this a permanent change. Also, Professor Jeremy Black considers how online learning has effected universities, and what this means for their futur...

In this week's podcast, Graham Stewart discusses with Kapil Komireddi and Toby Young about the origins of the Coronavirus crisis, whether we should be in a lockdown at all, and whether saving vulnerable lives is an economic price worth paying. Kapil Komireddi is the author of internationally acclaimed ‘Malevolent Republic: A short History of the New India’, and Toby Young is the commentator and fo...

This week, Graham Stewart speaks to Emiritus Professor of History at Exeter University, Jeremy Black, about historical reactions to national crises, and David Scullion discusses how Europe’s response to the Coronavirus differs to that of Taiwan with Dr Radomir Tylecote who studied State interventions in the Chinese Economy for his PhD which included fieldwork at Tsinghua University Beijing. Right...