Best of the Spectator

By: The Spectator
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  • Summary

  • Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to.
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Episodes
  • Spectator Out Loud: Paul Wood, Sean Thomas, Imogen Yates, Books of the Year II, and Alan Steadman

    Spectator Out Loud: Paul Wood, Sean Thomas, Imogen Yates, Books of the Year II, and Alan Steadman
    Nov 9 2024
    On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Paul Wood analyses what a Trump victory could mean for the Middle East (1:16); Sean Thomas gets a glimpse of a childless future while travelling in South Korea (8:39); in search of herself, Imogen Yates takes part in ‘ecstatic dance’ (15:11); a second selection of our books of the year from Peter Parker, Daniel Swift, Andrea Wulf, Claire Lowdon, and Sara Wheeler (20:30); and notes on the speaking clock from the voice himself, Alan Steadman (25:26).

    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.
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    30 mins
  • Women With Balls: The Shivani Raja Edition

    Women With Balls: The Shivani Raja Edition
    Nov 8 2024
    Shivani Raja holds two Parliamentary honours: the youngest Tory MP and, in Leicester East, the only Conservative gain at the recent election; she is also the first of the new 2024 intake to appear on Women With Balls. With a background in science and business, not politics, she fought a whirlwind election campaign – not just against the Labour Party, but against her two most recent predecessors.

    On the podcast, Shivani talks to Katy Balls about how she got into politics, why she is proud of Leicester’s multiculturalism, and about challenging her colleagues’ perceptions of ‘young people’. Shivani introduced James Cleverly at his leadership launch in September – what are her diagnoses of the 2024 election, Labour’s performance so far, and what the Conservatives need to do to win back the support of the British public?

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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    31 mins
  • The Edition: Trump's comeback, Labour's rural divide, and World of Warcraft

    The Edition: Trump's comeback, Labour's rural divide, and World of Warcraft
    Nov 7 2024
    This week: King of the Hill
    You can’t ignore what could be the political comeback of the century: Donald Trump’s remarkable win in this week’s US election. The magazine this week carries analysis about why Trump won, and why the Democrats lost, from Freddy Gray, Niall Ferguson and Yascha Mounk, amongst others. To make sense of how Trump became only the second President in history to win non-consecutive terms, we’re joined by the journalist Jacqueline Sweet and Cliff Young, president of polling at Ipsos (00:58).

    Next: is Labour blind to rural communities?
    The changes to inheritance tax for farmers are one of the measures from Labour’s budget that has attracted the most attention. In the magazine this week The Telegraph’s Simon Heffer argues that it needs to be seen as part of a wider attack on rural communities. But is it intentional, or simply a blind spot Labour has to the countryside? Simon joined us alongside Ed Barker from the Agricultural Industries Confederation (16:42).

    And finally: what makes World of Warcraft so addictive?
    The Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith joins the podcast to talk about the gaming phenomenon that is World of Warcraft. In just two decades, it has now made more money than three times the most successful Hollywood film ever. Why is it so successful and what makes it so addictive? And, as the landscape of gaming has changed over the decades, should parents still really be worried about their children spending time online or has gaming opened new areas for kids to socialise? Sam joined us to discuss and reveals the inspiration behind his avatar’s name… (27:37).

    Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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    37 mins

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