Episodes

  • Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray, Tanya Gold, Rose George, Toby Young and Rory Sutherland

    Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray, Tanya Gold, Rose George, Toby Young and Rory Sutherland
    Jan 24 2025
    On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray reads his letter from Washington D.C., and reveals what Liz Truss, Eric Zemmour and Steve Bannon made of Trump’s inauguration (1:22); Tanya Gold writes about the sad truth behind the gypsies facing eviction in Cornwall (7:15); Rose George reviews The Forgotten Sense: The New Science of Smell, by Jonas Olofsson, and explains the surprising link between odour disgust and political attitudes (13:07); Toby Young provides his favourite anecdotes about President Trump, having crossed paths with him in New York City in the 1990s (18:39); and, Rory Sutherland proposes a unique way to solve Britain’s building crisis: ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Ugliness’ (23:40).

    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.
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    28 mins
  • Women With Balls: The Rachael Maskell Edition

    Women With Balls: The Rachael Maskell Edition
    Jan 24 2025
    Rachael Maskell has been the MP for York Central since 2015. With over two decades experience working in the NHS, and as a trade unionist, she has championed causes on the left from improving healthcare to combating climate change. Yet, she has not been afraid to take what she says is an ‘evidenced approach’ to political issues, even when it has put her in opposition to the position of the Labour leadership. Most recently, she was a leading voice against the assisted dying bill as Chair of the Dying Well parliamentary group.

    On the podcast, Rachael talks to Katy Balls about the influence of politics around the dinner table and the miners’ strikes, how we could improve the NHS, and why she served under Jeremy Corbyn. Having disagreed with the Labour government over issues like the winter fuel allowance, Rachael also reveals what she makes of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves’s leadership, and how she would like to see their approach change.

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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    37 mins
  • The Edition: Industry tragedy, Trump vs the Pope & the depressing reality of sex parties

    The Edition: Industry tragedy, Trump vs the Pope & the depressing reality of sex parties
    Jan 23 2025
    This week: the death of British industry

    In the cover piece for the magazine, Matthew Lynn argues that Britain is in danger of entering a ‘zero-industrial society’. The country that gave the world the Industrial Revolution has presided over a steep decline in British manufacturing. He argues there are serious consequences: foreign ownership, poorer societies, a lack of innovation, and even national security concerns. Why has this happened? Who is to blame? And could Labour turn it around? Matthew joined the podcast, alongside the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Paul Nowak. (1:05)

    Next: the Pope takes on President Trump

    The Pope has nominated Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the new Archbishop of Washington. Damian Thompson writes that on the face of it, this might sound like a routine appointment, but the reality is that this is retaliation against the Trump administration. for the nomination of an arch-MAGA loyalist, and uncompromising Catholic, as the new ambassador to the Holy See. Subsequently, the Vatican has appointed an outspoken liberal. What does this tell us about the power of both the Papacy and the President? And how much sway does the Catholic hierarchy really have in Trump’s America? Damian joined us to reveal more, alongside our deputy editor Freddy Gray, who has been in D.C. for Trump’s inauguration. (19:02)

    And finally: what are sex parties really like?

    Far from being a sexy affair, sex parties are depressing, with most attendees leaving unfulfilled and rather disappointed, writes James Innes-Smith. He says that he spent more time in the kitchen at a recent party than in the bedroom. So, what makes them appealing in the first place? Are people looking for connection in all the wrong places? James joined the podcast alongside Sophia Money-Coutts, who has written about the subject for Tatler magazine. (30:35)

    Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.
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    42 mins
  • The Book Club: what we get wrong about The Great Gatsby

    The Book Club: what we get wrong about The Great Gatsby
    Jan 22 2025
    In this week’s Book Club podcast, we’re contemplating the astounding achievement of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in its 100th year. My guest is Professor Sarah Churchwell, author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Making of The Great Gatsby, as well as the introduction to Cambridge University Press’s new edition of the novel. Sarah tells me what we get wrong about this Jazz Age classic, why Fitzgerald’s antisemitism shouldn’t necessarily get him cancelled, and how Fitzgerald’s great novel traces the arc that leads from 1925 to Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
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    43 mins
  • Americano: 'I'm a Democrat who will give him a chance' - Lionel Shriver on Trump's inauguration

    Americano: 'I'm a Democrat who will give him a chance' - Lionel Shriver on Trump's inauguration
    Jan 21 2025
    Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. All the former leaders of the free world were there to watch Trump take the oath - again - but how was this inauguration different to the last? And what signs were there of how Trump intends to govern?

    Guest hosting for Americano, The Spectator’s Kate Andrews speaks to Freddy Gray, who is on the ground in D.C., and Lionel Shriver about Trump’s speech lamenting the Biden administration, Biden’s last minute pardoning of his family, and why some Democrats could be willing to give Trump a chance this time round.

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze.
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    23 mins
  • Coffee House Shots: Could Trump 2.0 derail the Starmer project?

    Coffee House Shots: Could Trump 2.0 derail the Starmer project?
    Jan 20 2025
    The parties - and protests - have already kicked off, as Trump's inauguration gets underway in Washington D.C. today. Katy Balls speaks to Michael Gove and Republicans Overseas UK's Sarah Elliott about what we can expect from the first week of Trump's second presidency, and how Keir Starmer will attempt to navigate the 'special relationship'. Sarah updates us on the mood in the US capital; which UK politicians have been spotted joining in on the fun?

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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    13 mins
  • Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove, Mary Wakefield, Mitchell Reiss, Max Jeffery and Nicholas Farrell

    Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove, Mary Wakefield, Mitchell Reiss, Max Jeffery and Nicholas Farrell
    Jan 19 2025
    On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove offers up some advice to Keir Starmer (1:33); Mary Wakefield examines the rise of the ‘divorce party’ (7:28); Mitchell Reiss looks at the promise and peril of AI as he reviews Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope and the Human Spirit, a collaboration between the former CEO of Google Eric Schmidt, the former chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft Craig Mundie, and the late US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (13:52); Max Jeffery listens to The Armie HammerTime Podcast as the actor attempts to reverse his spectacular downfall (20:45); and, Nicholas Farrell reveals the time he got drunk with the ghost of Mussolini (25:24).

    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.
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    32 mins
  • Coffee House Shots: Reeves's worst week so far?

    Coffee House Shots: Reeves's worst week so far?
    Jan 18 2025
    It's been a tricky week for Rachel Reeves: an onslaught of criticism for the levels of borrowing costs, GDP at 0.1 per cent, and stagflation still gripping the UK economy. Remarkably she has come out of it looking stronger – politically at least. But can she afford to celebrate? The Spectator's Kate Andrews and data editor Michael Simmons join the podcast to discuss the economy, and go through some of the most striking graphs from The Spectator's data hub this week.

    Produced by Natasha Feroze.
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    17 mins