Best of the Spectator

<div>My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Lindsey Fitzharris – whose new book is <em>The Facemaker: One Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I</em>. At its centre is the compelling figure of Harold Gillies – ace golfer, practical joker, and pioneer of the whole field of plastic surgery. Lindsey tells me about the extraordinary advances he made and the will and skill that drove them; and the poignant story of how victims of facial disfigurement were the invisible casualties of the conflict. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Lily Dunn is a writer, teacher and lecturer in creative writing and narrative non-fiction at Bath Spa University. Her latest book <em>Sins of my father: a daughter, a cult, a wild unravelling</em> is out now. On the podcast, Lily talks about her first memories picking blackberries in Cornwall, her love for all kinds of toast and her culinary experiences in Italy. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Will the government's plans for revitalising the north be hampered by its plans for decarbonisation? There's increasing concern in Whitehall that these agendas contradict each other, but there's no reason that green jobs and projects can't benefit Britain's 'forgotten communities' too.<br><br></div><div>How do we ensure the north benefits from a greener, more prosperous future? How can industry best play a role? Join <em>The Spectator</em>'s Kate Andrews as she hosts <em><br></em>Clare Harbord,<strong> </strong>Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Drax. Rt Hon Jake Berry MP,<em> </em>Chairman, NRG. Tom Pope, Deputy Chief Economist, Institute for Government and Valentine Quinio, Analyst, Centre for Cities.<br><br><em>The event was kindly sponsored by Drax.</em></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray speaks to the author F.H. Buckley, who outlines the case made in his latest book <em>Progressive Conservatism: How Republicans Will Become America's Natural Governing Party</em>.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode: Douglas Murray on Hispanic Conservatives in US politics (0:26). Katja Hoyer on East German sentiment towards Russia (08:32) and Lara Predergast on the rise of the sex bore (13.13). </div><div><br></div><div>Presented by Natasha Feroze.</div><div><br></div><div>Produced by Oscar Edmondson.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray, The Spectator’s deputy editor, speaks to journalist Jamie Bartlett about his new book on the multi-billion dollar crypto-scam of missing businesswoman Ruja Ignatova:<br><br>‘The whole thing was a brilliantly designed pyramid scheme with a crypto-currency branding.’ <br><br>– Jamie Bartlett<br><br>On the rest of the show, analyst Wolfgang Münchau and FT chief foreign affairs correspondent Gideon Rachman discuss whether Putin could shut off Germany's gas, The Spectator's economics editor and resident American Kate Andrews breaks down what American legislators can do to protect abortion rights after the overturning of Roe v Wade, journalist Rachel Johnson pays homage to rock's graying stars and from The Spectator’s political team, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss the political situation that the Prime Minister returns home to, after an eight-day tour abroad.<br><br>00:00 - Welcome from Freddy Gray.<br>03:00 - Could Putin shut off Germany's gas? With Wolfgang Münchau and Gideon Rachman<br>19:25 - Politics update with Katy Balls and James Forsyth<br>28:55 - Can Democrats do more to protect abortion rights? With Kate Andrews<br>40:15 - The missing cryptoqueen: Jamie Bartlett on a multi-billion dollar crypto-scam<br>49:50 - Rachel Johnson on music's ageing rockstars<br><br>// SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPECTATOR<br>Get 12 issues for £12, plus a free £20 Amazon voucher<br><a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tvoffer">https://www.spectator.co.uk/tvoffer</a><br><br>// FOLLOW US<br><a href="https://www.twitter.com/spectator">https://www.twitter.com/spectator</a><br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSpectator">https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSpectator</a><br><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-spectator">https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-spectator</a><br><a href="https://www.instagram.com/spectator1828">https://www.instagram.com/spectator1828</a><br><br>Theme song was written and performed by Jon Barker © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker <br>Publisher Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by <a href="http://prsformusic.com">prsformusic.com</a><br>Recording © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by <a href="http://ppl.com">ppl.com</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Anne-Marie Trevelyan is the Secretary of State for International Trade and the MP for Berwick-Upon-Tweed. In the episode, she tells Katy about what it was like to join the City in the 90s, what she calls 'the mysterious management by the civil service of its ministers' and what she makes of the rumours that she could be sacked in an upcoming reshuffle.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:</div><div><br></div><div>Can Russia turn off Germany’s gas?</div><div><br></div><div>Wolfgang Münchau and Katja Hoyer discuss Germany’s looming energy crisis (0.51).</div><div><br></div><div>Also this week:</div><div><br></div><div>What are relations like between Boris Johnson and Prince Charles? </div><div><br></div><div><em>The Spectator’s </em>diary editor, James Heale talks with Camilla Tominey from the Telegraph talk about the growing tensions between the Prime Minister and future King (19.56).</div><div><br></div><div>And finally: </div><div><br></div><div>Are sex parties becoming a cliché?</div><div><br></div><div>Emma Sayle, CEO of Killing Kittens and James Innes-Smith, talk about the rise of sex parties and why they’ve become an open secret. (27.48)</div><div><br></div><div>Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William Moore</div><div><br></div><div>Produced by Natasha Feroze</div><div><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>My guest in this week’s book club podcast is Simon Jenkins. His new book <em>The Celts: A Sceptical History</em> tells the story of a race of people who, contrary to what many of us were taught in school, never existed at all. He tells me how and why “Celts” were invented, what it has meant and continues to mean for the nations of the Union, and where he thinks we need to go next…</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>You probably wouldn’t expect to see the Cultural Revolution in Chinese films, or the Great Leap Forward, or the Tiananmen Square protests. But for a certain generation and a certain corner of the Chinese film industry, these were actually common themes to deal with. Their films weren’t always welcome to the censors, but they weren’t always banned, either. </div><br><div>Cindy Yu recently <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-closing-of-the-chinese-mind">wrote</a> a column for <em>The Spectator</em> on Chinese cinema, and the golden age it experienced just after the end of the Cultural Revolution. You’d be surprised at the amazing political – and social – subversiveness of directors like Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou. On this episode, Cindy talks about that golden age and also about what has come after, where, depressingly, it’s now films like Wolf Warrior 2 that dominate the box office.</div><br><div>Joining her is Chris Berry, Professor of Film Studies at Kings College London who specialises in Chinese cinema. They talk about how their trauma of living through the Cultural Revolution drove the so-called 'Fifth Generation' directors; the bold portrayal of queer characters which got them into trouble with the censors; and how commercialisation has changed the landscape for Chinese directors who are now dictated by the box office. Pictured here is Leslie Cheung in Chen Kaige's <em>Farewell My Concubine</em>, where Cheung portrays a queer Beijing opera singer.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode: Melvyn Bragg on the continuing genius of Paul McCartney and what makes the BBC great (0:55). Svitlana Morenets, a Ukrainian refugee now working at <em>The Spectator </em>on why her country will never accept a peace deal with Putin (06:00). Matthew Parris says we're being unfair on Carrie Johnson (15:43), and Lionel Shriver reads her column on the madness of the central bankers (22.18). </div><div><br></div><div>Presented by Angus Colwell.</div><div><br></div><div>Produced by Angus Colwell and Cindy Yu.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Inez Stepman returns to talk to Freddy Gray about the overturning of the 1973 Roe v Wade decision by the Supreme Court. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div><em>‘We can talk about sanctions all we want, but the West is still very much funding Putin's war chest.’</em> – Kate Andrews<br><br>The economist Julian Jessop joins Kate to discuss what else the West can do to put pressure on Russia. On the rest of the show, oncologist Professor Karol Sikora and science journalist Matt Ridley discuss the viability of a vaccine for cancer, <em>Spectator</em> intern and Ukrainian refugee Svitlana Morenets explains why Ukrainians want to keep fighting, Jonathan Miller champions the budget airline Ryanair and <em>The Spectator's</em> home political team, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman, update on the political ramifications of this week's rail strikes.<br><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=0s">00:00</a> – Welcome from Katy Balls<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=135s">02:15</a> – Politics update with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=725s">12:05</a> – Are sanctions backfiring? Kate Andrews discusses with Julian Jessop<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=1635s">27:15</a> – Svitlana Morenets on why Ukraine wants to keep fighting<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=2085s">34:45</a> – Can we find a vaccine for cancer? With Matt Ridley and Professor Karol Sikora<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI&t=3075s">51:15</a> – Is Ryanair in fact the best airline of all? Jonathan Miller makes the case<br><br>// SUBSCRIBE TO THE SPECTATOR<br>Get 12 issues for £12, plus a free £20 Amazon voucher<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2g0cjlDRk8wMG9uTWxybjNEdUU1U0VseHdPd3xBQ3Jtc0trUkxGVkpoX0t4MncxSXpyMV8zeEFjQWdhenE0dGduSEV3YUVmenB3c21sYTQ3eUxPQkNoMXZvU0ViYm1CeDNjbnM4dl94N3QyNnVqcDVWSUJmYnc2dnJaYVV6X2VpS0NGc1poVVZ1WDVzQ0NPRmRsQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spectator.co.uk%2Ftvoffer&v=kQ8Kc1DDyAI">https://www.spectator.co.uk/tvoffer</a><br><br></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:<br><br>Are Russian sanctions backfiring?<br><br><em>The Spectator</em>’s economics editor, Kate Andrews and Elisabeth Braw from American Enterprise Institute discuss why sanctions against Russia may be playing into Putin’s hands. (0.57)<br><br>Also this week:<br><br>Does Carrie Johnson get a hard time from the British public?<br> <br><em>Spectator </em>columnist, Matthew Parris talks with the Daily Mail columnist about the role of a Prime Minister’s wife and why they are given such a bad time. (13.56)<br><br>And finally:<br><br>What’s so special about our cars?<br><br>Juliet Nicolson & Tanya Gold, a <em>Spectator </em>contributor chat about their shared love for cars. (24.06)<br><br>Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William Moore<br><br>Produced by Natasha Feroze<br><br>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s Book Club podcast, my guest is the historian Philip Mansel. We talk about his new biography <em>King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV. </em>He tells me what really drove the great megalomaniac, whether he was a feminist <em>avant la lettre, </em>how his depredations in the Rhineland anticipated Putin’s in Ukraine – and why, if he hadn’t revoked the Edict of Nantes, the first man on the moon might have been speaking French.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On a slightly different episode of Table Talk, chef and food writer, Olia Hercules joins Olivia Potts for a second time on the podcast to talk about #CookForUkraine. Created with Russian friend and food writer Alissa Timoshkina, #CookForUkraine encourages people to post and share Ukrainian recipes and celebrate the comfort of food during this difficult time. On the podcast, Olia tells Olivia Potts about the personal cost of the war on her and her family, how she grappled with guilt when cooking at the start of the war, and the ways we can offer support to the besieged cities in Ukraine.<br><br>For more information about Olia, visit her Patreon account <a href="https://www.patreon.com/OliaHercules">here</a>.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode: Mary Wakefield asks why no one's mentioning the cult Tom Cruise belongs to (00:54), John R. MacArthur asks if Macron should be scared by an ascendant Jean-Luc Mélenchon (06:58), and Daisy Dunn orients herself after listening to the <em>Gucci Podcast </em>(17:57).</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Women of menopausal age make up a tenth of the UK workforce (and a quarter of all working women). The symptoms of menopause can make work much harder, they include both physical and mental, from hot flushes and brain fog to insomnia. But at a time when many may be reaching the peak of their career, these symptoms can halt years of career progression. What’s more, the condition is stigmatised and little discussed.</div><div><br></div><div>Steps are being made to break this stigma. This year MPs introduced the first private member's bill on menopause and the government established a menopause task force. Employers are becoming ever more aware of things they could do to help these millions of women. What are the next steps?</div><div><br></div><div>To discuss this, Katy Balls is joined by Conservative MP Maria Caulfield, who’s also the minister for women’s health and co-chairs the government’s menopause taskforce; Jacqui Smith, a broadcaster and Home Secretary under Gordon Brown. She is also currently the chair of two NHS trusts. Finally, Michelle Blayney, chief culture and talent officer at Lloyds Banking Group.<br><br><em>This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.</em></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:</div><div>Why is there a lack of faith in western leaders? <em>Spectator</em> deputy editor Freddy Gray, Callum Williams from the <em>Economist</em> & Harvard professor Barbara Kellerman discuss why the world feel so leaderless. (00:44)</div><div><br></div><div>Also this week:</div><div>How do you escape the church of scientology? <em>Spectator </em>Columnist Mary Wakefield talks with former scientologist Claire Headley about her life inside the organisation and how hard it was to leave. (15:07)</div><div><br></div><div>And finally:<br>Should we all give boxing a go?<br>Anil Bhoyrul & James Amos organiser of Boodles Boxing Ball on the strange world of White Collar Boxing. (27:40)</div><div><br></div><div>Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William Moore</div><div>Produced by Sam Holmes</div><div><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by the <em>New York Times</em>'s Andrea Elliott, who won the Pulitzer Prize for her book <em>Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in New York City. </em>She tells me how she came to spend seven years reporting on a single, homeless family in Brooklyn, how she negotiated her duty to observe rather than participate – and what their <em>telenovela-</em>like experiences tell us about American history.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Winston speaks with writer, musician and host of Conversations with Coleman, Coleman Hughes. They discuss blasphemy in the music industry, counter-culture, race, reparations, colourblindness and much more...<br><br>Presented by Winston Marshall <br>Produced by Sam Holmes</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>China's social credit system is notorious. This Black Mirror-esque network supposedly gives citizens a score, based on an opaque algorithm that feeds on data from each person's digital and physical lives. With one billion Chinese accessing the Internet and the growing prevalence of facial recognition, it means that their every move can be monitored – from whether they cross the road dangerously, to whether they play too many video games and buy too much junk food. Those with low scores have lower socio-economic status, and may not be able to board planes and trains, or send their children to school. It's all part of a Chinese Communist Party directive to further control and mould its citizens.<br><br></div><div>Except it's not. Speak to any Chinese person and you'll quickly realise that their lives are not dictated by some score, with their every move monitored and live-feeding to some kind of governmental evaluation of their social worth. In fact, the western narrative of the social credit system has deviated so far from the situation on the ground that Chinese Internet users went viral <a href="https://twitter.com/manyapan/status/1327208138660077569?s=20&t=ouhprNpUl6vMhPWtQ0johw">mocking </a>western reporting on Weibo: '-278 points: Immediate execution'.<br><br></div><div>Telling Cindy Yu this story on this episode of Chinese Whispers is Vincent Brussee, a researcher at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), who has recently released a detailed paper looking at what the social credit system really entails on the ground (Merics was part of the group of European organisations and individuals sanctioned by Beijing last year).<br><br></div><div>The reality of social credit is unfortunately much less exciting and sexy than you might fear. For one, the technology simply isn't there. ' When the social credit system was envisioned, or when it was designed in the early 2000s, government files in China were still held in dusty drawers… In 2019 when I worked in China I still had to use a fax machine. That was the first time in my life that I ever saw a fax machine', Vincent says. The system is not linked with someone's digital data, but fundamentally only their interactions with the government (for example, permits and licences). Data that e-commerce and social media companies collect on their users, which must be extensive, are not connected with the government's own data (probably because of the CCP's growing suspicion of Chinese tech firms).<br><br></div><div>But more fundamentally, the social credit system is not just one system. 'It's more of an umbrella term', Jeremy Daum says. He is the senior research fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, who also runs the blog <a href="https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/en/">China Law Translate</a> (which does what it says on the tin). Jeremy has spent years myth-busting the social credit system. He says that for some institutions, social credit is a financial record ('credit' as in 'credit card'); for others, it is a way of black-marking unscrupulous companies that in the past fell short of, say, food safety standards (a particularly sensitive topic in China, given the milk powder scandal). In fact, social credit often functionally works as a way of determining how trustworthy a company is, like a government-run Yelp or Trustpilot system (the Merics report found that most targets of are companies rather than individuals).<br><br></div><div>So how did reporters get the social credit story so wrong? In reality, though the social credit system itself is fairly boring, the way this narrative exploded and took hold is a cautionary tale for the West in our understanding of China. 'The western coverage of social credit has hardly been coverage of social credit at all. It is coverage of us, seen through a mirror of China', says Jeremy, arguing that it tapped into our deep fear of unbridled technology and surveillance. On the episode Cindy also speaks to Louise Matsakis, a freelance journalist covering tech and China, who was one of the first to point out the disparity in the social credit narrative and the reality on the ground. Together, they unpack what lessons there are for studying, understanding and reporting on China from this whole saga. <br><br></div><div>For further reading, here are the sources we mention in the episode:<br><br></div><div>- The Chinese Whispers episode with Jeremy Daum on the fightback against facial recognition: <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/the-fightback-against-facial-recognition">https://www.spectator.co.uk/po...<br></a><br></div>&l

<div>John Connolly, <em>The Spectator</em>’s news editor, speaks to historian Anthony Seldon about whether Boris Johnson might resign: <br><br>‘Why on earth would he want to carry on and have more of this humiliation? Why wouldn’t want to take the dignified path of saying: “I’m going to fall on my sword.”'<br><br>On the rest of the show, <em>Spectator</em> contributor Owen Matthews and our <em>Wild Life</em> columnist Aidan Hartley discuss how far Putin is to blame for global food shortages, the Refugee Council’s Enver Solomon says the Home Office is in crisis, and sports journalist Neil Clark explains why, despite the danger, the Isle of Man TT should be celebrated, not banned.<br><br>Watch the full episode at: <a href="https://youtu.be/iJNds8Am0B0">www.spectator.co.uk/tv</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode: <br><br>Katy Balls reads her article on the cadets gunning for the Tory leadership. (00:52)<br><br>John Connolly reads his investigation into the new warehouse ghettos where Britain is sending migrants. (06:36) <br><br>Gus Carter reads his piece on why he's not getting invited to any dinner parties. (12:05)<br><br>Presented by Angus Colwell.<br><br></div><div>Produced by Angus Colwell and Sam Holmes.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray talks to journalists Jacob Heilbrunn, the editor of The National Interest, and John Daniel Davidson, senior editor of The Federalist, about the beginning of public hearings at the House Select Committee into the events of January 6th 2021.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Julie Bindel is a radical feminist, journalist and activist. Growing up in Darlington, she left school aged 15, and at 16 moved to Leeds in search of – in her own words – 'scary-sounding feminists'. In the 90s, she founded Justice For Women, a feminist campaigning organisation that supports, and advocates on behalf of, women who have fought back against or killed violent men. On the podcast, Julie talks about her upbringing in the North East, her fight in the gender ideology debate, and she shares her thoughts on Pretty Woman. <br><br>To read more on Julie Bindel, visit her Substack page <a href="https://substack.com/profile/91305008-julie-bindel">here</a>. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:</div><div>Is the Prime Minister a dead man walking? <em>Spectator</em> Political Editor James Forsyth and MP Jesse Norman who expressed no confidence in Monday's vote discuss the future of Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party. (00:45)</div><div><br></div><div>Also this week:</div><div>Why is there so much virtue signalling in modern advertising? <em>Spectator </em>Columnist Lionel Shriver and veteran copywriter Paul Burke discuss its origins, its prevalence, and its effectiveness. (20:20)</div><div><br></div><div>And finally:</div><div>Is the dinner party dead? Gus Carter writes in <em>The Spectator</em> this week about how he is never invited to any. He’s joined by Mary Killen to give him some tips on planning a sophisticated bash on a budget. (34:45)</div><div><br></div><div>Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William Moore</div><div>Produced by Sam Holmes</div><div><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s Book Club podcast, I’m joined by the writer China Miéville to talk about his new book <em>A Spectre, Haunting: On The Communist Manifesto</em>. China makes the case for why this 1848 document deserves our attention in the 21st century, why even its critics would benefit from reading it more closely and sympathetically, and why - in his view - the gamble of a revolutionary abolition of capitalism is not only possible, but well worth taking.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Nell Hudson has starred in <em>Outlander</em>, <em>Victoria </em>and the latest <em>Texas Chainsaw Massacre </em>film. Her debut novel, <em>Just for Today</em>, is out now: it’s about a group of twenty-somethings in London, having “heady, reckless fun”. <br><br></div><div>Nell speaks to Lara and Olivia about how she’s enjoying veganism and the one meat she misses, growing up on a farm, a peculiar childhood diet and the lonely eating habits of an actor.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week's Holy Smoke I offer some thoughts on the impressive and distinctive Christian faith of the Queen – impressive because it's so refreshingly direct compared to that of many of her politics-obsessed bishops, and distinctive because Elizabeth II is one of a dwindling band of Low Church but not Evangelical Anglicans whose favourite Sunday service is old-fashioned Matins. Questions of churchmanship aside, however, there is no doubting the intensity of her convictions, about which she has spoken with increasing candour and confidence in recent years. Will she turn out to be the United Kingdom's last robustly Christian monarch?</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Fraser Nelson, <em>The Spectator</em>’s editor, speaks to Louise Perry, author of <em>The Case Against the Sexual Revolution</em>, about why it should be harder to divorce. Elsewhere on the the show, <em>Spectator</em> contributor Christopher Howse discusses the monarchy with our political editor James Forsyth. Cindy Yu, host of our Chinese Whispers podcast, says China hasn’t changed all that much since the Tiananmen Square protests 30 years ago. Former consultant J. Meirion Thomas tells Fraser why GP surgeries are in crisis. Historians Antony Beevor and Serhii Plokhy talk about why Putin might yet win in Ukraine.<br><br>Get 10 weeks of the magazine, in print and online, for just £1 in our Jubilee flash sale. We'll also send you a commemorative tea towel to mark the occasion. Offer ends on Monday. Go to: <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/join?tpcc=A869U">www.spectator.co.uk/jubilee </a> </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode, Robert Hardman reads his cover article on the quiet radicalism of Queen Elizabeth II (00:50); J. Meirion Thomas reads his article on the 'total triage' system that is leaving patients unable to see their GPs; and Sarah Ditum reads her review of Sandra Newman's new novel, <em>The Men</em>.<br><br>Presented by Angus Colwell.<br><br>Produced by Angus Colwell and Cindy Yu.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:</div><div>Robert Hardman & Angela Levin, two of the UK’s royal specialists, explore the character of the Queen and the impact she has had on the institution of the monarchy. (00:36)</div><div><br><br></div><div>Also this week:</div><div>For now, it seems that Boris Johnson is hanging on after the publishing of the Sue Gray report, but how stable is his position? Could a vote of no confidence be closer than anyone expects? <em>The Spectator</em>’s political editor James Forsyth joins the podcast to discuss. (13:47)</div><div><br><br></div><div>And finally:</div><div>Is Chinese cinema in decline? Cindy Yu writes on this in this week’s <em>Spectator</em>, and she joins the podcast along with Andrew Heskins, the founder of <a href="http://easternkicks.com/"><em><a href="http://easternkicks.com">easternkicks.com</a></em></a>, a review website specialising in Asian film, and co-founder of the film festival, <em>Focus Hong Kong</em>.</div><div>(23:33)</div><div><br><br></div><div>Hosted by Lara Prendergast</div><div>Produced by Sam Holmes</div><div><br><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>My guests in this week's Book Club podcast are Daniel Kahneman and Olivier Sibony, co-authors (with Cass R Sunstein) of <em>Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgment</em>. Augmenting the work on psychological bias that won Prof Kahneman a Nobel Prize, this investigation exposes a more invisible and often more impactful way in which human judgments go awry: the random-seeming variability which statisticians call noise. They tell me how it affects everything from business to academic life and the judicial system; and how we can detect it and minimise it. The answers to those questions, it turns out, are very hard for human beings (especially French ones) to accept...</div><div><br></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>All eyes are on the Communist leadership this year, as the months count down to autumn’s National Party Congress, where Xi Jinping may be crowned for a third term. But how much do we really know about the Party’s leadership? In particular, can we better understand them through looking at the experiences that they've had?<br><br>Take Xi Jinping, who is what is known as a 'princeling' – his father was the Communist revolutionary Xi Zhongxun, one of the Party's early cadres. How did that upbringing impact him, and his faith in the Chinese Communist Party?<br><br>Also consider the Cultural Revolution – the sixtysomethings on the Politburo Standing Committee would have been teenagers during that decade of turmoil. How did it form who they are as leaders today?</div><br><div>Joining Cindy Yu on the podcast is Professor Kerry Brown from Kings College London, whose latest book is <em>Xi: A Study in Power</em>, so very knowledgeable on the President himself; as well as Professor Steve Tsang, a historian at SOAS.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>This week on Marshall Matters Winston speaks to Rahima Mahmut. Rahima is a Uyghur singer, writer, translator and activist. They discussed the history and genocide of her people, compared CCP narrative to the Uyghur perspective, the Adrian Zenz report, her musical background and her song Tarim.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Kate Andrews, <em>The Spectator</em>’s economics editor, speaks to Emma Ashford, a senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center, and <em>Spectator</em> contributor Ian Williams.<br><br>On the rest of the show, our political team, Katy Balls and James Forsyth, discuss Sue Gray’s report and Rishi Sunak’s announcement of more money to help with the cost-of-living crisis. We also have a sneak preview of tomorrow’s Women With Balls episode – a discussion with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. Rod Liddle talks to Kate about his new favourite distraction: Bubbleshooter.<br><br>This episode is sponsored by Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode, Douglas Murray says the world is becoming claustrophobic, (00:55) Lionel Shriver struggles to get through South African airport security, (08:29) Julian Glover maps out the countryside battle lines, (16:52) and James Bartholomew buys a tank. (22:13)<br><br>Produced by Angus Colwell<br><br>Entries for this year's Innovator Awards, sponsored by Investec, are now open. To apply, go to: <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/innovator">www.spectator.co.uk/innovator</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray speaks to award-winning author and Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver about mass shootings and gun culture in the United States, in the wake of the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Frances Haugen is an American data scientist, most well known for her whistleblowing of Facebook's failures at controlling misinformation. Her insider knowledge allowed the <em>Wall Street Journal</em> to publish a series of exposés about the social media platform, which became known as 'The Facebook Files'. She has testified before the US Congress, the European Parliament and the British Parliament on online safety and Silicon Valley.<br><br>On this episode, she talks to Katy Balls about first experiencing sexism in tech when she joined Google at her first job; the shocking reality of how Facebook's algorithm worsens civil strife across the world; and what she wants to see changed from the British government's Online Safety Bill, which Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries recently joined the series to talk about.<br><br>Produced by Natasha Feroze and Cindy Yu.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week’s episode:<br>Ian Williams, author of <em>The Fire of the Dragon: China’s New Cold war</em>, and Alessio Patalano, Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at King’s College London, talk about how the war in Ukraine has changed the thinking in Taiwan. (00:37)<br><br></div><div>Also this week:<br>Was Sue Gray’s report on Downing Street parties a game-changer or a damp squib? <em>The Spectator</em>’s editor, Fraser Nelson, and our political editor, James Forsyth, join the podcast to discuss the fallout from partygate. (15:39)<br><br></div><div>And finally:<br>If rising restaurant prices are causing you grief, you're not alone. Writer Yesenda Maxtone Graham and <em>The Spectator</em>’s Wikiman columnist, Rory Sutherland, join the podcast. (27:55)<br><br></div><div>Hosted by William Moore<br>Produced by Sam Holmes<br><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray speaks to Sergey Radchenko a Cold War historian and Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and visiting professor at Cardiff University. They discuss a recent speech by Henry Kissinger who believes that Ukraine should made territorial concessions to Russia – is he right?</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>My guest in the Book Club podcast this week is my namesake (but no relation) William Leith – whose new book <em>The Cut That Wouldn't Heal: Finding My Father </em>describes the death of his father and the way it caused him to revisit and re-evaluate his childhood. We talk about the perils and possibilities of autobiography, the difficulty of looking death in the face, and an awkward moment with Karl Ove Knausgaard. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Born in Lisbon, Portugal. Nuno Mendes grew up on a farm which inspired a passion and understanding for food. He attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco but after over a decade in North America, he decided he wanted to return to Europe. Moving to London, Nuno founded the cult domestic pop-up known as The Loft Project and later went on to take over the restaurant at the Chiltern Firehouse, and his latest venture Lisboeta has already made the Estrella Damm awards shortlist. <br><br>On the podcast, Nuno talks about his Portuguese roots, his love of Japanese cooking and how he could see London's gastronomic revolution coming. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week’s episode, we’ll hear from Katy Balls on Boris Johnson’s plans to divide and conquer (0.33).</div><div><br></div><div>After that, James Heale on the broadcast battle obsessing British media (6.20).</div><div><br></div><div>And to finish, Melissa Kite on the politics of horse muck (11.16).</div><div><br></div><div>Produced by Natasha Feroze</div><div><br></div><div>Entries for this year's Innovator Awards, sponsored by Investec, are now open. To apply, go to: <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/innovator">www.spectator.co.uk/innovator</a></div><div><br></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>This week Lara Prendergast and William Moore talk to James Forsyth and the academic, Dr Alexander Clarkson about Zelensky's possible path to peace (00:42). Followed by Owen Matthews, <em>The Spectator's </em>Russia correspondent on Turkey's power over Nato expansion (13:28). Finally, a chat between two bowls fanatics, Michael Simmons, <em>The Spectator's</em> data journalist and Andrew Gibson from the bowls green in Streatham (22:00).</div><div><br></div><div>Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William Moore</div><div><br></div><div>Produced by Sam Holmes</div><div><br></div><div>Subscribe to <em>The Spectator</em> today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/voucher">www.spectator.co.uk/voucher</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>Freddy Gray speaks to the Republican strategist Luke Thompson, discussing the nail-biting race between Pennsylvania's candidates for the US Senate, featuring Trump-backed candidate Dr. Oz. </div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>In this week's Book Club podcast, I'm talking to Wendy K Pirsig – widow of Robert M Pirsig, author of <em>Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance</em>, the bestselling book of philosophy of all time. Wendy tells me about her late husband's big idea – the "Metaphysics of Quality", as set out in a new collection of his writings, <em>On Quality, </em>which she has edited – how fame (and bereavement) changed him, and how he sought to undo years of dualism in the Western philosophical tradition by recourse to Eastern teachings and, of course, the odd monkey-wrench.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>It’s clear now that Vladimir Putin didn’t expect his army to perform quite so badly when invading Ukraine. As much as that is celebrated in much of the world, it will be a cause for concern – or at least a moment for learning – amongst Beijing’s military leaders. Because Russia has always been a heavy influence and source of strategy and equipment for China’s People’s Liberation Army, ever since the days of the Soviet Union. So could the PLA – which hasn’t been in active combat since Vietnam in 1979 – similarly flounder?<br><br></div><div>That's the burning question Cindy Yu and guests discuss in the latest episode of Chinese Whispers. Timothy R. Heath is an expert on the Chinese military at the American think tank, the RAND Corporation, and tells her that: 'A lot of the issues that we're seeing in the Russian military is going to be of high concern to the PLA because there's a very good chance the Chinese military could have some of the similar issues'.<br><br></div><div>They also discuss the possibility of low morale when it comes to fighting an enemy who looks and speaks like you – as some Russian soldiers have found disconcerting in Ukraine. Could an invasion of Taiwan throw up similar problems? Tim argues that it could, and draws parallel with another event – the enlisting of the PLA for suppressing the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. It was a decision that saw many soldiers (though not enough) refusing to obey orders. 'The experience of the PLA was such a shock for the military and the CCP that a decade later, the Chinese government took the PLA out of the job of suppressing domestic dissent.'<br><br></div><div>In fact, the lack of trust in its soldiers' loyalty is such that today's PLA is one of the only armies to offer a 'suicide pill', so says Professor Li Xiaobing, a Chinese military historian at the University of Central Oklahoma who served in the PLA himself. '20,000 Chinese soldiers were captured during the Korean war. After the war, 70 per cent of the Chinese POWs didn't want to go back to China, and they went to Taiwan. So that's really embarrassing for the Chinese government in the Cold War'.<br><br></div><div>Tune in to this episode to hear more incredible insights about this most elusive yet important modern military force.</div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<div>On this week's episode, we’ll hear from Michael Simmons on some of the most ridiculous Covid fines. (00:52) <br><br>After, C.J. Farrington on the light and darkness of Russian culture. (04:10) <br><br>And, to finish, Aidan Hartley on the return of the buffalo. (11:07)<br><br>Produced and Presented by Sam Holmes<br><br>Entries for this year's Innovator Awards, sponsored by Investec, are now open. To apply, go to: <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/innovator">www.spectator.co.uk/innovator</a></div> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>