Best of the Spectator

<div>On this week's episode, Andrew Neil is joined by Andrew Adonis, a Labour peer and chair of the European Movement; Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of Scottish Labour who sits on the Holyrood committee investigating whether Nicola Sturgeon broke the ministerial code; Spectator contributor Brigid Waddams; and a team of Spectator journalists.<br><br>We discuss whether the EU will ban vaccine exports, whether the UK's rollout was a Brexit success, and what it was like to watch the collapse of the British Raj.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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 episode, Katja Hoyer looks at Ursula von der Leyen past mistakes. (00:45) Then, Fraser Nelson says the Defence Review could be a sign that Britain is learning from its foreign policy failings. (04:10) Finally, Toby Young explains the downsides to owning a small dog. (13:05)</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>A piece of digital art by the illustrator Beeple has sold for $69 million. Is it worth the cash, or just a picture on a screen? Freddy Gray talks to Nima Sagharchi, director of Middle Eastern, Islamic and South Asian art at Bonhams auctioneers.</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>As the EU threatens a vaccine export ban, is their blind panic a sign of incoming crisis? (1:15) Plus, will a new Instagram account for teenage girls to report sexual assault restart a battle of the sexes? (18:05) And finally, what is it like to be one of the last British babies born under the Raj? (28:30)<br><br>With Labour peer Andrew Adonis; Spectator contributors Matthew Lynn, Julie Bindel, Melanie McDonagh and Brigid Keenan; and historian Alex von Tunzelmann.<br><br>Presented by Lara Prendergast.<br><br>Produced by Cindy Yu, Max Jeffery and Sam Russell.</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 the Book Club podcast, Sam is joined by the veteran foreign correspondent Michela Wrong to talk about her new book <em>Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad</em>. While Rwanda's president Paul Kagame has basked in the approval of Western donors, Michela argues, his burnished image conceals a history of sadism, repression and violent tyranny. She tells Sam what our goodies-and-baddies account of Rwanda's genocide missed, and why it urgently needs correcting.</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>Unreliable, slow and you'll never find a charging point - those are some of the things that come to mind when thinking about electric vehicles for many drivers. But are these outdated myths? The government has less than a decade to meet its 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. With the future of electric vehicles just around the corner, Kate Andrews talks to a panel of special guests about how much progress has been made in the industry, and how much still needs to be done.<br><br>With Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport; Mike Hawes, the CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; and Chris O'Shea, CEO of Centrica.<br><br>Sponsored by Centrica.</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>'Scratch a communist, you’ll find a nationalist underneath’, Professor Kerry Brown, the director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, tells me on this episode. Together with Professor Victor Shih of UC San Diego, we talk about what drives the Chinese Communist Party (hint: it's not communism), what membership means today and the policy disputes that happen behind the scenes. And: as it prepares to mark its first centenary this year, will it still be around in another fifty years?</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, Andrew Neil is joined by former Supreme Court judge Jonathan Sumption; <em>Spectator</em> contributor Melanie McDonagh; Conservative MP David Davis; and a team of <em>Spectator</em> journalists.<br><br>We discuss whether the latest coronavirus data still justifies the current lockdown, how Keir Starmer is becoming irrelevant, and the SNP's efforts to censor Alex Salmond's evidence.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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 episode, Cindy Yu starts by reading the leader - <em>The</em> <em>Spectator</em> has a fight on it's hands as the Scottish Crown Office threatens a six-figure fine. (01:30) Then, Douglas Murray says the Church of England has morphed beyond recognition. (06:40) Finally, Philip Hensher says Jordan Peterson's new book, <em>Beyond Order</em>, is 'pretty odd'. (15:05)</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>Elif Shafak is an award-winning Turkish-British novellist, essayist and activist. On the episode, she talks to Katy about what it was like to grow up in conservative Ankara under the strong women in her family; her prosecution by the Turkish government; and why she thinks too much information is not necessarily a virtue.</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>Is Keir Starmer becoming irrelevant? (00:50) Do the Oscars really celebrate the best that film has to offer? (15:55) Jordon Peterson is back with his new book, <em>Beyond Order</em>, but is it beyond readable? (25:40)<br><br>With the <em>Spectator</em>'s political editor James Forsyth; broadcaster and former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika; writer Fiona Mountford; the <em>Spectator</em>'s arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic; novelist Philip Hensher; and the <em>Spectator</em>'s associate editor Douglas Murray. <br><br>Presented by Lara Prendergast.<br><br>Produced by Max Jeffery, Sam Russell and Arsalan Mohammad.</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, Sam's guest is the former editor of the Today Programme, Sarah Sands. Sarah tells him how an addiction to the buzz of news and gossip gave way in her to a fascination for the opposite, as described in her new book <em>The Interior Silence: 10 Lessons From Monastic Life</em>. Come for the revelations about grifting nuns and what happened to Boris Johnson’s dongle; stay for her discoveries about how we can all bring a little of the peace of the cloister into our hectic secular lives.</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>Geordie Willis is the creative director and brand experiences director of Berry Brothers and Rudd, Britain's oldest wine merchants. He is the eighth generation of his family to work in the business, which was founded in 1698. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Liv about his grandmother's homemade mayonnaise, being kicked out of the family business, and the secret to matching wine with food.<br><br>This episode is sponsored by Berry Brothers and Rudd.</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, Andrew Neil is joined by Dr Remi Adekoya, associate politics lecturer at the University of York; <em>Spectator</em> contributor Olenka Hamilton; Bloomberg's Javier Blas; and a team of <em>Spectator</em> journalists.<br><br>We discuss who's to blame in the Royal knockabout, why Britain's Polish community are sceptical of the Covid vaccine, and the murky world of commodity traders.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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 episode, Anil Bhoyrul starts by asking if it's racist to wonder what colour your child's skin will be. (01:05) Lionel Shriver is up next, and says the West has used China's totalitarian tactics to suppress Covid. (05:05) Melissa Kite finishes the podcast, and describes her encounter with 'obnoxious Surrey battleaxes'. (14:15)</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 historian Patrick Allitt, the Cahoon Family Professor of American History at Emory University, about how much the Harry and Meghan interview has really cut through to the American public.</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>Is it fair to blame Meghan for the Royal Family's problems? (00:55) Why is China censoring a book of Dante's poetry? (12:40) Would you go to moon? (24:50)<br><br>With <em>The Spectator</em>'s US editor Freddy Gray; <em>The Spectator's </em>restaurant critic Tanya Gold; author Ian Thomson; Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies at King's College London; <em>The Spectator's </em>commissioning editor Mary Wakefield; and <em>Spectator </em>columnist Matthew Parris.<br><br></div><div>Presented by Cindy Yu.<br><br></div><div>Produced by Max Jeffery, Natasha Feroze and Matthew Sawyer.</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>Sam's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Horatio Clare - whose superb latest book is about going mad. <em>Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing, </em>tells the story of Horatio's recent breakdown and forcible hospitalisation - what he experienced, how he recovered, how it pushed him to investigate the unquestioned assumptions about 'chemical imbalances' causing mental illness, and the questionable and effectively random ways in which drugs are prescribed. </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>Tiger mums and dads are infamous in the West, but in China the pressure is ramped up several times higher. From kindergarten to university, exams form the structure of a disciplined and competitive educational environment. It yields result - with even the poorest students in Shanghai scoring higher on maths and reading than the richest in the UK (according to PISA). But does the system value the right things, and what sacrifices are demanded? Cindy Yu speaks to journalist Lenora Chu, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Soldiers-American-Chinese-Achieve/dp/0349411778"><em>Little Soldiers</em></a>, about her research and experience as a mother in the system.<br><br>Read Cindy's take on the university entrance exams (<em>gaokao</em>) <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/china-s-battery-farm-schools">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, Andrew Neil is joined by Sir David Spiegelhalter, a leading statistician from the University of Cambridge; <em>Spectator</em> contributor Stephen Daisley; <em>Spectator</em> contributor Jonathan Miller; and our TV regulars Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Kate Andrews.<br><br>We discuss whether the government is really following 'data, not dates', if the UK's economic recovery could lead to an early election, and what's next for Nicola Sturgeon. <br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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>This week's episode features a reading of The Spectator's leading article, on how devolution has created a democratic deficit in Scotland (00:50); our economics correspondent Kate Andrews on what keeps the Chancellor up at night (7:00); and Rod Liddle on the real cause of food poverty in the UK. (16:35).</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>Rachel Reeves is the Labour MP for Leeds West and the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about being a teen chess champion (pictured playing), going to a school where her mum worked and what Labour needs to do to turn its losing streak.</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>Could a blip in inflation ruin the UK's economic recovery? (00:50) Why is support for the IRA becoming normalised? (12:20) What makes a great diarist? (31:15)<br><br>With <em>The Spectator</em>'s economics correspondent Kate Andrews; economist Julian Jessop; writer Jenny McCartney; politician Mairia Cahill; satirist Craig Brown; and historian, journalist and author Simon Heffer.<br><br></div><div>Presented by Cindy Yu.<br><br></div><div>Produced by Max Jeffery, Alex Valizadeh, Alexa Rendell and Matt Taylor.</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>The public conversation - especially on social media - is widely agreed to be of a dismally low quality. In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam is joined by two people who have ideas about how we can make it better. Andrew Doyle’s new book is <em>Free Speech: And Why It Matters</em>; Ian Leslie’s is <em>Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart And How They Can Bring Us Together</em>. Andrew, Ian and Sam talk free speech, tribalism, cancel culture - and how we can learn to disagree more productively.</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>Max Halley is one of Britain's pre-eminent sandwich aficionados. He is the founder of Max's Sandwich Shop, and the author of <em>Max's Picnic Book</em>. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Liv about being exposed to obscure ingredients, working in a pudding factory, and the six essential components in every great sandwich.<br><br></div><div>This episode is sponsored by Berry Brothers and Rudd.</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 the first public appearance since Biden's inauguration, Donald Trump has spoken to CPAC, the annual conservative conference. Freddy Gray reviews his speech with Kate Andrews.</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, Andrew Neil is joined by Professor Robert Dingwall, from Nottingham Trent University; Rory Sutherland, vice chair of Ogilvy and The Spectator's Wiki Man columnist; and a team of Spectator journalists.<br><br>We discuss SNP turmoil, the roadmap to unlocking, and what makes a good government advert.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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 episode, Katy Balls explains how No. 10 infighting could lose Scotland, and reveals how Boris plans to get his side in order. (01:05) Matthew Lynn is next on the show, and tells the story of the Up Crash. (10:10) Craig Brown finishes the podcast, reading his review of a 'dark portrait of sibling hatred': Samantha Markle's memoir. (21:20)</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>Could No. 10 infighting lose the Union? (00:40) When should the government tell us how to behave? (13:20) Can a relationship work without hugging for a year? (31:30)</div><div> </div><div>With <em>The Spectator</em>’s deputy political editor Katy Balls; <em>The Spectator</em>’s Scotland editor Alex Massie; vice chair of Ogilvy and <em>Spectator</em> columnist Rory Sutherland; Deirdre McCloskey, Professor of Economics, History, English and Communications at University of Illinois at Chicago; writer Rob Palk; and journalist Emily Hill. </div><div> </div><div>Presented by Lara Prendergast. </div><div> </div><div>Produced by Max Jeffery and Charlie Price.</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>Sam Leith's guest on this week’s Book Club is the bioarchaeologist Cat Jarman, whose fascinating new book <em>River Kings </em>spins a global history of the Vikings out of a single carnelian bead found in a grave in Repton. Cat tells him how much more there was to the Viking culture than our traditional image of arson, rape and pillage in Northumbria - showing how 21st century techniques have helped to expose a culture that raided and traded from Scandinavia as far as Baghdad and Constantinople, and may even have been the ancestral population of the Russian heartland. Plus: real-life Valkyries, slavery and human sacrifice. You never learned all this from <em>How To Train Your Dragon.</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>After getting off the phone with Xi Jinping, Joe Biden warned his senators that on infrastructure 'and a whole range of other things', China was spending much more than the US, and America risked being left behind. So just how interconnected is modern China and is it really a good growth model to emulate?<br><br>With economist George Magnus, author of <em>Red Flags: Why Xi's China is in Jeopardy.</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, Andrew Neil is joined by Rod Liddle, associate editor at <em>The Spectator</em>; Trevor Phillips, managing director at Webber Phillips; journalist Dan Hitchens; Harry Mount, editor of <em>The Oldie</em>; and a team of <em>Spectator</em> journalists.<br><br>We discuss how England will leave lockdown, the rise of vaccine diplomacy, and why Anglo-Saxon history is so popular.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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 episode, Cindy Yu begins by explaining why China and Russia are ahead in the great game of vaccine diplomacy. (00:45) Fraser Nelson is next, and he tells us why The Spectator went to court. (10:35) Josiah Gogarty finishes the podcast, asking how middle-class your dad is. (16:35)</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's Holy Smoke examines the fragmentation of American Catholicism following the election of pro-choice Catholic Joe Biden. It focuses on the strangest current of thought among the many conservative Catholics calling for an urgent change of approach in order to confront what promises to be an authoritarian liberal administration.</div><div><br></div><div>It's called integralism, a label previously attached to distinctly un-American European Catholic reactionaries such as Action française and General Franco's Falangists. In its US incarnation it's less nationalist but in some ways equally extreme. Its proponents want to turn the United States into a nation in which, in the long run, only Catholics will be full citizens eligible to hold office. This new integralism is a medieval fantasy built around the teachings of St Thomas Aquinas. </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>Suzanne Moore is a journalist. On the podcast, she tells Katy about interviewing to work for <em>Marxism Today</em>, feeling out of place at <em>The Guardian</em>, and standing to be an independent MP.</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>How are China and Russia getting ahead in the great game of vaccine diplomacy? (00:50) Has the US press lost its way? (11:30) Why is Anglo-Saxon history making a comeback? (27:20)<br><br>With <em>The Spectator</em>'s broadcast editor Cindy Yu; journalist Owen Matthews; <em>Harper's </em>publisher Rick MacArthur; <em>The Washington Post</em>'s media critic Erik Wemple; journalist Dan Hitchens; and Sutton Hoo archaeologist Professor Martin Craver.<br><br></div><div>Presented by Lara Prendergast.<br><br></div><div>Produced by Max Jeffery and Matt Taylor.</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>Sam's guest in this week’s books podcast is the historian Judith Flanders, whose <em>A Place For Everything</em> tells the story of a vital but little considered part of intellectual history: alphabetical order. Judith tells Sam how this innovation both reflected and enabled the movement from oral to written culture, from a dogmatic to a secular worldview, and made possible the modern administrative state. They touch on, among other things, prototypes of the Post-It note, the contribution of the French Revolution to indexing, the bizarre British Library shelfmark for Gawain and the Green Knight, and why Dewey, of decimal fame, was an utter rotter.</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>Eliot Higgins is an investigative journalist. He is the founder of Bellingcat, a platform specialising in open source intelligence. Bellingcat is known for its work on the Syrian civil war, the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and the Salisbury poisonings. On the podcast, he tells Lara and Olivia about his love of custard, what he snacks on while working, and why he doesn't eat out.<br><br></div><div>This episode is sponsored by Berry Brothers and Rudd.</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, Andrew Neil is joined by Professor Sharon Peacock CBE, chair of the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium; Douglas Ross, leader of Scottish Conservatives; Wolfgang Munchau, director of Eurointellgence; and a team of <em>Spectator</em> journalists.<br><br>We discuss how genomics can combat new Covid variants, if the Scottish Tories can stop independence, and why Germany is sidling up to Russia.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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>In this episode of Spectator Out Loud, Andrew Sullivan reflects on Trump's second impeachment trial (01:05), Lara Prendergast questions whether vaccine passports are really the solution (08:20) and Deborah Ross reviews an unorthodox film about a school shooting (20:00).</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 Republican political consultant Luke Thompson about the demise of the Lincoln Project, the political action committee set up to oppose Donald Trump's re-election. </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 talk vaccine passports (1:10), Nord Stream 2 (14:55) and the appeal of chess (30:50).<br><br>With entrepreneur Louis-James Davis, journalist James Ball, analyst Wolfgang Munchau, academic Kadri Liik, chess columnist Luke McShane and chess streamer Fiona Steil-Antoni.<br><br>Presented by Lara Prendergast.<br><br>Produced by Cindy Yu, Max Jeffery and Alexa Rendell.</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 books podcast, Sam is joined by the philosopher Toby Ord to talk about the cheering subject of planetary catastrophe. In his book <em>The Precipice</em>, new in paperback, Toby argues that we’re at a crucial point in human history - and that if we don’t start thinking seriously about extinction risks our species may not make it through the next few centuries. Asteroids, supervolcanoes, nuclear immolation, killer AI, engineered pandemics... Toby weighs up the risks of each, and tells us why we should care.<br><br> The Book Club is a series of literary interviews and discussions on the latest releases in the world of publishing, from poetry through to physics. Presented by Sam Leith, The Spectator's literary editor. Hear past episodes <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcasts/book-club">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>As the first BNO passport holders begin to make their way to the UK and start the path to a new citizenship, Cindy Yu takes a look back at Hong Kong's history and how that special city-state formed its own identity. As SOAS's Professor Steve Tsang tells her on the podcast: 'Not quite British, not quite Chinese'. They talk about how Hong Kongers yearned to find their Chinese roots, the fervour of handover and how 'Cantopop' (Cantonese pop music) took the mainland by storm.</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, Andrew Neil is joined by Stephen Daisley, a journalist and Spectator contributor; The Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of Great St Bartholomew's in London; and a team of <em>Spectator</em> journalists.<br><br>We discuss whether vaccines are already having an impact, if the UK's relationship with the EU is deteriorating, and if the Church of England has failed its members.<br><br>To watch the show, go to <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/tv">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, Emma Thompson explains why Church of England cuts could lead to the devastation of the parish network. (00:55) Then, Matt Ridley explains why lockdown could have led to more deadly coronavirus variants. (10:15) And finally, Toby Young asks why he hasn't got a peerage. (18:10)</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>Mims Davies is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment and the MP for Mid Sussex. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about how her family became lifelong carers when her dad was attacked at work, about why she didn't come out as a Tory in her student days at Swansea University and why her change of seat in the 2019 election was not all that it seems.</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>Are parish churches about to be devastated by bureaucracy and mismanagement? (00:55) What's the story behind the UK's vaccination efforts? (07:55) Has an intransigent union stopped firefighters from helping the Covid response? (21:55)<br><br>With church volunteer Emma Thompson; Rector of Great St Barts Marcus Walker; <em>The Spectator</em>'s deputy political editor Katy Balls; senior project manager at the University of Oxford's Jenner Institute Adam Ritchie; journalist Leo McKinsey; and chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council Roy Wilsher.<br><br></div><div>Presented by Lara Prendergast.<br><br></div><div>Produced by Max Jeffery, Sam Russell and Matt Taylor.</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 Sam Leith is joined by one of the funniest writers working today. Shalom Auslander’s new novel is <em>Mother For Dinner</em>, which is set in perhaps the most oppressed minority community in the world. He talks to Sam about cannibalism, identity politics, his beef with tragedy... and an extremely high-risk prayer at the Wailing Wall.</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>Bip Ling is a model, musician, food writer, visual artist and DJ. On the podcast, she tells Lara and Liv about being inspired by her grandmother's Indian cooking, eating as a model, and why macaroni cheese should be made with almond milk rather than full-fat.<br><br>Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts talk to celebrity guests about their life story, through the food and drink that has come to define it. Listen to past episodes <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/4985181">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>