Podcast
Best of the Spectator
Hosted by The Spectator · EN
Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to.
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157episodes
Episodes
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The Edition: Jason Arday and the death of Britain’s universities
Yesterday00:52:10Tap to summarizeWilliam Moore is joined by The Spectator’s associate editor Toby Young, commissioning editor Lara Brown and newsletter editor and restaurant critic Angus Colwell.This week: What has gone wrong with British universities? Lara unpacks the wider academic crisis in the wake of the Jason Arday scandal, from ‘surviving the apocalypse’ courses at Warwick to maths departments promising to ‘decolonise’ the subject. Has the sector lost its nerve?Also: Balding. Toby explains why he’s trying to talk his three sons out of hair transplants, while Angus and Lara weigh in on whether men vastly overestimate the importance of their hair on the dating market.Plus: is Indian the best cuisine? Angus argues it’s surprisingly hard to find a truly great curry in London, while the the panel ask whethe Indian food is unfairly low-status because it’s too cheap.Produced by Henry Lloyd and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Americano: is America ready for the new realities of war?
2d ago00:30:11Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks to physicist and Spectator contributor Steve Hsu about the uncomfortable realities of modern warfare. Why are cheap missiles and drones so difficult and expensive to intercept? Freddy asks Steve about just how depleted are America’s missile stocks, and can the West rebuild its defence industry quickly enough?They also discuss China’s dominance of critical supply chains, the vulnerability of energy infrastructure and shipping, the strategic threat posed to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, and why missile defence may be losing its long-standing race against missile technology. Steve also speaks to Freddy about the future of autonomous warfare, including the development of AI-powered drones capable of making decisions on the battlefield.Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Quite right!: Simon Sebag Montefiore explains the making of the modern Middle East
3d ago01:01:10Tap to summarizeThis week, Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the rulers, revolutionaries and nation builders who shaped one of the world’s most turbulent regions.From Ibn Saud’s dramatic conquest of Riyadh and Atatürk’s creation of modern Turkey to Ben-Gurion, Reza Shah and Nasser, Simon explores the extraordinary personalities who built states from the ruins of empire. What made these leaders so successful – and why did so many of their projects end in dictatorship, war or collapse?They also discuss Nasser’s rise as the champion of Arab nationalism, Gaddafi’s obsession with his Egyptian hero, and the strongmen who tried to remake the Arab world in their own image.And looking at the Middle East today, Simon explains why the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, the failure of nationalism and the rise of political Islam still shape the region’s conflicts.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Coffee House Shots: Clacton by-election lookahead
3d ago00:14:07Tap to summarizeNigel Farage is heading back to the polls in Clacton after resigning to trigger a by-election over questions surrounding his £5 million gift. With the main parties refusing to stand, Farage looks set for a comfortable victory – but will his popularity in Clacton translate to the rest of the country? And have voters simply stopped caring about the controversy?Meanwhile, Andy Burnham is facing the first major tests of his premiership. As questions mount over how he will pay for his ambitious domestic agenda, Burnham has intervened again over plans to release prisoners early, insisting that the killers of PC Andrew Harper should remain behind bars. Is his willingness to respond to public pressure a sign of how he intends to govern?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Noa Hoffman and the Financial Times’s Lucy Fisher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Holy Smoke: how Project Spire will hurt England's parishes
5d ago00:21:01Tap to summarizeIn this week’s episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson is joined by Madeline Grant to dive into the contentious topic of Project Spire, the Church of England's ambitious plan to allocate £100 million in reparations for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. They will shed light on the Church's insistence on proceeding with this plan despite significant opposition from both the public and its own parishioners.Produced by Henry Lloyd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Rod Out Loud: Toby Young, Tim Luckhurst, Lara Prendergast, Mary Wakefield & Freddy Gray
6d ago00:29:41Tap to summarizeThis week’s episode of Spectator Out Loud is a tribute to Rod Liddle, The Spectator's Associate editor, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 66. In this special episode, we hear from those who knew him best as they share some of their favourite columns written by Rod over the years. Produced and presented by Henry Lloyd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Reality Check: why Labour doesn’t understand business
1w ago00:22:52Tap to summarizeOliver Shah is a former journalist at The Sunday Times and now runs Newcome Advisory. On this week's Reality Check Oliver and Michael discuss why Labour can't build trust with the businesses, how the National Insurance tax hike was the poison pill for the private sector and whether it is still worth being an entrepreneur in Britain today.This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Edition: the real Rod Liddle – with Michael Gove, Toby Young & Freddy Gray
1w ago00:43:10Tap to summarizeFor this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by The Spectator’s editor Michael Gove, deputy editor Freddy Gray, and associate editor Toby Young.This week the episode and magazine is dedicated to our beloved Rod Liddle, who died aged 66. The Spectator journalists reflect on some of their favourite memories of Rod, what his legacy will be and how is writing, wit and intelligence will be irreplaceable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Americano: is China winning the AI race now?
1w ago00:24:25Tap to summarizeGus Carter is joined by Geoffrey Cain to speak about the ongoing developments in Chinese AI, and how it stacks up to its American rivals. Gus and Geoffrey talk about the emergence of Kimi K3, and how Chinese models will become inherently more competitive to global audiences, not just those the United States. They also discuss the OpenAI model that went rogue, and how other US models refused to undertake research to prevent the same from happening again.Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/AmericanoProduced by Henry Lloyd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Spectator Out Loud: Lara Brown, Patrick Kidd, Tali Fraser & Ella Veakins
1w ago00:25:04Tap to summarizeOn this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lara Brown explains the ongoing dissolution of the British private education sector; Patrick Kidd asks whether sporting curses are actually possible, or simply just a fiction; Tali Fraser goes to a death cafe to explore the world of positivity after death; and finally, Ella Veakins outlines why we should all stand in opposition the the potted plastic plant. Produced and presented by Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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