Best of the Spectator

This week: Starmer’s exit, Burnham’s rise – and the court of King Andy.As Keir Starmer resigns after less than two years in office, Michael and Madeline ask what really brought his premiership to an end. Was Starmer simply overtaken by events, or did his downfall reveal something deeper: a disdain for politics, a mishandling of Southport and the grooming gangs scandal, and a growing gulf between Labour’s governing class and the country?They also discuss Andy Burnham’s march on Westminster. Is he the charismatic, communitarian figure Labour needs to take on Reform – or a political people-pleaser surrounded by the wrong people?Plus: what does the Conservatives’ victory in Aberdeen South tell us about net zero, Reform and whether the Tories really are doomed to become Nigel Farage’s roadkill?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray asks whether the Iran deal will destroy J.D. Vance; Matt Ridley argues that Britain must finally embrace gene editing; Peter Parker explains the problem with ‘queer art'; and finally, Lloyd Evans says the NHS treats everyone fairly – with contempt. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has won what may come to be seen as the most consequential by-election in recent memory. Political journalism has a tendency towards hyperbole, but the situation is clear: Burnham is on his way to Westminster with significant backing to take on Keir Starmer; he has proved that he can beat Reform on a ‘stop Starmer’ ticket and will now look to translate that message nationally; he also appears to have united the left behind him, with the Lib Dems and Greens barely registering in Makerfield.Meanwhile, the right is splintered. Reform’s momentum has been seriously dented, while the Tories have been buoyed by a welcome by-election victory in Aberdeen South. Big questions remain: will Starmer step aside with decorum, or subject the country to a painful Labour leadership contest? And after their fifth by-election defeat, where does this leave Nigel Farage?Political editor Tim Shipman is joined by a panel of guests and experts to unpack Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield and the wider ramifications of a huge day in British politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, whose new book, A British Childhood: How Our Children Live Now, describes what he discovered from the travels he undertook during his work with BookTrust and the Laureateship.He tells me what he learned about what really happens when a parent reads to a child, why the crisis in childhood reading is down to much more than the rise of screens – and how Heidi can save your life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer has announced his plans to ban social media for under 16s in Britain. The ban is due to come in early next year and include all main social media apps. Age-recognition and digital ID checks will be used to keep children away from social media. But when it comes to child safety, will it make a difference? And what are the unintended consequences of a ban? Michael Simmons challenges The Spectator's John Power.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman interviews Kemi Badenoch – including excerpts from the interview; Justin Marozzi argues that Trump’s strategy has only strengthened the Iranian regime; Christopher Howse pays tribute to ‘London’s rudest landlord'; and finally, Lara Prendergasts says that ‘matrescence’ is one big con.  Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator's commissioning editor Lara Brown, the columnist for the Wall Street Journal’s Free Expression newsletter Louise Perry and the Telegraph journalist and presenter of Ukraine: The Latest Francis Dearnley.This week: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has now gone on longer than the first world war and it shares much of the horrors of that war, from attrition warfare to substantial losses on both sides. So, with over half a million Russians estimated to be killed, could Putin and Zelensky be brought to an exhausted peace? ’No’ is the pessimistic answer from Francis Dearnley this week, who explains that while it might appear to be stuck in a stalemate, casualties are still rising rapidly and Ukraine is currently in the strongest position it has been in for almost 18 months. This is in part due to advances in drone technology, of which Ukraine is now the world’s leading ’superpower’. Drone technology has evolved so rapidly that Francis predicts ‘we are only a few months away from our first political assassination by drone’. What could bring the war to an end? And does British support for Ukraine remain strong?Also: one week out from the Makerfield by-election, what do we know of Andy Burnham’s Cambridge days? Lara Brown reveals the ‘reassuringly bland’ antics of the Northern lad – who could become Britain’s first Prime Minister with an English Literature degree. Does it matter? And more importantly – will he win?Plus, they discuss: whether ‘two-tiering’ or positive discrimination can ever be a good thing; if the new motherhood trend of ‘matrescence’ is a con; and, as the World Cup kicks off – is it coming home?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Keir Starmer’s legacy, Andy Burnham’s next move – and should there be a general election? With the Makerfield by-election just days away, Michael Gove is joined by Rachel Johnson to ask whether an Andy Burnham victory would spell the end of Keir Starmer’s premiership. Could Starmer really fight on – or is the Labour party heading for a regicidal ‘bloodbath’? They discuss Starmer’s record in government, whether Labour has become the ‘welfare party’, and if Burnham could offer the party anything more than a political glow-up.Also on the podcast: Kemi Badenoch’s revival, the threat from Reform, and whether the right is actually ready for a general election. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lisa Haseldine reports from Armenia; Michael Simmons argues neoliberalism has never really been tried; Patrick Smith explains why he takes frog poison; and finally, Toby Young wonders why Nigel Farage cares if he has been banned from Desert Island Discs. Plus: the Reform UK leader reveals – exclusively to James Heale – what he would choose if he went on the show. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicola Sturgeon has claimed she was deceived by her ex-husband Peter Murrell who pled guilty having embezzled tens of thousands of pounds of SNP money. Financial infidelity has become a top reason behind couples divorces. Alice Wright from The Times joins Michael Simmons to discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, the writer Guy Stagg and the author and host of How to Fail Elizabeth Day.This week, the guests discuss whether Nigel Farage’s Reform UK can see off the threat from Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain. Restore Britain’s success may be modest and, so far, very online but that doesn’t mean they won’t hinder Farage’s effort to reach Number 10. If polls from the Makerfield by-election are anything to be believed, Restore could have a real impact. The battle for the tight is also having an impact across the political spectrum too – should Labour move further to the right to appeal to Reform and Restore's disgruntled voters, or should they simply ignore them? For Elizabeth Day, there is an ‘ironic and beautiful symmetry’ to the Reform versus Restore dynamic, which almost makes her nostalgic for the 'Tory boy' politics of post-Thatcher era.Also this week: from Makerfield to Mandelson, the government has been busy this week responding to the latest tranche of messages released on Monday. Yet – were some missing? Tim discusses the missing messages of Starmer loyalist Darren Jones MP which he exclusively revealed in this week’s Spectator. How damaging is this for Labour? And how should we treat WhatsApp messages legally?Plus, they discuss: the travel experiences that have shaped their lives, from Orthodox churches perched on Istanbul rooftops to the ‘most bombed hotel’ in Belfast; if collecting books is an acceptable form of hoarding; whether they would take frog poison; and finally, with the news that Nigel Farage may have been banned from Desert Island Discs, they reveal some of the items they would take with them.Elizabeth Day’s latest book One of Us is out now and available in all good bookshops.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: the Henry Nowak case, two-tier policing – and what the latest Mandelson files reveal about Labour.After the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, Michael and Madeline ask whether the police response exposed something deeply wrong in British policing. Has the fear of being accused of racism distorted the way institutions respond to victims? And does this case reveal a wider crisis of confidence in whether the police can act without fear or favour?They also discuss the latest revelations from the Mandelson files. What do the messages tell us about Labour’s welfare problem, Pat McFadden’s private frustrations and Wes Streeting’s views inside government? Has Labour become ‘the Benefits Party’ – and are there still secrets buried in the Mandelson files?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.