When was Britain’s finest hour? – and how to beat Burnham

About this episode

The episode discusses the characteristics of great battles and military leadership while reflecting on political dynamics in Manchester.

This week: what makes a great battle? From Waterloo, Trafalgar, the Battle of Britain to Stalingrad, Michael and Maddie discuss what separates a decisive victory from a merely dramatic one, and why great military leaders still matter. Also on the podcast: after Dominic Cummings claimed the Manchester mayor was not a formidable opponent, Michael reflects on facing Burnham across the despatch box. Can Burnham survive the leap from local hero to national leader? And finally: do celebrity endorsements actually move the dial?  Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Michael, Maddie

Topics covered

• military history
• leadership
• politics
• celebrity endorsements
• local vs national politics

Keywords

• Battle of Britain
• Dominic Cummings
• Burnham
• military leaders
• celebrity endorsements

Sponsors

Spectator

More episodes of Quite right!

• Brexit 10 years on – have we changed our minds? · June 11, 2026 · 19 min
• ‘It will be a bloodbath’ – why Starmer won’t go quietly · June 9, 2026 · 30 min
• ‘DEI mindset is killing people’ – Henry Nowak & Britain’s two-tier policing crisis · June 2, 2026 · 38 min
• Peter Murrell's mafia-style SNP – and inside the Reform-Restore feud · May 26, 2026 · 50 min
• If Burnham loses Makerfield, Labour is finished – Maurice Glasman | Part two · May 21, 2026 · 28 min
• Maurice Glasman: how the progressives killed Labour | Part one · May 19, 2026 · 30 min