Best of the Spectator - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Best of the Spectator — News & Politics
Best of the Spectator

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

Chinese Whispers: why the Chinese love luxury goods Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

It's said that Bicester Village is the second most popular attraction for Chinese tourists in the UK, coming just behind Buckingham Palace. The pandemic recovery figures show much the same - while retail is still struggling to recover, luxury goods sales is leading the bounceback. In this episode, I find out why the Chinese love luxury goods just so much. My guests tell me about why Chanel just doesn't cut it anymore for the most fashionable housewives of Beijing; how President Xi's anti-corruption drive recalibrated wealth flaunting among the elite; and why fashionistas are leaving Beijing for Shanghai.
With Sara Jane Ho, founder of the Chinese finishing school, Institute Sarita; and Gregory Cole, co-founder of the consultancy firm CDGL.
Presented by Cindy Yu.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spectator Out Loud: Douglas Murray, Francis Pike and Philip Hensher Sep 12, 2020

Show notes

On this week's episode, Douglas Murray asks - why would anyone want to be a government adviser, given what's happened to Tony Abbott? The historian Francis Pike reads his piece on Thailand's Caligula; and Philip Hensher reviews a new book on Wagner.
Spectator Out Loud is a weekly audio collection of three Spectator writers reading their pieces in the latest issue.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women With Balls: with Sarah Sands Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

Sarah Sands is the former editor of the Today programme. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her departure from the Sunday Telegraph after just nine months as Editor; giving John Humphreys a pay cut; and what it was like to find out on election night that the Boris Johnson government intended to boycott Today.
Women With Balls is a podcast series where Katy Balls speak to women at the top of their respective games. To hear past episodes, visit spectator.co.uk/balls.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Edition: how the vaccines race has become a power struggle Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

Vaccines are normally in the realm of scientists; but not this time as world leaders race to be the first. (00:50) Brexit is heating up, but is the government in a stronger position than it seems? (13:35) And a modern day Caligula - the life and times of the Thai king Rama X. (22:40)
With journalist Matthew Lynn; immunologist Beate Kampmann; our political editor James Forsyth; YouGov pollster Marcus Roberts; and Asia historian Francis Pike.
Presented by Cindy Yu.
Produced by Cindy Yu and Max Jeffery.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Book Club: with former Australian PM Julia Gillard Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

Sam's guest in this week's books podcast is the former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Along with the economist and former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Julia has written a new book called Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons, which includes interviews with women who've reached the top roles in global institutions, from Christine Lagarde and Joyce Banda to Michelle Bachelet and Theresa May. Sam asks her about her own time in politics, what she'd have done differently, whether Australia is more sexist than the UK, and her notorious 'misogyny' speech - plus, what she thinks her old sparring partner Tony Abbott has to offer the UK as a trade adviser.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A question of priorities: should tackling climate change trump all else? Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

In the last episode of this miniseries on climate change, Bjorn Lomborg argues that climate change is important, but solving it shouldn't come above all else. So what are the trade offs involved with a green agenda, especially when it comes to lifting the poorest in the world out of poverty? Kate Andrews discusses with Bjorn and Matt Ridley and asks - is it really an either/or?
Bjorn Lomborg is the President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and author of False Alarm. Matt Ridley is a Conservative peer, journalist, and author of How Innovation Works. To hear all episodes in this series, click here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are the Habsburgs evidence of Catholicism's relevance today? Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

Damian Thompson is joined by Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, Hungary's ambassador to the Holy See. A member of one of Europe's most historically influential families, Eduard explains how his religious practices have adapted to the acceleration of new technologies, and tells Damian how the Habsburgs keep in contact.
Holy Smoke is a series of podcasts where Damian Thompson dissects the most important and controversial topics in world religion, with a range of high profile guests. Click here to find previous episodes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spectator Out Loud: Lloyd Evans, Lionel Shriver and Will Heaven Sep 05, 2020

Show notes

On this week's podcast, Lloyd Evans argues that the state should stop subsidising the National Theatre and start funding bingo halls (00:41). Then Lionel Shriver explains the trouble of taking back control (08:15). And finally, Will Heaven explores the dissolution of the Downside monastery (16:48).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Book Club: Five decades of pop culture Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

In this week’s Book Club podcast Sam's guest is Annie Nightingale - Britain’s first female DJ, occasional Spectator contributor, and longest serving presenter of Radio One. Ahead of the publication of her new book Hey Hi Hello, Annie tells Sam about the Beatles’ secrets, BBC sexism, getting into rave culture, the John Peel she knew - and how when most people never get past the music they love in their teens, she’s never lost her drive to hear tunes she’s never heard before.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Edition: The Covid trap Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

Governments around the world have adopted extraordinary powers to deal with coronavirus – but could they end up doing more damage than good? (01:00) Next, is the best way to deal with the threat of Scottish secession to negotiate a hypothetical Scottish exit deal? (16:04) And finally, are Britain's graveyards suffering a spate of indecent behaviour? (31:38)
The Spectator's deputy political editor Katy Balls is joined by historian Johan Norberg and the Wall Street Journal's Gerard Baker; The Spectator's political editor James Forsyth and Scotland editor Alex Massie; and journalist Andrew Watts alongside the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie.
Produced by Gus Carter, Max Jeffery and Sam Russell.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Related Podcasts