Best of the Spectator

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Quite right!: is it nearly over for Keir Starmer? Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

To hear this week's podcast in full, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now.

This week: Michael and Maddie ask whether Keir Starmer’s grip on the Labour party is beginning to slip. After the party machine moved to block Andy Burnham from returning to Westminster, is Starmer governing from a position of strength – or fear? Does the decision expose a deeper crisis of authority at the top of the Labour party, and are we entering the early stages of a succession battle over who comes next?

Then: Suella Braverman’s long-anticipated defection to Reform UK. Was her exit inevitable, and what does it mean for the balance of forces on the right? As Reform continues to lure Conservative figures across, is it consolidating as a serious insurgent party – or accelerating a destructive fragmentation that could leave the Conservative party locked out of power for a generation?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright.

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

Spectator Out Loud: Gavin Mortimer, John Campbell, Mark Piesing & Daisy Dunn Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Gavin Mortimer reports on the battle between the EU and farmers; John Campbell explains Lord Haldane’s significance to politics today; reviewing Polar War by Kenneth R, Rosen, Mark Piesing ponders who will rule the arctic; and, Daisy Dunn celebrates the history of poems on the underground.

Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

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

LIVE: Reasons to be optimistic | with Michael Gove, Tim Stanley, Steve Baker & David Goodhart Jan 26, 2026

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Post-holiday depression, failed New Year’s resolutions and battered bank balances: January’s Blue Monday has long been branded as the most miserable day of the year. Headlines warn of ongoing war, political turmoil and economic gloom – but could they be mistaken?

Join The Spectator and special guests as they defy the doomsters to deliver an optimist’s guide to 2026. Almost three-quarters of people worldwide believe that this year will be better than the last. Are they right?

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

Holy Smoke: the historic value of English churches Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

When was the last time you visited your local parish church? Historian and social media influencer Daniel Wilson joins Damian Thompson to encourage more people to visit their local churches – not just as a centre of worship but as a historical treasure trove. Daniel takes us through some of his favourite examples of medieval architecture, as he emphasises the importance of being a 'tourist in your own neighbourhood'.

For more from Daniel, you can find him on Instagram and TikTok: @greatbritisharchitecture

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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

Coffee House Shots: does British politics reward traitors or faithfuls? Jan 24, 2026

Show notes

With the Conservatives on watch for further defectors, academic Richard Johnson and Conservative peer Danny Finkelstein join James Heale to discuss whether British politics rewards traitors or faithfuls. Richard points out that often personal success is dependent on whether the party goes on to be a major or minor player in British politics; Winston Churchill and Shaun Woodward fared better, while Shirley Williams and Mark Reckless had less success.

Danny – whose political career began with the SDP in the 1980s – also takes us through his personal experience and the challenges of defecting, from ideology and demography to the perception of betrayal. How fundamental is the shift taking place in British politics?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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

The Edition: Trump's Arctic madness, political treachery & banning social media Jan 23, 2026

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Another week, another foreign policy crisis – this time over Greenland. America's European allies watched as Trump increased the tension over the Arctic territory, only to announce he 'won't use force' in a set-piece speech in Davos. For the Spectator's cover this week, Paul Wood examines the strategic role of the Arctic, both against Russia and China and from nuclear energy to the space race. With a deal supposedly done between Denmark and the US, is there method in Trump's madness?

For this week’s Edition, host William Moore is joined by deputy editor Freddy Gray, online commissioning editor Lara Brown and broadcaster Miriam Cates. Saying she feels sorry for Keir Starmer, the former Conservative MP argues that Britain is a 'vassal state' and needs to wake up to the fact America is not benevolent. Is Britain's attitude towards the special relationship realistic or naive?

The also discuss: how 'Brand Britain' is losing its value by cosying up to the Chinese; how – despite the defection of Robert Jenrick – Reform is still very vulnerable to an anti-Farage pact; the merits of banning social media for children under the age of 16; and finally, how concerned the global west should be about the radicalisation of young women.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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

Reality Check: SNP budget – the smallest tax cut in history Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

The SNP announced their budget last week promising to cut taxes for low income earners. Could this be the smallest tax cut in history? Michael Simmons has the data.

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

Quite right!: Trump, Greenland and the special relationship 'myth' Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

To hear the full episode, search Quite right! wherever you are listening now.

This week: Michael and Maddie ask whether the so-called special relationship between Britain and the United States has finally reached breaking point. As Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland and his reversal on the Chagos Islands unsettle allies, has the British right begun to turn decisively against him? Was the special relationship ever more than a comforting myth – and what does a more erratic, transactional America mean for Britain’s security, sovereignty and strategic future?

Then: Robert Jenrick’s dramatic defection to Reform UK. Was his exit from the Conservatives a naked career move, or a genuine ideological break forged by failure on migration and borders? And does his defection strengthen Reform’s claim to be a serious insurgent force – or expose the growing risk of a destructive civil war on the right that ultimately benefits Keir Starmer?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright.

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

Spectator Out Loud: Mickey Down, Charlie Gammell, Sean Thomas & Douglas Murray Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Mickey Down, co-creator of Industry, reads his diary for the week; Charlie Gammell argues that US intervention could push Iran into civil war and terrorism – warning that there are more possibilities than just revolution or regime survival; false dichotomy at the heart of; Sean Thomas bemoans the bittersweet liberation from his libido; and, Douglas Murray believes Britain has a growing obsession with race.

Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

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

Reality Check: who's to blame for Britain's water crisis? Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Thousands of homes across the South East have been without water for four consecutive days. South East Water’s record on water supply interruptions is one of the worst in the sector. Ofwat, the regulator, has placed it in the bottom three companies for disruptions each year from 2020 to last year. What has happened to the water industry in the past decade? And would nationalisation fix it? Michael Simmons is joined by The Spectator's business editor Martin Vander Weyer.

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

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