It’s time to scrap the budget, argues political editor Tim Shipman this week. An annual fiscal event only allows the Chancellor to tinker round the edges, faced with a backdrop of global uncertainty. Endless potential tax rises have been trailed, from taxes on mansions, pensions, savings, gambling, and business partnerships, and nothing appears designed to fix Britain’s structural problems. Does our economics editor Michael Simmons agree?

Host Lara Prendergast is joined by co-host – and the Spectator’s features editor – William Moore, alongside associate editor Owen Matthews and economics editor Michael Simmons.

As well as the cover, they discuss: the corruption scandal that has weakened Ukraine’s President Zelensky – could he be forced out; how global winds are taming meaning we’re living through a ‘great stilling’; with new research alleging that Hitler had a micropenis – does it matter; how grief is natural and dead relatives shouldn’t be digitised; whether Artificial Intelligence could be useful in schools; and finally, what Turkey could teach the UK about luxury healthcare.

Plus: what did Owen learn on a mushroom retreat in Amsterdam – and why did William wait ten years to go to the dentist?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

The Spectator is trialling new formats for this podcast, and we would very much welcome feedback via this email address: podcast@spectator.co.uk

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