The Edition: Britain’s bureaucratic bloat, debating surrogacy & is smoking ‘sexy’?

Feb 13, 2025

This conversation features Sunshine Hanson, President and co-founder of Sunshine Is, a US-based surrogacy agency, and a gestational surrogate. They explore the complexities of surrogacy, discussing its emotional aspects and the ethical implications of potential legal changes in the UK. Sunshine shares the joys and challenges faced by surrogates and intended parents. The dialogue also touches on notable government spending inefficiencies and the evolving cultural perceptions of smoking, mixing humor with critical analysis.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Unveiling Waste: The Launch of SPAF Tool to Expose Government Spending

02:00 • 3min

Battling Bureaucracy: Accountability in Government Spending

04:30 • 9min

Exploring the Complex Legacy of a Middle Eastern Expert

13:22 • 3min

Navigating Surrogacy: Rights and Realities

16:27 • 13min

The Allure of Smoke

29:28 • 8min

Personal Smoking Rituals and Nostalgic Moments

37:04 • 2min

This week: The Spectator launches SPAFF

The civil service does one thing right, writes The Spectator’s data editor Michael Simmons: spaffing money away. The advent of Elon Musk’s DOGE in the US has inspired The Spectator to launch our own war on wasteful spending – the Spectator Project Against Frivolous Funding, or SPAFF. Examples of waste range from the comic to the tragic. The Department for Work and Pensions, Michael writes, ‘bought one Universal Credit claimant a £1,500 e-bike after he persuaded his MP it would help him find self-employment’. There’s money for a group trying to ‘decolonise’ pole dancing; for a ‘socially engaged’ practitioner to make a film about someone else getting an MBE; and for subscriptions to LinkedIn. Lord Agnew, who used to hold the ‘Pythonesque’ title of ‘minister of state for efficiency and transformation’, backs The Spectator’s new SPAFF campaign and says total reform is the only option. Michael and Theo joined the podcast to discuss. (1:04)

Next: is surrogacy a blessing or a sham?

Debates about surrogacy have raged again following the announcement that the actress Lily Collins has had a baby via surrogate. Mary Wakefield says that there is a ‘sadness’ behind surrogacy, and that babies could be affected by being separated from their birth mother. Surrogacy is illegal in many countries, such as Spain and Italy, and Mary worries about potential legal changes that would make it easier to pursue here in the UK. So, is surrogacy a lifeline for many couples looking to conceive, or is it a practice that we should be more concerned about? Mary joined the podcast to discuss alongside Sunshine Hanson. Sunshine is the president and co-founder of the US-based surrogacy agency Surrogacy Is, and has also been a gestational surrogate three times. (16:26)

And finally: is smoking sexy again?

Flora Watkins revels at the news that Generation Z are shedding their vapes and taking up ‘real’ smoking, saying that everyone looks ‘hotter with a fag in their mouth’. Disregarding familial disapproval, Flora says that smoking makes her feel cool, young and attractive. Does this mean that smoking is sexy again? And why is smoking proving more popular with younger generations? It appears that the proposed smoking ban, proposed by both the Conservatives and now Labour, is having the opposite effect. Flora joined the podcast - with a cigarette in hand - to discuss, alongside the writer Zak Asgard. (29:35)

Presented by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.