The Sceptic

Welcome to episode 23 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests: David Shipley, a writer on prison reform for publications including the Spectator, on the two-tier justice in the Government’s heavy crackdown following the Southport killings. Nick Arlett, one of the Tooting Four, a group of anti-ULEZ campaigners who were arrested for peacefully protesting against the road tax and who’ve now been convicted of harassing the London mayor, Sadiq Khan – a charge they’re now going to appeal. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to David Turver, author of the Eigen Values substack, for a deep dive into the eye-watering cost of Net Zero subsidies.   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Read David Shipley’s article on the Daily Sceptic. Follow David on X. Read Nick’s article here. Donate to the Tooting Four’s appeal fundraiser here. And follow Nick on X here. Read David Turver’s article here. Follow David on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Welcome to episode 22 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests: Sam Bidwell, writer and commentator and the Director of the Next Generation Centre at the Adam Smith Institute, on the social and economic disaster of the latest immigration numbers – and how best to reverse it. Fleur Meston, co-host of the Bombshells podcast and campaigner against assisted suicide, on the passage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at its second reading. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Madeline Grant, parliamentary sketchwriter at the Telegraph, on her favourite parliamentarian to sketch, whether Starmer’s Army is up to snuff, and her bizarre dispute with a Labour MP over her coverage of the assisted dying debate. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Sam on X. Read his article on Indefinite Leave to Remain here.  Follow Fleur on X.  Follow Madeline on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Welcome to episode 21 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests:   David Frost, lead Brexit negotiator under Boris Johnson, Conservative peer and Telegraph columnist, on how to restore free speech in Britain, the grim reality of Starmerism and what Kemi Badenoch must do as Tory leader.   And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Nick Dixon, comedian and broadcaster, on that mad woke Jaguar advert, the Trump win and what they both mean for the culture war.   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X.  Follow David on X. Read his article on Starmerism here.  Read Nick’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. And follow Nick on X.    Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Welcome to episode 20 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests: I speak to Matt Ridley, the acclaimed science writer and peer in the House of Lords, on the farmers’ revolt over inheritance tax changes that rocked Westminster this week. Writer and former parliamentary researcher James McSweeney, for a deep dive into Britain’s political class and why it gets so much so wrong – especially on Net Zero. And for our premium subscribers, I’m joined by Connie Shaw, an outspoken gender-critical student at Leeds University, who earlier this year experienced what trans activists say is myth – a man in the women’s bathroom. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Matt on X  Read James’s article here.  And follow him on X.  Read Connie’s article on Leeds University here.  Follow Connie on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Welcome to episode 19 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests: Douglas Carswell, former UKIP MP and now the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, on what Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory means for America – and Britain. Will Jones, Editor of the Daily Sceptic, on the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Eugyppius, the pseudonymous commentator and author of Eugyppius: a plague chronicle, on the collapse of the German Government. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie is joined in the studio by Michael Murphy, writer for the Daily Telegraph, who gives us an exclusive inside look at his new documentary with Outpost Studios: Guardians of Israel.   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Douglas on X.  Read eugyppius’s article here.  Read Will’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Subscribe to Outpost Studios and watch Michael’s documentary here. Watch Chuck Norris’s video here: https://ChuckDefense.com/Daily Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Welcome to episode 18 of the Sceptic! On the show this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following Daily Sceptic contributors: William Atkinson, Assistant Editor at Conservative Home, on Kemi Badenoch’s victory in the Tory leadership election and her prospects as leader. Jon Moynihan, Conservative peer, venture capitalist and author of Return to Growth, on Rachel Reeves’s tax-bonanza budget and why it’s taking us in the wrong direction. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Harry Miller, former police officer and founder of Fair Cop, who gives us his frank assessment of the Chris Kaba case and why unfounded witch hunts against officers are so damaging for police morale. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Follow William on X.  Get your copy of Jon Moynihan’s book, Return to Growth: Volume One: How to Fix the Economy, here. Follow Harry on X. Watch Chuck Norris’s video here: https://ChuckDefense.com/Daily Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

C.J. Hopkins, an American playwright and political satirist, shares his harrowing experiences with censorship in Germany. He recounts his controversial tweet that likened COVID measures to a Nazi symbol, sparking legal battles that could lead to imprisonment. The discussion reveals the chilling rise of authoritarianism and the suppression of free speech in the West. Hopkins reflects on his journey from New York stage to political commentary and critiques the complexities of using historical symbols in satire, shining a light on societal double standards.

Welcome to this special episode of the Sceptic with James Esses, writer, campaigner and co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists. Back in 2021, James was a hard-working part-time master’s student in psychotherapy at the Metanoia Institute in London. In his spare time, he was also raising concerns online about the impact that transgender ideology – and the so-called gender-affirming approach to care – was having on vulnerable children. He never imagined that doing so would lead to him being kicked off his course without so much as an appeal. Three years later, he’s taken his college and the U.K. Council for Psychotherapy to court for that – and won. James joins Laurie on this episode to tell his story. They also speak about his research into how our institutions have been infiltrated by trans ideology; the impact of the Cass Review; the threat trans ideology still poses to kids; and why it’s up to adults to protect them; and much more. Follow James on X.  And find him on Substack. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Produced by Richard Eldred.  Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

David Starkey, a renowned historian and broadcaster known for his bold perspectives on British politics, dives deep into the seismic shifts caused by Tony Blair's New Labour government. He argues that Blair’s constitutional revolution led to a fractured national identity and diminished governance. Starkey critiques the introduction of the European Convention on Human Rights and the rise of quangos, suggesting they’ve undermined British democracy. He also expresses concern over contemporary leadership failures and calls for a post-Blair restoration to restore British values.

Brendan O’Neill, Chief Political Writer at Spiked and author of "After the Pogrom," discusses the October 7th pogrom against Israel, critiquing Western media's response and the disturbing rise of anti-Semitism. Political commentator Jess Gill shares her thoughts on how mass immigration affects women's safety in London, drawing on her personal experiences to highlight societal issues. Together, they emphasize the importance of political activism and the need for solidarity against anti-Semitism while urging informed engagement from young people.