Best of the Spectator

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world. Whilst fighting is happening in Europe, repercussions have been felt around the globe. Disruption to trade and supply chains means a rapidly worsening outlook for international development, making it harder to reach those that need support the most. Meanwhile the UK’s Covid recovery and the growing fiscal blackhole have forced Britain to make tough decisions on where our money goes, throwing into question our position as a world leader when it comes to international development and, with it, the reputation of ‘global Britain’.  Britain has always been a nation with a global mindset. But in times of crisis, do we need to reprioritise our commitments? What does the future look like for international development projects around the world?On this special podcast from The Spectator, economics editor Kate Andrews has spoken to some of those on the frontline of international development. She's joined by Rory Stewart, former secretary of state for international development who is currently the CEO of the NGO Give Directly; David Davis, former Conservative party leader; Daniel Hannan, former Conservative MEP and now advisor to the government's Board of Trade; Degan Ali, CEO of Kenya-based NGO Adeso; and Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta, a global health expert at the University of Toronto.This podcast is the second of a mini-series taking a look at Britain in the world, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. You can listen to the first episode here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Owen Matthews examines the original sin of Russia’s exiled media (00:44), Christopher Howse says Handel’s Messiah is as much a Christmas tradition as a pantomime (09:08), and Olivia Potts gives her recipe for boiled fruit cake (18:01).Get the full recipe to Olivia’s boiled fruit cake here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/a-last-minute-alternative-to-christmas-cake-boiled-fruit-cake/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many are already feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. Choices between ‘heating and eating’ have become routine for some households, as bills and food costs rise. With money at the forefront of everyone’s minds, feelings of stress, shame, and embarrassment are causing a decline in mental health. Research has shown that the cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on people’s mental health, disproportionately affecting women and those from low-income households. Combatting mental health can come from peer support, professional help and public policy, but is the issue ever taken seriously enough? What can be done to address the shame and guilt linked to money worries? For this episode, Katy Balls is joined by Maria Caulfield, who is the Minister for Mental Health where her department also oversees Women’s Health. Catherine Rutter, the Director for Customer Inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group. And Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, who received an MBE for her services to social cohesion and combatting loneliness. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the special Christmas episode of The Edition! Up first: What a year in politics it has been. 2022 has seen five education secretaries, four chancellors, three prime ministers and two monarchs. But there is only one political team that can make sense of it all. The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson, deputy political editor Katy Balls and assistant editor Isabel Hardman discuss what has surely been one of the most dramatic years in British political history (01:13). Then: Christmas is a time to spare a thought for our neighbours. While in the UK we have our own hardships, families in Ukraine are facing a Christmas under siege. The Spectator's Svitlana Morenets joins the podcast alongside author Andrey Kurkov, dialling in from Lazarivka near Kiev to discuss traditions in Ukraine (16:29).Next: We have a special Christmas treat for our listeners. For our festive triple issue of the magazine, historian Tom Holland interviews the author Robert Harris about everything from eco-radicals and interpreting history, to why the monarchy is so essential. They have kindly allowed us to hear some their conversation (25:58).Also this week: In his piece for The Spectator's Christmas issue, travel writer Sean Thomas reflects on a recent cruise around the Antarctic peninsula, a trip which gave him a new answer to the question which perpetually plagues him: what is the best place you have ever been? He is joined by explorer Felicity Aston who in 2012 became the first person to ski solo across Antarctica (40:59).And finally: Pantomime dames are as synonymous with Christmas as mince pies and a Spectator Christmas issue, but what makes a truly great dame? This is the question that Robert Gore-Langton asks in our festive magazine. He is joined by pantomime legend Christopher Biggins and Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator’s business editor and amateur pantomime dame (51:52). Throughout the podcast you will also hear from some of our favourite answers to our Christmas poll: what gives you hope? Including Robert Tombs (15:19), Mary Beard (24:58), Susan Hill (39:15) and Peter Hitchens (50:58). Hosted by William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winston speaks Sohrab Ahmari, author of The New Philistines, From Fire By Water and The Unbroken Thread, a co-founder of Compact magazine and former editor at the New York Post. Sohrab was an editor at the Post when they dropped the Hunter Biden laptop story and explains its significance and what the Twitter files reveal. They also discuss the future of free speech in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last few hundred years, China has had a difficult and complicated relationship with foreigners. On the one hand, they added to the country’s intellectual richness by introducing western philosophy and science; and on the other, these contributions often came accompanied by guns and gunboats.And today, out of a country of 1.4 billion, there are fewer than one million foreigners living there. So what is it like to try to make China one’s home if you were British or anything else?On the episode, Cindy Yu speaks to two long time China hands. Mark Kitto is a writer and actor who lived in China for 16 years, setting up two businesses in succession there but now back living in Norfolk. Alec Ash is the author of Wish Lanterns, all about Chinese millennials. He moved to China around the time that Mark left, and has just moved back to the UK after a decade there.She speaks to them about what it is like to be foreign in China given the country’s complicated history with Brits and other foreigners; and whether the Chinese identity itself is particularly hard to penetrate as a foreigner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Jenny McCartney says don't expect a united Ireland any time soon (00:57), Chloë Ashby reads her review of Con/Artist the memoir of notorious art forger Tony Tetro (07:57), and Ysenda Maxtone Graham tells us the etiquette of canapés (14:55). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray talks to the Spectator’s contributing editor Chadwick Moore about the release of the so-called ‘Twitter files’ and what they reveal about the extent of censorship and coverup before, during and after the 2020 election campaign. Chadwick Moore’s book ‘So You’ve Been Sent to Diversity Training’ is available now from all good retailers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week:For his cover piece in The Spectator Freddy Gray asks who will win in the battle between the Waleses and the Sussexes. He is joined by historian Amanda Foreman to discuss the fallout Harry and Meghan's new Netflix documentary (01:00).Also this week:Should the House of Lords be reformed or even abolished?This is the question James Heale considers in the magazine. He is joined by Baroness Fox of Buckley to unpack Gordon Brown's recommendation to do away with the second chamber of Parliament (13:14). And finally:In the books section of The Spectator Chloë Ashby reviews Con/Artist, the memoir of notorious art forger Tony Tetro. She is joined by Tony and investigative journalist Giampiero Ambrossi, who co-authored to book (31:53). Hosted by William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Matthew Hollis, author of The Waste Land: A Biography of a Poem. In the tail end of this centenary year of the great monument of modernist poetry, Matthew tells me about the private agonies that went into the making of the poem. We discuss how not just Ezra Pound but Vivien Eliot had a hand in editing it, and why we misunderstand Eliot’s famous claim about the impersonality of poetry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.