Best of the Spectator

In this week’s episode: Is Biden’s approach to the war in Ukraine more calculating than it seems?For this week’s cover piece, in this week’s cover piece, Matt Purple examines Biden’s response to the situation in Ukraine. The good, the bad and the gaffs. He joins the podcast along with the founder of Political Human Emma Burnell. (00:52)Also this week: How many of Ukraine’s churches have been destroyed?In this week’s issue, Christopher Howse writes poignantly on the destruction of Ukrainian churches and how Vladimir Putin, a man claiming to be a defender of Christianity is desperate to keep the images of destroyed holy sites out of the news. He joins the podcast along with the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Great Britain, His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas Loulias. (11:26)And, finally: 40 years on from the Falklands War, why are there still tensions over the islands?It has been 40 years since the war between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands and in this week’s Spectator Robert Taylor writes about the impact that conflict still has on the territory. He joins the podcast along with native Argentinian and Professor of International Law of The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Marcelo G. Kohen. (22:43)Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William MooreProduced by Sam HolmesSubscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher:www.spectator.co.uk/voucherListen to Lara's food podcast Table Talk: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcasts/table-talk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Book Club podcast, we ask: did the chroniclers of the early Church cover up evidence that the disciples and evangelists of Christ were as often women as men? Sam's guests are the scholars Helen Bond and Joan Taylor, authors of Women Remembered: Jesus' Female Disciples. They pick out the hints and clues that, they say, indicate that women were doing more than just cooking, mourning and anointing in first-century Judaea – despite the difficulties of keeping track of all those Marys and Salomes.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lance Forman is the owner of H. Forman & Son, Britain's leading salmon smokers and author of Forman's Games. He was elected a Brexit Party MEP for London in the 2019 European election but quit the party to endorse the Conservatives.On the podcast, Lance reflects on his childhood in a traditional Jewish upbringing, eating smoked salmon sandwiches every day for his packed lunch. Lance brings in some of the foods made by his gourmet food delivery company, Forman & Field. This included smoked salmon blinis with cream cheese and their latest creation, a Victoria sponge ahead of the Queen's Jubilee. Come to the East End to learn all about curing and smoking salmon with Lance Forman of H. Forman & Son, suppliers of our celebrated Spectator Winemaker Lunches. Buy your tickets here  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we'll hear from Damian Thompson on the Patriarch in league with Putin. (00:58)Next, Jade McGlynn on how Russian TV is presenting the war to its people. (08:46)And finally, Nick Newman asks how should cartoonists respond to war? (17:35)Produced and presented by Sam Holmes and Max JefferySubscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anji Hunter is the former gatekeeper to Tony Blair's Labour government. She was once described as the most influential non-elected person in Downing Street and became one of Blair's closest confidantes. Acting as an alliance broker, Anji worked across businesses and the media, including Murdoch's empire.After decades by Blair's side, Anji moved to the private sector to take up various roles across industries from BP to the Royal College of Engineering. As Boris Johnson welcomes the new Anji Hunter of 10 Downing Street, Samatha Cohen, Anji reflects on what it takes to do her former job – you've got to have balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode: could President Erdogan broker a peace deal between Putin and the West? For this week’s cover piece, Owen Matthews has written about how Turkey’s President Erdogan became a key powerbroker between Vladimir Putin and the Western alliance. On the podcast, Owen is joined by Ece Temelkuran, a political thinker, author, and writer of the book How to Lose a Country. (1:13)Also this week: a look at Tina, the drug devastating the gay community.Dr Max Pemberton has written about Tina, a dangerous drug often used at chemsex parties. Max joins us now along with Philip Hurd, a chemsex rehabilitation professional and trustee of Controlling Chemsex. (14:02)And finally: Are The Oscars losing their relevance?Toby Young writes for The Spectator this week about The Oscars ceremony. John Ringo once coined the term ‘get woke and go broke’ to describe businesses that drive consumers away with their politically worthy causes. Could the same be said for The Oscars? Toby joins The Edition podcast along with Fiona Mountford, a theatre critic and regular contributor for The Spectator. (24:51)Hosted by William Moore.Subscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher:www.spectator.co.uk/voucher Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan is not Ukraine. But despite the very important differences in their situations, the Russian invasion can still shed much light on Taiwan's future. Even many Taiwanese think so – and have followed the developments closely, with solidarity marches held for Ukraine, protests at the Russian embassy and the Ukrainian flag lighting up Taiwanese buildings.On this episode of Chinese Whispers, my guests and I discuss the mainstream take on Ukraine (and also the not so mainstream – such as the view that America can't be relied upon, given it hasn't despatched troops to Ukraine). I'm joined by Brian Hioe, editor of New Bloom, an online magazine covering youth culture and politics in Taiwan, and Professor Kerry Brown from Kings College London, author of The Trouble with Taiwan.We give a primer on Taiwanese politics – what does the thriving democracy look like? How are elections held, and what are the major political parties? We discuss how China – instead of particular social or economic issues – is the main political topic dividing the left and the right (the 'Greens' and the 'Blues'), and whether, with mainstream Taiwanese opinion becoming ever hawkish on China in the aftermath of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the more pro-China forces in Taiwanese politics, such as the Kuomintang, really have a future in the country (Kerry says: ‘I don’t think the KMT can be written off.')In a crowded continent, there are also other power-brokers. We talk about the influence of America, and where Japan – Taiwan's erstwhile coloniser – fits in with all this. There have been calls for Japan to be more heavily armed in order to deter a Chinese invasion. How would the Taiwanese feel about that? Brian tells me:‘Views of Japan differ sharply between the pan-green and the pan-blue camp. For the KMT, they remember a lot of the Sino-Japanese war and the crimes committed by the Japanese from that period. But for the pan-greens, who are sometimes descended from those that were in Taiwan for the Japanese colonial period, [remember] the period as a time of higher living standards and improved education, and in which Taiwan is being brought up as a colony rather than these political killings and mass violence, etc. They have a much more romanticised views of a Japanese colonial period.’In the end, economics may supersede politics. If President Tsai Ing-wen can't deliver on the economy given her tough stance on China (which is still Taiwan's biggest trading partner), then domestic politics may be in for another shakeup. As Kerry says: ‘It’s the issue that we all wrestle with. Their biggest economic partner is also their biggest security threat’.Additional listening: do tune in to a previous episode with Professor Rana Mitter, if you need a primer on why exactly Taiwan's history means that it is in this position and how the shared language and culture with the People's Republic of China came abouthttps://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/why-does-china-care-about-taiwan-. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Book Club podcast Sam is joined by Francis Fukuyama to talk about his new book Liberalism and its Discontents. He tells Sam how a system that has built peace and prosperity since the Enlightenment has come under attack from the neoliberal right and the identitarian left; and how Vladimir Putin may end up being the unwitting founding father of a new Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we'll hear from Lionel Shriver on if western populations would fight to defend their homeland in the way we have seen the Ukrainians have. (00:53)Next, Kate Andrews on the real reasons behind the rise in the cost of living. (09:17)And finally, Nicholas Farrell asks if the war in Ukraine will boost populism? (13:50)Produced and presented by Sam HolmesSubscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode: Has Putin’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the West’s weakness - or its strength?For this week, Sergey Radchenko, a Cold War historian writes about the draconian anti-war measures that Putin has imposed in Russia. He joins the podcast along with Dr Jade Glynn, a specialist in Russian memory and foreign policy at the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies. (01:00)Also this week: has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlighted the hubris of the West? While Western countries unite in a chorus of criticism against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Rod Liddle writes that the invasion only highlights the impotence of the West. He is joined by James Forsyth, The Spectator’s political editor. (18:20)And finally, what’s happened to Durham University? Has its reputation plummeted?Nathan Risser writes in The Spectator this week about the decline of Durham University. It was once at the top of the league tables just under Oxford and Cambridge but has this all changed? Nathan who is a writer graduated from Durham in 2017. Joining Nathan is Imogen Usherwood, another writer who recently graduated from Durham University in 2021. (35.40)Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William MooreSubscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher:www.spectator.co.uk/voucherListen to Lara's food podcast Table Talk: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcasts/table-talk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.