Best of the Spectator

What’s behind Boris’s plan for a green bonanza? (01:10) Can the West challenge China in the tech arms race? (14:50) Can the British handle grief? (24:05) With Katy Balls, The Spectator’s deputy political editor; Rachel Wolf, a partner at Public First at co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto; author and journalist Ian Williams; politician and author Bruno Maçães; writer Fiona Mountford; and comedian and podcaster Cariad Lloyd. Presented by Lara Prendergast. Produced by Arsalan Mohammad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Book club podcast Sam's guest is Roland Philipps - whose new book Victoire: A Wartime Story of Resistance, Collaboration and Betrayal tells the morally murky and humanly fascinating story of Mathilde Carre - a vital figure of the early days of resistance in occupied France. Roland's story describes her heroic early work; and its undoing when she was captured and turned collaborator... before she saw, in the figure of an agent for the British secret services, the opportunity for a triple-cross and the hope of redemption. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carole Hayman is a writer, broadcaster, actor and director. On the podcast, she tells Lara and Liv about facing anorexia, London in the late 70s, smoking on stage and cooking while writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What were Prince Philip's religious beliefs? The Duke of Edinburgh had Orthodox Christian ancestry, but how was he drawn to its traditions, was he influenced by the Queen's faith, and why was he critical of Catholicism? Damian Thompson speaks to Gavin Ashenden, chaplain to the Queen from 2008 to 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Andrew Neil is joined by Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of UK Music and former special adviser to Matt Hancock; Spectator contributor Alexander Pelling-Bruce; Alba Party MP Kenny MacAskill; and a team of Spectator journalists.We discuss whether life will return to normal on 21 June, if a new 'retain and explain' policy will stop statue controversies, and how well Salmond's Alba party will do in May's Holyrood elections.To watch the show, go to www.spectator.co.uk/tv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Philip Eade, biographer to Prince Philip, reads his obituary of the Prince. We're also joined by Dominic Green, Spectator USA's Life and Arts Editor, who reads his article on Prince Harry's new job. Anshel Pfeffer reports on life in Israel under the vaccine passport; and Lionel Shriver on the West's self-doubt and who stands to benefit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vaccine passports seem all but inevitable in the UK and parts of the US. While some are relatively relaxed about the prospects of a de facto bio-security ID card, others are not. Spectator US contributor Bridget Phetasy is one of them, and on this episode tells Freddy Gray why she hates the 'vaxport'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will life ever return to normal? (00:50) Is the government pandering to statue protestors? (14:30) And what’s Prince Harry’s new job? (27:55)With Kate Andrews, the Spectator's economics editor; Spectator columnist Matthew Parris; Spectator contributor Alexander Pelling-Bruce; Historic England CEO Duncan Wilson; Dominic Green, deputy editor of the Spectator's US edition; and Sam Leith, literary editor of the Spectator.Presented by Lara Prendergast.Produced by Max Jeffery, Cindy Yu and Arsalan Mohammad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this discussion, broadcaster and historian Jonathan Dimbleby, known for his insightful works on WWII, delves into the striking narratives of Operation Barbarossa. He argues that the real defeat of Nazi Germany began with the Soviet Union’s strategic responses by December 1941, countering common perceptions of the war’s decisive moments. Dimbleby breaks down the diplomatic tensions leading to the conflict, examines Stalin’s misplaced trust in Hitler, and elaborates on the harrowing brutality on the Eastern Front, showcasing how ideology intertwined with military strategy.

The pandemic has led to a surge in digitisation in so many aspects of our lives. Cloud computing, in particular, has been a cornerstone of this time - not least for stay at home employees to maintain their productivity during a turbulent time. But what actually is cloud computing, and is it all that it's set out to be? Are privacy and security concerns adequately addressed? Kate Andrews speaks to DCMS Minister Matt Warman and Public First's Rachel Wolf about its potentials and pitfalls.Sponsored by AWS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.