Best of the Spectator

On this week's episode, Andrew Neil is joined by Dr Remi Adekoya, associate politics lecturer at the University of York; Spectator contributor Olenka Hamilton; Bloomberg's Javier Blas; and a team of Spectator journalists.We discuss who's to blame in the Royal knockabout, why Britain's Polish community are sceptical of the Covid vaccine, and the murky world of commodity traders.To watch the show, go to www.spectator.co.uk/tv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Anil Bhoyrul starts by asking if it's racist to wonder what colour your child's skin will be. (01:05) Lionel Shriver is up next, and says the West has used China's totalitarian tactics to suppress Covid. (05:05) Melissa Kite finishes the podcast, and describes her encounter with 'obnoxious Surrey battleaxes'. (14:15) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray talks to historian Patrick Allitt, the Cahoon Family Professor of American History at Emory University, about how much the Harry and Meghan interview has really cut through to the American public. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it fair to blame Meghan for the Royal Family's problems? (00:55) Why is China censoring a book of Dante's poetry? (12:40) Would you go to moon? (24:50)With The Spectator's US editor Freddy Gray; The Spectator's restaurant critic Tanya Gold; author Ian Thomson; Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies at King's College London; The Spectator's commissioning editor Mary Wakefield; and Spectator columnist Matthew Parris.Presented by Cindy Yu.Produced by Max Jeffery, Natasha Feroze and Matthew Sawyer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Horatio Clare - whose superb latest book is about going mad. Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing, tells the story of Horatio's recent breakdown and forcible hospitalisation - what he experienced, how he recovered, how it pushed him to investigate the unquestioned assumptions about 'chemical imbalances' causing mental illness, and the questionable and effectively random ways in which drugs are prescribed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tiger mums and dads are infamous in the West, but in China the pressure is ramped up several times higher. From kindergarten to university, exams form the structure of a disciplined and competitive educational environment. It yields result - with even the poorest students in Shanghai scoring higher on maths and reading than the richest in the UK (according to PISA). But does the system value the right things, and what sacrifices are demanded? Cindy Yu speaks to journalist Lenora Chu, author of Little Soldiers, about her research and experience as a mother in the system.Read Cindy's take on the university entrance exams (gaokao) here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Andrew Neil is joined by Sir David Spiegelhalter, a leading statistician from the University of Cambridge; Spectator contributor Stephen Daisley; Spectator contributor Jonathan Miller; and our TV regulars Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Kate Andrews.We discuss whether the government is really following 'data, not dates', if  the UK's economic recovery could lead to an early election, and what's next for Nicola Sturgeon. To watch the show, go to www.spectator.co.uk/tv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode features a reading of The Spectator's leading article, on how devolution has created a democratic deficit in Scotland (00:50); our economics correspondent Kate Andrews on what keeps the Chancellor up at night (7:00); and Rod Liddle on the real cause of food poverty in the UK. (16:35). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Reeves is the Labour MP for Leeds West and the shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about being a teen chess champion (pictured playing), going to a school where her mum worked and what Labour needs to do to turn its losing streak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could a blip in inflation ruin the UK's economic recovery? (00:50) Why is support for the IRA becoming normalised? (12:20) What makes a great diarist? (31:15)With The Spectator's economics correspondent Kate Andrews; economist Julian Jessop; writer Jenny McCartney; politician Mairia Cahill; satirist Craig Brown; and historian, journalist and author Simon Heffer.Presented by Cindy Yu.Produced by Max Jeffery, Alex Valizadeh, Alexa Rendell and Matt Taylor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.