Best of the Spectator

In this week's books podcast Sam's guest is the writer Ysenda Maxtone Graham, whose new book casts a rosy look back at the way children used to spend their summer holidays. British Summer Time Begins: The School Summer Holidays 1930-1980 is a work of oral history that covers everything from damp sandwiches and cruelty to animals to tree-climbing, messing about in boats or endless games of Monopoly; intimidating fathers, frustrated mothers and grandparents who, if you weren't careful, would eat your pet rabbit. The good old days, in other words. Ysenda tells Sam why she sees 'spiritual danger' in iPads, how she longed to visit a motorway service station on the M2 - and how a childhood of constant hunger and warmed-through digestive biscuits may have shaped the psychology of our current Prime Minister.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has the government found the magic money tree? It certainly seems like it when the furlough scheme and various other Covid measures have taken government debt to above £2 trillion. The crazy amount of spending has been kept afloat by quantitative easing, the Bank of England’s policy of choice since the financial crisis. Some have called this ‘money-printing’ and warned of a reckoning, yet none has come. So what does this new financial environment mean for investors, savers, and the less well off? Fraser Nelson talks to a panel of special guests in this podcast, sponsored by Charles Stanley.With Harriett Baldwin, Conservative MP who sits on the Treasury Select Committee; David Miles, an economist at Imperial College London, formerly a member of the Monetary Policy Committee; and Paul Abberley, CEO of Charles Stanley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's said that Bicester Village is the second most popular attraction for Chinese tourists in the UK, coming just behind Buckingham Palace. The pandemic recovery figures show much the same - while retail is still struggling to recover, luxury goods sales is leading the bounceback. In this episode, I find out why the Chinese love luxury goods just so much. My guests tell me about why Chanel just doesn't cut it anymore for the most fashionable housewives of Beijing; how President Xi's anti-corruption drive recalibrated wealth flaunting among the elite; and why fashionistas are leaving Beijing for Shanghai.With Sara Jane Ho, founder of the Chinese finishing school, Institute Sarita; and Gregory Cole, co-founder of the consultancy firm CDGL.Presented by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, Douglas Murray asks - why would anyone want to be a government adviser, given what's happened to Tony Abbott? The historian Francis Pike reads his piece on Thailand's Caligula; and Philip Hensher reviews a new book on Wagner.Spectator Out Loud is a weekly audio collection of three Spectator writers reading their pieces in the latest issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Sands is the former editor of the Today programme. On the podcast, she talks to Katy Balls about her departure from the Sunday Telegraph after just nine months as Editor; giving John Humphreys a pay cut; and what it was like to find out on election night that the Boris Johnson government intended to boycott Today.Women With Balls is a podcast series where Katy Balls speak to women at the top of their respective games. To hear past episodes, visit spectator.co.uk/balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vaccines are normally in the realm of scientists; but not this time as world leaders race to be the first. (00:50) Brexit is heating up, but is the government in a stronger position than it seems? (13:35) And a modern day Caligula - the life and times of the Thai king Rama X. (22:40)With journalist Matthew Lynn; immunologist Beate Kampmann; our political editor James Forsyth; YouGov pollster Marcus Roberts; and Asia historian Francis Pike.Presented by Cindy Yu.Produced by Cindy Yu and Max Jeffery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam's guest in this week's books podcast is the former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Along with the economist and former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Julia has written a new book called Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons, which includes interviews with women who've reached the top roles in global institutions, from Christine Lagarde and Joyce Banda to Michelle Bachelet and Theresa May. Sam asks her about her own time in politics, what she'd have done differently, whether Australia is more sexist than the UK, and her notorious 'misogyny' speech - plus, what she thinks her old sparring partner Tony Abbott has to offer the UK as a trade adviser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of this miniseries on climate change, Bjorn Lomborg argues that climate change is important, but solving it shouldn't come above all else. So what are the trade offs involved with a green agenda, especially when it comes to lifting the poorest in the world out of poverty? Kate Andrews discusses with Bjorn and Matt Ridley and asks - is it really an either/or?Bjorn Lomborg is the President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and author of False Alarm. Matt Ridley is a Conservative peer, journalist, and author of How Innovation Works. To hear all episodes in this series, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian Thompson is joined by Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, Hungary's ambassador to the Holy See. A member of one of Europe's most historically influential families, Eduard explains how his religious practices have adapted to the acceleration of new technologies, and tells Damian how the Habsburgs keep in contact.Holy Smoke is a series of podcasts where Damian Thompson dissects the most important and controversial topics in world religion, with a range of high profile guests. Click here to find previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's podcast, Lloyd Evans argues that the state should stop subsidising the National Theatre and start funding bingo halls (00:41). Then Lionel Shriver explains the trouble of taking back control (08:15). And finally, Will Heaven explores the dissolution of the Downside monastery (16:48).   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.