Best of the Spectator

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Simmons argues that Trump is winning the tariff war with China; Kapil Komireddi reviews Robert Ivermee’s Glorious Failure: The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India; Margaret Mitchell watches a Channel 4 documentary on Bonnie Blue and provides a warning to parents; David Abulafia provides his notes on wax seals; and, Melissa Kite says that her B&B is the opposite of organic. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Massacres in Syria and the Congo: why aren't Western elites, including the Churches, drawing attention to religious persecution?After the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, many people voiced fears that the religious minorities in the country could face increased persecution. This could be at the hands of the new government’s supporters, or simply because the new regime can't protect them. Now those fears appear to have been realised. There is rising sectarian violence against Christians, the Alawites and the Druze (pictured). There are also frequent barbaric attacks on Christians in parts of Africa: more than 40 Christians have just been murdered by Islamists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while attending church.Fr Benedict Kiely joins Damian Thompson on this episode of Holy Smoke to discuss the background to this violence, the role of inter-faith score-settling, and why the global West – including leaders of the Catholic Church – seem more interested in migration than the slaughter of Christians and other people of faith.A Catholic priest of the Ordinariate, Fr Ben is a leading campaigner for religious believers around the world, and especially in the Middle East, and the founder of the charity nasarean.org.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Online Safety Act protecting children – or threatening free speech? Michael Simmons hosts John Power, who writes the Spectator's cover piece this week on how the Act has inadvertently created online censorship. Implemented and defended by the current Labour government, it is actually the result of legislation passed by the Conservatives in 2023 – which Labour did not support at the time, arguing it didn’t go far enough.Michael and John joined by former Conservative MP Miriam Cates who defends the core aims and principles at the heart of the Act. They debate the principles of Big Tech, the risks of government overreach and whether freedom of expression is under threat.Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lionel Shriver on Trump’s vendetta, Mamdani’s ‘stupid’ ideas & sentimental immigrationDeputy US editor Kate Andrews is joined by author and Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver to assess Donald Trump’s turbulent second term. They discuss the rise of socialism in New York, why fairness is warping immigration policy, and whether Trump’s obsession with lawfare and vengeance is undoing his own presidency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First: the new era of censorshipA year ago, John Power notes, the UK was consumed by race riots precipitated by online rumours about the perpetrator of the Southport atrocity. This summer, there have been protests, but ‘something is different’. With the introduction of the Online Safety Act, ‘the government is exerting far greater control over what can and can’t be viewed online’. While the act ‘promises to protect minors from harmful material’, he argues that it is ‘the most sweeping attempt by any liberal democracy to bring the online world under the control of the state’.Implemented and defended by the current Labour government, it is actually the result of legislation passed by the Conservatives in 2023 – which Labour did not support at the time, arguing it didn’t go far enough. So how much of a danger is the Act to free speech in Britain?John joined the podcast to discuss further alongside former Conservative minister Steve Baker, MP from 2010-24, and who was one of the biggest critics of the bill within the Conservative Party at the time.Next: should we be worried about protests against migrants?This week, outside a hotel in Epping, groups amassed to protest against the migrants housed there, with counter-protestors appearing in turn. Tommy Robinson might not have appeared in the end, but the Spectator’s Max Jeffrey did, concluding that the protests were ultimately ‘anticlimactic’.Nevertheless, the protests have sparked debate about the motivations of those speaking out against the migrants – are there legitimate concerns voiced by locals, or are the protests being manipulated by figures on the political fringes? And what do the protests tell us about community tensions in the UK? Max joined the podcast to discuss alongside the editor of Spiked Tom Slater.And finally: why are ‘romantasy’ novels so popular?Lara Brown writes in the magazine this week about the phenomenon of the genre ‘romantasy’, which mixes romance with fantasy. While ‘chick-lit’ is nothing new, Lara argues that this is ‘literature taken to its lowest form’, emblematic of the terminally online young people who consume it. Nevertheless, it is incredibly popular and is credited by publishers as boosting the British fiction industry to over £1 billion. To unpack the genre's popularity, Lara joined the podcast, alongside Sarah Maxwell, the founder of London’s first romance-only bookshop Saucy Books, based in Notting Hill.Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith is joined for this week's Book Club podcast by Gary Shteyngart — whose new novel Vera, or Faith is set in a near-future America whose politics seems to be less science-fictional by the day. It tells the unexpectedly tender story of a bright but lonely ten-year-old girl contending with her parents' failing marriage and navigating the beginnings of a friendship. Gary tells Sam how parenthood changed him as a writer, how his feelings about his Russian heritage have shifted uncomfortably in light both of the Ukraine invasion and the US's fresh hostility to migrants, and why Writers' Tears is his students' drink of choice. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts and to contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is in Scotland, holding court at Turnberry. He's welcomed Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer to his golf course, and had a long discussion with reporters at a wide ranging press conference, that covered Russia, Gaza, and his long running feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan. To unpack it all, Freddy is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, and deputy US editor Kate Andrews. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlotte Ivers is the restaurant critic for the Sunday Times; most recently she reviewed Lupa, Fenix and Home SW15. Charlotte started her career as a media adviser in Theresa May’s Number 10, before she moved into the world of radio. She was a political correspondent at talkRADIO and Wireless Group before joining Times Radio.  On the podcast, Charlotte tells hosts Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts about chasing the high she felt from tasting risotto for the first time, how a second date unwittingly converted her from vegetarianism and what she thinks makes a good restaurant critic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Douglas Murray, a Spectator columnist, tackles the swirling topics of conspiracy theories and public mistrust in institutions. He questions why promises, like the release of the Epstein files, remain unfulfilled, stirring unrest even among Trump's supporters. The discourse dives into the deep skepticism gripping Western democracies, illustrating how this fuels conspiracy narratives and harms constructive dialogue. Murray also warns of a 'second dark age' of information, where truth becomes obscured by the sheer volume of data, further complicating accountability.

Ian Thomson, a writer, shares insights into the cultural loss following the destruction of the iconic Hotel Oloffson in Haiti amidst rising violence. Richard Bratby, also a writer, passionately argues for Johann Strauss's musical brilliance, highlighting the neglect of his works in today’s orchestras despite their profound beauty. They delve into the impact of the past on culture and music, exploring themes of memory, identity, and the need for recognition of artistic significance.