Best of the Spectator

Is plastic the enemy? To watch Blue Planet and listen to Greta Thunberg, you might think so. But there are some things that plastic simply does better than the alternatives, which are not necessarily more eco-friendly in any case. So should we be looking for a better way to use the material, rather than to get rid of it altogether? To this end, we've brought together a few people who might know what they're talking about - Julie Hill, Chair of the charity, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Michelle Norman, Director of Sustainability at Lucozade Ribena Suntory, and Kate Geraghty, Director of Sustainability at Dow - to see what the future for plastic usage might look like.Presented by Fraser Nelson.Sponsored by Dow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liz Truss is the Secretary of State for International Trade and holds the Women and Equalities brief. In this special edition of Women With Balls for Conservative party conference, she talks about why Boris picked her for the job (having heard her speech about cheese exports), the limitation to trans rights, and how punchy language is all just a part of politics.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.

Margaret Hodge is the Labour MP for Barking and Dagenham, and well-known for her role as former head of the Public Accounts Committee, in which she scrutinised senior civil servants and politicians alike. She has also been one of the most vocal critics of Labour's anti-Semitism problem. On the podcast, she tells Katy about how boarding school made her rebellious, her remorse for supporting Tony Blair on Iraq, and what fighting the BNP on her own turf taught her about racism.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.

This week, as Boris Johnson is hauled back into parliament, we ask – is Brexit ever going to happen (00:40)? Plus, what should London do about Riyadh (14:10)? And finally, we take a sneak peek into the angry world of knitting (24:15).With Rod Liddle, Anand Menon, Sir John Jenkins, Madawi Al-Rasheed, Isabel Hardman and Bonnie Greer.Presented by Lara Prendergast.Produced by Cindy Yu and Matt Lee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s podcast features the Israeli writer Etgar Keret, talking about his new collection of short stories Fly Already. Topics on the agenda: how an Israel writer can address the Holocaust, why one of Etgar’s stories caused a dear friend of his to have to change his name, whether writing stories is a useful thing to do, whether smoking dope is a help or a hindrance to creativity, and why — alas — Brits so far don’t seem to 'get' Etgar’s sense of humour.Spectator Books is a series of literary interviews and discussions on the latest releases in the world of publishing, from poetry through to physics. Presented by Sam Leith, The Spectator's Literary Editor. Hear past episodes of Spectator Books here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessie Burton is the bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. In this episode of Table Talk, she tells Lara and Livvy about growing up with her dad's packed lunches, the diet of a budding actress, and her dislike for marzipan (despite The Miniaturist!). Jessie's new book, The Confession, is out now.Table Talk is a series of podcasts where Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts talk to celebrity guests about their life story, through the food and drink that has come to define it. Listen to past episodes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Vander Weyer, our Business Editor, speaks to three leading businesspeople for Scotland and Northern Ireland about the Economic Disruptor finalists in this region. Tune in to find out more about underwater wifi, a digital 3D map of the entire world, and more.---Human progress has depended on economic disruptors since long before the advent of the internet. Motor cars remained rare luxuries until a disruptor called Henry Ford perfected the Model T assembly line. Today’s online auction, home-stay, ride-share and crowdfunding sites have generated markets and money flows that barely existed before, to the great benefit of providers and consumers. Today’s manufacturing methods — from 3D printing to advanced bioscience — have dramatically reduced the time and capital required to produce vital products.So, who are the companies that are rewriting the rules in 2019? Following the success of last year's inaugural Economic Disruptor of the Year Awards, The Spectator and Julius Baer has come together again to celebrate creative entrepreneurship across the UK.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Simon Evans joins journalist Benedict Spence and comedy club founder Andy Shaw on a new podcast from Spectator Life. 'That's Life' is a sideways look at the events, people, words and ideas that shape the news agenda. Andy and Benedict talk to Simon about cancel culture, Boris’s hospital debacle and why Guy Verhofstadt is his unlikely hero (or villain) of the week.Simon has performed stand-up comedy at Live at the Apollo and the Edinburgh Fringe. He also hosts and writes Radio 4’s Simon Evans goes to Market. As well as writing for Spectator Life, Andy is the co-founder of London's free-thinking comedy club Comedy Unleashed. Benedict is a regular contributor for Spectator Life, Sky News and The Telegraph. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With John Rick MacArthur, president of Harpers Magazine.Americano is a series of in-depth discussions on American politics with the best pundits stateside. Presented by Freddy Gray, editor of Spectator USA. Click here to listen to previous episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Damian talks to Jewish pianist Ariel Lanyi about the cruel cat-and-mouse game that the Soviet Union played with Jewish classical musicians at a time when it was sneakily trying to extinguish both their religion and their ethnic identity.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.