Best of the Spectator

Freddy Gray speaks to Michael Wolff, author of books on Trump and Rupert Murdoch. On the podcast, they talk about the Dominion vs Fox trial settlement. Why did Fox let this case go on for so long?

This week: Sam Leith explains how he’s been keeping up friendships by playing online scrabble (00:55), Lionel Shriver questions Nike and Bud Light's recent marketing strategy (06:52) and Angus Colwell reads his review of the V&A Dundee’s tartan exhibition (15:24).

John Connolly is joined by Andrew Neil to discuss the SNP’s implosion; Douglas Murray and Arlene Foster on the ongoing sectarianism in Northern Ireland; Louise Perry and Kim Cotton on the ethical dilemmas of surrogacy and David Abulafia on Neflix's portrayal of Cleopatra.00:00 Welcome from John Connolly01:54 Is the SNP over? With Andrew Neil13:24 Can Northern Ireland move on from the Troubles? With Douglas Murray and Arlene Foster32:03 Is surrogacy unethical? With Louise Perry and Kim Cotton 54:26 Why is Netflix pretending that Cleopatra was black? With David AbulafiaProduced by Natasha Feroze.

On this week's episode:In her cover piece for The Spectator, journalist Louise Perry questions whether it is moral to separate a newborn child from their surrogate. She is joined by Sarah Jones, head of SurrogacyUK and five time surrogate mother, to debate the ethics of surrogacy (01:07).Also this week:In the books section of the magazine Olivia Potts reviews several recent books all of which seem to warn against the dangers of our food system and what we are eating. She is joined by Henry Dimbleby, author of Ravenous: How to Get Ourselves and Our Planet Into Shape, to ask if anything is safe to eat these days (14:29). And finally:Reverend Steve Morris speaks to modern day Holy Grail-hunters in The Spectator about their obsession with the search for the cup of Christ. He joins the podcast alongside Rat Scabies, Grail-hunter and drummer of the punk band The Dammed, to shed some light on the enduring appeal of the Holy Grail (26:50). Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Luke Jennings, the veteran reporter and novelist whose Codename Villanelle trilogy gave rise to the hit TV series Killing Eve. As his new thriller #PANIC is published he tells Sam how he found its inspiration after being drawn into the online fandom for Killing Eve, where he clashed with Phoebe Waller-Bridge... and why he's never going to write a novel about media types in North London having affairs.Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

Feminist philosopher, Unherd columnist and author of The Case Against The Sexual Revolution Louise Perry discusses population growth decline, how culture, the state and feminism are failing mothers and what can be done about it.

Discover how Japan served as a safe haven for Chinese exiles, shaping Chinese national identity and inspiring the creation of the Chinese Republic. Explore Japan's role as both adversary and inspiration for modern China, with insights on historical ties, reform movements, language reforms, and educational interactions. Reflect on China's evolving perceptions of Japan and national identity, from historical animosity to present admiration.

This week: James Heale says the gloves are off as Labour campaigning takes a bitter turn (00:54), Mary Wakefield worries that she’s raising a snowflake (17:47), and Gus Carter tells us about the colourful history of the green man (31:34). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Baroness Martha Lane Fox is a dotcom pioneer having started lastminute.com in 1997. She sits on the board of some of the country's most prominent brands, including Marks & Spencer and Channel 4, and has made significant contributions to the government's digital agenda. On the podcast, Martha talks about the early years of the dotcom bubble; the car crash which led to her spending two years in hospital; and some of the campaigning work she has done to promote more accessibility for women in tech.Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On the podcast this week: In his cover piece for The Spectator, Adrian Wooldridge argues that meritocracy is under attack. He says that the traditional societal pyramid – with the upper class at the top and the lower class at the base – has been inverted by a new culture which prizes virtue over meritocracy. He joins the podcast alongside journalist and author of Chums: How a tiny caste of Oxford Tories took over the UK, Simon Kuper, to debate (01:04). Also this week: In the magazine, ad-man Paul Burke suggests how the Tories should respond to Labour’s attack adverts. Released last week, the adverts have caused a stir for attacking the Conservative's recent record on curbing child abuse, and accuses Rishi Sunak directly of negligence on the issue. Paul is joined by Carl Shoben, who leads strategic communications for Survation and was strategy director under Jeremy Corbyn (17:47). And finally: In the books section of the magazine Philip Hensher reviews Sarah Bakewell’s new book Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Thinking, Enquiry and Hope. Philip says that he admires the humanists of the past, and find them consistently kinder, more decent and generous than their contemporaries. Both Philip and Sarah join the podcast (31:34). Hosted by Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.