Best of the Spectator

On the podcast:In his cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's deputy editor Freddy Gray says the only clear winner from the US midterms is paranoia. He is joined by The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews to discuss whether the American political system is broken (00:52).Also this week:Isabel Hardman writes that Ed Miliband is the power behind Kier Starmer's Labour. She is joined by former Labour advisor Lord Stewart Wood of Anfield, to consider whether Starmer is wise to lend his ear to the former Leader of the Opposition (12:48).And finally:King Charles III is known for his love of classical music, and Damian Thompson writes in this week's arts lead that he is the most musical monarch since Queen Victoria. He is joined by editor of Gramophone magazine Martin Cullingford, to examine the great royal tradition of musicality (25:32). Presented by William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest in this week's Book Club Podcast is Christopher de Hamel, author of the new The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club. He tells me about the enduring fascination of illuminated manuscripts, and the fraternity over more than a millennium of those who have loved, coveted, collected, sold, illustrated and – in one case – forged them.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Thompson is an award-winning food writer and cook who started a supper club, serving Japanese food in her front room in 2014.In September 2022, Melissa released her debut cookbook, Motherland. It explores the evolution of Jamaican food, from the island’s indigenous population to today. On the podcast, she talks to Liv Potts about the evocative smells of Jamaican food that remind her of childhood, why she’s more of a savoury than sweet person and the first meal she ever cooked for her mum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Mark Galeotti tells us why Ukraine has become a weapons testing ground (00:53), Katja Hoyer discusses Germany’s extreme monarchists (09:12), and Tanya Gold reads her Notes on … espressos (15:24). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray talks to the journalist David Marcus, author of Charade: The Covid Lies That Crushed A Nation, ahead of the midterms.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's podcast:Can Rishi Sunak steady the ship?Patrick O'Flynn argues in his cover piece for The Spectator that the asylum system is broken. He is joined by Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, to consider what potential solutions are open to the Prime Minister to solve the small boats crisis (00:52).Also this week:Should we give Elon Musk a break?In the aftermath of his sensational purchase of Twitter, Mary Wakefield writes in defence of the tech billionaire. She is joined by James Ball, global editor of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, to ask what his plans are for the social media platform (14:27).And finally:Ysenda Maxtone Graham writes in the magazine this week about the joy of hating the Qatar World Cup. She is joined by Spectator columnist Rod Liddle to lament why we may have to get used to tournaments like this one. (24:47). Hosted by William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s Book Club podcast is a live special, recorded at this year’s inaugural Braemar Literary Festival. I’m talking to Sir Ian Rankin, in an exclusive pre-publication event, about his new Rebus novel A Heart Full of Headstones. You can see images from the event and more details of the festival at https://www.braemarliteraryfestival.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winston speaks with American author, conservative commentator and activist Candace Owens. They discuss why she and Kanye West wore White Lives Matter shirts at Paris Fashion Week, Kanye’s offensive tweets, the rise of Black Lives Matter, her new film ‘The Greatest Lie Ever Sold’ exploring the death of George Floyd and much more… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Xi Jinping has taken his new Politburo Standing Committee on a group trip – to Yan’An, the base of Mao Zedong’s Communist revolution after the Long March. The symbolism is easy to see.On this episode of Chinese Whispers, Bill Bishop, author of the popular Sinocism newsletter, and Professor Victor Shih, author of Coalitions of the Weak, have returned to reflect on the Party Congress just past. It's been a more dramatic event than many (inside and outside the party) expected, starting with a brave, lone protestor hanging a 42-character banner off a popular bridge in Beijing, lambasting the authoritarian regime; and ending with the forcible removal of former general secretary Hu Jintao in front of the world's media.At the congress itself Xi overturned decades-long norms dictating the top leadership of the party – age no longer seems to necessitate retirement, while the Politburo has not a single woman. Above all, Xi has started his third term as general secretary with a loyal cabal of men around him. Did he not want more competent people in the top jobs? 'Loyalty is merit', Bill suggests.What does this mean for China, and the world? Victor makes the point that Xi is putting the pieces in place to push through unpopular decisions – for example, an invasion of Taiwan. 'If you think about it, why would you want people whom you trust absolutely to fill every single position? Because even Chairman Mao didn’t do this'. It also means that as Xi becomes more truly dictatorial, the West needs to engage with him more, not less. We just don’t know the kind of information about the US, about other countries, that are landing on Xi Jinping’s desk. And this information can be incredibly distorted. So if anything, just presenting an alternative view of how the world works could be helpful. He may not believe you… but if you’re able to look him in the eye and tell him something, at least he’ll be forced to think about it.As for the party itself, the three of us digest the Hu Jintao incident. Regardless of what you think happened, one thing is for sure – it was a deep and utter humiliation for Hu, especially given China's deep-set Confucian respect for elders. The idea that there is any organised CCP opposition against Xi has been put to bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's podcast: former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg tells us why it's good to back on the back benches (01:00), Julian Jessop reflects on his part in Liz Truss's downfall (06:41), and Melanie McDonagh reads her Notes on... candles (12:57). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.