The Edition

First: how Merkel killed the European dream ‘Ten years ago,’ Lisa Haseldine says, ‘Angela Merkel told the German press what she was going to do about the swell of Syrian refugees heading to Europe’: ‘Wir schaffen das’ – we can handle it. With these words, ‘she ushered in a new era of uncontrolled mass migration’. ‘In retrospect,’ explains one senior British diplomat, ‘it was pretty much the most disastrous government policy of this century anywhere in Europe.’ The surge of immigrants helped swing Brexit, ‘emboldened’ people-traffickers and ‘destabilised politics’ across Europe. Ten years on, a third of the EU’s member states within the Schengen area have now imposed border controls. Can freedom of movement survive in its current form? Lisa joined the podcast alongside Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent for The Times. Next: the cultural impact of the railways It’s been 200 years since the world’s first public train travelled from Shildon to Stockton – across County Durham. Richard Bratby argues that this marked the start of a new era for Britain and the world: ‘no invention between the printing press and the internet has had as profound a cultural impact as the railways’.  How can we explain the romantic appeal of the railways? Richard joined the podcast to discuss, alongside Christian Wolmar, author of over twenty books about the railways including The Liberation Line.And finally: who is the Greatest Of All Time?What do Lionel Messi, Roger Federer and Tom Brady have in common? Their acolytes would argue that they are the GOAT of their sport – the Greatest Of All Time. Why are fans so obsessed with the GOAT label? Are pundits guilty of recency bias? And does it really matter anyway? Journalist Patrick Kidd joined the podcast to discuss, alongside the Spectator’s Sam McPhail.Plus: Madeline Grant asks why not show J.D. Vance the real Britain? Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

First: Nigel Farage is winning over womenDoes – or did – Nigel Farage have a woman problem? ‘Around me there’s always been a perception of a laddish culture,’ he tells political editor Tim Shipman. In last year’s election, 58 per cent of Reform voters were men. But, Shipman argues, ‘that has begun to change’. According to More in Common, Reform has gained 14% among women, while Labour has lost 12%. ‘Women are ‘more likely than men… to worry that the country is broken.’Many of Reform’s most recent victories have been by women: Andrea Jenkyns in the mayoral elections, Sarah Pochin to Parliament; plus, there most recent high profile defections include a former Tory Welsh Assembly member and a former Labour London councillor. What makes Reform’s success with women all the more remarkable is that it appears organic; ‘we haven’t forced this’ says Farage.So why are women turning to Reform UK? Tim Shipman and Sarah Pochin MP join the podcast to discuss. Next: is Italy experiencing a renaissance? From Italy, Owen Matthews argues that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revived her nation. While he says that Italy has been ‘suffering from the same economic malaise’ as the rest of Europe, the macroeconomics covers up the true affordability of the country. Espressos cost €1.20, pizzas are no more than €10, and rents in even the swankiest areas are ‘laughably’ cheap compared to Britain. Plus, Owen sees none of the ‘media catastrophisation’ over issues like immigration, social cohesion and militant Islam that appears to grip the UK. So how has Meloni done it? To discuss, Owen joined the podcast alongside Antonello Guerrera, UK & Westminster correspondent for the Italian newspaper Repubblica.And finally: one in three British adults cannot swimThis week, Iram Ramzan provides her ‘notes on’ learning to swim saying, ‘it’s humiliating to admit that at 37’ she can’t. She’s not alone though – one third of British adults cannot swim, and the proportion appears to be rising. Iram highlights the disparities between different communities; 76 percent of South Asian women for example cannot swim 25 metres. Iram joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside fitness professional and entrepreneur Elle Linton who also learnt to swim in her thirties.Plus: what small error led Rachel Johnson to get a telling off from Noel Gallagher? And Max Jeffery reports from court, where the Spectator and Douglas Murray have won a defamation claim brought against them by Mohammed Hijab. Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

First: the new era of censorship A 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.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

The soul suckers of private equity, Douglas Murray on Epstein and MAGA & are literary sequels ‘lazy’?First up: how private equity is ruining BritainGus Carter writes in the magazine this week about how foreign private equity (PE) is hollowing out Britain – PE now owns everything from a Pret a Manger to a Dorset village, and even the number of children’s homes owned by PE has doubled in the last five years. This ‘gives capitalism a bad name’, he writes. Perhaps the most symbolic example is in the water industry, with water firms now squeezed for money and saddled with debt. British water firms now have a debt-to-equity ratio of 70%, compared to just 4% in 1991. Britain’s desperation for foreign money has, quite literally, left Britain ‘in the shit’. Gus joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside the journalist Megan Greenwell, author of Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream. (00:46)Next: why is MAGA so incensed over Jeffrey Epstein?Six years after he died, the Jeffrey Epstein scandal is still haunting Donald Trump. Trump had vowed to release all files on various cases that attract conspiracy theorists – from JFK to Martin Luther King Jr. What makes the Epstein case different, as Douglas Murray writes in the magazine this week, is that the case was so recent and Epstein’s ties with the elites, many of whom are still in power. Trump appeared to backtrack on releasing files relating to Epstein, prompting ire from the MAGA world, and there is now mounting cross-party pressure to uncover who knew what. Mike Johnson, the House speaker, sent representatives home early for summer, and there is even talk of Ghislaine Maxwell testifying.  Why is the Epstein scandal such a lightning rod for MAGA rage? Douglas Murray joined the Spectator to discuss. The full interview can be found on Spectator TV. (15:49)And finally: are literary sequels ‘lazy’?It’s ‘sod’s law’, says the Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith, that when a friend’s book is due to be reviewed in the pages of the books section that you edit, the review will be bad. Mike Cormack reviews Men In Love by Irvine Welsh this week, calling the decision by Welsh to pen another sequel to Trainspotting ‘lazy’. At the Spectator this made us ponder whether this is true of all literary sequels, and what motivates authors to stick with characters and stories that they know.Sam joined us to discuss further alongside Lucy Thynne, the Telegraph’s deputy literary editor. (33:59)Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

First up: how the Bank of England wrecked the economyBritain’s economy is teetering on the brink of a deep fiscal hole, created by billions of pounds of unfunded spending – never-ending health promises, a spiralling welfare bill and a triple lock on the state pension, which will cost three times as much as originally estimated.Although politicians ‘deserve much of the blame for the economic state we’re in’, it’s Andrew Bailey – Michael Simmons argues in the magazine this week – who ‘has enabled their recklessness’.He joined the podcast to discuss who really broke Britain with Kate Andrews, Deputy Editor of The Spectator’s world edition and former Economics Editor. (01:15)Next: has Ukraine lost faith in Zelensky?Whilst Donald Trump’s surprise ‘newfound support for Ukraine is a welcome lifeline’, Owen Matthews writes in the magazine this week, ‘the question is whether his help will be enough to stop Russia’s relentless attacks before Ukraine is engulfed in a critical military, political and social crisis that threatens to destroy it from within’. Ukraine is running out of men, and is racked by corruption scandals and purges. As a consequence, public faith in Volodymyr Zelensky is declining.To discuss what’s next for Ukraine, Owen joined the podcast. (24:29)And finally: the joys of mudlarkingIn the arts section of the magazine this week, Margaret Mitchell reviews a new exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands on mudlarking – the practice of combing at low tide for washed-up items of historical interest. These can include everything from statues of Roman gods and goddesses to the common vape – and it’s a hobby that is booming in popularity.To discuss, Margaret joined the podcast alongside Lara Maiklem, mudlarker and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. (41:07)Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

This week: Peerless – the purge of the hereditary peersFor this week’s cover, Charles Moore declares that the hereditary principle in Parliament is dead. Even though he lacks ‘a New Model Army’ to enforce the chamber’s full abolition, Keir Starmer is removing the hereditary peers. In doing so, he creates more room, reduces the Conservatives’ numerical advantage, and improves ‘the sex and ethnic balance’. But 86 hard-working and dutiful peers ‘lacking worldly ambition or partisan passions’ will be lost.Also in the magazine, Sophia Falkner, researcher at The Spectator, sets out exactly what we stand to lose by profiling some of the most capable hereditary peers in the House. She warns that Labour’s purge is ripping the heart out of the Lords. Sophia and Charles spoke to Natasha Feroze earlier this week on Spectator TV – you can also hear their discussion on the podcast. (01:10)Next: Why should the hunt for the next Archbishop of Canterbury be ‘inclusive’?That’s the question Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie asks in the magazine this week. ‘It will be a miracle,’ writes Butler-Gallie, ‘if we know the name of the new Primate of All England by the autumn.’ Justin Welby announced his resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury last November; it took until May this year even to assemble the committee to discuss his potential successors.For Butler-Gallie, the process doesn’t have to be swift – it only has to be ‘holy’. To discuss what exactly constitutes a ‘holy process’ – and what this drawn-out process says about the Church – he joined us alongside Esme Partridge, journalist and master’s student in philosophy and religion at Cambridge University. (18:57)Finally: Does AI belong on the tennis court?Patrick Kidd writes in the magazine about the creep of AI spoiling sport, following a high-profile incident during this week’s Wimbledon tournament in which the AI system stands accused of ‘human error’. To discuss, Kidd was joined by Dr Tom Webb, founder of the Referee and Sports Official Research Network. (34:16)Hosted by William Moore and Gus CarterProduced by Oscar Edmondson and Ed HarveyBecome 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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

This week: one year of Labour – the verdictIn the magazine this week Tim Shipman declares his verdict on Keir Starmer’s Labour government as we approach the first anniversary of their election victory.One year on, some of Labour’s most notable policies have been completely changed – from the u-turn over winter fuel allowance to the embarrassing climb-down over welfare this week. Starmer has appeared more confident on the world stage but, for domestic audiences, this is small consolation when the public has perceived little change on the problems that have faced Britain for years. Can Starmer turn it around?Tim joined the podcast alongside the Spectator’s editor Michael Gove. What would they say Starmer’s greatest mistake, and biggest success, have been over the past year? (1:46)Next: would Zohran Mamdani ruin New York? In the magazine this week, the Spectator’s deputy US editor Kate Andrews writes about Zohran Mamdani – the self-declared ‘democratic socialist’ who defied expectations to become the Democratic Party’s presumptive candidate for the New York City mayoral election this November. From a little-known state assemblyman to the mayoral heir presumptive – how did Mamdani do it? And what effect could his policies have? Kate joined the podcast alongside the Spectator’s US editor Freddy Gray. (24:03)And finally: ‘admit it – most wedding toasts are awful’Are wedding toasts as awful as Madeline Grant says they are in the magazine this week?Maddie writes about the trend for multiple speeches at weddings, beyond the traditional three, blaming creeping Americanisms and the feminist revolution, amongst other things. These, compounded with widespread poor oratory skills, means the playbill looks ‘fuller and fuller’ and guests are denied a moment to ‘at least dull the horror with alcohol’. Should we push back against the trend?Maddie joined the podcast alongside professional speechwriter Damian Reilly. (35:37)Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

This week: war and peaceDespite initial concerns, the ‘Complete and Total CEASEFIRE’ – according to Donald Trump – appears to be holding. Tom Gross writes this week’s cover piece and argues that a weakened Iran offers hope for the whole Middle East. But how? He joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside Gregg Carlstrom, the Economist’s Middle East correspondent based in Dubai. (01:51)Next: why are so many restaurants offering halal meat?Angus Colwell writes about the growing popularity of halal meat in British restaurants. This isn’t confined to certain food groups or particular areas – halal is now being offered across restaurants serving all sorts of cuisine, from Chinese to Mexican. But why is it so popular? And is it just a trend, or part of a wider shift for British restaurants? Angus joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside restaurateur James Chiavarini, owner of Il Portico and La Palombe, both in Kensington. (23:46)And finally: millennials, the brown furniture is on its wayThe ‘great wealth transfer’ – the transfer of trillions in wealth from boomers to millennials – is oft-discussed, but Arabella Byrne argues this goes far beyond just money. Brown furniture, from desks to cabinets to mirrors, will be passed on as inheritance by boomers who downsize – and Arabella says this is ‘the abject symbol of generational misalignment’. Arabella joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside The Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons. (33:07)Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

Starmer’s war zone: the Prime Minister’s perilous positionThis week, our new political editor Tim Shipman takes the helm and, in his cover piece, examines how Keir Starmer can no longer find political refuge in foreign affairs. After a period of globe-trotting in which the Prime Minister was dubbed ‘never-here Keir’, Starmer’s handling of international matters had largely been seen as a strength. But as tensions escalate in the Iran–Israel conflict, global events are beginning to create serious challenges. They threaten not only to derail the government’s economic plans but also to deepen divisions within the Labour party, particularly between the leadership and much of the parliamentary party. Tim joined the podcast alongside The Spectator US editor Freddy Gray. (02:08)Next: is it a mistake to try and topple Iran’s Supreme Leader?Justin Marozzi asks if we are seeing ‘an ominous mission creep in Israel’s blistering attack on Iran’. Donald Trump has been calling for the ‘UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER’ of Iran, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been directly addressing the Iranian people. The regime may be unpopular, but how realistic is the expectation of regime change? Marozzi joined the podcast alongside Michael Stephens, a Middle East expert at the defence and security thinktank Rusi. (19:07)And finally: should we embrace feeling shame?Stuart Jeffries reviews a new book by the French philosopher Frédéric Gros in the books section of the magazine this week. A Philosophy of Shame: A Revolutionary Emotion argues that shame should be embraced, rather than avoided. So, in an era of ‘cancel culture’ and public shaming – not to mention some of the shamelessness exhibited by social media influencers – can ‘shame’ be a good thing? Stuart joined the podcast to discuss. (34:31)Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

OnlyFans is giving the Treasury what it wants – but should we be concerned?‘OnlyFans,’ writes Louise Perry, ‘is the most profitable content subscription service in the world.’ Yet ‘the vast majority of its content creators make very little from it’. So why are around 4 per cent of young British women selling their wares on the site? ‘Imitating Bonnie Blue and Lily Phillips – currently locked in a competition to have sex with the most men in a day – isn’t pleasant.’ OnlyFans gives women ‘the sexual attention and money of hundreds and even thousands of men’. The result is ‘a cascade of depravity’ that Perry wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy.In business terms, however, OnlyFans is a ‘staggering success’, according to economics editor Michael Simmons. ‘Britain’s sex industry brings in far more to the economy than politicians are comfortable admitting’; OnlyFans might just be Britain’s most profitable tech start-up. ‘If we are going to wage a moral war on porn,’ Simmons argues, ‘we should at least be honest about what we’re sacrificing.’ Louise and Michael joined the podcast to discuss further (1:21).Next: could Xi Jinping’s time be up?Historian Francis Pike writes about the unusual absence of China’s President Xi. China-watchers have detected some subtle differences from the norm in Chinese media, from fewer official references to Xi to changes in routine politburo meetings. So, could Xi Jinping be forced to step down? And if so, who is on manoeuvres and why?Francis joined the podcast alongside former diplomat Kerry Brown, professor of China Studies at King’s College London (22:31).And finally: is the era of the lonely hearts ad coming to an end?Tony Whitehead provides his notes on lonely hearts columns this week, writing about how, 330 years after they first appeared in print in Britain, they may soon disappear. Francesca Beauman – who literally wrote the book on the subject, Shapely Ankle Preferr’d – and Mark Mason join the podcast to provide their favourite examples, from the serious to the humorous (35:13).Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.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. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk