Best of the Spectator
By The Spectator
Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes (16)
Best of the Spectator
Spectator Out Loud: William Atkinson, James Delingpole, Daisy Dunn & Margaret Mitchell
The Spectator Out Loud episode delivers a sharp, multifaceted exploration of national identity, personal loss, historical wonder, and the psychological weight of modern work culture. William Atkinson’s dispatch from Shetland reveals a region that, despite its
Best of the Spectator
Americano: who is Usha Vance?
Usha Vance, the wife of potential 2028 presidential candidate J.D. Vance, is emerging as one of the most strategically enigmatic figures in American politics—despite her near-total public silence. The Spectator's Sarah Beth Spragans reveals that Vance, a Telug
Best of the Spectator
Reality Check: why price caps are pointless
The UK government's consideration of price caps on supermarket food is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how the grocery market actually works, argues Michael Simmons in this episode of Reality Check. Despite soaring inflation fears linked to global s
Best of the Spectator
Quite right!: Henry Nowak & Britain’s two-tier policing crisis
The brutal murder of 18-year-old Henry Novak in Southampton has exposed a deep crisis in British policing, where body cam footage shows police treating the victim as a suspect after he claimed to be the target of racism—despite being visibly stabbed and pleadi
Best of the Spectator
The Book Club: Journeys Through Ancient Literature
Emily Wilson, acclaimed translator of the Odyssey, challenges the myth of classical literature as a monolithic, authoritative source of timeless wisdom. In her new book, *Crossing the Wine Dark Sea*, she argues that ancient texts are not windows into a fixed p
Best of the Spectator
Reality Check: can you trust your spouse with your finances?
A shocking case of financial betrayal in marriage has reignited a national conversation about trust in relationships — not just in high-profile politics, but in everyday lives. The story of Elizabeth, a woman whose husband forged her signature to secure a £54,
Best of the Spectator
Holy Smoke: Mexico, the Catholic Church & the rise of the cartel cults
In a gripping exploration of Mexico's spiritual and criminal landscape, Father Alexander Lucy Smith and host Damien Thompson unravel the disturbing convergence of drug cartels, Catholic tradition, and a burgeoning cult of death. The episode reveals how the rel
Best of the Spectator
Spectator Out Loud: Lisa Haseldine, Michael Simmons, Patrick Smith & Toby Young – with Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage's obsession with being on Desert Island Discs reveals a deeper cultural crisis: the erosion of shared national symbols of prestige. The episode opens with Lisa Hazeldine exposing how Armenia's upcoming election is a geopolitical battleground betwe
Best of the Spectator
Americano: the 2026 midterms, immigration & the Democrats
The 2026 midterms are shaping up to be a pivotal moment for American politics, with Republicans facing a paradox: they’ve solved the border crisis but now struggle to turn that into political capital. James Johnson, polling expert from JLP Partners, argues tha
Best of the Spectator
Quite right!: why Starmer won’t go quietly
Keir Starmer's final weeks as Prime Minister are defined not by policy triumphs but by a desperate bid to craft a legacy before a potential leadership challenge from Andy Burnham looms after the Makerfield by-election. Michael Gove and Rachel Johnson dissect S
Best of the Spectator
The Book Club: George Forster and the Search for Humanity
George Forster, a 17th-century polymath born in 1754, was a prodigy who became a world-renowned ethnographer, naturalist, and revolutionary thinker—yet remains almost entirely forgotten today. His journey began at age 10 when his volatile father dragged him ac
Best of the Spectator
The Edition: 'We're only months away from the first political assassination by drone'
The Spectator's 'The Edition' podcast delivers a chilling prediction: we are only months away from the first political assassination by drone, a transformational shift in warfare already underway in Ukraine. Francis Dernley, the Telegraph's Executive Editor, r
Best of the Spectator
Americano: why is Cenk Uygur banned from Britain, really?
Cenk Uygur, the left-wing American commentator banned from Britain for 'not being conducive to the public good,' argues that the real reason for his ban is not his speech, but the UK government’s attempt to suppress criticism of Israel. He contends that the ba
Best of the Spectator
Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman – with Kemi Badenoch, Justin Marozzi, Christopher Howse & Lara Prendergast
Kemi Badenoch has transformed from a polarizing, self-assured figure widely dismissed as arrogant and out of touch into one of the most formidable political forces in the UK, defying expectations by embracing humility, sharpening her messaging, and building st
Best of the Spectator
Americano: can Trump forge a lasting peace with Iran?
Donald Trump's four-month military campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, may be nearing a pivotal end with a proposed memorandum of understanding that could mark a historic shift in U.S.-Iran relations. Daniel McCarthy, a senior fellow at the Heri
Best of the Spectator
Quite right!: was Enoch Powell right about Britain?
Enoch Powell, long maligned as a racist for his 1968 'Rivers of Blood' speech, was in fact a profound intellectual and political visionary whose warnings about mass immigration, economic mismanagement, and the erosion of national sovereignty have proven eerily
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