x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Best of 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.

news news commentary

All Episodes

37:51

The Edition: Britain is not ready for war – and...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/20

Britain is defenceless, declares the Spectator's cover piece this week. From the size of the armed forces to protection against cyber warfare, the government is not spending fast enough to meet the UK's security challenges. But is the public ready to choose warfare over welfare? And can we blame the young people who don't want to fight for their country?For this week's Edition, host William Moore is joined by opinion editor Rupert Hawksley, columnist Matthew Parris, and Whitehall editor of the

en

34:30

Coffee House Shots: how prepared is Britain for war?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/19

General Sir Nick Carter, former chief of the defence staff, joins Tim Shipman to discuss Britain's military preparedness – or rather, lack thereof. While a friendlier US presence at the Munich Security Conference may have provided some relief, the military threats to the UK and to Europe presented are still stark. So what choices need to be addressed to ensure that Britain is equipped to deal with these threats? Is the government doing enough to address the awareness gap with the public? And how

en

15:36

Quite right!: who replaces Nigel Farage?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/18

To hear this week's podcast in full, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This week, Michael and Maddie consider Reform UK's succession plan. With Nigel Farage unveiling his new shadow cabinet, attention shifts to the bigger question: who comes after him? Is Reform preparing for life beyond its founder – and if so, who stands ready to inherit the crown?Also this week, they examine the fallout from the court’s decision to overturn the government’s attempt to proscribe Palestine

en

32:13

Holy Smoke: is there any truth in the Christian revival?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/17

There has been a lot of speculation about a 'quiet revival' of Christianity happening amongst the younger generations – including on this podcast. Much of this traces back to a survey conducted by the Bible Society last year. Respected demographer Conrad Hackett of the Pew Research Center joins Damian Thompson to explain the truth behind the statistics, and why we have to be wary of the methodology used by different polls. Some interesting facts: Christians remain the largest religious group in the

en

23:21

Americano: is Trump dismantling Venezuela's socialist...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/16

Daniel Di Martino, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins Freddy Gray to discuss the ongoing situation in Venezuela. Over a month on from the 'bold and spectacular raid' and capture of Maduro, Daniel explains the reasons why he has hope in the government of Delcy Rodriguez and the changes that have occurred since – from the increase in the oil price to the release of political prisoners. With only three years left of the Trump presidency, how can he be sure that the interim president isn't just

en

30:41

Spectator Out Loud: Tina Brown, Travis Aaroe,...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/15

On this week’sSpectator Out Loud:Tina Brown explains her bafflement at how Jeff Bezos destroyed theWashington Post;Travis Aaroe warns against Britain putting its hopes in military man Al Carns MP; Genevieve Gaunt explores survival of the fittest as she reviews books by Justin Garcia and Paul Eastwick; and finally, Deborah Ross declares herself a purist as she reviews Emerald Fennell’s adaptation ofWuthering Heights.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

en

16:33

Coffee House Shots: why Gordon Brown has never been...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/14

James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown:Power With Purpose.While thebook has been years in the making, little did James know that it would end up published at the same time that its themes and subjects could never be more relevant.James tells our deputy political editor about the relationship between Brown and Blair, what the Labour leader makes of Keir Starmer’s problems today and his reflections – withhindsight –about bringing the

en

44:18

The Edition: Labour turns on Starmer – inside the...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/13

‘Authority is like virginity. Once it’s gone, it’s gone’ – that's just one of the damning quotes about Keir Starmer that Tim Shipman has extracted from sources inside the Labour government. Much of Starmer's bad luck this week is arguably of his own making, so why is he seemingly so bad at being the Prime Minister? For this week's Edition, host Lara Prendergast is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, associate editor – and Conservative peer – Toby Young, and the broadcaster Guto Harri, who – as a

en

41:33

Book Club: Fast Food Nation – revisited

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/12

In this week’sBook Clubpodcast Sam Leith's guest is Eric Schlosser, the investigative journalist whoseFast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Mealis being reissued as a Penguin Modern Classic 25 years after its first publication. He tells Sam what’s changed and what hasn’t since he first published this groundbreaking exposé of fast food’s effects on so many aspects of American society, why he was destined to suffer the fate of Upton Sinclair, how Keir Starmer fits in – and how he proudly

en

17:27

Quite right!: 'Keir Starmer is the problem'

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/11

To hear to this week's episode in full, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This week: Michael and Maddie examine the crisis engulfing the Labour party and ask whether Keir Starmer is facing a Boris-style collapse of authority.They explore what could be to come in the continued fallout from the Peter Mandelson affair, the rebellion over the release of government files, and what Starmer’s pattern of scapegoating aides reveals about his grip on power. Is this a corruption scandal –

en

35:40

Americano: what will happen in the mid terms?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/10

The midterm elections in November is shaping up to be one of the most expensive elections yet. Freddy Gray and Ryan Girdusky, author ofNational Populist Substack to discuss how inflation, crime, and immigration are shaping voter patterns, whether the Trump coalition remains as strong as he claims, and what impact Trump's recent focus on international affairs will have with his American voter base.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

24:12

Coffee House Shots: McSweeney resigns – is Starmer next?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/09

Morgan McSweeney resigned yesterday as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and – while it was not a surprise, given his role in appointing Peter Mandelson – the news that the Prime Minister has now lost his closest aide and political fire blanket is a huge shock. The repercussions are numerous: Starmer loses the man widely regarded to have won him his large majority and someone who was popular in No. 10; he has recruited two new deputies to fulfil a role considered insurmountable for one person; and it

en

23:59

Spectator Out Loud: Piers Morgan, Melanie McDonagh,...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/09

On this week’sSpectator Out Loud: Piers Morgan reveals what Donald Trump told him from his hospital bed; Melanie McDonagh ponders the impermanence of email, amidst the Peter Mandelson scandal; Matt Ridley argues that polar bears – which are currently thriving – pose problems for climate enthusiasts; and finally, Rachel Johnson attends the memorial service for Dame Jilly Cooper – and says she made a fool out of herself.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.Hosted on Acast. See

en

18:34

Holy Smoke: has AI created its own religion?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/08

What did you most recently use Artificial Intelligence for? For most people, the answer would be as a glorified search function, using services like Chat GPT to ask questions, draft text and even produce images – like the Chat GPT generated thumbnail image for this episode. The capability of AI far exceeds this most though. Sean Thomas joins Damian Thompson for this episode of Holy Smoke to talk about 'Moltbook', a social network built exclusively for AI agents – and which has now created its own AI

en

34:17

Coffee House Shots: Jonathan Hinder on Starmer,...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/07

On this special edition of Coffee House Shots, Tim Shipman is joined by Jonathan Hinder – a rising star of the back benches and a blue Labour acolyte – for a candid discussion about the state of the Labour party and the security of its leader.They discuss the Peter Mandelson scandal and the impact it has had on backbench support for the Prime Minister, as well as the implications it may have regarding decision-making at the top of government. Are Labour MPs considering moving against Keir Starmer

en

43:22

The Edition: AI will bring down Keir Starmer – if...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/06

Is Britain ready for Artificial Intelligence? Well, bluntly, 'no'; that's the verdict if you read several pieces in this week's Spectator – from Tim Shipman, Ross Clark and Palantir UK boss Louis Mosley – focused on how Britain is uniquely ill-placed to take advantage of the next industrial revolution. Tim Shipman's cover piece focuses on how the Labour government is approaching AI – there are some positives but, overall, Britain's creaky bureaucracy is blocking progress.To discuss this week's

en

39:03

The Book Club: The Rise of the Mafia and the Struggle...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/05

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Caroline Moorehead, whose new book A Sicilian Man: Leonardo Sciascia, the Rise of the Mafia and the Struggle for Italy’s Soul tells the remarkable story of one of Italy’s best-known writers – who used the pulp detective novel to shine a light on the social and political rot of his native land.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

21:04

Quite right!: the Peter Mandelson problem just got worse

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/04

To hear this week's episode in full, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This week: Michael and Maddie examine the fallout from the Epstein files and ask how a story of questionable judgment became a far more serious test of trust at the top of British politics. As new revelations emerge about Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, has a tawdry association escalated into a question of the national interest? And what does the affair reveal about Keir Starmer’s judgment – and

en

13:16

Americano: who is the real Melania Trump?

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/03

Freddy Gray speaks to the documentary maker Fernando Sulchin – who was behind the making of Melania Trump soon to be released on Amazon Prime – to discuss the First Lady, how the ten days leading up to the inauguration unravelled, her relationship with Donald Trump and whether she was sidelined by the fashion industry.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

27:54

Spectator Out Loud: Sean Thomas, Mary Killen, Owen...

Best of the Spectator ·

2026/02/02

On this week’sSpectator Out Loud: Sean Thomas explains how an AI-generated goth girl became a nationalist icon; Mary Killen argues we should all regret the loss of the landline; Owen Matthews says that banning Russian art only weakens Ukraine; and finally, Patrick Kidd makes the case for letting children experience alcohol.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

2,537 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci