Best of the Spectator

The Conservative party was once the natural political home for those on the right. No longer. The Tories’ vote share collapsed at the 2024 general election and the party, under new leadership, has since been outflanked by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Earlier this week, The Spectator pitted the Conservatives, represented by Nick Timothy and Claire Coutinho, against Reform UK, represented by Matt Goodwin and Danny Kruger, for the definitive debate on which party truly represents the future of the right. Listen to an excerpt of that debate here, and for more The Spectator events go to spectator.com/events

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This week: Martin Vander Weyer on British steel and his chat with Andy Haldane, Freddy Gray has been stateside & Arabella Byrne on why she's no fan of the social climbing dog – whippets.

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Britain has recorded the highest drug deaths in Europe. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has declared that this means the so called 'war on drugs' is not working, and favours a more liberal approach of legalisation. Michael Simmons is joined by John Power to look at the numbers and show why Polanski would likely make drug deaths rise under his policy.
This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/

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King Charles and his wife Camilla have been on a state visit to the White House meeting Donald Trump and the First Lady. At a state banquet in the evening, both King Charles and Trump gave speeches celebrating the special relationship. The event marked 250 years of American independence. Freddy Gray spoke to the author Michael Auslin who wrote the book The Declaration of Independence: History, Meaning and Modern Impact which explores the Declaration of Independence as a revered relic, a symbol of American ideals, and a manufactured cultural icon in his research.

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In this week’s podcast, William Moore is joined by The Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons, assistant editor Isabel Hardman and Times columnist and Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips.
The panel unpacks Mary Wakefield’s cover story on the rise of shoplifting – and what it reveals about’ shameless Britain’. After a Morrisons manager was reportedly sacked for stopping a thief, they ask whether petty crime, fare-dodging and everyday rule-breaking are eroding the social contract.
Also on the episode: Tim Shipman’s latest piece on Labour after Starmer. With Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband said to be thinking about what comes next, they debate whether the Prime Minister has lost authority – and whether Labour can choose between what its party wants and what voters want.
And finally: after Green MP Hannah Spencer criticised Parliament’s drinking culture, the panel asks whether Westminster has a booze problem – or should we cut MPs some slack.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

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