Best of the Spectator

For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s policy correspondent John Power, political correspondent Noa Hoffman and the political editor of GB News Christopher Hope.

This week: is Labour taking a dangerous gamble with asylum? Shabana Mahmood has announced plans for new safe and legal routes into Britain, including for displaced Palestinians and Afghans. John warns however that charities operating in refugee camps could face intimidation or manipulation by extremist groups – while an overstretched Home Office may struggle to vet those eventually selected. Is Britain balancing compassion and security properly, or does the scheme risk creating vulnerabilities of its own?

Also: will Labour ever get to grips with welfare? With the conclusion of the Milburn report due to be published next week, Chris argues that the government has become addicted to ‘reviewitis’. Is Pat McFadden the man to finally get to grips with the burgeoning welfare bill? Or – as Kemi Badenoch signals a tough Tory line over welfare – will the issue drive voters back to the Conservatives?

Plus: are we entering a new era of MeToo? The panel discusses Russell Brand’s sentencing for rape and sexual assault alongside allegations about the conduct of David Walliams, which he denies. Was both their behaviour hidden through the excesses of 2000s ‘lad culture’? And, if we look more broadly at attitudes towards sex, is a wider discussion about consent and adulthood needed?

Finally: from kitchen islands to smartphones, the panel discuss what can be considered ‘common’ in Britain today...

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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On this week’s Book Club, Sam Leith is joined by journalist, comedy writer and novelist David Quantick to discuss his new book, The Hyena – a fictional autobiography of Deborah Parkinson, an overlooked surrealist painter whose extraordinary life takes her from Plymouth to Paris and Mexico City.

David discusses his fascination with surrealism, the influence of artist Leonora Carrington, and the challenges faced by women trying to make their mark in the art world. They explore the fine line between fact and fiction, from encounters with Frida Kahlo to an assassination attempt on Leon Trotsky.

Plus: is humour undervalued in literature? And does surrealism still have a place in the modern world?

Produced by Abigail Brierley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Gove and Lara Brown discuss the downfall of Russell Brand, and ask why the BBC and figures on the Left were so willing to embrace him. What does his rise and fall tell us about the institutions that gave him a platform, and their pursuit of younger audiences?
Plus, is Labour right to argue that schools have become exam factories?
And finally, how Labour's proposed conversion therapy legislation could threaten free speech and leave parents at risk of criminal prosecution for questioning their child's gender identity.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inheritance tax is one of Britain's most unpopular taxes – but why, when so few people actually pay it? Michael Simmons is joined by tax expert Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, to explore why the tax hits the middle classes while the super-rich often escape it. They discuss the Conservatives' plans to exempt family homes, the unintended consequences for the housing market, and Neidle's radical proposal to overhaul the system. Plus, why are Britain's politicians so reluctant to pursue meaningful tax reform?

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On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Harry Cole traverses America during the US midterms; Max Jeffery dissects the problems caused by the early release scheme; Lisa Haseldine explains how to cope with ruinous hen dos; and Jonathan Sumption and Nick Lezard talk through their favourite books of the year.

Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.