Best of the Spectator

For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s deputy editor and editor of Spectator World Freddy Gray, commissioning editor Lara Brown, and deputy political editor James Heale.

This week: will Andy Burnham call an early general election? Tim Shipman’s cover story asks whether the Prime Minister might go to the polls before 2029, as Labour faces a worsening fiscal situation and an increasingly difficult choice over tax and spending. With the government’s budget looming, does Burnham need a fresh mandate – or is an election simply too risky? And with Reform and the Conservatives competing for voters on the right, could an early contest catch his opponents off guard?

Also: the coming AI backlash. James Heale writes about Burnham’s cautious approach to artificial intelligence and asks whether the government can afford to hedge its bets as the technology transforms the economy. With Britain facing high energy costs and limited computing capacity, can the UK really compete in the AI race?

Across the Atlantic, Freddy looks at Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan whose campaign has attracted attention for its combination of progressive politics, online influence and an emphasis on masculinity and fitness. Could candidates like El-Sayed tell us something about where the American left is heading? And as politicians increasingly turn themselves into social-media personalities, is this more important than traditional party structures?

Plus: why are professional mourners making a comeback? James Dickson explores the strange world of people paid to attend funerals.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons & Abigail Brierley.

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In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by philosopher John Sellars to discuss his new book, Stoicism Is Not What You Think.
Sellars explores the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and challenges some of its most common misconceptions – from the idea that Stoics repress their emotions to the belief that they are cold, indifferent and detached from the world.
From its origins in ancient Athens to its modern revival online, Sellars explains what the Stoics actually believed and counter Stoicism’s reputation beyond its ‘stiff upper lip’ image.
Sam and John also discuss Marcus Aurelius, the role of women in the history of Stoicism, and the growing body of psychological research asking whether putting Stoic ideas into practice can actually improve our lives.

Produced by Abigail Brierley.

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

On this week’s episode of Quite right!: Earl Spencer's new memoir, Swan Song, has drawn a rare direct response from Buckingham Palace. Michael and Maddie weigh up the book's most salacious charges against the King, and ask whether the Earl is driven by money, pride, or something closer to revenge. Is this a serious blow to the monarchy – or do the public just not care what Earl Spencer has to say?
Also: It is the turn of the Lib Dem conference, where a row over women's spaces has overshadowed Ed Davey's attacks on Reform's donors. Can they ever again be the party of John Stuart Mill?
Finally: Lambeth Palace withdraws an award from a Pakistani cleric who had backed an honorary title for Osama bin Laden. What does it say about the Church of England?
Produced by Henry Lloyd.

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

Some whistleblowers from the AI industry claim there is a more than 10% chance that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within a few years. A group of mostly Labour MPs has written to Andy Burnham calling for action on existential AI risk, while conceding there is little the British government can do about it alone.
Michael Simmons speaks to John Power about the incentives behind the warnings, whether AI can realistically be regulated and why more mundane harms, from AI-written complaints flooding bodies such as IPSO to hackers using chatbots, may deserve more attention. Are the doom-mongers sounding a genuine alarm – or selling the most powerful product ever built?
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Produced by Henry Lloyd

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On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman delves into the impact Ed Miliband’s Israeli sanctions have had on UK security; Charles Steel explores the men on the spectrum who rule the world; Alex Diggins talks about the importance of physical maps; and Rachel Johnson admits there’s an art to buying birthday presents.

Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

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