Best of the Spectator

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.

Israel has voted in its first general election since the 7th of October attacks, and the result is deadlock. Netanyahu’s bloc took 53 seats, the opposition 48 and the Arab parties a record 19. Shas, the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party, fell from 11 seats to six, its worst result since 1992, after insisting that haredi men should stay exempt from military service.

Damian Thompson is joined by Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist and biographer of Benjamin Netanyahu, to ask how much religion is shaping the country’s future. They discuss the ‘status quo’ deal David Ben-Gurion struck with the rabbis before the state was founded, why Israel still has no civil marriage, the three main branches of ultra-Orthodoxy, and a birth rate that has taken the haredim from 2-3% of the population to 13-14%. Could they be half of Israel within a generation or two? And with the parties promising not to sit with Netanyahu, the Arab parties or the haredim, which of those promises will be broken first?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Henry Lloyd

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