The Edition

For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's deputy editor Freddy Gray, associate editor – and host of the Holy Smoke podcast – Damian Thompson and consultant psychiatrist and Daily Mail columnist Dr Max Pemberton.

This week, the guests examine the Pope's encyclical about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Magnifica Humanitas, which warns of the cost to humanity that this technological revolution could bring. This marks Pope Leo's first major policy intervention, a warning which Spectator editor Michael Gove celebrates in the magazine this week. Michael says that AI will be ‘as transformative as the Industrial Revolution’ yet decisions ‘about where this technology is going and how it might be deployed are concentrated… in perilously few hands’. Damian argues that the Pope has passed the first test of his pontificate, but is AI changing how we view religion? As Max reveals the lies that an AI model told his partner, the guests ponder: could AI really extinguish humanity?

Also this week: can you tell the difference between Reform UK and Restore Britain? As a recent poll suggested that Rupert Lowe's Restore could harm Reform's chances in the Makerfield by-election, the team discuss whether they believe the polls and what it means if the Right fracture further. Damian dismisses followers of Restore Britain as 'quite brainwashed young fascists' – what is the appeal of Rupert Lowe?

Plus: how weight loss jabs can reduce more than just your appetite for food; why Gen Z are missing out on the pleasures of boozing; and, from dinner with Hugh Grant to meeting the nun Sister Wendy Beckett, the guests reveal the moments from their lives they'd love to relive.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by The Spectator's John Power, feminist campaigner Julie Bindel and former adviser to Boris Johnson – and co-host of the In The Room podcast, Cleo Watson.

They explore the idea that the Strait of Hormuz, not Makerfield, will determine the fate of the current Labour government. Starmer may be facing a challenge to his authority from mayoral shapeshifter Andy Burnham, but neither the PM or the wannabe MP will be rewarded if grocery and energy prices continue to soar. How much can be done to insulate Britain from future pain? And do they trust Labour to do so?

Also this week: is Wes Streeting a better option than Burnham? Julie reveals her own run-ins with the now-backbench MP but concedes that Wes may be 'the least bad option’.

Plus: what can we learn from female political trailblazers of the past? Are there any merits to lists of the greatest books? And, following the release of series two of Rivals, Cleo reveals she was once asked to put together a list of the best orgasm scenes from Jilly Cooper’s novels...

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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This week: William Moore is joined by The Spectator’s political correspondent Noa Hoffman, Telegraph columnist and Planet Normal co-host Liam Halligan, and The Spectator’s real life columnist Melissa Kite.
They unpack Tim Shipman and Noa Hoffman’s cover piece on the mounting coup against Keir Starmer. As Wes Streeting makes his move, Ed Miliband waits in the wings and Andy Burnham’s allies search for a route back to Westminster, is Labour now openly preparing for life after Starmer?
Also this week: Britain’s mounting economic crisis. Liam warns that the government is running out of road with the bond markets. Could a turn to the left push Britain towards a full-blown fiscal reckoning?
Plus: the death of the traditional B&B. Melissa explains why fussy guests, vegan breakfasts, TripAdvisor and the tyranny of instant reviews have made hospitality more fraught than ever.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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This week: Lara Pendergast is joined by Tim Shipman, Lionel Barber and Alice Loxton, author of Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen.
They unpack Michael Gove’s cover piece which asks whether the local elections will push Labour further to the left. As the Greens threaten Labour in its metropolitan heartlands and Reform eats into its working-class vote, is Keir Starmer facing a battle for the soul of his party? They also consider the collapse of the political centre, the weakness of Britain’s current leadership class, and why being ‘not Keir Starmer’ may not be enough.
Also this week: King Charles’s diplomatic triumph in Washington. After his address to Congress, did the King succeed where politicians often fail – managing Donald Trump while quietly defending Nato, Ukraine and constitutional restraint?
Plus: are millennials being made ill by ultra-processed ‘health’ foods? And finally, the panel admits to their own unlikely collections – from fridge magnets to political memorabilia.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.
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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.
Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.

For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.

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