Best of the Spectator

Best of the Spectator

Author: The Spectator Language: English Episodes: 100
Each day, Best of the Spectator offers a curated selection from the wider world of Spectator audio, bringing sharp conversation and thoughtful analysis directly to your headphones. This isn't a single-topic show but a daily dispatch from the front lines of ideas, where politics, culture, and society intersect. You'll hear from the magazine's writers and a host of intriguing guests as they debate current affairs, delve into the nuances of religion, explore the latest in literature, and even share opinions on food and drink. The pace is brisk and the perspectives are unapologetically considered, providing a substantive alternative to the fleeting noise of the news cycle. By compiling the most engaging discussions from their stable of podcasts, The Spectator ensures there's always a fresh, worthwhile listen. Tune in for the kind of witty, informed, and often provocative commentary that has defined the magazine for generations. This podcast serves as your daily audio digest of everything worth talking about, delivered with intellectual vigor and a dash of British flair. It’s a consistent source for those who prefer their commentary to be both timely and timeless.
Episodes
The Edition: does British politics have a problem with the 'omnicause'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:56
It is undoubtable that – under the leadership of Zack Polanski – the Green Party have soared to new heights. Having won their first parliamentary by-election in February, polls consistently show them as a force to be rec…
The Book Club: inside the world of competitive Scrabble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:40
My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Stefan Fatsis, whose classic Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble is 25 years old this year. Stefan tells me how a journa…
Quite right!: the political Islam debate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:24
Search ‘Quite right!’ wherever you are listening now, to hear the episode in full. This week: the row over political Islam and a bigger question beneath it. After Nick Timothy’s comments on public prayer in Trafalgar Squ…
Holy Smoke: Iran, Shia Islam & its tradition of martyrdom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:44
When Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated early in the Iran conflict, and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it was celebrated by the Trump administration – who saw this as a large step towards regime change in Iran…
Americano: can anyone beat a madman President? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:02
Freddy Gray speaks to James D. Boys, author of the new book US grand strategy and the madman theory. He is also a senior research fellow at UCL. They discuss the origins of the madman theory – which applies insights from…
The Edition: does Nigel Farage really want to be Prime Minister? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
Nigel Farage is a shark – hell bent on devouring Britain's political class, as illustrated with the Spectator's cover story this week, co-authored by James Heale and Tim Shipman. Yet, from rows over the pension triple lo…
The Book Club: Howard Jacobson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:29
My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the Booker Prize-winning novelist Howard Jacobson, whose new novel Howl emerges from his rage and despair at the response to the 7 October massacre. He tells me what the novel…
Quite right!: what’s the point of Keir Starmer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:44
This week: the stark question of Keir Starmer’s leadership. After a bruising week in Westminster – from fresh revelations about the Mandelson appointment to renewed scrutiny of the Prime Minister’s governing style – they…