Best of the Spectator

With Father Alexander Lucie-Smith, moral theologian, and Lara Prendergast, Assistant Editor of the Spectator.

Presented by Damian Thompson.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio…

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

It seems that everyone, young or old, has a smartphone these days. But why are the brightest in Silicon Valley taking screen time away from their children (00:40)? Also on this podcast, Tory MEPs rec…

This week, Tory in-fighting comes to the fore, but could the party be even more divided than we thought (00:35)? Meanwhile, across the Pond, Donald Trump continues to cause backlash. Is he to blame f…

This week antagonism between Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Matteo Salvini ratcheted up over immigration – are they the leaders of an ideological battle in Europe (00:35)? But pro-immigration or not, bo…

The clamours for a second referendum are growing. But are those calling for a ‘people’s vote’ really interested in what voters think? Or is this just a plot to stop Brexit?

In Sweden, voters go to the…

Venezuela is racked with hyperinflation. The crisis is now so bad that the President has instituted a new currency which essentially cuts off several zeros from the old currency. Will Maduro’s mad po…

We often complain that our politicians are all bluffers who know very little about a lot. But is the very structure of our political institutions at fault? And is the bluffocracy taking over the civi…

Are young men becoming too self-conscious of their body image? We discuss the trend to diet and use food replacement powders in a bid to become superhuman (00:35). We also talk about the Crocodile’s …

This week, China agreed to consider a trade deal with Britain post-Brexit, but does a closer relationship with China expose Britain to its expansionist ambitions (00:35)? We also hear from two expert…

It’s safe to say that Brexit negotiations haven’t gone smoothly. The Tories are down in the latest polls, but Ukip is up. Are we witnessing the beginning of Ukip’s return (00:35)? Meanwhile, Australi…

Earlier this week, Trump met Putin. But beneath the outcry against Trump’s press conference, a peace plan for Syria was slipped out. Is America withdrawing its troops and leaving Assad in place (00:3…

Is Brexit just going in circles? With the resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson, the only progress the negotiations seem to be making is – backwards (00:35). We also ask – are pit bulls reall…

Happy birthday to the Spectator. This week, we’re celebrating our 190th birthday. Lara takes a look back over the Spectator’s long life with three editors (24:35). But before that, it’s the podcast a…

As anti-migrant sentiment sweeps across Europe, is the continent turning against Angela Merkel for her open-door policy, and is this the end of the Merkel project (1:40)? Meanwhile, Donald Trump anno…

In recent days, Lionel Shriver has been in trouble. Her criticism of the publishing industry’s diversity drive has led to her marked as a racist and even dropped from a literary judging panel. She ar…

In the last few days, world order seems to have been turned on its head as Trump antagonised his western allies at the G7 Summit, and then shook the hand of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. We ask,…

In this week’s episode, Lara Prendergast talks to two Russia experts on the country’s hidden fragility, and ask, is Putin surviving on luck (1:47)? She’ll also be getting to the bottom of Trump’s tar…

This week, the new Italian coalition’s proposed government was blocked by the Italian President, giving EU grandees in Brussels a cause for celebration. But is the EU way too controlling of rebelliou…

The Spectator reveals that the government is planning a significant yearly increase in the NHS's budget - but, isn't this the £350m bus pledge (00:40)? We'll also talk about the difficulties of moder…