Raging against the nanny state, with Chris Snowdon

The UK is arguably at its lowest ebb. It is beset by a series of existential economic, cultural and social problems. The major parties appear ill-equipped to address these problems. After all, they created them.Nigel Farage's Reform party is leading in the polls. Is he the right man for this monumental job, or is he just another member of the 'uniparty'? There are few people who know Nigel better, and are better placed to answer that question, than journalist and political advisor, Alex Phillips.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Read Alex's Substack here.

The UK government is "going for growth" whilst pursuing an aggressive net zero energy policy. Are the two goals compatible? Spoiler alert: No.In this conversation with Will, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein dismantles the accepted climate science narrative, and advocates for a world with more fossil fuels, not less. Alex's most recent book is titled, 'Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas - Not Less'. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Read Alex's Substack here.

Keir Starmer's latest U-turn may be his most consequential. Last Saturday, he announced a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal. Will it be a vehicle for justice, and a long overdue reckoning for multiculturalism and mass-migration? Or will it be just another pointless political excuse-fest? To help Will understand the latest developments in this shocking story, he is joined by the editor of Spiked, Tom Slater.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Read Spiked here.Listen to Last Orders here.

The nanny state is on the march across the West, propped up by weak leaders taking their cues from a small group of tedious, moralising activists. It's time they were exposed. Enter the '25 Nanny State Index, compiled by the Institute of Economic Affairs' Chris Snowdon.Will and Chris discuss why 'nanny-stateism' is on the rise, how the UK compares to Europe, and which country wins the ignominious award for Europe's most miserable nanny state.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Read The '25 Nanny State Index here.Listen to Last Orders here.

Greg Sheridan wrote recently that Australia is a nation in decline. Across every indicator you can imagine – economy, living standards, social cohesion, crime, health, military capability, the creativity and virtuosity of the arts – we’re in serious decline.He's one of many Australian media and political figures worried about the future of the once lucky country. Are they right, and if so what can be done? Will discusses these questions (with the odd detour into Roman history) with journalist Joe Hildebrand. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

When classical liberals and conservatives took the fight to the ‘woke left’, many made the mistake of thinking that victory would automatically mark a return to classical liberal and conservative principles. Whilst the battle is not over, it is now clear that it won’t be that simple. In fact, perhaps the greatest achievement of the ‘woke left’ has been its role in the creation of a ‘woke right’.To discuss the troubling phenomenon that has been the talk of Twitter in recent months, Will is joined by author, podcaster, and professional troublemaker, James Lindsay.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Visit ‘New Discourses’ here.

Australia has often been called the ‘lucky country’. Today, it faces a series of economic, cultural, and geopolitical challenges, seemingly without a political class that is equipped to address them. Has Australia’s luck run out?Will ponders this question with the Chief Economist at the Institute of Public Affairs, and columnist for The Australian, Adam Creighton.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

Will was invited back on Nick Dixon's podcast, 'The Current Thing', to discuss the recent Australian election. You can watch the interview on Nick's YouTube channel here.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

One of the tragedies of modernity is how it has stripped away the time (or if we’re being honest, the inclination) to think about the big questions. Most of us no longer spend much time reflecting on the big questions. Which is why it was such a privilege for Will to speak to someone who does.Sebastian Junger is a #1 New York Times best-selling author, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, and a celebrated war correspondent. His books, which include 'The Perfect Storm' (later adapted into a blockbuster Hollywood film), 'Freedom', 'Tribe', 'War', and 'In My Time of Dying', are bracing reminders to reflect on what it means to be human.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

The incumbent Labor government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has won a second term in office. Whilst the result was expected, the magnitude of the victory was not. Why did it go so wrong for the Coalition, and how did Labor pull it out of the bag, after trailing in the polls only two months ago?Will raised these questions with Michael Kroger, former Victorian Liberal Party President, and Stephen Conroy, former Communications Minister in the Rudd government. The interview was originally recorded for the UK edition of The Spectator. You can watch the interview here.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.