Ukraine: Three years on, with Francis Dearnley

The conversation that surrounds the conflict in Ukraine has become, for the most part, a political Rorschach Test. That’s a problem, because there are shades upon shades of grey in this conflict. Whilst principles and moral culpability still matter, “Good Guy v Bad Guy” morality tales don’t necessarily get us closer to the truth.As we move into the fourth year of this conflict, it’s never been more important to know what’s really happening on the battlefield, and how it could end. To understand the state of play, Will is joined by perhaps the best pundit on the war from its inception, Francis Dearnley. Francis is an Executive Editor at the Telegraph, and host of the brilliant daily podcast, 'Ukraine: The Latest'.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Listen to the 'Ukraine: The Latest' podcast here.Follow Francis on X here.

Politics shouldn’t be a team sport, but it has become one. Far too many of us blindly support politicians or parties as opposed to critically assessing ideas and policies. Where has this tribalism come from, how has it got so bad, and what do we do about it? To help Will answer those questions, he is joined by comedian, political satirist and author, Andrew Heaton. Andrew's new book is titled, "Tribalism is Dumb: Where It Came from, How It Got So Bad, and What to Do about It.”Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

The Economist recently described Germany as "the hole at the heart of Europe". That’s a reasonable description, particularly given it accounts for a quarter of the EU’s output, but it has been in recession for the past two years. Another way to look at it is that Germany is a representation of Europe, and all of its challenges. Mass migration has ripped at the social fabric, with devastating consequences. Bureaucracy has strangled growth. Widespread discontent has given rise to right wing populist politics. And it can no longer rely on American security to make up for its own defence deficiencies.The Germans will go to the polls next week. To discuss what it will mean for the country, and for Europe, Will is joined by the Head of The Centre for Applied History at MCC Budapest, and host of the Hammer Time podcast and YouTube show, Dr Ralph Schoellhammer.

Whilst illiberal progressivism (or woke for short) appears to be in retreat, what will take its place is an open question. The right in the UK has splintered, Europe is still being suffocated by the weight of the leftist social democratic model, free speech is under assault in Australia (as it is pretty much everywhere), and whilst the Republicans are resurgent in the US, Trump’s brand of economic protectionism would have been anathema to the American right in years gone by. To discuss the future of conservatism, free speech, and Western civilisation, Will is joined by Mumford and Sons alumni and host of The Winston Marshall Show, Winston Marshall.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Subscribe to The Winston Marshall Show here.

There’s an interesting historical pattern in British politics, and you can see it in various shapes and forms since the days of William the Conqueror. About once every century, there is a realignment that completely changes the nature of politics in the country. The last great realignment was the 1922 election, with the Liberal Party falling to third-party status, the Conservatives establishing themselves as the largest party in Parliament, and Labour emerging as the undisputed opposition party.103 years later, all the conditions are in place for another political revolution. A feeling of decline across the country, two weak major parties, and a populist alternative that is rapidly climbing in the polls. That alternative is the Reform party, led by Nigel Farage. To discuss whether Reform will be a perpetual irritant or a potential government, Will is joined by one of Reform’s five MPs, and its Business and Agriculture Spokesman, Rupert Lowe.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

The UK economy is structurally buggered (to use a technical term). Decades of economic mismanagement has caused growth to grind to a halt. To discuss if, and how, it can be turned around, Will chats to Jon Moynihan.Jon has had an esteemed career in business and venture capital, including as CEO and Executive Chairman of PA Consulting Group, efforts which earned him a seat in the House of Lords. He has recently released a powerful two-volume manifesto for economic change, titled ‘Return to Growth: How to Fix the Economy'.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Buy 'Return to Growth' here.

In the last month, the grooming gangs scandal has gone from being the UK’s worst-kept secret to its greatest source of national shame. From at least the 1990s, and likely long before then, criminal networks comprised almost entirely of Pakistani Muslim men prostituted, raped and tortured thousands of young girls in towns and cities across the UK. And the authorities, despite being aware of what was happening, did very little to intervene. UK citizens, and indeed the world, quite rightly want to know why.To help Will understand, he is joined by Maggie Oliver. Maggie is a former detective who resigned from Greater Manchester Police in 2012 and blew the whistle on the failure to tackle grooming gangs in Rochdale. She wrote about her battle to expose the gangs, and seek justice for the victims, in her book ‘Survivors’, which was adapted for the screen in the BBC drama ‘Three Girls’. The Maggie Oliver Foundation supports survivors and those at risk of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Support The Maggie Oliver Foundation here.Buy Maggie's book here.

After a merry festive season, this is the time of the year when some of us decide to cut back on the booze. Dry January is a peculiar concept. Anyone who does it will tell you they feel great at the end of the month, but most of them can’t wait to get back to the pub.In many ways, drinking doesn’t make sense. It often takes more than it gives. And yet we keep drinking, just like we have for tens of thousands of years. The question is, why?To help Will with an answer, he is joined by Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia, and author of ‘Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization’, Edward Slingerland.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.

Regular listeners may remember that last year Will interviewed the wonderful documentarian, podcaster and YouTuber Andrew Gold. Andrew recently returned the favour and invited Will onto his wildly successful YouTube show, Heretics. Will and Andrew discussed how the woke mind virus has infiltrated Australia, the parallels between the grooming gangs scandal and child sexual abuse in remote Indigenous communities, the problems of mass migration in Australia, and the corruption of Australia's educational institutions.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.Watch Heretics here.

Music used to be about "sticking it to the man." It's now the most conformist industry there is. Hayley Mary has seen the transformation firsthand. Hayley was the lead singer of Australian indie rock band The Jezabels, before launching a successful solo career. She has recently experienced the wrath of the music establishment, after a controversial Instagram post (complete with a MAGA hat) sparked a cancellation storm (see the post here). In this special conversation with Will, she speaks out about why she took a stand for free speech, subversion, and the counter-cultural instincts that once made music great.Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here.Read The Spectator Australia here.