Quite right!: what’s the point of Keir Starmer?

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 debate whether Starmer’s cautious, process-driven approach is becoming a political liability. Will Labour move to replace him? Also on the podcast: the House of Lords, as peers prepare to scrutinise two of the most morally charged issues in politics: assisted dying and proposals to decriminalise abortion up to birth. With the Commons accused of rushing through profound legislative changes with limited debate, they ask whether the Lords is performing an essential constitutional role – or defying democratic authority.And finally: should Winston Churchill really disappear from Britain’s banknotes? As the Bank of England considers replacing historical figures with images of nature, Michael and Maddie debate whether Britain is retreating from its own history.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week from the enthronement of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, her biographer Andrew Atherstone – Professor of Modern Anglicanism at Oxford University – joins Damian Thompson for this episode of Holy Smoke. This marks the second profession she has risen to, having first been the most senior nurse in England & Wales. Archbishop Mullally has led an 'ordinary, suburban' life and is by all accounts well-liked by her congregations but what do we know of her views on some of the most controversial topics in her in-tray: abortion, gay blessings and safeguarding – to name but a few. Is it fair to say she is the 'Welby-continuity' candidate?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government's plan to restrict jury trials passed its first parliamentary hurdle this week. It is one measure, amongst many, in a Bill designed to reduce the huge backlog currently facing the Courts. Labour MP Karl Turner and Danny Shaw, a former adviser, join Isabel Hardman to discuss why they have each come to their own, different conclusion about the merits of the Bill. For Danny, it is a pragmatic yet principled measure that will help mitigate an extreme situation. Karl, for his part, is – as you will hear – ferocious in his opposition, and argues that the evidence simply doesn't back it up. Amongst the debate though, there are moments of agreement – from the state of the justice system, to the government's handling of such a controversial measure.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson says his addiction to the piano has only got worse with age; Francis Pike ponders if Kim Jong-Un is lining up a female successor; Ysenda Maxtone-Graham explains the art to left-wing boasting; and finally, Lloyd Evans contemplates becoming a magistrate. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are delighted to be joined by the Sunday Times’ Gabriel Pogrund, whose book – Get In, which details Starmer’s rise to power – is out now in paperback with new revelations on the Peter Mandelson vetting process. It turns out that Keir Starmer did not even speak with his prospective US ambassador before offering him the biggest diplomatic position in Starmer’s government. The whole scandal has exposed the prime minister’s startling lack of curiosity and a detachment from important process that seems especially baffling given his background as a lawyer. What is the reason behind this lack of curiosity? And how does Starmer compare to other prime ministers in recent memory?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and Gabriel Pogrund.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As oil prices rise, the Spectator’s cover story this week – written by deputy editor Freddy Gray – wonders if Trump’s gamble has backfired, and Operation Epic Fury could end up more like Operation Epic Fail. What does it mean to describe Trump’s plan as ‘failing’? And can we judge him by the same metrics that we have judged other presidents? For this week’s Edition, host William Moore is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldrodge and actress and campaigner Sophie Winkleman. Adrian, author of Centrists of the Worlds Unite!, explains why comparisons with the 1930s might not be as hyperbolic as they seem – while Sophie sees logic in using the diplomatic power of Britain’s monarchy. Could the King be Britain’s ’Trump’ card?As well as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, they discuss: if Starmer’s inexperience has hindered Britain’s defence policy; why the decline of the textbook spells trouble for Britain’s students – and the prevailing sense that smartphones should be banned for children; and that, while boasting might be human nature – it’s much harder for those of with left-wing sensibilities.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Lionel Shriver, whose new novel A Better Life offers among other things a savage send-up of liberal pieties on immigration. I asked Lionel what she was trying to do with the book (why make the argument, for instance, in a novel rather than an op-ed?), whether New York's immigration law really is as nutty as her story paints it, and how she reacts to the opprobrium that this sort of to-the-moment writing stirs up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Maddie discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East and ask a bigger question about Britain’s place in the world – is the UK still a great power, or has the conflict exposed just how limited our influence has become? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel as the war with Iran intensified over the weekend. With the Strait of Hormuz practically closed, and without a solution to the severe disruption in crude oil flows, how hard could Britain be hit? And why has the UK left itself so vulnerable with its energy policy? Michael Simmons is joined by Tyler Goodspeed – former adviser to Donald Trump – to discuss why this situation has far greater consequences than Trump’s tariffs, how petroleum is so embedded in our everyday economy and why Ed Miliband could be heading for a 'Liz Truss situation'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spectator World columnist – and Heritage Foundation fellow – Daniel McCarthy joins Freddy Gray to explain how Trump's war with Iran could mark the end of an era, that of neoconservatism. For Daniel, there is no contradiction between Trump's 'America First' policy and its overseas interventions: Trump is pursuing a version of hegemony that will reduce the need for future interventions. If all goes to plan, this could mark an ideological watershed that stretches back to the first Gulf War in the early 1990s – but it's a big 'if'. What if the conflict spirals out of control? To what extent was this driven by Trump, or by Netanyahu? And what are the dynamics at play between the leadership figures in Maga?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.