The Critic Show

What is really behind Project Spire, and what could it mean for the Church and the country?This week, Tom and Henry are joined by author, historian and churchwarden Bijan Omrani to discuss Project Spire, the Church of England’s controversial reparations initiative, and the legal questions surrounding its efforts to address the Church’s historic links to the transatlantic slave trade.Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the Church and its institutions, Omrani unpacks the legal and political complexities of the reparations debate, and explains why he believes the initiative deserves to be challenged.They also explore a striking shift in modern Britain, seeking to understand why are growing numbers of young people turning back to religion.In an increasingly uncertain world, is faith making a comeback, and what does this tell us about the values shaping the next generation? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s magazine breakdown, Tom is joined by The Critic editor Graham Stewart and Charlotte Gill, author of this month’s cover piece.Charlotte examines how public money is distributed across the charity sector, questioning whether some taxpayer-funded organisations are working in opposition to the government’s stated aims on immigration and asylum.The discussion also explores the growing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in funding decisions, and whether these priorities are being placed ahead of merit and measurable outcomes. Charlotte reveals the scale of public funding involved, which organisations receive it, and the causes being supported by taxpayers’ money.Graham also talks us through some other highlights in this month’s issue, which is out now and available for consumption! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Hill and Tom Jones are joined by former lobby journalist Rob Hutton, who, having attended both the Tory and Reform conferences, looks at the parallels and divisions between the two parties of the right.Journalists seem to be increasingly obsessed with the ‘mood’ at conference, rather than the actual words politicians and policymakers use or the policies they promise to deliver, as party members increasingly become audiences rather than activists.With Reform’s spectacular rise, are the more traditional Conservative circles starting to shrink? And do the Conservatives really understand who their voters actually are? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of The Critics Show, Chris Bayliss is joined by Harry Wilkinson, Head of Policy at the Global Warming Policy Foundation, to examine growing public scepticism towards net zero and the reasons behind it.Moving beyond the question of whether support for net zero is waning, Harry explores how the Government could communicate its policies more effectively and make them more relevant to the public.As more of Britain’s economy becomes electrified, the resilience of the electricity grid is increasingly critical. The discussion examines the often-overlooked costs of renewable energy generation and the infrastructure needed to support it.Ultimately, the question is not simply whether Britain should decarbonise, but how it should do so — and at what cost to the British taxpayer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Critic, Tom and Chris are joined by economist Andrew Lilico to discuss government finance, free markets and the growing role of the state in the economy. Andrew challenges the idea that governments can finance projects more cheaply than private companies, arguing that this misunderstands the realities of government borrowing and creates misleading arguments about the benefits of state intervention.They discuss the history of price controls, particularly in the water and electricity sectors, and why water companies have become such an easy target in the public debate. Andrew also considers whether Ofwat has really lost control, the expansion of quangos under New Labour, and the political logic behind creating the appearance of independent expert oversight.Finally, they examine Labour’s short-term political incentives, the dangers of government bailouts and the distortions created when lenders believe the state will always step in.For the full episode make sure to subscribe at www.outpoststudios.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Tom welcomes The Critic editor Graham Stewart and guest Fred de Fossard to discuss the October issue of The Critic.Listeners are walked through a preview of a profile of Roger Hallam which features in the print issue, as well as discussing the cover piece which talks about the figure behind Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion.Fred then explains asylum reform, tracing the system from the 1951 Refugee Convention’s postwar European focus through its 1967 expansion into a global framework. He reflects on decolonisation, international law, and refugee movements of the 1980s and 1990s.All that and much more, make sure to subscribe below, and share if you enjoyed this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reform’s fortunes are changing, while the Conservatives face a difficult balancing act: keeping older voters onside while finding a compelling offer for younger generations.On this week’s Critics Show, Chris Bayliss is joined by Henry Hill and Scarlett Maguire to untangle the confusing web of where voters’ loyalties really lie in a political landscape defined by fragmentation on the right and disappointment on the left.They discuss Scarlett’s latest research, which suggests Reform has been in decline since earlier this year, while also examining the rise of younger right-wing parties such as Restore.Henry and Chris also talk to Scarlett about the Conservative–Liberal Democrat contest and what shifting voter loyalties could mean for the political landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Boris Starling is joined by journalist, writer and film critic Jason Solomons for a wide-ranging conversation about football, management, culture and cinema.The episode begins with Arsène Wenger and the extraordinary impact he had on English football. Boris and Jason explore how Wenger helped change the way the modern game was managed, bringing new ideas around nutrition, fitness, preparation and player welfare to the Premier League. They discuss his belief in understanding players as individuals, not simply as footballers, and how his attention to their personalities, habits and development helped establish a very different model of management.From Wenger’s influence, the conversation opens out into a broader discussion about football, its culture and the way the game has evolved, both on and off the pitch. What can football managers learn from other worlds, and how much has the modern game changed as a result of the ideas Wenger introduced?Finally, the conversation moves from football to film, with Jason talking about his upcoming film projects, his work as a critic and what audiences can look forward to next.For the full episode, head to https://www.outpoststudios.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Critic Show, Tom Jones and Henry Hill are joined by The Critic’s editor, Graham Stewart, to explore the magazine’s bumper Summer Double Issue.Graham takes us through the issue’s highlights, including a major summer books bonanza, meanwhile over in the sport section, Boris Starling’s looks at what happened to England’s 1966 World Cup heroes.The issue also features some important reposting concerning the continuing controversy around the Government’s digital ID plans, and David Shipley’s investigation into the crisis at the Atheneum Club.Henry Hill then walks listeners thought his cover story: is Andy Burnham really the “new Boris Johnson”? Henry examines the striking parallels between the two politicians, from media-driven politics and North-South rhetoric to the promise of devolution without confronting its difficult trade-offs.Tom, Henry and Graham discuss Burnham’s political honeymoon, the looming realities of his first budget, the prospects of an early general election, Reform UK’s growing strength, and whether the idea of “Manchesterism” has any substance at all.Read the Summer Double Issue and listen to the full conversation on The Critic Show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Critic Show, Tom is joined by our online editor, Ben Sixsmith and classics scholar and Antigone editor, David Butterfield, to discuss why ancient Greece and Rome are enjoying a remarkable revival. They examine how classical education became wrongly associated with elitism, and why classical literature is having a renaissance within a culture which is, seemingly, addicted to phones.The conversation explores the modern appeal of Stoicism, its popularity among young men and the danger of reducing ancient philosophy to simplistic lifestyle advice. David explains what figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius and Plutarch can teach us about human nature, politics and virtue, before considering whether today’s renewed interest in the classics will become a lasting cultural revival.David ends his personal recommendation for your classical reading fix, which is the poet and philosopher Lucretius.We hope you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to let us know what you think, and subscribe to never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.