• The Edition: Labour’s civil war is distracting from the real crisis
    May 14 2026

    This week: William Moore is joined by The Spectator’s political correspondent Noa Hoffman, Telegraph columnist and Planet Normal co-host Liam Halligan, and The Spectator’s real life columnist Melissa Kite.

    They unpack Tim Shipman and Noa Hoffman’s cover piece on the mounting coup against Keir Starmer. As Wes Streeting makes his move, Ed Miliband waits in the wings and Andy Burnham’s allies search for a route back to Westminster, is Labour now openly preparing for life after Starmer?

    Also this week: Britain’s mounting economic crisis. Liam warns that the government is running out of road with the bond markets. Could a turn to the left push Britain towards a full-blown fiscal reckoning?

    Plus: the death of the traditional B&B. Melissa explains why fussy guests, vegan breakfasts, TripAdvisor and the tyranny of instant reviews have made hospitality more fraught than ever.

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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

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    46 mins
  • Coffee House Shots: inside Labour's leadership crisis
    May 14 2026

    Wes Streeting has made his move today for the Labour leadership – but does he have the numbers? There was some frantic briefing last night, with competing claims about who has the required number of MPs and who might be prepared to give up their seat to Andy Burnham. It almost takes us back to the days of Tory infighting.

    But the big news this morning is that Angela Rayner has been cleared by HMRC. In an incredibly well-timed judgment, there is now nothing standing in her way from making her own bid for the top job. So where are we on Thursday morning? What should we expect from the next 48 hours?

    James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and James Lyons, former director of strategic communications in Number 10.

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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

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    17 mins
  • Quite right!: Starmer’s last stand
    May 12 2026

    This week: Keir Starmer’s leadership is in crisis. As pressure builds on the Prime Minister, Michael and Madeline ask whether Starmer can survive the rebellion now gathering pace in his own party.

    They discuss the runners and riders who could replace him, from Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner to Andy Burnham – and the risks each would pose for Labour. Could Burnham find a safe seat? Would Streeting trigger open warfare with the left? And would a change of leader mean anything beyond a change of name?

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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

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    28 mins
  • Americano: what's going on with the Kennedy Center?
    May 11 2026
    Freddy Gray is joined by Josef Palermo, who formerly worked for the Kennedy Center to discuss the historical building and whether its cultural and ethos has been ruined by the Trump administration.

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

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    21 mins
  • Spectator Out Loud: Lisa Haseldine, Roya Nikkah & Lionel Shriver
    May 11 2026
    This week: Lisa Haseldine on Britain's failing maternity services, Roya Nikkah writes the diary and Lionel Shriver on gerrymandering in America.

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

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    25 mins
  • Quite right!: how to stage a leadership coup
    May 9 2026

    In this week’s Q&A: how do you mount a Labour leadership coup? As the results of the local elections roll in and speculation builds about Starmer’s future, Michael and Maddie discuss the mechanics of leadership bids, the dangers facing Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, and why the best advice for Labour’s next leader may be: don’t.

    Also this week: has Britain really had enough of experts? Michael revisits his famous Brexit-era line, and whether he stands by it. Is there a difference between expertise, wisdom and technocracy – and does Parliament need debate more than deference?

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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

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    21 mins
  • Coffee House Shots: how 'the progressives' killed Labour – Maurice Glasman
    May 9 2026

    As the full picture of the local elections emerges, Labour faces a dilemma: stick with Keir Starmer, or put forward an alternative?

    Calls for Starmer to resign have intensified, and we are braced for MPs to stick their heads above the parapet this weekend. The message from the Prime Minister is that he ‘will not go’ and will not set out a path for his resignation either.

    So where does Labour go from here? Lord Glasman joins Tim and James to discuss the battle for the soul of the Labour party. Will they return to their traditions, or continue to ‘limp along in a state of paralysis’?

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

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    11 mins
  • The Edition: will Labour learn the wrong lessons from the locals?
    May 7 2026

    This week: Lara Pendergast is joined by Tim Shipman, Lionel Barber and Alice Loxton, author of Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen.

    They unpack Michael Gove’s cover piece which asks whether the local elections will push Labour further to the left. As the Greens threaten Labour in its metropolitan heartlands and Reform eats into its working-class vote, is Keir Starmer facing a battle for the soul of his party? They also consider the collapse of the political centre, the weakness of Britain’s current leadership class, and why being ‘not Keir Starmer’ may not be enough.

    Also this week: King Charles’s diplomatic triumph in Washington. After his address to Congress, did the King succeed where politicians often fail – managing Donald Trump while quietly defending Nato, Ukraine and constitutional restraint?

    Plus: are millennials being made ill by ultra-processed ‘health’ foods? And finally, the panel admits to their own unlikely collections – from fridge magnets to political memorabilia.

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

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

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    33 mins