Quite right!

What’s the point of Keir Starmer? – and the Lords vs the Commons

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.October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.comBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Should Starmer go left or right? – and Thimothée Chalemet’s tragédie en musique

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright.In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie discuss whether Keir Starmer faces a deeper political dilemma: should the Labour party tack left to shore up its base, or move to the centre to win over voters uneasy about the party’s economic direction?Also this week: are Britain’s closest allies being taken for granted? From Canada and Australia to New Zealand, they consider whether the UK has neglected some of its most dependable international partners while chasing influence elsewhere.And finally, they turn to culture and ask why institutions like opera and ballet so often struggle to justify their place in modern public life. Are they relics of an elite past, or essential expressions of a deeper cultural tradition?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.comBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Britain still a great power? – and why Ed Miliband should go | Quite right!

This week: 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?They debate whether Britain has any real choice but to follow America in foreign policy, what the war reveals about the country’s diminished military capabilities, and whether Westminster is finally confronting the reality of Britain’s global position.Also on the podcast, they examine the growing backlash against Ed Miliband’s energy agenda. With war in the Middle East sending shockwaves through global energy markets, has Labour’s push for net zero left Britain dangerously exposed – and is the UK undermining its own economy by shutting down domestic oil and gas while continuing to import it from abroad?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.comBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Has the Equality Act created a ‘hierarchy of victimhood’?

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.com/quiteright.In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie ask whether Britain is driving its young and ambitious abroad. As more professionals head to places like Dubai in search of opportunity, they debate whether the real problem lies not with those who leave, but with the conditions pushing them out. Why do so many talented Britons feel they cannot build a future at home – and what does that say about the state of the country?Also this week: should the Equality Act be scrapped altogether? In light of Suella Braverman’s pledge to repeal it, they consider whether the law has drifted far beyond its original purpose.And finally, they discuss which right-wing leaders around the world they admire. From Latin America to Europe, who offers a compelling model of conservative leadership today – and what lessons, if any, might Britain draw from them?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran: Trump has a plan — does Starmer? Plus the Spring Statement fallout

This week: Michael and Maddie debate the escalating crisis in Iran and ask whether Donald Trump truly has a strategy – and whether Keir Starmer has one at all.They examine what Trump’s strikes are meant to achieve, whether regime change in Tehran is the real objective and why parts of the American right are uneasy about Israel’s influence over US foreign policy.Turning to Westminster, they assess Britain’s response. Has Starmer struck the right balance between caution and credibility – or has the crisis exposed the limits of Britain’s military strength and global influence?Finally, they review Rachel Reeves’s Spring Statement. With growth forecasts under scrutiny and public spending pressures mounting, is the Labour party sticking to a credible economic plan – or relying on economic crystal balls?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.