For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons, writer Louis Sarkozy and broadcaster Sir Loyd Grossman.

This week: is France heading for revolution? As protests and unrest grip the country, Louis argues that France faces overlapping political, economic, demographic and security crises – and warns that the turmoil is likely to have consequences for next year’s presidential election. Is Macron losing control? Could Marine Le Pen finally take power? And to what extent are the violent riots uniquely French, or part of a wider European unrest?

Also: why does Napoleon still loom so large over French politics and culture? Louis discusses the emperor’s obsessive reading habits, while Loyd asks whether today’s politics are once again being shaped by 'great men' rather than institutions.

Plus: here in the UK, what should we expect from John Healey’s first Budget? Michael explains why ministers want it to be seen as a small and boring Budget – while warning that tax rises could still be on the way. And, as Peter Hitchens argues against letting generals dictate foreign policy, the panel debate defence, patriotism and whether the young would still fight for their country.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Abigail Brierley.

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.

For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s commissioning editor Lara Brown, Financial Times columnist and peer Camilla Cavendish and broadcaster and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero.

This week: are screens creating a new education divide? Lara examines the growing backlash against technology in schools. What began as an attempt to create a generation of ‘digital natives’ has left children as young as four doing reading and maths on gamified apps – despite little evidence that they improve learning. State schools are spending hundreds of millions of pounds on 'EdTech', while some of Britain’s leading private schools are moving back towards books, handwriting and screen-free classrooms. Are we creating a two-tier education system – books for the rich and screens for everyone else?

Also: why aren’t young people having children? Camilla discusses her new book Generation Maybe, which investigates falling birth rates around the world. She argues that the problem isn’t simply that women are choosing careers over motherhood: millions of people would like children but cannot find someone to have them with. Are we living through a ‘relationship recession’? Have men failed to keep up with women or have expectations changed? And can governments actually do anything about it?

Finally: why are we so nostalgic for the 1990s? The panel look back at Tony Blair, boozy lunches, and the millennium bug – a world before smartphones took over.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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.

For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s commissioning editor Tali Fraser, Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens and the historian and Conservative peer Andrew Roberts.

This week: why is antisemitism rising on both the left and right of British politics? On the third anniversary of 7 October, Tali writes in this week’s cover story about what she sees as a growing antisemitic convergence between Zack Polanski's Green Party and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain. The panel discuss the Green Party’s ‘Zionism is racism’ motion – passed this week at their conference in Brighton – and the increasingly blurred line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Is this simply history repeating itself or has something changed in British politics since 7 October? Is the American right helping to normalise some of these ideas? And what does it mean for British Jews, many of whom now face extraordinary security measures simply to attend synagogue?

Plus: did Kemi Badenoch have a good Conservative party conference? Andrew argues that she has finally set out the ideological battle lines, while Peter remains sceptical that the Tory recovery is real – and warns that Reform could still do serious damage.

And finally: Andrew discusses his new book Napoleon and His Marshals, Peter makes the case for paying to visit Britain’s cathedrals, and the panel ask what’s happened to the midlife crisis.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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.