Quite right!

In this week’s Q&A: as Bridget Phillipson and Kemi Badenoch clash over Labour’s education policy, Michael asks whether he is a ‘spiteful class warrior’ too. He has written before about his scepticism over the charitable status of some of the country’s elite academic institutions, arguing that they should do more to earn it – but does he regret his comments?
Also this week: as Britain edges closer to life under Burnham, Michael and Maddie discuss who is really pulling the strings behind the famous black door. What is a chief of staff: a vital part of the machinery of government, or a civil servant with an inflated sense of importance?
Plus: Ken, Boris or Sadiq – who will be remembered as the best mayor of London?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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This week: Burnham’s strategy – or lack of one – a ‘number ten of the North’ and why immigration is the real test.
What is so wrong with the South: Andy Burnham thinks devolution is the answer to Broken Britain, but does his diagnosis amount to an actionable plan for government? And does his focus on the North come at the expense of some of Britain’s most deprived areas? Michael knows the machinery of levelling up better than anyone and Madeline was in the room as Burnham made his big pitch – they give their verdict.
Plus: Shabana Mahmood’s immigration muddle. After a row with junior minister Mike Tapp, the Home Office has announced plans for new safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, modelled on the Homes for Ukraine scheme. But is indefinite leave to remain the real test for Labour’s new approach?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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This week: Burnham’s cabinet, Prince George’s schooling – and the buildings that make Britain beautiful.
As Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street, Michael and Madeline ask who should make up his dream Labour cabinet. Might he draw from the impressive pool of Blue Labour talent: Jonathan Hinder at business, Maurice Glasman at education – and, of course, Shabana Mahmood as prime minister. Do Labour need to be a little more patriotic?
Also on the podcast: should Prince George go to Eton? Michael and Madeline discuss whether a future king needs a ‘normal’ education, why the choice should be left to his parents and whether Britain should stop chipping away at the privileges of monarchy.
And finally: from Wagner’s Festspielhaus to Georgian rectories, Durham Cathedral and the Sagrada Familia, what makes a building truly great?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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This week: Starmer’s exit, Burnham’s rise – and the court of King Andy.
As Keir Starmer resigns after less than two years in office, Michael and Madeline ask what really brought his premiership to an end. Was Starmer simply overtaken by events, or did his downfall reveal something deeper: a disdain for politics, a mishandling of Southport and the grooming gangs scandal, and a growing gulf between Labour’s governing class and the country?
They also discuss Andy Burnham’s march on Westminster. Is he the charismatic, communitarian figure Labour needs to take on Reform – or a political people-pleaser surrounded by the wrong people?
Plus: what does the Conservatives’ victory in Aberdeen South tell us about net zero, Reform and whether the Tories really are doomed to become Nigel Farage’s roadkill?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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Enoch Powell is one of the most polarising figures in modern British politics. His infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech – in which he warned that immigration would spark ethnic conflict – continues to shape some of today’s most important debates on race, identity and immigration.
Michael Gove and assistant editor Madeline Grant sit down with Simon Heffer, author of Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell, to explore Powell’s legacy. They examine how he became a model for populist rhetoric and discuss why understanding Enoch Powell is central to understanding the right today.
This podcast was originally recorded as a live event. To find out more about future Spectator events go to: spectator.com/events
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