In this week’s Q&A: as Wes Streeting finally breaks cover, which former prime minister would you parachute into No. 10 to save the country? Michael makes the case for Palmerstonian vigour, while Maddie weighs up Lord Salisbury and Pitt the Younger – and asks whether almost any past occupant of Downing Street would be preferable to the current one.

Also this week: is Britain being dragged back towards the EU? After Nick Clegg suggested Britain should rejoin a reformed European Union by 2036, Michael and Maddie ask whether the Brexit question is really settled – and whether Keir Starmer is trying to realign with Brussels by stealth.

Plus: Jilly Cooper and the brilliance of Tory-coded fiction.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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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.

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Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

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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.

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For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.

Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

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