As the UK government ramps up its no deal Brexit planning, is there any chance of a compromise with the EU on a deal? In this week’s magazine, James Forsyth looks at how seriously Brussels is taking Boris Johnson’s threats. He suggests that until parliament signals it can pass a deal, the EU is ready to hold out. On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to James and Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska, a Senior Research Fellow for the Centre for European Reform. Agata tells us that the EU is adamant about its united position. Negotiations are about:
‘standing behind Dublin, sending the message to smaller and newer states that if they were in need, they could expect similar solidarity from other member states.’
We also take a look at the ethics of museum donations and whether there is such a thing as ‘clean money’. Lionel Shriver encourages these institutions to ‘take the money and run’ in a column for this week’s magazine. On the podcast Lara Prendergast sits down with Claire Fox, director of the Academy of Ideas and MEP for the Brexit Party, and Chris Garrard, the co-director of Culture Unstained, an organisation aiming to end oil sponsorship of culture. They debate the purpose of museums, and ask: are any sponsors are completely morally spotless? For Chris, museums compromise their integrity by taking dirty money, but Claire says that it’s up to the institutions themselves, not activists, to decide who is an acceptable donor. It’s a fiery one.
Lastly, could you stomach a handful of crickets? Edible insects are billed as the future of carbon-friendly protein, but in this week’s magazine, Cassandra Coburn advises caution. She argues that the bugs don’t really have a smaller carbon footprint, and EU regulations mean that they can’t even be fed on food waste. She joins Lara and the co-founder of Eat Grub, Shami Radia, whose company produces energy bars and other insect-based snacks. They discuss the pros and cons of this novel diet and Shami even brings along some BBQ roasted crickets for us to taste!
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