Broken Trust: the crisis at the heart of the National Trust

On this week’s podcast, we start with Charles Moore’s cover story on the failings of the National Trust. Why is the Trust getting involved in culture wars, and can it be fixed? Lara speaks to Charles, a Spectator columnist and former editor of the magazine, and Simon Jenkins, who was chair of the Trust between 2008 and 2014.

Simon says that it’s ‘very odd’ for the organisation to become embroiled in controversy over Britain’s colonial past and contested history. ‘The National Trust’s relationship with the British Empire, let alone with slavery, is pretty tenuous. I don’t take this accusation against the Trust terribly seriously. This is just currently what I regard as a sort of cult’, he adds.

We then turn to ‘fake meat’: is lab-grown food the future? Anthony Browne, a Conservative MP and chair of the Environment APPG makes the case in this week’s magazine, and is joined on the episode by Olivia Potts, The Spectator’s vintage chef and co-host of our Table Talk podcast.

Olivia says that changes in eating habits might not make a fillet steak redundant: ‘I suspect and hope that even if lab grown meat were to be very successful there would still be a market for high end, well-farmed well butcher meat.’

And finally, should couples stick to the classics for their wedding readings or is it acceptable to go for something a bit more out there? In this week’s magazine, writer Laura Freeman says that since journalism doesn’t pay, she’s tempted to start advising couples on what they should pick for their big day – what they think adorable, their guests may think odd. To give some tips, Laura joins the podcast with Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce, rector of St Bride’s church in London.

‘I may make Laura’s article compulsory reading for all wedding couples’, Alison says.

Presented by Lara Prendergast.

Produced by Sam Holmes, Cindy Yu and Max Jeffery.