Podcast
Policy made clear with sponsored podcasts from The Spectator team.
Policy made clear with sponsored podcasts from The Spectator team.
Spectator Briefings
Had Covid-19 not continued to dominate the headlines this year, there’s little doubt that the outcomes of the Brexit deal would have been at the forefront of our policy discussions. Britain has left the EU with a bespoke trade agreement, but it’s far from perfect, as the Northern Ireland Protocol continues to cause problems, especially
Play 32 mins
Spectator Briefings
What are the greener solutions for heating Britain’s homes? The government estimates that heating residential homes accounts for around 15 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, many households are concerned about the future of their gas boilers and energy bills. The government laid out its heat and building strategy this
Play 30 mins
Spectator Briefings
Everyone knows somebody who has asthma. 5.4 million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment and 200,000 of them have severe asthma. A form of the condition that doesn’t typically respond well to medication. For many, asthma is a severe and debilitating condition but there exists a disconnect between its severity and the organisation
Play 28 mins
Spectator Briefings
The world economy is bouncing back from the impacts of Covid 19. It has been bumpy year of recovery which has included labour shortages and consistent inflationary pressures. But it hasn’t been all doom and gloom. Kate Andrews, the Spectator’s economic’s editor reviews this financial year. She is joined by Martin Vander Weyer, the Spectator’s business
Play 36 mins
Spectator Briefings
We’ve long known that where you live, who you live with, how you grow up, and how much money you have can have long lasting consequences for you health. Those that live in inner city neighbourhoods are far more exposed to health risks such as air pollution or drug abuse compared to leafy suburban residents.
Play 27 mins
Spectator Briefings
When the Glasgow climate jamboree ended after two weeks, COP26 President Alok Sharma broke down in tears and seemed to apologise for his failure to get countries like China and India on side. But now that the dust has settled from Glasgow’s COP26 summit, but how will this one be remembered? There were protestors, no
Play 31 mins
Spectator Briefings
Over the past months, under the weight of a global pandemic, scientists and medical professionals have had to rethink the way they do things. We found not one – but numerous – vaccines within the space of a year; new treatments have been discovered, some repurposed from existing drugs; and manufacturers and politicians alike have
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Spectator Briefings
As the global shortage of gas continues to drive up energy costs, we take a look at these rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis that looms over the UK. How can we protect people from fuel poverty when bills are predicted to rise by hundreds of pounds? Moreover, as COP26 kicks off,
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Spectator Briefings
These days the Conservative party is not just associated with the colour blue – it’s also the winner of the red wall seats; the pursuer of a green agenda. But do these new identities, achieved under Boris Johnson, all fit together? In particular, critics often label tackling climate change as a middle class pursuit, not
Play 51 mins
Spectator Briefings
Will the green agenda really create new jobs – or will the cost of net zero dampen economic growth? Katy Balls, the Spectator’s deputy political editor is at Conservative Party Conference for a live recording with: Will Gardiner, CEO of DraxJake Berry MP, chair of the Northern Research GroupBim Afolami MP, chair of the Parliamentary
Play 55 mins
Spectator Briefings
Can the company that feeds the world beef burgers lead hospitality in reaching net zero? That’s what McDonald’s hopes to do as they lay out their Plan for Change 2021. With 1400 restaurants, over 23,000 British and Irish farmers and four million customers visiting them every day, will it be enough? Or is it just a drop
Play 36 mins
Spectator Briefings
As the UK faces a rising energy crisis with gas supplies in short supply, questions are arising of not just how we mitigate the problem in the short term but how we hedge against it in the long term? What role might nuclear energy play? What’s slowing down its development? Is it the technology? The
Play 30 mins
Spectator Briefings
Conversations about ‘modernising’ the NHS have been happening for almost as long as the NHS itself. The 2019 Long Term Plan put so-called ‘patient-centred care’ at the forefront, writing that: ‘The NHS also needs a more fundamental shift in how we work alongside patients and individuals to deliver more person-centred care, recognising – as National
Play 33 mins
Spectator Briefings
Responsible for 17 per cent of the UK’s carbon usage, government will be looking to the private sector to reduce its emissions in the years to come. But what does it really mean for a business to achieve ‘net zero’? Should companies – and their sectors – account only for their direct emissions, or must
Play 40 mins
Spectator Briefings
Britain is already making moves on the global stage to back a green agenda, including calls to slash tariffs on ‘green goods’ and to hold countries responsible for heavily polluting practices. But as Britain reopens after Covid-19 and plans for ‘Global Britain’ take off, will the green agenda become a dominant feature of our trade
Play 59 mins
Spectator Briefings
The way the City of London measures success is constantly changing. A new generation of discerning consumers has skyrocketed the importance of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) to company decision-makers. The finance sector is increasingly being seen as the next frontier in climate action. As the City navigates the post-Brexit landscape and our pandemic
Play 56 mins
Spectator Briefings
Ever since the advent of the internet, respective British governments have sought to make the UK a world leader. Surely, it has been argued, a country with some of the world’s best universities and tech skills can rival America’s success? From the coalition-era Silicon Roundabout to more recent plans for a British DARPA (the US
Play 36 mins
Spectator Briefings
18 months on from its first Covid case and Britain appears to finally be on the verge of victory over the pandemic. But while Covid deaths, hospitalisations and cases have all plummeted, the year-long disruption to the wider health service has led to stark predictions of another health emergency – a looming crisis in undiagnosed
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Spectator Briefings
What does the future of transport look like? From electric vehicles to driverless cars, a smarter way to get around the city may be just around the corner. The future of transport will be more efficient, more digital and greener – but what are the challenges that still stand in the way? Kate Andrews talks
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Spectator Briefings
If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, the past year would have likely been dominated by a familiar topic – Brexit. The decision to leave, we’re told, presents the UK with endless opportunity in a variety of sectors, including healthcare and life sciences. But it hasn’t been the easiest year, with supply chains and the
Play 31 mins
Spectator Briefings
Covid has put a spotlight on housing in Britain – the inequalities, the challenges, but also the opportunities. As what we want out of our homes, offices, and even the high street, changes, public policy will have to follow suit. So how do we create sustainable towns and cities that ensure quality and access for
Play 31 mins
Spectator Briefings
The pandemic has led to a surge in digitisation in so many aspects of our lives. Cloud computing, in particular, has been a cornerstone of this time – not least for stay at home employees to maintain their productivity during a turbulent time. But what actually is cloud computing, and is it all that it’s
Play 28 mins
Spectator Briefings
Unreliable, slow and you’ll never find a charging point – those are some of the things that come to mind when thinking about electric vehicles for many drivers. But are these outdated myths? The government has less than a decade to meet its 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. With the future of
Play 41 mins
Spectator Briefings
After a year battling coronavirus, the UK’s debt now totals more than £2 trillion. In an effort to keep the economy afloat, the Treasury has paid wages, given tax relief, and even paid for people to eat out. As recently as five years ago, Conservatives would have thought this spending unsustainable. But with Boris Johnson’s
Play 35 mins
Spectator Briefings
Last month the government released its ten point plan for what it dubs ‘The Green Industrial Revolution’. At the top of the list was offshore wind, with a pledge to produce enough power for every home by 2030. Offshore wind currently constitutes over 50 per cent of the renewables in the UK, with costs coming
Play 27 mins
Spectator Briefings
The UK was the first major economy to set a net-zero carbon emission target. But our work is cut out for us: 23 million homes fuelled by natural gas will need upgrading, while nearly 98% of vehicles on UK roads are still powered by petrol or diesel. Reaching net-zero will require big changes, but will
Play 59 mins
Spectator Briefings
The UK has the most severe economic contraction of any country, coupled with a looming unemployment crisis, as a result of the pandemic. Innovative ideas are needed more than ever to get the economy back on track. With the coming defence review – thought to be the biggest since WWII – now is the time
Play 31 mins
Spectator Briefings
Has the government found the magic money tree? It certainly seems like it when the furlough scheme and various other Covid measures have taken government debt to above £2 trillion. The crazy amount of spending has been kept afloat by quantitative easing, the Bank of England’s policy of choice since the financial crisis. Some have
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Spectator Briefings
Fans of nuclear energy say that it is efficient, reliable, and greener than fossil fuels. The government’s Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 target may not be achievable without a helping hand from nuclear. But its critics say that it’s costly for the taxpayer, prone to delays, and damaging for local ecosystems. What’s more, Hinkley
Play 35 mins