Nick Hilton

Nick Hilton

Leicester were right to sack Ranieri

‘Inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad’, ‘nobody can delete the history you wrote’, ‘Shocked after last night’s display!’. No, these aren’t reactions to Paul Nuttall losing in Stoke, they’re the commiserations of Gary Lineker, Jose Mourinho and Rio Ferdinand after Claudio Ranieri, the title-winning Leicester manager, was sacked yesterday evening. Having led his team to the

The Spectator podcast: May’s third way

On this week’s Spectator podcast, we discuss Theresa May’s Third Way, whether we could have an Uber for social care, and look at Mies van der Rohe’s unrealised plans for a Mansion House skyscraper. On the cover of this week’s magazine, Theresa May plots a course through the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis, as she

The Spectator podcast: Isis’s last stand

On this week’s podcast, we discuss what the end of Isis means for a fragile Middle East, debate whether John Bercow should be packing his bags, and ask if the days of the Bullingdon Club have finally ended. First, the attempt by ISIS to establish a Caliphate has been on the rocks for some time, and with

The Spectator podcast: The great French collapse

On this week’s episode, we consider Marine Le Pen’s path to power in France, whether we allow posh people to bluff their way to success, and why men aren’t ‘lunging’ at women in Ubers. The first round of the French presidential election will be held at the end of April, and, after a turbulent couple of months

The Spectator podcast: How to stay sane in Trumpworld

On this week’s episode, we discuss how to stay sane in the age of Trump, whether Hull deserves the mantle of Britain’s City of Culture, and if Tatler were right to outlaw the word ‘ghastly’. First, we sat down with Harry Mount, who writes a guide in this week’s magazine on how to keep your head

The Spectator podcast: Holland’s hurricane

On this week’s episode, we discuss the hurricane that’s headed for Holland, the state of parliamentary sovereignty here at home, and whether taxing horses is really the way to go. First up: with elections in the Netherlands less than two months away, the eyes of Europe’s political pundits are being drawn to the clash between the incumbent

The Spectator podcast: You’re fired!

On this week’s episode, we discuss the winners and losers as Trump moves into the White House, where Theresa May’s Brexit strategy is headed, and whether you can wear fur so long as the animal died in a snowstorm. First, the world’s media is currently congregated in Washington for the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th

Coffee House Shots: Theresa May outlines her Brexit plans

In front of a packed audience at Lancaster House, Theresa May delivered a speech outlining some of the key components of the Brexit deal that she is seeking. As Fraser Nelson dissects in his piece, there was confirmation of the UK’s exit from the single market and customs union, along with other telling hints about her negotiating strategy. Isabel

The Spectator podcast: The end of experts

On this week’s podcast we reappraise the role of experts, scrutinise the chaotic papacy, and check in with the court of King Donald. First up: In this week’s cover story, Fraser Nelson writes that the definitive quote from the referendum was one that the speaker, Michael Gove, never meant to make. In an interview with

Coffee House Shots: Jeremy Corbyn’s first interview of 2017

Ahead of a scheduled speech later on Tuesday, Jeremy Corbyn appeared on the Today Programme to outline the ideas he would be presenting in the afternoon. The Labour leader, however, veered somewhat off message, stating his support for a ‘maximum earnings limit’ and replacing the party’s new line – that they are ‘not wedded to

Books podcast: The war on the old

Is there a war on the old? Yes, says John Sutherland, the respected author and critic who is currently Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at UCL. His new book, The War on the Old, posits the idea that an ‘intergenerational conflict’ has risen to the surface in recent years, compounded by the discrepancies in voting intentions brought

The Spectator podcast: Trump takes charge

On this week’s podcast we discuss President Trump’s arrival on the world stage, the problem of medicating adult ADHD sufferers, and how virtual reality headsets might change the way we think and work. First up, Lara Prendergast speaks to Andrew J. Bacevich about his cover story in this week’s magazine. With Trump’s inauguration just a couple of weeks away, his fans

The Spectator podcast: Review of the year

After all the ups and downs, wins and losses, celebrations and commiserations, 2016 is finally in its twilight hours. We’ve sat some of the Spectator’s top staff and contributors down with a glass of mulled wine to steady their nerves as we ask the big questions: What happened in 2016? And what’s coming in 2017?

The FA’s annus horribilis could be about to get a lot worse

Football is no stranger to scandal, but the scale of the sex abuse allegations now circling the beautiful game is something new. Over 350 incidences of sexual abuse have been reported in football’s sprawling academy system. Crewe Alexandra was the focal point of the initial allegations, but the net has widened rapidly – taking in

The Spectator podcast: Brexit on trial

On this week’s Spectator podcast, Isabel Hardman talks about the landmark Supreme Court ruling and whether it is putting ‘Brexit on trial’. She’s joined on the podcast by Joshua Rozenberg, who wrote this week’s cover story, and Timothy Endicott, Professor of Legal Philosophy at the University of Oxford, who says that: “Where we’ve got to is

The Spectator podcast: May’s winning hand

On this week’s podcast we discuss the royal flush that Theresa May has been dealt, debate Sadiq Khan’s progress, half a year into his tenure as London Mayor, and pose the seasonal question of whether advent is better than Christmas. First, James Forsyth‘s cover story this week charts the remarkable fortune of Theresa May, as the weaknesses

How social media won the day for the Donald

There are plenty of theories about how Donald Trump pulled off his shock victory. But however he did manage to achieve one of the unlikeliest political upsets in history, one thing seems clear: social media won the day for the Donald. The starting gun was fired when Hillary Clinton called Trump’s supporters a ‘basket of

The Spectator podcast: The new normal

On this week’s podcast, we discuss the ‘new normal’ that’s emerged in world politics, how Trump’s election went down in Moscow, and whether dating apps are ruining your chances of finding love. First up, Rod Liddle and Nick Cohen go toe to toe on the issue of the right’s resurgence and what Donald Trump’s election means for America’s

The Spectator podcast: Planet Trump

With Donald Trump’s shock victory in the US election dominating headlines this week, the Spectator podcast takes an opportunity to reflect on what the New York real estate magnate’s victory means for America, Britain and the rest of the world. Fraser Nelson is joined from Washington DC by the Spectator’s Deputy Editor Freddy Gray, and Christopher Caldwell,