The Edition: Why is antisemitism rising in Britain? – with Andrew Roberts & Peter Hitchens
Best of the SpectatorShow Notes
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s commissioning editor Tali Fraser, Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens and the historian and Conservative peer Andrew Roberts.
This week: why is antisemitism rising on both the left and right of British politics? On the third anniversary of 7 October, Tali writes in this week’s cover story about what she sees as a growing antisemitic convergence between Zack Polanski's Green Party and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain. The panel discuss the Green Party’s ‘Zionism is racism’ motion – passed this week at their conference in Brighton – and the increasingly blurred line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Is this simply history repeating itself or has something changed in British politics since 7 October? Is the American right helping to normalise some of these ideas? And what does it mean for British Jews, many of whom now face extraordinary security measures simply to attend synagogue?
Plus: did Kemi Badenoch have a good Conservative party conference? Andrew argues that she has finally set out the ideological battle lines, while Peter remains sceptical that the Tory recovery is real – and warns that Reform could still do serious damage.
And finally: Andrew discusses his new book Napoleon and His Marshals, Peter makes the case for paying to visit Britain’s cathedrals, and the panel ask what’s happened to the midlife crisis.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Best of the Spectator
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons, writer Louis Sarkozy and broadcaster Sir Loyd Grossman.
Andy Burnham’s first Budget as Prime Minister is approaching – but higher borrowing costs have already made the sums more difficult. Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane joins Michael Simmons to warn that Britain has little room left to borrow more.
France is burning. Over the weekend, students protesting about school conditions were joined by rural voters angry at fuel prices and a violent hard-left fringe. Michael and Maddie ask whether Britain should be worried. Do the same fault lines run through our own society, and is the Burnham government doing anything about them? They also discuss what Emmanuel Macron will be remembered for, and whether anyone can stop Marine Le Pen. Also: Sally Rooney’s books are leaving British shelves over her support for Palestine Action. Is this censorship, or performance art? Produced by Henry Lloyd.
Freddy Gray speaks with Spectator columnist Christopher Caldwell about the ten-year legacy of Donald Trump since his 2016 election victory, assessing his second administration's high-water marks alongside the recent political and personal controversies that Caldwell argues have eroded voter trust, unraveled his populist appeal, and raised sharp questions about the future of the conservative movement.
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Jacob Rees-Mogg talks all things Tory Conference and Tucker Carlson; Lara Brown explores the growing rebellion against screens in schools; Matthew Parris reflects on what will survive us when we’re gone; and William Atkinson wonders if Altai the tiger be spared. Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.