Best of the Spectator

On this week’s Book Club, Sam Leith is joined by journalist, comedy writer and novelist David Quantick to discuss his new book, The Hyena – a fictional autobiography of Deborah Parkinson, an overlooked surrealist painter whose extraordinary life takes her from Plymouth to Paris and Mexico City.David discusses his fascination with surrealism, the influence of artist Leonora Carrington, and the challenges faced by women trying to make their mark in the art world. They explore the fine line between fact and fiction, from encounters with Frida Kahlo to an assassination attempt on Leon Trotsky.Plus: is humour undervalued in literature? And does surrealism still have a place in the modern world?Produced by Abigail Brierley.

Inheritance tax is one of Britain's most unpopular taxes – but why, when so few people actually pay it? Michael Simmons is joined by tax expert Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, to explore why the tax hits the middle classes while the super-rich often escape it. They discuss the Conservatives' plans to exempt family homes, the unintended consequences for the housing market, and Neidle's radical proposal to overhaul the system. Plus, why are Britain's politicians so reluctant to pursue meaningful tax reform?

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Harry Cole traverses America during the US midterms; Max Jeffery dissects the problems caused by the early release scheme; Lisa Haseldine explains how to cope with ruinous hen dos; and Jonathan Sumption and Nick Lezard talk through their favourite books of the year.Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

Israel has voted in its first general election since the 7th of October attacks, and the result is deadlock. Netanyahu’s bloc took 53 seats, the opposition 48 and the Arab parties a record 19. Shas, the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party, fell from 11 seats to six, its worst result since 1992, after insisting that haredi men should stay exempt from military service.Damian Thompson is joined by Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist and biographer of Benjamin Netanyahu, to ask how much religion is shaping the country’s future. They discuss the ‘status quo’ deal David Ben-Gurion struck with the rabbis before the state was founded, why Israel still has no civil marriage, the three main branches of ultra-Orthodoxy, and a birth rate that has taken the haredim from 2-3% of the population to 13-14%. Could they be half of Israel within a generation or two? And with the parties promising not to sit with Netanyahu, the Arab parties or the haredim, which of those promises will be broken first?Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Henry Lloyd

Labour has a new leader, but does Andy Burnham have a plan to give voters back control?In this episode of Coffee House Shots, Noa Hoffman speaks to Claire Ainsley, Keir Starmer’s former director of policy, about her new book, Control: How We Lost It and How to Take It Back.They discuss whether Burnham’s government is doing enough to address immigration and welfare, why Ainsley is sceptical about reopening the Brexit debate, and how Britain can get ahead of the AI revolution.Plus: Ainsley reflects on Starmer’s downfall, the challenges facing the new Prime Minister and whether Labour can keep Reform at bay.Produced by Abigail Brierley.

This week: Lara Prendergast is joined by Michael Gove, Tali Fraser and Tim Stanley.Has Labour lost control of Britain's prisons? As the government's early release scheme comes under increasing scrutiny, Michael Gove diagnoses the failures of the prison system and the growing strain on probation services.Meanwhile, following a bruising set of US midterm results for Donald Trump, what next for the American right? Tim Stanley discusses the Republicans' increasingly nasty politics, the battle to succeed Trump and whether the president could escalate the war in Iran.Plus: are lab-grown diamonds unbearably tacky? And why are the posh flocking to Poundland?

In this week's Book Club, Sam Leith is joined by Marina Litvinenko, widow of former Russian FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, to discuss her new book, A Life in Fragments: Our Love, His Murder, My Resistance.In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London, in an assassination executed by the Russian state. Marina recounts their life together, from meeting in post-Soviet Russia and Sasha's growing disillusionment with the FSB, to their dramatic escape from Russia and his eventual murder.How did an officer who once served the Russian security services become one of Vladimir Putin's most outspoken critics? Why was he targeted, and what does his killing reveal about the Kremlin's reach? And, nearly 20 years on, has Britain done enough to hold Russia to account?Marina reflects on her fight for justice, the personal cost of speaking out against Putin, and her hopes for Russia's future.Produced by Abigail Brierley.

As Commonwealth leaders demand slavery reparations from Britain, Michael Gove and Madeline Grant ask whether the UK should pay for the sins of its past. Has the government opened the door to an endless stream of demands? And is the Commonwealth becoming more trouble than it's worth?Also: is Labour retreating on its immigration crackdown? Michael reflects on his own mistakes in government and warns against opening new migration routes. Plus, following the Budget, has Labour declared war on Britain's businesses?Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.