Best of the Spectator

First: Nigel Farage is winning over women

Does – or did – Nigel Farage have a woman problem? ‘Around me there’s always been a perception of a laddish culture,’ he tells political editor Tim Shipman. In last year’s election, 58 per cent of Reform voters were men. But, Shipman argues, ‘that has begun to change’. According to More in Common, Reform has gained 14% among women, while Labour has lost 12%. ‘Women are ‘more likely than men… to worry that the country is broken.’

Many of Reform’s most recent victories have been by women: Andrea Jenkyns in the mayoral elections, Sarah Pochin to Parliament; plus, there most recent high profile defections include a former Tory Welsh Assembly member and a former Labour London councillor. What makes Reform’s success with women all the more remarkable is that it appears organic; ‘we haven’t forced this’ says Farage.

So why are women turning to Reform UK? Tim Shipman and Sarah Pochin MP join the podcast to discuss.

Next: is Italy experiencing a renaissance?

From Italy, Owen Matthews argues that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revived her nation. While he says that Italy has been ‘suffering from the same economic malaise’ as the rest of Europe, the macroeconomics covers up the true affordability of the country. Espressos cost €1.20, pizzas are no more than €10, and rents in even the swankiest areas are ‘laughably’ cheap compared to Britain. Plus, Owen sees none of the ‘media catastrophisation’ over issues like immigration, social cohesion and militant Islam that appears to grip the UK. So how has Meloni done it? 

To discuss, Owen joined the podcast alongside Antonello Guerrera, UK & Westminster correspondent for the Italian newspaper Repubblica.

And finally: one in three British adults cannot swim

This week, Iram Ramzan provides her ‘notes on’ learning to swim saying, ‘it’s humiliating to admit that at 37’ she can’t. She’s not alone though – one third of British adults cannot swim, and the proportion appears to be rising. Iram highlights the disparities between different communities; 76 percent of South Asian women for example cannot swim 25 metres. Iram joined the podcast to discuss further, alongside fitness professional and entrepreneur Elle Linton who also learnt to swim in her thirties.

Plus: what small error led Rachel Johnson to get a telling off from Noel Gallagher? And Max Jeffery reports from court, where the Spectator and Douglas Murray have won a defamation claim brought against them by Mohammed Hijab. 

Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.