Share
Quite right!
Britain’s antisemitism 'emergency' – and have Reform gone too far?
•
This week: antisemitism in Britain, the government’s response – and where Reform may have gone too far.
After the attack in Golders Green, Michael and Madeline ask whether antisemitism has become a daily reality for Britain’s Jewish community – and whether ministers are willing to confront the Islamist extremism, hard-left apologism and far-right hatred that are feeding it.
They also look ahead to the local elections and ask what a bad night for Labour would mean for Starmer’s leadership. Could losses to the Greens in Labour’s urban heartlands push the party further left? And if MPs do move against Starmer, would any of the likely alternatives be an improvement?
Plus: Reform’s controversial proposal to put migrant detention centres in Green-voting areas. Is this clever political trolling – or have Reform crossed a line?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.
For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.
Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk
More episodes
View all episodes
Douglas Murray: the Left’s Palestine 'fetish' – and why the West can still be saved | Part two
36:37|In the second part of Michael Gove’s conversation with Douglas Murray, they discuss the rise of antisemitism, the Left’s obsession with Palestine and the unlikely alliance between Islamists and the radical Left. What does the future hold for Israel – and would replacing Netanyahu really change anything?They also turn to the things that make Western civilisation worth defending, from Britain's great cathedrals to classical music and literature. Despite the challenges facing the West, can it be saved even at the 13th hour?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Douglas Murray: integration has failed – and Britain faces civil conflict | Part one
38:49|As the embers fade from last week’s unrest in France, could Britain be heading for a similar fate? In the first of a two-part interview, Michael Gove is joined by author and Spectator columnist Douglas Murray to discuss the future of Western civilisation.Douglas argues that decades of mass migration and failed integration have left Britain facing the prospect of civil conflict, warning that violent extremists could one day ‘take this country by force’. He also asks why successive governments have allowed alleged jihadists to settle in Britain while pursuing members of our own armed forces. Has Britain lost the will to defend itself – and is it already too late to change course?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Andrew Roberts: Napoleon’s fatal flaw – and why he lost Waterloo | LIVE
45:31|Napoleon was one of history’s greatest military commanders – but was his downfall ultimately of his own making?Michael Gove and Madeline Grant are joined by historian Andrew Roberts, Lord Roberts of Belgravia, to discuss his new book on Napoleon’s 26 marshals: the extraordinary men who helped build his empire, and whose rivalries, betrayals and personal ambitions contributed to its collapse.From Napoleon’s obsessive micromanagement to the disastrous invasion of Russia, they explore the genius and fatal flaws of the French emperor. Could Napoleon have won at Waterloo? And would victory really have changed the course of history?Recorded live in front of an audience.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
France is burning – could Britain be next? And the truth about Sally Rooney's ‘ban’
41:58|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.
Simon Schama: British Jews feel unsafe – and history shows Gaza isn’t a genocide
49:50|Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Schama to discuss the resurgence of antisemitism in Britain, why many British Jews increasingly feel unsafe, and what history can teach us about the war in Gaza.Simon argues that the language of genocide is being misapplied to Gaza and warns that historical ignorance, social media and political polarisation are fuelling a new strain of antisemitism on both left and right.They also discuss Holocaust education, Donald Trump and the politics of truth, the treatment of Jewish students in Britain, and what the rise of antisemitism tells us about the health of liberal democracy.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.'Jew-Hatred: The Latest Edition' by Sir Simon Schama is out now: https://jewishquarterly.com/essay/2026/10/jew-hatred
Britain must ‘come down like a ton of bricks’ on Islamist extremism – Nick Timothy | Quite right! LIVE
37:37|Michael Gove is joined by shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy, live at Conservative party conference in Birmingham, to discuss prisons, policing and the fight against Islamist extremism. Nick reflects on swapping life as a Downing Street adviser for the Commons and makes the case that prison works, before turning to the Tories’ plan for 50,000 new prison places. Britain, he argues, must ‘come down like a ton of bricks’ on extremists – but why did 14 years of Conservative government fail to draw that line?Plus: West Midlands Police’s ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, the Trafalgar Square iftar, and why Nick changed his mind on legalising cannabis.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.
Are the Tories back? – and how the Greens became ‘Home Counties Hezbollah’ | LIVE
30:07|Kemi Badenoch has opened Conservative party conference 2026 with statement on her political philosophy, and Michael and Maddie are in Birmingham to go through it. Michael is struck by how much of it disavows the government that he served in, from net zero to the Liz Truss mini-Budget, while Maddie welcomes a leader prepared to argue for incentives over optics. Will backing higher earners revive the 'nasty party' charge – and can Kemi see off Reform's pitch to highly productive workers? They also put the triple lock to a show of hands, with surprising results, and ask whether Shabana Mahmood has been left exposed by Andy Burnham in cabinet. Also: the Greens have voted to describe Zionism as racism. What does that mean for the voters who backed them over rivers and recycling?News clip credit: X.com / Sky NewsProduced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd
Jeffrey Archer on his extraordinary life – and his biggest regrets
47:22|Michael Gove is joined by novelist and former Conservative Party deputy chairman Jeffrey Archer to discuss his final novel, Adam and Eve, and a life spent close to the centre of British politics.Jeffrey explains how the book was inspired by September 1940, when Hitler changed his mind three times about invading Britain. They also discuss class, snobbery in the House of Lords, Diana, and his advice for Harry and Meghan.Plus: Jeffrey reflects on Margaret Thatcher, reveals the prime minister he believes is the most underrated, and considers whether Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage could ever reach an electoral agreement.Jeffrey Archer’s final book, Adam and Eve, published by HarperCollins is out on the 6th of October 2026, pre-order here…Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd.
Meet the Labour MP taking on his own party | Jonathan Hinder
41:45|Michael Gove is joined by Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, one of the leading voices of Blue Labour, to discuss class, borders and the common good in a conversation recorded live at Labour conference.Jonathan, a former police officer, sets out his case against the economic and social 'hyper liberalism' of recent decades, before turning to industrial strategy, North Sea oil and gas, and why his constituents in terraced houses pay more property tax than multi-millionaires in London.With over a million voters said to have moved from Labour to Reform since the election, can Andy Burnham bring them back – and what would it take on immigration? They also discuss balanced migration, the Danish approach to integration, puberty blockers, and why Jonathan, a Remain voter, thinks rejoining the EU would be a distraction.And finally: why even police officers love Hot Fuzz.Produced by: Henry Lloyd and Oscar Edmondson