The Critic Show

This week on The Critic Show, Henry and Tom are joined by Seb Milbank to discuss the Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit, otherwise known as RICU, and the growing suspicion that the British state has tried to shape public narratives after acts of violence involving immigrant communities.Seb gives listeners an insider explanation on explains how the unit operates, and the intricacies of the counter-terrorism and national security, why Freedom of Information requests so often hit a wall.The podcast explores how, increasingly, journalists, PR agencies and government departments can end up working together to manage political fall out by bending the truths we live by.The conversation ranges from the 2014 Sun front page on Islamic State to family statements after recent killings, the response to Manchester Arena, Martin’s Law, social media regulation, and the wider collapse of trust in British institutions. They also discuss why big, archaic institutions in Britain are now failing so visibly that the old social contract is breaking down.What happens when people no longer believe in a state that can protect them?Don’t forget to subscribe at www.outpoststudios.net

This month Critic wine columnist Henry Jeffreys talks to Daniel Grigg from Museum Wines in Salisbury about The Critic Wine Club’s latest South African selection.Henry and Daniel discuss why South African wine has changed so dramatically in recent years, from the dull pub reds and insipid whites of old to some of the most exciting bottles now being made anywhere in the world. They explore the country’s new generation of winemakers, the rise of serious Chenin Blanc and Cinsault, and why South Africa offers such remarkable value compared with Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne.Together they taste three wines: a textured Sauvignon Blanc from Hazendal, a fuller, food-friendly Pinot Noir rosé, and a sensational old-vine Cinsault from Darling. Expect sharp opinions, good stories, and plenty of enthusiasm for a country whose wines are firmly on the up.For the full episode, follow the link below:https://www.youtube.com/@TheCritic_Show

In the first episode of Starling on Sport, Boris is joined by Jack Davey to look ahead to this year’s Tour de France and ask whether anyone can realistically stop Tadej Pogačar. They discuss Pogačar’s astonishing season, and the threat posed by Jonas Vingegaard, as well as turning an eye onto the emergence of French prodigy Paul Seixas.Boris and Jack also explore the tactics, team dynamics and brutal mountain stages that could decide the race, as well as the Tour’s changing identity — from its French roots to its increasingly global, corporate future.Their is also an inevitable question that still hangs over the sport as performance becomes more and more enhanced: can fans trust what they are watching?If you likes this episode, don’t forget to subscribe for more of the best commentary on upcoming sports at www.outpoststudios.com

This week on The Critic Show, Lord David Frost joins Tom and Graham Stewart to mark ten years since Brexit and ask what really went wrong, and ask what might be on the cards next.Frost challenges the familiar claim that voters were misled in 2016, arguing instead that Brexit was always about Britain’s right to govern itself from Westminster rather than Brussels.Frost warns that unless the Right makes the case for national independence again, Britain risks becoming a rule-taker without ever formally rejoining. Plus, Graham gives a preview of the July issue of The Critic, from the Home Office’s secretive messaging machine to politics, culture, music and more.Thanks for watching, and if you want more premium content, don’t forget to like, share and subscribe at www.outpoststudios.com

This week on The Critic Show, Henry and Chris are joined by James Crouch, Head of Public Affairs at Opinium, to discuss Britain’s strange new economic settlement: not quite capitalism, not quite socialism, but a system increasingly built around caps, freezes and government guarantees. Drawing on Opinium’s research into public attitudes, they explore why voters now instinctively reach for price controls on energy, council tax, groceries and rent, and why such policies are politically easy to introduce but almost impossible to remove.They ask whether Britain has become a zero-sum economy, why younger voters no longer feel capitalism is delivering for them, and whether any political party has a credible way out.For more content like this please subscribe, and don’t forget to share, like and comment at www.outpoststudios.net

This week, Critic wine writer Henry Jeffreys talks to Olivia Manet from Corney & Barrow about the latest Critic Wine Club selection: three summer wines chosen for freshness, value and drinkability. Olivia explains how she got into the wine trade, Corney & Barrow’s long history, and why great wine does not always have to mean grand cru prices.Henry and Olivia taste a mountain-fresh Pinot Grigio from Friuli, a pale but flavour-packed Provence rosé, and a joyful Fleurie from Beaujolais, all ideal for summer drinking, barbecues, light lunches and long evenings.Thanks for watching. For more Critic podcasts, make sure to subscribe to Outpost at www.outpoststudios.netTo order the delicious wines Olivia and Henry are drinking, follow the link below:https://thecritic.co.uk/wine-club/

In this episode of The Critic Show, Tom Jones is joined by Sam Butler, vice chairman of the Future of Hunting campaign, to discuss Labour’s proposed ban on trail hunting and what Butler sees as a wider assault on the countryside. They look back at the 2004 Hunting Act, the creation of trail hunting, and the argument that a new ban would do little for animal welfare while threatening thousands of hounds, rural jobs and the social fabric built around hunts, point-to-points, pubs, farriers, vets and farming communities.The conversation then widens into the politics of rural Britain: family farm tax, land use, net zero, shooting, fishing, housing, private property and the failure of successive governments to take the countryside seriously. Butler argues that rural communities are tired of being treated as a political football, while Tom asks whether the battle over hunting has become part of a deeper fight over civil liberties, land ownership and the future of the political right.Full episode linked belowhttps://www.outpoststudios.net/p/the-great-trail-debateThanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share and subscribe. See you next week.

This week on The Critic Show, Tom Jones and Chris Bayliss are joined by Charles Cornish-Dale to discuss modern masculinity, the rise of the “alpha male”, and the cultural influence of Andrew Tate. Are declining testosterone levels something to be concerned about? What does this mean for our politics?In our medicated society, the contraceptive pill and SSRIs are ever more common — but what are their effects on mental health, relationships, libido and fertility, as well as their possible role in wider demographic trends and declining birth rates?Our alpha males also touch on the political Left, asking why countercultural politics continue to attract people seeking meaning, identity and a sense of excitement in an increasingly fragmented society.For the full episode, go tohttps://www.outpoststudios.net/s/the-critic-showAnd don’t forget to like, share and subscribe!