Michael Gove

This week, Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the rulers, revolutionaries and nation builders who shaped one of the world’s most turbulent regions. From Ibn Saud’s dramatic conquest of Riyadh and Atatürk’s creation of modern Turkey to Ben-Gurion, Reza Shah and Nasser, Simon explores the extraordinary personalities who built states from the ruins of empire. What made these leaders so successful – and why did so many of their projects end in dictatorship, war or collapse? They also discuss Nasser’s rise as the champion of Arab nationalism, Gaddafi’s obsession with his Egyptian hero, and the strongmen who tried to remake the Arab world in their own image.

Andy Burnham has begun his premiership with a sweeping reshuffle, purging many of Keir Starmer’s closest allies and installing a cabinet in his own image. Has he ended Labour factionalism – or simply created a new faction of enemies? And does the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor suggest that Burnham wants a safe pair of hands rather than a rival power base? Michael and Maddie also ask whether Burnham’s early promises can survive contact with economic reality. With billions already pledged on defence, energy bills, transport and public ownership, where will the money come from – and what is his plan for growth? Plus: will Shabana Mahmood be allowed to get a grip on immigration? Can Ed Miliband be trusted at the Foreign Office?

Louis Mosley is the UK head of Palantir, one of the world’s most powerful – and controversial – technology companies. Its work with the NHS, the US government and western militaries has made it a lightning rod for criticism, with opponents accusing it of threatening privacy, enabling mass deportations and supporting military operations in Gaza. Louis therefore occupies an unusual position at the intersection of technology, politics and the British state. On the podcast, he explains what Palantir actually does, why fears over NHS data are misplaced and why scrapping its contract would be a ‘terrible mistake’.

In this week’s Q&A: does Labour have a women problem? Michael and Maddie discuss why the party has never had a female leader, whether its embrace of identity politics has created a rod for its own back, and why gender-critical feminists on the left have found themselves in exile. Also this week: why won’t any party touch the triple lock? Michael argues that the state pension has become an unsustainable transfer to the section of the electorate most likely to vote – but can any politician make the case for reform without being accused of ‘mugging granny’? Plus: Parliament at its best and worst. From Danny Kruger and William Hague to Hilary Benn, George Galloway and Tom Tugendhat – what makes a truly great Commons speech? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Nigel Farage has resigned as MP for Clacton and will fight a by-election in an attempt to turn questions over his finances into a referendum on ‘the people vs the establishment’. Is this a political masterstroke or a mistake? Has Farage taken back control of the narrative, or will the row over undeclared money continue to plague Reform? Michael and Maddie also discuss whether Dominic Cummings’s prophecy – that the establishment would try to destroy Farage by fair means or foul – has come true. Plus: Prince Harry has suffered a bruising defeat in court against the Mail. What does the ruling tell us about press freedom? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week’s Q&A: as Bridget Phillipson and Kemi Badenoch clash over Labour’s education policy, Michael asks whether he is a ‘spiteful class warrior’ too. He has written before about his scepticism over the charitable status of some of the country’s elite academic institutions, arguing that they should do more to earn it – but does he regret his comments? Also this week: as Britain edges closer to life under Burnham, Michael and Maddie discuss who is really pulling the strings behind the famous black door. What is a chief of staff: a vital part of the machinery of government, or a civil servant with an inflated sense of importance? Plus: Ken, Boris or Sadiq – who will be remembered as the best mayor of London? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

This week: Burnham’s strategy – or lack of one – a ‘number ten of the North’ and why immigration is the real test.What is so wrong with the South: Andy Burnham thinks devolution is the answer to Broken Britain, but does his diagnosis amount to an actionable plan for government? And does his focus on the North come at the expense of some of Britain’s most deprived areas? Michael knows the machinery of levelling up better than anyone and Madeline was in the room as Burnham made his big pitch – they give their verdict. Plus: Shabana Mahmood’s immigration muddle. After a row with junior minister Mike Tapp, the Home Office has announced plans for new safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, modelled on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Watch The Brexit Debate in full at https://www.spectator.com/brexit Ten years on from the Brexit referendum, Britain is far from taking flight. Was Brexit a mistake – or are its promised freedoms simply yet to be realised? With the government unwilling to act boldly, smoothing Brexit’s edges rather than seizing its opportunities, are we quietly edging back into Europe’s embrace? This is a section of our special live event marking ten years since the referendum. Prominent critics of Brexit – barrister and former Conservative MP Dominic Grieve KC, and Spectator columnist Matthew Parris – will propose the motion ‘This house believes Brexit was a mistake’, with leading advocates, former Brexit Party MEP Baroness Claire Fox and Spectator Editor Michael Gove, opposing.

In this special edition of Quite right!, Michael Gove and Rachel Johnson revisit the argument that divided British politics – and their own families – as the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum approaches. Rachel, who campaigned for Remain, gives her verdict on what Brexit has really delivered: not the buccaneering liberation Leavers promised, nor the apocalypse warned of by Project Fear, but something she calls ‘a bit meh’. Michael, makes the case that the benefits of sovereignty are still accumulating – from AI and gene editing to financial services and regulation. Have either of them changed their mind?  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

This week: Keir Starmer’s legacy, Andy Burnham’s next move – and should there be a general election? With the Makerfield by-election just days away, Michael Gove is joined by Rachel Johnson to ask whether an Andy Burnham victory would spell the end of Keir Starmer’s premiership. Could Starmer really fight on – or is the Labour party heading for a regicidal ‘bloodbath’? They discuss Starmer’s record in government, whether Labour has become the ‘welfare party’, and if Burnham could offer the party anything more than a political glow-up. Also on the podcast: Kemi Badenoch’s revival, the threat from Reform, and whether the right is actually ready for a general election. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.