Michael Simmons

Illegal tobacco is estimated to cost the UK around £2 billion a year in lost tax revenue, while undercutting legitimate retailers and providing a lucrative market for organised crime. Sarah Connor, UK director of communications at JTI, Rohan Pike, an international illicit trade expert and former police officer, and Andrew Boff, Conservative chair of the London Assembly, join The Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons to discuss how illegal tobacco is affecting Britain’s high streets.

Andy Burnham has won what may come to be seen as the most consequential by-election in recent memory. Political journalism has a tendency towards hyperbole, but the situation is clear: Burnham is on his way to Westminster with significant backing to take on Keir Starmer; he has proved that he can beat Reform on a ‘stop Starmer’ ticket and will now look to translate that message nationally; he also appears to have united the left behind him, with the Lib Dems and Greens barely registering in Makerfield. Meanwhile, the right is splintered. Reform’s momentum has been seriously dented, while the Tories have been buoyed by a welcome by-election victory in Aberdeen South.

Keir Starmer has announced his plans to ban social media for under 16s in Britain. The ban is due to come in early next year and include all main social media apps. Age-recognition and digital ID checks will be used to keep children away from social media. But when it comes to child safety, will it make a difference? And what are the unintended consequences of a ban? Michael Simmons challenges The Spectator's John Power. This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lisa Haseldine reports from Armenia; Michael Simmons argues neoliberalism has never really been tried; Patrick Smith explains why he takes frog poison; and finally, Toby Young wonders why Nigel Farage cares if he has been banned from Desert Island Discs. Plus: the Reform UK leader reveals – exclusively to James Heale – what he would choose if he went on the show. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

In PMQs today, Kemi Badenoch strategically chose not to talk about the Henry Nowak case given the sensitivity surrounding the subject. Instead she opted for welfare – asking the PM why spending has grown during Labour's government. A statistic some Labour MPs seemed proud of... Nigel Farage however didn’t hold back and clashed with Keir Starmer over the police's handling of the murder of student Henry Nowak. Oscar Edmondson is joined by Noa Hoffman and Michael Simmons.

More than 600,000 16 to 24-year-olds are neither in work nor looking for a job. Youth worklessness is now costing Britain £125 billion a year – almost double the country’s entire defence budget. Those are the findings of Alan Milburn’s new review into youth worklessness, who warns that the UK is facing an ‘urgent national crisis’. But is it already too late? Noa Hoffman is joined by James Heale and Michael Simmons to discuss.