Siva Thangarajah

Earlier this week the world watched in horror as the Notre Dame went up in flames. Although the roof and its spire were lost, the main body of the cathedral survived. So did most of its holy artefacts, and the gleaming, golden cross above the altar – which graces this week’s magazine cover. The outpouring of grief and sympathy around the world – from Christians and atheists alike – showed how beloved the Notre Dame is as a historical and architectural icon. However, Damian Thompson, Spectator Associate Editor and host of the Holy Smoke Podcast, says we must not forget that the Notre Dame is primarily a  Catholic place of worship.

This week we reached a new level of chaos in British politics. With parliament voting down all indicatives vote options, as well as May’s deal for the third time, the Prime Minister was running out of moves. So that's how we find ourselves here: with a Prime Minister reaching out to Jeremy Corbyn. James Forsyth writes in this week’s cover article that the Iraq War, the financial crash, and the expenses scandal may have damaged the public’s faith in their politicians, but the impact of a failure to deliver Brexit will be even worse. The entire process has created an impression of a self-serving enclave of politicians who are interested only in ideological purity – not the interests of the people.

Why is dating not as fun as it used to be? Statistics show that we are having less sex, birth rates are plummeting and surveys indicate our lives are too fast-paced and stressful. In this week's Spectator, Zoe Strimpel, laments that modern dating has misplaced the excitement of meeting someone you connect with – that instant spark – with endless pre-arranged Tinder dates. Zoe joins us for this week’s podcast with Doctor Cath Mercer, a lead scientist with one of the UK’s largest surveys of sexual and romantic lifestyles. They discuss how apps and internet porn have sucked the joy from dating, and advise  how to cut through the noise and meet people you connect with.

It's been a hectic week in Westminster. After the Brady amendment passed on Tuesday, Theresa May finally got a second chance to get her Brexit deal through parliament. But can she persuade the EU to renegotiate? James Forsyth writes in this week’s cover article that there is good reason to think the EU will budge, but persuading Brussels is only one of the challenges May faces. To finally pass her Brexit deal, she might have to reach across the aisle for some Labour votes. And does the 'Jacob Rees-Mogg--Len McCluskey strategy' have any chance of success? James is joined by Peter Foster, the Europe editor of the Telegraph, calling us from the heart of the action in Brussels.