Quite right!: Blair's ID card dystopia & the 'hell' of conference season
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 23 September 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
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Summary
Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!’ wherever you are listening now.
This week, Michael and Maddie lift the lid on the strange rituals of party conference season and why the ‘goldfish bowl’ reality of a week in Birmingham (or Manchester, or Liverpool) often leaves politicians with ‘PTSD’.
They then turn to the government’s revived enthusiasm for digital ID cards. Is this a sensible fix for illegal immigration – or, as Michael puts it, ‘snake oil rubbed onto an already weak idea’? And why does Tony Blair always seem to be the ghost whispering ‘ID cards’ into Westminster’s ear?
Next, Keir Starmer’s recognition of a Palestinian state: a principled step, or a political stunt designed to placate his backbenchers? Michael and Madeline dissect the backlash, the ‘terrorist chic’ of pop-concert activism, and what this move really says about Labour’s priorities.
Finally, they reflect on the extraordinary words of Erika Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband’s alleged murderer. What does Christian forgiveness look like in an age that prizes vengeance and why do so many secular commentators miss its radicalism?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Oscar Bicket and Matt Miszczak.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, Michael Gove here with the Parish announcement. If you want to hear the latest episode |
| 0:05.3 | of Quite Right in full, then you can do so on its dedicated podcast channel. Just search |
| 0:10.4 | Quite Right wherever you're listening now. Listeners on the best of spectator playlist can enjoy |
| 0:15.3 | a section of our discussions, but for the full thing, please seek out the Quite Right |
| 0:19.8 | channel. And while you're there, click the follow button to never miss an episode. |
| 0:24.1 | And why not give us a rating and review? |
| 0:25.8 | It really helps. |
| 0:27.2 | See you there. |
| 0:33.9 | Hello, I'm Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator. |
| 0:36.4 | And I'm Madeline Grant, assistant editor and parliamentary sketchwriter of The Spectator. |
| 0:40.3 | And welcome to this week's Quite Right, where Maddie and I will be discussing the hell of party conference season. |
| 0:46.4 | We'll also be discussing digital ID cards, great idea or dystopian nightmare. |
| 0:50.9 | And Kirstearner's recognition of a Palestinian state. |
| 0:55.1 | What's got into the guy? |
| 1:00.2 | And finally, after Erica Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, took the extraordinary step of publicly forgiving her husband's killer, we will be discussing the nature of Christian forgiveness. |
| 1:07.4 | Maddie as a sketchwriter, conference, I suppose there's a sort of happy hunting ground, |
| 1:11.8 | because you have politicians who will be on platforms giving speeches, hoping to secure attention. |
| 1:18.3 | But conferences are about far more than just the platform speeches. |
| 1:23.5 | Are the events that you relish? |
| 1:26.8 | Yes, I would say so, because there's greater potential at conference for things to go horribly wrong |
| 1:32.8 | and for things to be out of control of the organisers of the event, however much they try to manhandle their attendees and organise. |
| 1:40.8 | It doesn't really work. |
... |
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