Quite right!: is Labour 'racist' too?

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4.4 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 27 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 report from the Labour party conference in Liverpool and unpick Keir Starmer’s big speech. Was his attempt to reclaim patriotism for Labour a genuine statement of values – or a clumsy exercise in stereotypes about steelworkers, chip shops and football nostalgia? And why does Labour’s attack line on Nigel Farage risk sounding like political ‘nuclear warfare’ that could backfire outside the conference hall? And what about the Tories? With Labour bringing the fight to the Reform party, where does this leave Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives ahead of their conference later this week?

They then turn to Donald Trump’s extraordinary new Middle East peace initiative. With Benjamin Netanyahu on board and Tony Blair drafted into the proposed ‘peace board’, is this a serious diplomatic breakthrough or a surreal ‘fever dream’ that only Trump could cook up?

Next, another peace proposal doomed to fail: Emma Watson’s attempt to reconcile with J.K. Rowling after years of public estrangement. Was Watson’s olive branch an act of goodwill or a late recognition that the cultural tide has turned? And why did Rowling’s sharp response strike such a chord with women who felt abandoned during the height of the trans debate?

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	They did it again. Flower, instead of flowers, on my birthday. And 95 minutes late, but it's hard to leave when you've shared so much. Your postcode, your gluten intolerance. Then I saw it. 25% off your first Akado shop, plus free delivery. And I just knew I'd found the online supermarket of my dreams.
0:21.8	Arcado, Life Delivered.
0:23.5	Geographical restrictions, mined spend 60 pounds and charges apply.
0:26.7	Max saving 20 pounds, new customers only, terms at Accardo.com.
0:32.1	This is Madeline Grant, host of Quite Right alongside Michael Gove.
0:36.0	If you want to hear the latest episode of Quite Right in full,
0:39.0	then you can do so on its dedicated podcast channel. Just search Quite Right wherever you are listening
0:44.1	now. Listeners on the best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of our discussions,
0:49.0	but for the full thing, please seek out the Quite Right channel. While you're there,
0:52.9	click the follow button to never miss an episode.
0:55.3	And why not give us a rating and review?
0:57.4	It really helps us out.
0:59.0	Happy listening.
1:06.2	Hello and welcome to Quite Right.
1:08.7	I'm Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator.
1:11.0	And I'm Madeleine Grant, assistant editor and parliamentary sketchwriter of The Spectator.
1:15.2	This week we've both been in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference. I don't know what Madeline did wrong in a previous life, but she's still there.
1:22.0	I'm in London and we'll be reflecting on what this conference tells us about the central battle in British politics.
1:28.9	And a nightmare for Jeremy Corbyn,
1:31.6	as Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump
1:33.7	meet to declare a peace deal for the Middle East.
1:36.7	And Maddie and I will also be reflecting
	...

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