Quite right!: Trump, Greenland and the special relationship 'myth'
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.3 • 826 Ratings
🗓️ 21 January 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
To hear the full episode, search Quite right! wherever you are listening now.
This week: Michael and Maddie ask whether the so-called special relationship between Britain and the United States has finally reached breaking point. As Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland and his reversal on the Chagos Islands unsettle allies, has the British right begun to turn decisively against him? Was the special relationship ever more than a comforting myth – and what does a more erratic, transactional America mean for Britain’s security, sovereignty and strategic future?
Then: Robert Jenrick’s dramatic defection to Reform UK. Was his exit from the Conservatives a naked career move, or a genuine ideological break forged by failure on migration and borders? And does his defection strengthen Reform’s claim to be a serious insurgent force – or expose the growing risk of a destructive civil war on the right that ultimately benefits Keir Starmer?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, visit spectator.co.uk/quiteright.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, this is Madeline Grant, host of Quite Right alongside Michael Gove. |
| 0:04.3 | If you want to hear the latest episode of Quite Right in full, then you can do so on its dedicated podcast channel. |
| 0:10.1 | Just search Quite Right wherever you are listening now. |
| 0:13.1 | Listeners on the best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of our discussions, |
| 0:17.0 | but for the full thing, please seek out the Quite Right channel. |
| 0:20.3 | While you're there, click the follow button to never miss an episode. |
| 0:23.5 | And why not give us a rating and review? |
| 0:25.4 | It really helps us out. |
| 0:26.9 | Happy listening. |
| 0:33.1 | Hello and welcome to Quiet Right. |
| 0:35.2 | I'm Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator. |
| 0:37.9 | And I'm Madeleine Grant, assistant editor and parliamentary sketchwriter at The Spectator. |
| 0:41.7 | And this week we'll be talking about Trump and the special relationship. |
| 0:45.0 | Is it now the case that the big orange man has behaved in such a provocative fashion |
| 0:49.3 | that we have to fundamentally reassess Britain's relationship with America? |
| 0:53.9 | And also, the latest reform defections. that we have to fundamentally reassess Britain's relationship with America. |
| 0:58.1 | And also, the latest reform defections. |
| 1:01.7 | Andrew Rosendell, Rob Jenrick, and perhaps a mystery man or woman from Labour. |
| 1:04.7 | What does that tell us about the state of British politics and the viability of a conservative alternative to Kirstearnan? |
| 1:16.5 | Thank you. alternative to Keyers-Donna. Well, this week, Maddie, it's been, in the words of Christopher Hill, the world turned |
| 1:20.6 | upside down, because we've had, over the course of the last seven days, the most significant |
| 1:26.4 | defection of a conservative to reform |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Spectator, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Spectator and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.