The Spectator's prestigious, economic, Innovator of the Year award in partnership with InvestTech

and now in their sixth year. Wherever you're based in the UK, we can't wait to hear about the

success of your business and the impact you're making on the economy and society in 2023.

Applications are now open and will close June 16th. To learn more and apply please visit

spectator.co.com.uk forward slash innovator. Hello and welcome to Spectator out loud. Each

week we choose three pieces from the magazine and ask their writers to read them aloud.

I'm Oscar Edmondson and on the podcast this week.

James Heel reads his politics column on the runners and riders up for the Conservative nomination for Mayor of London.

Paul Wood discusses how Saudi Arabia bought the world.

And Hermione Air reads her arts lead on the woman who pioneered colour photography.

Up first, James Heel.

London faces its seventh mayoral election next year,

and, yet again, the Tories are having trouble finding a suitable candidate.

The publication this week at the final shortlist,

Susan Hall, Daniel Korski and Mazamo

Hussein, was accompanied by accusations of stitch-ups, counterclaims and legal threats

between two of the defeated candidates. Sique Kahn's aides have enjoyed watching it all play out.

Labour leads in London by a whopping 40 points, so Tory victory next May is unlikely, but still

not impossible. Air quality in the

once smoggy capital is the cleanest it's been for centuries, but Kahn has declared a pollution

emergency. He's introduced new taxes on drivers as part of the year's expansion, something which

his critics claim is tantamount to a war on motorists. Tories hope the expansion is unpopular

...