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Hello, I'm Sam Holmes and welcome to Spectator Out Loud. Every week, a few of our favorite writers read their pieces from the latest issue.

This week, we'll hear from Katie Balls on the Political Power of Angela Rainer,

Lionel Shriver on the unscientific divides between the vaxed and unvaxed,

and Nick Newman looks at the differences between British and American cartooning.

First up, Katie Balls.

Almost no MP has emerged with dignity from the sleaze debacle of the past three weeks.

Boris Johnson's botched attempt to spare Owen Patterson a 30-day suspension has badly damaged his credibility with his own party.

The 2019 intake of Red Ball MPs have turned on the Old Guard, accusing their colleagues of damaging the party's

reputation for outside interests. Opposition leaders have struggled to capitalise on Tory disarray.

Ed Davies's £78,000 a year job as a consultant, has let him out of the debate, and Kia Starmer has

faced questions over his outside earnings for legal work.

But there is one politician who suffers from none of these problems, Angela Raina.

Instead, Labour's deputy leader has emerged as the government's tormentor in chief.

She's the most potent attack dog, says one senior Tory.

Rainer's supporters say her background gives her an air of authenticity in the second jobs

row. She left school pregnant age 16 and worked as a care worker and trade union representative

before entering politics. For her, the 82,000 pound MP's salary is not a hardship

that needs to be supplemented. It's the most

she has earned in her life, just that it is far more than most voters can expect to earn in theirs.

Her anger over outside interest seems genuine. When Stama gave a speech announcing plans

to press the Tories on second jobs, he felt the need to bring Raina in as his

...