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Hello and welcome to Spectator Out Loud.

Each week we choose some of our favourite pieces from the magazine and ask their writers to read them aloud.

I'm Patrick Gibbons and on this week's podcast, as the first issue under his new editorship, Michael Gove discusses his plans for the spectator. Following the agreement between

the British government and Mauritius over the sovereignty of the Chegos Islands, Max

Jeffrey heads to Crawley to meet some of the Chagosians based here in the UK. Pushing back on

Sam Altman of Open AI, Christopher Howes reads his ode to lamp lighting.

Robert Jackman declares that he's seen the future of live arts at the Las Vegas sphere.

And finally, Mark Mason provides his notes on the joy of swearing.

Up first, Michael Gove.

Shortly after Boris Johnson was selected as the Conservative candidate for Henley,

he invited me to lunch at The Spectator.

It was, he said, to be an intimate affair.

The magazine's then proprietor, Conrad Black,

had made it known that he expected Boris to stand down as editor,

now that he, Boris, was embarking on a political career.

Speculation as to who might succeed him was intense among ambitious young journalists.

And I was one of those at the time who harboured secret hopes.

Was this invitation from Boris a sign of favour?

...