The Edition: Running on empty

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The Spectator

News Commentary, News, Daily News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2021

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this week’s episode: is Boris Johnson running on empty or is a weak opposition giving him the momentum he needs? Kate Andrews asks in her cover story this week if Boris Johnson’s government has run out of ideas – as well as petrol. Katy Balls also writes in the magazine that the opposition seems unable to take advantage of the government’s failures. Katy and Kate join William on the podcast to give their takes on the state of both parties. (00:51)

Also this week: what is behind China’s latest crackdown on cryptocurrency? Ian Williams writes in this week’s Spectator that the CCP’s latest move to criminalise anyone dealing in cryptocurrency is to clear the decks for China’s new, state-sanctioned digital currency. He along with George Magnus, author of Red Flags, Why Xi’s China is in jeopardy speak on the podcast about Beijing’s crypto future. (14:15)

And finally: are the Marvel movies – good? Love them or hate them, these superhero blockbusters have dominated the box office for more than a decade and have redefined pop culture. They may not have received particularly positive reviews in the Spectator over the years, but Rosie Millard has jumped to their defence in the magazine’s lead arts feature this week. She guests on the podcast to try and convince William to give Marvel a chance. (26:18)

Hosted by William Moore

Produced by Sam Holmes

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is sponsored by Canacord Genuity Wealth Management, award-winning wealth managers who go above and beyond to support and guide you.
0:09.2	Visit can-dowealth.com to start building your wealth with confidence.
0:25.2	Hello and welcome to the edition podcast from The Spectator.
0:31.9	Every week we take a look at some of the most important and intriguing stories from the issue and the writers behind them.
0:35.1	I'm William Moore, the Spectators Features Editor.
0:40.4	This week is Boris Johnson running on empty or is a weak opposition giving him the momentum he means?
0:41.6	Plus, what's behind China's latest crackdown on cryptocurrency?
0:46.5	And finally, are the Marvel movies good, actually?
0:51.1	First up, as the Tories head to Manchester for Party Conference in the middle of the
0:55.4	country's fuel crisis, Kate Andrews asks in her cover story this week if Boris Johnson's
1:01.0	government has run out of ideas as well as petrol. Katie Balls also writes in the magazine
1:07.1	that the opposition seems unable to take advantage of the government's failures.
1:12.3	Katie and Kate join me now to assess the state of both parties.
1:17.2	Kate, you start your piece with a depressingly long list of crises hammering the country right now,
1:23.4	but despite all of them, the Prime Minister's position in the polls doesn't seem to be too affected.
1:28.2	Why do you think that is?
1:29.8	Well, as Katie's excellent piece in the magazine explains this week, the opposition is so
1:34.9	woeful and so busy fighting with itself that there isn't any major opposition in the UK right now,
1:41.5	certainly not in England.
1:43.1	I suppose you could argue that Nicholas Sturgeon
1:44.7	continues to give Boris Johnson a headache for a very different reason. But the piece is highlighting
1:49.3	that it won't necessarily take a strong Labor Party to do the government real damage, because when
	...

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