Hello and welcome to the edition podcast from The Spectator.

Each week, we take a look at some of the most important and intriguing stories from the issue

and the writers behind them.

I'm William Moore, the Spectators Features Editor.

This week, what does the West's new era of big government mean for the future?

Plus, are Britain's tabloids losing their nerve?

And finally, as we enter the third COVID wave,

is it time to look again at our culture's attitude towards death?

First up, in the 1980s, Reagan and Thatcher were united in their support for an era of small government.

40 years on, and it seems that the current president and prime minister also share a

vision for the role of the state, but it's one of big government and even bigger spending.

Our political editor, James Forsyth, writes this week's cover article about this shift and the

reasons behind it. He joins me now with Kate Andrews, the Spectator's Economics correspondent.

James, you start your cover piece by quoting a line from Ronald Reagan, and I'd like to start

this podcast by quoting another. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are,

I'm from the government, and I'm here to help. It seems that for Joe Biden and Boris Johnson, those

words are not quite so terrifying after all. What do you think is driving them towards big

government and big spending? COVID has essentially led to a wartime style response from government.

And I would also suggest a kind of wartime-style response from the electorate.

People wanted the government to be there for the government to do things for them.

And you saw the government paying in this country millions of private sector workers' wages.

I think Kate will correct me on a go around 12 million, I think.

...