Fire at Will

London's famously gloomy weather reflects the national mood. Farmers are marching on Westminster to protest crippling changes to inheritance tax laws. They are one of countless segments of the population that the new Starmer government has alienated in its early days in power. Illegal migrants continue to cross the channel in unprecedented numbers. Journalists are being investigated for thought crimes. And the long-term economic outlook is anemic.  At the same time, the new Trump administration may provide a blueprint for how to shake up a country in decline. The question is, how can we make Britain great again? To help Will with an answer, he is joined by comedian, podcaster and GB News host, Leo Kearse. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

There has been no real, society-wide reflection on the way we responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to reflect on it, because the responses of Western governments were characterised by some of the most flagrant abuses of political power in history. We also witnessed shocking failures in the pharmaceutical industry; all in the pursuit of gigantic profits at the expense of public safety. Fortunately, Naomi Wolf is talking about it. Naomi's most recent, and perhaps most important, contribution to the public debate has been editing the now released collection of papers, collectively called 'The Pfizer Papers – Pfizer's Crimes Against Humanity.' Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. He will be the second President in history to be elected for non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland. Whether you like him or not, Trump has confirmed his position as the most remarkable American political figure of the 21st century.  To discuss what we've just seen, and what is to come, Will is joined by writer and commentator, Melissa Chen. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

In a recent episode with Lord Frost, Will asked him if he was hopeful for the future of the United Kingdom. He acknowledged that it feels doom and gloom in 2024, but that the country has a history of getting itself into difficulties, and then finding the strength to overcome them. It is a great country with great traditions, and we just need to draw on them once again. If the UK is to draw strength from its history, it should talk more about it. There's no one better in the world to have that conversation with than the co-host of the cultural phenomenon that is The Rest Is History podcast, Dominic Sandbrook. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

We are 10 days out from the most important US election of our lifetimes. Of course that's what they always say, but this time it feels like it may just be true. In this special bonus episode, Will chatted to Former White House Press Secretary, and now host of The Sean Spicer Show, Sean Spicer. Sean reflected on the campaign, and gave his prediction for who will win on the 5th of November. And spoiler alert, he thinks he'll win bigly. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Watch The Sean Spicer Show here. [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFB0An_BK5hKadLEI5Q60D4WNEL77D1T2&feature=shared]

The start of a new government sets a tone that is often difficult to change. And the tone of Keir Starmer's first 100 days has been dire, reinforcing a feeling of malaise across the United Kingdom.  To help with his first report card, Will is joined by David Frost, a Conservative member of the House of Lords and previously the Europe adviser to Boris Johnson and his Chief Negotiator for Exiting the EU in 2019 and 2020. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

There are many things that are depressing about the modern culture wars, but none more so than the war on the past. There is a concerted, fierce and increasingly successful effort to not just make us ashamed of our history, but to disconnect us from it entirely. How did this war start, and more importantly, how can it be won by defenders of Western civilisation? To answer these questions, Will is joined by sociologist, author, and commentator Frank Furedi. Frank's new book is titled, "The War on the Past: Why the West Must Fight for its History." Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

In some respects, October 7 and the events that have followed is the continuation of a story that is almost as old as time itself. But in many others, the conflict, and the response to it, has been a reflection of our times. Identity politics, the loss of confidence in western civilisation, the ideological capture of our institutions, the corruption of the media, and the self-flagellating instinct to atone for the sins of the past can all be seen in the response to October 7.  There has been no one better in the world at analysing this conflict through the prism of our contemporary culture than Brendan O'Neill. His new book is titled, "After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel, and the Crisis of Western Civilisation." Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

There is a feeling of pessimism in the UK at present, and it seems to be getting worse each day under the Starmer regime. A sense that the country has forgotten who it is. A feeling of helplessness that things are getting worse. And a rage that leaders on both sides of politics just don't seem to care. Calvin Robinson has, sadly, said enough is enough. With a heavy heart the popular priest and broadcaster moved from his home in England to the US earlier this month. In this conversation with Will, he explains why. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

For many voters, the upcoming US election isn't really about the border, or the deficit, or guns, or healthcare, or abortion. As many pundits have now suggested, it's about the vibes.  It raises an unsettling question: does policy even matter anymore? Is the spin more important than the substance?  There's no one better to answer that question than the Chairman and Co-Founder of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan public affairs firm, Alex Castellanos. Alex is one of the America's best known and most successful media consultants and strategists. He has served as media consultant to seven U.S. Presidential campaigns, and has been credited with the discovery of the "political soccer mum" and called the father of the attack ad. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Comic and GB News Host Nick Dixon was on the show a few weeks ago. He returned the favour by inviting Will on his podcast, "The Current Thing," last week. This podcasting pyramid scheme turned out rather well – it was a fun conversation covering the US election, the latest Churchill controversy, and the Starmergeddon facing Britain.  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Follow "The Current Thing" here [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905].

Talking about Islam is a dangerous business, but talk about it we must. The West is facing a civilisational moment, and tensions between Islamism and Western liberal democracy may well determine its future.  Joining Will in these murky waters is GB News Presenter and the founder of the online video platform Reasoned, Darren Grimes. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Subscribe to Reasoned here [https://www.youtube.com/@Reasoned].

Free speech is under attack all over the Western world, but the assault may be the most sinister in the United Kingdom. Keir Starmer's authoritarian regime seems intent on chipping away at civil liberties until very few remain standing. To discuss the state of free speech in the UK today, Will is joined by journalist, commentator, and the Founder of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Join the FSU here [https://freespeechunion.org/].

It's easy to say that "woke ideology" is a nonsense. It's much harder to say that when your job, your social status, or your friendships may be put at risk by doing so. We need a practical, principled approach to fighting back against wokeism. Enter Helen Pluckrose.  Helen is a political and cultural author and speaker. She is the co-author of 'Cynical Theories', which was book of the year in The Times, Sunday Times and Financial Times. Her latest book, 'The Counterweight Handbook,' is a practical guide to help you survive and defeat critical social justice at school, at work, and beyond. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

The United Kingdom is a great country. It's arguably contributed more to the flourishing of Western civilization than any other. Which is why recent events have left many people heartbroken.  Racially and culturally motivated riots have erupted on British streets, met with a two-tiered policing and judicial response, a crackdown on free speech, and an awful sense that the next five years could see the country change beyond recognition.  At the same time, the United Kingdom has faced dark moments before, and triumphed. Will it do so once again? To help Will answer that question, he is joined by GB News presenter and the co-host of The Weekly Skeptic podcast, Nick Dixon. Please leave Fire at Will a rating and a review in your favourite podcast app! Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Across the Anglosphere, governments on both sides of politics have never been more interested in the personal lives of their citizens. The nanny state thrives from Australia to the United Kingdom, and even in that traditional bastion of freedom, the USA. Christopher Snowdon is the UK's leading warrior against the excesses of the nanny state. He is the Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the author of six books, the editor of the Nanny State Index, and the co-host of the brilliant "Last Orders" podcast from Spiked. Please leave Fire at Will a rating and a review in your favourite podcast app! Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Visit Christopher's website here [https://www.christophersnowdon.com/].

What the mainstream media calls a "conspiracy theory" is often nothing more than an amalgam of incentives hiding in plain sight. Once you see that, the rest becomes pretty obvious. Misaligned incentives are everywhere, and are the root cause of some of our thorniest global challenges. So how can we fix them?  There is no one better qualified to answer that question than Liv Boeree. Liv has one of the world's most interesting CVs. She has a First Class degree in Astrophysics, she has won European Poker Tour and World Series of Poker championship titles, she is a Ted Talk phenomenon, and a successful YouTuber and podcaster. Her podcast 'Win Win', encourages us to understand the good, bad and ugly parts of competition, and find ways to harness the power of game theory to build a more positive-sum world. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

When it comes to conflict in the Middle East, there's the war, and then there's the war about the war. Of course, this isn't new. Caesar was penning war reports in Gaul and sending them back to Rome to win hearts and minds over 2000 years ago. But, back then Caesar could control the narrative.  Today that is almost impossible. Social media, an activist mainstream media, and more sophisticated disinformation techniques have combined with millennia-old prejudices, and made it exceedingly difficult for Israel to communicate why they are fighting, how they are doing, and what still needs to be done.  Eylon Levy has been on the frontline of the war about the war. Eylon is a former Israeli government spokesperson, and International Media Advisor to the President of Israel. He is now co-founder of the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons' Office and host of the State of a Nation podcast.  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

The American experiment is failing. Division, mistrust and misinformation are now the country's defining characteristics. The storming of the Capitol, the prosecution of Donald Trump and battles over gun rights and abortion raise the spectre of further political violence. We often hear that these events are unprecedented. On the contrary, author and journalist Nick Bryant suggests that the hate, divisiveness and paranoia we see today are in fact a core part of America's story. His remarkable new book is titled 'The Forever War: America's Unending Conflict with Itself'. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

Sir Niall Ferguson is arguably the world's greatest living historian. He first pointed out that we're in Cold War II back in 2018. In articles for The New York Times and National Review, Sir Niall tried to show how China now occupies the space vacated by the Soviet Union when it collapsed in 1991. This view is less controversial now than it was then. China is clearly not only an ideological rival; it's also a technological competitor, a geopolitical rival, and a military rival. Sir Niall has recently amended his thesis to something altogether more disturbing. What if, in this new Cold War, the US — and not the Chinese - might be the Soviets?  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]