The Telegram Podcast

Lively topical debate from the columnists and bloggers of The Telegraph.

Turning down the heat in Gaza

As civil war continues in Syria and a caliphate burst into existence in Iraq, suddenly all eyes are on Israel. Israeli citizens have been murdered; bombs rain down on Gaza. We ask, how has this tragic situation come about and what can both sides do to bring it to a conclusion.

07-10
24:18

What can the West do to help in Iraq?

Tim is joined by the Telegraph's Con Coughlin and Andrew Critchlow to discuss what the West can do to help the crisis-stricken country. Also, Tim talks to Lord Saatchi and Charles Moore about the legacy of Lady Thatcher.

06-19
24:35

How do you teach schoolchildren to be more British?

How do you teach British schoolchildren to be more British? On this week’s podcast, Toby Young and Janet Daley discuss the alleged Trojan Horse plot to Islamise Birmingham schools. How could it happen and what can be done (as Ofsted advised) to integrate those children into our multicultural society? Janet Daley argues that that the schools’ ethos was actually a little too “multicultural” – that our liberal obsession with saying all cultures are equal risks betraying a generation of Muslim children. And on a completely different note, Ed Cumming talks to Tim Stanley about the muscular rise of the spornosexual. Tim and Ed both take male grooming very seriously, but argue that selfie narcissism might be a step workout too far…

06-12
19:03

Two Lib Dems walk into a pub...

This week Tim is joined by Benedict Brogan, Damian Thompson, Mark Littlewood and Philip Johnston. Topics covered: exactly how tragic are Clegg & friends and should politicians start hitting the bottle again?

06-05
25:22

Is it time for Labour to panic?

On Monday night the Tories pulled ahead of Labour in the polls for the first time in two years. Constantly banging on about the cost of living crisis and renationalising public services don't resonate with the British public as much as a growing economy, it seems. Last week, Ed Miliband boasted about his superior "intellectual self-confidence", but as Benedict Brogan asked on his blog, is the Labour leader simply oblivious to the perilous situation he's in? And what about next week's European elections? Once trailed as the moment that David Cameron would lose control of his party, could a poor showing for Labour turn out to be the final nail in Mr Miliband's coffin? Is it over for Labour? Has Ed got it wrong? Or is this all a temporary blip? This week, Tim will talk about the future of socialism with our Labour specialist Dan Hodges, the Telegraph's political guru Benedict Brogan and the editor of the Spectator, Fraser Nelson.

05-15
19:11

Has the idle West let Putin win?

This week Tim is joined by David Blair and Con Coughlin to discuss if the West has to guts to impose sanctions that would hurt the Russian economy. The audio is taken from a live Google hangout. Apologies for the quality.

05-01
27:19

Why is Ukip still stealing Conservative voters?

Why are the Eurosceptics still flocking to Farage and preparing to humiliate the Tories in next month's European elections? This week Tim is joined by Benedict Brogan, Louise Mensch and Dominic Raab. Note: this recording is from a live Google Hangout. Apologies for the compromised audio quality.

04-17
25:40

Ding dong, Maria Miller's gone: crisis management in an age of permanent crisis

Maria Miller has resigned. After the public's patience ran out, David Cameron finally pulled the plug on his Culture Secretary – only to write a letter of condolence saying that he hopes some day she'll return to frontbench politics. The voters may feel different. We ask Charles Moore what the scandal tells us about Mr Cameron's quixotic leadership style, which Charles says suffers from a lack of Thatcher-style vision. John McTernan, a former Blairite enforcer, tells us how a crisis should be handled by Number 10. And Iain Martin ponders if the PM is out of touch. Also: it's our birthday! After one year of podcasts, we try to look back at some of the highlights of the last 12 months, but instead argue about Doctor Who, Pope Francis and Nigel Farage.

04-10
35:37

Afghanistan: As the West leaves, will the Taliban take its place?

We're joined this week by Conservative MP Rory Stewart and the Telegraph's Rob Crilly and Colin Freeman

04-03
23:15

Wedding bells or alarm bells? What gay marriage says about modern Britain

As of this Saturday, British gay couples will be able to get married. Finally, they've won the right to be as miserable as the rest of us. In this week's Telegram we ask why this extraordinary social change has come about with so little protest. Graeme Archer, Father Andrew Cain and Peter Williams discuss what this means for both society and religion. We also ask crime writer Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls and The Killer Next Door, why we find murderers more interesting than detectives.

03-27
32:29

Assisted suicide: are we on a slippery slope towards death on demand?

In this week's Telegram Lord Tebbit and Tom Chivers debate the moral and practical realities of allowing an individual to decide when their life should end. Lord Tebbit foresees an explosion of financially motivated "suicides", while Tom Chivers insists that with the right safeguards, people should be allowed to die with dignity. Also: Ed Miliband's euro gamble. Dan Hodges and John McTernan argue whether it's Labour or the Tories who are now confused about Europe.

03-13
35:04

How do you deal with a power-hungry bully like Vladimir Putin?

Power corrupts and it has corrupted Vladimir Putin absolutely. As the drama in Ukraine continues, we examine the mind and motivations of the man responsible. Ian H Robertson, Professor in Psychology at Trinity College Dublin and author of The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain, explains how over time the need for power messes with the synapses and induces megalomania. The Professor tells us that the only way the West can get under Vladimir Putin's skin is through practical sanctions. Benedict Brogan and Con Coughlin discuss what those sanctions might look like, and if Britain even has the interest or clout to help resolve this dangerous crisis.

03-06
32:30

Why did the 1970s become a haven for evil?

In this week's Telegram, Jenny McCartney and Iain Martin discuss what it was about the Seventies that created a poisonous alliance between sexual liberation and naive Left-wing politics.

02-27
30:48

Is the West still the moral leader of the world?

The world has a new horror: Ukraine. This week, the Telegram talks to foreign correspondent David Blair in Kiev, where he tells us that the bloodshed and fighting suggests a country on the brink of civil war. Janet Daley and Peter Oborne argue over what the West should do – or if, even, it has the moral responsibility to do anything at all. Peter Oborne warns that we could be involving ourselves in a conflict that is beyond the usual paradigm of good vs evil. Also, Peter joins Peter Stanford to debate the church/state clash over benefits. Can a Christian vote Conservative and still go to Heaven...?

02-20
36:24

Is Edward Snowden a Russian 'useful idiot' just like the Soviet patsies of CND?

Edward Snowden, far from being a heroic whistleblower, was a naive idiot who has handed a propaganda coup to one of the world's nastiest regimes, Putin's Russia. So says Edward Lucas, author of The Snowden Operation

02-13
24:28

Good Nick Clegg; Wicked Nick Clegg. Michael Gove speaks to the Telegram

This week's Telegram is an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with Michael Gove in which the Education Secretary explains his philosophy of history teaching to our resident historian Tim Stanley. If Britain's schools produce Marxist historians – fine. But let them reach that position from an impartial presentation of the facts, says Mr Gove. Meanwhile, asked about Nick Clegg, he says the Deputy PM needs to decide between "Good Nick" on one shoulder, who supports educational reforms, and "Wicked Nick" on the other shoulder, who panders to the enemies of promise in his own party.

02-06
22:42

Tory rebels: Does David Cameron deserve a break?

We're joined this week by Louise Mensch, Peter Oborne, Janet Daley and Robbie Collin

01-30
33:58

Syria: what made Assad's stalemate possible

This week, all eyes are on Syria where the brutal civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Our foreign correspondent, David Blair, explains how the monstrous Bashar al-Assad has managed to cling onto power for so long – and Con Coughlin, the Telegraph's defence editor, unpicks Iran's conspiracy to dominate the region. Also, we bid farewell to one of history's greatest conductors. Harry de Quetteville previews a new Obits podcast with a discussion about the life of Claudio Abbado – an enigmatic musician obsessed with death who offers an insight into the strange, lonely world of the conductor.

01-23
31:44

Naughty Tories; Naughty Movies

The Tories are revolting! We debate with Douglas Carswell and Graeham Archer what the proper role of a Conservative MP should be. Also, the Telegraph's senior movie critic Robbie Collin and our arts editor Sarah Crompton talk obscenities.

01-16
25:53

Misery in Britain; panic in France: welcome to 2014

We're joined this week by Jeremy Warner, Ed Howker, Benedict Brogan and Anne-Elisabeth Moutet.

01-09
30:34

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