Best of the Spectator The Edition: Trump’s gilded age, the ‘hell’ of polyamory & is Polanski Britain’s Mamdani?
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Nov 7, 2025 
Tim Shipman, Political Editor of The Spectator with insights from D.C., analyzes how Trump's re-election strategies could inform British politics, including Keir Starmer's potential strategies for upcoming elections. Mary Wakefield discusses societal pressures in London, highlighting her piece on the aftermath of the Huntingdon train stabbings. The panel also debates the rising trend of polyamory among millennials and compares Zach Polanski to New York's success story, Mamdani, as a figure who could energize leftist politics in Britain.
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Winning Isn't The Same As Governing
- Winning an election and preparing to govern are different skills that many teams neglect during campaigns.
- Tim Shipman argues Labour focused on winning tactics but lacked a ready plan for running government afterward.
Social Media Shapes International Perception
- Social media amplifies local UK problems to international audiences, shaping foreign perceptions of Britain.
- Americans focus intensely on UK issues because platforms make incidents globally visible and ideologically useful.
Use Decisive Action To Tackle Migration
- Be ruthless and decisive when tackling issues like illegal migration, bypassing lengthy legalism to stop flows quickly.
- Tim Shipman relays that Trump-style blunt action could halt small-boat crossings by targeting traffickers' infrastructure.
