The spiked podcast

James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners and pollster, breaks down surprising Gorton and Denton by-election shocks. He unpacks the Green landslide, Labour’s collapsing heartland support, Reform UK’s prospects, faith-driven voting patterns, and how smaller right-wing parties are faring. Multiple short takes on what these results mean for British politics moving forward.

Rakib Ehsan, columnist on British Muslim political behaviour and local electoral dynamics. He discusses the Greens' shock by-election win and Labour’s collapse. He explores how Gaza and local grievances shifted Muslim voters, the use of Urdu outreach and identity campaigning, and the risks of concentrated bloc voting for future politics.

Philip Patrick, journalist and lecturer at Sophia University in Tokyo, unpacks Sanae Takaichi’s rise and political persona. He discusses her public image as a dynamic first female leader. He explores immigration as a heated issue, her hawkish stance on China and Taiwan, and bold economic moves like tax cuts and AI investment. He also draws lessons for Western politicians.

Joanna Williams, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers on the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the plot to kill Manchester’s Jews and Keir Starmer's war on democracy Watch the second half of the discussion on spiked podcast: unlocked – our weekly bonus podcast, exclusively for spiked supporters – here: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We need to talk about immigration, says novelist Lionel Shriver. Mass migration is fundamentally changing our societies and fuelling a monumental political backlash, yet is still near impossible to discuss openly and frankly. Here, she sits down with spiked’s Fraser Myers to talk about her new novel, A Better Life, which explores America’s migrant crisis through the lives of a New York family who come to regret opening their home to an unvetted stranger. Lionel and Fraser also discuss the left’s warping of language to excuse illegal migration, the decadence and decline of Western society, and how she managed to get her book published in our censorious climate. Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/     Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aberdeen is at the coalface of Britain’s Net Zero catastrophe. Around 400 workers in the North Sea oil and gas sector are being laid off every fortnight. The dismantling of one of Scotland’s leading industries has come at a staggering social and economic cost. And yet, Ed Miliband, Britain’s eco-zealous energy secretary, is turning a blind eye to the devastation around him. Here, Nick Tyrone – author of Cliff Edge and researcher at the Jobs Foundation – warns that without an immediate and drastic change of course, oil and gas workers will become the coal miners of the 21st century, condemned to joblessness, poverty and welfare dependency. Industry in Aberdeen, he fears, will be left broken beyond repair by Miliband’s green diktats. Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/     Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pedro Sánchez’s Spain has become a testing ground for all the worst woke ideas. His ‘progressive’ coalition has embraced trans ideology and gender self-identification. It is planning to grant legal residency to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. Meanwhile, two fatal train crashes in short succession point to the government’s corruption, nepotism and negligence. Yet criticising these failings could soon get a lot more difficult, as ministers are mulling a total ban on X, Elon Musk’s free-speech platform, as part of a crackdown on dissenting speech. Here, Barcelona-based journalist Maria Reglero warns that freedom and democracy are on the line. Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/     Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dolan, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers on the small-boats crime wave, Keir Starmer’s stay of execution and the witch-hunting of Jim Ratcliffe. Watch the second half of the discussion on spiked podcast: unlocked – our weekly bonus podcast, exclusively for spiked supporters – here: https://www.spiked-online.com/podcast-episode/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-and-the-drag-queen/ Sign up today for your £1-a-month trial with Shopify and start selling today: https://shopify.co.uk/spiked  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cindy Yu, columnist and contributing editor at The Times and The Sunday Times, analyzes Xi Jinping’s recent military purge and what it signals about his hold on power. She discusses the PLA’s experience limits, risks to Taiwan and possible timelines. Cindy also covers how US strategy and trade tensions are reshaping global hedging and outlines a measured UK approach to China.

Albie Amankona, broadcaster and commentator, joins to dissect the Mandelson scandal and its threat to Starmer's standing. They debate alleged market-info leaks, New Labour's sleaze legacy and the political fallout timeline. The conversation also tackles pro-Iran sympathies at UK protests and Spain's sweeping migrant regularisation and its European ripple effects.