The episode begins with Arsène Wenger and the extraordinary impact he had on English football. Boris and Jason explore how Wenger helped change the way the modern game was managed, bringing new ideas around nutrition, fitness, preparation and player welfare to the Premier League. They discuss his belief in understanding players as individuals, not simply as footballers, and how his attention to their personalities, habits and development helped establish a very different model of management.

From Wenger’s influence, the conversation opens out into a broader discussion about football, its culture and the way the game has evolved, both on and off the pitch. What can football managers learn from other worlds, and how much has the modern game changed as a result of the ideas Wenger introduced?

Finally, the conversa…

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Graham takes us through the issue’s highlights, including a major summer books bonanza, meanwhile over in the sport section, Boris Starling’s looks at what happened to England’s 1966 World Cup heroes.

The issue also features some important reposting concerning the continuing controversy around the Government’s digital ID plans, and David Shipley’s investigation into the crisis at the Atheneum Club.

Henry Hill then walks listeners thought his cover story: is Andy Burnham really the “new Boris Johnson”? Henry examines the striking parallels between the two politicians, from media-driven politics and North-South rhetoric to the promise of devolution without confronting its difficult trade-offs.

Tom, Henry and Graham discuss Burnham’s political honeymoon, the looming realities of his first budget, the prospects of an early general election, Reform UK’s growing strength, and whether the idea of “Manchesterism” has any substance at all.

Read the Summer Double Issue and listen to the full conversation on The Critic Show.

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The conversation explores the modern appeal of Stoicism, its popularity among young men and the danger of reducing ancient philosophy to simplistic lifestyle advice. David explains what figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius and Plutarch can teach us about human nature, politics and virtue, before considering whether today’s renewed interest in the classics will become a lasting cultural revival.

David ends his personal recommendation for your classical reading fix, which is the poet and philosopher Lucretius.

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Boris and Tom also debate Charles Leclerc’s future, Max Verstappen’s place among the sport’s all-time greats, and Fernando Alonso’s remarkable determination to keep competing into his mid-forties despite Aston Martin’s difficult season.

No conversation is complete without a look to the future, and the pair then take a look at Formula One’s next generation, focusing on teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli and the changing landscape of driver development.

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Seb gives listeners an insider explanation on explains how the unit operates, and the intricacies of the counter-terrorism and national security, why Freedom of Information requests so often hit a wall.

The podcast explores how, increasingly, journalists, PR agencies and government departments can end up working together to manage political fall out by bending the truths we live by.

The conversation ranges from the 2014 Sun front page on Islamic State to family statements after recent killings, the response to Manchester Arena, Martin’s Law, social media regulation, and the wider collapse of trust in British institutions. They also discuss why big, archaic institutions in Britain …

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The podcast explores Labour’s long miscalculation over communal voting, and whether Britain risks importing the kind of entrenched bloc politics seen in Northern Ireland. They also discuss what this fragmentation could mean for the next general election, and what is being done to prevent further corruption.

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Henry and Daniel discuss why South African wine has changed so dramatically in recent years, from the dull pub reds and insipid whites of old to some of the most exciting bottles now being made anywhere in the world. They explore the country’s new generation of winemakers, the rise of serious Chenin Blanc and Cinsault, and why South Africa offers such remarkable value compared with Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne.

Together they taste three wines: a textured Sauvignon Blanc from Hazendal, a fuller, food-friendly Pinot Noir rosé, and a sensational old-vine Cinsault from Darling. Expect sharp opinions, good stories, and plenty of enthusiasm for a country whose wines are firmly on the up.

Frost challenges the familiar claim that voters were misled in 2016, arguing instead that Brexit was always about Britain’s right to govern itself from Westminster rather than Brussels.

Frost warns that unless the Right makes the case for national independence again, Britain risks becoming a rule-taker without ever formally rejoining. Plus, Graham gives a preview of the July issue of The Critic, from the Home Office’s secretive messaging machine to politics, culture, music and more.

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Boris and Jack also explore the tactics, team dynamics and brutal mountain stages that could decide the race, as well as the Tour’s changing identity — from its French roots to its increasingly global, corporate future.

Their is also an inevitable question that still hangs over the sport as performance becomes more and more enhanced: can fans trust what they are watching?

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They ask whether Britain has become a zero-sum economy, why younger voters no longer feel capitalism is delivering for them, and whether any political party has a credible way out.

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Henry and Olivia taste a mountain-fresh Pinot Grigio from Friuli, a pale but flavour-packed Provence rosé, and a joyful Fleurie from Beaujolais, all ideal for summer drinking, barbecues, light lunches and long evenings.

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To order the delicious wines Olivia and Henry are drinking, follow the link below:

https://thecritic.co.uk/wine-club/

The conversation then widens into the politics of rural Britain: family farm tax, land use, net zero, shooting, fishing, housing, private property and the failure of successive governments to take the countryside seriously. Butler argues that rural communities are tired of being treated as a political football, while Tom asks whether the battle over hunting has become part of a deeper fight over civil liberties, land ownership and the future of the political right.

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In our medicated society, the contraceptive pill and SSRIs are ever more common — but what are their effects on mental health, relationships, libido and fertility, as well as their possible role in wider demographic trends and declining birth rates?

Our alpha males also touch on the political Left, asking why countercultural politics continue to attract people seeking meaning, identity and a sense of excitement in an increasingly fragmented society.

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Britain has moved from a state that invests in its future to one increasingly dominated by pensions, welfare and benefits. Since the 1970s, public spending has shifted dramatically: investment in infrastructure has fallen, while entitlement spending has soared. The result, he says, has been collapsing productivity, stagnation and a country less able to build, grow or renew itself.

Are Britain’s present problems are downstream of decades of poor statecraft, weak leadership and bad policy decisions? Watch to find out.

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Dominic argues that it is better to see the United States not as a settled European-style nation state, but as a perpetually evolving republic whose moments of upheaval, from Andrew Jackson to Donald Trump, are a continuation of the dynamism it has always possessed, rather than a sign of impending collapse.

On British foreign policy, as tensions in the Gulf continue to alternate between uneasy hostility and all-out war, Britain must reconcile its increasingly uncertain position between Washington and Brussels. Does Britain risk sinking its alliance with the United States in pursuit of a stagnant European project?

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Comparing the Navy of decades past with the Navy we have today, one must ask: how did civil servants, bureaucrats and government bring about its decline? This inevitably leads to the question of the efficacy of the civil service, whether we have too many bureaucrats in the modern world despite huge technological advances, and how people were paid then compared with how the system works now.

What did statesmen of the past understand about power, defence and Britain’s place in the world that politicians today do not?

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Comparing the Navy of decades past with the Navy we have today, one must ask: how did civil servants, bureaucrats and government bring about its decline? This inevitably leads to the question of the efficacy of the civil service, whether we have too many bureaucrats in the modern world despite huge technological advances, and how people were paid then compared with how the system works now.

What did statesmen of the past understand about power, defence and Britain’s place in the world that politicians today do not?

For the full premium episode, head over to:

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Like the soothsayers of old, politicians use polling in all sorts of mysterious ways, making claims that may not always stack up with reality. This is how they can claim momentum even when their parties remain unpopular. In unrelated matters, they also discuss Kemi Badenoch and the wider challenges facing the Conservatives.

What are the limits of polling? In particular, what happens when policies that sound popular in theory crash into reality when put into practice?

In an ever more politically volatile world, we also now have increasingly idiosyncratic voters, whose views often cut across party lines. They might back Reform on some issues while favouring the Greens on others. What does that mean for modern British politics?

We hope you enjoy this episode, and don’t forget to subscribe at www.outpoststudios.net

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Like the soothsayers of old, politicians use polling in all sorts of mysterious ways, making claims that may not always stack up with reality. This is how they can claim momentum even when their parties remain unpopular. In unrelated matters, they also discuss Kemi Badenoch and the wider challenges facing the Conservatives.

What are the limits of polling? In particular, what happens when policies that sound popular in theory crash into reality when put into practice?

In an ever more politically volatile world, we also now have increasingly idiosyncratic voters, whose views often cut across party lines. They might back Reform on some issues while favouring the Greens on others. What does that mean for modern British politics?

For the full episode, go to:

https://www.outpoststudios.net/p/why-we-poll-e78

In the glass, the focus is on three Spaniards. First, a deeply coloured rosado from Toledo, made with Tempranillo and Garnacha, offering bright berry fruit, refreshing acidity, and a more structured, food-friendly style than the pale Provençal norm. Next, a white Rioja that balances citrus freshness with subtle oak influence, providing a compelling and affordable alternative to white Burgundy, before the pair delve into a Rioja Crianza, which delivers ripe fruit, soft tannins, and classic notes of spice and coconut from American oak.

Join Henry and Laura as they take you through Spain’s reputation for outstanding value, the diversity of rosé styles, and the endur…

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