Reality Check

Episódios

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  LIVE | Wealth tax debate: Arthur Laffer vs Aaron Bastani 11.09.2026 32min

  Arthur Laffer, the economist, former adviser to Ronald Reagan and architect of the Laffer Curve, goes head-to-head with journalist and left-wing author Aaron Bastani over one question: should Britain introduce a wealth tax?Chaired by The Spectator’s economics editor and host of the Reality Check podcast, Michael Simmons, they debate whether a wealth tax could raise significant revenue, or simply drive wealth and investment out of the UK.Spectator subscribers can watch the full debate at spectator.com/wealthtax.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Budget 2026: who is left to tax? 30.08.2026 8min

  With two months to go until Andy Burnham and John Healey’s first Budget, speculation about tax rises is already beginning. But how much should we believe?Michael Simmons looks at five facts about Britain’s tax system that should shape the debate – from a tax burden heading towards post-war highs to the surprising reality that taxes on the average worker remain relatively low. And with the wealthy already heavily squeezed, is there really anyone left to tax?This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The ADHD boom: are we medicalising normal behaviour? 25.08.2026 14min

  The backlash to Channel 4’s The Great ADHD Myth has reignited a fierce debate over how we diagnose ADHD – and whether that debate itself is becoming impossible to have.Michael Simmons looks at the extraordinary rise in diagnoses, the gap between recorded cases and underlying prevalence, and asks whether we are increasingly medicalising normal variations in behaviour.Is Britain finally recognising a vast amount of unmet need – or has diagnosis begun to serve a social as well as a medical function?This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Heatwave: the truth about Britain’s water crisis – and what it means for net zero 18.08.2026 17min

  Britain is in the grip of another hot, dry summer, with hosepipe bans in force and fears growing about the country’s water supply. But are we really running out of water?Michael Simmons is joined by Reality Check reporter John Power to explain what is actually behind the shortages, whether Britain needs more reservoirs and why nationalising the water companies may not be the answer. They also ask what the drought tells us about the future of net zero – and how Britain should adapt to a changing climate.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.comBecome a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Britain’s AI problem isn’t data centres – it’s electricity 12.08.2026 24min

  Britain wants to become an AI superpower – but does it have the electricity to power one? Data centres underpin everything from online banking and streaming to artificial intelligence, and demand for them is exploding. The government has designated them as critical national infrastructure and is promising billions of pounds of investment, but Britain’s ageing grid is already struggling to keep up.Michael Simmons asks whether the UK can build enough power stations, transmission lines and substations to support the AI revolution – and what the consequences could be for electricity bills, water supplies and local communities. He is joined by entrepreneur Michael Tobin and American energy journalist Robert Bryce to discuss why Britain needs data centres, the growing backlash against them and whether the country risks being left behind in the global AI race.This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Labour doesn’t understand business and it shows – with Oliver Shah 06.08.2026 22min

  Oliver Shah is a former journalist at The Sunday Times and now runs Newcome Advisory. On this week's Reality Check Oliver and Michael discuss why Labour can't build trust with the businesses, how the National Insurance tax hike was the poison pill for the private sector and whether it is still worth being an entrepreneur in Britain today. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Social care reform: what the sector needs & what it doesn't – with David Goodhart 29.07.2026 23min

  Andy Burnham has launched a major push to overhaul adult social care in England, seeking cross-party consensus for a new National Care Service. He has refused to rule out tax rises to fund the reforms. Michael Simmons speaks to the author and journalist David Goodhart about why social care should be reframed as prevention, whether salaries should be increased in social care and why the public isn't as worried as politicians tend to panic about. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit https://www.alliancewitan.com/Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Could women be the solution to Britain's prison problem? 28.07.2026 19min

  Amid rising backlash over the early prisoner release scheme, Kemi Badenoch has called for emergency legislation to stop the plans going ahead. The new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already halted the plans until a review has been conducted. The situation with prison overcrowding is a ticking timebomb – what options are available? To alleviate the risk, some suggest women should be prioritised as candidates for early release, and women's prisons repurposed. To discuss, Michael Simmons is joined by the CEO of the Prison Reform Trust Pia Sinha. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The real problem behind Britain's homelessness & why Burnham won't fix it 22.07.2026 14min

  Andy Burnham has laid out some of his top policy agendas for his premiership. Top of the list is to tackle homelessness – something the former Manchester mayor pledged to solve in Greater Manchester too, but the numbers have suggested the outcome was otherwise. What really needs to be done to fix homelessness in Britain? And how does his other policy of rent controls work against ending rough sleeping? Michael Simmons takes a look at the data.This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Fact check: Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan 14.07.2026 17min

  Last week, the Joe Rogan Experience podcast released a two-hour interview with Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore party. Was Lowe there merely to create content – or is Restore a serious political party? Some of his statements suggest it’s the former rather than the latter. The Spectator's John O'Neil wrote a piece for the website correcting some of Lowe's claims. He joined Michael Simmons on this week's Reality Check.This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The white working class ceiling, private schools & why Britain's failing – with Joanna Marchong 09.07.2026 27min

  A report has suggested that white working class children are being failed by the education system that is 'not serving in [their] interests'. Burnham blames a lack of aspiration – but does this issue, like many others in Britain really stem from an overbearing state? Michael Simmons is joined by the Head of Communications and External Affairs at Onward, Joanna Marchong to discuss educational outcomes between ethnicities and the private school VAT charge.This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Burnham's bid to bridge the North-South divide 04.07.2026 42min

  Andy Burnham has laid out his plans to 'level up the North'. Something we have heard with almost every Prime Minister pledge to do – but with very little clarity over how this will be achieved and what success looks like. It's true there is a clear divide when it comes to economic outcomes between London and the North. Michael Simmons takes a look at the data and discusses a left-wing levelling up agenda with Ed Shackle Head of Qualitative Research at Public First and Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP and former minister for Levelling up.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Labour's dilemma: is Burnham's economic agenda doomed? 27.06.2026 21min

  With Andy Burnham set to replace Keir Starmer in Downing Street, Michael Simmons and John O’Neill take a look at what kind of economic agenda agenda may lie ahead, who the runners and riders are for Chancellor and why Labour’s economic policies have been so unpopular.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  DEBATE: is Starmer right to ban social media for under 16s? 15.06.2026 16min

  Keir Starmer has announced his plans to ban social media for under 16s in Britain. The ban is due to come in early next year and include all main social media apps. Age-recognition and digital ID checks will be used to keep children away from social media. But when it comes to child safety, will it make a difference? And what are the unintended consequences of a ban? Michael Simmons challenges The Spectator's John Power.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How corporate woke sent Pride broke 11.06.2026 17min

  For years, Pride month has been an unmissable fixture in the corporate calendar. But recently, many of the world’s biggest brands appear to be quietly backing away – toning down campaigns, dropping rainbow logos and retreating from the culture wars. The Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons looks at why corporate Pride is losing its commercial appeal. Is this a genuine shift in public opinion, a fear of consumer backlash, or simply a case of companies deciding that activism no longer pays? Brendan O’Neill also joins the show to discuss what the retreat from Pride says about business, politics and the changing culture of corporate virtue-signalling.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Can you trust your spouse with your finances? Plus Britain's longest divorce. With Alice Wright 04.06.2026 19min

  Nicola Sturgeon has claimed she was deceived by her ex husband Peter Murrell who pled guilty having embezzled tens of thousands of pounds of SNP money. Financial infidelity has become a top reason behind couples divorces. The Times Alice Wright joins Michael Simmons on Reality Check to discuss.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Price caps are pointless – why Reeves is wrong to attack supermarkets 26.05.2026 10min

  The government have rolled back on plans to impose price caps in supermarkets. Was Reeves wrong to go after them for price gouging? Michael Simmons has the data. This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Trump's tariffs & Mamdani's New York – can anything destroy America's economy? 19.05.2026 27min

  Is the US economy immune to harm? It has been tested this year under Trump's trade tariffs, and inflation fears. Kate Andrews, former economics editor of The Spectator now opinion journalist at the Washington Post and host of the Make it Make Sense podcast returns to Spectator TV with Michael Simmons to discuss the US economy, whether Mamdani is as bad as Zack Polanski, Andrew Bailey vs Kevin Warsh the UK's growth figures.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How to revive industrial Britain: SDP leader on British steel, the entitlement state & a Farage pact 14.05.2026 28min

  As Keir Starmer's government implodes, the Prime Minister has outlined his vision to regain support – one of which is to nationalise British steel. Michael Simmons is joined by SDP leader William Clouston to discuss the case for nationalisation, how Britain has become the entitlement state and how the SDP can cut through to the public.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Council budgets are financial black holes – what's the point in voting? 07.05.2026 11min

  May local elections have finally arrived. As 5,066 seats are contested in local councils many are wondering whether there is any point in voting at all. These councils manage budgets worth hundreds of millions of pounds – budgets decided by national government. Given the amount of statutory spending on areas like SEND and care homes, there is very little room for change inside local government. Michael Simmons has the data.This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/ .Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcastsContact us: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.