'We live in febrile times' - Andrew Neil & Rod Liddle on 2023 | SpectatorTV

What a year in politics it has been. 2023 has seen scandals, sackings, arrests and the return of some familiar faces. It’s easy to forget that at the start of the year Nicola Sturgeon was still leader of the SNP!
To make sense of it all is The Spectator's chairman Andrew Neil and columnist Rod Liddle. Will 2024 be the year that we bid farewell to neoliberalism?
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[@garylake1676]

I have always struggled with the term 'populism', it seems to me to be a label that is designed as a derogatory term for people who wish to protect their country from the onslaught of neo-liberalism, where anything goes save for protecting the indigenous population's culture. To give it some context, if Muslims behaved that way, it would be called Islamism, yet you rarely, if never, hear that term.

[@Rosebud100]

I totally agree with you.

[@importantjohn]

Onslaught of neo-liberalism? That's what the socialists claim they are doing. You have bought into left wing propaganda, admittedly probably unwittingly. Populism is an attempt to put forward simple solutions to complex problem. Populism can be left or right. For example, all problems are caused by immigration/wef/Muslims/jews/capitalists/blacks/corporations/globalism/Tories/Labour/old people/young people/1% etc

[@andrewhobson]

Has anybody got a definition ?

[@DJWESG1]

It's certainly directed at those who follow strong men and authoritarians.. make your own mind up if thsts correct or not, however its used in these way due to thousands of years of it being thst way.

[@garylake1676]

@@DJWESG1 populism /ˈpɒpjʊlɪz(ə)m/ noun 1. a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups: I am not sure it has been used for thousands of years,

[@marcusnz232]

If they are not frightened of Sir Kneeler, they certainly should be.

[@fraserbailey6347]

I was about to say exactly the same thing. I am utterly terrified of Starmer.

[@marcusnz232]

I think the problem is that so many are too young to recall the horrors of 1970’s Labour regimes and that’s what Starmer will deliver. We’ve allowed far too great a proportion of the electorate to become dependent on the government and thus dependent on the ever decreasing number of net taxpayers.

[@francesbrown5116]

Thankyou to Andrew Bridgen for fighting for the British people against the WHO treaty .

[@abcd1234....]

The problem is the millions who have no idea any of this is going on brainwashed by msm lies.

[@Sanctified57]

Amen🙏🏼 As for Andrew Neil, almost everything that comes out of his mouth is off beam

[@melvinp1324]

dont forget he pushed the jab !! i have asked him to resign and who ever is handling him - he needs to tell them to Foff - as for these creatures !! they need to F off too - united nations run the uk and the corporsations run UN - time to get rid of voting and these corrupt admins pretending to be MPs

[@DJWESG1]

The WHO is trying to save you from the risk the toryd present in the form of being vile little fascists who would allow a virus to spread for ideological reasons... Hate the WHO by all means, that's up to ypu, bit at least have the self respect to see the risks you face as they are presented to ypu.

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

🤣🤣🤣

[@prrrakrrra]

Andrew Neil cheered this current situation we find ourselves in

[@jimdavis8391]

Andrew Neal was able to forsee and control the future?

[@Sanctified57]

@@jimdavis8391No but Neil certainly can’t

[@Barry-tl3ru]

Neil's a t.o.s.s.e.r.

[@goharikjones7387]

I think people should be scared of Stammer/Labour party.

[@XX-wd9xn]

100%

[@johnoneill9056]

Andrew Neil, great man that he is mention’s everything except record immigration.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

It's a complete blind spot for the wealthy centre Right.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

Completely wrong on Covid.

[@guff9567]

John O'Neil. YOU should re-migrate to Eire

[@johnoneill9056]

@@guff9567 bet you wouldn’t have the guts to say that if I was Asian, you would be done for hate. But I take it in good humour and I wish you well.

[@guff9567]

@@johnoneill9056 So you're clearly in favour of increasing record immigration then?

[@BigBenn2014]

We saw Andrew Neil’s inner ‘camp guard’ appear during covid.

[@doodlebrighton124]

I'd hoped that we'd heard the last from Andrew ' It's time to punish the unvaccinated' Neil but he keeps popping back up, ruining Spectator TV like an unflushed turd swirling around the bottom of the bowl.

[@Maggiemay1942]

Find it difficult to stomach Neil after his Covid stance. In the rogues gallery with a host of other high profile "influencers".

[@nicholascooper1092]

Oh well that’s it. I don’t agree on a subject so his views are not worth knowing. Cancel idrology

[@evolassunglasses4673]

​@@nicholascooper1092it was the issue of our generation. A virus that on average may contribute to someone's death around 84 years old, with 2 3 4 or more underlying health problems. The government locked down the country for 2 years. Mainstream media didn't even question it. In years to come people will never believe it.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

I think many people do. He should not be allowed to forget his past comments on that subject.

[@paulgibbons2320]

its getting harder to be on the right side of history.

[@SimonWallwork]

Happy Christmas to all three of you- and your hands that have never done a days work.

[@timcomley5948]

Another expert

[@crulove]

I think Sunak would be an OK PM in prosperous and easy times, for example in 2015 when Cameron got a majority. However Britain faces numerous extreme problems due to years of poor leadership and Sunak has zero ideas to tackle these and instead pursues bizarre policies like banning smoking. The Tory Party is dead and needs to be replaced.

[@jimdavis8391]

Most of them belong in the soggy biscuit known as the 'Libdems'.

[@IJustFartedPoo]

That’s like saying Jimmy Saville would run a good nursery school if there weren’t any children in it ffs 😂

[@avimbo]

Rod ❤

[@ZeldaKid5000]

Rod 🤮

[@freebornjohn2687]

Rod says "its all very interesting" for most people "its all very depressing".

[@ZeldaKid5000]

You're telling me a man prosecuted for assaulting a pregnant woman and one who has routinely called gay people unnatural is not on the pulse of British politics? Shocking I say, just shocking

[@gomperhooblet]

​@@ZeldaKid5000Unnatural: 'contrary to the ordinary course of nature'

[@ZeldaKid5000]

@@gomperhooblet Guess we just dreamed the hundreds of reported cases of homosexuality amongst animals, and the fact people are immutably gay, straight or bi. Being gay is natural, to suggest otherwise is not only bigoted but straight up false.

[@chrisgibson4140]

‘It doesn’t matter what they do.’ They don’t do anything; talking making claims, isn’t action.

[@IainFrame]

4:02 "I consider Rishi Sunak... a competent man". What? Competent at what? Grinning? The man is a vacuous shell and the every epitome of a modern politician.

[@jimdavis8391]

He is a lesser human being than you? Less compassionate? Less earnest? Less meaningful? I think he's a decent enough bloke, with few or no tools at his disposal to fix the economy. Labour will be worse. After they have destroyed us and the vultures have gone, perhaps something can grow.

[@IainFrame]

@@jimdavis8391 I didn't say he was a lesser *human being* than me or anyone else. I questioned his competence.

[@morsmagne]

@@jimdavis8391 To be the leader of a country you need to be exceptional. Sunak managed to bypass the primary selection processes, and what we have is a man who is sub-par PM material. We not asking Sunak to be 'normal', we expect him to be outstanding out of the gate.

[@jimdavis8391]

@morsmagne Ideally yes, Sunak is a place keeper there to tread water though. Much like May was, even Honest John. Truth is nobody wants to run this country, at the same time anybody that does will go down very badly with portions of the electorate. A pluralist, consensual government that is vaguely effective is now all but impossible.

[@morsmagne]

@@jimdavis8391 The fundamental problem is that the real power is with the companies (and unions) who have money and lobby governments. This means that after an election, every political party completely forgets the electorate until the year before a general election. However, this year I think the government have really taken the piss with regards to immigration. Basically, they got into bad habits.

[@lmg7503]

Vote for Reform

[@TheTonylewis365]

But how can anybody in all sincerity vote Labour.

[@chrisc5275]

No matter what insincere and ephemeral relaunches the Conservative Party tries to, it struggles because nobody believes them.

[@JupiterThunder]

They are a pack of proven liars. Every time they open their rotten mouths, they lie.

[@philipclemoes9458]

Vote Reform!

[@JDempsterRacing]

I agree! Vote reform get 0 MPs and take votes off Tory candidates

[@markyboyb32ify]

​@@JDempsterRacingso you are saying just vote labour ?

[@JDempsterRacing]

@@markyboyb32ify It will have the same effect. Vote how you want

[@paddyotoole2058]

@@JDempsterRacingReform will win plenty of seats in next year’s general election. And they will have seats in the cabinet after the following general election in 2028. Wait and see.

[@jakew8979]

he said 30 or 40 seats are decided by the muslim majority 😩 What the actual F**k

[@kingfisherphil]

I watched this video and am stunned by how out of touch Andrew and Rod are. The voters of UK have not deserted Tory party because the voters objectives have changed, it is in fact the Tory party who turned out to be a Liberal horse of Troy. The voters still want a broadly right government but who the hell is there for that??????????????? Sorry ANdrew and Rod, you are out of touch, get out and meet real people and as for ANdrew in France, retire, you are out of touch and out ofthe game.

[@realitychick4502]

Keir Starmer has the charisma of an accountant you see once a year 😂

[@robCaB]

That accountant that studiously does a professional job managing your families/companies finances? I agree.

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

Sunak has the charisma of that toff that drives through a deep puddle just to see you get soaked.

[@StonefieldJim4]

🤣

[@StonefieldJim4]

A competent bean-counter is hardly a recommendation when you're looking for someone to mobilise the electorate@@robCaB

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

Is this that Harry Enfield sketch with the two horrible old men talking about how they hate everything?

[@ashleylaw]

Neil - Nuremberg 2 is coming. No exceptions. No Paperclip.

[@larsthorwald3338]

I was saying only yesterday, "things have been awfully febrile lately!" hahaha

[@whlewis9164]

Febrile indeed!

[@robertcole7500]

I believe the overwhelming emotion of fair minded voters, have for Boris, is one of disappointment. Being over 60 years of age, I feel my life expectancy is shorter than the political autopsy that Boris's political corpse will endure. There's the unavoidable comparison of Boris as London Mayor, and subsequently PM. One viewed as generally successful, the latter viewed less so. Finding himself as promoter of BREXIT in a REMAIN Party, certainly internally, Boris seemed to rebound from one wing of the Tory Party to another, like a ball barring in a Pinball machine. Boris was for ever attempting to please those he felt he needed to please, probably annoying all in his wake when a sense of promising all and delivering zero. Beyound Boris, the subsequent Tory Leaders, and the one before him for that matter, appeared out of touch and falling short in delivering. All initiatives amounted to spending vast sums, most of which appear to be borrowed, and presented as investment. The British voting class, or at least the apportionment who believe they're Tory voters, many will not bother to vote at the next election. Some may take a punt on other Partys. However you dress it up, the Tories are done and dusted. If Epitaphs were sought, the Tories would probably read; Here lies the Tory Body Politic. Who over several years by means of self-harm, tragically ended their life. Remembered by their greater family, left behind and confused. FIN

[@hear.no.evil.]

How is the idiocy of NetZero not factored into the death of our economy. How can it survive when energy cost, stability, availablity doesn't effect every aspect of life.

[@stefanosbrilakis5065]

In UK ,there are now two parties : the Tory party and the Tory lite party.

[@hopandskip]

Sunak ..installed just like a new toilet...

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

The reason inflation is higher in the UK (it's only 2.7% in Ireland) is the govt have done nothing to prevent "greedflation" i.e. companies such as Tesco have increased their margins by needlessly exploiting the situation and cynically ramping the price of goods up which causes inflation. Ireland is an expensive country but I noticed goods such as coffee and eggs are less expensive than UK.

[@bernardfox9078]

Think you might find Brexit has something to do with our inflation.

[@richardcutt727]

The word populism is a slander. A better adjective is required. The preservation of social order, low crime, economic success, the protection of families and survival of an esteemed culture are traits of 'populism'. It is an anti anarchy movement.

[@another1498]

Wonder if MR Neil is worried about epsteins book? After his performance during covid it looked like he someone had something over him ….

[@rogeralsop3479]

The dominant feature of British politics is arrant cowardice.

[@garypowell1540]

All of this national navel-gazing is sort of interesting but a lot more context is needed these days. Whatever horrors we may have been suffering in the UK can be reflected all over the Western World. This stems from a loss of trust in our entire political class. The people simply want to punish them all for being so inept and so clearly corrupted. They may not be entirely sure what is corrupting them or why but they know for sure something is very wrong indeed. Labour may get in by default but with less than minus enthusiasm. Starmer won't find that he has anything even slightly reminiscent of what Tony Blair had when he first entered No10 to cheering crowds even if all of them were party apparatchiks. Trust is like virginity. The British establishment has not been caught out at the Christmas party kissing dirty Lill in dispatches under the mistletoe. It has been caught with its pants down with its own mother and sisters-in-law in the matrimonial bedroom at the same time. Cheating is one thing, it is quite another to get caught doing it. However even worse when having been caught multiple times, when the wife can't even afford to pay the household bills, and her credit cards are maxed out. At this point, she has nothing to lose from throwing you out of the house and changing the locks. Have you got it yet? Most Americans are voting for Trump simply to give the American Establishment a message that even they dare not ignore this time. In the UK, we are not talking about riots in the streets as the British don't do that sort of thing only mindless students, trades unions, and other assorted establishment-sponsored rent-a-mobs. We are talking about a breakdown in civil society of a much more subtle nature. A time when the sort of people who would never dream of going on a protest march, start calmly turning up in their millions. A time of straight talking to those in power. A time when neither the BBC nor the rest, has the power to set narratives or promote agendas. When the masses no longer take anything simply on trust, but start to question everything. The people may elect a #Labout government, and given the duplicity of the Blue team of criminals, who could possibly blame them for that? However, this is mainly so they can have a different bunch in Westminster to throw rotten tomatoes at. Things have changed in many ways, but the people in charge seem to have been unable to take this into account or do enough about it. We now have the internet and social media, The establishment may still be able to run, but they can not hide anywhere near as easily. They may have more cameras on us than ever before, but they seem to forget that we have more on them than ever before, indeed countless millions more of them. BTW one more thing. We have some potentially enormous issues going on around this world of ours. However, by far and away the greatest one of all is hardly being talked about at all. This is the massively rapid and seemingly unstoppable decline of the entire Chinese economy. The sort of economic and social catastrophe that puts any decline in the British or American versions in a whole new universe of context. The sort of financial cock-up that makes Rishi Sunak and Gordon Brown look like a pair of Albert Einstein's. Yes, that bad a cock-up. If this goes where it seems that it can't fail to go, this will have implications that may resonate on The Moon. The second-largest economy and military power in the world simply can't go caput without a lot of incredibly serious knock-on effects, or a lot worse ones that are hard to even imagine.

[@Globaldave1970]

Excellent exposition. We are in the roaring twenties again.

[@indianairlines]

Nicely written. Agree with this essay. I'm not so sure about the bit regarding concern or decline of the Chinese economy though. Those reports overstate the reality. They'll be just fine and continue to be the power house they are. Meanwhile back in the UK, my concern is what level of shock is required to shake our people out of laziness and stupor into a realisation that we are ALL responsible for this country's demise. At best, the majority of us vote every 4-5 years, check out and go down to the pub until we have to do it all again 5yrs later. We need a lot more involvement, debate, drive and elbow grease than that to make this country great again ( to borrow a well used phrase...)

[@yp77738yp77739]

The public didn’t turn against Boris, the media and civil service did.

[@neilrobson3064]

Thanks Nadine……

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@neilrobson3064 it’s the truth though. I never had any particular respect for Boris, he was a charismatic chancer, But I did think that Cummings had exactly the correct prescription for the country, he went up against the civil service and the BBC and lost. Great shame, they are responsible for the atrophy of the nation.

[@johnoneill9056]

In fairness I think you’re right. Boris has been gone for a while now. Since then we’ve had the COVID enquiry and record uncontrolled immigration figures . I think they would have turned against him now.

[@neilrobson3064]

Around 55 of his ministers resigned over a 48 hour period, that’s MP on the Government payroll - but don’t let that get in the way of whatever conspiracy theory you’d like to peddle…..

[@manufacturedconsent7850]

@@yp77738yp77739 Agreed. They weren't beaten on policy, the press and the left went for the man and smeared them both with overblown covid (non)stories. Unfortunately Boris caved and failed to stand up to them and was brow beaten.

[@chel3SEY]

Part of Andrew Neil's success is his superficiality. He never breaks the surface of anything, which explains why he thrives in the media.

[@jimdavis8391]

Politics has been superficial for a long time. It's about to get rather serious.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Yeah - I see that now. I didn't see that in the past. He never actually really delves into deep investigation - despite his supposed reputation for his interviewing technique.

[@anthonybartlett6924]

@@jonathansidaway5108 a.neil has always been very pro establishment.

[@Barry-tl3ru]

We need to get rid of Neil. It needs to be difficult for him to continue.

[@melvinp1324]

he is just a creature - awful person !!

[@SimonLeicester]

Good evening

[@jmc1000mickey]

the laurel and hardy of the right

[@marksmith5693]

Sad to see how far Andrew has fallen , his legacy will be GB News what an epitaph

[@spm36]

The most watched current news programme with the least money spent...yeah terrible eh

[@Cobnapint]

GB News is great. So cheers AN

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

I think he showed his true colours. It was a mask slipping moment over his comments he made during the C situation. The GB News fiasco pretty much pales into insignificance.

[@joeey_long]

Very interesting discussion!

[@peterstabler2321]

Centre left anti woke for me.

[@aitchian5898]

No difference between Sunak and Starmer. Andrew Neil telling us nothing we didn't already know. If this is the best you can do

[@BV-co7hy]

Didn’t vote for Gordon either ..

[@Josie545]

I do love your posts they are interesting and you come across as a nice guy 🇬🇧

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

Who? Me?

[@xanderlewis]

4:03 Did he just call him ‘Richy’ Sunak? Freudian slip?

[@SistorCarrera]

ty Andrew and Rod

[@curiositycloset2359]

Lol, im in birmingham hallgreen. 14000 labour majority. I would vote respect if they come here.

[@Globaldave1970]

They are putting up candidates in every constituency.

[@HonestJohnstories-lv7sb]

Rod would make a good PM, perhaps with Kemi as deputy?

[@fraserbailey6347]

Why is it so shocking that the Sweden Democrats are involved in governing Sweden? The fact that the commentariat finds this shocking tells you just how far the commentariat is divorced from the needs and wishes of normal, productive, working people.

[@williamjohnston4666]

As a traditional “ Conservative” I hope that the Tories get well and truly STUFFED at the next election.

[@MrakS]

Of course when you talk about the newspaper readers, you are talking about the over 40s.

[@chrismorgan9460]

Rod Liddle would make an awesome Prime Minister

[@arnoldhemsley9317]

I thought Andrew Neil was the Pope at first glance!

[@windupmerchant1679]

"I'll tell you who wrote it, I can remember his name." "Rod Liddle! He's the guy who ran away and left his wife for a young one."

[@paulwelch1992]

Rod: "I'm still with the young one by the way"

[@windupmerchant1679]

@@paulwelch1992 Rod: "That young one is now an aul one, so I've another secret young one on the side"

[@Sanctified57]

Sunak, patriotic? Having the best interests of the country at heart? Drinking early this Christmas Andrew? 😂

[@simonmorris1626]

Enjoyable

[@davidbettney785]

I think that Rod Liddle should stand for the Re-launched SDP at the next election :)

[@TheTonylewis365]

Labour given a chance ?, they will finish this country.

[@markcraine4213]

Tories have beaten them to it

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

People should not forget Andrew Neil's comments on what he said during the C situation - he really showed his true colours there. How he even has a media career after the GB News fiasco as well is beyond me.

[@Barry-tl3ru]

Very true I remember what he said about the unvd

[@kieranramtohal9645]

That it’s beyond you says more about you than it does about Andrew Neil

[@Barry-tl3ru]

Andrew Neil should be fined everywhere for being a potential drain on the NHS for not looking after himself. Same thing isn't it.

[@kieranramtohal9645]

@@Barry-tl3ru I think his point was that the unvaccinated put others at risk, not that they are a strain on the NHS.

[@Barry-tl3ru]

@@kieranramtohal9645 you don't say.

[@isabelskelton794]

Nobody in their right mind should vote labour or conservative

[@christopherbrookfield4785]

Andrew Neil is the new Father Abrahams. Rod Liddle is Chief Smurf. Freddie is Freddie Christmas. Keir Starmer is Ronald Mcdonald. All flippery aside, Theresa May did win a general election, with a much smaller majority. We had one following Camerons departure and her taking over. Is Rod Liddle going senile or is he just half-cut? Andrew Neil gets my vote for the most monotonous voice of the year, droning on and on. Bring on the girls! ❤❤❤

[@user-hn5kh7qt9r]

Bring on the clowns!!

[@stevehall9333]

Britain is "out of kilter" because we don't have PR....If we had....

[@christophernunn943]

Andrew Neil , media savvy is a knowledgeable interviewer but shown himself to be a Chameleon of convenience.

[@neilrobson3064]

Must be nice for him - having you creeping round the internet trying to do his PR for him.

[@orcharddweller1109]

Why do you think we dont want Sunak? Why would we?

[@richardredmond1463]

Yes. Febrile.......I've always said so. 😂

[@ianfinnity2732]

Do you guys not realise if you just got rid of that dreadful plinking intro you would have far fewer people clicking off before even reaching the questions

[@philphil4914]

I must buy some shredded weat.

[@mrsuperger5429]

Let's be honest. The mayhem that surrounds the working-class every day won't affect in any way Neil or Riddle. Where were they years ago when Britain was literally changing before their very eyes. ?

[@beammeup8458]

Yesterdays people :(

[@shaunbornes5552]

Vote Reform forget Con/Lab/Lib

[@billybigbone]

Electorate votes for Boris, betrayed by party Membership votes for Truss, betrayed by party ??? puts Rishi in No-one believes Tories have any interest in being right wing anymore. Andrew Neil "for some reason Rishi isn't popular" Put the fucking dots together maybe.

[@billybigbone]

Boris was libertarian and Truss was a right wing liberal (lol) but that's too right for Tories these days

[@darrenwilliams2921]

There has never been much credability in unelected Priministers , the people voted for Boris and that's who they wanted ,the way he was driven out was pathetic .

[@markcraine4213]

It’s not a Presidential election. The man is a liar and a fraud and should have gone sooner.

[@Dubs84]

Is it still time to punish the 5 million vaccine refusniks Andrew?

[@colinfirst1689]

remember Andrew Neil wanting everyone to get the jab , what a knob

[@youtubeyoutube936]

Economics is all very well but with Labour an even more woke agenda will be implemented

[@richarddelanet]

I regard Rishi Sunak as profoundly disingenuous, perhaps one of the most dishonest people to ever make a grab at high office. He is thoroughly detached from goodness perhaps, and we ought not to be so surprised at the fact.

[@martincrocker7154]

Will Starmer be ousted and replaced when in power with something extreme ?

[@offshoretomorrow3346]

No need. The Woke will tell him exactly what to do. THEY are the establishment now.

[@johnvale295]

There is no one to vote for in the UK, which is why I won't be voting in the next UK General Election.

[@leeclarke917]

We are living in the end times. The count down to judgement has begun. The lamb will return as the lion. Believing or not will make no difference. The course is chosen. The chance given to man by the son of man wasted. All will be judged by the alpha and omega. The beginning and the end. The first and the last.

[@the_forbinproject2777]

choice of dog eggs isnt it ?

[@philipclemoes9458]

Sunak a patriot? You have to be joking. We patriot,s like Sunak who needs deadly enemies?

[@jimdavis8391]

Anyone accurately described as a patriot would be immediately chased out of British politics. Besides, how could there be a patriot in a country that barely exists?

[@grayarcana]

Politics is a jolly frolic. The best advice you can give to young graduates from the leading Universities these days is to go into politics, if they need that advice. I was one of the numpties that kept the lights on, and the thing running: I get by, but I wouldn't say I am having a jolly frolic. Good pay, really, and a pension after a couple of Parliamentary terms or so that no few might envy. Out there in the Veldt, beasts stir and stalk. (Ask any Deadmaus!) Out there, banished to the margins of political discourse, dissenters mutter. Christmas comes: who will put a penny in the cold, hungry peoples pot? And now, some rough beast slouches toward Bethlehem, to be born.

[@ciaranfarrell1362]

Is he they guy that left his wife for a youngone

[@timheydon1131]

The Greek historian Polybius thought that Rome succeeded because the Romans were religiously very pious. As belief in the old gods faded and the Roman spirit became diluted with widening citizenship, so did Rome. (There are parallels with our own times). Christianity was rising but there were not enough of them to make a difference. Gibbon thought Christianity was the cause of Rome’s decline but that idea is not borne out by experience in subsequent histories. Thinkers such as Sorokin, TS Eliot etc are relevant.

[@davidnichol6282]

Much of Europe is moving to the right. Including America

[@troggmeister]

The problem i and many have is we would vote Conservative to keep Starmer and his band of crazies out of power ..much the same happened in the states , people voted democrat because they didnt want Trump in power and look at whats happened over there !

[@jibjobjobe]

After Neil's performance during Covid I won't listen to his drivel any longer !!

[@blaxtru]

This promises to be an incisive, objective debate: a right-wing mag, right-wing presenter, right-wing Andy and bonkers, sorry right-wing Rod. Strictly for those with nowt else to do for 21 mins. 06 secs.

[@neilrobson3064]

Look at Liddle - desperately slouching in the vain hope you won’t see how plush his surroundings are…..

[@chrisc5275]

Looks pleasantly middle class to me. What do you expect from a 60+ professional man! A slum?

[@RonF386]

Has another home in the North East ,not far from me !

[@spm36]

He sits like that often....nice try though

[@neilrobson3064]

@@spm36Fawning over Rod, in the hope he’ll pat you on the head and give you a biscuit?

[@jimdavis8391]

Envy isn't a flattering disease.

[@johnthompson4969]

Andrew Neil, legend.

[@aitchian5898]

Spectator you need to do much much better than this. This is totally stale and everybody already knows this. Either you go for Farage taking over or some other right-wing populist or just shut down. You can continue as a cultural arts magazine but your political contribution is getting poor

[@tonymurphy9795]

Andrew Neill is brilliant at toeing the line while appearing to provide insight. Explains his media success.

[@merfymac]

Nothing personal but the panel at the start could barely be less informed; or engaged.

[@merfymac]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@nickyd922]

Andrew's legacy will be that hate fest GB News

[@tranceguide9752]

Epstein?

[@johnroulston370]

Dear God….thanks for reminding me not to subscribe to the Spectator.

[@spm36]

And yet here you are...thanks for coming though helping the algorithm

[@nickdoughty518]

There's no fervour for Rod Liddle either!

[@tobiashopkins808]

Should call a GE and get himself gone

[@alcurtis7882]

Weetabix head

[@perhansson6547]

I can’t wait to see a British Vivek Ramaswamy! To give you lot two fingers and revolutionise the whole BS system! Move on, you are discussing nothing but history and nothing of truth and interest to the voters. Yawn!