The Sceptic

Prof David Betz on whether the Dover protests could be the start of something much bigger; is the West making the Ukraine war more dangerous and what do the numbers really tell us about Britain’s latest heatwaves? In Episode 95 of the Sceptic, guest host Ellie Hodges talks to Prof David Betz of King’s College London about the protests in Dover and Portsmouth and the growing fury over mass migration. They get into ‘system disruption’, the radical Left’s influence, the Government’s likely response, Reform’s fading momentum, parallels with Germany and the risk that Britain’s economic fragility could fuel serious civil unrest. Ellie then talks to former Conservative MP and defence tech entrepreneur Brooks Newmark about the war in Ukraine. They discuss NATO expansion, whether the West helped provoke the conflict, the danger of escalation, Russia’s hybrid warfare and whether Britain and Europe are actually ready for a wider war. And for premium subscribers, meteorologist William M. Briggs takes a gander at Britain’s heatwaves and the alarmist claims surrounding them, from temperature records and ‘excess deaths’ to climate models, dodgy statistics and the assumptions lurking underneath it all. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow David on X. Follow Brooks on X. Follow William M. Briggs on X. Read his Science Is Not The Answer Substack here. Watch his YouTube channel here. Visit his website here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 01:42 David Betz on the Dover Protests 04:12 Danny Tommo and Tommy Robinson 07:22 Leaderless Protest 10:51 System Disruption 12:58 Situationist Tactics 16:43 How Should the Government Respond? 21:39 Reform vs AfD 26:50 Economic Shock and Legitimacy 29:28 Russia, Ukraine and Britain 34:11 What’s Changed? 36:25 Brooks Newmark on the Ukraine War 36:49 NATO Expansion 39:00 Russia, Security and Ukraine 41:11 Long-Range Weapons and Escalation 44:24 Russia’s Hybrid War 46:39 European Defence 49:21 NATO and Britain’s Readiness 52:33 Negotiating With Russia 54:30 Risk of a Wider War 57:25 William Briggs on What the Heatwave Data Shows 59:40 Weather and Climate Claims 01:00:53 Climate Certainty 01:01:08 The Limits of Climate Models 01:02:24 Models, Homogenisation and Deaths 01:05:13 The Climate Research Industry 01:07:32 Climate Catastrophe  

An undercover journalist’s extraordinary journey onboard a migrant dinghy, the risk of war with Russia and Canada’s energy standoff with America. In Episode 94 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges sits down with undercover reporter Christian Drogan to hear how he infiltrated migrant camps in northern France, paid €1,400 to cross the Channel and came face to face with smugglers, migrants and French authorities. Strategist and ex-Royal Navy Commodore Steve Jermy on the West’s incompetent approach to the war in Ukraine, the risks of escalation with Russia and whether a negotiated path to peace is still possible. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie speaks to the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor Dr Tilak Doshi about the growing trade and energy row between the US and Canada, and whether Mark Carney’s brinkmanship gamble will pay off. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Christian on X. Follow Watchman on X. Support Watchman here. Watch the Undercover Migrant here. Read Steve’s Mor Gallos – Using Power Wisely in the 21st Century Substack here. Follow Tilak on X. Read his article here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro   01:51 Christian Drogen on His Undercover Channel Crossing   03:32 Getting Into the Migrant Camps   04:36 Timeline of the Operation   05:30 Posing as a Criminal on the Run   07:14 Life Inside the Camps   08:38 Danger in the Dunkirk & Calais Jungles   09:17 Why Migrants Want Britain   11:28 Demographics of the Boats   13:13 What it Felt Like on the Dinghy   14:13 Who Was on the Boat   14:49 Border Force Reaction   17:22 Home Office Criticism   17:54 Could Anyone Repeat This   19:42 How Smugglers Sell the Dream   21:10 French Police Involvement   24:22 How to Stop the Crossings   28:29 Finding the Documentary   29:15 Steve Jermy on the Ukraine War   30:48 What the West is Getting Wrong   33:06 Europe Preparing For War With Russia   35:40 Why Supporting Ukraine And Nato is Flawed   38:53 A Negotiated Path to Peace   42:04 Does Negotiation Reward Aggression   44:13 What the British Public is Missing   48:16 Tilak Doshi on Carneys Gamble   51:31 Who Has the Upper Hand   56:00 Could the Dispute Backfire On Canada   58:34 Ottawa vs Alberta   01:00:38 A Larger Geopolitical Reshaping

Does the Right need to compromise on its principles to win elections? And what’s really behind the shaky science of the 97% climate consensus? In Episode 93 of the Sceptic, guest host Ellie Hodges chats to writer and commentator Nick Rendell about why the Right needs to stop preaching to the choir, explain its policies more clearly and find a way for the parties on the Right to work together. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie talks to social scientist and author of the Valid Science Substack Dr José Duarte about the extraordinary flaws in the research behind the 97% climate consensus claim, why we should be wary of consensus claims and where genuine disagreement among climate scientists remains. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Read Nick’s article here. Follow Joe on X. Read his Valid Science Substack here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 01:26 Nick Rendell on the Right’s Electoral Strategy 01:31 Balancing Principles & Electoral Success 04:36 Winning Over Net Zero Voters 11:47 Making the Conservative Case More Convincingly 15:39 The Case For a Right-Wing Electoral Pact 19:48 What His Reader Backlash Reveals 22:13 Political Purity & Rational Compromise 25:22 Dr José Duarte on the 97% Climate Consensus 25:34 Why Climate Consensus Research is Flawed 26:22 Problems With Consensus Studies 30:45 How The 97% Figure Was Constructed 33:14 Measuring What Climate Scientists Actually Believe 35:02 The Limits of Scientific Consensus 37:17 Where Climate Scientists Still Disagree

Why trust in the mainstream media has collapsed, the rise of the ‘lanyard class’ and why cleaner air may be behind Europe’s heatwaves. In Episode 92 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges is joined by veteran broadcaster and journalist Mike Graham to lift the lid on Britain’s increasingly cosy media establishment, the decline of Fleet Street and why so many journalists now seem cut from the same cloth. They also discuss his new book, Fake News: The Secret Deal Between Government and the Media, and the rise of independent journalism. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie talks to Prof Roger Pielke Jr, who challenges some of the simplistic claims surrounding Europe’s heatwaves and explains why cleaner air may actually be contributing to warming. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Mike on X. Watch Mike’s YouTube channel here. Buy his new book here. Follow Roger on X here. Read his Honest Broker Substack here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 01:18 Mike Graham on ‘Fake News’ 08:46 Why Trust in the Media Has Collapsed 10:55 How Journalism Changed 14:26 The Working-Class Media Divide 16:23 How Headlines Shape Public Opinion 23:40 The Wild West of Fleet Street 28:39 How Social Media Killed the Press 30:27 The Collapse of Journalism’s Pay & Ambition 32:09 The End of the 9-to-5 Journalist 34:47 Building an Independent News Channel 39:53 Roger Pielke on Europe’s Heatwaves 40:34 Beyond the ‘Climate Change’ Explanation 42:32 Why Europe is Warming 43:14 The Role of Cleaner Air & Dry Soils 44:12 Adapting to Extreme Heat 45:39 The Problem With RCP8.5 48:40 What Happens to the Research?

The battle over Brexit’s broken immigration promises and the mystery of why a key piece of climate data has quietly disappeared from official reports. In Episode 91 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges sits down with Migration Watch UK Chairman Alp Mehmet to discuss the soaring levels of migration since Brexit and whether Britain’s political class ever intended to deliver the border control voters thought they were getting. And for our premium subscribers, Daily Sceptic Environment Editor Chris Morrison asks why decades of declining wind-speed data have disappeared from the Met Office’s latest climate report and explores what it means for public trust in Britain's climate institutions.  Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Alp on X. Read Migration Watch UK’s ‘Taking Back Control? Brexit and Migration Ten Years On’ report here. Follow Chris on X. Read his article here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 01:38 Alp Mehmet on Why Migration Soared After Brexit 03:54 The Decision That Opened the Floodgates 08:03 Bigger Boats, More Crossings, No Deterrent 11:58 Did Politicians Ever Intend to Cut Migration? 17:18 How Government Lost Control 22:19 The Student Visa Back Door 24:10 Why Nobody Wants to Cap Migration 26:15 The Warnings Nobody Listened to 28:00 Britain's Demographic Transformation 30:15 Chris Morrison on the Met’s Missing Climate Data 30:52 Why Hide Wind Data? 42:46 Climate Models Vs Reality 47:48 Net Zero’s Inconvenient Problem

Rupert Lowe on uniting the Right, are thousands really dying from summer heatwaves and how one academic’s investigation ended in a DEI superstar’s Cambridge resignation. In Episode 90 of the Sceptic, the Daily Sceptic’s Editor-in-Chief Toby Young sits down with Restore leader Rupert Lowe to discuss his attempt to mend fences with Nigel Farage, whether Reform and Restore can still work together and what a united Right might look like ahead of the next election. Professor of Evidence Based Medicine Carl Heneghan examines the UK Health Security Agency’s claim that nearly 3,000 excess deaths were caused by this summer’s heatwaves and asks whether the evidence really supports such alarming headlines. And for our premium subscribers, Dr Nathan Cofnas, Postdoctoral Researcher in Philosophy at Ghent University, reflects on breaking the Jason Arday story, the extraordinary fallout that followed and whether he ever expected it to end with Arday’s resignation from Cambridge. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Toby on X. Follow Rupert on X. Follow Carl on X. Subscribe to his Trust the Evidence Substack here. Follow Nathan on X. Subscribe to the Nathan Cofnas’s Newsletter on Substack here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 02:03 Rupert Lowe’s Offer To Reform UK 08:20 Prospects For A Reform–Restore Deal 10:15 Restore Britain’s Election Plans 15:12 Continuing To Challenge Reform UK 17:07 Lowe’s Definition Of Corruption 18:42 Restore Britain’s Economic Policy 27:55 On Becoming Chancellor 31:39 Carl Heneghan and the Problems With Heat Death Estimates 35:16 Reliability Of Future Heat Death Data 37:34 The Problem With Statistical Certainty 39:27 Climate Alarmism And Media Headlines 42:43 Downfall Of Anthony Fauci 47:10 Lessons From The Covid Inquiry 49:21 Nathan Kaunas on Breaking The Jason Arday Story 56:00 The Response To Criticism Of Arday 57:09 Carter-Ruck And Legal Threats 58:03 Investigating Arday’s Academic Work 01:03:18 Claims Of Unequal Academic Standards 01:04:36 The Real Story Behind Arday 01:06:11 Fears Of Legal Action 01:06:38 Contacting Arday And Cambridge 01:07:56 Initial Reaction To The Story 01:08:39 Arday’s Extraordinary Biographical Claims 01:11:00 The Story Goes Viral 01:11:29 Concerns About Racial Motives 01:13:53 Arday’s Resignation 01:14:19 Attacks From Arday’s Defenders 01:15:51 Simon Baron-Cohen’s Defence Of Arday 01:17:31 The Story’s International Reach 01:19:25 Responding To Racism Accusations 01:21:08 Nathan's Controversial Blog Post 01:27:04 Case For Affirmative Action 01:28:11 Impact On University Hiring 01:29:09 Cambridge’s Handling Of The Plagiarism Allegations 01:30:14 Accountability For Arday’s Appointment 01:32:09 Double Standards In Academic Hiring 01:33:51 Vindication And Revenge

Why a major anti-Muslim terror scare appears to have been built on almost nothing, who’s really pulling the strings in Britain’s public debate and is the Government finally rowing back on Net Zero? In Episode 89 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges sits down with journalist Charlotte Gill to discuss the growing influence of taxpayer-funded activist groups, the blurred line between activism and journalism and why critics of mass migration are so often smeared as “far-Right”. Author Steven Tucker dissects the anti-Muslim terror plot in Suffolk that collapsed on contact with the facts and applies “eventism” – the theory that fear of an event is equivalent to the event itself – to explain why almost nobody involved has walked it back. And for our premium subscribers, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor Chris Morrison asks whether the new Government’s backing for more North Sea oil and gas is a genuine change of direction or just a change in rhetoric. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Charlotte on X. Read her articles here and here. Follow her on Substack here. Read Steven’s articles here and here. Follow Chris on X. Read his article here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 01:55 Charlotte Gill and the Tarbell Fellowship 04:06 Transparency Concerns Around Funded Journalism 05:43 Bureau Of Investigative Journalism 07:56 The Far Right Label 08:46 Power of Migration Charities 10:14 Valentine's Day Cards Controversy 13:00 Scrutiny of the Charity Sector 14:44 Reforming Charity Funding Rules 16:18 Changing Landscape of Journalism 17:47 State of the MSM 19:32 Burnham's First Weeks in Office 20:52 Is Labour Turning Left? 21:57 Can the Tories Bounce Back? 23:00 The Greens' Uneasy Coalition 24:36 Steven Tucker on the Terror Plot That Wasn't 30:07 Why No One Has Retracted the Claims 38:10 What is Eventism? 42:19 Anticipatory Violence 49:25 Connecting The Dots Between The Two Stories 53:50 Chris Morrison on Burnham's U-Turn on Oil And Gas 01:00:44 Why the CAN Bill Matters 01:06:35 Who is Funding Net Zero? 01:09:43 Britain's Sky High Electricity Prices  

The absolute state of British politics, how a vicar fell foul of the Church of England over Christian beliefs and why Net Zero is now a national security risk. In Episode 88 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges sits down with PopCon’s Mark Littlewood to make sense of Andy Burnham’s chaotic first days in No 10, the sharp Left turn in his Cabinet and whether Farage's Clacton by-election battle is really the joke the media's making it out to be. Dr Rev Bernard Randall tells his extraordinary story: suspended, reported to Prevent as a terror suspect and put through a seven-year church safeguarding battle – all for a sermon that was in keeping with Christian doctrine. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie talks to former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove about why he believes Britain’s Net Zero policy has become a national security liability. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Mark on X. Read his articles here and here Read Sir Richard’s article here. Listen to Sir Richard on the One Decision Podcast here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 02:23 Mark Littlewood On Burnham's Coronation 02:50 Radical Left-Wing Policy Or Just "Vibes"? 04:28 Does Changing Labour's Leader Change Anything? 07:43 "No 10 Of The North" Devolution 09:14 Burnham's Cabinet Reshuffle 16:19 How Serious Is The Clacton By-Election Really? 18:59 Count Binface - Establishment Stooge? 22:27 Farage - Establishment Hit Job? 24:11 Is Farage "Part Of The Establishment"? 26:16 Can Kemi's Tories Stage A Comeback? 30:54 Predictions For The Next General Election 33:48 Bernard Randall And His CofE Ordeal 37:24 What Was It Like Being Reported To Prevent? 39:24 The Toll On Him And His Family 42:15 Why The Controversy? 44:50 Was 2019 "Peak Woke" — Has It Improved? 46:32 What's Next And Advice For Other Chaplains 49:48 Sir Richard Dearlove On Net Zero's Security Risk 53:19 Top Energy-Security Priorities For Burnham 55:38 How Real Is The China/EV/Grid Threat? 59:33 Where Does Energy Rank Among National Security Threats? 1:01:02 Will Britain Be Forced Into A German-Style Rethink? 1:04:11 Doesn't Cutting Fossil Fuels Make Britain Safer? 1:05:11 Is It Too Late?  

How the Government’s social media ban for kids is a Trojan horse for digital ID, why Britain’s free speech laws are broken and the eye-watering cost of Net Zero. In Episode 87 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges is joined by Alan Miller, co-founder of the Together Declaration, to discuss the Government’s plans for an under-16s social media ban, the push for digital ID checks, VPN restrictions and what they could mean for free speech and privacy. Barrister John Holbrook explains why he thinks Britain’s hate speech laws are failing, how they have helped fuel cancel culture and why he believes free speech protections need a major rethink. And for premium subscribers, energy analyst and author Richard Lyon digs into the eye-watering cost of renewable subsidies – now topping £227 billion! – the growing pressures on the UK grid and why he believes Net Zero could leave Britain facing a serious energy trap. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Alan on X. Join the together Declaration here.  Follow Jon on X. Read his report here. Follow Richard here. Buy his book The Energy Trap here. Check out his Subsidy Clock here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 02:29 Alan Miller on the Incoming Social Media Ban 09:13 Response to Katherine Birbalsingh on Child Safety 12:47 Has Australia’s Under-16 Ban Worked? 14:45 Expectations Under a Burnham Government 17:39 What Will Britain’s Internet Look Like in 5 Years? 23:57 Jon Holbrook on Being Cancelled 28:29 What Language Should Be Criminalised? 31:42 Repeal All Hate Speech Laws? 34:12 Protected Beliefs vs Cancel Culture 37:48 Reforming Online Speech Laws 41:08 Can These Reforms Roll Back Cancel Culture? 45:19 Richard Lyon on the True Cost of Net Zero 48:07 The Subsidy Clock 51:16 What Is the Energy Trap? 55:27 Being a Climate Sceptic is Irrelevant 1:04:15 A Sensible UK Energy Policy

How the Government plans to control the UK’s online media landscape, and is Britain’s electricity grid being pushed towards breaking point? In Episode 86 of the Sceptic, host Ellie Hodges talks to journalist, lawyer and UsForThem founder Molly Kingsley about the Government’s little-noticed plans to reshape Britain’s online media landscape, why she believes they could sideline independent voices in favour of establishment broadcasters and what they could mean for free speech online. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie sits down with independent energy consultant Kathryn Porter to discuss whether Britain’s electricity grid is being pushed to breaking point. They dig into recent low-frequency events, claims that NESO is downplaying serious risks, explosive whistleblower allegations and whether this winter could bring a real risk of blackouts. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Ellie on X. Follow Molly on X. Read Molly’s article here. Have your say on the ’Watch this space’ open consultation here. Follow Kathryn on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 01:25 Molly Kingsley on the Government's Sinister New Green Paper 04:02 Why "Trusted News" Is a Dangerous Framing 05:11 What This Means for Your Social Media Feeds 07:43 Is the Government Picking Winners & Losers 09:23 Protecting BBC Influence 14:06 Is There Still Time to Stop It? 19:08 The Shift Toward State Control Online 24:53 Kathryn Porter on the Grid's Near Miss 32:06 Whistleblower Allegations 35:47 Why NESO Stayed Quiet 42:51 Real Time Grid Risk 47:48 How Worried Should We Be This Winter? 51:03 What Needs to Happen Next

How the Equality Act has morphed from anti-discrimination law into a vast tool of social engineering, and whether the Met Office’s recent temperature records really are the ‘hottest evah’. In Episode 85 of the Sceptic, host Ellie Hodges speaks to Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, Director of Don’t Divide Us and co-author of the new report Some More Equal Than Others: The Case Against the Equality Act, on how the 2010 Act has morphed from anti-discrimination law into a vast tool of social engineering, its corrosive effects on workplaces and free speech and why it should be repealed. And for our premium subscribers, Ellie speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor, on the latest so-called record-breaking heatwave, whether the Met Office’s temperature records are really the ‘hottest evah’ and why the data is nowhere near robust enough to justify the madness of Net Zero. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Ellie on X. Follow Alka on X. Read Alka’s report here.  Follow Chris on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 01:21 Alka Sehgal Cuthbert on the Equality Act 03:44 Should the Equality Act Be Repealed? 06:15 Existing Laws Before the Act 08:28 Public Sector Equality Duty & Positive Action 13:27 Protected Characteristics 15:44 The Granger Test & Protecting Beliefs 18:28 Appetite to Reform the Act? 19:48 Chris Morrison on the Hottest Summer Evah? 29:34 How Does It Compare to 1976? 35:51 Is the Data Robust?  

Sir Bill Cash on the 10th anniversary of Brexit, his 40-year fight to restore British sovereignty and why we must resist Labour’s EU reset. In Episode 84 of the Sceptic, guest host Jack Hadfield speaks to Sir Bill Cash, lifelong Eurosceptic, former MP and chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, on the 10th anniversary of the Brexit vote, his 40-year battle to restore British sovereignty and why Labour’s “EU reset” is a dangerous path back into subjugation. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Jack on X. Follow Bill on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 00:56 Bill Cash on the EU Problem 08:08 The Maastricht Rebellion 10:35 When Brexit Became Possible 12:46 Brexit Night 2016 16:06 Has Brexit Been Delivered? 19:31 Brexit's Biggest Missed Opportunity 22:02 Labour's EU Reset and Andy Burnham 26:48 Warning Signs of Backdoor Rejoin 34:32 Immigration and Taking Back Control 40:01 Brexit 2.0 and International Law 45:18 Optimism for Britain's Future

Charles Talbot on how the Blob is stifling democracy in Britain and turning the state against itself. In Episode 83 of the Sceptic, guest host Michael Murphy speaks to Charles Talbot, author of the new Cambridge Circus Research report ‘Breaking the Blob’, about how a sprawling ecosystem of activist charities, quangos and captured institutions exerts a powerful chokehold on British political life, undermines government policy and leaves Britain feeling increasingly like a state at war with itself. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Michael on X. Follow Charles on X. Read ‘Breaking the Blob’ here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 00:00:47 Charles Talbot on the Blob 00:03:35 The Blob's Left-Wing Bias 00:05:16 A State at War with Itself 00:07:41 Why Government Funds Its Own Opponents 00:10:17 How the Blob Kills Policies it Doesn't Like 00:14:15 The Rwanda Scheme 00:16:17 Can Any Policy Survive the Blob? 00:18:19 Laws That Must Change 00:20:20 The Funnel Model & Weak Regulation 00:24:37 Charity vs Political Activism 00:27:12 Should Government Track Undermining Spending? 00:29:11 The Media’s Role in Aiding the Blob 00:36:08 What a Serious Government Must Do 00:39:05 Radical Reforms 00:42:29 Conspiracy or Ideological Alignment? 00:45:52 Future Work from Cambridge Circus Research 00:52:15 Where to Find the Report

Dr Ben Jones on how 30 years of mass migration have created the conditions for rising unrest, and Dr Gwythian Prins on why green zealotry weakens Britain in a dangerous world. In Episode 82 of the Sceptic, host David Shipley speaks to Dr Ben Jones, Director of Cases at the Free Speech Union and author of Island of Strangers, on how 30 years of mass migration and hyper-diversity have transformed Britain into a fragmented “society of societies”, eroded free speech, fuelled cancel culture and created the conditions for two-tier policing and rising unrest. And for our premium subscribers, David speaks to Dr Gwythian Prins, Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics and convenor of the Hartwell Group, on the fatal technical, economic and security flaws of Net Zero, why climate models are fundamentally broken, the impossibility of a renewables transition and how this green madness weakens Britain in a dangerous world. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow David on X.  Follow Ben on X. Read Gwythian’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.   00:00 Intro 00:01:36 Ben Jones on His New Book 'Island of Strangers' 00:03:23 The Link Between Multiculturalism and Free Speech Restrictions 00:06:41 How US Woke Ideology Invaded UK 00:09:02 Why Are the Elite So Wedded to These Worldviews? 00:12:36 What Is the Solution to UK’s Free Speech Crisis? 00:15:44 Two-Tier Policing and Division 00:19:56 Prof Gwydion Prins on the Problems With Climate Modelling 00:24:32 Why Renewables Cannot Power a Stable Grid 00:28:27 The Security Implications of Net Zero 00:32:33 Can Sanity Return?

Ex-cop Paul Birch on the gross failures of the Nowak arrest and Jack Hadfield on the protests. Plus: Blair’s shameless green U-turn. In Episode 81 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Paul Birch, former Metropolitan Police officer and commentator, on the police’s gross failures over the arrest of Henry Nowak after he was stabbed – and exactly how anti-racist ideology warps day-to-day policing. Jack Hadfield, independent journalist, on the fierce protests and political fallout over the Nowak outrage and whether there’s more to come. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on Tony Blair’s latest intervention criticising Net Zero, his baleful legacy and why our dimwitted political class, incredibly, still takes him seriously. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Read Paul’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Follow Jack on X. Follow Ben on X. Read his article on the Daily Sceptic here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 00:02:24 Paul Birch on Henry Nowak Arrest 00:05:03 Why Was Henry Nowak Handcuffed? 00:09:20 Did Anti-Racism Training Shape the Response? 00:14:46 Individual Failures or Institutional Culture? 00:20:58 Poor Training and Woke Ideology 00:23:51 Will the IOPC Deliver Real Accountability? 00:28:59 What Real Police Reform Looks Like 00:34:00 Jack Hadfield on Southampton Protests 00:39:35 Disorder and Crowd Sentiment 00:43:54 Wider Protests This Summer? 00:46:53 Should Henry Nowak’s Murder Be Politicised? 00:51:24 Ben Pile on Blair’s Net Zero Intervention 00:55:44 Why Blair is Shameless 00:59:42 Ideological Roots of Failures

Doug Stokes on whether peace is possible in Ukraine, America’s fading global dominance, the future of NATO and why Britain’s rush to rearm could spell trouble for Net Zero. The Sceptic is away this week, so we’re bringing you an episode from the archive. In May 2025, host Laurie Wastell caught up with Doug Stokes, Professor of International Security and Strategy at Exeter University, Senior Advisor at the Prosperity Institute and author of books including Against Decolonisation: Campus Culture Wars and the Decline of the West. Professor Stokes’s insight into the undercurrents to America’s changing global position remain as relevant as ever. Doug and Laurie discuss whether peace is on the cards in Ukraine, the effect of the war on Russia’s geopolitical position, whether MAGA is right to lament America’s position as global superintendent, the future of NATO and what the war means for Europe and Trump’s trade war and whether it will spell the end of dollar hegemony. They also consider the long-term possibility of detente with Russia, whether the need to re-arm will mean the end of the Net Zero here in Britain and the roots of the free-speech crisis in Britain's universities. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Follow Doug on X. 00:00 Intro 00:40 Ukraine Ceasefire 07:03 Russia and China 07:25 NATO’s Future 11:04 Europe and Dependency 18:57 Trump’s Trade War 23:14 Europe’s Role 27:19 Rearming Europe 27:31 Nord Stream Fallout 38:26 Defence and Net Zero 40:58 Britain’s Industrial Decline 41:13 Free Speech Crisis 46:54 Kathleen Stock Case 47:19 Universities and Trans Ideology

Andrew Orlowski on Palantir, AI and the truth about UK phone signal. Plus: vaccine injuries in Canada. In Episode 80 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Andrew Orlowski, business and technology columnist at the Telegraph, on the truth about Palantir and the NHS, the latest AI stumbling blocks and the real problem with Britain’s phone signal. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie catches up with Canadian filmmaker Dean Rainey, on his latest documentary outlining the overlooked effects of vaccine injuries. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Follow Andrew on X. Visit Dean’s website here.  Donate to Mike’s GoFundMe here. Watch Why Can’t We Talk About This? Parts 1 & 2 here. Donate to Mike’s GoFundMe here. Support Sean here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Are British schools waging a quiet war on boys? Plus: the UAE's dramatic departure from OPEC. In Episode 79 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Joanna Gray – writer, confidence mentor and Daily Sceptic regular – on what the modern world gets wrong about gender. They discuss Jess Phillips’ proposed “anti-misogyny” lessons for schoolboys, the female domination of teaching, the lack of male role models and why pathologising normal boyhood is damaging a generation of young men. And Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on the UAE’s shock departure from OPEC – what it means for the cartel, global oil markets and geopolitics in the Middle East. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Read Joanna’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here, here and here. Follow Tilak on X.  Read Tilak’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

UN scientists admit that central assumptions of the climate alarmist agenda are “implausible”. Plus: the woke madness of “trans time”. In Episode 77 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s environment editor, on the sensational admission by UN scientists that widely reported climate alarmist forecasts are “implausible” – and how it blows apart decades of green fearmongering. And Steven Tucker, author and Daily Sceptic columnist, on the wacky woke world of “trans time”, and the curious case of the “garrulous” non-verbal author. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow Chris on X. Read Chris’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Read Steven’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

J. Sorel on Keir Starmer’s reign of sleaze. Plus: the Golders Green attack and the climate activist lawsuit against Shell. In Episode 77 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to J. Sorel, commentator and historian, on the Peter Mandelson scandal, the myth of Keir Starmer the “technocrat” and the truth about his reign of sleaze. David Shipley, journalist and commentator, on the shocking Golders Green knife attack and the grim wave of migrant crime hitting Britain. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to James Graham, Senior Researcher on Financial Freedoms at the Prosperity Institute, on the Filipino disaster survivors suing Shell Oil about the weather – and why London has become the global capital of vexatious green litigation.  Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow J Sorel on X. Follow David on X. Follow James on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Michael Rainsborough on Britain’s state corruption and why inquiries never work. Plus: the BBC’s Net Zero U-turn. In Episode 76 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Michael Rainsborough, Daily Sceptic contributor and Professor of Strategic Theory and Director of the Centre for Future Defence and National Security at Deakin University, Victoria, about British state corruption. Michael explains how our frequent public inquiries, in hock to misguided liberal proceduralism, hold no one to account for state failure. Instead, he argues the current national grooming gangs inquiry should follow the model of Hong Kong’s highly successful Independent Commission Against Corruption. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on the BBC’s activist ‘climate editor’ Justin Rowlatt and his brass neck U-turn on the cost of Net Zero. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Read Michael’s article on the Daily Sceptic here. Follow Ben on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.  

Four Sceptic guests on the growing problem of Muslim sectarianism in Britain and why the state can't address it. In this special episode of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell brings together four different perspectives on the growing problem of Muslim sectarianism in Britain. Guy Dampier of the Prosperity Institute shows how Pakistani clan structures led to the grooming gangs; researcher Daniel Dieppe highlights how the London Borough of Tower Hamlets fell to Bangladeshi-Muslim electoral corruption; the Critic's Chris Bayliss looks at how state authorities responded to Birmingham's banning of Israeli football fans; and journalist David Shipley and Laurie discuss what the Labour Government's latest social cohesion plan shows about how it's approaching multiculturalism's pathologies. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Jack Hadfield on his time covering the frontlines of Britain’s anti-immigration protests. Plus: why hydrocarbons make the world go round. In Episode 75 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to independent journalist Jack Hadfield, on the history and development of Britain’s grassroots anti-immigration protest movement, from football lads of the English Defence League, to the mass unrest after Southport and the Pink Ladies of Epping. Plus: the phoniness of ‘antifa’. And Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor, on why the Iran oil crisis shows how the world can’t do without hydrocarbons; the dreary woke turn of the BBC and why we don’t have to love David Attenborough; and a bombshell finding in the Antarctic ice that shatters green myths about CO2 and global temperatures. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow Jack on X. Follow Chris on X. Read his latest on the Daily Sceptic here and here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Adam Wren on progress and pitfalls in the national grooming gang inquiry and David Turver on how to fix the energy crisis. In Episode 74 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Adam Wren, campaigner and Director of Open Justice UK on progress and pitfalls in the Government’s national grooming gang inquiry and his podcast with survivor Fiona Goddard. And David Turver, author of the Eigen Values substack, on the Labour Government’s hapless failure to deal with the Strait of Hormuz energy crisis and why Net Zero leaves us perilously exposed to global shocks. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow Adam on X. Watch Fiona’s Story here. Follow David on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Matt Goodwin on Britain’s demographic suicide and Eugyppius on Trump’s Iran blunder. Plus: the truth about the oil crisis. In Episode 73 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Matthew Goodwin, broadcaster, author and Reform UK’s candidate for Gorton & Denton, on why Britain is facing a demographic crisis – and how to stop it. Eugyppius, author of the substack Eugyppius: a plague chronical, on America’s war in Iran, the murky strategic thinking behind it and whether it will prove to be Trump’s greatest mistake. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on how Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz shows the vital importance of oil to the world economy – and exposes the fantasies of the green zealots. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow Matt on X. Follow Eugyppius on X. Follow Tilak on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro   00:01:21 Matt Goodwin on Suicide of a Nation   00:04:03 Demographic Projections   00:06:19 Silence on Demography   00:11:40 Two Tier Multiculturalism   00:15:12 War on British History   00:18:35 Policy Solutions   00:27:33 In Group Preference   00:30:17 Reform as Vehicle   00:33:42 Eugyppius on Trump's Iran War 00:39:45 Opportunistic War   00:42:55 Strait of Hormuz Closure   00:46:01 European Response   00:48:48 Trump Betrayal   00:55:41 Midterms and Oil Prices   01:00:34 Tilak Doshi on Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters   01:06:56 Comparison to 1970s   01:13:36 North Sea Reserves   01:19:57 Net Zero Fantasies  

The forgotten story of how Tower Hamlets was taken over by Bangladeshi-Muslim clan politics. Plus: Ben Pile on Paul Ehrlich’s legacy of lies. In Episode 72 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Daniel Dieppe, researcher and political commentator, on the shocking forgotten story of how Tower Hamlets fell victim to Bangladeshi-Muslim clan politics. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on the death of biologist and climate alarmist Paul Ehrlich at the age of 93, and his legacy of lies. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X. Follow Daniel on X. Follow Ben on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

David Shipley on how Labour just admitted that multiculturalism is dead. Plus: Chris Morrison on killer carbon pipelines. In Episode 71 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell and journalist David Shipley discuss the Labour Government’s bizarre, draconian and at times comical new social cohesion strategy, “Protecting What Matters” – and the grim truth it reveals about multicultural Britain. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor, on the Government’s mad plans to build carbon capture pipelines that could end up suffocating us in our beds. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow David on X. Follow Chris on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 00:01:30 David Shipley on Labour's Cohesion Report 00:04:17 English Ethnicity 00:06:31 Integration Emergency 00:07:16 Southport Fallout 00:10:05 Tinderbox Reality 00:13:03 Online Censorship 00:17:35 Modern Patriotism 00:25:23 Call to Action 00:28:41 Two-Way Integration 00:32:47 Hidden Extremism 00:37:36 Anti-Muslim Definition 00:40:40 Hate Crime Pledge 00:43:36 Report Verdict 00:44:40 Chris Morrison on Killer Carbon Pipelines 00:47:07 Asphyxiation Risk 00:49:03 Past Leaks 00:53:13 Safety Concerns 00:55:47 Pointless Cost 01:00:18 Net Zero Fantasy 01:04:18 CO2 Pollutant 01:08:32 Climate Politics 01:13:53 Human CO2 Share

Rob Bates on the great student visa scam, the trouble with Labour’s immigration reforms and the desperate smears of Hope Not Hate. In Episode 70 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Rob Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, on Shabana Mahmood’s immigration reforms and whether they go far enough, the scandal of migrants using student visas to claim asylum and what Reform should do next on migration policy. Plus: Hope Not Hate’s bizarre attempt to smear Laurie in its ‘State of Hate’ report.   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow the Centre for Migration Control on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Fred de Fossard on how the Equality Act fosters discrimination against white males, and Tilak Doshi on Germany’s chemicals industry bloodbath. In Episode 69 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Fred de Fossard, Director of Strategy at the Prosperity Institute, on the scourge of Labour’s Equality Act 2010, why Reform is right to repeal it and whether Restore Britain is a threat to Farage. And Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on how Net Zero is sending Germany’s chemicals industry down the drain, and why sceptics are the real climate scientists. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Fred on X. Follow Tilak on X. Read his latest articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Andrew Orlowski on AI and why it’s overhyped, and Ben Pile on the green zealots’ failed temperature predictions. In Episode 68 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Andrew Orlowski, Telegraph Business and Technology Columnist, on why AI is a bubble waiting to burst and why we won’t be seeing datacentres in space. And Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on the green delusions of the Telegraph’s resident solar evangelist, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, and why Tony Blair is criticising Ed Miliband over Net Zero. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Andrew on X. Follow Ben on X. Read his latest articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

The downfall of Mandelson and McSweeney, the scourge of Westminster ‘comms’ brain and why Blue Labour was always fake. In Episode 67 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Felix Hardinge, a writer and cultural critic who works in financial services. Laurie and Felix discuss the defenestration of Peter Mandelson and what his elevation to US ambassador in the first place says about Keir Starmer; his departed chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and whether his ‘Blue Labour’ politics really existed; why Starmer’s crackdown on the riots is what killed it off; why the PM is so uniquely hated – and why the Right would be worse off if he resigned; plus The Thick of It and how it convinced a generation of politicos that politics is really just media management, and why what the country really needs is ‘reheated Thatcherism’. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Felix on X. Read his latest on the Daily Sceptic here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

On this Special Episode of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Kathryn Porter, energy consultant, commentator and the founder of Watt-Logic, on the suicidal delusions of our green elites’ electrification crusade. As we are told to use electricity more and more and gas less and less, while relying ever more heavily on costly and intermittent renewables, will the grid be able to cope?   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Follow Kathryn on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Tom Jones on Reform, the Tories and the future of the Right, and Tilak Doshi on Trump’s America vs the global blue team. In Episode 66 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Tom Jones, Deputy Online Editor at the Critic and Conservative councillor, about what the string of Right-wing Tory defections to Reform means for the future of the British Right. And Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on the Trump administration’s battles against the EU’s censorship agenda and Net Zero ideology worldwide – and within the liberal-globalist establishment at home. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Tom on X. Follow Tilak on X. Read his articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

David Frost on the never-ending scourge of New Labour’s “stakeholder” revolution – and why Britain must reclaim free-market thinking. In Episode 65 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to David Frost. David Frost, Lord Frost of Allenton, is a former diplomat and was the chief Brexit negotiator under Boris Johnson. He is a columnist at the Daily Telegraph and is now a non-aligned peer and the Director-General of the Institute of Economic Affairs. Laurie and David discuss David’s plans at the IEA and why the case for free-market thinking is more important than ever; the “Stakeholder State” and why it stops governments from doing anything; why it didn’t come about by accident but rather was built by New Labour; why those complaining about “division” and “populism” really just hate democracy; why the claim that free markets are bad for “communities” is nonsense; the tyranny of “independent” experts; why consensus isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and why sometimes, the best thing is for the state to just get out of way. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow David on X. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Theodore Dalrymple, on the 25th anniversary of his acclaimed Life at the Bottom, on crime, the underclass and liberal hypocrisy. In Episode 64 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Anthony Daniels. Better known under his pen name, Theodore Dalrymple, the former prison doctor and psychiatrist turned writer and cultural critic has featured in the Spectator, City Journal, the Telegraph and the Wall Street Journal among many others, and is the author of numerous books and essay collections, including the acclaimed Life at the Bottom, of which the 25th anniversary edition is out this spring. Laurie and Tony discuss the violence and nihilism Tony observed as a prison doctor in the 1990s, why he started writing about it and why Life at the Bottom was so well received and had such a lasting impact. They also discuss how liberal ideology causes crime, not poverty, the hypocrisies of the “caring classes”, the unforeseen consequences of the therapeutic mindset, what has changed since the book came out, modern anarcho-tyranny and his awkward encounter at the New Statesman. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Pre-order the 25th Anniversary Edition of Life at the Bottom here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Harrison Pitt on Alaa Abd El-Fattah and British citizenship, Islamism and West Midlands Police and the fightback against anarcho-tyranny. In Episode 63 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Harrison Pitt, Senior Policy Fellow at Restore Britain, Fellow at the New Culture Forum and Contributing Editor at the European Conservative. They discuss the Alaa Abd El-Fattah debacle and why the Egyptian activist is at best only “administratively British”, the latest in the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban row and how West Midlands Police is carrying the can for the failures of multiculturalism. And for premium subscribers, they discuss Harrison’s policy papers at Restore Britain, the scourge of anarcho-tyranny, plus: what the late Peter Whittle meant to him – and conservatism. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Harrison on X. Read his Restore Britain policy paper here. Read his obituary of Peter Whittle on the Daily Sceptic here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

In this Special Episode of the Sceptic, we bring you highlights from our five most popular episodes of 2025. Deputy Comment Editor at the Telegraph Poppy Coburn on race and the rape gangs; author and comedian Andrew Doyle on Labour's shameful denialism about it; historian David Starkey on the lies of the multiculturalists; and former UKIP MP Douglas Carswell on how to reclaim Englishness from the Blairite ascendancy. Plus: the Mail on Sunday’s Peter Hitchens makes the case for Lucy Letby to have a retrial. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Poppy on X.  Follow Andrew on X.  Follow David on X.  Follow Douglas on X.  Follow Peter on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Intellectual historian Dr Carl Trueman on politics, psychology and the ‘modern self’. In this special episode of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell is joined by intellectual historian Dr Carl Trueman, to discuss his book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Many of the ideas that drive our politics today are strange by historical standards. Why is such great importance placed on sex, sexuality and identity politics? Why have questions about the family become so ardently politicised? When did our therapeutic society stop believing that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”? And why are we so often told that morality and truth are wholly subjective – whatever ‘feels right’? Across so many domains, the personal has become political. In this conversation with Sceptic host Laurie Wastell, intellectual historian Dr Carl Trueman explains how today’s ‘me, me, me’ social imaginary stems from what he calls The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, in his book of that title. In an argument encompassing Rousseau, Nietzsche, the Romantic poets and the Sexual Revolution, Dr Trueman sets out how our dominant social ethos of “expressive individualism” arose – and shows what its consequences have been. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. Follow Laurie on X. Buy The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here. Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Toby Young on a year of free-speech battles, and Chris Morrison on the OBR’s junk climate science and the attempt to sue Shell over the weather.   In Episode 62 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Toby Young, the Daily Sceptic’s Editor-in-Chief and the Director of the Free Speech Union, to review the many free speech battles that we’ve been fighting this year in Starmer’s two-tier tyranny. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor, on how the Office for Budget Responsibility was taken in by junk climate science, the campaign to sue Shell Oil because of the weather and the Government’s response to the ongoing criticisms of the Met Office.   Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Toby on X. Follow Chris on X. Read Chris’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here, here and here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Andrew Orlowski on Britain’s weird utilitarian cult, Jack Rankin MP on the Tories vs the Blob and Ben Pile on green rent-seeking. In Episode 61 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Andrew Orlowski, business and technology columnist at the Telegraph, on Britain’s weird utilitarian cult, the ‘Mansards’, and why they’re everywhere. Jack Rankin, Conservative MP for Windsor, on where the Tories went wrong in their 14 years in power and whether they can recover. Plus: why he’s referred ‘Hope not Hate’ to the Charity Commission. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on the scourge of the rent-seeking Green Blob, and the worrying campaign to bring back lockdown measures because of the flu. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Andrew on X. Follow Jack on X. Follow Ben on X. Read Ben’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Dr David Starkey on the lies of multiculturalism and the Blairite delusion of politics as spin. Plus: Steven Tucker on the Green zealots’ mental health madness. In this special episode of The Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell is joined by Dr David Starkey, the eminent, insightful and acerbic historian, author and broadcaster. They discuss the lies of multiculturalism: the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and the Windrush myth; Labour’s disastrous Budget and why it thinks it can wish the realities of economics away with ‘Modern Monetary Theory’; why leftists in general believe they can remake reality through strength of ideological conviction and propaganda; New Labour’s sinister yet overlooked Parekh Report and its ludicrous claim that Britain has always been “multicultural”; plus why the introduction of “hate crimes” was social engineering. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Steven Tucker, Daily Sceptic columnist and the author of 10 books, on the Green alarmists claiming that climate change will affect people’s mental health – and the Left’s two-tier standards about what you’re allowed to be nostalgic about. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Dr Starkey on X. Subscribe to his YouTube Channel here. Read Steven’s latest on the Daily Sceptic here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Rachel Reeves’s disastrous benefits Budget with John O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, and Tilak Doshi on the great COP flop. In Episode 60 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to John O’Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, on Rachel Reeves’s disastrous benefits Budget. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on how the COP 30 climate summit in Brazil utterly flopped and what that says about the Net Zero agenda, plus Sadiq Khan’s giant eco-hypocrisy. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow John on X. Follow Tilak on X. Read Tilak’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Why Shabana Mahmood’s asylum crackdown is not all it’s cracked up to be, and how the Met Office and the BBC push climate alarmism. In Episode 59 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Rob Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, on why Shabana Mahmood’s asylum crackdown is not all it’s cracked up to be. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor, who gives us the latest on the Met Office’s dodgy data shenanigans, plus why the BBC is so wrong on the climate. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow the Centre for Migration Control on X. Follow Chris on X. Read Chris’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here, here and here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Kathryn Porter on just how much Net Zero is costing us, why Ed Miliband’s claims about renewables are so laughable and how the Green Crusade is putting us at risk of blackouts this winter. In the Sceptic this week, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Kathryn Porter, energy consultant and commentator, for a deep dive on just how much Net Zero is costing us, why Ed Miliband’s claims about renewables are so laughable and how the Green Crusade is putting us at risk of blackouts this winter. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Kathryn on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Chris Bayliss on Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv and the rise of Muslim sectarianism in Birmingham and Ben Pile on Bill Gates vs Net Zero and the BBC’s climate misinformation. In Episode 58 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Chris Bayliss, independent consultant and writer, on what the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from this week’s Europa League match against Aston Villa says about multicultural Britain and our sectarian second city. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Ben Pile, journalist and Daily Sceptic regular, on how Bill Gates has turned against the Net Zero agenda, plus the BBC’s climate misinformation. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Chris on X. Follow Ben on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

A look back on a week of grim migration news, and the horrifying truth about wind turbines. In Episode 57 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to David Shipley, journalist and friend of the show, on a week of grim and horrifying migration news, how accusations of racism enabled the Southport Killer and the media's warped priorities over the grooming gang inquiry. And for our premium subscribers, I speak to the Daily Sceptic's Environment Editor Chris Morrison on how wind turbines are killing birds, how the Left are trying to censor climate dissent and the fallacy of so-called climate tipping points. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow David on X. Follow Chris on X. Read Chris’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here, here and here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

How Labour is still failing grooming victims, and the lunacy of the Greens’ wealth tax. In Episode 56 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Adam Wren, campaigner and founder of Open Justice UK, on the chaos in the Government’s grooming gang inquiry. And for our premium subscribers, Matthew Bowles, Senior Policy Researcher at the Prosperity Institute, on why the Greens’ plans for a wealth tax just don’t add up. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Adam on X. Follow Matthew on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Bijan Omrani on the Church of England’s woke turn and Britain’s Christian heritage, and Tilak Doshi on climate Lysenkoism. In Episode 55 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Dr Bijan Omrani, who is an Oxford-educated barrister, has taught classics at Eton College, is a research fellow at the University of Exeter as well as a church warden. They discuss what he makes of the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally and his latest book, God is an Englishman. Plus the worst thing to happen in Canterbury Cathedral since the murder of Thomas Beckett.  And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Dr Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on the history of bogus Soviet science under the infamous Trofim Lysenko – and how the West has likewise put ideology before evidence with Covid and with climate alarmism. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Bijan on X. Get your copy of God is an Englishman here. Follow Tilak on X. Read his latest article on the Daily Sceptic here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Alexander Adams on dissident art, the tyranny of the Arts Council England and his new exhibition: Power and Intimacy. In Episode 54 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Alexander Adams, artist and writer and the author of the pamphlet, Abolish the Arts Council and his new book, How to Start a Dissident Art Movement. They discuss the woke tyranny of the contemporary art establishment, why modern art is so off-putting, the meaning of Right-wing art and his new exhibition – Power and Intimacy, running until this Sunday in Central London – and what he and his colleagues are trying to achieve with it. Due to technical issues, there is no premium section of the Sceptic this week. Next week we will be back with a bumper episode! Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Alexander on X. Visit their exhibition at 11 Caledonian Road, N1 9DX, London, a 3-minute walk from King’s Cross Station.  Visit their website here. Read Ferro’s article about it on the Daily Sceptic here. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio. 00:00 Intro 00:51 The woke tyranny of the art establishment 04:05 Alex's art background 07:17 Why modern art is so crud 10:59 How the 'Vitalists' formed 13:33 Power & Intimacy exhibition 17:38 Right-wing art 30:38 'Tackle' by Fen de Villiers 41:24 Keeping skills alive

Tom Jones on Keir Starmer’s bizarre attempts to smear Reform as racist over its new immigration policy, Andrew Orlowski on the real problem with the Government’s Britcard digital ID scheme and Kathryn Porter on just how much Net Zero is costing us. In Episode 53 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to the following guests: Tom Jones, writer and conservative councillor, on the Labour Party conference and Keir Starmer’s bizarre attempts to smear reform as racist over its new immigration policy. Andrew Orlowski, business columnist at the Daily Telegraph, on the real problem with the Government’s Britcard digital ID scheme. And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to Kathryn Porter, energy consultant and commentator, for a deep dive on just how much Net Zero is costing us, why Ed Miliband’s claims about renewables are so laughable and how the Green Crusade is putting us at risk of blackouts this winter. Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content.  Follow Laurie on X.  Follow Tom on X. Follow Andrew on X. Follow Kathryn on X. Subscribe to the Daily Sceptic YouTube Channel here.  Produced by Richard Eldred. Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.