Alas Vine & Hitchens
Sarah Vine and Peter Hitchens meet weekly to discuss and dissect social, economic, and pop cultural topics from the week's news. Each episode takes one big idea and pulls it apart with debate and analysis. The show covers subjects like tech billionaires, fact-checking policies, and society's reliance on anti-depressants.
Episodes
Playing War Games and Paris is Burning
On this week’s show, Peter would like to ask why British troops are playing wargames in support of Ukraine, and escalating the chance of war with Russia, while Sarah wants to know why Paris and huge swathes of France are on fire. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss the Unionist from Northern Ireland taking issue with something Peter said (who knew?). Why the Lib Dems aren’t half as bad as
Proportional Representation and Apocalypse Now
On this week’s show, Peter would like to talk about proportional representation (he’s not a fan), and as the government launches its ‘Prepare’ campaign, Sarah is busy preparing for the apocalypse. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss American politicians playing the fake Irish card. Why Peter did not get to fulfil his dream of being the captain of a Royal Naval destroyer. What did the sexua
Capital Punishment and the Hijab Handout
On this week’s show, Sarah would like to know why the government is handing out hijabs to channel migrants, and Peter would like to talk about capital punishment, especially in the USA.And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss what might happen should we lose the Falklands, the slow erosion that is state surveillance, and even though Peter’s shed a lot of weight, why won’t his old trousers fit h
Russia’s Nuclear Threat and what now for Northern Ireland?
On this week’s show, Sarah will be asking why Russia is reviving its doomsday nuclear strike program and how worried should we be about that? And Peter will be looking at the latest news coming out of Northern Ireland as protestors attempt to stop the Orange Order march.And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss De Gaulle's infamous 1967 ‘Vive le Québec libre!’ speech, the daunting amount of
Earl Spencer’s Accusations and Letby Latest
On this week’s show, Sarah will be looking at the latest revelations swirling around Earl Spencer’s book about his late sister, and Peter will be turning his attention back to Lucy Letby in light of the Thirlwall Inquiry. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss personal political responsibility, there seems to be so little of it left. The great and not so good Grammar schools, asking what
AI’s Evolution and Has Alastair Campbell Seen The Light?
On this week’s show, Sarah will be asking if AI is really coming for all of us, and she doesn’t just mean our jobs. And Peter would like to know if Alastair Campbell has finally found God. Yes, that took us by surprise too. And, as pupils nationwide drift back to the classroom, we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss what is school for? How can the Ukraine war possibly end? The latest news on
Vive de Gaulle and Russia and Germany’s Hybrid War
On this week’s show, Peter has been to the flicks to see the new de Gaulle movie (five stars from Peter), splashed out on some popcorn too, and Sarah is asking is Germany really going to war with Russia.And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss whether there could ever be such a thing as a united Ireland, the evilest person they’ve encountered, should Prince William get a hair weave and what the
Lime Bikes and the Idiot Box
On this week’s show, Sarah will be talking about her U-turn on Lime and electric bikes (Peter is very pleased) and talking of Peter, he’ll be asking is TV a bad thing? He might also need help turning one on. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss whether the pair believe in a prenup agreement and would either one sign up if they ever got married again. Why was Peter’s 2015 pre-election c
Harry’s Game and History Repeating
On this week’s show, Sarah will be talking about the dark shadow cast upon this land as Harry and Meghan return to the UK and Peter would like to chat about the August night in 1968 when the Soviet Union crushed the Prague Spring. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss whether a journalist, if proved wrong, should change tack and apologise. Not that Peter has ever been proved wrong. The
Jason Arday and the Rise and Fall of Farage
On this week’s show, Sarah, in light of the Jason Arday case, will be talking about the nature of so-called witch hunts, while Peter will be ruminating on Clacton’s favourite son and bin beating by-election winner, Nigel Farage. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss regrets (Sarah’s had a few), a damn good childhood read or two, their respective lives as young journalists – there
The Plight of Graham Phillips and Cinematic Snafus
On this week’s show, Peter will be asking why the foreign office is still going after Graham Phillips, and Sarah will be grabbing the popcorn and headed to the cheap seats to talk film/book adaptations, some good, some not so good.And we’ll be opening up our mailbag to discuss Sarah’s best nightie (she favours pyjamas), why MPs should live a full life before entering into politics, the correct us
A Listener Writes…
On this week’s show, Peter and Sarah hand over the floor to our listeners and dedicate the entire episode to responding to emails, WhatsApp notes and Spotify comments that you’ve been kind enough to send. And what a mailbag it is with stories of duelling in the modern age, should utilities be in public ownership or private hands? Would Peter ever throw in his lot with the Soci
Disintegrating Donald and is AI Coming for Us All?
On this week’s episode, Peter will be examining the increasing disintegration of one President Donald J Trump while Sarah will be asking if Artificial Intelligence is finally coming for us all.And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about looking after your parents in later life, the legacy of former PM Jim Callaghan, asking what did the 1970s ever do for us? And the joys of the Northumbrian co
Burnham Begins and the Swinging Seventies
On this week’s episode, Sarah’s looking back at the decade of flared jeans and glitter balls and asking why Andy Burnham wants to take us back to the 1970s. And talking of Burnham, Peter wonders if the new PM should now call a general election? And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about the merits of corporal punishment (or lack of) with Peter recalling school days that sometimes featured a
The Fall of Farage and Gin and Toast
On this week’s episode, Sarah talks procrastination, though she has a few other things to do first, and as he’s named the sleaziest politician in the UK, Peter examines the latest Nigel Farage farrago. And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about the legacy of one Dennis Potter, why Peter is less than keen on the Singaporean state, on what the locals really call Wittenham
Iran Impasse and Living On an Island
On this week’s episode, as the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continues, Peter will be looking at the current situation in Iran and then Sarah and Peter will be comparing notes on their Desert Island Discs (Sarah tries unsuccessfully to convince Peter of the charms of Faithless), if the BBC ever come calling… And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about dogma
The Price of Education and Harry’s Game
On this week’s episode, Peter would like to know why Labour are taxing some private schools out of business and Sarah is asking if should we even care that Prince Harry might be coming back to the UK? And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about studying double smoking (and drinking cider), how e-bikes have no place even in hilly Lisbon, just how Conservative was Gordon Brown, and w
Keir Curtailed and A Voyage Round My Father
On this week’s episode, Sarah speaks candidly about her father’s recent passing, both muse on the brutality of modern politics as Kier Starmer steps down and Peter wonders why some nations crave war. And the pair pore over our mailbag prompting Peter’s remarkable impression of an announcer on the Moscow Metro. They both offer up the funniest politicians they’ve encountered and revisit Pe
Banned Books and Past-It Politicians
On this week’s episode, Sarah’s asking is eighty too old to be a world leader or any kind of politician and Peter would like to know why the Thought Police are coming after Janet and John. And the pair pore over our mailbag to consider why Peter is s a Swissphile, to wonder what the Victorians ever did for us, how the Mamas and Papas were a musical apex for some and why is one of our pre
An Iron Dome for the UK and Allaying the Blame
On this week’s episode, Peter has finally worked out how to defend the realm (so you might sleep safely in your beds), and Sarah is asking why do some authority figures often go after the wrong people, and leave the real criminals alone? And the pair pore over our mailbag to consider Britain’s place in two world wars, the valuer of spoiling a ballot paper. What happened when Peter appeared th
Abolish the Police and Return of the Blair Creature
On this week’s episode, Sarah is asking what happened in the brutal murder of student Henry Nowak and Peter would like to know why the Blair Creature has returned from the deep to haunt the Labour Party. And the pair pore over our mailbag to consider what the Festival of Britain brought the UK and if we might ever see it’s like again. While Peter embraces the charms of Paris, Sarah less
Crime And (No) Punishment and Phew! What a Scorcher!
On this week’s episode, Sarah is asking why a judge thought it was a good idea to let three rapists walk free. And Peter would like to know what the deal is with ridiculous centigrade temperatures. And the pair marvel over Peter’s rakish black eye and pore over our latest mailbag to answer listener questions on whether devolution really can work and is the blueprint for politics on a na
Prawn Again, Bombs and Displaced People
On this week’s episode, two worlds collide as Sarah asks why prawn cocktail and such old school culinary delights as beef bourguignon and banana splits are back on the dinner menu. And Peter will be asking if our policy of bombing foreign countries is driving up mass immigration to the UK. And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to answer listener questions on whether Kemi Badenoch is really a t
Voting for Beginners and the End of the PM
On this week’s episode, Peter will be telling us why first past the post is a much more preferable voting model to proportional representation. And sticking with the electorate, Sarah will be asking if there should be a general election if Keir Starmer finally falls on his sword. And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to answer listener questions on the ‘sovereign’ bases in Cyprus, go
2000 Days of Lucy Letby and the Badenoch Bounce
On this week’s episode, Peter would like to know why Lucy Letby has been in prison for 2,000 days while there is still little to no evidence against her. And Sarah – struggling valiantly with bronchitis - will be telling you why she was right about Kemi Badenoch all along. And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to ask whatever happened to civilised political debate and can it possibl
The Recurring Assassin and Falkland Sovereignty
On this week’s episode, Peter would like to talk about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and the time his dad moved a gun across the island, while Sarah wants to talk about yet another attempt on Trump’s life and why security for MPs is so lax in the UK. And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to ask has the Starmer Project corrupted Labour? The latest update on Peter’s long-awa
Risible Renters’ Act and Disguised Privilege
On this week’s episode, as Sarah is ousted from her rental home, she’s asking why Labour’s so-called revolutionary renters’ act is such a damp squib and, staying with the left, Peter wants to know why this government hates independent schools so much.And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to reflect once again on the madness of King Donald and his presidential predecessor, ponder whether the Ge
The Madness of King Donald
On this week’s episode, Sarah would like to know why the social agencies and government infrastructure let down the victims of the Southport attack so badly and Peter would simply like to ask: has Donald Trump finally gone mad? And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to talk about Peter’s time as a member of the International Socialists, not least the donkey jacket he wore. Why cabs ar
Driverless Cars and Unused Trains
On this week’s episode, Sarah’s wondering if it really is a good idea to introduce driverless cars to London’s streets, and sticking with transport, Peter would like to know why a new 40-mile train line, and brand spanking new station, are yet to see one single passenger train.And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to talk about Crispin Blunt’s assertion that he should have been acquitted
The King’s State Visit and Visibility Day
On this week’s episode, Peter will be asking why the King and Queen have decided to go visit Donald Trump at the White House after his series of insults aimed at our country. And Sarah is asking do we really need a visibility day? And why are there so many of them?And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to talk about the role of Christianity and why this modern version might be waning. The allur
Burning Down of the BBC and Illegal Assassins
On this week’s episode, Peter would like to know why we suddenly think it’s okay to assassinate people again and Sarah is asking why would anyone want to clasp the poisoned chalice that is DG of the BBC? And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to talk about the unblinking horror of war, the justice system and Lucy Letby and dead guests at dinner parties (don’t hold your breath waiting on an
British Bombs and Student Bodies
On this week’s episode, Peter’s getting behind Ed Davey’s call for an independent British nuclear bomb. And Sarah wants to know why some university students don’t want to share accommodation with their Jewish counterparts. And the pair pore over our latest mailbag to talk foreign plug sockets – electricity may or may not be green in communist countries, it’s not an exact science – the scourge
Labour’s Thought Police and the Case for Capital Punishment
On this week’s episode, Sarah wonders if Labour’s plans to change the definition of Islamophobia is actually a threat to free speech? And, in light of Ian Huntley’s death, Peter would like to ask whether the death penalty might be better than unofficial execution by another criminal? And the pair pore over our mailbag to mull over the case for paying MPs more (there’s no accord there), who’s
Terror in Tehran: The End of an Era
On this week’s episode, Sarah, and Peter clash over what the future of Iran should be after the extraordinary aerial assault by the US and Israel has plunged the territory in to war. And, on a much lighter note, the pair discuss tribal loyalties in contemporary politics, what do we think of our Australian countries and in motorcycle news (we have some!), why the cost of a motorbike might be b
Gisele Pelicot and Performative Policing
On this week’s episode, Sarah is asking if the horrendous case of Gisele Pelicot is more than just an isolated incident and Peter wants to know why our boys in blue have settled on performative policing. Plus, why has it taken Sarah over a year to realise she’s been wearing her contact lenses in the wrong eyes? The parlous state of children’s fiction in the modern age and why Peter will be ge
End E-Bikes and Anti-Vaxxers
On this week’s episode, Peter will be asking when new legislation to curb the plague of e-bikes on our streets will finally come into effect. And Sarah wants to know why parents are opting NOT to vaccinate their children against measles. Plus, how being bullied in school can change you for ever. Football and flag flying, something neither of our presenters can really get behind. The right to
The UK’s Risible Reading Age and Bloody Books
On this week’s episode, Sarah is asking is the English literature curriculum really being dumbed down or are we simply not reading as a country anymore or simply shifting our allegiance to audiobooks? And Peter, as if to prove otherwise, will be bandying a copy of Lord of the Flies around and poring over the latest BBC adaptation. Plus, why was Stephen Fry stalking Peter at a memorial for his
Ducking KGB Bullets and Inside the Epstein Files
On this week’s episode Peter will be going back 35 years to a moment in time where he stood and watched the KGB murdering people in Vilnius. And I’ll be asking why did Sarah Ferguson take her children to see Jeffrey Epstein just days after he was released from prison? Plus, we find out the truth about magnetised train tracks (all lies!), why both 1976 and 1979 are vying for the best of all po
Pitiful Policing and Ballroom Beckham
On this week’s episode, Sarah is asking what can Brooklyn Beckham possibly mean when he accuses his mother of dancing ‘on him’ at his wedding? Both Sarah and Peter have a few wedding horror stories of their own to share too. Also, Peter wants to know if proposed mega police forces will just mean more constabulary cockups? His guess is yes.Plus, what do the pair make of the new ‘super’ Chinese
Team America and Ten Years After
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah are asking what were you doing ten years and why is social media suddenly transfixed by 2016? And why has America decided to turn into the world’s bully? Plus, why is Australia’s economy at such a low ebb? What the hell’s happened to civility? Why does Sarah’s fridge keep shouting at her? And when it comes to transporting coal, what’s better, the c
Kissing Cousins and an Iranian Uprising
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah Welcome are asking why is Sir Kier Starmer choosing not to condemn marriage between first cousins in some cultures? And what it might take for the Iranian people to be heard as civil unrest and revolution spread throughout the country? Plus, why America is ruining the English language, the idea that Russia is a military world power is complet
Why Are We Firing Up the UK’s War Machine?
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah look to the year ahead, as Peter wonders why this nation’s leaders and heads of the armed forces are rattling their sabres as they attempt to put the country on a war footing. Plus, our duo on Conservatism (just what is it?) Christianity, the legacy of John Smith MP, the superiority of Japanese trains - any trains in comparison to our dilapida
An American Powerplay and the Freedom of the Press
On this week’s episode, Peter is poring over the latest US national security strategy and being rather surprised by what he finds there. While Sarah is looking at why some people are calling for a resumption of the cancelled Lord Leveson Inquiry and therefore suggesting we blinker the free press. Plus, our duo on the Arkansas Razorbacks (again), the legacy of Roy Jenkins, what
Tony Blair Trotskyist and Stop Stupid Smartphones
On this week’s episode, Peter wonders if it ever matters that Kier Starmer and Tony Blair were once Trotskyists? As well as addressing some recent, stinging criticism from a fellow Mail columnist… And Sarah ruminates on the Australian government’s ban on social media for children, and asks is it enough, or should we just wrestle the smartphones from their hands completely? Plus, our duo
Loss of Hair, Life and Liberty
On this week’s episode, Sarah Vine addresses her thinning pate and loss of hair that has plagued her most of her adult life and why she’s now finally decided to cast her wig aside! Meanwhile, Peter looks at the incredible story of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe, the woman held hostage by the same Iranian forces who took his friend prisoner too. Plus, Peter and Sarah ruminate on dual nati
An Audience with Vine & Hitchens at St Peter’s College, Oxford
On this week’s episode, Sarah and Peter travel to St Peter's College, Oxford, where Peter ruminates on an increasingly unlikely peace deal in Ukraine, and Sarah begins by asking why Christmas starts earlier each year before regaling the student audience with tales of Christmas past more woeful that Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Plus, Peter and Sarah take on all comers, and each other,
Puberty Blockers, Save Our Juries and Tea with the DG
On this week’s episode, Sarah and Peter are asking why new trials for puberty blocking drugs in children have been announced after a government decided to ban it last year? And they’d really like to know why David Lammy would like to take our juries away from certain cases after once tweeting that the jury was the one of the pillars of our judicial system. Plus, which countries did
Piggy, Lady Chatterley’s Lover and the late Leon Trotsky
On this week’s episode, Peter, once described as ‘godless Trotskyist’ by The Guardian, will be ruminating on the legacy of one Leon Trotsky while Sarah will be asking if it’s ever okay to call someone piggy, no matter if you are the leader of the free world or a so-called alternative comedian with a national newspaper column. Plus, debating Ann Coulter, Welsh authors you must read a
Cancel Culture and Something Rotten at the BBC
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah ask why crazed ideologies seem to have taken root at the heart of both the BBC and the publishing world as we examine the corporation’s latest missteps and the scandalous case of author Kate Clanchy’s cancellation. Plus, being berated on social media over shots of your bookshelf, trying to take the train to Glasgow on a Sunday (a schoolgirl e
(Prince) Andrew, Useless Architects and Awful Airport Security
On this week’s episode, Peter wants to know if the government really going to strip Andrew of his Falkland campaign medals and, in the light of this week’s attack, Sarah will be asking what kind of security do our transport systems need to make us feel safe?Plus, don’t get them started on parking permit portals, underwired bras, and the awfulness of some architects, but do ask them what histo
The Hopeless Home Office and A Cosmic Car Crash
On this week’s episode, Peter will be asking why Britain’s infrastructure is so very awful and why are we concreting over so much over the countryside and then sticking ugly new buildings all over it. While Sarah is dumbfounded by the fact that the Home Office costs £23billion and spends it time blundering from one debacle to another.Plus, Sarah reveals what ministers really fight over.
The Covid Legacy and Now Is Not The Time
On this week’s episode, Peter is rejoicing in the news that the clocks revert to true time on Sunday, whatever that might mean, and Sarah is asking why the hell we closed down schools during the Covid 19 pandemic and what long-term damage it’s done to our kids.Plus, why does Sarah think politics in its current form is beyond saving, and why her dad had many, many accents. While Peter wonders
The End of Prince Andrew and What Did Thatcher Ever Do for Us?
On this week’s episode, on what would have been Margaret Thatcher’s hundredth birthday, Peter and Sarah tussle over the former PM’s legacy, charisma and what she did or did not do for this country. Elsewhere, Sarah asks why should King Charles solve the problem that is Prince Andrew when the King’s brother should admit he’s a liability and retire from the public eye? Plus, where do our hosts
Singing Bob Dylan on a Steep Hill and Health & Safety Gone Mad
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah ask why parks shit down at the first sign of inclement weather? Why do under twenty-five-year-olds feel the need to rail against something, but not bother to read up on it first (we’ve all been there)? Elsewhere, Peter recalls chasing a bicycle thief while hitting him about the head with a bag of dirty laundry. Not to be outdone, Sarah admits to punching her
Digital IDs, Dinosaurs and Class A Drugs
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah debate the idea of Digital ID cards, wonder at the minutiae we’re obsessed with as a nation, also, what did Sarah make of Michael Gove’s admission of his drug taking past? And sticking with history, where would our intrepid pair travel to if they could go anywhere in time and what one artifact or memento would they bring back with them? On our reading a
The Cost of Health Tourism and Why Do We Kill?
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah tussle with medical tourism and bloody murder. Peter wants to know what drives an assassin to kill and Sarah is asking why we’re allowing our already overrun NHS to become a destination for so called health tourists.Elsewhere, modern Methodism, being heckled by Danny Kruger while he was still a staunch Tory and is it the Union Jack or Union Flag or can
Our Submarine Fleet is Sunk and what to call Camilla
On this week’s episode, Peter, and Sarah struggle to think of Camilla as Queen but for quite different reasons, though Sarah did very much enjoy her cosy supper at Clarence House, not least the excellent wallpaper and furnishings.While both bemoan the sinking state of Britain’s submarine fleet, and Peter recalls the time it was leaked that we once leased our missiles from the US much to the fury o
Fly the Flag, Sea Fences, and I Dream of Peter
On this week’s episode, Peter and Sarah discuss vexillology, or flags for the layman. Not least how Peter was once saved by flying a rather tattered Union Jack while attempting to flee Somalia.While Sarah pores over our copious emails to mull over the suggestion from a listener that we take illegal migrants and put them in the army or at least to work.Elsewhere, someone’s been dreaming l
Nadine Dorries says Boris and Nigel should work together, if their egos allow
In this exclusive episode, Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens managed to grab lady of the moment Nadine Dorries, fresh from her unveiling at Reform’s conference.They tackle the state of the right, where it all went wrong for the Conservatives, whether the union to end all unions if one the cards, and yes… whether singing on stage is an acceptable face of a serious party.It’s a hum-dinger - you won’t
Digital IDs, Daddy Issues and Dude, What’s My Car?
On this week’s episode, should we be worried about Keir Starmer’s digital IDs when, according to Sarah, we’re a slave to the digital idiom as it is. Not that Peter quite sees it like that. Nor do the pair see eye to eye on the raising of children and what staying at home means for the parents or baby. Voices were raised, thoughts were shared, it would be untrue to say compromises were met.Els
Headscarves, Hijabs and Underperforming Politicians
On this week’s episode, Sarah wonders if Kier Starmer’s perceived weakness in leadership might have kicked open the door for Nigel Farage to come through? And Peter would like to ask; the hijab, a sign of oppression, or something that as a society should make us think more?Elsewhere, did any government in living memory impress Peter? Don’t count on it. Why did Christopher Hitchens once s
Porous Pension Pots and Please Appease Me
On this week’s episode, Sarah wonders if it’s worth putting into your pension pot anymore as new government policies promise to make your golden years anything but. While Peter would like to ask why does nobody likes appeasement until it suits them? Not that Sarah can help with that, she’s one of life’s great appeasers. Elsewhere, all things considered, Peter would rather be a rich Edwardian,
The Not So Great War and Does Counselling Really Work?
Peter would like to know why Britain slept walk in to the First World War and what our country might look like if we’d never stumbled into that national tragedy.Elsewhere, Sarah and Peter pore over our bag of electronic mail and ruminate on everything from the benefits of counselling (Sarah is for it, Peter less so), how to write a novel – not that either have – the power of Billy Wilder’s The Apa
The Case For and Against Lucy Letby and Rise of the Robots
In light of the recent documentary, Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt? Peter reiterates his call for a retrial of the convicted nurse.Elsewhere, Sarah asks if students are so worried about AI spoiling their chances of building a career, then why are they all using ChatGPT to write their exam papers?Also, Peter’s written a thriller, well, the first chapter at least. We can reveal very little of t
Nanny State and Made to Measure
Peter is up in arms – who knew? – over Sarah’s use of centimetres over inches even though she was raised on the continent and it’s all she knows. A measure of distance which, he insists, are simply made up. For her part, Sarah tells us that if you’re going to employ a nanny, make sure it’s not an English one.Elsewhere, Sarah, admits she enjoys going to church, if only because it’s the one place wh
Up In Smoke and I Predict A Riot
Peter is inflamed! Why, he wants to know, searching around him in vain for an ashtray, does smoking seem to be on the rise once more in the UK? Is it vaping? Is it fashionable once more, heaven forfend? He sincerely hopes not. For her part, Sarah doesn’t smoke, well, only after three glasses of wine.Elsewhere, Sarah asks is rioting on the rise once again? And asks are we now too far gone as a coun
City to City and Walk A Mile In Our Shoes
Peter has a five-year plan for the five pairs of identical shoes he owns, buy in bulk, rotate diligently, but another set in five years times. Sarah, for her part, can’t walk past a shoe shop with a sale sign in the window, it’s like catnip to her. Elsewhere, Peter has had enough of cities changing their names – and not just because it keeps making his maps out of date – and Sarah muses on a
Terrorism, Extremism and Rubbish Rock Stars
The love of cinema, Peter’s sonorous baritone, Sarah’s hatred of hot weather, the case for changing the way we adopt in the UK and does Peter ever go to watch Millwall and throw lager about? He does not. And those are just the topics and questions posed by listeners.Peter and Sarah also ask why we now embrace organisations that were once proscribed as terrorists? And in light of Coldplay being the
Going Off the Rails and Too Hot to Handle
From Lord of the Rings lesser liked characters to the ‘deep state’ of government according to Dominic Cummings, and drinking beer beneath the Northern Lights, Peter and Sarah take on listener questions before wrestling with the thorny subjects of the pain and pleasure of train travel – it depends very much on where you board and depart your train and helps if that’s not in the UK. While
Abortion Bills and Nuclear Bombs
Sarah and Peter wrangle everything from the latest abortion legislation to how to purge the world of nuclear weapons (Sarah suggests we move them to the Moon – pity the poor astronauts who next land there), Star Trek and what the Federation really alluded to. Did Hollywood treat Napoleon fairly or meddle with history for its own ends? And, more happily, we cast Peter as Badger in Toad of Toad Hall
Marshmallow Totalitarianism and the Beauty of the Real Iran
Flared trousers, the fate of Northern Ireland, free speech, swimming with Gordon Brown and childish children’s books. All human life, as they say, is here. Sarah wants to know why we’re afraid of difficult conversations and saying what we really think, is it that we’re always being shouted down by those who don’t agree with us? What ever happened to civilised debate? Not that our debates are
How Not To Be A Political Wife
As Sarah’s book sends shockwaves through former political grandees and the corridors of power, Sarah and Peter sit down to ponder listener questions (and some of Peter’s thoughts too) related to ‘How Not To Be A Political Wife’, a book that has been described as ‘fascinating, embarrassing and fundamentally tragic’, ‘witty, wry and incredibly touching’ and an ‘unflinching account of life at the hea
With Friends Like These… and is Poland the new Ukraine?
To paraphrase Randy Newman, you’ve got a friend in me, but for just how long? Especially when you’re Sarah Vine and you’re supposed best friend’s husband is on the side of staying in the European Union while your then husband is all for pushing Brexit through. As Sarah discovered, loyalties are soon divided and what ultimately makes a true friend anyway? While Peter Hitchens looks askance at the c
The Mental Malaise of Marijuana
As rampage killings are on the rise both here and abroad, we ask if the long-term effects of drugs are impacting on our societal norms and encouraging a violent recklessness not seen before? As charges for cannabis possession are fast becoming a thing of the past and modern culture embraces increasingly strong strands of weed, is there a case to be made for really doubling down on those who break
The Menopause Superpower and some Sibling Rivalry
Books, plays and films have been written about it, its onset feared in some quarters, pilloried in others, and it will, eventually, affect almost all women. Though that’s not why Sarah Vine wants to talk about the menopause, but why, in some circumstances, it can be a huge liberation for women; finally freed from being slave to one’s hormones, and that’s just the beginning. So, why, do so many wom
The Death Penalty and What I Did (or didn't do) On My Holidays
To Peter Hitchens, the idea of capital punishment (at least at home here in the UK) could make for a country that is less vengeful and, he goes so far as to suggest, even more gentle. Having experienced two executions while working in the US, he knows the power of that final switch and the deterrent it might bring. But is he right, would the shadow cast by capital punishment be enough quell violen
The End of Education and Did We Really Win the War?
Sarah’s two children are currently at university, which is rather handy as a regular listener has asked that Peter and Sarah chime in on the current state of the education system here in the UK. And how times have changed, Peter spent his university years trying to kickstart social unrest, while Sarah pursued a job at The Body Shop. And as the Union Jacks flutter in the hazy afterglow of VE Day, P
Applying Udder Cream and the End of Civilisation
Sarah’s brother was at home in Madrid this week when Spain underwent a blackout, alone in the dark with the only the thing in his house still working, his old radio. This week too saw the start of the great switch-off of analogue phones; and just look at the chaos caused by a cyber-attack at Marks and Spencer in the last few days. So, Sarah’s question is this, as we fall under the thrall of ever u
Turn off your TV and Bloody Taxes
Not unlike the Rolling Stones, Peter Hitchens is ready to toss his TV through the nearest window. He’s in accord with the late, great Groucho Marx who was once moved to remark: "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." Once forced to rent a TV to watch the news before being quickly lured towards shows like Minder, Peter is n
Birmingham’s Bulging Bins and the end of the Toby Carvery Tree
Sarah Vine wants to bin it off. Though given the decline in public services nationwide, that’s getting harder and harder to do. As the Birmingham bin strike rolls on, the council declares itself bankrupt and rats invade the city’s streets, we ask what the hell is going on with our public services and is this just part of a wider societal malaise? Also, could someone please take this rubbish away?T
