Podcast: Is religion the new politics, and Osborne on the up, Miliband on the down

Are we seeing a global revival of religion, which is having a radical impact on politics? On this week’s View from 22 podcast, Damian Thompson debates Cristina Odone on this week’s Spectator cover feature. Is the UK and Europe unable to understand many of the current conflicts because of ardent secularism? Has our current government been too secularist; obsessed with Brangelina instead of Boko Haram? And would politics be simpler if there were no religious element at all?

Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson discuss two political figures whose fortunes are shifting in different directions — George Osborne and Ed Miliband. Are we beginning to see the real George Osborne, who has more substantial ideological views than his detractors believed? Is he one of the most cutthroat operators in Westminster? And why has so much been made of Ed Miliband’s geekiness? Shouldn’t Team Miliband accept who the real Ed is, and make the most of it?

Plus, Mats Persson discusses Britain’s relationship with the EU, which has become even more troubled thanks to comments by Jean-Claude Juncker and Radek Sikorski.