The Spectator Podcast: Bluffers and Royals

We often complain that our politicians are all bluffers who know very little about a lot. But is the very structure of our political institutions at fault? And speaking of bluffers, Theresa May is so far successfully fudging her way through the Brexit negotiations, but can she survive after March 2019? And last, maybe all this politics has made you long for the good old days of monarchy. With Prince Charles’s art collection on exhibit, we talk about how it reflects Charles’s One Nation Toryism. PPE – that notorious Oxford degree that ostensibly teaches its students Philosophy, Politics, and Economics – and apparently, how to govern a country. Or at least, how to sound like you’re governing. In this week’s cover story, James Ball and Andrew Greenway – both PPE graduates themselves – lift the lid on the bluffocracy that pervades British politics, media, and even the civil service. Are our institutions at fault for rewarding bluffers rather than experts? James and Andrew join the podcast, together with Ayesha Hazarika, stand-up comic and former Labour adviser.