The Spectator Podcast: the Scruton tapes

The controversy surrounding Sir Roger Scruton’s dismissal from his role as chairman of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission continues. In this week’s cover piece, Douglas Murray talks us through the tape of the interview that got Scruton fired and tells the story of how a character assassination unfolded on Twitter. He is joined by Adrian Wooldridge, political editor and Bagehot columnist at the Economist. They talk ethics in journalism, the encroachment of the Twittersphere into our lives, and the ramifications of what Douglas calls “a perfect case study in the art of modern character assassination”.

Next, Geoff Hill thinks he’s discovered a major flaw in the UK immigration system. On the podcast, he discusses the apparent that makes it easier to enter the UK via Ireland without a visa. He is joined by Joanna Bell, an Irish journalist and former border security agent, to tell us more.

Finally, can a man ever call himself a feminist? And isn’t a bit creepy when he does? In this week’s magazine Virginia Ironside argues just