The Sceptic

The Daily Sceptic
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Sceptic, the Daily Sceptic’s weekly podcast. Host Laurie Wastell interviews the authors of some of the website’s most talked about recent pieces. Please subscribe, and remember: question everything; stay sane; live free. Produced by Richard Eldred.

  1. 1d ago

    The Social Media Ban Trojan Horse | The Sceptic Ep.87

    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

  2. Jul 10

    The State's Sinister Plan to Control Social Media | The Sceptic Ep.86

    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. 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

  3. Jul 3

    How the Equality Act Broke Britain | The Sceptic Ep.85

    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?

  4. Jun 26

    Labour’s Backdoor EU Reset | The Sceptic Ep.84

    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

  5. Jun 19

    Breaking the Blob | The Sceptic Ep.83

    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

  6. Jun 12

    Britain: Island of Strangers | The Sceptic Ep.82

    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?

  7. Jun 5

    Britain’s Anti-White Police | The Sceptic Ep.81

    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

  8. May 29 ·  Bonus

    Will Trump Destroy NATO? | The Sceptic Archive

    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

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to The Sceptic, the Daily Sceptic’s weekly podcast. Host Laurie Wastell interviews the authors of some of the website’s most talked about recent pieces. Please subscribe, and remember: question everything; stay sane; live free. Produced by Richard Eldred.

Information

  • Creator
    The Daily Sceptic
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Sceptic

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