The Critic Show

May marks the beginning of summer, and this month Tom, Henry and Graham are here to talk you through May’s edition of The Critic, leading with the question of whether Britain has any vision left.
After months of headlines and mistakes, it is hard to understand where the Government might go next, or what it actually wants. Does it want to rejoin the EU, or is this simply a visionless pitch from a Prime Minister who is running out of steam? When did Britain lose its direction, and will we ever win the World Cup again?
Political editor Henry Hill discusses what could actually generate growth, why Britain has entered a period of cultural and economic decline, and how we have been living in a simulacrum in which people spend more than they have, while the Government appears unable to fix the broken system we now live under.
Finally, the hosts take a trip to Dubai, where Fred Sculthorp has been experiencing the world of influencers amid the blitz. Despite being a city full of self-employed entrepreneurs, Dubai also highlights the uncomfortable reality that, even during wartime, it offers more opportunities for young professionals than Britain currently does.
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This week on The Critic Show, Henry Hill and Chris Bayliss are joined by the Reverend Marcus Walker to discuss the erosion of intergenerational responsibility. From defence and infrastructure to fiscal policy, the Government just keeps getting it wrong, repeatedly prioritising electoral gain over the health and wealth of the country. The question is whether this trend is a recent development or a post-Cold War shift, and how political incentives, married with fragmented modern ideologies, contribute to a culture that struggles to implement any kind of constructive plan.
They also look at Keir Starmer’s leadership style, questioning whether his approach actually reflects strategic calculation, or whether he is so focused on populism that his reign has become a simple lack of coherent thinking.
With this week’s guest, it’s only natural to touch on ecclesiastical politics as well. Does the Church of England have similar dynamics to the civil service bureaucracy, where risk aversion, procedural expansion, and “barnacle-like” administrative growth can undermine core missions?
What would it really take to rebuild a political culture that genuinely values the judgment of future generations as much as the approval of today’s voters?
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This week on The Critic Show, Chris Bayliss and Henry Hill are joined by the Anglican priest, historian and ethicist Nigel Biggar.
They discuss the debate around the Church of England’s push towards reparations, and how initiatives like Project Spire and the historical link to Queen Anne’s Bounty have played a role in where we have ended up today.
Many of the assumptions behind reparations, such as Britain’s wealth being built on slavery, are historically dubious. Crucially, if we started handing out reparations now, would the calls for them ever end? While forgiveness is at the heart of Christian values, is there really a moral case for reparations in the 21st century?
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This week on The Critic Show, Chris Bayliss and Tom Jones are joined by David Spencer as they examine the state of DEI in British policing. The story goes back to the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent Macpherson Report and, while serious failures were exposed, nothing was actually done to change anything. Later reforms, particularly since 2010, accelerated the drive toward diversity targets over standards. Recruitment has changed, physical fitness requirements have declined, and a broader “professionalisation” suited to third-sector organisations has taken over policing.Whilst there are valiant figures like Mark Rowley and Stephen Watson, their attempts at change in a world dominated by fear of activists are unlikely to be adopted by forces nationwide.For the full, uncensored version, go to: https://www.outpoststudios.net/s/the-critic-showAnd don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!


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This month’s Wine Club finds Henry Jeffreys joined by Tom Innes of Fingal Rock, a Burgundy specialist and a merchant with a gift for finding serious yet affordable wines. Before the bottles are opened, Tom talks Henry through his unusual route into wine, from an abandoned legal career to a shop in Monmouth, and from there to decades of legwork among small Burgundian growers.
This month, there’s a bright, lively white Coteaux Bourguignons, Le P’tit Bonheur, that punches far above its station, an opulent and characterful Bourgogne Épineuil Léger with a wonderful backstory, and a richer, more structured Domaine Gachot-Monot Côte de Nuits-Villages that delivers proper red Burgundy depth for a remarkably modest sum. There is, though, a slight note of melancholy hanging over the tasting. After severe flooding at his Monmouth shop and with retirement looming, Tom is no longer shipping new stock, which means that once these bottles are gone, they are gone. A rare chance, then, to buy from one of Burgundy’s great independent romantics while there is still wine left in the cellar.
If you’d like a mixed case with two bottles of each featured in the episode, follow the link below:
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