The Sceptic

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.

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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

Andrew Orlowski on Palantir, AI and the truth about UK phone signal. Plus: vaccine injuries in Canada.

In Episode 80 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Andrew Orlowski, business and technology columnist at the Telegraph, on the truth about Palantir and the NHS, the latest AI stumbling blocks and the real problem with Britain’s phone signal.

And for our premium subscribers, Laurie catches up with Canadian filmmaker Dean Rainey, on his latest documentary outlining the overlooked effects of vaccine injuries.

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Watch Why Can’t We Talk About This? Parts 1 & 2 here.

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Produced by Richard Eldred.

Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

Are British schools waging a quiet war on boys? Plus: the UAE's dramatic departure from OPEC.

In Episode 79 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Joanna Gray – writer, confidence mentor and Daily Sceptic regular – on what the modern world gets wrong about gender. They discuss Jess Phillips’ proposed “anti-misogyny” lessons for schoolboys, the female domination of teaching, the lack of male role models and why pathologising normal boyhood is damaging a generation of young men.

And Tilak Doshi, the Daily Sceptic’s Energy Editor, on the UAE’s shock departure from OPEC – what it means for the cartel, global oil markets and geopolitics in the Middle East.

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Read Tilak’s article on the Daily Sceptic here.

Produced by Richard Eldred.

Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

UN scientists admit that central assumptions of the climate alarmist agenda are “implausible”. Plus: the woke madness of “trans time”.

In Episode 77 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to Chris Morrison, the Daily Sceptic’s environment editor, on the sensational admission by UN scientists that widely reported climate alarmist forecasts are “implausible” – and how it blows apart decades of green fearmongering.

And Steven Tucker, author and Daily Sceptic columnist, on the wacky woke world of “trans time”, and the curious case of the “garrulous” non-verbal author.

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Read Chris’s article on the Daily Sceptic here.

Read Steven’s articles on the Daily Sceptic here and here.

Produced by Richard Eldred.

Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

J. Sorel on Keir Starmer’s reign of sleaze. Plus: the Golders Green attack and the climate activist lawsuit against Shell.

In Episode 77 of the Sceptic, host Laurie Wastell speaks to J. Sorel, commentator and historian, on the Peter Mandelson scandal, the myth of Keir Starmer the “technocrat” and the truth about his reign of sleaze.

David Shipley, journalist and commentator, on the shocking Golders Green knife attack and the grim wave of migrant crime hitting Britain.

And for our premium subscribers, Laurie speaks to James Graham, Senior Researcher on Financial Freedoms at the Prosperity Institute, on the Filipino disaster survivors suing Shell Oil about the weather – and why London has become the global capital of vexatious green litigation. 

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Produced by Richard Eldred.

Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.