Alas Vine & Hitchens

Alas Vine & Hitchens

Daily Mail 136 - Playing War Games and Paris is Burning

What's the Big Idea? Finally, Sarah Vine (once memorably described as being ‘like and loathed in equal measure, divisive, but never indecisive’) and Peter Hitchens (a man whose writing a critic was called to compare to a Guardsman’s boot: ‘as highly polished and potentially lethal’) meet once a week to look at the world and mutter, alas… Acclaimed columnist and journalist Sarah Vine and best-selling author and broadcaster Peter Hitchens discuss and dissect social, economic, and pop cultural flotsam and jetsam that have risen out of the dark waters of that week’s news. 


Taking one big idea each episode and pulling it apart with élan, imagine Vine and Hitchens respective columns brought to life and then skewered, scoffed at, debated, and given the full weight of Vine and Hitchens impenetrable gaze. Though an accord might not always be reached, it’s the journey that matters. 


Whether it’s the tech bros gone rogue – Meta tearing up its own rule book on fact checking, Musk attempting to influence governmental policy, or the knotty subject on society’s ever-increasing reliance on anti-depressants to treat what might just be the modern malaise and not depression at all. Or, evil, nature or nurture? Does evil actually exist or is it an idea that hangs over us, or do we just sometime embody it and the actions themselves are evil, not the individual? All this and more are to be pored over, one towering topic each week discussed with humour, insight, and real understanding.

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Episode's summary

On this week’s show, Peter would like to ask why British troops are playing wargames in support of Ukraine, and escalating the chance of war with Russia, while Sarah wants to know why Paris and huge swathes of France are on fire. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss the Unionist from Northern Ireland taking issue with something Peter said (who knew?). Why the Lib Dems aren’t half as bad as our presenters painted them. Divorce dos and don’ts. And more stories of a hapless WWII mission. On our reading, listening and watch list this week: The Bombing War: Europe 1939-1945 – Richard Overy Bomber Command – Max Hastings How Not To Be A Political Wife – Sarah Vine Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens Producer: Philip Wilding Editor: Chelsey Moore Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini Executive Producer: Jamie East A…

Episodes

136-

Playing War Games and Paris is Burning

On this week’s show, Peter would like to ask why British troops are playing wargames in support of Ukraine, and escalating the chance of war with Russia, while Sarah wants to know why Paris and huge swathes of France are on fire. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss the Unionist from Northern Ireland taking issue with something Peter said (who knew?). Why the Lib Dems aren’t half as bad as our presenters painted them. Divorce dos and don’ts. And more stories of a hapless WWII mission. On our reading, listening and watch list this week: The Bombing War: Europe 1939-1945 – Richard Overy Bomber Command – Max Hastings How Not To Be A Political Wife – Sarah Vine Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens Producer: Philip Wilding Editor: Chelsey Moore Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini Executive Producer: Jamie East A…

19 Oct 2026
135-

Proportional Representation and Apocalypse Now

On this week’s show, Peter would like to talk about proportional representation (he’s not a fan), and as the government launches its ‘Prepare’ campaign, Sarah is busy preparing for the apocalypse. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss American politicians playing the fake Irish card. Why Peter did not get to fulfil his dream of being the captain of a Royal Naval destroyer. What did the sexual revolution ever do for us? And the pair discuss buildings that are built to move us. All human life is here, etc. On our reading, listening and watch list this week: Take A Girl Like You – Kingsley Amis The Children Of the New Forest - Frederick Marryat The Drowned World – J.G. Ballard Old Filth – Jane Gardam What Happened to the Corbetts – Nevil Shute Too Big To Fail – Andrew Ross Sorkin Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens…

12 Oct 2026
134-

Capital Punishment and the Hijab Handout

On this week’s show, Sarah would like to know why the government is handing out hijabs to channel migrants, and Peter would like to talk about capital punishment, especially in the USA. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss what might happen should we lose the Falklands, the slow erosion that is state surveillance, and even though Peter’s shed a lot of weight, why won’t his old trousers fit him? On our reading, listening and watch list this week: East Of Eden – John Steinbeck Dispatches: Cameron: Toff At The Top 12 Angry Men – Dir: Sidney Lumet Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens Producer: Philip Wilding Editor: Chelsey Moore Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini Executive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular To get in touch email alas@mailonline.co.uk, you can leave a comment on Spotify…

05 Oct 2026
133-

Russia’s Nuclear Threat and what now for Northern Ireland?

On this week’s show, Sarah will be asking why Russia is reviving its doomsday nuclear strike program and how worried should we be about that? And Peter will be looking at the latest news coming out of Northern Ireland as protestors attempt to stop the Orange Order march. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss De Gaulle's infamous 1967 ‘Vive le Québec libre!’ speech, the daunting amount of work that goes into death admin, the curse of TikTok addiction and should we really be having raves in St. Paul’s Cathedral? Probably not. On our reading, listening and watch list this week: • The War Game – Dir: Peter Watkins • On The Beach – Nevil Shute • The Greening Of The White House – Conor O’Clery • This Blessed Plot: Britain and Europe from Churchill to Blair – Hugo Young Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens Producer:…

28 Sep 2026
132-

Earl Spencer’s Accusations and Letby Latest

On this week’s show, Sarah will be looking at the latest revelations swirling around Earl Spencer’s book about his late sister, and Peter will be turning his attention back to Lucy Letby in light of the Thirlwall Inquiry. And we’ll be opening our mailbag to discuss personal political responsibility, there seems to be so little of it left. The great and not so good Grammar schools, asking what did Joseph Conrad ever do for us? And what can one do with the Olympically dim? On our reading, listening and watch list this week: · Heart Of Darkness – Joseph Conrad · A Revolution Betrayed: How Egalitarians Wrecked the British Education System – Peter Hitchens · No Love For Johnnie – Wilfred Fienburgh Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas’. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter Hitchens Producer: Philip Wilding Editor: Chelsey Moore Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini…

21 Sep 2026