This week I spoke to journalist and former colleague, Ed West, Associate Director of UK2020, who writes this week about the rise of the Radical Rich, following the introduction of a law in North Carolina banning individuals from using public bathrooms which are reserved for the opposite sex. The move sparked outcry from rich celebrities such as Ringo Starr and even prompted Bruce Springsteen to cancel his gig in the American state in order to signal his opposition. Responding to the news in this week's edition of the Catholic Herald, Ed West wrote in his Notebook column: "It is often asked why so many very rich people are Left-wing, and while it is true that Left-ish ideas –open borders, the struggle against transphobia etc – no longer hurt the wallet, it is also the case that left-liberalism has become the prestige faith, associated with high-status individuals. "Asking why a billionaire is liberal today is like asking why a rich man in 16th century England would have been Protestant; it’s the faith of the new establishment. And as in the reformation, the public are prepared to forgive people pretty much anything as long as they conform to the new religion." I was intrigued and gave him a call to find out more. Below is a guide to the topics we touched on and the book Ed mentions is The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy by Christopher Lasch. Enjoy! 0:37 North Carolina’s Bathroom Wars 2:19 In defense of Bruce Springsteen 3:40 Big corporations’ pet campaigns 5:02 What is "Pinkwashing" and why is it so common? 5:52 Is virtue signalling getting worse? 8:43 The blind faith of social justice warriors 10:32 Is this the Reformation all over again? 13:32 Silicon Valley and the polarisation of US politics 14:58 The future of religious freedom To download the entire issue for free with our new app, go here or to subscribe to the Catholic Herald magazine go here.