Crash Course With Michael Walker

Most of my episodes on renting have been somewhat depressing. This conversation with Ben Twomey wasn't. That's because Labour have introduced a Renters Rights Bill which - though far from perfect - could do a lot to limit the insecurity currently experienced by private renters in Britain. Ben explained what's in the bill, what's missing, and what campaigners can do to encourage this Labour government to go further for renters.Guest: Ben Twomey, Generation Rent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain's prisons were already dangerously full before the summer far-right riots. Will jailing hundreds of those rioters push the prison system over the edge? To answer that question I spoke to a fascinating guest. Ian Acheson is a former prison governor and author of the new book "Screwed: Britain's Prisons Crisis and How To Escape It"To listen to the full episode, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do the racist riots that have terrorised Britain these past two weeks fit in to a broader history of racism in Britain? In this fascinating episode I spoke to Asad Rehman, who grew up amid racist violence from the National Front in Burnley in the 1970s and 1980s, and who has spent his life since then campaigning against racism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have promised that economic growth will be their number one priority. But - unwilling to spend any money - they're betting they can make this happening with costless reforms. Can planning reform deliver the goods and get Britain growing?Guest: Jonn Elledge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a new government in power I'm moving from a focus on politics to one on policy, and the first topic I'm choosing for a deep is prisons. What's the extent of the crisis Labour have inherited, and how might they go about resolving it?Guest: Cassia Rowland, Institute for Government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elections in France on Sunday threw up a surprising result. Against all expectations the far-right were pushed into third place, and the left-wing New Popular Front finished with the largest number of seats. But what future faces France remains unclear. Guest: David Broder, Europe Editor at Jacobin. Editor: Liam Thorne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The collapse of the Tory vote and the rise of Reform means this election could prove to be historic in terms of Britain's right. To find out how Britain's conservative establishment are viewing this moment I spoke to Freddy Gray, Deputy Editor of The Spectator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My episode last week with Jeremy Gilbert got a very positive response - so I thought I'd do another episode on Labour Party history.Chris Mullin was a key figure on the Labour left in the 1980s, but by 1994 he backed Tony Blair as Labour leader - and ended up taking a role as a junior minister in his governments.In this episode I ask Chris about that transition, and we also discuss Chris's prolific career as a journalist and writer…Chris has written four novels, included “A Very British Coup. He's also published four volumes of diaries, a memoir, and an expose of the miscarriage of judgement suffered by the Birmingham Six - who were falsely convicted of bombing by the IRA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you believe the polls, Starmer's Labour are heading for a landslide even bigger than Blair's in 1997. But that landslide, if it comes, will not be caused by any overwhelming positivity about either Starmer or Labour. Does that make the election of 2024 fundamentally different to the election of 1997? And, what consequences will that have for Starmer and Labour in government, and for Britain's left.Guest: Jeremy Gilbert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a members-only episode. You can sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod***When most commentators discuss the Tory collapse at this election they point to three things: Boris Johnson's partygate, Liz Truss's mini-budget, and Rishi Sunak's political ineptitude. My guest on this episode has a longer term explanation for Tory collapse, and he put his money where his mouth is - publishing a book on Tory decline immediately after Boris Johnson won his stomping 2019 majority. I spoke to Phil Burton-Cartledge about how he saw the Tories days were numbered before the rest of us.Guest: Phil Burton-Cartledge, senior lecturer in sociology at Derby University and author of 'The Party's Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'll soon be moving to focus on the UK general election, but first this is a final look at a much bigger democratic contest: India's.In episode 1 and 2 of my mini-series on India's election I looked at Modi's hindu nationalism and his approach to democracy. In this third and final episode I'm taking a look at India's economy.It's hard to overstate the significance of India's economic development. The country is home to 1.4 billion people and if as some hope it develops at the pace of its neighbour China, these are 1.4 billion people who can look forward to getting better jobs, whose children can expect decent educations, and who - in the main - can expect to gain all the privileges that come with entering the global middle class.If India fails to achieve that growth - or only achieves the wrong kind of growth - it would mean hundreds of millions of people having those ambitions stunted.Guest: Arjun Ramani, The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been wanting to get more ideological diversity and productive disagreement on Crash Course, and so I was pleased when Albie Amankona agreed to come on for an interview. Albie is a regular commentator on GB News, and vice chair of LGBT Conservatives. We discussed the council election results, how he became a conservative, the legacy of austerity, and whether he thinks his party is intentionally stoking a culture war. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To sign up visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod**Given the local and mayoral elections in England and Wales I've taken a break from my India series to look at politics closer to home. In this episode I speak to George Eaton from the New Statesman about the nature of "Starmerism" and what Labour would do if - as seems very likely - they get into power at the next general election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India's elections are the world's largest. But in a context in which Modi's political opponents are subject to arbitrary arrest, can we really call the country a democracy?LSE Anthropologist Alpa Shah thinks we shouldn't, and in her new book 'The Incarcerations' she explains how the arrest of 16 intellectuals and activists symbolises India's slide into authoritarianism, and even fascism.**This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark India's general election, I'll be doing a few episodes on the politics and economics of the world's most populous nation. In this first interview, I speak to the Oxford historian Pratinav Anil about Modi's Hindu Nationalism, and how it came to dominate politics in India.**This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of my conversation with Vincent Bevins we discussed the arab spring and the fall of the Soviet Union. The conversation includes Vincent giving a really useful explanation of the rise and fall of the Egyptian revolution, and me making a tentative case for small-c conservatism.**This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to all Crash Course episodes in full sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vincent Bevins is one of my favourite authors - and a good friend of mine - so I knew when I got him sat down in a room our conversation good go on for a long time. I wasn't wrong. This is the first part of a three hour conversation where we discuss his latest book "If We Burn: The Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution" . In this episode I tell Vince my doubts about the protest movements I was part of in the early 2010s, and we take a deep dive look at protest movements in Brazil and Chile.To listen to the full episode sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In my first crossover episode with Novara FM I spoke to Nick Bano about his new book "Against Landlords". Nick also wrote a recent piece in the Guardian which caused controversy due to Nick's unusual claim that Britain doesn't need to build more houses. I fundamentally disagree with Nick on that point, hence this became a bit of a debate!You can read Nick's Guardian piece here -> https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/19/end-of-landlords-surprisingly-simple-solution-to-uk-housing-crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is free preview of a members only episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod**As Israel bombards Gaza, the Tory Party have used anti-war protests as an excuse to whip up a moral panic about British muslims. To discuss the long history of Tory animosity towards muslims - and the broader ideology that sees islam as a threat to the West - I spoke to Peter Oborne. Peter Oborne is the former chief political commentator at the Daily Telegraph. His most recent book is "The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

** This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod **Events since October 7th have shown the strengths and weaknesses of international law. On the one hand, differing attitudes to Russia and Israel have shown the West's commitment to international law to be paper thin. On the other, cases brought to the International Court of Justice have given Palestinians a real voice in international affairs. To get a crash course on international law, how its made, who enforces it, and who can ignore it, I spoke to Alonso Gurmendi. Alonso is lecturer in international relations at Kings College London, and an expert on international law. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To listen to the full show visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod**I've taken a break from the Palestine series on this episode to interview an expert on another topic that has fascinated me this month: The election of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. Bukele has been criticised by human rights groups for locking up vast numbers of people suspected of being members of gangs. He is far from a liberal. But the harsh measures have been incredibly effective at reducing what were astronomical levels of violent crime. El Salvador's population has rewarded him with 83% of the vote in this month's presidential election. I spoke to Latin America analyst Nik McNally to discuss how we should interpret Bukele's success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

** This is a free preview of a longer paid episode, to access the whole interview visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod **Is the West's unconditional support for Israel thanks to the existence of a powerful Israel lobby? I spoke to Hil Aked about Britain's Israel lobby, and its activity during the war on Gaza. Hil Aked is author of "Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestine Solidarity" - https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/723-friends-of-israelTwitter: @hil_akedWebsite: hilaked.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. You can access the full show at patreon.com/crashcoursepod**Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East. The Houthis were a Yemeni group of rebel outsiders. Yet they now have the entire West on the ropes with their blockade of the Red Sea. I spoke to Beirut-based writer Séamus Malekafzali for a primer on how we got here. Séamus's substack: https://www.seamus-malekafzali.com/Séamus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Seamus_Malek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full hour subscribe at patreon.com/crashcoursepod***Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen are all part of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" which poses the biggest challenge to Israel in the Middle East. I spoke to Trita Parsi about the surprising history of Israeli-Iranian relations, and whether rising tensions between Israel and the axis could lead to an all-out regional war. Trita Parsi is Executive VP of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and author of the classic book "Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier in the year I started a series on Migration which I put on hold to focus on the Gaza War. This was going to be episode 2 of that series. It's with Jonathan Portes, who was a very senior civil servant in the New Labour years and is now a Professor of Political Economy at Kings College London. We discussed the history and economics of immigration to Britain, including the major waves of migration since WW2 and how, paradoxically, immigration has increased after Brexit. Jonathan is one of Britain's leading thinkers on immigration policy, and this was an illuminating discussion in a year when the Tories are desperate to get migration back up on the political agenda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To subscribe, visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod**Andrew Feinstein is a campaigner and author who grew up in apartheid South Africa and became an MP for the ANC. Andrew is also jewish, and has spent extensive time in Israel-Palestine, so I couldn't have found a better placed guest to discuss the connections and comparisons between apartheid in Israel and South Africa.Andrew is author of 'The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade', and 'After the Party' on his time in the ANC. Towards the end of the discussion Andrew mentioned a film about Marwan Barghouti. More details can be found here -> https://www.newarab.com/features/tomorrows-freedom-documenting-palestines-nelson-mandela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This is a free preview of a paid episode - to listen to the full conversation sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod**For my sixth episode on the Gaza War I interviewed Jon Lansman on the Labour Party and Israel-Palestine. Jon is a long-time stalwart of the Labour left who ran both of Jeremy Corbyn's successful leadership campaign, and I've known personally since 2015. I have a lot of time and respect for Jon, though as you'll hear though in this conversation, I've disagreed with him on a number of things since the start of the Gaza War.I hope you'll agree we managed those disagreements in a productive way, and that you'll learn something from them regardless of the side on which you fall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I spoke to Ben Judah from the Atlantic Council about how the U.S. sees the Gaza War. This is a free version of a longer episode. To listen in full sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Balfour to Braverman, Britain has consistently backed Israel in its war on Palestine. To discuss why, I was joined by David Wearing Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex. This is a free version of a longer episode - to listen to the full show subscribe at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since 1948, the relationship between Israel and its arab neighbours has gone from open hostility, to accommodation and collaboration. I spoke to Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston, about Egypt and Jordan's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and how that can inform our understanding of the current Gaza War. To support Crash Course, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod.Crash Course is produced and edited by Lewis Bassett and Patrick Heardman.Patrick Heardman does the sound design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For my second episode on the Gaza War I spoke to Gilbert Achcar about his recent article outlining two possible endgames for Israel in its war on Gaza. One of his scenarios is based on annexing Gaza, and the other involves a return to the peace process.Gilbert Achcar is a Lebanese socialist academic and writer. He is a Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.You can read Gilbert's article here: https://newlinesmag.com/argument/two-gaza-scenarios-greater-israel-vs-oslo/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've taken a break from the migration series to do an emergency episode on the war in Gaza. I was joined by author Ben White and human rights advocate Andrew Kadi to discuss the longer-term origins of the Gaza War, and how that might inform what happens next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first episode of my series on migration I spoke to immigration and asylum specialist Lou Calvey. We discussed the rise of small boat crossings, how the asylum backlog got so large, and why the home office isn't fit for purpose. Lou brings a wealth of experience both from the policy world, and from practically supporting asylum seekers, which really came through in this interview. To support the show, sign up at patreon.com/crashcourepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello Crash Course listeners! First of all, a big apology from me. This feed has been way too quiet over the summer, but I will make sure its much more active over the coming months. I'm lining up a full series on immigration, both to debunk Tory scare-mongering and to explore what a genuinely human migration system might look like. In the meantime, I have a fascinating interview for you with Sam Geall. He's CEO of China Dialogue and a fellow at Chatham House. We spoke about an issue that, for obvious reasons, has been obsessing me this summer: climate change. And we spoke about an angle which I think is poorly covered in the UK press: the role of the world's biggest emitter in the fight against climate change. I hope you enjoy.xx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the height of the pandemic, I hoped the experience would lead us to build a more equal society when the covid crisis had subsided. I had World War 2 as an analogy.Gary Stevenson made a different prediction. He believed that the government response to the pandemic - and in particular - the decision to print billions of pounds, would lead to high inflation, and an increase in inequality.We discussed what he got right, and what I got wrong.Production & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick Heardman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Bill Hanage is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Since the outbreak of covid-19, there's been no-one I've trusted more to give me a balanced and objective account of the course of the pandemic. In this conversation we discuss whether the pandemic is really over, what living with covid looks like, and what the public health community has learnt from our response to covid-19. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the UK launches its inquiry into the handling of Covid-19, at Crash Course we're asking a slightly different question: Did Covid-19 change the world?In this series I'll be speaking to scientists, economists and international experts to assess if and how covid-19 transformed society, for better or worse. In this first introductory episode I speak to Ash Sarkar and James Butler about the mark covid-19 and lockdowns have left on political culture in Britain. **This is the first half of a two hour conversation. To listen to the whole interview, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod**Production & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick Heardman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part two of my conversation with Joshua Craze we discuss the rise of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti). He explained how the two generals have used threats of violence as a means to undermine democracy, and how their falling out has placed Sudan on the brink of civil war.To support the podcast and access all episodes subscribe at patreon.com/crashcoursepodProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick Heardman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've watched the news over the past four weeks you'll probably know there's a crisis in Sudan. You'll likely also know that the UK and other Western nations have been struggling to evacuate their citizens, and you might have been told the conflict is a power struggle between two leading generals. However, if you've been relying on mainstream news media, it's unlikely you'll know much more than that.In the first of a two-parter on Sudan, I speak to Joshua Craze about the history of political conflict in Sudan. Here, we race through the history of Sudan, from its foundation in 1956 to the rule of Omar al-Bashir, which lasted from 1989 to 2019.In part two we'll discuss how an understanding of Sudan's history can help explain the present conflict in the country.I came across Joshua Craze via this brilliant article in Sidecar: https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/gunshots-in-khartoumMore reading suggestions from Joshua can be found here: https://riftvalley.net/publication/sudans-grain-divide-revolution-bread-and-sorghumhttps://africanarguments.org/2021/11/creatures-of-the-deposed-connecting-sudans-rural-and-urban-struggles/https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v45/n10/alex-de-waal/the-revolution-no-one-wantedTo support crash course please sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepodCrash Course is produced and edited by Lewis Bassett and Patrick Heardman. Patrick Heardman does the sound design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*** This is the first part of a 1hr40min episode. To listen to the whole thing sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod ***To wrap up the first series on rent I sat down with Aaron Bastani and Gary Stevenson. This was an incredibly enjoyable and very broad conversation, and over more than 90 minutes we touched on many of the themes raised throughout the series. Aaron and Gary are both original thinkers, and had lots to say on rent controls, working class landlords, and even god. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout this series we've been clear that to solve our rental crisis we'll need a lot more council homes. But what's it like to be responsible for building them, and how can councils build more homes in a time of austerity. To answer that question I spoke to my good friend Councillor Aydin Dikerdem, who is the cabinet member for housing in the London borough of Wandsworth.Editing & Production: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo support the podcast and access all episodes, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing on the theme of solutions to the housing crisis I interviewed economist Shreya Nanda about the Georgists and the YIMBYs.Georgists follow the ideas of the 19th century thinker and reformer Henry George and support a land value tax. YIMBYs (which stands for Yes In My Backyard) think the way to get out of the housing crisis is to build, build, build! Shreya classes herself as both a Georgist & a YIMBY, which made this a very fruitful conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duncan Weldon is an economist, author, and all round excellent communicator. He appeared on an earlier episode about London's crazy post-pandemic rents, but I also sat him down for a conversation about the politics and economics of the housing market more generally. We discussed how house prices got so high, whether more supply would solve the rental crisis, the politics of the YIMBY movement & what to make of Michael Gove. To support the podcast and access all episodes in this series - and all future ones - sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepodProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick Heardman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vienna is consistently ranked as the city with the highest standard of living in the world and - not coincidentally - 60% of the Viennese live in social housing. To discover the secret of Vienna's housing success I spoke to the broadcaster Kirsty Lang who wrote a brilliant piece on Vienna in the FT last December.To listen to the full episode - and the rest of the series - subscribe for as little as £3 a month at patreon.com/crashcoursepodScripting & Hosting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick Heardman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen", Peter Apps explains in precise detail the decisions - made both by businesses and government - that allowed it to happen. I felt very privileged to interview Peter on what is a really well researched and thought provoking book which, as well as being absolutely damning of our political class, gives a moving account of the human cost of the Grenfell tragedy. Editing & Production: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo support the podcast and access all episodes, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepodPeter's book is available to purchase here: https://oneworld-publications.com/work/show-me-the-bodies-2/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do private landlords play any useful social function?Should they be able to do whatever they want with their properties?And is it morally okay for a landlord without any increased costs to hike their tenants' rent?Greg Tsuman is President of the National Association of Residential Letting Agents and a landlord of three properties. We didn't agree on much, but I'm grateful he was up for taking part in what became a pretty lively debate!(Apologies the sound quality wasn't amazing on this call, but hopefully the tension makes it worth it...)Presenting & Scripting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo listen to the full episode sign up for as little as £3 a month at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rental crisis means tenants are paying ever higher proportions of their incomes to landlords, and I for one am not too pleased about paying for someone else's mortgage just because I can't afford a home of my own. So what is the moral status of landlordism? And how bad are landlords in Britain? I spoke to a landlord, and two people who's job it is to take them on.Featuring:Alasdair Mcclenahan, Justice for TenantsNikita Quarshie, ShelterGreg Tsuman, President-Elect ARLA PropertymarkScript & Hosting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo support this podcast and access all episodes visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In her excellent book "Big Capital", Anna Minton explains how the influence of international finance has intensified the housing crisis in London, including by setting the scene for the displacement of thousands of families via estate demolitions. I was lucky enough to sit down with her for a discussion of the ideas in that book, and I think this became a really clear and expansive treatment of hyper-gentrification. Hosting & Scripting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo listen to the full episode become a patron at www.patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades renters in London have been forced to pay extortionate prices for insecure homes. But in 2022 the situation got dramatically worse. In this episode you'll hear from a flat hunter about the current nightmare that is looking for a place in live in the capital, and to an estate agent and an economist who explain how we got here. Featuring:Ana OppenheimJoshua HelliwellDuncan WeldonScript & Hosting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett & Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo support the show and access extra content, sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Boughton is the author of Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing. In this interview we were able to go into much more detail than we managed to fit into the first episode of Crash Course. Themes included...The development of council housing before WW2The shift from council housing being aspirational to being demonisedThe original popularity of Right to Buy To listen to the full interview sign up as a patron for as little as £3 a month. https://www.patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the first episode of Crash Course, Michael Walker speaks to four experts to help explain why his rent is so high. The answer will involve forays into the economics of rent, the history of social housing, the financial reforms of Margaret Thatcher, and the politics of gentrification.Featuring:Laurie MacFarlane, Co-Author of Rethinking the Economics of Land and HousingJohn Boughton, Author of Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council HousingDanisha Kazi, Senior Economist at Positive MoneyAnna Minton, Author of Big Capital: Who is London For?Presenting & Scripting: Michael WalkerProduction & Editing: Lewis Bassett and Patrick HeardmanSound Design: Patrick HeardmanTo support Crash Course - and to access bonus content - become a patron at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.