PoliticsJOE Podcast

The latest Peter Mandelson revelations are still looming large over the Prime Minister despite the sacking of Olly Robins, and Starmer maintains that he wasn't told until Tuesday that Mandelson wasn't granted the highest level of clearance. Ava, Seán, and Andy unpack the discourse.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Kapos is an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, and joins us to speak about his activism, his opposition to Israel's systemic destruction of Gaza and the West Bank, and how the memory of the Holocaust is being abused by Israel and the far-right.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PoliticsJOE is joined by the UK's former permanent representative to Nato, Sir Adam Thomson, and former Navy Commander Kevin Rowlands to discuss the state of the UK's Armed Forces. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer was back at the despatch box after the Easter break facing questions over Lord Robertson's defence review, warning the government's complacency has left the UK in a perilous situation.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava is joined once again by friend of PoliticsJOE Sam Bright to break down the latest news from the continent, after Hungary's quasi dictator Viktor Orbán was toppled in a landslide on Sunday night.Péter Magyar absolutely hammered Orbán's Fidesz party on Sunday night, ending 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán.Sam breaks down the victory for Magyar and what the opposition leader stands for. He also delves into the consequences for right-wing movements across Europe, as Orbán's close alignment with the Trump regime was tipped as a key reason for his downfall.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy and Seán take to the poljoe dungeon to recap the Sunday shows, where America's most prominent right-wing pundit went on the BBC, and ended up coming across competent, in no small part due to the government's Palestine Action ban.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava spoke to the Green Party candidate for Hackney Mayor Zoë Garbett at the Green Party's local election launch in Stoke Newington. Zoë outlines the Greens' plans to revolutionise Britain's housing system, to be a fair and affordable system for all.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seán is joined by friend of the podcast Scott Lucas to make sense of the relative peace that has fallen in Tehran after the striking of a ceasefire deal on Tuesday.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive into the political storm surrounding Karl Turner, who was suspended after publicly criticising Keir Starmer. What does this moment reveal about party discipline, free speech within politics, and the current direction of the Labour Party?We sit down to unpack Turner's perspective, the context behind his comments, and the reaction from party leadership. Is this a case of necessary unity, or does it raise deeper concerns about dissent being silenced?Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seán, Andy, and Ava return from the long weekend to unpack Kanye West's controversial headlining of the now-cancelled Wireless Festival and its resultant discourse. Also, the 6% cap on student loans and the latest in Trump.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a national four-day weekend Seán and Ava return to open up the debate and answer some of your burning questions.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Cole is an academic and author specialising in labour and technology, and swung by the studio to talk about his book Unpaid: The Past, Present and Future of Wage Theft.During the conversation, he breaks down the myriad ways in which employers undercut their workforce, how to stop it, and what a balanced, egalitarian labour market of the future looks like.Preorder Unpaid here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3206-unpaidSubscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are once again joined by friend of the podcast Richie Jones to chew through the latest IPSOS polling in collaboration with JOE Media Group. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We caught up with Brian Eno at DiEM last week to chat about inequality, taxes, and the urgent need to rebalance the global system to save ordinary people from extinction.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political economist Grace Blakeley caught up with Ava at DiEM's Resistance Is Existence: The Fight For Our Future event last week to chat about joining the Green Party, Iran, and decoupling Britain from the United States.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy joins Seán to debrief his televised clash with Matt Goodwin last Friday over his accusations that the Gorton and Denton by-election loser used AI to research his book.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava sits down with the co-authors of Muskism, Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, to dive deep on the world's richest man.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liam Byrne is a Labour MP and the chair of the Commons Business and Trade Committee. He came by the studio to speak to Ava about his new book, Why Populists are Winning. In a wide ranging conversation, Liam and Ava break down Labour's victories and losses in the last 18 months, how operators on the left and right have capitalised on the actions of the government, and how the government come back from a slew of bad results at the polls.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava caught economist Yanis Varoufakis before his conversation with Zack Polanski, Jeremy Corbyn, and Grace Blakeley at DiEM25. She talks to him about Keir Starmer, Iran, Donald Trump, and the weakness of European leaders.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura, Seán and Andy react to today's bout at the despatch box, as well as questions from MPs and Nigel Farage's storm out.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Levy is an expert in Israeli geopolitics and the President of the U.S./Middle East Project.He spoke to us about the unfolding situation in Iran and how Benjamin Netanyahu continues to drag an unsuspecting Donald Trump deeper into an unwinnable war.Subscribe to Daniel's Substack: https://substack.com/@daniellevy2Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy's been looking into Gorton and Denton by-election loser Matthew Goodwin's new book over the weekend, and has some hefty claims about its author. He tells Ava about his discoveries.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Holden is an investigative journalist and author of The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the crisis of British Democracy.He came by the PoliticsJOE studio to chat to us about his book, which has become essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the chaos surrounding Keir Starmer's time in charge of the country.He sits down with Ava to speak about the slow drip of news stories that have in one way or another began in his investigations, what will bring the downfall of Keir Starmer's regime, and the players within the operation that tried to end his career.Buy The Fraud here: https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Dearden is the Employment Rights Minister, and she sat down with Ava to break down the government's new plan to crack down on employers failing to pay their workers fairly.This comes after the Department for Business and Trade published the names of hundreds of companies that have failed to pay their employees minimum wage, amounting to £7 million in lost wages.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura sits down with Lena Swedlow of Compass to uncover the flaws of Britain's electoral system, as well as imagining what a future without it could look like.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura and Seán are back to react to another fiery PMQs. Despite mentions of Iran and the Mandelson files, today's real headline comes from outside the Commons: Angela Rayner's speech at a Momentum event last night which loomed large over today's session.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Netflix dropped Louis Theroux's exploration of the manosphere. But, some watchers of the patriarchal online world were left unimpressed. James Bloodworth, who embedded himself in the manosphere for his book Lost Boys, was "underwhelmed". He tells PoliticsJOE why. In his documentary, Theroux meets several prominent manosphere figures, including HSTikkyTokky and Jay Waller, who argue that modern society disadvantages men and that women hold too much power in relationships. Mixing self-help advice, fitness and financial motivation with messages that critics say are misogynistic or manipulative, Theroux questions their beliefs, challenges their claims about masculinity and dating, and explores how their upbringings may have led them to their views on gender. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Monday, and the US-Israeli war with Iran continues. Ava, Seán, and Andy debate Keir Starmer's position, who's idea it really was, and how tenable it will continue to be as energy prices are likely to rise. They also touch on the Greens' Hannah Spencer.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Bourne has been a Palestine activist for around a decade. His prominence in the movement has seen him face online abuse in the past. Last month the line between his personal life and his activism was broken.After Thomas confronted Matt Lucas in an underground station, the online world went into overdrive. Prominent figures were calling out his actions, and newspapers delved into his personal life to an extent he'd never experienced.It reached a peak when Thomas lost his job as a result of the attention put on him by some of Britain's biggest right-wing papers.Thomas came by the studio to walk us through the events of the day that changed his life.Thomas's identity has been protected at his request.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the Humble Address that forced the government to publish internal material surrounding Peter Mandelson's appointment and dismissal as UK ambassador to the United States, the first tranche of files has dropped and Ava and Laura are here to break them down.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Wednesday, another blockbuster PMQs. Kemi Badenoch's enthusiasm for entering the war with Iran last week has aged poorly, and the Prime Minister wasted no time reminding her of the fact. Laura and Seán break it down.An earlier version of this podcast stated that Trident needs the approval of the US before launch. The UK does not need prior approval from the United States before launching nuclear missiles. Trident is operationally independent, but is maintained and serviced in the United States.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura and Seán discuss the rumoured end of Trump's war with Iran, the fall and sale of Brewdog, and the recent fire on Glasgow's Union Street.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a private lunch last Friday, Tony Blair said that Keir Starmer "should have backed America from the very beginning". Andy and Laura discuss the former PM's meddling, as well as anti-trans protestors putting Hannah Spencer at risk, and polling on Gen-Z men's uniquely conservative views.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Seán is joined by none other than Ash Sarkar as her book Minority Rule hits paperback. After a turbulent 2025 and an utterly batshit start to 2026, Ash reflects on the permacrisis as it continues to warp and destabilise the fabric of society, and reality as we know it.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava is joined by Editor-in-Chief of Middle East Eye David Hearst to break down the foreign policy nightmare Donald Trump could be facing in his continued war against Iran.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura caught up with Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament yesterday after Rachel Reeves' Spring Forecast speech.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Bright is an investigative journalist and author. He came by the studio to talk to Ava about Nigel Farage's strategy at the helm of Reform UK, the funders propping up Britain's new right, and how a collapse may be right around the corner.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa McKenzie is an academic who fell into an online storm when her tweets about Hannah Spencer and class went viral.Lisa joins Andy in our first episode of Cancelled to share her views from the time, whether they've changed, and the wider class dynamics at play in British politics.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy, Laura, and Seán react to a particularly heated PMQs showdown between Kemi Badenoch and Keir Starmer, as the Tory leader ramps up the rhetoric over Trump's escalating conflict with Iran.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are once again joined by the great Scott Lucas to make sense of another chaotic weekend in Donald Trump's foreign policy escapades. This time, the President decided to join forces with Benjamin Netanyahu to make a martyr of Ayatollah Khamenei, for which the Iranians have attacked multiple gulf states and Israel.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seán, Ava, and Andy unpack what Hannah Spencer and the Green Party's victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election means for British politics, as well as the attack lines Reform have been putting out since Matt Goodwin's loss.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura is joined by Lib Dem MP Martin Wrigley to find out just how deep Palantir's influence stretches in British society, including in the NHS, the MOD, and even the police.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week we spoke to Green Party co-deputy leader Rachel Millward about the party's surge in support under Zack Polanski, their prospects as the new party of the left, and the downfall of Labour under Keir Starmer.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the shroud of purdah descending this fine Thursday, we take to the studio to answer some of your burning questions.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava, Laura, and Seán sit down after PMQs to make sense of Keir Starmer's claims that the country is on the up and up, even though nobody feels it.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just hours after Peter Mandelson was released on bail by police investigating allegations of misconduct in a public office, Ava, Laura, and Seán head to the studio to break down today's Opposition Day debate.The Lib Dems are planning to get MPs to back the release of documents detailing the process behind Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as a trade envoy under Tony Blair.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Monday once again. Seán, Laura, and Andy get stuck into Nigel Farage's thwarted attempt to accompany a humanitarian mission to the Chagos Islands, further abuses of the Royal name by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as Bridget Phillipson's SEND reforms.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava sits down with economist Clara Mattei to explore a bold and unsettling idea: capitalism isn't failing - it's functioning exactly as intended.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Ava is joined by journalist Peter Oborne to discuss the Labour party under Keir Starmer, and the man that dragged him into power: Morgan McSweeney.Peter breaks down the allegiances that McSweeney built over a long career campaigning for the Labour Party, leading to his links to the man that almost brought down Starmer's premiership - the former American Ambassador Peter Mandelson.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava and Seán discuss Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain project, and who or what is responsible for pulling British politics to the right.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seán and Laura bring you an emergency broadcast in response to news that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office earlier today.Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.