PoliticsJOE Podcast

Oli and Ava are joined by South-East Londoner, journalist, and teacher-in-training Jack Beaumont to hear about his experience working in a SEND school ahead of Labour's projected education reforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Thursday. Ava is joined by JOE's national reporter Tom Usher to talk steroids, body image, and men's mental health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of parliamentary recess, Keir Starmer has just purged his party. Ava and Laura report and react to the news as it unfolds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed, Oli, and Ava sit down to react to the final PMQs before parliament enters recess. Kemi and Keir's last dance, if you will. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava is joined by MP for Liverpool West Derby Ian Byrne to talk about the Hillsborough Law, which was blocked in parliament last week. He also speaks to his experience being a progressive Labour MP in an era of welfare cuts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Monday morning. Oli and Ava talk Wimbledon, Donald Tusk's dinner, and Ed Miliband reminding the Commons that climate change exists. All this and Mapgate, an exclusive scoop from the West Midlands broken by Oli's dad. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Elder is global spokesperson for UNICEF. He came by the studio to speak to us about what he has seen on the ground in Gaza since Israel's violent campaign against the Palestinians began nearly two years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Green leader candidate and self-declared eco-populist Zack Polanski joins us to talk wealth taxes, a new direction for the Greens, and how he can beat Farage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's PMQs analysis Ava and Oli debut their new segment: Lickarse of the Week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed, Oli, and Seán chat about a wealth tax, but they also just chat. How will Rachel Reeves fill the newest hole in government finances? Is a seal a bird?(0:00:00) PoliticsJOE Premium(0:00:48) Opening chat(0:10:45) Torture methods(0:28:00) Aquatic birds(0:41:30) Wealth tax?(0:56:24) Footy chat(1:05:59) End Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Monday morning. Another Reform scandal, another party on the left. Oli and Ed discuss.(0:00:00) PoliticsJOE Premium(0:00:47) Start(0:02:00) Gigs chat(0:06:30) Gardens and civil liberty(0:15:17) Ed is a cyclist (?)(0:22:12) James McMurdock suspends himself from Reform(0:45:04) The Left is back(1:09:48) PoliticsJOE Premium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global investor and author Ruchir Sharma joins us to unpack the core arguments from his latest book, What Went Wrong With Capitalism. Drawing on decades of experience in global markets and political analysis, Sharma offers a sweeping critique of how modern capitalism has strayed from its original purpose — and why it's no longer delivering for the many. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Ava and Seán react to the Gaza documentary the BBC refused to publish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed and Ava are joined by comedian and fellow Scot Marc Jennings to discuss today's blockbuster PMQs, which saw Rachel Reeves cry and Starmer struggle to answer for yesterday's rebellion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what's being dubbed a modern classic, Oli and Seán discuss Labour's welfare rebellion and Bob Vylan's criminal investigation, as well as partaking in some vacuum-sealed analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the triple threat are back in the dungeon on this, the Monday after Glastonbury, to chew the cud over the weekend's events. As the BBC comes under fire for broadcasting Bob Vylan's set where the group led anti-IDF chants, we ask whether the backlash is overegged and whether free speech is dying at the hands of right-wing snowflakes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Snowden of the IEA, a neoliberal think tank, joins Ava in the JOETowers basement to talk smoking, gambling, and threats to the neoliberal way of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava sits down with the US Editor of Channel 4 News Anushka Asthana on the launch of her new book Taken for Red. They get into the mind of Keir Starmer, his plans for the country, and his cutthroat nature at the helm of Labour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Ava and Conor talk welfare cuts, the rebellion Starmer faces over them, and the state of Pride in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian and friend of friends of the podcast Vittorio Angelone joins us for some (deputy) PMQs analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura returns from yesterday's Palestine Action protest to tell Seán all about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what could be described as a loose record, Ed and Ava touch on recent developments in the Middle East, Labour's threatened proscription of Palestine Action, and are joined by Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at LSE, for some real analysis of Trump's actions in Iran. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of The Big Short Michael Lewis swing by JOETowers to chat to Oli about "who" actually is government. His new book Who is Government? is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Lewis swung by JOETowers to chat if anyone is actually a genius - and what who we label "geniuses" tells us about society. She argues that "genius" is a romanticised idea: the notion that extraordinary talent excuses bad behaviour or moral failings. Think, Elon Musk. She unpacks how celebrated (almost always male) figures like Edison, Einstein, Picasso, Tolstoy (and even Elon Musk) benefit from a halo effect that glosses over serious flaws such as abuse, neglect, misogyny, and selfishness. She traces the historical roots of the term “genius,” linking it to hierarchy-driven ideologies and the eugenics movement, arguing that intelligence testing and the “innate talent” narrative come with harmful baggage. Helen Lewis is a journalist and staff writer at The Atlantic. She is a former deputy editor of the New Statesman, and has also written for The Guardian and The Sunday Times.Her new book "The Genius Myth" is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After reporting from the scene of Mo Chara's court hearing and its surrounding protest yesterday, Seán and Laura dive into what they saw and why the British state are really going after KNEECAP.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) JOEnlyFans(0:01:20) Love Irish podcasts hate Irish nonces(0:01:47) A note on endangered languages(0:04:30) The trial of Mo Chara Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's 'tight' record, Ed and Oli discuss the illustrious Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, Robert Jenrick's dark arts, and school uniforms.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) JOEnlyFans(0:01:20) Grand opening(0:03:40) (D)PMQs(0:40:13) The record gets loose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Yvette Cooper's statement in the Commons yesterday responding to the findings of the Casey report, Seán, Oli, and Laura delve into what's really going on with grooming gangs.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) A bit of chat(0:07:10) But why JOEnlyFans?(0:15:24) Grooming gangs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed returns to the studio to discuss his Journalism in Northern Ireland, where he was on the ground reporting on the Ballymena riots. Oli joins him to create the platonic ideal of a podcast.Support PoliticsJOE's journalism: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticsJOE(0:00:00) Dross(0:10:01) PoliticsJOE Premium(0:22:40) Witches(0:26:18) Ballymena Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava is joined by journalist and historian Anne Applebaum on the release of the paperback of her book Autocracy Inc. They discuss Trump, authoritarianism, and the failure of liberal democracies and world order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura's been in Birmingham, finding out about the city's synthetic opioid crisis. She chats to DISPATCH's editor Jacob Furedi about the drug deadlier than fentanyl being cut into Britain's drug supply. You can watch Laura's report tomorrow on the PoliticsJOE YouTube. You can read Jacob's investigation here: https://dispatch-media.com/britains-hidden-opioid-crisis/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a quiet studio, Oli Dugmore alone takes on Rachel Reeves' spending review with some hard analysis... and a surprise at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Oli dives into the spending review tomorrow morning, Seán joins him to talk the Ballymena riots and how the far right are mobilising across borders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava was at Reform's unveiling of a new party chairman on Tuesday, where Zia Yusuf was also shown off as heading up their UK DOGE wing. We got in the studio for a quick few minutes to break down the crossroads the party is beginning to find itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mathew Lawrence of the progressive think tank Common Wealth makes the trip down to JOETowers to talk deindustrialisation, GB Energy, and all things nationalisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed, Oli, and Ava hastily reassemble in the PolJoe dungeon to cover Labour's announcement that they will reinstate the winter fuel payment for pensioners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following his return from Scotland, Ed is reunited with Oli and Ava to talk immigration protests in LA, wade into last week's backlash, and figure out what's going on with Reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iain Dale is a broadcaster, political geek and author of many books, most recent among them Margaret Thatcher: The Prime Ministers Series.He swung by JOETowers on release of his book to sit down with Oli and chew the fat over her legacy, her policies and how her actions as Britain's first female Prime Minister are misunderstood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, Ireland has seen a steady increase in anti-immigration, racist and conspiracy laden politics.What began as an online fringe has manifested in recent months and years into events such as the Dublin riots in 2023, or the burning down of buildings destined to house asylum seekers across the country.While the sentiment and emotion behind Ireland's anti-refugee activists tends to be represented in the media by racist and xenophobic protesters, there are underlying cultural and societal issues that have been trigger points the political fringe have latched on to.Here, we delve into the issues that have given rise to far-right sentiment in Ireland, such as the housing crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and post 2008 austerity.Roscrea crew: Oisín Deignan, Peter Cooney and Eoin Ronayne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sound the emergency podcast button, it's Trump versus Musk, politics is good again baby, awooga! Ed and Laura chat about the insane fallout between Trump and Musk, Zia Yusuf leaving Reform, and what really happened in a Scottish by-election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Ava and Conor are joined by totem of the British music industry Kate Nash.We get into attacks against Imane Khelif, anti-trans activists, and right-wing grifters hell-bent on making everybody's life worse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PMQs is back with a vengeance, and Ava and Oli rise to the occasion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this fine Tuesday Ava and Seán react live to Robert Jenrick's latest video in his one-man war against Labour, as well as Ava's interview with Secretary for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Oli and Ava draw back the curtain and discuss what went into last Friday's interview with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. Join them for a peek. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernie Sanders is a busy man these days. When he's not holding Trump's cabinet to account, he's speaking to record-breaking crowds with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as part of his Fighting Oligarchy tour.The Senator for Vermont was in the UK this week, and took time out of his busy schedule to speak to us about Donald Trump, the billionaires ruling the world, and how to reclaim power from them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava was in Cheltenham at Question Time on Thursday night and came back to the PolJOE dungeon to talk about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by Director of Politics at Ipsos UK Kieran Pedley after the pollsters conducted research in partnership with JOE Media Group investigating the world of dating, feminism, masculinity and the changing world of human relationships in the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Oli and Ava talk Tommy Robinson's release, Trump's crackdown on free speech, and go head-to-head on Lucy Connolly's 31 month sentence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cyber brothels in Berlin. Deepfake pornography in schools. AI "girlfriends". Oli speaks to activist and author Laura Bates about how AI is revolutionising how men and women interact. Her new book The New Age of Sexism: How AI is Reinventing Misogyny is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Duncan-Jordan came by JOETowers to break down his party's crusade against benefits claimants, and why it's the worst possible idea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're reacting to the news that KNEECAP's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged with a terror offence after a video of a gig resurfaced after their Coachella gig, and to news the Justice Secretary is considering mandatory castration of sex offenders on early release from prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Keir Starmer hinted at another u-turn at PMQs today, we ran down to the dungeon to bring you another morsel of analysis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.