Podcasts about Labour

Today, we look at where the welfare U-turn leaves Keir Starmer's government, and the PM himself.Paddy and Henry Zeffman go through the PM's first year in office and put it into context by look at where he's got things right and wrong.Henry's been talking to Labour insiders and officials for a documentary: Starmer's Stormy YearYou can find it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002f8t1You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNew episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

As Labour rebels appear to have forced concessions from Keir Starmer over welfare this week, former Conservative MP Steve Baker joins James Heale to reflect on his own time as a rebel, and to provide some advice to Labour MPs. Steve, an MP for 14 years and a minister under Theresa May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, tells James about the different rebellions he was a part of (from Brexit to Covid), explains how to organise a successful one and reveals how he has lost close friends when he has made the decision to compromise.He also blames Labour's problems on their ‘bombs not benefits' approach, explains why the current welfare rebellion demonstrates that ‘the facts of life are Conservative' and argues that it has been a mistake for the Conservatives not the support Labour's original approach to reducing the winter fuel allowance.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

Mark is joined by legendary comedian Alexei Sayle as they discuss the world of comedy in the 80s, Working class comedians,  The problem with Labour - and what we can do to sort it all out.  You can hear the second part of the interview in next week's episode – but if you can't wait, why not join us on Patreon? For £4 a month you can listen to the whole interview straight away – and you'll also be able to watch it! https://www.patreon.com/wtfisgoingonpod  I you enjoyed this episode then be sure to check out Alexei's podcast and patreon page here:  www.audioboom.com/channels/5038428-the-alexei-sayle-podcast www.patreon.com/AlexeiSaylePodcast For media, press & guest enquiries please email mikey@carouselstudios.co.uk Follow What The F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel on Twitter @wtfisgoingonpod  Follow Mark Steel @mrmarksteel   Follow Alexei's Podcast @alexeisaylepod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Labour rebels appear to have forced concessions from Keir Starmer over welfare this week, former Conservative MP Steve Baker joins James Heale to reflect on his own time as a rebel, and to provide some advice to Labour MPs. Steve, an MP for 14 years and a minister under Theresa May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, tells James about the different rebellions he was a part of (from Brexit to Covid), explains how to organise a successful one and reveals how he has lost close friends when he has made the decision to compromise.He also blames Labour's problems on their ‘bombs not benefits' approach, explains why the current welfare rebellion demonstrates that ‘the facts of life are Conservative' and argues that it has been a mistake for the Conservatives not the support Labour's original approach to reducing the winter fuel allowance.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph assesses the latest developments at Westminster.He discusses the government's u-turn on its cuts to disability benefits with Anna Dixon, one of the 127 Labour MPs who had threatened to rebel and Jonathan Ashworth, Sir Keir Starmer's shadow work and pensions secretary who now runs the Labour Together think tank. Cathy Ashton, Labour peer and former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former British Ambassador to the UN and former National Security Adviser discuss this week's NATO summit and the Iran-Israel conflict. Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at Oxford University and an expert on climate and the environment looks at the Climate Change Committee's annual review on progress towards net zero. And, Angela Rayner stood in for Keir Starmer at PMQs for the second week in a row. To discuss what it is like to stand in at PMQs, Ben spoke to Sir Oliver Dowden, who as Rishi Sunak's deputy often faced Angela Rayer across the despatch box and Dame Emily Thornberry, who stood in for Jeremy Corbyn when he was Opposition leader.

Today, the government have confirmed it will make major concessions to Labour rebels over its planned benefits reforms.Adam and Chris were back in the Newscast studio on Friday morning to run through how news of the U-turn broke late on Thursday night. And, they're joined by Alex and Faisal to unpack the week's political news - including key takeaways from the Nato summit in the Netherlands, including how Donald Trump came to be referred to as ‘daddy'.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNew episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Guardian columnist Frances Ryan on the reality of being disabled in the UK and the impact of the government's proposed cuts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Carl and Harry are joined by Voice of Wales to discuss Labour's preparation for war, the state's sexual miseducation, and how 10 years of gay marriage has had no negative consequences and everyone lived happily ever after.

Dog whistle think pieces seem to be back in fashion and right wingers are more frequently using rhetoric that sounds a bit like Enoch Powell. Powell was condemned for Rivers of Blood, why isn't sounding like him so damaging for the modern right? Plus – AI and copyright. It's put Labour at odds with Elton John, never a good place to be. Politico's Joseph Bambridge joins the panel to talk through the furore.  Read Joseph's piece in Politico: https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-copyright-political-nightmare-labour-uk-models-tech/    ESCAPE ROUTES  •  Rachel watched Virgin Island on Channel 4  • Raf has been reading Barbara Kingsolver novels • Joseph watched The Contestant  • Dorian watched Black Ops  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow    Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Rafael Behr and Rachel Cunliffe. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sir Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion from within his own party this week after scores of MPs opposed changes to make it tougher to collect some disability benefits. This episode — recorded just before the prime minister's concessions on welfare reform — unpacks why the rebellion took place, what it says about Starmer's leadership and where next for Labour. Host Miranda Green is joined by Stephen Bush and Jim Pickard — check out their recent articles below for fresh analysis on the government climbdown. Plus, FT chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman on Starmer's performance at the Nato summit and the impact on the UK of global uncertainty. Follow Miranda on Bluesky: @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; Stephen on Bluesky or X @stephenkb.bsky.social‬, @stephenkb; Gideon @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanWhat did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Want more? Free links: How Starmer averted ‘civil war' with Labour MPs after diluting welfare cuts Welfare U-turn permanently alters Labour's playbookMorgan McSweeney: Labour's election fixer under fire as welfare rebellion loomsA defeat Keir Starmer cannot affordThe latest episode of The Rachman Review: ‘Too soon to celebrate peace between Israel and Iran?' To mark one year of the Labour government, Political Fix regulars Stephen Bush, Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green will be answering readers' questions on July 3 at 1pm. Take part in our live Q&A by going to FT.com/labouryear. Sign up here for 30 days free of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter. Presented by Miranda Green, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Jean-Marc Ek. The FT's acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even as Keir Starmer faces the threat of all-out rebellion over his welfare bill, Westminster can feel the summer recess approaching. So six months into the year and with the anniversary of Labour's electoral victory approaching, host Sascha O'Sullivan enrols a host of experts to give their view on the government's progress on the 'milestones' set out by the Prime Minister last year. Harry Quilter-Pinner, director of the IPPR and Charlotte Pickles, director of Re:State think tank (formerly called Reform) talk Sascha through each of the milestones – from the economy to energy security – and gives Keir Starmer and his cabinet a grade for each. The pollster Scarlett Maguire, founder of Merlin strategies, provides key insights into how voters view the government's record to date. Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman, and James Heale, deputy political editor of The Spectator, gives Sascha an assessment of the trials and tribulations on the opposition benches – from the Conservatives battles with Reform to the Greens' leadership election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,Once-science-fiction advancements like AI, gene editing, and advanced biotechnology have finally arrived, and they're here to stay. These technologies have seemingly set us on a course towards a brand new future for humanity, one we can hardly even picture today. But progress doesn't happen overnight, and it isn't the result of any one breakthrough.As Jamie Metzl explains in his new book, Superconvergence: How the Genetics, Biotech, and AI Revolutions will Transform our Lives, Work, and World, tech innovations work alongside and because of one another, bringing about the future right under our noses.Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I chat with Metzl about how humans have been radically reshaping the world around them since their very beginning, and what the latest and most disruptive technologies mean for the not-too-distant future.Metzl is a senior fellow of the Atlantic Council and a faculty member of NextMed Health. He has previously held a series of positions in the US government, and was appointed to the World Health Organization's advisory committee on human genome editing in 2019. He is the author of several books, including two sci-fi thrillers and his international bestseller, Hacking Darwin.In This Episode* Unstoppable and unpredictable (1:54)* Normalizing the extraordinary (9:46)* Engineering intelligence (13:53)* Distrust of disruption (19:44)* Risk tolerance (24:08)* What is a “newnimal”? (13:11)* Inspired by curiosity (33:42)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. Unstoppable and unpredictable (1:54)The name of the game for all of this . . . is to ask “What are the things that we can do to increase the odds of a more positive story and decrease the odds of a more negative story?”Pethokoukis: Are you telling a story of unstoppable technological momentum or are you telling a story kind of like A Christmas Carol, of a future that could be if we do X, Y, and Z, but no guarantees?Metzl: The future of technological progress is like the past: It is unstoppable, but that doesn't mean it's predetermined. The path that we have gone over the last 12,000 years, from the domestication of crops to building our civilizations, languages, industrialization — it's a bad metaphor now, but — this train is accelerating. It's moving faster and faster, so that's not up for grabs. It is not up for grabs whether we are going to have the capacities to engineer novel intelligence and re-engineer life — we are doing both of those things now in the early days.What is up for grabs is how these revolutions will play out, and there are better and worse scenarios that we can imagine. The name of the game for all of this, the reason why I do the work that I do, why I write the books that I write, is to ask “What are the things that we can do to increase the odds of a more positive story and decrease the odds of a more negative story?”Progress has been sort of unstoppable for all that time, though, of course, fits and starts and periods of stagnation —— But when you look back at those fits and starts — the size of the Black Plague or World War II, or wiping out Berlin, and Dresden, and Tokyo, and Hiroshima, and Nagasaki — in spite of all of those things, it's one-directional. Our technologies have gotten more powerful. We've developed more capacities, greater ability to manipulate the world around us, so there will be fits and starts but, as I said, this train is moving. That's why these conversations are so important, because there's so much that we can, and I believe must, do now.There's a widely held opinion that progress over the past 50 years has been slower than people might have expected in the late 1960s, but we seem to have some technologies now for which the momentum seems pretty unstoppable.Of course, a lot of people thought, after ChatGPT came out, that superintelligence would happen within six months. That didn't happen. After CRISPR arrived, I'm sure there were lots of people who expected miracle cures right away.What makes you think that these technologies will look a lot different, and our world will look a lot different than they do right now by decade's end?They certainly will look a lot different, but there's also a lot of hype around these technologies. You use the word “superintelligence,” which is probably a good word. I don't like the words “artificial intelligence,” and I have a six-letter framing for what I believe about AGI — artificial general intelligence — and that is: AGI is BS. We have no idea what human intelligence is, if we define our own intelligence so narrowly that it's just this very narrow form of thinking and then we say, “Wow, we have these machines that are mining the entirety of digitized human cultural history, and wow, they're so brilliant, they can write poems — poems in languages that our ancestors have invented based on the work of humans.” So we humans need to be very careful not to belittle ourselves.But we're already seeing, across the board, if you say, “Is CRISPR on its own going to fundamentally transform all of life?” The answer to that is absolutely no. My last book was about genetic engineering. If genetic engineering is a pie, genome editing is a slice and CRISPR is just a tiny little sliver of that slice. But the reason why my new book is called Superconvergence, the entire thesis is that all of these technologies inspire, and influence, and are embedded in each other. We had the agricultural revolution 12,000 years ago, as I mentioned. That's what led to these other innovations like civilization, like writing, and then the ancient writing codes are the foundation of computer codes which underpin our machine learning and AI systems that are allowing us to unlock secrets of the natural world.People are imagining that AI equals ChatGPT, but that's really not the case (AI equals ChatGPT like electricity equals the power station). The story of AI is empowering us to do all of these other things. As a general-purpose technology, already AI is developing the capacity to help us just do basic things faster. Computer coding is the archetypal example of that. Over the last couple of years, the speed of coding has improved by about 50 percent for the most advanced human coders, and as we code, our coding algorithms are learning about the process of coding. We're just laying a foundation for all of these other things.That's what I call “boring AI.” People are imagining exciting AI, like there's a magic AI button and you just press it and AI cures cancer. That's not how it's going to work. Boring AI is going to be embedded in human resource management. It's going to be embedded just giving us a lot of capabilities to do things better, faster than we've done them before. It doesn't mean that AIs are going to replace us. There are a lot of things that humans do that machines can just do better than we are. That's why most of us aren't doing hunting, or gathering, or farming, because we developed machines and other technologies to feed us with much less human labor input, and we have used that reallocation of our time and energy to write books and invent other things. That's going to happen here.The name of the game for us humans, there's two things: One is figuring out what does it mean to be a great human and over-index on that, and two, lay the foundation so that these multiple overlapping revolutions, as they play out in multiple fields, can be governed wisely. That is the name of the game. So when people say, “Is it going to change our lives?” I think people are thinking of it in the wrong way. This shirt that I'm wearing, this same shirt five years from now, you'll say, “Well, is there AI in your shirt?” — because it doesn't look like AI — and what I'm going to say is “Yes, in the manufacturing of this thread, in the management of the supply chain, in figuring out who gets to go on vacation, when, in the company that's making these buttons.” It's all these little things. People will just call it progress. People are imagining magic AI, all of these interwoven technologies will just feel like accelerating progress, and that will just feel like life.Normalizing the extraordinary (9:46)20, 30 years ago we didn't have the internet. I think things get so normalized that this just feels like life.What you're describing is a technology that economists would call a general-purpose technology. It's a technology embedded in everything, it's everywhere in the economy, much as electricity.What you call “boring AI,” the way I think about it is: I was just reading a Wall Street Journal story about Applebee's talking about using AI for more efficient customer loyalty programs, and they would use machine vision to look at their tables to see if they were cleaned well enough between customers. That, to people, probably doesn't seem particularly science-fictional. It doesn't seem world-changing. Of course, faster growth and a more productive economy is built on those little things, but I guess I would still call those “boring AI.”What to me definitely is not boring AI is the sort of combinatorial aspect that you're talking about where you're talking about AI helping the scientific discovery process and then interweaving with other technologies in kind of the classic Paul Romer combinatorial way.I think a lot of people, if they look back at their lives 20 or 30 years ago, they would say, “Okay, more screen time, but probably pretty much the same.”I don't think they would say that. 20, 30 years ago we didn't have the internet. I think things get so normalized that this just feels like life. If you had told ourselves 30 years ago, “You're going to have access to all the world's knowledge in your pocket.” You and I are — based on appearances, although you look so youthful — roughly the same age, so you probably remember, “Hurry, it's long distance! Run down the stairs!”We live in this radical science-fiction world that has been normalized, and even the things that you are mentioning, if you see open up your newsfeed and you see that there's this been incredible innovation in cancer care, and whether it's gene therapy, or autoimmune stuff, or whatever, you're not thinking, “Oh, that was AI that did that,” because you read the thing and it's like “These researchers at University of X,” but it is AI, it is electricity, it is agriculture. It's because our ancestors learned how to plant seeds and grow plants where you're stationed and not have to do hunting and gathering that you have had this innovation that is keeping your grandmother alive for another 10 years.What you're describing is what I call “magical AI,” and that's not how it works. Some of the stuff is magical: the Jetsons stuff, and self-driving cars, these things that are just autopilot airplanes, we live in a world of magical science fiction and then whenever something shows up, we think, “Oh yeah, no big deal.” We had ChatGPT, now ChatGPT, no big deal?If you had taken your grandparents, your parents, and just said, “Hey, I'm going to put you behind a screen. You're going to have a conversation with something, with a voice, and you're going to do it for five hours,” and let's say they'd never heard of computers and it was all this pleasant voice. In the end they said, “You just had a five-hour conversation with a non-human, and it told you about everything and all of human history, and it wrote poems, and it gave you a recipe for kale mush or whatever you're eating,” you'd say, “Wow!” I think that we are living in that sci-fi world. It's going to get faster, but every innovation, we're not going to say, “Oh, AI did that.” We're just going to say, “Oh, that happened.”Engineering intelligence (13:53)I don't like the word “artificial intelligence” because artificial intelligence means “artificial human intelligence.” This is machine intelligence, which is inspired by the products of human intelligence, but it's a different form of intelligence . . .I sometimes feel in my own writing, and as I peruse the media, like I read a lot more about AI, the digital economy, information technology, and I feel like I certainly write much less about genetic engineering, biotechnology, which obviously is a key theme in your book. What am I missing right now that's happening that may seem normal five years from now, 10 years, but if I were to read about it now or understand it now, I'd think, “Well, that is kind of amazing.”My answer to that is kind of everything. As I said before, we are at the very beginning of this new era of life on earth where one species, among the billions that have ever lived, suddenly has the increasing ability to engineer novel intelligence and re-engineer life.We have evolved by the Darwinian processes of random mutation and natural selection, and we are beginning a new phase of life, a new Cambrian Revolution, where we are creating, certainly with this novel intelligence that we are birthing — I don't like the word “artificial intelligence” because artificial intelligence means “artificial human intelligence.” This is machine intelligence, which is inspired by the products of human intelligence, but it's a different form of intelligence, just like dolphin intelligence is a different form of intelligence than human intelligence, although we are related because of our common mammalian route. That's what's happening here, and our brain function is roughly the same as it's been, certainly at least for tens of thousands of years, but the AI machine intelligence is getting smarter, and we're just experiencing it.It's become so normalized that you can even ask that question. We live in a world where we have these AI systems that are just doing more and cooler stuff every day: driving cars, you talked about discoveries, we have self-driving laboratories that are increasingly autonomous. We have machines that are increasingly writing their own code. We live in a world where machine intelligence has been boxed in these kinds of places like computers, but very soon it's coming out into the world. The AI revolution, and machine-learning revolution, and the robotics revolution are going to be intersecting relatively soon in meaningful ways.AI has advanced more quickly than robotics because it hasn't had to navigate the real world like we have. That's why I'm always so mindful of not denigrating who we are and what we stand for. Four billion years of evolution is a long time. We've learned a lot along the way, so it's going to be hard to put the AI and have it out functioning in the world, interacting in this world that we have largely, but not exclusively, created.But that's all what's coming. Some specific things: 30 years from now, my guess is many people who are listening to this podcast will be fornicating regularly with robots, and it'll be totally normal and comfortable.. . . I think some people are going to be put off by that.Yeah, some people will be put off and some people will be turned on. All I'm saying is it's going to be a mix of different —Jamie, what I would like to do is be 90 years old and be able to still take long walks, be sharp, not have my knee screaming at me. That's what I would like. Can I expect that?I think this can help, but you have to decide how to behave with your personalized robot.That's what I want. I'm looking for the achievement of human suffering. Will there be a world of less human suffering?We live in that world of less human suffering! If you just look at any metric of anything, this is the best time to be alive, and it's getting better and better. . . We're living longer, we're living healthier, we're better educated, we're more informed, we have access to more and better food. This is by far the best time to be alive, and if we don't massively screw it up, and frankly, even if we do, to a certain extent, it'll continue to get better.I write about this in Superconvergence, we're moving in healthcare from our world of generalized healthcare based on population averages to precision healthcare, to predictive and preventive. In education, some of us, like myself, you have had access to great education, but not everybody has that. We're going to have access to fantastic education, personalized education everywhere for students based on their own styles of learning, and capacities, and native languages. This is a wonderful, exciting time.We're going to get all of those things that we can hope for and we're going to get a lot of things that we can't even imagine. And there are going to be very real potential dangers, and if we want to have the good story, as I keep saying, and not have the bad story, now is the time where we need to start making the real investments.Distrust of disruption (19:44)Your job is the disruption of this thing that's come before. . . stopping the advance of progress is just not one of our options.I think some people would, when they hear about all these changes, they'd think what you're telling them is “the bad story.”I just talked about fornicating with robots, it's the bad story?Yeah, some people might find that bad story. But listen, we live at an age where people have recoiled against the disruption of trade, for instance. People are very allergic to the idea of economic disruption. I think about all the debate we had over stem cell therapy back in the early 2000s, 2002. There certainly is going to be a certain contingent that, what they're going to hear what you're saying is: you're going to change what it means to be a human. You're going to change what it means to have a job. I don't know if I want all this. I'm not asking for all this.And we've seen where that pushback has greatly changed, for instance, how we trade with other nations. Are you concerned that that pushback could create regulatory or legislative obstacles to the kind of future you're talking about?All of those things, and some of that pushback, frankly, is healthy. These are fundamental changes, but those people who are pushing back are benchmarking their own lives to the world that they were born into and, in most cases, without recognizing how radical those lives already are, if the people you're talking about are hunter-gatherers in some remote place who've not gone through domestication of agriculture, and industrialization, and all of these kinds of things, that's like, wow, you're going from being this little hunter-gatherer tribe in the middle of Atlantis and all of a sudden you're going to be in a world of gene therapy and shifting trading patterns.But the people who are saying, “Well, my job as a computer programmer, as a whatever, is going to get disrupted,” your job is the disruption. Your job is the disruption of this thing that's come before. As I said at the start of our conversation, stopping the advance of progress is just not one of our options.We could do it, and societies have done it before, and they've lost their economies, they've lost their vitality. Just go to Europe, Europe is having this crisis now because for decades they saw their economy and their society, frankly, as a museum to the past where they didn't want to change, they didn't want to think about the implications of new technologies and new trends. It's why I am just back from Italy. It's wonderful, I love visiting these little farms where they're milking the goats like they've done for centuries and making cheese they've made for centuries, but their economies are shrinking with incredible rapidity where ours and the Chinese are growing.Everybody wants to hold onto the thing that they know. It's a very natural thing, and I'm not saying we should disregard those views, but the societies that have clung too tightly to the way things were tend to lose their vitality and, ultimately, their freedom. That's what you see in the war with Russia and Ukraine. Let's just say there are people in Ukraine who said, “Let's not embrace new disruptive technologies.” Their country would disappear.We live in a competitive world where you can opt out like Europe opted out solely because they lived under the US security umbrella. And now that President Trump is threatening the withdrawal of that security umbrella, Europe is being forced to race not into the future, but to race into the present.Risk tolerance (24:08). . . experts, scientists, even governments don't have any more authority to make these decisions about the future of our species than everybody else.I certainly understand that sort of analogy, and compared to Europe, we look like a far more risk-embracing kind of society. Yet I wonder how resilient that attitude — because obviously I would've said the same thing maybe in 1968 about the United States, and yet a decade later we stopped building nuclear reactors — I wonder how resilient we are to anything going wrong, like something going on with an AI system where somebody dies. Or something that looks like a cure that kills someone. Or even, there seems to be this nuclear power revival, how resilient would that be to any kind of accident? How resilient do you think are we right now to the inevitable bumps along the way?It depends on who you mean by “we.” Let's just say “we” means America because a lot of these dawns aren't the first ones. You talked about gene therapy. This is the second dawn of gene therapy. The first dawn came crashing into a halt in 1999 when a young man at the University of Pennsylvania died as a result of an error carried out by the treating physicians using what had seemed like a revolutionary gene therapy. It's the second dawn of AI after there was a lot of disappointment. There will be accidents . . .Let's just say, hypothetically, there's an accident . . . some kind of self-driving car is going to kill somebody or whatever. And let's say there's a political movement, the Luddites that is successful, and let's just say that every self-driving car in America is attacked and destroyed by mobs and that all of the companies that are making these cars are no longer able to produce or deploy those cars. That's going to be bad for self-driving cars in America — it's not going to be bad for self-driving cars. . . They're going to be developed in some other place. There are lots of societies that have lost their vitality. That's the story of every empire that we read about in history books: there was political corruption, sclerosis. That's very much an option.I'm a patriotic American and I hope America leads these revolutions as long as we can maintain our values for many, many centuries to come, but for that to happen, we need to invest in that. Part of that is investing now so that people don't feel that they are powerless victims of these trends they have no influence over.That's why all of my work is about engaging people in the conversation about how do we deploy these technologies? Because experts, scientists, even governments don't have any more authority to make these decisions about the future of our species than everybody else. What we need to do is have broad, inclusive conversations, engage people in all kinds of processes, including governance and political processes. That's why I write the books that I do. That's why I do podcast interviews like this. My Joe Rogan interviews have reached many tens of millions of people — I know you told me before that you're much bigger than Joe Rogan, so I imagine this interview will reach more than that.I'm quite aspirational.Yeah, but that's the name of the game. With my last book tour, in the same week I spoke to the top scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the seventh and eighth graders at the Solomon Schechter Hebrew Academy of New Jersey, and they asked essentially the exact same questions about the future of human genetic engineering. These are basic human questions that everybody can understand and everybody can and should play a role and have a voice in determining the big decisions and the future of our species.To what extent is the future you're talking about dependent on continued AI advances? If this is as good as it gets, does that change the outlook at all?One, there's no conceivable way that this is as good as it gets because even if the LLMs, large language models — it's not the last word on algorithms, there will be many other philosophies of algorithms, but let's just say that LLMs are the end of the road, that we've just figured out this one thing, and that's all we ever have. Just using the technologies that we have in more creative ways is going to unleash incredible progress. But it's certain that we will continue to have innovations across the field of computer science, in energy production, in algorithm development, in the ways that we have to generate and analyze massive data pools. So we don't need any more to have the revolution that's already started, but we will have more.Politics always, ultimately, can trump everything if we get it wrong. But even then, even if . . . let's just say that the United States becomes an authoritarian, totalitarian hellhole. One, there will be technological innovation like we're seeing now even in China, and two, these are decentralized technologies, so free people elsewhere — maybe it'll be Europe, maybe it'll be Africa or whatever — will deploy these technologies and use them. These are agnostic technologies. They don't have, as I said at the start, an inevitable outcome, and that's why the name of the game for us is to weave our best values into this journey.What is a “newnimal”? (30:11). . . we don't live in a state of nature, we live in a world that has been massively bio-engineered by our ancestors, and that's just the thing that we call life.When I was preparing for this interview and my research assistant was preparing, I said, “We have to have a question about bio-engineered new animals.” One, because I couldn't pronounce your name for these . . . newminals? So pronounce that name and tell me why we want these.It's a made up word, so you can pronounce it however you want. “Newnimals” is as good as anything.We already live in a world of bio-engineered animals. Go back 50,000 years, find me a dog, find me a corn that is recognizable, find me rice, find me wheat, find me a cow that looks remotely like the cow in your local dairy. We already live in that world, it's just people assume that our bioengineered world is some kind of state of nature. We already live in a world where the size of a broiler chicken has tripled over the last 70 years. What we have would have been unrecognizable to our grandparents.We are already genetically modifying animals through breeding, and now we're at the beginning of wanting to have whatever those same modifications are, whether it's producing more milk, producing more meat, living in hotter environments and not dying, or whatever it is that we're aiming for in these animals that we have for a very long time seen not as ends in themselves, but means to the alternate end of our consumption.We're now in the early stages xenotransplantation, modifying the hearts, and livers, and kidneys of pigs so they can be used for human transplantation. I met one of the women who has received — and seems to so far to be thriving — a genetically modified pig kidney. We have 110,000 people in the United States on the waiting list for transplant organs. I really want these people not just to survive, but to survive and thrive. That's another area we can grow.Right now . . . in the world, we slaughter about 93 billion land animals per year. We consume 200 million metric tons of fish. That's a lot of murder, that's a lot of risk of disease. It's a lot of deforestation and destruction of the oceans. We can already do this, but if and when we can grow bioidentical animal products at scale without having all of these negative externalities of whether it's climate change, environmental change, cruelty, deforestation, increased pandemic risk, what a wonderful thing to do!So we have these technologies and you mentioned that people are worried about them, but the reason people are worried about them is they're imagining that right now we live in some kind of unfettered state of nature and we're going to ruin it. But that's why I say we don't live in a state of nature, we live in a world that has been massively bio-engineered by our ancestors, and that's just the thing that we call life.Inspired by curiosity (33:42). . . the people who I love and most admire are the people who are just insatiably curious . . .What sort of forward thinkers, or futurists, or strategic thinkers of the past do you model yourself on, do you think are still worth reading, inspired you?Oh my God, so many, and the people who I love and most admire are the people who are just insatiably curious, who are saying, “I'm going to just look at the world, I'm going to collect data, and I know that everybody says X, but it may be true, it may not be true.” That is the entire history of science. That's Galileo, that's Charles Darwin, who just went around and said, “Hey, with an open mind, how am I going to look at the world and come up with theses?” And then he thought, “Oh s**t, this story that I'm coming up with for how life advances is fundamentally different from what everybody in my society believes and organizes their lives around.” Meaning, in my mind, that's the model, and there are so many people, and that's the great thing about being human.That's what's so exciting about this moment is that everybody has access to these super-empowered tools. We have eight billion humans, but about two billion of those people are just kind of locked out because of crappy education, and poor water sanitation, electricity. We're on the verge of having everybody who has a smartphone has the possibility of getting a world-class personalized education in their own language. How many new innovations will we have when little kids who were in slums in India, or in Pakistan, or in Nairobi, or wherever who have promise can educate themselves, and grow up and cure cancers, or invent new machines, or new algorithms. This is pretty exciting.The summary of the people from the past, they're kind of like the people in the present that I admire the most, are the people who are just insatiably curious and just learning, and now we have a real opportunity so that everybody can be their own Darwin.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro Reads▶ Economics* AI Hype Is Proving to Be a Solow's Paradox - Bberg Opinion* Trump Considers Naming Next Fed Chair Early in Bid to Undermine Powell - WSJ* Who Needs the G7? - PS* Advances in AI will boost productivity, living standards over time - Dallas Fed* Industrial Policy via Venture Capital - SSRN* Economic Sentiment and the Role of the Labor Market - St. Louis Fed▶ Business* AI valuations are verging on the unhinged - Economist* Nvidia shares hit record high on renewed AI optimism - FT* OpenAI, Microsoft Rift Hinges on How Smart AI Can Get - WSJ* Takeaways From Hard Fork's Interview With OpenAI's Sam Altman - NYT* Thatcher's legacy endures in Labour's industrial strategy - FT* Reddit vows to stay human to emerge a winner from artificial intelligence - FT▶ Policy/Politics* Anthropic destroyed millions of print books to build its AI models - Ars* Don't Let Silicon Valley Move Fast and Break Children's Minds - NYT Opinion* Is DOGE doomed to fail? Some experts are ready to call it. - Ars* The US is failing its green tech ‘Sputnik moment' - FT▶ AI/Digital* Future of Work with AI Agents: Auditing Automation and Augmentation Potential across the U.S. Workforce - Arxiv* Is the Fed Ready for an AI Economy? - WSJ Opinion* How Much Energy Does Your AI Prompt Use? I Went to a Data Center to Find Out. - WSJ* Meta Poaches Three OpenAI Researchers - WSJ* AI Agents Are Getting Better at Writing Code—and Hacking It as Well - Wired* Exploring the Capabilities of the Frontier Large Language Models for Nuclear Energy Research - Arxiv▶ Biotech/Health* Google's new AI will help researchers understand how our genes work - MIT* Does using ChatGPT change your brain activity? Study sparks debate - Nature* We cure cancer with genetic engineering but ban it on the farm. - ImmunoLogic* ChatGPT and OCD are a dangerous combo - Vox▶ Clean Energy/Climate* Is It Too Soon for Ocean-Based Carbon Credits? - Heatmap* The AI Boom Can Give Rooftop Solar a New Pitch - Bberg Opinion▶ Robotics/Drones/AVs* Tesla's Robotaxi Launch Shows Google's Waymo Is Worth More Than $45 Billion - WSJ* OpenExo: An open-source modular exoskeleton to augment human function - Science Robotics▶ Space/Transportation* Bezos and Blue Origin Try to Capitalize on Trump-Musk Split - WSJ* Giant asteroid could crash into moon in 2032, firing debris towards Earth - The Guardian▶ Up Wing/Down Wing* New Yorkers Vote to Make Their Housing Shortage Worse - WSJ* We Need More Millionaires and Billionaires in Latin America - Bberg Opinion▶ Substacks/Newsletters* Student visas are a critical pipeline for high-skilled, highly-paid talent - AgglomerationsState Power Without State Capacity - Breakthrough JournalFaster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

The government's controversial plans to cut the welfare budget have caused serious disquiet on the Labour benches. Luke Sullivan, former political director to Keir Starmer, joins the IfG podcast to explore how serious a problem this is for Keir Starmer - and how the government got itself into this situation.It isn't just Labour MPs that are giving No10 a headache. Apparently civil servants are too - because No10 has issued new guidance demanding that civil servants no longer speak on panels at public events. So what's the thinking behind this heavy handed approach - and does it add up?  Presented by Cath Haddon With Alex Thomas and Tim Durrant. Produced by Candice McKenzie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University, discusses Starmer's u-turn on a controversial plan for welfare reform after over 140 of his Labour backbenchers threatened to collapse his government.

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.

On Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.Sir Kier Starmer has announced a U-turn on controversial welfare reforms after 120 MPs rebelled. Nick speaks with Care Minister Stephen KinnockFury has erupted after police failed to remove a Pro-Palestine protestor who came to a demo dressed as a Holocaust victim The Prince and Princess of Wales are under fire from animal rights charity PETA, after their dog had puppies. All of this and more on Nick Ferrari: The Whole Show Podcast.

The government is expected to announce a significant compromise on planned benefits changes to placate Labour rebels. Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants. Ministers are also expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.As the Trump administration rounds on US media for its reporting of strikes in Iran, we ask why two different agencies came up with differing assessments of the damage caused by the strikes.And Anna Wintour is stepping back from her role as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, we reflect on her unique place in fashion.

A bid to get the HSE to set up a special occupational sick pay scheme for workers with Long Covid was yesterday rejected by the Labour court. Unions have called on the Government to classify COVID and Long COVID as an occupational illness/injury. Speaking to Ciara to discuss further was SIPTU Health Divisional Head Kevin Figgis.

Keira Keogh TD, Fine Gael, Mayo, Senator Laura Harmon, Labour, Spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Disability, Cork and Mary Regan, Political Editor, Irish Independent joined Jonathan in studio today for our Friday Forum.

Today, can Keir Starmer stop a rebellion from his own party over proposed welfare cuts?Adam is joined by Luke Sullivan, Keir Starmer's former political director, to discuss the leadership strategy and the current political challenge. Also, columnist and author Sarah Vine speaks to Adam ahead of the release of her new book How Not to Be a Political Wife, sharing how Brexit led to the end of her marriage to Michael Gove and giving a behind the scenes look at life around politics. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNew episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade and Julia Webster and Gabriel May . The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

It's bad news all round for Labour and the Tories. An MRP poll out today forecasts that if an election were held tomorrow, Labour would not only lose its majority, but fall behind Reform to become the second-largest party. The Conservatives would be reduced to a mere 46 seats, placing them fourth behind the Lib Dems.But that's just the beginning of their collective woes. On the Labour side – despite Keir Starmer's charm offensive and ongoing talks with Labour MPs about potential changes to welfare policy – the number of rebels appears to be growing. The feeling increasingly is that someone might have to go, and calls for ‘regime change' splash the Times. Is time up for Morgan McSweeney?On the other side of the House, the Tories are in disarray, as Tim Shipman reports in The Spectator this week. In his scoop-filled piece, he writes: David Cameron thinks Robert Jenrick should be the next Tory leader, strategists fear the best they can hope for is to salvage 80 seats, and the blond bombshell Boris Johnson has a five-point plan for his return. Are the Tories toast?James Heale speaks to Michael Gove and Tim Shipman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy.

Sir Keir Starmer has been personally calling MPs this afternoon as he attempts to curb a growing rebellion against proposed welfare reforms. 126 Labour backbenchers have signed an amendment opposing the plan to cut some disability and sickness-related payments. Also: Iran's Supreme Leader says US strikes on the country's nuclear sites were little more than showmanship from President Trump. And, there's a new director for the Bond franchise.

With another packed news week at home and abroad, your co-pilots are here to steer you through the carnage with their usual dose of common sense.Allison thinks the PM's weak response to the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities is once again humiliating the UK on the world's stage, and that Keir Starmer is concerned more about the Muslim vote share than National Security.Meanwhile Liam wonders if Labour's is now deploying a ‘scorched earth' policy as they drop in the polls.Making a special trip in the rocket this week is Conservative Peer and lawyer, Baroness Cash, who shares her thoughts on Labour's Employment Rights Bill and the mythical non-existent worker it's claiming to help.Read Allison: ‘The mistreatment of Lucy Connolly in prison is deeply sinister' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/24/the-mistreatment-of-lucy-connolly-in-prison-is-sinister/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Read Liam: ‘Labour's 1970s employment rights bill could send Britain over the edge'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/06/15/labour-1970s-employment-rights-bill-could-send-uk-over-edge/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as the Prime Minister tells MPs he will hold talks with to the Labour backbenchers who are threatening to rebel over his welfare plans.

A major new YouGov poll has revealed that Reform UK would win the most seats of any party if a general election were held today, making Nigel Farage the leading contender to become the next prime minister.Camilla and Tim are joined by journalist and broadcaster Fraser Nelson, who is fronting a new 'Dispatches' documentary – "Will Nigel Farage Be Prime Minister?" – at 8pm tonight on Channel 4.Fraser explains why Farage has been so effective at mopping up disillusioned voters; his masterful use of social media; and how Labour and the Tories have paved the way for a Reform political earthquake.We want to hear from you! Email us at TheDailyT@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on X, Instagram and TikTok.Producer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganPlanning Editor: Venetia RaineySocial Media Producer: Ece CelikVideo Editor: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleOriginal music by Goss Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 120 Labour MPs plan to rebel against the controversial welfare cuts. Plus, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issues a fresh statement, the Palestine Action documentary that could be illegal from next week, and the right-wing hysteria as Zohran Mamdani is victorious in the democratic NYC mayoral primary. With Helena (NoJusticeMTG), Steven Methven and an […]

The 2024 UK General Election was nothing short of exceptional. Labour achieved one of the largest majorities in the history of the House of Commons — yet on the lowest vote share ever recorded for a winning party. Meanwhile, the Conservatives suffered their most devastating defeat in modern political history.In this episode, we unpack the seismic shifts that led to this remarkable result. Why did the vote fragment across so many parties? What drove the electorate's choices in this cycle? And what happened to the underlying dynamics of voting behavior?To explore these questions, we turn to a special issue of The Political Quarterly, our partner journal, which dives into the election's implications and causes in depth.Joining us are three distinguished contributors to that issue:Professor Jane Green – Professor of Political Science and British Politics, University of OxfordProfessor Paula Surridge – Professor of Political Sociology, University of BristolMarta Miori– Research Officer on British Electoral Behaviour, PhD candidate at the University of ManchesterTogether, they provide expert insights into both the immediate drivers of the 2024 result and the longer-term transformations reshaping UK politics.Mentioned in this episode:Miori, M. and Green, J. (2025), The Most Disproportionate UK Election: How the Labour Party Doubled its Seat Share with a 1.6-Point Increase in Vote Share in 2024. The Political Quarterly, 96: 37-64.Surridge, P. (2025), Values in the Valence Election: Fragmentation and the 2024 General Election. The Political Quarterly, 96: 26-36. UCL's Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

On Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.Samurai sword attacker guilty of murdering schoolboy in bloody rampage on the streets of LondonMigrant 'allowed to stay in UK because he does not want to be made to shave off his beard'All of this and more on Nick Ferrari: The Whole Show Podcast.

The Smart 7 is an award winning daily podcast, in association with METRO, that gives you everything you need to know in 7 minutes, at 7am, 7 days a week…With over 18 million downloads and consistently charting, including as No. 1 News Podcast on Spotify, we're a trusted source for people every day and we've won Gold at the Signal International Podcast awardsIf you're enjoying it, please follow, share, or even post a review, it all helps... Today's episode includes the following: https://x.com/i/status/1937860868600942715 https://x.com/i/status/1937834862360121380https://x.com/i/status/1937849727854191016 https://x.com/i/status/1937768568457728386 https://x.com/i/status/1937773257580773826 https://x.com/i/status/1937729396183564770 https://x.com/i/status/1937830081780494540 https://x.com/i/status/1937742118820188658 https://x.com/i/status/1937898676770226383 Contact us over @TheSmart7pod or visit www.thesmart7.com or find out more at www.metro.co.uk Voiced by Jamie East, using AI, written by Liam Thompson, researched by Lucie Lewis and produced by Daft Doris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're looking back at one of the most ambitious policies ever introduced for young children in England – Sure Start. Launched by the Labour government in 1999, Sure Start aimed to give every child the best start in life by bringing together early education, childcare, health services, and parental support under one roof. At its peak, more than 3,000 centres were operating across the country. But since 2010, the programme has been scaled back, with funding cut by around two-thirds. So, what difference did Sure Start really make? How was it implemented? And why does it still shape today's debates around early years services? Paul Johnson is joined by IFS Associate Director Christine Farquharson and former Education Secretary Ed Balls to explore the legacy and lessons of Sure Start.Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membershipFind out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New data shows Nigel Farage and the Reform Party would win more seats than Labour and the Conservatives in the next general election. Political analysts have revealed that Farage and Reform would win 278 seats if a general election were to take place tomorrow - the most of any party. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the next election is four years away - but Prime Minister Starmer's team should be taking this data into account going forward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Willie Jackson will attend Kemp's tangi in Taihape over the weekend. Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp died today aged 50, following a battle with kidney disease. He says Labour isn't thinking about the by-election triggered in Tāmaki Makaurau. "We'll turn our mind to it next week - and we don't mind having a chat about it as we get into it. But it's not something we should probably be talking about at the moment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like concessions are being offered to the dozens of Labour MPs who had threatened to rebel over the government's planned welfare cuts. On this episode, Beth, Ruth, and Harriet went over the possible options for the Prime Minister. They also talk about what Keir Starmer needs to learn from the chaos of the past few days.  Plus, is President Trump the "daddy" in his handling of the Israel-Iran conflict, as NATO head Mark Rutte may have suggested? Remember, you can also watch us on YouTube.   

Christiane Amanpour has been at the forefront of international news for more than 40 years, reporting from all over the world as a journalist and war reporter as well as being CNN's Chief International Anchor, steering the helm of several programmes including CNN International's nightly interview programme Amanpour. She's now launched a podcast, Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex-Files with Jamie Rubin. It's a weekly foreign affairs show, co-hosted with Jamie, a former U.S. diplomat and Assistant Secretary of State and also her ex-husband. Christiane joins Clare to discuss.The government's proposed changes to the benefits system will have a 'devastating' impact on women, according to a group of charities and disabled people's organisations. They say tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payments, or PIP, will have a disproportionately negative impact on women due to their higher personal care needs compared to men. Clare speaks to BBC Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman about the 'major rebellion' that's brewing within Labour on this forthcoming Welfare Bill, and then to Alison Kerry from disability charity Scope about their concerns.Do you remember the case of Child Q? Back in December 2020, a 15-year-old black school girl was strip-searched at her school by Metropolitan Police officers in Hackney, London after teachers wrongly suspected her of carrying cannabis. The incident sparked protests in the city. Over the past few weeks a disciplinary hearing has been taking place involving the officers and is due to report very shortly. Adina Campbell, the BBC's UK Correspondent, brings us up to date.American author Melissa Febos has written about a year of self-imposed celibacy in her new book The Dry Season - Finding Pleasure in a Year without Sex. Why did she do it, and what did she gain from it? Melissa joins Clare in the Woman's Hour studio.

Today, we're looking at a Toronto judge's decision to allow a class-action lawsuit against the Freedom Convoy to proceed in Ottawa after defendants argued it would not be possible to have a fair hearing in the nation's capital. Plus, the Liberals have laid out their plans for Canada's economy — which includes having one in four workers be immigrants or refugees as the country continues to outpace past precedent. And finally, Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will meet NATO's new 5% spending commitment, claiming the country will up defence spending through its new partnership with the European Union and by upgrading defence-related infrastructure. Questions remain, however, after Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the timeline to do so isn't yet entirely clear. Special Guest: Lise Merle.

Keir Starmer is vowing to push ahead with plans to cut disability payments. But with more than 100 Labour MPs threatening to rebel, could he be forced into another U-turn? Kiran Stacey asks Labour's Rebecca Long-Bailey and the Guardian's Heather Stewart. Plus, in the age of Trump, does the UK still matter on the world stage? Labour peer and former EU chief diplomat Catherine Ashton joins Kiran to discuss the conflict in the Middle East and how much influence Britain really has. -- Get tickets to the Politics Weekly live event here: crossedwires.live/podcast/guardian-politics-weekly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Almost one year in, and are the wheels falling off for Labour?Angela Rayner has confirmed that the vote on Labour's hugely controversial welfare reforms will go ahead as planned next Tuesday – despite rumours that the Government were ready to pull the bill with the number of rebels ready to vote it down already exceeding 120.Camilla and Tim ask if the PM's days will be numbered if he loses the vote, and with Kemi Badenoch promising to help the bill pass in exchange for meeting a series of demands – has she finally played something of a blinder?Elsewhere, Camilla and Tim find out what voters really think of issues like welfare and the NHS with polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice.We want to hear from you! Email us at TheDailyT@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on X, Instagram and TikTok.Producer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganPlanning Editor: Venetia RaineyExecutive Producer: Louisa WellsSocial Media Producer: Ece CelikVideo Editor: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleOriginal music by Goss Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is at war with the American intelligence community. Plus: Keir Starmer is facing a massive Labour rebellion over benefit cuts; and socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani has won the Democratic primaries for the New York mayoral race. With Michael Walker, plus interviews with Omar H. Rahman, Anna Landre & Waleed Shahid.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a growing backlash to his proposed welfare reform bill, with 120 Labour MPs saying they will back an amendment that threatens the cuts. The Standard's Chief Political Correspondent Rachael Burford has the latest. And in part two, The Standard's Commissioning Editor and Culture Writer, Vicky Jessop, joins us as the Glastonbury Festival gates open to share her top tips and the best acts to see at the music extravaganza. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  Today, Labour is still reeling by a rebellion by 1 in 4 of its MPs over welfare cuts, how can Chancellor Rachel Reeves and PM Keir Starmer recover the numbers and avoid a political humiliation?  The government's working majority is 165, so it only takes 83 Labour MPs to vote with a united opposition and this bill is dead, and along with it a lot of this government's political and moral credibility.  And Sam been sent a draft of part of the latest NHS 10-year plan about alcohol treatment. 

The Smart 7 is an award winning daily podcast, in association with METRO, that gives you everything you need to know in 7 minutes, at 7am, 7 days a week…With over 18 million downloads and consistently charting, including as No. 1 News Podcast on Spotify, we're a trusted source for people every day and we've won Gold at the Signal International Podcast awardsIf you're enjoying it, please follow, share, or even post a review, it all helps... Today's episode includes the following:https://x.com/i/status/1937481041662370110https://x.com/i/status/1937459640419098886 https://x.com/i/status/1937508398536286652 https://x.com/i/status/1937514488087142816https://x.com/i/status/1937484111934865745 https://x.com/i/status/1937545456134799823 https://x.com/i/status/1937543414712795397https://x.com/i/status/1937361196702748772 https://x.com/i/status/1937179534564241631 Contact us over @TheSmart7pod or visit www.thesmart7.com or find out more at www.metro.co.uk Voiced by Jamie East, using AI, written by Liam Thompson, researched by Lucie Lewis and produced by Daft Doris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#LONDONCALLING: LABOUR AND THE NHS.  @JOSEPHSTERNBERG @WSJOPINION 1942 LIVERPOOL

Today, President Trump arrives in Europe for what is being called “the most significant Nato summit since the cold war”?Adam, Chris and Katya are re-united as President Trump lands in Europe for his first Nato summit since winning the White House for the second time. Meanwhile, back at home the Prime Minister faces growing rebellion from Labour backbench MPs over welfare changes. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to "press ahead” with the changes, ahead of a vote in parliament next week. Also, the BBC's social media investigations correspondent Marianna Spring joins Adam to discuss the new season of her podcast Marianna in Conspiracyland, which investigates what happened to Paloma Shemirani—a young girl who died of cancer after rejecting chemotherapy—and what her story reveals about the mainstreaming of anti-medicine ideas.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereNew episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Shiler Mahmoudi and Julia Webster. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

John Maytham speaks to Steven Friedman, South African political analyst and columnist, known for his sharp insight into democratic reform, public accountability and policy direction – to unpack the National Dialogue worth R700 million, in the face of a high unemployment rate. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weekend saw the US launch airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, with Tehran warning of ‘everlasting consequences'. Despite an emergency Cobra meeting and Luke Pollard's morning media round, we are still waiting for an answer on whether the government supports Trump's action. Keir Starmer's assured and confident position on the world stage now looks to be in peril, as he is pulled between Trump, his attorney general and the court of public opinion. Can he de-escalate?Also on the podcast, Nigel Farage delivered a speech this morning in which he announced changes to non-doms and unveiled a new ‘Britannia card' – although most of the questions afterwards centred on the situation in the Middle East. This comes after Ipsos polling gave Reform UK a record nine-point lead over the Labour party. How has Reform managed to cultivate this new coalition?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

It's Monday, June 23rd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Christian persecution pervades Christian-majority nations in Africa & Latin America Many Christians across Africa and Latin America continue to suffer for their faith because of Islamic oppression, dictatorial paranoia, and criminal cartel organizations, reports International Christian Concern. Large populations in Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, and Nigeria are predominantly Christian. Yet, many Christ followers in these nations are often brutally attacked for following Christ, and their governments are failing to protect them.  In Congo, Christians represent 95% of the nation's population, yet they are being slaughtered at alarming rates. Much of the killing is being done by Islamist groups like ISIS-DRC, also known as the Allied Democratic Forces. Likewise, in Mozambique, 62% of the population is composed of Christians, yet Islamic extremists still target them for their faith. According to Open Doors, these extremists have “target[ed] Christian places of worship, abducted religious leaders, and killed numerous believers.”  And in Cuba, the Catholic Church estimates that 60% of the population practices Catholicism. Cuban churches that publicly oppose the government's human rights abuses are targeted by authorities for harassment and intimidation. British House of Commons passes dangerous bill legalizing assisted suicide Members of the British House of Commons voted Friday to pass a dangerous bill to legalize assisted suicide, reports LifeNews.com. In a vote of 314 to 291, Members of Parliament put their stamp of approval on the bill that will likely result in pressuring disabled and elderly people to kill themselves. Isaiah 59:7 says, “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways.” Tim Dieppe, Head of Policy at Christian Concern, was outraged. DIEPPE: “Once you legalize assisted suicide, you will put pressure on vulnerable people. Vulnerable people will feel like they're a burden to others. People will be suggesting assisted suicide. Doctors could suggest it. I mean, that's horrific. You know, my wife died of cancer three years ago. I can't imagine what it would be like if her consultant had suggested suicide.” Labour legislator Diane Abbott said she's concerned that for-profit companies will run assisted dying businesses that take advantage of killing people for money. Members of Parliament had only 10 hours to consider over 130 amendments to the bill, or less than 5 minutes per change. America bombed Iran's nuclear facilities On Saturday, the U.S. military bombed three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict, reports the Associated Press. TRUMP: “A short time ago, the US military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier. For 40 years, Iran has been saying, ‘Death to America, Death to Israel.'” The decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. TRUMP: “I want to thank and congratulate [Israeli] Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we've gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done. And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades.” (Learn more about the timeline that led up to America's bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.) Iran threatens to block Strait of Hormuz, blocking 20% of oil shipments In response, Iran is reportedly saying it will block the Strait of Hormuz and stop oil shipments for what amounts to 20% of the world's daily oil flow and up to $1 billion, which will send oil prices soaring globally, reports NewsMax. Needless to say, Iran has no legal authority to block traffic through Hormuz, and blockage would mean direct combat with U.S. naval assets, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet warships patrolling the region. Dear Lord, We pray for peace. Amen. The 30,000-pound bunker bomb that made the difference In a post on TruthSocial, Trump said, “There is not another military in the world that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” Indeed, America's 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. Appearing on ABC News, Retired Lt. General Doug Lute explained. LUTE: “The original purpose of building this bomb was actually concern about the North Korean deeply buried nuclear related sites. So, this didn't originally have anything to do with Iran. But most recently, it's the only bomb in our inventory, or frankly, in the global inventory, that promises some prospect of actually penetrating the mountainside in which the crown jewel of the Iranian nuclear program, the Fordow site, is located. So, this is our best technological advantage in terms of trying to get to that site.” 90% of Trump Republicans say “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” Appearing on Fox News Channel with Dana Perino, Chris Stirewalt summarized Trump's mindset about Iran. STIREWALT: “I think that Donald Trump has never wavered from the ultimate objective, which is that the Iranian nuclear program has to end. It has to be dismantled. It has to be destroyed. The only question has been whether it's done militarily or whether it's done voluntarily. “He gave them a 60-day deadline. They let the deadline pass, and so Israel began bombing on Day 61 and now he is basically holding out. ‘This is your last chance. The time for negotiation is over. There's not going to be any kind of deal.' “This is a question of whether Iran cries ‘amo,' which is Persian for ‘uncle,' and allows U.S. to come in and blow up Fordow from the inside, or we do it from without, from the skies above, with B2 bombers. But I think there is zero chance that the Fordow nuclear facility survives this encounter.” Stirewalt asserted that the Make America Great Again crowd is supportive of Trump's decision to bomb Iran. STIREWALT: “The idea that there's a schism in the Republican Party, or that the Trump Coalition is breaking up is completely absurd. The Reagan Institute is coming out with a new poll this weekend. 90% of self-described [Make America Great Again] Republicans say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. 80% say that Israel's security is vital to our security. 64% support Israel bombing the nuclear facilities. There is absolutely no daylight between Donald Trump and the  [Make America Great Again] movement. The MAGA movement is absolutely behind Donald Trump in getting rid of this nuclear program.” On Truth Social, President Trump posted, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal.” He concluded, “This is an historic moment for the United States of America, Israel, and the world. Iran must now agree to end this war.” Texas answers  “What is a Woman?” in state law Last Friday, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed into law the “What is a Woman Bill” also known as House Bill 229, reports Texas Values. Now, in Texas, men can no longer pretend to be women. The law accurately defines the terms “man”, “woman”, “boy”, and “girl” by scientific definitions and biological reality. The effect would be that biological  women will have their rights, opportunities, and privacy protected by law. Genesis 1:27 states,  “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” While Texas already has laws protecting women's sports, there have been many other threats to women's prisons, sororities, and private spaces like locker rooms.  Hockey player gives glory to God after winning Stanley Cup The Russian-born goaltender of the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky, gave glory to God upon his victory after his team won the famed Stanley Cup, the championship trophy in the NHL, for the second year in a row, reports LifeSiteNews.com. REPORTER: “What makes this one special?” BOBROVSKY: “I mean, it's amazing feeling, and I want to say glory to the father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. I want to thank him for everything I have, for my parents, for my family.” Worldview listener in California is grateful the whole family can listen I invited Worldview listeners to share what they enjoy about the newscast in 2-6 sentences by email.  You can share your thoughts — along with your full name, city and state — and send it to adam@TheWorldview.com Carri Andry in Morgan Hill, California wrote, “Hi Adam! My family really appreciates The Worldview in 5 Minutes. We discovered you through Kevin Swanson‘s Generations radio program and have enjoyed listening to what is going on in the world from an informative, Christian point of view. We're grateful for a newscast that the whole family can listen to. Keep up the great work!” 38 Worldview listeners gave $ 14,243.25 to fund our annual budget And finally, toward our $92,625 goal by this past weekend  to fund three-quarters of The Worldview newscast's annual budget for our 6-member team, 38 listeners stepped up to the plate. Our thanks to Felix, age 10, in Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada, who gave $2.25, Michelle in Lexington Park, Maryland who gave $20, Augustine in Auburn, California who gave $25, Cara in Mebane, North Carolina who gave $30, Ben in Eureka, California who gave $35, and Steve in Loveland, Colorado and Nathan in Cobleskill, New York – both of whom gave $50. We appreciate Kevin in North Bend, Oregon, James in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, Josiah in Tigard, Oregon, Trevor in Nikiski, Alaska, and David in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey – each of whom gave $100. We're grateful to God for Josie, age 16, in Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada who gave $146, Ursula in Great Falls, Montana who gave $150, Lorraine in Farmington, Maine and Joel and Heidi in Columbus, Nebraska – both of whom gave $200 as well as Kevin and Rachelle in Columbus, Nebraska who gave  $225 and Wade and Susan in Suffolk, Virginia who pledged $20/month for 12 months for a gift of $240. We appreciate the generosity of Todd in Davenport, Iowa and Joanne in Vasteras, Sweden – both of whom gave $250 as well as Sarah in Madera, California who gave $300, and Cathy in Fate, Texas, James in St Johns, Florida, and Stephen in Plainview, Texas – each of whom pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of  $300 each. We were touched by the gifts of Nicki in Carthage, Missouri who pledged $35/month for 12 months for a gift of $420, Zephaniah in Lomax, Illinois and Jennifer in Abingdon, Virginia – both of whom gave $500, Heather in Brenham, Texas, John in DeMotte, Indiana, Tim in Huffman, Texas, Louise in Middletown, Delaware, Charles in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Jennifer in West Milford, New Jersey – each of whom pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600 each. And we're grateful for the sacrifice of Todd and Kim in Monument, Colorado who gave $650, Mary in  Midlothian, Virginia who gave $1,200, Jill in Hendersonville, Tennessee who pledged $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200 as well, and Scooter in Naples, Florida who will give $2,000. Those 38 Worldview listeners gave a total of $14,243.25 Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $62,573.25 (People clapping and cheering sound effect)  That is the most donors and the largest amount given thus far this entire month. Wow!  We are amazed at God's goodness. Even 10-year-old Felix in Canada gave $2.25 of his own money.  That's awesome! Toward this past weekend's goal of $92,625, we missed it by $30,051.75. Would you be one of 13 people to pledge $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200?  And another 25 people to pledge $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600? Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.  Click on the recurring tab if you want to make it a monthly pledge. We're on the downhill slide to June 30th at which point we need to have raised $123,500 to fully fund our 6-member Worldview newscast team. What is the Lord asking you to do?  Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, June 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2025.  Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In this episode, Maddie shares the story of her first birth; planned as a home birth but ultimately ending in a calm and empowering caesarean. Diagnosed with polyhydramnios during pregnancy, Maddie went into labour and experienced a week of intense contractions that weren't progressing. After being dismissed at hospital and told it was early labour, she trusted her instincts and returned a few days later, this time insisting on further assessment. Faced with pressure to induce, Maddie stood firm and chose a caesarean birth, which turned out to be a beautifully calm experience, one she would choose again in the future. We discuss: The emotional toll of prolonged early labour Trusting your instincts when you're not being heard Why a caesarean can be a positive and empowering choice A powerful reminder that trusting your instincts can lead to the right birth for you. Find out more about polyhydramnios here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polyhydramnios/  To learn more about my doula packages visit https://www.thenurturenest.co.uk/doula-services To purchase one of my courses, please visit https://www.thenurturenest.co.uk/courses If you have benefitted from this podcast and would like to say thanks, you can now buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thenurturenest View my birthy book recommendations here https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/influencer-e2ad919d  Follow me on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/the_nurture_nest/ Follow me on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/thenurturenesthypno Get 10% off your birth pool here https://go.referralcandy.com/share/JKHGBJ3 Get 10% off a BabyCare TENS Machine. USE CODE 10NURTURENEST http://babycaretens.com?afmc=46

김영철의 파워FM - 진짜 영국식 영어 441회 - 죽쒀서 개 줬네! = The fruit of my labour went to someone else.

Simon Marks sits in and is joined on Cross Question by Labour peer Baroness Berger, former Conservative defence minister Tobias Ellwood, campaigner Zoe Gardner and director of the Centre for Policy Studies think tank Robert Colvile.

This week we discussed Iran & USA War, climate Hoax,bilberg group,Ai Massager, Denmark to remove Microsoft,Natural Painkillers, Dirty Electricity and more #awakening #iran #usabombing About my Co-Host:Arnold Beekes Innovator, certified coach & trainer and generalist. First 20 years in technology and organizational leadership, then 20 years in psychology and personal leadership (all are crucial for innovation).============What we Discussed: 00:21 What we are discussing in this weeks show 02:20 USA Bombing in Iran04:00 Why is no One helping Gaza04:50 Who used a Nuclear Bomb06:00 How can a President decide to Bomb a country that did nothing to them.07:10 iran is the Main Oil Supplier to China08:25 What happened the other Countries the US invaded09:30 Why Tump or his sons are not on the front line10:05 Euthanasia in the UK11:45 Why Euthanasia can be a dangerous thing13:15 Do not believe the Drs if you are told someone is Braindead14:30 The Bilderberg Meetings and dangerous Agenda17:00 Journalist allowed to be at bilderberg Mtg but not report19:00 They are always looking for depopulation19:40 Organ donation number 115 on your driving lisence21::35 Iran to Close the Straight of Hormuz24:50 The Climate Hoax on Based on Weather Stations28:10 Ai tools impact your Brain causing you to Underperform32:05 My own experience on my Brain with technology33:55 Get an Ai Massage that is better than a Human36:15 Ai Digital Twins39:25 Mail in a Barrel41:40 Denmark says Goodbye to Microsoft44:25 First Adaptive Skate Park46:50 Flip Phones replace Normal phone to stop digital Addiction49:55 Mexico Bans Junk Food in Schools53:00 Natural Painkillers54:55 Dirty Electricity56:20 Labour and the damage to the babies57:40 The dangers of Radar59:00 The fraud with results59:50 Cell Towers banned on Fire Stations1:00:55 ALS can be caused by TENS and Electrical works  1:03:10 New Podcast by kevin Rose - Less than One1:06:20 How you can help the Show ====================How to Contact Arnold Beekes: https://braingym.fitness/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldbeekes/===============Donations ⁠⁠ https://www.podpage.com/speaking-podcast/support/ ⁠⁠------------------All about Roy / Brain Gym & Virtual Assistants athttps://roycoughlan.com/------------------