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One month on from Andy Burnham entering Downing Street and a lot has changed at the top of government. Starmer's old guard have been reshuffled or replaced, and Burnham's government have announced dozens of new projects, but the big challenges that he faces are largely the same. Noa Hoffman is joined by Baroness Thangam Debbonaire, the former shadow culture secretary, to review Andy's report card.Produced by Henry Lloyd.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People who are over 65, pregnant or vulnerable, as well as young children, are told to take care, after one death. Eggs bought at supermarkets are not affected. Also: Prince Harry, Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and more are ordered to make an interim payment of more than £9,500,000 to Associated Newspapers Limited, after losing their privacy claim. And: Sir Keir Starmer's donation to the Downing Street library.
One month on from Andy Burnham entering Downing Street and a lot has changed at the top of government. Starmer's old guard have been reshuffled or replaced, and Burnham's government have announced dozens of new projects, but the big challenges that he faces are largely the same. Noa Hoffman is joined by Baroness Thangam Debbonaire, the former shadow culture secretary, to review Andy's report card.Produced by Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The third of our exclusive summer interviews sees Ed Balls sit down with the former Chief of Staff for No. 10 Sue Gray. In her first major interview since her dramatic split from Keir Starmer's team, she details the lead up to entering Downing Street and just where things went wrong. Gray explains how she tried to prepare Starmer's team for government in 2023, where things went wrong at the beginning, and what it's like to be on the receiving end of an internal briefing war. In this tense and emotional conversation, she shares her raw reflections two years on and why things were not working at the top of government.Born in Tottenham to immigrant Irish parents, they also discuss her background, her meteoric rise through the civil service and what went on behind the scenes with her report into Partygate and the end of Boris Johnson. We love hearing from you, so please don't forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:
Today, we're looking at Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plan to get rough sleepers off streets for Christmas.He made ending rough sleeping his first pledge when entering Downing Street. Alex joins Adam to hear how it's going to work from social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan, who's spent years following the issue.Faisal also helps us look at how the economony impacts rough sleeping, as well as a rise in interest rates driven by rising energy prises.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://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New 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://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Shiler Mahmoudi and Anna Harris. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Jonathan Baker. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Heat, game show formats, the Downing Street cricketing disgrace, a liar, and a new best footballer. Join the Iron Filings Society: https://www.patreon.com/topflighttimemachine and on Apple Podcast Subscriptions. Get a 7-day full access free trial and pay for 10 months up front for the price of 12 if you like a bargain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As Andy Burnham marks his first two weeks in Downing Street, the polls are registering a bump in support for Labour. This week, Ellen Halliday and Imaan Irfan are joined by Prospect's contributing editor Tom Clark to assess the prime minister's first steps in office.Tom discusses surprising policy pledges, “sugar-rush politics” and how Burnham's thinking has changed, from devolution to drastic social care reforms. What challenges will he face in making his promises a reality?After the Ceuta border crossing, does political rhetoric around immigration signal change or continuity? Is Burnham willing to make enemies over the drilling of oil and gas in the North Sea? And what are the chances of an early election?Plus, Tom compares Burnham with Keir Starmer and reflects on whether his leadership signals a departure from factionalism. Has Burnham finally unified the Labour party—and, if so, can it last?To read more of Tom's analysis, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/author/2823/tom-clark Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Inside Number 10: Jimmy on Tim Cook, getting a wedding letter from Theresa May, and Starting Jobs of the Future We decided to swap the seats this week: Jimmy is the guest. He went on The Independent's In The Room to talk about the three years he spent deciding who got through the door of Number 10 and what that taught him about how people actually get hired. Helen MacNamara, the former Deputy Cabinet Secretary, and Cleo Watson, former special adviser to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, run a summer series called Lessons from Number 10 - what it's really like to work behind that black door. Jimmy worked with both of them. Which, given this show spent the last month asking how you get in the room when you know nobody, is a fairly on-the-nose demonstration of the answer. In this conversation: what the Prime Minister's Business Director actually does all day, why Number 10 has no floor plan and what that does to a new starter, how he got entrepreneurs into the building instead of the companies with big lobbying teams, what business consistently misunderstands about government and the other way round, why bringing business leaders into politics so often doesn't work, the trade trips and the logistics of losing CEOs in foreign countries, and the day it all stopped being fun. Also: the origin story of this podcast. A question Theresa May asked him one morning about where jobs actually come from - and why he's been trying to answer it ever since. Thanks to Helen, Cleo and the team at In The Room for letting us play this here. Their show is at @intheroom.pod, and it's part of The Independent Podcast Network, produced with Next Chapter Studios. Jimmy's Jobs of the Future is a show about work, careers and how people actually get hired - long-form interviews with the people who do the hiring. Next week: Jimmy vs the Producers, on Andy Burnham interview. You can read Jimmy's piece on the BTS of our Andy Burnham interview here: https://jimmysjobs.substack.com/p/did-i-like-andy-burnham Follow us on socials at @jimmysjobs, and follow Jimmy on Instagram at @jimmymcjournal for more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ANDY BURNHAM IS WORSE THAN STARMER! COP KILLERS & BORDER FIASCO #AndyBurnham #KeirStarmer #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV #PCAndrewHarper #EarlyRelease #PrisonCrisis #SmallBoats I never thought I'd be asking this question: WAS KEIR STARMER ACTUALLY A BETTER PRIME MINISTER THAN ANDY BURNHAM?! At least with Starmer you knew what you were getting. He couldn't communicate, couldn't connect with ordinary people and, in my view, you could see the political spin coming a mile off. Burnham is different. He is a brilliant communicator. He understands PR. He talks the language of ordinary people. But where are the RESULTS? That's what tonight's show is about. Take the disgraceful situation surrounding PC Andrew Harper's killers. After massive public anger, Burnham now says he is "increasingly confident" they can be prevented from being released early. Good. I hope he succeeds. BUT WHY DID WE GET INTO THIS POSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE? Why weren't killers like these excluded from the early-release scheme from day one? Why has it taken outrage from the Harper family, the police and hundreds of thousands of ordinary people to force action? And then there are the SMALL BOATS. Burnham promised to be "relentless". But people are still crossing the Channel. Since he entered Downing Street, thousands more have made the journey. 3000 in total! We don't need another slogan. WE NEED RESULTS. Then there's Burnham's growing shopping list of promises: £2 bus fares, help for pubs, social-care reform, apprenticeships, energy measures and more. Some of those ideas sound great. I've said that myself. But Britain's finances don't run on good intentions. WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM? Burnham's first Budget isn't until October, so tonight I want to separate the announcements from the properly costed policies and ask whether we're being sold another enormous helping of JAM TOMORROW. That's my growing concern about Andy Burnham. LOTS OF PR. LOTS OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. LOTS OF PROMISES. But will he actually deliver? Tonight at 6PM LIVE, let's have the argument the mainstream media won't have:
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government sent mixed messages over whether it was considering a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein's activities in Britain. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said Burnham was taking the issue seriously, had agreed to meet Epstein survivors and was examining what action could be taken. Justice minister Jake Richards similarly said no stone should be left unturned and indicated that Burnham would consider the available options. Hours later, however, Downing Street clarified that a public inquiry was not being actively considered, while the Ministry of Justice said the government was only reviewing possible ways to support survivors and address broader systemic failures.The government was also reviewing demands for an inquiry into Mohamed Al Fayed, the former Harrods owner accused by hundreds of women of sexual assault, rape, exploitation and trafficking. Campaigners called for a wider “impunity” inquiry examining how wealthy and powerful men allegedly benefited from institutional protection, potentially covering Epstein, Al Fayed and allegations against West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. Supporters wanted any Epstein inquiry to investigate how he traveled through Britain, including his reported use of military airfields while accompanied by women who may have been trafficked. Former minister Jess Phillips argued that survivors deserved answers about whether parts of the British state had enabled abuse, while Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips said she hoped a meeting with Burnham would lead to accountability, reform and greater protection for future victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsources:Andy Burnham insists no plans for Epstein inquiry – hours after two ministers say government is looking into it | The Independent
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government sent mixed messages over whether it was considering a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein's activities in Britain. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said Burnham was taking the issue seriously, had agreed to meet Epstein survivors and was examining what action could be taken. Justice minister Jake Richards similarly said no stone should be left unturned and indicated that Burnham would consider the available options. Hours later, however, Downing Street clarified that a public inquiry was not being actively considered, while the Ministry of Justice said the government was only reviewing possible ways to support survivors and address broader systemic failures.The government was also reviewing demands for an inquiry into Mohamed Al Fayed, the former Harrods owner accused by hundreds of women of sexual assault, rape, exploitation and trafficking. Campaigners called for a wider “impunity” inquiry examining how wealthy and powerful men allegedly benefited from institutional protection, potentially covering Epstein, Al Fayed and allegations against West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. Supporters wanted any Epstein inquiry to investigate how he traveled through Britain, including his reported use of military airfields while accompanied by women who may have been trafficked. Former minister Jess Phillips argued that survivors deserved answers about whether parts of the British state had enabled abuse, while Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips said she hoped a meeting with Burnham would lead to accountability, reform and greater protection for future victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsources:Andy Burnham insists no plans for Epstein inquiry – hours after two ministers say government is looking into it | The IndependentBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.
Lalkar writers | 1 July 2026 Burnham's role will be to continue putting Britain onto a war footing via austerity, militarisation and repression, while presenting himself as a ‘good bloke' doing a ‘tough job'. With the media having gone all-out to present Burnham as a ‘left-leaning' closet socialist, the path is open for the trade unions to hold him up to workers as the best they are likely to get. We can expect them to use this angle to justify suppressing working-class resistance to austerity, repression and war over the period of his tenure in Downing Street. ----------------------------------- Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government sent mixed messages over whether it was considering a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein's activities in Britain. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said Burnham was taking the issue seriously, had agreed to meet Epstein survivors and was examining what action could be taken. Justice minister Jake Richards similarly said no stone should be left unturned and indicated that Burnham would consider the available options. Hours later, however, Downing Street clarified that a public inquiry was not being actively considered, while the Ministry of Justice said the government was only reviewing possible ways to support survivors and address broader systemic failures.The government was also reviewing demands for an inquiry into Mohamed Al Fayed, the former Harrods owner accused by hundreds of women of sexual assault, rape, exploitation and trafficking. Campaigners called for a wider “impunity” inquiry examining how wealthy and powerful men allegedly benefited from institutional protection, potentially covering Epstein, Al Fayed and allegations against West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. Supporters wanted any Epstein inquiry to investigate how he traveled through Britain, including his reported use of military airfields while accompanied by women who may have been trafficked. Former minister Jess Phillips argued that survivors deserved answers about whether parts of the British state had enabled abuse, while Epstein survivor Lisa Phillips said she hoped a meeting with Burnham would lead to accountability, reform and greater protection for future victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsources:Andy Burnham insists no plans for Epstein inquiry – hours after two ministers say government is looking into it | The IndependentBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
Good morning. You're listening to this, so the chances are you're not on holiday. You may be enjoying a staycation and devoted to early-morning radio, even when you don't have to go to work; but for many Brits this is the peak season for getting out of the country, and indulging the luxury of a lie-in, as the summer loosens our usual routines. I really feel for those whose holidaying plans have been disrupted recently by travel companies collapsing into bankruptcy. Holidays are good for us, psychologically and physically; and though it's less often noted, spiritually too. In which context, it's worth remembering those countless other people around the world for whom they are simply an impossibility. The word holiday comes from the Old English and literally means “holy day”; and in a colloquial sense, many of us continue to think of our holidays as something sacred. But the old Christian holy days meant more than just time off work. They included formal worship, processions, pilgrimage. Their moods varied – from fasting and mourning, as on Good Friday, to feasting and celebration, as at Christmas or a saint's day – but they all had a definite religious focus. A world away, in other words, from pina coladas on a sun-drenched beach, the cliché contemporary breakaway that's focused instead on personal pleasure. That said, supposedly secular forms of escapism can sometimes offer spiritual nourishment too. J. R. R. Tolkien made the point that escaping from the immediate demands of your life can take very different forms. Whereas we might deplore the military deserter who abandons the fight he ought to face, Tolkien says, the flight of the person who's been falsely imprisoned might be courageous and good. Reading certain works of fiction can, he thought, offer that positive sort of escapism. So too, it might be argued, can a beautiful walk, an intimate conversation, laughing with friends. Imaginative flights of all sorts grant glimpses of truth and goodness, refreshment for our souls. Andy Burnham has been criticised by some for taking a holiday this week – just six weeks after taking office. But his escape with his family on Monday may well provide him more than leisure, in the sense of doing nothing. His flight from Downing Street might, as Tolkien understood it, offer the kind of freedom that's positively enabling. Whimsically, given that he's Britain's first Catholic prime minister, I like to think he'll spend at least some of his holiday plotting a revival of merry old England's medieval holy days. More seriously, and leaving all party-politics aside, perhaps everyone who loves this country should hope that time relaxing with loved ones will nourish his soul as well as his mind and body. There will surely be work requiring moral leadership awaiting him on his return.
In the latest of our series of summer interviews former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips speaks to Alain Tolhurst about government's battle with big tech to make the internet safer for women and children.The Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley said she was “like a kid at Christmas" as Andy Burnham prepared to enter Downing Street to replace him, and reveals how she felt his first few weeks in Number 10 were going, if the new PM was serious about tackling violence against women and girls, and what life is like back on the backbenches.To sign up for our newsletters click herePresented by Alain Tolhurst, produced and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot
How can content marketing in a tight niche build the audience that launches your book? And how do you decide whether to hand your self-published bestseller to a traditional publisher. Suzanne Smith shares what she learned in four years of going from blog to book deal. In the intro, how to stand out as a writer in the age of AI [Nathan Barry Show; Interview with Nathan Barry]; thoughts on asset maintenance; Goodreads giveaway on Bones of the Deep (Aug 5-20, 2026) This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Suzanne Smith is the founder of The Independent Landlord, and the bestselling author of The Good Landlord Handbook. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How a free blog in a tight niche built the audience for the book Rewriting the book from scratch when the law changed Why speed made self-publishing the only option Building a paid membership after one audience member asked for it Negotiating a Penguin Random House deal with no agent Using AI as a business sidekick, with a control room and an engine room You can find Suzanne at TheIndependentLandlord.com. Transcript of the interview with Suzanne Smith Jo: Suzanne Smith is the founder of The Independent Landlord, and the bestselling author of The Good Landlord Handbook. So welcome to the show, Suzanne. Suzanne: Thank you. Jo: Oh, there's so much to talk about today. But first up— Tell us a bit more about you and your background, and how you got into property and writing after a legal career. Suzanne: Well, I've always loved reading books. In fact, I recently did a French literature degree as a mature student. Being an author was never in the game plan at all. It's not something that I even thought about. I was brought up in New Zealand, so shout out to all the Kiwis and those across the pond in Australia. The thing about it is, Jo, you've lived there yourself. Kiwis are independent, self-reliant and have this great sense of fair play. So that was a very formative experience for me. We moved back to England when I was 16, and I have become thoroughly anglicised since then, but a Kiwi at heart. I always wanted to become a lawyer. New Zealand in some ways on television is quite American, and there was this American programme called The Paper Chase. It was about all of these students at Harvard studying law, and the professor said, “You come here with a skull full of mush and you leave thinking like a lawyer.” I thought, “Oh, I like the sound of that.” I didn't really know what a lawyer was, but everyone seemed to be very happy that I wanted to become one, and then that was it. Jo: So you went into law, and then how did you get into property? Suzanne: So I worked for 25 years as a solicitor. That's like an attorney if you're American. Started off in a law firm, and then I went into pharmaceuticals and I worked for big companies like what is now GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, and small companies as well. When I started out, it was before the internet, before Google. When you're in house, you're very much a generalist. You do a bit of everything. So you help companies grow their business. You're not business prevention, but you're still bound by the code of conduct for solicitors. You've got this role of keeping the company on the right side of the law. Then I had twins, who were born about five years after I became a lawyer, and I decided to work part-time for a while and did an MBA when they were little, part-time through the Open University. I know Jonathan is doing one at the moment. Jo: Yes. He's finished, so that's exciting. Suzanne: That was transformational for me, because I had probably been thinking a bit too much as a lawyer, and it helped me to broaden my view of the world and understand all sorts of things. Sso I continued going up the greasy pole, and then for my last job, in 2015, I joined a biotech company in Cambridge, England, as general counsel and company secretary. It was a long way from home, about two, three hours' drive from home. So I decided to buy a flat, an apartment, and to stay there in the week. I thought to myself, “Well, when I leave this company, I can let it out as a buy-to-let,” but actually as a landlord. So I stayed there for five years, and then when I left, I let out the property. The reason why I decided to leave law after 25 years, I had what I call a sliding doors moment, like in the film. I was 50. I was on holiday with my husband, and we'd probably had one too many rum cocktails. And he said to me, “Well, what do you want to be doing with your life? What would you do if you could do anything?” I was thinking, “Well, I've done law. I want to do something else now.” I didn't really know what that was, and I'd always been thinking about studying French properly, and that's when I left. So I decided, 18 months later, I left to do a French degree at King's College London, full-time. I was the only old person there with lots of 18-year-olds. When I did that, I was able to cash in my share options because I was a good leaver. I retired, and so I started buying properties to let out and became a landlord, without really thinking too much about it, and I used letting agents. They were fine to begin with, but I didn't really have a game plan or anything like that. What I realised is that when I tried to research things online, I couldn't really find anything that was terribly helpful. It was either quite general or it was very legal. So after a while… I became a landlord in 2019. I had the idea, why don't I set up a blog? And this is August 2022, so just four years ago. My husband came up with the idea of the name, The Independent Landlord, because it's that Kiwi spirit, being very independent. I thought, “Right, I'm not going to charge anyone for it. It's a hobby. It's not a business. I'm going to pay it forward and help, use my legal training, practical legal approach, and practical common sense, by doing this blog.” Almost exactly four years ago, I sent my first newsletter to 13 people. Jo: Woo-hoo. Suzanne: And I sent one last week to over 18,000. So it's been quite a journey. Jo: Wow, this is so great. I love this. There's so much in there. The turning 50 and then doing a degree. My master's in death is a little different to your French literature, but I like it. So I love this, and buying properties, starting it on the side, not a business at first, and growing the audience, and obviously you've put so much work in. Then you decide to write a book. So talk about that, because an online blog, although I'm sure your articles and everything were super useful, it's very different to write a blog than a book. So talk about your challenges in writing. Why did you decide to do a book in the first place? Suzanne: Again, I was an accidental landlord, is what they call it when you let a property when you didn't intend to buy it as a buy-to-let, which I did with my Cambridge flat. And I became, in many respects, an accidental author. So I was having a conversation with my husband again and I was saying I'd done this lead magnet to get people to sign up to my newsletter, and a big new law was going through Parliament at the time, called the Renters Reform Bill, that was going to completely transform the way landlords operate. I was saying to my husband, “Oh, I need to update my lead magnet, a little ebook, to explain the new law.” He looked at me and said, “Well, why don't you do a proper book? Write a book.” This was on the 29th of September, 2023. The reason why I mention that is that I thought, “Wow, what a great idea,” and my head was bursting. I went onto Google, and guess what I downloaded on the 1st of October? Jo: My blueprint? Suzanne: Exactly. I found you immediately, the Author Blueprint, and I downloaded it. I checked: on the 1st of October, 2023. Then I listened to almost… well, I think I went back several years on your podcast, just trying to understand. I'm like that. When I try and do something, I just try and learn everything that there is to know about it. So I started writing the book, and I guess the first challenge was I write quickly, and I'm used to writing for people who aren't lawyers, being in-house. So I thought I needed to have a structure. The structure was easy in many respects because, a bit of business at the end, and then you can go through a tenancy. I thought it was important to have a narrative thread all the way through it, just to bring it together. This is the literature degree coming in here. I thought that the mission for everything I do, the reason why I started doing this, is to help landlords, but also to help the experience of renting that people have in England. It's very specific for English law. And to help improve the private rented sector. So that's why I originally set up my blog for free, and I wanted, when people went onto Google, they could find something sensible and very detailed from me. My blog posts were… Well, I've now got over 400,000 words on my blog, so it's a substantial piece of work that is out there free of charge. So what I decided to do was to bring this narrative thread, I call it the good landlord ethos, to the book. Then I wrote very quickly, and I had a pretty good draft by April 2024, because we were all thinking that the law was going to change very soon. But then there was an election, and in the end the government changed and the legislation changed completely, so I had to rewrite the book and start again. So I think that my biggest challenge was that my subject matter, the new law, changed. Because I wanted to publish this book that explained to people practically what they have to do, and make it really straightforward, keeping out of politics, because it is a very politically charged area. I wanted to write it so it's a manual, somebody could literally follow it. So I used an editor, and I did write the book twice. I had a beta reader who is another lawyer, and a landlord as well. Then I got to the get-the-damn-thing-done stage. The really tedious bit of all the typos at the end. Jo: Yes, the finishing energy to get it out there. So at that point, obviously you'd found my blueprint, so you were learning about the indie way of doing things. Did you always decide to self-publish? How did you think about publishing? What were your challenges in publishing? Suzanne: It never occurred to me not to self-publish, because the new law came into effect on the 1st of May, 2026. The law and the details that I needed for the book were finalised in January, and I published on Amazon on the 5th of March, so I had to go so quickly. Even though I'd got a lot of it written, the last bit came in January, and so I needed speed. I knew that for landlords to be able to have something that they can use straightaway to help get them ready for it, and then use as a manual afterwards, I had to be first. Jo: Sorry, just on the year. Was it '24? You said '26. You meant May— Suzanne: 2024? No, no, because I actually published it this year. What happened in 2024, I had the first draft ready, but then I had to do another draft because the law changed when the Labour government came in. Jo: Right. Suzanne: The Renters Reform Bill turned into the Renters' Rights Bill. So I had to rewrite the book. So I finished however many drafts at the end of January 2026. Then it went to an editor, et cetera, et cetera, and I managed to get the book ready for a proof, to get the proof printed, towards the end of February. So it was really quick to go from the law being sufficiently finalised for me to write a book in January, and then having it ready in just over a month. There is no way that I could have done that if I'd gone to a traditional publisher. It didn't even occur to me to go, because I didn't want to be going touting around my book and, “Please publish me,” et cetera. It's just not me. I'm the independent landlord, and that moved very easily to being the independent publisher. So I learnt how to do all the publishing. And a huge thanks: I joined your Patreon and I was a very good student. I went through everything systematically and followed your playbook, and used Vellum and BookFunnel and all the other tools. So I decided to go on Amazon as well as have my own Shopify store, which just about killed me. Jo: I was going to say, you are an excellent student. You really like learning, but you also put this into practice, which is why I also wanted to talk to you. You haven't just talked about all this. You've literally done everything. Suzanne: Sometimes it was like my head was going to burst. Luckily, Claude upped his game earlier this year when we got the Opus 4.5. I didn't use AI really until this year. I decided I need to do exercise all the time, and have that as a have-to-do, because my head was spinning all the time with all these different things. So I would go to the gym, go to a spin class, and then I would walk out with my phone on, with the Claude app, and dictate a stream of consciousness into it. “Oh, I need to do this, or what about that? Oh, I just remembered about this. Oh, I've had this idea, blah.” And then said, “Make sense of it for me, Claude.” So it was very much as a thinking partner, because when you're writing your first book, it's bad enough, but when you're learning how to publish… Even, like, when I got the first proof of the book back from BookVault, I realised that all the footnotes—I have 114 footnotes in my book, and that, again, is the recent degree there—and the formatting had gone skew-whiff. Apparently it was an issue with Vellum, and they were really lovely and they sorted it straight out for me. So it shows: always get a proof of the book. They were able to sort that out very quickly, and BookVault were very quick in getting me another proof, because you can shortcut it and just pay to get a very quick delivery. Amazon, on the other hand, was really slow. It took a week. So I actually published earlier on my Shopify store for my members, of my membership, and I gave them a discount. Then I finally got it onto Amazon on the 5th of March. There are all these different skills you're having to learn. The Shopify store I found very hard, and there was all the tax, because I'm VAT registered. So I think I'm still recovering. Jo: You're still recovering. I wouldn't normally recommend a Shopify store for someone with their first book, doing first of everything. But, as you say, you're someone who learns a lot, puts it into practice, and— I think you were pretty determined to do that because you had a community as well, right? Suzanne: Exactly, yes. The big subscriber list. I think that's why the book did so well. So in the first week, because I met you at the Indie Author Lab put on by— Jo: Yes, London Book Fair, yes. Suzanne: Yes, the Alliance of Independent Authors. I met you there, and it was just my first week, and I had 1,000 sales in the first week. That was because of my audience. I'd been going on about the fact that I'm writing this book for two and a half years, because that's how long it took me to do. So I had a wait list for it, and I had a thing on my website, a landing page on my website, saying how good the book was and why it's the best thing for the Renters' Rights Act. Then I went onto Google, and I think I sent you a screenshot of this at the time. I put into Google, “What's the best book for the Renters' Rights Act for landlords in England?” And it came up with me as a featured snippet, and I hadn't even published it at that time. It was just about there. So the blog really helped, because I'd become an authority on the Renters' Rights Act. Even though I'm not a practising solicitor any more, I spent all my time reading the damn thing, and it is a very complicated bit of legislation. Funnily enough, I have ruffled a lot of feathers. People have even said about me behind my back, “What does she know? She's only got four properties.” But I just took no notice. I thought, “I'm going to try and use my legal brain and my understanding of what it's like being a landlord, there with the rubber gloves cleaning an oven when people have moved out, and try and write something that's not trying to sell anything else, and to help people.” And then it got picked up. Jo: Yes. Wait, let's just slow down. Slow down, because we will get onto that in a minute. But let's just come back to that launch. So as we talked about, you've had a blog for five years— Suzanne: It was three and a half by then. Jo: Three and a half years you've been blogging, but hundreds of thousands of words of useful information. So you've essentially done content marketing. You've attracted people. You had a lead magnet. You got them on your email list. You told them that you were writing a book. You got a sort of pre-sales list up. So that's an email list. You've got a blog. Did you do anything else in terms of marketing? Suzanne: I had YouTube, a big YouTube channel. I'd only set it up at the end of 2024, and I'd had half a million views. And again, just very straightforward advice, and without all the scaremongering and politics. I deliberately keep out of it all. A lot of people joined my newsletter as a result of that. Also a year ago, exactly today, I was running a Facebook group, which was a lot of hard work. There were a few thousand people in it, but there are often a lot of people going in there trying to sell things: insurance, eviction specialists and things. And there was also a lot of people just being unpleasant to other people. I was getting fed up with it. It was taking me a lot of time, and I was doing a lot of speaking events and trying to explain what this new law was doing, and wearing myself out. I'm an extrovert, but even I find speaking events absolutely exhausting, because it's like everything gets sucked out of you. It's strange. Then somebody came up to me in July last year and said, “Suzanne, can you set up a membership?” I said, “Well, landlords aren't going to pay for that.” And they said, “Yes, they will. You build it and they will come.” I asked ChatGPT and thought about it. I asked ChatGPT, who I was dating at the time, now exclusively with Claude, but I know Claude has other people in his life. But I'm very much set with Claude Fable at the moment. So I asked ChatGPT, how can I go about setting up a membership? And I mentioned your one and said, “Should I do it on Patreon?” And then he came back with: go for Circle. So I set up a membership on Circle, exactly a year ago. In fact, it's the anniversary of my first member yesterday. hTe rules I had were, no selling. So I don't sell, no affiliate links, no one else can sell anything, and we have to be supportive. No negativity, no politics. So what it's become, it's like the senior common room of the private rented sector, with landlords, lawyers, letting agents. There's a fantastic forum in there. It's not me doing it, it's peer-to-peer. I have twice-monthly live streams where people can ask me questions. I wonder where I got that from. No, I very much modelled it on your Patreon, but on a different platform. I have courses in there as well. So that has really grown. I launched it in July, and by September, October, I'd gone past the VAT threshold, which has complicated everything, but it means my business now is this membership. I really enjoy doing it, and there hasn't been all the negativity that you have in a Facebook group. So I had them as… talk about your thousand fans. There are about 1,500 in the membership, and their support really helped the launch of my book, as well as the wider people who get my free newsletter. Jo: Yes. Suzanne: So it's all different types of content marketing. Jo: Y, but I do love this. And of course, if people are wondering, I joined Patreon back in 2014, I think it might have even been before that, and there weren't too many places back then to run communities. It wasn't even really a community at the time, it was a sort of, almost a “give me a bit of support for the podcast.” So things have changed a lot in terms of communities, and obviously you went with Circle, which is great. Patreon is slightly different now, and some people are using Substack for something similar. So that's just on the platform, but on the business: early on in our conversation you said, “I wasn't going to have a business. It wasn't a business. It was just putting stuff out there, helping other people,” and then your audience asked for this membership. And so now it is a business, right? Suzanne: Yes, it is. Jo: And you've got a book and all of this. So are you happy with the change to a business? Because obviously you have to treat it quite differently. Suzanne: Yes, I am, because I think to begin with, I was just doing it one or two days a week. I was actually studying a master's in French literature part-time, and I then found that I was enjoying the blog more than the master's, so I dumped the master's after the first year. But after getting 88% for one of my dissertations, which interestingly was on the translation of a Simone de Beauvoir book into English, and the publisher who's got that now is Random House, but that's another thing. Anyway, so I decided to give up my master's and double down and work full-time on the blog. People were paying to help me with all the big fees and things, the big tech stack, Buy Me a Coffee. I was doing a little bit of consulting and things. I was working six, seven days a week. I was treating it like a business in terms of quality and my effort, but it wasn't a business in terms of revenue. Then it just all came together, and this person said, “Set up a membership,” and I thought, “That's what I'm going to do. I'm now going to put it on a business setting.” I've got an MBA, I know how to do it, and people thought I planned it, but I didn't. It just happened. So now I do very much treat it as a business, but I still don't advertise. I don't allow people to advertise with me, because I want to be independent. If I recommend something, I want people to believe it's me recommending it, not just because someone's paying me, which can be a big issue in the landlord area. Jo: Oh, in any industry. I get pitched every day with loads of random things that people are like, “Oh, a dollar a click or whatever, if you send this to your list.” And it's like, seriously? Just stop it already. I did just want to add there: somebody asked you, they said, “You should have a community,” and that sparked that idea. I just wanted to acknowledge that my Patreon came from Jim Kukral. Some of you will remember, who've been around a long time. Jim Kukral came on my blog around sort of 2013. Amanda Palmer had just put out a book called The Art of Asking, and I was doing a lot of unpaid work on the podcast at the time, and I was either going to give it up or I had to fund it somehow. Jim said, “You should do a Patreon.” And I was like, “Oh, no, I hate asking for money.” So at the time I just felt, oh, weird. Then I was like, “No, I do all this work,” as you were saying. Now the Patreon has changed so much in terms of what it is, but it is the backbone of my business, too. So I love that you listened to one of your fans who said what they wanted, and I love that I've listened as well. Sometimes we just have to listen to those urges, don't we, to take things on? Suzanne: Yes, absolutely. In some ways I didn't really back myself before. I thought, “No one's going to pay for this.” Then the more you give, the more they want. Jo: Yes. Suzanne: What I've been really working on now is having boundaries, because there were two big kind of mottos that I picked up when I was working in pharmaceuticals. One was from a head of the business. He was Canadian, and he was always saying, “You've got to skate to where the puck is heading.” Jo: That's Wayne Gretzky, is it? Suzanne: Exactly. Yes. He would always say it, and so that's what I've done with my blog and my book. When I write things, I don't pay for any tools. I don't do keyword searches and all that. I just think, I do one blog post per topic, and I'm going to guess what people are going to be searching for soon, and I build up all this content around it. That's why most of my blog pages are top five. I've had no advertising. I haven't asked for any backlinks. I don't do it. People backlink to it because it's useful. So that was the first thing, is skate to where the puck is heading, and that was my approach with the book. I knew people would need this book from around May, and they'll need it forever, because it is so complicated and regulated, the rules for being a landlord in England. So that was the first one. The second thing was: when you take something on, you've got to let something go. One in, one out. I found that I was taking on so many different things, and I've just been cutting back, because I can't be doing all the speaking, I can't be answering people's emails. So I now don't do emails. If people want my advice on something, they ask me in the hub, at the twice-monthly live streams. Sometimes I answer in the forums, but I don't have time. When there are 2.4 million landlords in the UK, and even with our 18,000 on my newsletter, I could spend, and I did, I used to spend all my time replying to emails. So anyway, there are the things. Oh, and there was a third one, which is: attract, don't chase. One of my friends gave me that advice and that's exactly what my approach has been. I just don't chase for anything. I just put the stuff there and then build it and they will come. Jo: Yes, and I think another thing is the power of the niche. It's so clear that what you write about, the people you are aiming at, you have an extremely tight target market. That is both a strength and obviously a weakness, because they're the only people. But as you say, there's more than enough of those people for a community, for the book you have. From my own perspective, that's the same for me, the power of the niche. That's how I have a successful podcast, for example, because of that reason. I think you're like a poster child of what a non-fiction author should do. What I like is that you didn't go, “Oh, where's a niche where I could make money?” and then jump in. You've gone about this in a kind of slightly accidental way, but now you're leaning in and this uses all your skills. So this really is a great example of the power of the niche and then making the most of it. But let's move on to what then happened, and— What happened with the book deal? Suzanne: Wow. So you and I met each other on whatever day that was in March at the Indie Author Lab, and the following day I got an email, via my website on a contact form, from Penguin Random House saying, “We love the book. We love the mission, its values,” all this kind of thing. And I was thinking, “Oh, it's another one of those. Must be an—” Jo: AI spam bot, right? Suzanne: Yes, and I remember I sent you a screenshot of it, and then I checked her out on LinkedIn and thought, “Okay, there is somebody with that name there.” You're always saying, and Orna Ross and everyone are always saying, “Watch out for scams.” And in fact, Penguin Random House even this weekend on Instagram put out something saying, “There are lots of people impersonating us.” So I didn't take it too seriously, and it was something like, “Oh, would you be interested in us publishing your book?” And I thought, and I laughed. It was like, no, this is too good to be true. So I replied and said… Oh, I said, “Well, thank you so much. The Renters' Rights Act…” And so this is like the second week in March. “The Renters' Rights Act comes into effect on the 1st of May. If you want to publish it, you're going to need to get your skates on.” I literally did say that. Then she arranged a meeting with me the next day, on the Friday. I still was very dubious about it, and I had a think about it. What helped me, and I have the little booklet here: at the Author Lab, we did some work at the beginning, and Orna said, “Put your phones away.” And it was like, “What? Put my phone away?” Then we had to do this definition of success, and our passion, and our mission, and our purpose. I wrote down things like, I want to help landlords, and in so doing, help improve the private rented sector. I get pleasure from helping people. I want to improve standards and use my legal and practical skills, et cetera. So I thought, “Okay, what is my purpose of doing this book?” It isn't really to make money, because going with Penguin, you wouldn't do that for financial reasons, because you'd make very little money. So I thought, what is my why? My why is I want as many people to read this book as possible. And I've managed to sell a few thousand copies, but there are 2.4 million landlords, and they all need to understand this book, and the only way that I can get it out there, apart from doing ads, is to get it out in bookstores. So I thought about it, and then said, “Yes, I will do it, because I want to get the book out there.” So it's distribution. It's going to be published on the 6th of August, which is really quick, bearing in mind they contacted me in the middle of March. It's exactly the same book, it's just got different copyright wording and different blurb, different paper. Same cover, because I managed to find a fantastic cover person to do it. So they've kept everything the same. So we negotiated that book. I have no agent. They came to me. It's the attract, don't chase. I just put my lawyer hat on, and because one licence is very much like another one… I did turn down their first offer. Jo: Well done. Good negotiation. Suzanne: My daughter said to me, who's an adult daughter, she said, “But it's Penguin.” And I said, “Well, no, but it doesn't work for me.” So I had a call with them, and then they came up with something that worked for me a bit more. I did have to concede on a few things, like I can't sell it in my Shopify store. But in some ways, that was a blessing in disguise, because it means I don't get any more “Where's my book?” emails. Jo: Yes, exactly. Pros and cons of everything, basically. Suzanne: I have very clear rights to get it back. If I want it back, I can get it back and I don't have to give a reason. They're lovely. They have been really very wonderful. When I went up there a month or so ago, they gave me this book bag, and it's got on it, “I'm published by Penguin,” and I burst into tears. Jo: Aw. That's nice. Suzanne: I don't know, it just seemed like such a big deal. Because up until then I was just being all very lawyerly and task-orientated. Then I thought, “Oh my goodness,” and then it dawned on me. So I'm now in this interim period where I've taken it off Amazon and off my Shopify store, and I feel very maternalistic towards the book because, you know, it took me two and a half years, which is longer than a pregnancy. Obviously it's not a child, but it's like my book child. I've sent it off with a backpack and a drink and some snacks, and I hope that they look after him, my book. The day I took it off Amazon it was still number one. And a big shout-out to Publisher Rocket, by the way. Jo: Yes. Very, very useful for niche publishing. Suzanne: Very. It helped me choose the right niche categories. So it was number one on at least one category, often six, all the way through. I thought, “Well, it's over to them now.” They're very lovely people. They've given me some marketing assets, as they call it, some swanky graphics and things to use. We'll have to see what we do in terms of marketing. I don't mind doing marketing. I'm on LinkedIn quite a bit, and my whole blog is marketing. What I've been doing is updating my blog to include one of these graphics and to mention the book, and I got Claude to help me draft the code so it looked right. So I've been going through all of my blog posts and sending people to Amazon rather than to my Shopify store. It is mixed feelings, because I care about my book. I put a lot of effort, a lot of love, a lot of tears. No, not tears, but I put a lot of effort into it, and it's out of my control now. Jo: Yes, you said it's over to them, but obviously you will still be creating content around this topic, so you'll probably still be the biggest driver of book sales. Suzanne: Yes. Jo: Are they also suggesting, for example, a podcast tour, like pitching for podcasts? Are they going to assign you some PR? Because, also if people don't know, as we are recording this, we have a new prime minister who wants to do various things. You said no politics, but this is obviously a political thing. So you have the potential to go on a lot of different podcasts, media, talking about this, becoming almost a talking head in this kind of area. So are you angling for all that, and is that in your contract, or is it literally just going to be whatever you want to do? Suzanne: That's not in the contract. What's in the contract is very minimal. I think I've already done what I'm supposed to do. They are pitching for me to go on podcasts and things. I'll tell you a really funny coincidence. So we now have a new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester, he set up something called the Good Landlord Charter. I actually talk about it in the book, and I quote him in my book saying that good landlords mean people trying to do the right thing, or something like that. And I coincidentally came up with the same name, The Good Landlord Handbook. I'd already had the book title for a long time. So this idea of good and landlord coming together, the adjective good as opposed to criminal or rogue, and the cover being green. I'm wanting to change the narrative so it's the norm to have a good landlord, and to help people become good landlords. Or if they're good landlords, help them to understand the new rules, because the new rules are very complicated. So what I don't get involved in is this right or wrong. Is it right that landlords can't do this or have to do this? Because as an in-house lawyer, it doesn't really matter what I think about the law. GDPR, goodness me. Jo: Oh, dear. Let's not start on GDPR. Suzanne: No, exactly. Because we've just got to suck it up. I liken it to the grief cycle, that people have been going through so much change and you have the anger, the depression— Jo: Denial. Suzanne: Bargaining, the denial, and then you get to acceptance. For some people, the acceptance means they want to stop doing it. If you want to accept it and stay, you need to understand the rules. So I've deliberately just kept very practical and have kept out of all the politics of it. I have, funnily enough, become involved because I'm now seen as an expert on the Renters' Rights Act. I've worked behind the scenes with the government to help, and give comment on government guidance for landlords. I was even invited to a reception to mark the passing of the Renters' Rights Act at Downing Street with the previous prime minister, all whilst staying apolitical. I won't let anyone make me be a mouthpiece for their political view. It's more, we just have to do this if we want to continue doing it. I've been very clear on that. Jo: It's interesting you mention the grief cycle there, and you've also mentioned Claude and ChatGPT. I wonder if you might also just comment on use of AI for authors and for marketing and all this. Also with legal stuff, because for me now, if I'm looking at a particular legal thing, I tend to ask Claude. I'm like, “Can you just explain this?” or upload a contract or whatever. Although it is not legal advice, it can be quite useful. So give us your thoughts on using AI as a sidekick in your author business and also for wider life. Suzanne: I now struggle to think what life would be like without Claude. I don't use Claude to write, at all, because I have a very particular voice and a turn of phrase, and if ever Claude writes something for me, it doesn't sound like me. It flattens me, and it makes me sound a bit American. So I don't do that. I've used it in the back end of the business. For instance, my blog was down, and there was something called a recursive bot, which I don't even know what it was, and Claude helped me fix it for free. I went through, I did screenshots. When I did an ElevenLabs audiobook and did it all myself, I was literally, for every screenshot, showing it to Claude. Claude said, “Do this, press this, press that.” So I have all these different projects set up. One is the control room, where it's for my strategic thinking. If I have an idea, I want to think about something, I put it in there. I have the engine room, which is for everything techy. Like when I had the recursive bot, or if I'm wanting to have some code on the website to make it look a particular way. Then I have other things for different subjects, and I put all the resources in there, and I use it a lot as a thinking partner. I've noticed that Fable doesn't hallucinate as much, but the Opus used to. There's something called rental discrimination, and it was proofreading and said, “No, it's not rental discrimination, it's rental income discrimination,” and that was just a load of rubbish. So I would never let it go and change things without me looking at it. I went on one of your webinars a month or so ago about MCPs and all the connectors, which is fantastic. It can go into my community and pull out all the questions for one of my live streams and put it into a document in order, by theme, for instance. It can look at my MailerLite, because that's where my newsletter is with, and analyse the different open rates and click rates and things. It's so good for analysing everything, all the book sales. It helped me with my negotiation with Penguin, and it is pretty good on law. It has sometimes hallucinated things, but not so much now. I think with anything, you've always got to go back to the primary source, and this is what we learn in academia: you have to check the primary source yourself. I have a bit of a magpie brain. I'm very much a discovery writer, like you, and things occur to me as I'm doing it. I think that Claude, at the moment, is incredible. I've been quite open about it on social media that I have Claude as a business partner. I'm a solopreneur, or whatever the word is. I have quite a big business now, and lots of different things, and it's just me doing it, because I can ask Claude how to do this, and how to do that. Claude can go and check my emails and tell me, is there somebody I've not replied to, which helps a lot. Jo: Yes. I think it's empowering as a solopreneur as such. You talk there about the fixing the tech stuff. I have my web host come to me and say, “Look, you're getting so much traffic and bot stuff, and we need to put this thing in, and it's going to be $120 extra a month.” I was like, “Can you just give me an hour? I'll get back to you.” And then I just had Claude code up, and I was like, “Analyse this and tell me what we can do.” It was like, “No, you just need to flip this switch and do that.” And I'm like, “Okay, fair enough.” Then the guy said, “Oh, no, okay, actually you don't need it.” Just stuff like that. As a solopreneur, you're either going to pay somebody technically quite a lot of money, or you can get Claude or ChatGPT. We should say, the ChatGPT Sol is very good, like the Claude Fable, for example. So, yes, using it as a sidekick. I love your control room and your engine room projects as well. That's a great way of doing it. Suzanne: I wouldn't be without it now, and I would have published the book a lot later without Claude, because Claude was helping me with the Shopify store and all the many steps of things. It saved me real time. It is just fantastic. I think, like now when I'm updating my blog, I have a connection between Claude and my blog. Claude can go in, I can give it my Google Search Console results for the page: what should I change, are the headings right? All this kind of thing. And it will give me a view on every single page, which is incredible. Jo: And YouTube, and just everything. Just super useful for that business sidekick. That's what I want authors to think. I feel like authors get so obsessed with the creative side with AI, whereas actually, people like you and me, we're using it as that engine room for the solo business, which is what I love. So we're out of time. I did want to ask one more thing, which is, one of the biggest issues with a specific book like yours is when they change the law again. So do you have a plan in place for if, say, a new government changes the law again? Will you just be updating the book over time? Suzanne: I think that there'll need to be a new edition of the book in three years' time, and I've spoken to Penguin about it. Not all of this new law has been implemented, and there's going to be case law and things. So I expect that I will update the book every few years. I have some other ideas for books as well, but for the moment, I'm just taking a bit of a break. You always say we've got to refill our creative well. I really feel like that at the moment. Recently I've just got myself a personal mobile phone so that I can turn off my work one when I'm on holiday and actually take time off. Because for all the time that I was doing the book, basically from Christmas until May, I didn't have one day off. That is not good. So I'm just trying to be a bit more balanced. I had an idea to write another book for summer, but I've just decided not to, and I'm going to leave it until I feel the urge again. Jo: Oh, well done. Suzanne: Which will come. Jo: Yes, well done. Suzanne: I think there's nothing wrong with that. We just need to think what's right for us. I'm 58. So I want to be able to have time to enjoy things and not be working all the time. Jo: No, that's great. It's a sustainable business. So where can people find you and the book and your community online? Suzanne: The easiest way to find me is theindependentlandlord.com. Or if you put Suzanne Smith and landlord into Google, you'll find me as well, and there's a link on there to the book, The Good Landlord Handbook. In the community, there's a link to that on my website as well. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Suzanne. That was great. Suzanne: Thank you.The post From Blog To Community To Book: A Non-Fiction Author's Journey With Suzanne Smith first appeared on The Creative Penn.
As Andy Burnham marks his first two weeks in Downing Street, the polls are registering a bump in support for Labour. This week, Ellen and Imaan are joined by Prospect's contributing editor Tom Clark to assess the prime minister's first steps in office.Tom discusses surprising policy pledges, “sugar-rush politics” and how Burnham's thinking has changed, from devolution to drastic social care reforms. What challenges will he face in making his promises a reality?After the Ceuta border crossing, does political rhetoric around immigration signal change or continuity? Is Burnham willing to make enemies over the drilling of oil and gas in the North Sea? And what are the chances of an early election?Plus, Tom compares Burnham with Keir Starmer and reflects on whether his leadership signals a departure from factionalism. Has Burnham finally unified the Labour party—and, if so, can it last?To read more of Tom's analysis, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/author/2823/tom-clark Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our UK farming correspondent updates on the drought, wildfires, poor returns for arable farmers, a digital celebration of British farming, and Andy Burnham’s good start at No. 10 Downing Street.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Youth Unemployment, Work Shadowing, and the Future of Work | Jimmy's Jobs of the Future Thanks to LinkedIn for partnering on this episode. Learn more about how the UK labour market is changing in the age of AI in LinkedIn's latest report: https://lnkd.in/labour-market-report In a special early interview at 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Andy Burnham joins Jimmy to discuss why too many young people are struggling to get their first break, and what government, employers and senior leaders can do about it. Reflecting on his own journey from an unpaid local newspaper reporter to Prime Minister, Andy explains why family connections often matter more than qualifications, why work shadowing can transform a young person's confidence, and why every leader should help open the door for someone without an established network. They also discuss the future of education, apprenticeships, AI, recruitment, social capital and why Britain needs to value technical careers as much as university degrees. Andy shares what he looks for when hiring, why creativity and communication remain essential skills in the age of AI, and the leadership lessons that have shaped his career. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:29 Sponsor 01:49 PM Priorities on Youth Jobs 02:50 Early Career and Drift 05:35 Social Capital and Access 06:53 Hiring and Leadership Skills 08:51 Ambition Beyond London 09:42 English Degree and Creativity 12:24 Kids View of Job Market 13:49 Placements and Employer Role 17:26 AI and Future of Work 18:30 LinkedIn Data Break 19:51 Apprenticeships and Reform 21:28 Nostalgia Game and Advice 26:24 Closing Note and LinkedIn Credits: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE Thuy Dong Aggie Mellor Annabel Wilcken Ethan Pearman Josh Eames Laura Dunn Special thanks to: Sunny Winter Nguyen Anh Duc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andy Burnham is promising to spend “whatever political capital” he has to fix the crumbling social care system after decades of political failure. As the right-wing press dusts off its “Death Tax” headlines, can he actually do it? Plus… He leads Restore Britain, an openly extreme right party committed to driving non-white people out of the country, and he's becoming a persistent headache for his former boss Nigel Farage. But who exactly is Rupert Lowe? The panel sizes up the man behind the common-sense cosplay. And in the Extra Bit: the new Euro banknote designs are live, but what would Britain have put forward if we'd ever signed up for the single currency? • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. ESCAPE ROUTES • Andrew watched the Japanese Edo-punk collective Seppuku Pistols live at North London's New River Studios • Seth hasn't been able to put down David Crichton's The Avengers: Death in Downing Street • Jason watched Slice of Life: The American Dream In Former Pizza Huts, which, he says, was “f***ing brilliant” • Zoë went to watch The Odyssey and particularly enjoyed “evil and excellent” Robert Pattinson • Find out if you're owed on car finance at refundclub.co.uk/OGWN • Refund Club is a trading style of Sandsford Law Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 8008114). Checking is free. A fee is payable only if your claim is successful. Eligibility: car finance taken out in the UK between 2007 and 2021. The average claim is around £829 per agreement; this is an average and not a guarantee of the amount you will receive. You can also claim yourself for free by contacting your lender or the Financial Ombudsman Service. refundclub.co.uk/OGWN www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Zoë Grünewald, with Andrew Harrison, Seth Thévoz and Jason Hazeley. Producer: James Liddell. Audio Production: Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune: Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This lecture was recorded by Professor Daniel Susskind on the 26th of May 2026Dr Daniel Susskind is a writer and economist. He explores the impact of technology, and particularly AI, on work and society. He is the Mercers' School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College. He is also a Digital Fellow at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, an Associate Member of the Economics Department at Oxford University, and a Research Professor at King's College London. He is a member of the UK Government's Expert Panel on AI and the Future of Work. His new book, Growth: A Reckoning (2024), was chosen by President Obama as one of his ‘Favourite Books of 2024' and was a runner-up for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2024. He is also the author of A World Without Work (2020), described by The New York Times as "required reading for any potential presidential candidate thinking about the economy of the future” and a runner-up for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2020, and co-author of the best-selling book, The Future of the Professions (2015). His TED Talk, on the future of work, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times. His next book, What Should My Children Do? How to Flourish in the Age of AI, will be published in 2026. And his first novel, The Basilisk Stare, will be published in 2027. Previously he worked in various roles in the British Government – in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, in the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, and in the Cabinet Office. He was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University. The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/education-limitsGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-todaySupport the show
It's Wednesday, which means there's another announcement from Downing Street. Yes, another one. Today, Andy Burnham is talking social care, and this time, he wants to build a 'cross-party consensus' to fix the broken system. Unfortunately neither Kemi Badenoch nor Sir Ed Davey were able to attend in person, but in a far more successful assemblage, James Heale, Tim Shipman, and Isabel Hardman have come together to talk over the details of what was announced. Tim also assesses what direction the new PM may be heading in over assisted dying legislation.You can read Isabel's piece on Andy's social care plans hereProduced by Henry Lloyd and Ed Parker.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Tim and John discuss an anti-LGBTQ billboard campaign in Ohio from a Seattle hate group. Also, Grindr continues to grow despite complaints about limited free use and cost for premium services. Finally, Larry the cat welcomes his 7th Prime Minister to 10 Downing Street. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1 iHeart Radio: bit.ly/4aza5LW Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMb YouTube Music: bit.ly/43T8Y81 Pandora: pdora.co/2pEfctj YouTube: bit.ly/1spAF5a Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Desde hace un tiempo cada vez que Argentina e Inglaterra juegan un partido de fútbol la cuestión de las Malvinas regresa a los titulares de prensa. Ocurrió en el reciente Mundial, disputado en suelo estadounidense, cuando los jugadores argentinos, tras remontar y ganar la semifinal por 2 a 1, desplegaron sobre el césped una pancarta con el lema "Las Malvinas son Argentinas". El gesto bastó para reavivar un contencioso que muchos daban por congelado. La reacción británica no se hizo esperar. Keir Starmer, ya con un pie fuera de Downing Street, respondió con ironía que el Mundial quizá no fuera suyo, pero las Malvinas desde luego sí que lo eran. Nigel Farage, más beligerante, pidió rearmar a la Royal Navy para prevenir una nueva invasión. En Argentina sucedió lo contrario, derecha e izquierda celebraron al unísono la victoria en la semifinal y la pancarta de las Malvinas, algo insólito en un país políticamente tan polarizado. Que se repita la guerra de 1982 es hoy por hoy imposible. Las armadas de ambos países son una sombra de lo que fueron. Ni Argentina puede invadir las islas ni el Reino Unido está ya en las mismas condiciones para recuperarlas. De esa guerra se acuerdan mucho más en Argentina que en el Reino Unido, donde muchos no saben ni ubicarlas correctamente en el mapa. En Argentina las Malvinas son omnipresentes. No hay ciudad o pueblo que no tenga una calle, un parque o una plaza dedicado al archipiélago o, mejor dicho, a reclamar la argentinidad de archipiélago. Es el gran consenso nacional que unifica a un país siempre enfrentado. En Argentina se ha dado un fenómeno curioso. La invasión la ordenó la junta militar, que era de derechas, pero la causa terminó siendo algo de la izquierda kirchnerista, ya que los gobiernos de Carlos Menem prefirieron bajar el tono sobre este asunto, normalizar las relaciones con los británicos y acercarse a Estados Unidos. Javier Milei, admirador confeso de Thatcher, llegó al poder sin prestar demasiado interés a aquellas islas, pero ha terminado convirtiéndolas en uno de los reclamos de su gobierno. Milei simplemente se ha adaptado a la nueva situación. El Reino Unido está mucho más aislado que en 1982. Hace años abandonó la Unión Europea, que en aquel momento sancionó a Argentina, y su relación con Estados Unidos no es la que era en la guerra fría. Incluso en Chile, el único aliado hispanoamericano que tuvieron en la guerra, ahora no ven mal que se negocie la soberanía. El mayor obstáculo sigue siendo la voluntad de los isleños, descendientes de los colonos británicos que poblaron las islas hace casi dos siglos y que, en 2013, votaron casi por unanimidad seguir siendo un territorio británico de ultramar. La memoria selectiva británica olvida que, antes de la guerra, estaban negociando ceder la soberanía a cambio de que los argentinos se comprometiesen a respetar que las Malvinas disfrutasen de un estatuto especial. La invasión reventó aquel arreglo salomónico. De no haberse producido las Malvinas ya serían plenamente argentinas. Pero son más británicas que nunca. También son mucho más ricas, pero es previsible que, si se dan las condiciones adecuadas, esa negociación que quedó aparcada hace casi medio siglo, se reinicie. En La ContraRéplica: 0:00 Introducción 3:40 Fútbol y Malvinas 36:48 Incendios y regulación 44:24 Aviones anti incendios · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #argentina #malvinas Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
John McTernan is one of the most fascinating voices on the British left. He worked at the centre of 10 Downing Street as Tony Blair's Political Secretary. But now he's in a slightly different space. His perspective has shifted and he sees new Labour as the end of a different era. Now he believes Labour has to be more left wing. So what's changed? And how many more agree with him?SEE Matt's brand-new stand-up show 'Project Holy Moly' at the Edinburgh Festival 5-30 August:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/matt-forde-project-holy-moly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The UK has a new prime minister, Andy Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer after he resigned just two years due to general lack of support. On today's show, guest hosts, Adrienne Pagac and Pete Ramand, are in conversation with David Jamieson about British politics, the future of the Labour left, and how all this corresponds to US politics. Burnham promises to transform the UK economy, but he inherits all the same problems that plagued Starmer's time in office. Many consider Burnham to be on the “soft left” of the Labour Party, but there are concerns that Burnham and his new team will liquidate the welfare state and funnel state funds into the arms industry. Where does this leave the Labour left? Jamieson says the Labour Party has become very centralized as neoliberalism and regional inequality fracture voters, potentially pushing the left out of the party or into the Green Party. Jamieson says that the treatment of democratic socialists by the US Democratic Party is similar to the treatment of Jeremy Corbyn in the UK. He's noticed a growing hysteria about democratic socialist candidates, but reflects that voters want authenticity and independent politicians. They also discuss the phenomena of New Labour under Tony Blair, Burnham's appointments like former defense secretary, John Healey, the US's interference in UK politics, figures on the far right, and more. David Jamieson is a journalist and socialist activist based in Scotland and co-editor of Conter. Featured image of 10 Downing Street via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Andy Burnham and the Shaky Future of the Labour Left appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Lord Peter Ricketts, the UK's first National Security Advisor, former Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, and former British Ambassador to France, to unpack what Andy Burnham's rise to Downing Street means for Britain's place in the world.Ricketts examines why Burnham, arriving as the UK's seventh Prime Minister in ten years with almost no track record on foreign policy, inherits a fragile but consequential legacy from Keir Starmer, from steadfast support for Ukraine to a more assertive European security posture. He explains why personal relationships between world leaders are not a soft add-on but a genuine strategic asset, why Burnham will have to build trust with Trump, Macron, and Merz essentially from scratch, and why a hard right shift in France under Marine Le Pen could complicate cooperation on defence and migration. The conversation also covers the Strategic Defence Review's warnings on warfighting readiness, the sobering "letters of last resort" every new Prime Minister must write for Britain's nuclear submarines, and why Britain's credibility in NATO depends on defence spending it may struggle to sustain.Key topics discussed:Why Burnham's political style raises real questions about his readiness for crisis decision makingWhy personal relationships between leaders matter as much as institutions and interestsThe risk that a Le Pen led France could complicate UK-EU defence and migration cooperationWhy continuity on Ukraine is critical, and the spending trade-offs Burnham will face at homeWhat Britain needs to do to keep pulling its weight in NATOThe reality of nuclear command responsibility that awaits every incoming Prime MinisterThe international risks Lord Ricketts is watching most closely today, from war in Europe to climate changeThis episode is relevant to anyone interested in international relations, defence policy, European security, diplomacy, or international risk. If you are interested in Lord Rickett's book: Peace Makers: Shaping the modern world: the men and women of the Foreign Office in WWII.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders.Tell us what you liked!
Former White House staffer Miles Taylor warns "Could Congress hand Trump the midterms?" Plus why are we selling Saudi Arabia the Very Thing We're Bombing Iran Over? Victoria Jones - Britain's New PM Andy Burnham and, does Larry the Cat (the official cat of #10 Downing Street) approve...? And why Are ICE Officers Saying Morale Is Worse Than Under Biden?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sir Keir Starmer is out. Andy Burnham is in. And after just days in Downing Street, the new prime minister has torn up his predecessor's playbook — swapping warnings of a hard inheritance for a blitz of cost of living giveaways. Is this smart repositioning after Starmer's early missteps, or a sugar rush that can't survive contact with the budget?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Josh Glancy, associate editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Elle Scott, Shabnam Grewal, Jennifer Kennedy.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Keir Starmer's biggest success was something that didn't happenFurther listening: The remarkable rise of Andy BurnhamClips: BBC, 10 Downing Street / Youtube, Andy Burnham / Instagram, Bus Aunty / Instagram.Photo: Getty Images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Many people, including politicians, love to hate the super-rich, and assume they have gamed the system. Yet our correspondent reports that a growing share of today's wealthiest earned their money providing goods and services we all want. A new crackdown on scam compounds in Cambodia. And lessons from the ultimate political animal, Downing Street's Larry the Cat. Watch “The Insider” interview with Elon Musk from 6pm BST, 1pm EST. Listen to our podcast series “Scam Inc”. Guests and host:Callum Williams, senior economics writerSue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondentChris Impey, co-editor of “The Intelligence”Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Billionaires, Elon Musk, Lionel Messi, Taylor SwiftScams, scam compounds, CambodiaLarry the Cat, Andy Burnham, Downing StreetListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Many people, including politicians, love to hate the super-rich, and assume they have gamed the system. Yet our correspondent reports that a growing share of today's wealthiest earned their money providing goods and services we all want. A new crackdown on scam compounds in Cambodia. And lessons from the ultimate political animal, Downing Street's Larry the Cat. Watch “The Insider” interview with Elon Musk from 6pm BST, 1pm EST. Listen to our podcast series “Scam Inc”. Guests and host:Callum Williams, senior economics writerSue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondentChris Impey, co-editor of “The Intelligence”Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Billionaires, Elon Musk, Lionel Messi, Taylor SwiftScams, scam compounds, CambodiaLarry the Cat, Andy Burnham, Downing StreetListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week: has Andy Burnham really brought change to Downing Street – or merely repackaged Labour's old guard? Has Ed Miliband been sidelined by being sent to the Foreign Office, a ‘non-job' in which he can do little harm? The panel also asks whether Burnham is prepared to make the difficult decisions required of a prime minister – and why the Conservatives have been so reluctant to demand a general election.Also: is America's socialist left taking over the Democratic party? Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are gaining ground, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be underestimated as a future presidential nominee and parts of the radical left are beginning to embrace gun ownership. Could Bernie Sanders have beaten Donald Trump in 2016 – had the Democrats not chosen ‘the only person who could conceivably lose' to him?Plus: who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? The accepted account holds that a small band of Ukrainians carried out one of the most sophisticated acts of sabotage in recent history. But does the evidence look less like a professional intelligence operation than ‘somebody establishing an alibi'?Produced by Patrick Gibbons, Oscar Edmondson and Gareth Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy Burnham's first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - from tax cuts, to public services - but it's left Kemi Badenoch asking, "Is that it?" as she calls on him to be more ambitious. Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Josh Glancy and Sarah Ditum. You can hear more of Hugo on Times Radio from Monday to Thursday, 10am-1pm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy BurnhamAs I conclude this column on Monday afternoon Andy Burnham is taking up his position as British Prime Minister. As I dispatch these lines he is addressing the media and supporters outside 10 Downing Street. I wish him well. I also hope he will be the last British Prime Minister to interfere in Irish affairs. Our ambition is for the people of Ireland to govern ourselves. As soon as possible. When that happens we will govern Ireland in the interests of Ireland. Mr Burnham, like every British PM governs in the interests of the English establishment. He like his predecessors is a Unionist. Let's work to ensure that he is the Prime Minister who ends the Union.‘Women's Voices, Hopes for a New Ireland'Féile an Phobail is the launch pad each year of exiting new projects, and especially new books. One such book this year is ‘Women's Voices, Hopes for a New Ireland.' The book is published by Sinn Féin's Commission on the Future of Ireland and will launched at 1pm on 4th August in Áras Uí Chonghaile by Uachtarán Shinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald TD.The book is compiled and edited by Grace McDermott and Aoife Ferguson and is an innovative collection of contributions from 62 women across Ireland and the diaspora sharing their hopes for the future and a new Ireland.The women are drawn from all sections of society. They are writers, actors, musicians, community workers, political activists, health workers. They include Protestant voices. This book is a mixture of written contributions, poetry, song lyrics and artwork. They reflect the experiences of these women to partition and a society that has often held them down, treated them as second-class citizens and pushed them to the margins of history.The book is being launched at this years' Féile an Phobail. The launch will be ion 4th August in Áras Uí Chonghaile on 4 August. You can register to attend here: Women's Voices- Hopes for a New Ireland Tickets, Tuesday, August 4 • 1 PM - 2 PM | EventbriteIt will also be launched at the Derry Féile on the 12 August in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Great James Street Derry BT48 7DF at 2pm and other events are being planned.It will be available from An Fhuiseog 55 Bóthar na bhFál, BT12 4PD, https://anfhuiseog.ie/And https://sinnfeinbookshop.com/Water Crisis in GazaImagine in the midst of this very hot, and dry weather you did not have access to fresh drinking water. Could not have a shower or bath. Wash clothes. Prepare food. Make tea or coffee whenever you want. Fill a water container for storage in the fridge for a cold drink. Have a fridge?That is the reality of life for almost two million women and children and men living in the Gaza Strip. Israel's genocidal policies has resulted in the deliberate and targeted destruction of water, sanitation and hygiene systems (in Gaza. It has created a humanitarian catastrophe. This is especially true for women who are pregnant or are menstruating. According to a recent Oxfam report, women cannot get the water they need to keep clean and hydrated.It reports that the extensive damage to water networks, treatment facilities, and sewage systems “has crushed water production, so it is a fraction of pre-October 2023 levels.” In addition, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has revealed that Gaza's water production has dropped to less than a quarter of what it was three years ago and that 89% of water plants and sewage facilities “have been destroyed or partially damaged.”For a family in the west it's a simple matter to turn the water tap on to access all you need. In Gaza average daily use of water per person has dropped from the minimum humanitarian standard of 15 litres per day to around three litres.Rubber Bullet injures Marwan BarghoutiRegular readers will know that I have written recently on several occasions about the imprisonment and torture of Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti. Marwan, now aged 67, has been held in Israeli prisons for 24 years after a widely criticised show trial in 2002. He is a senior leader in Fatah and is viewed by Palestinians as their Nelson Mandela.Over the years he has endured significant brutality but the most recent occurred in Ganot prison several weeks ago when a prison guard entered his cell and shot him in the leg with a rubber bullet. During the decades of conflict in the North rubber and plastic bullets were frequently used by the RUC and British Army. They were an attempt to terrorise citizens. Seventeen people were killed by rubber and plastic bullets. Eight of these were children and all but one was from nationalist areas.However, the Israeli rubber bullets are of a significantly different design to those used here. Israel's rubber bullets are “steel covered with a thin rubber coat.” They cause more fatalities and life changing injuries.Marwan's son Arab Barghouti, said the family only learned about the incident from his father's lawyer and that Barghouti had not received medical treatment for the injury. Two weeks ago the Arab League called for an international commission of inquiry into what it said were "repeated assaults" on Barghouti. So support freedom for Marwan Barghouti. Log on to https://freemarwan.org/Methodism and the Peace Process‘From Feakle to the Falls and Derry's Wall - Methodism and the Peace Process, 1985-2025 by David Gallagher is an important book and a significant contribution to the discussion on peace-making in Ireland.David has been a member of the Methodist Church in Ireland's Council on Social Responsibility since 1986. He was the Northern Executive's Lay Secretary from 1990 to 2003. His book is a detailed and critical assessment of the role of Methodism and I'm still reading it.I have a firm belief that all of us have a story to tell. My personal focus has been on republicans and working class people telling our story but the truth is the right and the need to tell our own story belongs to everyone. And the Methodists have a story worth telling. So well done David Gallagher.David will be taking part in Féile an Phobail on 1pm on the 31st July in St. Mary's University College on the Falls Road. The book is available at An Fhuiseog 55 Bóthar na bhFál, BT12 4PD, https://anfhuiseog.ie/
This week: has Andy Burnham really brought change to Downing Street – or merely repackaged Labour's old guard? Has Ed Miliband been sidelined by being sent to the Foreign Office, a ‘non-job' in which he can do little harm? The panel also asks whether Burnham is prepared to make the difficult decisions required of a prime minister – and why the Conservatives have been so reluctant to demand a general election. Also: is America's socialist left taking over the Democratic party? Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are gaining ground, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be underestimated as a future presidential nominee and parts of the radical left are beginning to embrace gun ownership. Could Bernie Sanders have beaten Donald Trump in 2016 – had the Democrats not chosen ‘the only person who could conceivably lose' to him?Plus: who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? The accepted account holds that a small band of Ukrainians carried out one of the most sophisticated acts of sabotage in recent history. But does the evidence look less like a professional intelligence operation than ‘somebody establishing an alibi'?Produced by Patrick Gibbons, Oscar Edmondson and Gareth Roy. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy Burnham's first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - but can he keep everyone happy and still balance the books?Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny look at the prime minister's first week in power, from his plans for public services and tax cuts, to the questions over how he will pay for them. They also discuss John Healey's appointment as Chancellor, the fallout from the purge of Starmer allies, and whether Burnham's approach risks trying to please everyone. Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest on this episode is the brilliant Amy Hart. Best known for hitting our screens on Love Island, Amy is a TV personality, content creator and host of The Mums Club podcast.Amy had her eldest son Stanley at 30, has just had her second boy Dexter, and is very much in her mum era. But she's very honest about the fact that the second time around has been harder than she expected - not because of Dexter, but because of the identity wobble that comes with spinning more plates and stepping back from some of the regular work she loved.We also chat about:Why she froze her eggs at 26 after a fertility MOT revealed she might be following her mum and nan into early menopause - and why she'd tell every woman in her twenties to do the sameThe moment she seriously considered becoming a solo mum by choice, and what changedWhy she has absolutely zero mum guilt about working, going away for the weekend or leaving the kids with their dad (and why she thinks the backlash is pure double standards)The day she took a three-month-old Dexter to a Downing Street garden party and why she'd do it again without hesitationHer honest assessment of her own podcast... what she got wrong, what she'd do differently and how she's planning to refocus it when she comes backFollow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyhartxo/?hl=en and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AmyHartIf you enjoyed this episode then please leave a rating or review - and you can follow the podcast to ensure you don't miss future episodes. Thank you! Not Another Mummy Podcast is brought to you by me, journalist and author Alison Perry. I'm a mum of three and I love interviewing people about parenthood and confidence on the podcast. You can check out my other episodes and you can come chat to me on Instagram: @iamalisonperry or on Threads: @iamalisonperry. You can buy my book OMG It's Twins now. Music: Epidemic SoundArtwork: Eleanor BowmerSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/notanothermummy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On Wednesday's episode of The Daily T, Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley discuss the hot mic blunder in which Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, and Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, were caught on camera joking about early prison releases.The timing of the incident could not have been worse for Andy Burnham, the new Prime Minister, on day three of his premiership. Anger over the Cabinet members' poorly placed joke also came within hours of The Telegraph's report that two of Pc Andrew Harper's killers were amongst the criminals set to be freed under Labour's plans to tackle prison overcrowding.As the new PM vows to review the early prisoner release policy, Camilla and Tim examine the fundamental flaws in Labour's approach to justice.They also discuss how Mr Burnham's regime can better handle communications crises with Guto Harri, Downing Street's former head of communications under Boris Johnson.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorThe Telegraph is the Publisher Podcast Awards' Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026Studio Operator: Meghan SearleProducers: Emma Williams and David LeveneVideo Producer: Will WaltersSocial Producer: Nada AggourExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlightsShabana Mahmood and Wes Streeting apologise after being caught on camera joking about early prison releasesAndy Burnham to review Labour's early prison release policy after The Telegraph reveals two of Pc Harper's killers amongst those being considered to be freed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For the Good of the Public brings you news and weekly conversations at the intersection of faith and civic life. Monday through Thursday, The Morning Five starts your day off with scripture and prayer, as we also catch up on the news together. Throughout the year, we air limited series on Fridays to dive deeper into conversations with civic leaders, thinkers, and public servants reimagining public life for the good of the public. Today's host was Michael Wear. Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Please subscribe to and rate The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of the Center for Christianity and Public Life at www.ccpubliclife.org. Today's scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-18 (ESV) News sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/us/politics/troops-injured-jordan-iran-war.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/20/iran-retaliates-against-us-strikes-gas-returns-4-gallon/ https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/20/darline-graham-launches-senate-campaign-south-carolina-lindsey-graham-01004994 https://apnews.com/article/andy-burnham-uk-prime-minister-labour-starmer-a13602b93d8f045f1cffd2bd05bf8e2b https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/10/politics/trump-housing-bill https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/business/economy/housing-bill-affordability.html https://www.npr.org/2026/07/10/nx-s1-5885027/housing-bill-without-trump-signature Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife and check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #scripture #news #Iran #war #Senate #elections #UnitedKingdom #AndyBurnham #housing #Congress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Andy Burnham, séptimo primer ministro del Reino Unido en los últimos diez años, hizo este lunes su entrada triunfal en el 10 de Downing Street prometiendo que un Estado más grande y más fuerte resolverá los problemas económicos del país y le devolverá su estabilidad política. De pie frente a la residencia oficial del primer ministro, Burnham dijo ser plenamente consciente de que el Reino Unido ha estado cambiando de líderes a un ritmo demasiado rápido y que eso exige que la nueva generación de políticos respondan a los desafíos que plantea la sociedad británica. Burnham, que tiene 56 años y a sus espaldas carga una larga carrera política, esbozó una visión general del país en la que un Estado más intervencionista revertiría lo que llamó 40 años de neoliberalismo. Burnham quiere descentralizar el poder desde Londres hacia las regiones, se comprometió a poner “los elementos esenciales de la vida bajo control estatal” y dijo que su primera política sería acabar con la gente sin hogar durmiendo en las calles. También prometió presentar a finales de este año un plan a diez años para el país que ofrecería “un nuevo modelo político y un nuevo modelo económico”. Entre las medidas que se están considerando figuran los controles de alquileres y mayores subvenciones públicas para las facturas de energía y los billetes de transporte público. Las primeras ya han entrado en vigor con la retirada del IVA de la factura de la luz. Lo que no se sabe es cómo financiará esos gastos extra. Quizá por eso mismo el coste de la deuda a diez años del Gobierno británico se incrementó tan pronto como terminó el discurso. Los inversores apuntan a que la propuesta económica de Burnham inclinará aún más el Reino Unido hacia la izquierda, con modestos aumentos del gasto público financiados mediante mayores impuestos y más endeudamiento. Pero su margen de maniobra es limitado ya que tanto la carga fiscal como la deuda pública se encuentran cerca de máximos históricos. Entretanto se prevé que la economía solo crezca un 1 % este año. Burnham ha aprovechado para rehacer el gabinete de Starmer y ponerlo a su gusto. Ha nombrado a John Healey, exsecretario de Defensa, como ministro de Hacienda en sustitución de la todopoderosa Rachel Reeves. Healey dimitió hace menos de dos meses alegando que no tenía suficiente financiación para defensa. El nombramiento de este centrista busca tranquilizar a los inversores, que temían que el puesto fuera para un candidato de izquierda más radical. A Ed Milliband le ha entregado la cartera de Exteriores, pero ha mantenido a Shabana Mahmood como ministra de Interior. Para marcar un nuevo tono político, Burnham se presenta como un outsider de clase trabajadora del norte de Inglaterra capaz de sacudir el statu quo londinense. No hay nada de eso. Estudió en Cambridge, fue ministro dos veces con Gordon Brown y alcalde de Manchester durante 9 años. Los dos grandes partidos británicos, los conservadores y los laboristas, están sufriendo en las encuestas a causa del poco crecimiento económico, la inmigración y una crisis del coste de la vida que alimenta una sensación de malestar entre los votantes, que consideran que los políticos tradicionales son incapaces de mejorar su situación. Burnham, como todos los primeros ministros recién llegados, es todavía una incógnita, pero todas las propuestas que trae ya se ensayaron en el pasado con funestas consecuencias. Para analizar su nuevo gabinete nos acompaña hoy Andrea. Estamos ambos en Inglaterra así que el tema lo estamos siguiendo muy de cerca. · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #andyburnham #reinounido Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
In his inaugural speech in Downing Street, the new prime minister Andy Burnham says Britain needs to show the world it can regain stability. He promises a new political and economic model including measures to help people with the cost of living. He indicates his first calls to foreign leaders will include President Trump and President Zelensky. Also: US carries out strikes on Iran for ninth consecutive night, after at least three US soldiers are killed in exchange of fire over the weekend. Iran says it attacked two oil tankers trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of demonstrators march towards parliament in Delhi, demanding reforms to India's education system. And, a day after their victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final, the Spanish team return home to be greeted by enthusiastic crowds. England finished third, but one Englishman keeps on winning in the US: David Beckham. We look at his enduring appeal to advertisers in the US. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Andy Burnham with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, outside 10 Downing Street, after he met King Charles III and accepted his invitation to become Britain's prime minister and form a new government. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC
Today, Andy Burnham has officially become Prime Minister, after meeting with King Charles this morning. In a speech outside Downing Street, Andy Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping and offer cost of living support as well as a new political and economic model. He promised to soon set out a ten year plan for the country and said politicians needed to be better. Adam is in Downing Street with Chris, Faisal and Laura to unpack the speech. 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://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New 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://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Anna Harris and Rosie Merotra. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Andy Burnham, the UK's seventh prime minister in 10 years, has begun to assemble his ministerial team. He has appointed Ed Miliband as foreign secretary and John Healey as his finance minister. What does the reshuffle - and Burnham's time as mayor of Manchester - tell us about what to expect from the new government?Also in the programme: Ukraine's army recruitment problems; the Houthis threaten Saudi Arabia's Red Sea oil-export route; and what is the secret to Spain's footballing success?(IMAGE: Britain's newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband steps outside 10 Downing Street after Britain's newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office, in London, Britain, July 20, 202 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)
As Andy Burnham accepts the top job in UK politics, we hear about the process that has taken him from Mayor of Manchester to Britain's new prime minister at no.10 Downing Street. Also on the programme: Spain wins the football World Cup - we ask, was it worth it?; and the student 'cockroach' movement marching for their education in Delhi. (Photo: Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his wife Marie-France van Heel walk into 10 Downing Street in London Credit: Kin Cheung/via Reuters)
Andy Burnham has become the sixth UK prime minister in a decade after a transfer of power from his predecessor Keir Starmer. In his first address outside Downing Street, he said his arrival in power would be a ‘circuit breaker' moment for Britain and that his government would bring the ‘biggest changes in 40 years'. Lucy Hough speaks to political correspondent Alexandra Topping – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Andy Burnham has pledged immediate help with the cost of living after becoming the UK's 59th Prime Minister. Also: Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said his country is fighting a "full scale war" after a ninth consecutive night of US attacks. And Spain's victorious squad has returned home, after winning the football men's World Cup.
Andy Burnham Just Another Man with No Plan? #Burnham #ReformUK #NigelFarage #JonGauntTV #Westminster #JonGaunt Same
Andy Burnham will today be crowned Labour leader, before entering Downing Street on Monday. His first speech is expected to argue that Labour has lost touch with the working-class communities it was founded to represent – and to promise a new era of devolution, economic intervention and northern political power.Meanwhile, the shape of Burnham's government is beginning to emerge. Ed Miliband now appears unlikely to become chancellor, amid concerns that he would be too powerful and too closely associated with Labour's north London intellectual set. What does his apparent rejection reveal about the party's new dividing lines? And, as details emerge of a possible 'policy blitz' in the first days of Burnham's premiership, could a wealth tax be on the cards?Noa Hoffman speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kemi Badenoch has declared war on the Tory wets, removing the whip from Gavin Barwell after Theresa May's former chief of staff criticised her leadership and opposed the party's positions on net zero and the ECHR. Her allies insist this is not a purge, but proof that the Conservatives have changed. Is Badenoch finally imposing discipline on her party – or narrowing a broad church that is already struggling to fill its pews?Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party, promising to listen to MPs and preside over a broader, more inclusive Labour party. But the demands are already piling up, from immigration and rural policy to coastal communities. Can Burnham keep everyone happy once he enters Downing Street – and will those championing him turn against him when he finally has to say no?Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Noa Hoffman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The murder of Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through Westminster and reignited the debate over politicians' security. But with questions still unanswered about the motive for the attack, Reform's response has already become politically charged. Is Nigel Farage right to argue that threats against him and his party have not been taken seriously – or is he ‘weaponising' Widdecombe's death for political advantage?Meanwhile, Andy Burnham is preparing to enter Downing Street, but Westminster is still struggling to work out what kind of prime minister he will be. Labour MPs are cautiously optimistic, yet many remain unconvinced that Burnham has the tactical judgement needed when the pressure mounts. With 322 MPs having backed him, his first challenge may be managing the expectations of the hundreds who will miss out on government jobs. Can he turn goodwill into authority – or will his opponents define him before he has a chance to define himself?Plus: Nigel Farage remains under pressure over his finances: is this his 'Mandelson' scandal? Tim Shipman speaks to James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.