Podcasts about Harold Macmillan

‘The wind of change' was the other famous phrase of Harold Macmillan's, along with ‘You've never had it so good'. It came in a speech in which he talked about how a movement had grown up in many countries, and particularly in Asia, for nations previously dependent on others to break free and become self-governing. Now, he told an audience in South Africa, a wind of change was blowing through Africa as similar, entirely legitimate nationalist aspirations were spreading from country to country in the continent. And it was. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African colony to win independence, but it would be followed by many others in relatively quick succession. Some went easily. Others went after ugly incidents, notably in Kenya, where bloody fighting led to the use of torture and killings on both sides before the country achieved its freedom from the British Empire. And then there was South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (today's Zimbabwe) which clung on for several more decades to white minority rule. They too got away from imperial rule, but there was no sense of their granting freedom to a majority – only to a tiny, elite minority. An elite which, during his childhood, even included a man whose name has become a household word around the world: Elon Musk. Illustration: A stamp with Queen Elizabeth II's head from the British colony of Gold Coast, overprinted with Ghana Independence, marking the nation's transition to self-government. Public DomainMusic: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Anthony Eden started his premiership well, chalking up a general election win and the lowest level of unemployment Britain has seen at any time since the Second World War. Little else went well, however. His Foreign Secretary, Harold Macmillan made a statement to the House of Commons exonerating Kim Philby from suspicion of being a Soviet spy. That was a statement he would live to regret.Far worse for Eden was what happened in Egypt. The nationalist Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal in 1956. Despite Eden's lack of enthusiasm for European integration and his far greater commitment to the Commonwealth, and to the so-called special relationship between the UK and the United States, he decided to respond without consulting the US and in concert with France, one of those European powers he was so unenthusiastic on getting close to. They in turn colluded with Israel to invade the Egyptian territory of Sinai, after which they would react with horror, call on both sides to cease firing, and when that didn't happen, send in troops themselves.Unfortunately, the world reacted with widespread anger at the actions of the Israeli-French-British coalition. The US, indeed, put huge pressure on Britain by threatening to sell British bonds, which would have massively damaged the British currency. They later blocked oil supplies to Britain.The result was that though the military action only got started on 29 October 1956, when Israel went into the Sinai, Britain called a ceasefire on 7 November. That angered the French, who have behaved with little confidence in the British or American military ever since. It also led to the ultimate defeat of the coalition, with the British government having to announce an unconditional withdrawal of its forces on 3 December 1956.Eden was made the scapegoat for the debacle. He resigned in January 1957, after less than two years in post. Many expected the succession to go to Rab Butler, who'd deputised for Eden while the latter was away recovering from a collapse in his health at the height of the crisis, but Harold Macmillan proved much too wily for him, outmanoeuvring him and taking the top position himself.We'll be getting to know Macmillan era next week.Illustration: Smoke rises from oil tanks beside the Suez Canal hit during the initial Anglo-French assault on Port Said, 5 November 1956. Public DomainMusic: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

pirate radio, Radio Caroline, Ronan O'Rahilly, Radio Luxembourg, Lord Haw-Haw, propaganda, John Amery, Julian Amery, Leopold Amery, MI5, William Joyce, 1964 General Election in UK, Harold Macmillan, Profumo scandal, Harold Wilson, Tory party, Lord Boothby, Kray Twins, organized crime, Mayfair Set, Clermont Club, Thomas Corbally, Philadelphia mob, Meyer Lansky, gambling, Caroline Kennedy, IRA, Herbert W. Armstrong, British Israelism, Christian Identity theology, Worldwide Church of God, The World Tomorrow, William Potter Gale, LA area, "The Puppets," oil rights, offshore drilling, Radio London, Radio Atlanta, Gordon McLendon, Jack Ruby, Candy Barr, Office of Naval Intelligence, Columbia pictures, John Peel, Association of Former Intelligence Officers, 1968 King/Mountbatten plot, MC5s, James Bond, The Beatles, Apple, Cool Britannia, rebranding of British EmpireMusic by: Keith Allen Dennishttps://keithallendennis.bandcamp.com/Additional Music: Albert Bouchardhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DHX6JH7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36R7HC0QEYY1A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.o9R-tsCJXZyBV46YP1RAWrYWjMmVz8-WLQpDcHz06JD0wN3-C0TXj85XDXFLTj30-68sOqffWLxAzCD-e3akPN7oNVdBbhWKOZEwR-aTR6qwJFofIMDNvqcwV5WTizUSzHAHKJJDpFlLMVLJYKQqvs6O02X9qxtmLAiabbqDiJlN8osc8PrVLbS-3wBnXnKt1UFGEah7EqqlrrdjMNl8XXwqdxFG1nYC_tLeeRLx_Ms.M1Zp0mrAQp1xllebZQ3jvh58rfr05AQomIqVrZzcKOA&dib_tag=se&keywords=albert+bouchard&qid=1714960524&s=dmusic&sprefix=%2Cdigital-music%2C289&sr=1-1 Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Grant's new book Sex, Spies and Scandal The John Vassall Affair has everything: a honey trap, industrial-scale espionage, journalists jailed for not revealing their sources and the first modern tabloid witch-hunt, which resulted in a ministerial resignation and almost brought down Harold Macmillan's government. With access to newly released MI5 files and interviews with people who knew Vassall from the 1950s until he died in 1996, this book sheds new light on a neglected spy scandal. Despite having been drugged and sexually assaulted by the KGB in Moscow, as a gay man John Vassall was shown no mercy by the British press or the courts. Sentenced to eighteen years in jail, he served ten years, despite telling MI5 everything. Once released, he found that many of his old friends and lovers had been persecuted or dismissed from the civil service in Britain, America and Australia. Unlike the Cambridge Five, who courted attention, after leaving prison Vassall changed his name to avoid the media and lived quietly in London. Buy the book and support the podcast here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781785907883 Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode336/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/I f a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.   Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Check out Into History at this link https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod 00:00 Introduction to Cold War Conversations and the John Vassal Affair 00:36 Unveiling the John Vassal Spy Scandal 05:49 The Life and Times of John Vassal 16:15 Vassal's Recruitment by Soviet Intelligence 37:08 Vassal's Espionage Activities in London 41:28 The Cold War Thaw and Social Dynamics in Moscow 42:24 Vassal's Entrapment and the Lax Security 43:56 The Discovery of a Spy Within the Admiralty 46:55 The Fallout of Vassal's Capture and Its Impact 48:33 The Dramatic Arrest of John Vassal 49:35 Vassal's Immediate Confession and Relief 53:05 The Aftermath: Legal Proceedings and Public Reaction 01:05:41 Vassal's Life Post-Imprisonment and Legacy 01:09:48 Revisiting the Impact of Vassal's Espionage 01:11:57 Uncovering New Insights from the National Archives 01:16:55 Reflecting on Vassal's Life and the Broader Historical Context Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Dan and Kasia are getting into a submersible and heading into the dark blue depths, poking around the extremely cursed domain of Britain's unnatural party of government, THE CONSERVATIVE AND UNIONIST PARTY. The Tories. The true Blues. That lot.  Specifically, we're talking Tory merch. Just what the hell is going on in the Tories' online shop, who is all this crap for, and what does it tell us about the British right in 2024? Who are the Tory faithful, and what stories do they want to tell about themselves? Why did any of them 'TRUSS' in Liz? Why does Theresa May get a £32 commemorative toby jug but Harold Macmillan doesn't? Why are so many Conservative leaders depicted by their own side as mournful dogs? Why did we coin the term 'shagorama', and is it too late to take it back? Elsewhere, we discuss the role of the infamous 'Hang Nelson Mandela' posters in the 1980s, and Dan tells us about the time he went undercover to a young Tory Christmas party in the name of journalism.   *** FOR MORE, please join our Patreon!! *** ONLY £4 A MONTH TO SUPPORT YOUR FAVOURITE CULTURAL HISTORIANS - AND GET 25+ BONUS EPISODES AND A CURSED OBJECTS STICKER PACK!   Theme music and production: Mr Beatnick Artwork: Archie Bashford

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to talk about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from their time in politics.Today, outspoken Conservative MP Charles Walker - who famously said of his party "I've had enough of talentless people" - joins Matt to discuss nearly two decades in politics. He looks back on the Brexit wars, why he staged protest with a carton of milk, and explains why he's leaving the Commons.Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss Keir Starmer watering down another pledge, whether being a backbencher is underrated and if Harold Macmillan should have a permanent statue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was 1950s Britain a grim, grey nation, haunted by the spectre of the Second World War, or was it a vibrant, forward-thinking country that had – in the words of Harold Macmillan – “never had it so good”? Speaking with Jon Bauckham, Alwyn Turner separates fact from fiction and answers listeners' questions about a decade that saw the birth of rock'n'roll, the Suez Crisis, and the crowning of a new queen. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“If I don't have a woman for three days, I get terrible headaches.”That is what JFK allegedly told the UK prime minister, Harold MacMillan, after a meeting on nuclear arms. An interesting alternative to pain killers, right?Despite being in a high-profile marriage, JFK has been linked with many women. From Hollywood stars and White House interns, to potential Soviet Spies and Mafia wives.Kate is joined Betwixt the Sheets with Eleanor Herman to discuss the many alleged affairs and scandals, for the third instalment in our Kennedy Women series.You can find out more about Eleanor Herman's book, 'Sex with Presidents' here.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

This week writer and journalist David Quantick on Ned's Atomic Dustbin. As someone who spent time with the band while writing for the NME and a former member of the GSPS, David was the ideal person to tackle NAD. The band took their name from a Goon Show episode, with band member Jonn Penney suggesting it after flicking through the More Goon Show Scripts book. The Goon Show itself was from the 9th Series in 1959 and contained vague Cold War themes as well as digs at BBC censorship and notably featured the debut of the Radiophonic Workshop-devised sound effect Bloodnok's Stomach. The conversation veers from the indie music scene of the early nineties to a joke about a talking dog and John Snagge working with the Sex Pistols. We also touch on 'terrible band names', Spike Milligan's complicated attitude to racial depictions in comedy, about Peter Sellers possibly inspiring Peter Cook with a thinly-veiled Harold Macmillan impression and consider whether the scripting of this particular episode was Spike 'on autopilot'. You can listen to the Goon Show episode Ned's Atomic Dustbin here: https://open.spotify.com/track/6pGHhb9SLNeBoy20AMTg9L More about the band here: http://www.nedsatomicdustbin.com/ David is on Twitter @quantick and follow the podcast @goonshowpod

161 BCE – 103 BCE   “There is a great deal of ruin in a nation.”  Adam Smith For a glorious, albeit extended moment, it seems as if the Vijayan good times had returned. Dutugemunu's nature, clear from his early childhood, was naturally geared to dominate, take control, and direct.  Not for nothing does island history remember him as “the great”. Certainly, his victory in 161 BCE left him ruling nearly the whole of the island – more territory by far than even that of the great king, Pandu Kabhaya. And as if to confirm the return of Vijayan order, the construction of more buildings commenced. Anuradhapura expanded exponentially, its infrastructure, utilities, water resources so upgraded as to ensure that it would flourish for centuries to come, the longest surviving capital city of the Indian sub-continent. Still more spectacular was the building of many of its most celebrated structures.  A large monastery, the Maricavatti, was erected, together with a nine-story chapter house for monks, with a bright copper-tiled roof; and most famous of all, what is today called the Ruwanweliseya, the Great Stupa which housed Buddha's begging bowl.  The building programme was not restricted to the capital alone – 89 other temples are said to have been constructed, along with hospitals and smaller tanks.  Trade opened up with the west, the ports busy with merchants from Arabia, Persia and possibly even Rome. But back at the palace, events were going less smoothly. Dutugemunu's heir, Saliya, having fallen for a girl from one of the lowest castes, was disinherited.  The ailing king, dying before his eye-catching Stupa was finished, ensured the throne passed instead to his own brother, Saddha Tissa in 137 BCE.For the next 33 years it seemed as if life had got back to normal, or to whatever passed for normal amidst the seemingly indestructible building and gardens of Anuradhapura. King Saddha Tissa busied himself building the obligatory new monastery and, more usefully, a tremendous water tank, the Duratissa Reservoir which held 336 million cubic feet of water.But as the late British prime minister Harold Macmillan remarked on the unpredictability of politics, the sudden appearance of “events, dear boy, events,” was to unseat everything.Saddha Tissa's death, 18 years later in 119 BCE, set off a power struggle, with his son, Thulatthana, taking the throne – though not for long.  It also fired the gun to start the dynasty's race towards its next great disaster, just 15 years later.Thulatthana's coronation was a crowing too soon.  He was not, in all probability, the next legitimate heir, that honour going to his older brother, Lanja Tissa.  But Lanja Tissa was busy far south of Anuradhapura, in Ruhuna, and so not on site to determine the right order of succession. Inevitably, war broke out – albeit briefly.  Thulatthana was defeated and killed and for the rest of 119 BCE to 109 BCE, Lanja Tissa ruled the kingdom, with, no doubt, much justified satisfaction. His death, ten years later, brought his brother, another son of King Saddha Tissa to the throne, Khallata Naga.Khallata Naga's inheritance was much impoverished by the events of the past years.  Something was broken within the kingdom – some abiding sense of order and law.  The palace coup and murder around king Thulatthana had shunted the state back to how it was in 205 BCE, when the luckless king Asela was killed, having been unable to repair the damage reaped on the kingdom by his more careless rulers.And just now, it was all to depressingly similar.  Dynastic self-harm had normalized treason, regicide, and rebellion.  The state was unstable. And ungovernable.Inevitably therefore, Khallata Naga found himself busy quelling rebellions – but to no avail.  Killed by his own chief general in 103 BCE, another messy power struggle broke out before Valagamba – yet another son of King Saddha Tissa – took the throne in 103 BCE by killing the general and – in an act of reckless trust - adopted the general's son and marrying his wife.The illustration is from a painting by Rajni Perera, one of Sri Lanka's leading contemporary artists; based in Canada.The recording is read by David Swarbrick; and all disappointing, inexact and incomplete renderings of Sinhala and Tamil names are entirely of this own unintentional and apologetic making, for which your forgiveness is asked.The Ceylon Press currently produces three podcast shows.1. The Jungle Diaries (www.theceylonpress.com/thejunglediariespodcast)2. The History of Sri Lanka (www.theceylonpress.com/thehistoryofsrilankapodcast)3. Poetry from the Jungle (www.theceylonpress.com/poetryfromthejunglepodcast)

On this episode of Spybrary the Spy Podcast, host Shane Whaley sits down with guest Michael Smith, an intelligence historian and author of The Real Special Relationship: The True Story of How the British and US Secret Services Work Together. Michael Smith delves into the origins of the special relationship between the UK and the US, focusing on their collaboration in code-breaking during World War II and the subsequent intelligence sharing during the Cold War. The book covers key figures, such as Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Kim Philby, and Edward Snowden. Drawing on his personal experience in British military intelligence, Michael Smith provides a behind-the-scenes look at the close collaboration and alignment of intelligence that drives decision-making in both nations. The episode delves into various anecdotes and stories, including the recovery of a Soviet jet from a lake in West Berlin. Join Shane Whaley and Michael Smith as they explore the fascinating world of UK and US secret services and their unique relationship. Join the Spybrary Community today!

Back in the grey drizzle of a late March Friday morning in the UK, the three Podnosticators of the SmallDataForum convene to take another sideways look at ‘events, dear boy, events' (something Harold Macmillan apparently never said). For once, and in spite of recent headline-grabbing incidents, we give relatively short shrift to the unflushable turds of politics on either side of the Atlantic – though Sam briefly reminds us of the two blonde bombshell's travails – one with the UK parliament's privileges committee, the other with a Manhattan grand jury. Perhaps by SDF 72, there will have been some flushing. Though we're not holding our breath. In the meantime, we focus our attention on three themes: The “sic transit gloria – quo vadis” of the Tory party The UK government's WORLD LEADING AI plans The BBC post causa Gary Lineker Continue reading -> https://www.smalldataforum.com/ 

Este viernes 14 de octubre se cumplen 60 años desde la crisis de los misiles de Cuba. Dos intensas semanas en las que el Caribe y el mundo pasaron al borde de la guerra nuclear. RFI los lleva a explorar los archivos diplomáticos franceses para conocer el importante papel que jugó Francia en este intenso episodio. "Uno cree que los diplomáticos son espías. No, su trabajo consiste en contar lo que ven. En este caso, es verdad que, desde el mes de agosto de 1962, la embajada de Francia en Cuba se dio cuenta que pasaban cosas”, explica Jean Mendelson, ex embajador francés en Cuba. Un puesto que ocupó 20 años después de aquellas tensas semanas de octubre del 62, cuando el mundo estuvo al borde de la catástrofe y todas las miradas se posaron sobre la isla y los misiles soviéticos que los estadounidenses descubrieron ahí.  Hoy en día, Mendelson es responsable de los archivos de la diplomacia francesa. Es uno de los guardianes de los millones de telegramas que Francia recibió a lo largo de su historia, como aquel enviado desde La Habana el 18 de agosto de 1962. En él se lee: "Grupos importantes de jóvenes de entre 20 y 30 años han desembarcado de buques rusos en Mariel y Bahía-Honda. Se estima, de manera secreta, que hay por lo mínimo 4.000 personas de origen eslavo o noreuropeo". "Un suboficial francés, regresando de Pinar del Río hacia la Habana, después de un fin de semana vio jóvenes rubios, de piel blanca,  cargando bolsas, equipamiento militar, entonces informó". Tras realizar algunas verificaciones, el embajador notificó a París y la información viajó a Washington, donde el presidente John F. Kennedy, aliado del gobierno francés en la guerra fría, tenía sospechas de que algo tramaban los soviéticos en Cuba. Lo que vio el suboficial era sin duda parte de la ahora famosa operación Anádir. "Francia confirmó las sospechas serias que tenían los norteamericanos y por supuesto a partir de este momento la alianza fue fundamental”, recalca Jean Mendelson. “La crisis de los misiles fue en realidad mil veces más dramático de lo que se creía. Los estadounidenses estimaban unos 10.000 soldados soviéticos en Cuba. En realidad, había 30.000. Se dieron cuenta que había armas nucleares tácticas en la isla: Jruschov colocó misiles nucleares dentro de los submarinos que se supone asistían a los portacontenedores cargados de misiles", detalla Vincent Touze, historiador y especialista de la crisis de los misiles de Cuba. Apoyo francés Kennedy decidió evitar un ataque frontal con Fidel Castro y la Unión Soviética y optó por el bloqueo aéreo naval de la isla. El anuncio lo hizo el 22 de octubre de 1962 en un discurso a la nación. “Horas antes había advertido a sus aliados. Envió a un excanciller, Dean Acheson, para informar al general Charles De Gaulle. Su reacción acabó marcando la historia de la alianza entre Francia y Estados Unidos. La Casa Blanca temía que De Gaulle desaprobara, porque él reivindicaba cierta independencia frente a Washington. Pero de inmediato, incluso antes de que Dean Acheson le mostrara imágenes de la presencia de misiles en Cuba, De Gaulle ofreció el respaldo de Francia a Estados Unidos, le dio su total apoyo", cuenta Touze. Lea también el análisis de Mariano Aguirre: "La crisis de los misiles de Cuba en 1962: la verdadera historia detrás de la leyenda" A finales de octubre, Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética acordaron desmantelar los misiles. A raíz de la crisis, deciden también crear el famoso teléfono rojo, que sigue hasta la fecha conectando Washington y Moscú.   Los archivos diplomáticos que Francia conserva indican que el general Charles de Gaulle quedó insatisfecho con la manera cómo Kennedy manejó la situación. "Como país con el arma nuclear, es delicado involucrar a aliados de forma unilateral", dice el exembajador en Cuba. "Hay una carta de De Gaulle, dirigida al primer ministro británico Harold Macmillan en la época. Decía: 'Ni usted ni nosotros hemos sido consultados por Estados Unidos. Un buen aliado hubiera tenido no solo que informar sino también consultar'". El espía que surgió de Francia Otro aspecto que sin duda dejó mal sabor a los franceses fue el rumbo que tomó de uno de sus informantes, un hombre llamado Philippe Thyraud de Vosjoli, que viajaba con frecuencia a Cuba. "Era el representante oficial de los servicios secretos franceses (SDECE) en Washington, con título de vicecónsul y nombrado con el acuerdo de la CIA", detalla Mendelson. "Ese personaje no reportaba a los franceses, sino a los americanos. Era un espía francés, doble agente de los americanos, o sea un traidor". Convocado por París en 1963, Vosjoli decide no volver nunca y mantenerse refugiado en Estados Unidos. Según escribió años después, regresar a Francia hubiera sido una muerte segura. Falleció en Washington en el 2000. ¿Cuba llevó a París y Washington al divorcio? La historia del espía francés de la CIA en Cuba dio mucho de qué hablar, pero fue un incidente menor. No fue lo que realmente fragilizó la relación entre gobiernos francés y estadounidense. "La consecuencia de esta crisis es paradójica. El propio De Gaulle se da cuenta que el mundo estuvo al borde de una guerra nuclear, que Europa casi se vuelve víctima de un conflicto nuclear en su suelo, no en suelo estadounidense o soviético", destaca el historiador Vincent Touze. "Por eso, en 1963, pronuncia un discurso antiamericano en el cual opta por una defensa nuclear francesa independiente. Acaba retirando a Francia de la OTAN unos años después”. ¿Cuba llevó a París y Washington al divorcio? En todo caso este episodio de alta tensión inauguró un nuevo capítulo en la defensa francesa. En marzo de 1966 Charles De Gaulle le notificó al relevo de Kennedy, el presidente Lyndon Johnson, su intención de salir del Comando Integral de la OTAN. Francia no se volverá a incorporar sino hasta el 2007.  

In this edition of The Long View Jonathan Freedland finds historical comparisons to the current Tory leadership contest, considering moments in history when the Conservative Party has removed a prime minister and sought a new figure for Number 10. He is first joined by Professor Laura Beers to discuss the removal of David Lloyd George in October 1922. Lloyd George, a Liberal, had led a War Time Coalition consisting of majority Conservative MPs. A charismatic figure, Lloyd George had a reputation as an innovator and a doer, but his time as PM was also plagued by scandal. Unhappy with the PMs economics, his foreign policy and his reputation, Conservative MPs met at the Carlton Club to decide whether to abandon the coalition and oust Lloyd George. Some of the loudest criticisms came from rising star and future PM, Stanley Baldwin who described Lloyd George as a 'dynamic force'. Fast forward 40 years to 1963 and the Party is once again seeing a change of leader. This time after Harold Macmillan decides to resign on the eve of the Tory Conference, citing ill health. The non-democratic 'soundings' procedure, run by the party elite, settles on Alec Douglas-Home to be leader, refusing to back any of the favourites. The choice causes controversy and will have a lasting impact on how future leaders of the party are selected. Presented by Jonathan Freedland Produced by Sam Peach Readings by David Hounslow

Join us, Elizabeth and Catriona, as we explore Power - in ourselves, collectively, and in the natural world. We look at the awe that power can invoke, the pitfalls of power, and the possibilities in thinking about power differently. We learn from power in nature: from obvious (tsunamis, hurricanes, crocodiles) to lesser known examples (mantis shrimps, mites) and nuanced expressions (glaciers, rivers, forests, elephants). We touch on topics linked to power: language; narratives; creation; destruction; inner belief; control; respect; listening; empowerment; history; myths; inclusion; and leadership. And we consider what might be possible if we choose to think about and connect with power differently and wholeheartedly. For more on Unfurling, please join our Facebook Group or visit our website. ~2: Online Etymology Dictionary: Power~6: Emily Dickinson~7: Gorillas; eagles~7, 13: Crocodiles, elephants, mantis shrimps, mites~8: Hurricane Power~12: “London” by William Blake~14: Dalai Lama XIV~15: “Empowerment” ~15: Gloria Steinem~16: “The Death of Nature” by Carolyn Merchant~18: Girl Power~19: The Marvelous Mrs Maisel~21: Ralph Waldo Emerson~24: Robert Ingersoll~24: Lord Acton: "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"~24: Plato~25: Harold MacMillan~25: Ghanaian Proverb~27: Viktor Frankl~30: Mahatma Gandhi~31: Woodrow Wilson~34: The Butterfly Effect See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

February is the month for celebrating Black History in the USA. In this podcast episode Tracy makes a virtual visit across 'the Pond' and shares the first part of her very first interview. The interview was recorded on New Years Day on the 'Facing Purpose Radio Show' in the US hosted by Elder Lakia Barnett. In this episode Tracy shares what was the turning point for her in her educational career, the cause of self-doubt when she debuted as a podcaster and what is important to her as she balances her role as a school leader with the many 'hats' that she has to wear. If you enjoy these podcasts then visit the website https://storiestobetolled.com for more information and join us on our mailing list and receive a free sample of each of the current story titles. At times, small parts of the recording are omitted and so the full transcript is provided below: LB: Welcome back to Facing Purpose Radio show, I'm your host Lakia Barnette!  it's so great to be back before you and happy new year to everybody that Is listening right now. I am excited first of all to be in the land of the living I have had one heck of a week, you guys! I think the last show I was fine and then the next time I pump the round, I got sick you guys! My whole house but Praise be to God I am sitting here well and I'm back to doing what I love to do and also what God tells me to do. So I just wanna say ‘happy new year' to all of you guys and praying that you're healthy, well and praying for your healing if you are not feeling well in your body on this beautiful Saturday night. This is January 1st CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! I can't because 2022 is here. So I'm excited about our guest on tonight. All the way form the UK. How can you all say we touching down in the UK like that's super dobe but anyhow, I am excited about her, she is an author, a podcaster, she does so many different things. We like to call this a woman with many, many hats so without further ado, let's go ahead and introduce Tracy Williams! Welcome to Facing Purpose! TDW: Hi everyone! Hi Lakia, I am so grateful to be on the show! Thank you for giving me this opportunity, tonight and you know, it's the first night of the Year for us so I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for me to kick off 2022 with an interview, so thanks for having me. LB: Yes! and I'm so, listen I love your accent Tracy, your accent is beautiful. I've never been to the UK. I've heard about the UK but I've never been there. Would like to go one day if I can get the nerve to sit on a plane that long ok. Everybody who knows me knows I'm not a friend of planes at all but we're gonna break that this year but I would be excited to visit that place one day, one day I have to go. So, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to everybody Tracy? TDW: I'm Tracy Williams, I write under the pen name of Tracy DW because, as you said I'm a woman wearing many hats. I not only write stories for children and I do podcasting but I'm also a singer songwriter as well and writing songs was pretty much how I got into writing from a very young age. But having said that, I've always been an avid reader, I've always had a passion for history and it is from those two things that my stories or my story series called ‘Stories to be tolled' is actually born from.  I have been in education, been working in the British education system for many years now and I currently work as a Deputy Head teacher in a school in East London which is the equivalent of a Vice Principle, I think, in the States. After having many years of teaching black history month in October (because we have black history month in October over in the UK), I just became a bit despondent  with the way that black history was being conveyed and was being, or not being taught in schools. There was a particular focus in black history month on American history rather than British history so I thought ‘ you know, I'm gonna do something about this.' I've always had a passion for the British Empire and Britain's colonial past and it has been something that I feel has been a missing link within our education system, particularly in our British education system and I just got the idea for writing some stories that I hoped would inspire children and would inspire people to learn about the topic in a more imaginative, though provoking and engaging way.  So, as I began to do my research I did a timeline and structured my stories chapters and story titles around that and. One day in January, actually several year ago back in 2017 I sat down at my desk and began to write the stories as I began to write I just felt ‘WOW' this is a major piece of work and it really does deserve a platform. Now at the time I hadn't thought u of the name ‘stories to be tolled' it was just a set of stories but as I began to write it just started from there and I felt it deserved something more. That's how I built the website around it and placed min documentaries and additional learning journeys and then last, but not least the podcast series came along and it just opened up a whole new world it gave a different dimension to the stories.  I use it to compliment the stories in terms of the research that didn't go into the stories. I script them and then turn them into a podcast series and I just invite listeners to come along with me on my learning journey. So, the podcasts provide a more dynamic slant a more dynamic dimension to the stories so here I am today talking to you I have four stories out at the moment which are available on the website ‘Caribbean wind,' Caribbean Rush,' ‘Nights at the Round  Table- the Berlin Conference 1884  and ‘Gone with the Wind?' which I'm having a special focus right now in January. Not a celebration but like a commemoration of the famous ‘Wind of Change' speech  by Harold Macmillan that was given in Accra Ghana in January in  1960, so that a little bit about me. LB: Well, that was an amazing intro, letting people know just who you are and what amazing things that you do. So tell me about your podcast. Tell me a little bit about how that kind of started and what is it about and what is it gearing towards? TDW: Well, it was something that I had never considered before. I think lock down last year, or rather in 2020 I think that was a catalyst for many people to develop some kind of ambition or aspiration. Whether it be writing a book or doing something creative because obviously we were all at home for such a long time. I never considered doing a podcast. If someone had told me two years ago ‘you know Tracy you're gonna be doing a podcast in 2020, you're gonna begin doing that' I would have never believed them but I had so much research that hadn't made it in to the stories so I thought ‘well, how can I repurpose all of this valuable content? It didn't fit into the stories. what can I do with it?' So I thought I'll create some scripts and I'll set up a podcast series and continue my learning journey and continue to share my learning journey through that. Also it provides a human element it provides a face, it provides a voice it provides a speaking platform to the stories and my format for each episode is quite similar. I refer to the stories in the content of my episodes. Some of the episodes are not linked to the stories. Some of the episodes are linked to various things that are trending. So instance when Barbados became a republic in October last year I decided, ‘right, I think that's a very apt thing to do a podcast focus.' To be honest, I hadn't learnt that much about Barbados because it doesn't really crop up anywhere in my stories so the podcasts really work to ‘fill the gap' as it were and to bridge the gap between what the stories leave out and what is either currently going on in the world relating to the post-colonial era or what's happened in the past. So that's where and how my podcasts fit in to the whole ‘Stories to be tolled' movement. LB: Well. I love how different your podcasts sound, that you make them link to the book that you're putting out and what you're speaking to and what you believe. I think that is like super cool to have a podcast like that. So, let me ask this question; has it always been easy and I know that's like ‘really Lakia, you ask me has it been easy?' I think that a lot of people don't understand the story behind the voice that you hear and behind the faces that you see. They didn't just arrive, you know, things happen along the way. So you now, do you wanna elaborate a little bit on a time when you can just remember you kinda' felt like you were just like ‘ look I don't know if I should continue doing this' have you ever felt like that? TDW: Oh yes I have had moments pf self-doubt. I wouldn't be human if I didn't have moments of self-doubt. I mean, one of the challenges I have isn't so much doing the podcasts but it's fitting it in to everything else. I'm a school leader, I'm very, very busy and even within my role as a school leader I juggle hats, several hats within that. I think it's finding a balance that works for me as an individual which I am constantly striving to do to just find the time to put the work in. As you do podcasting the more and more you do it the key is to be regular, consistent and purposeful and continue to plan your workflow so you're always several steps ahead. So for instance, I currently have ideas for the next eight podcasts which are gonna take me up to Easter this year, so you're constantly planning topics that you want to look at. I have friends and family and acquaintances who come to me and ask me to do special focuses; ‘ Oh Tracy would you consider doing ‘this' as a focus or would you consider doing ‘that' as a focus for a podcast episode.' You know, I take on board feedback and ideas that come my way. You know, I'm very open, it does have a tight format but I'm very fluid and I'm very flexible to anything that is trending and to anything that people ask me to find out more about and make a special focus of. But yes, there have been times when I've thought ‘oh my God what am I doing? What am I doing?' Sometime we get what we call ‘imposter syndrome.'  ‘There's lots of people who are far more learned and far more knowledgeable about this subject than you why are you doing this? Who is it for? Who is going to listen?' Then I realise, when I get feedback from people I feel really encouraged, I feel really, really motivated, I feel really purposeful because at the end of the day I'm an educationalist, Oh I'm a black woman, I have a voice and I can bring my perspective as an individual as well as an educationalist to that and some people just can't do that.  Also there's the authenticity, just being myself and just looking at things and giving my own point of view and just making it engaging and making it understandable and informative because that's what a lot of people tell me. They tell me ‘Oh we love your podcasts, they're really informative' they're of a high standard, they really do connect the dots and present a more global perspective about the world that we live in today and we can make connections about the past with what is currently going on today. I think people have really come to appreciate the podcasts series because it's helped them to do the same, it's helped them to make those connections . It's for people who are just like me. You know, you make podcasts for people who are just like you. Who just want to learn more about a particular topic and don't want to come under any particular stress about it. Although in a good way I take the stress out of the learning because I put the work in to make certain topics more digestible, more concise and more cohesive. So yes, it is hard at times but when I get the feedback, when I look at the numbers on the STATS, I just know, it's all worth it… And that's what helps me to keep going!! LB: Absolutely, absolutely! I think everyone needs that encouragement because some people, we see things, we have a goal set in mind but sometimes we might not always set off, you know the way that we want but I love that you use the word ‘consistency.' There's consistency beside everything we do, behind everything that we do. So we're gonna take a quick, quick break Ms Tracy and when we come back, we're gonna dive in. I wanna know more about these books because you have a collection of books but also I wanna know more about your multi-media platform. We'll talk about that right after this break.

It's the day all politicos have been waiting for. Well, sort of. Christopher Hope is joined by Telegraph colleagues Camilla Tominey and Gordon Rayner to take you inside what the 12 pages of Gray truly mean. Is it "sorry, not sorry" from Boris? How will ambitious backbench Tories leverage a floundering PM? And what will be the impact of, to quote Harold Macmillan, 'events, dear boy, events', such as simmering tensions in Ukraine? Listen for full enlightenment.For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/chopper |Sign up to the Chopper's Politics newsletter: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/newsletters |Email: chopperspolitics@telegraph.co.uk |See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this Episode Tracy DW remembers Harold Macmillan's landmark ‘Wind of Change' speech. As 10th January draws near, Tracy explores the current challenges facing the world population and uses these to find parallels and make comparisons with the world back in1960. As she reflects on the timeless significance of this speech she explores perspectives on the current ‘Wind of Change' and how we are adjusting our sails to manage it. Tracy is also reminiscent of her previous podcast episodes on this topic: ‘A Call to Action - the Wind of Change speech' and ‘Wind of Change (Expanded) which is also available on all major listening platforms. You can also visit http://storiestobetolled.com for the learning journey and poetic narrative 'Gone with the Wind? - Macmillan's speech for change,' where Tracy shares her perspective on the global significance of this speech.  

Michael Cockerell has made some of the best political documentaries about UK politics, covering prime ministers from Harold Macmillan to Boris Johnson. His new book, “Unmasking Our Leaders”, takes us into a career of political journalism and interviews regarding not just politicians and MPs and ministers but also the secret world of Whitehall.Cockerell looks back on the leaders he has met and what he learnt from them.Presented by Sebastian Payne. Produced by Anna Dedhar and Howie Shannon. The sound engineers were Breen Turner and Sean McGarrity, Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/ukFollow @Seb Payne Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of CGE Radio, we catch up with Sir Michael Barber to discuss his new book, the state of politics, and the dynamics of tackling the tough stuff and getting it done. Hear about the complexities of identifying priorities in a context in which everything can seem urgent, the importance of leadership in politics and government, and the daunting task of setting long-terms goals despite short-term electoral cycles. About Sir Michael Barber's new book - Accomplishment Michael Barber has spent many years advising governments, businesses, and major sporting teams around the world on how to achieve ambitious goals on time. In this inspiring and practical guide, he applies the wisdom he has gained from dealing with large, complex organizations and elite athletes to help anyone tackle their most challenging goals. Drawing on the stories of historic visionaries and modern heroes - from Galileo to Rosa Parks, Harold Macmillan to Paula Radcliffe - Barber uses personal anecdotes and proven strategy to map the route to success and navigate the difficulties that arise along the way. Whatever it is that you aspire to do - run a marathon, transform a school or provide a business of public service to millions - this book will inspire you to get going and to bridge the gap between hope and reality. You can find his book on Amazon - Accomplishment: How to Achieve Ambitious and Challenging Things: Barber, Michael: 9780241409916: Books - Amazon.ca.

Welcome to Friday's edition of Unmade.I was planning for this to be a quick intro, as people listening to the first chapter of my book Media Unmade are going to see these words in their audio app, if that's how they choose to listen.But, as Harold Macmillan apparently said: “Events, my dear boy, events…”So I'll get to the contents of the first chapter shortly.First four things from the last few hours:1. Facebook's new name is MetaA couple of hours ago Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg announced the parent brand of Facebook will now be Meta. (Not Horizon, as I speculated a few days ago. Horizon Home will be its metaverse brand).The company is also not (yet, anyhow) changing its corporate structure to become a holding company in the style of Google's parent Alphabet. But it will report its financials in two segments “family of apps”, and “reality labs”. Facebook will be one of those apps.The animated version of the new logo rotates between an infinity symbol and an M(Until this email lands in my inbox, I've no idea by the way, whether Substack's newsletter technology is capable of displaying the gif above, or whether you'll need to go online to see what I'm talking about.)The logo reminds me of the ABC's brand. There's more on how they developed the brand on the Facebook design blog. (TIL: Facebook has a design blog.)Do tell me what you think of it, at letters@unmade.media or via the comment button.2. Something's going on at Prime MediaPrime Media put out an unexpected announcement yesterday afternoon. Chairman Ian McGill is gone after just ten months as a director and just eight months as chair. In a corporate world where doing only a single term of three or four years is seen as bad form, the sudden exit suggests more drama in the board room.You'll probably recall that Prime has about a year-and-a-half left on its affiliate agreement with Seven. That's the same amount of time until Ten and Southern Cross Austereo's own affiliate arrangement expires.There are also ownership intrigues. Antony Catalano and Alex Waislitz have been moving up the share register while Bruce Gordon gradually sells down. And Seven West Media took a 15 per cent stake when Catalano and Gordon blocked the Seven-Prime merger.I understand there have been ructions between the owners and the board members in recent weeks. There may even have been threats to spill the board if they did not resume paying a dividend. They did resume paying a dividend.My former Mumbrella colleague Zoe Samios, who now writes on media for The Age and the SMH, is usually the best informed journo on the activities of the Cat. In the coming days, I'll be reading her coverage of the ructions with interest.3. HT&E is ready to start making dealsLess than an hour ago Here, There & Everywhere, the parent company of the Australian Radio Network, dropped a significant announcement on the ASX. The company has finally settled its dispute with the Australian Tax Office over the sale of its New Zealand newspaper assets. The bill will be $71m, which is more than the company wanted to pay, and less than the $195m the tax office was seeking.The company had already deposited $51m with the ATO. The other $20m will not be a problem to find. In its half year results back in August, HT&E said it had net cash of $122m. That means that HT&E must now choose whether to spend its war chest, or return the money to its shareholders. Deal making is afoot.4. Radio Today Tonight, revived?I previously wrote about the sale of Radio Today to Radioinfo and bemoaned the death of its must-listen weekly podcast featuring soon-to-be ex-owner Jake Challenor and my former Mumbrella colleague Vivienne Kelly.Maybe it won't quite be the end after all. A trailer reached my ears last night, for a new podcast called That's Entertainment. "From the accompanying blurb: “From the duo that brought you Radio Today Tonight comes a brand new show. Go behind the curtain of Australia's billion-dollar entertainment industry with a podcast dedicated to the business of media and pop culture, hosted by Vivienne Kelly and Jake Challenor. Launching November 12th, 2021. That's Entertainment! comes to you each Friday - unfiltered, unedited and uncut - mixing the biggest news of the week with hot takes, insider scoops, and a discussion of all the personalities, politics and pressures from within the bubble.”That's a subtle change in the pecking order. Last time round, it was “with Jake and Viv”. This time the names are the other way round.I understand former Nova executive Jay Walkerden's Podshape is involved in the project.Chapter One… in my own wordsWhich finally brings me onto the main point of today's email - the first chapter of the audio version of my book Media Unmade.One of the many things I learned in the process of publishing Media Unmade is that not every book gets an audio edition - the market is smaller, and there are significant production costs involved.In the case of Media Unmade, which tightly focuses on the Australian media industry, the commercial economics of recording an audio version did not stack up, as it would not be of much wider interest for international audiences.But I kept being asked whether there would be an audio edition, and as my motivations for doing the book were never commercial, it felt like unfinished business not to find a way. Until an audio version existed, I'd feel like I'd not given the book every chance to succeed.So instead, I developed a daily routine of finding a couple of hours a day to record at home.I'd then upload each chapter to Tasmanian audio company Abe's Audio, whose engineers would work production magic, snipping out my many stumbles and cutting out the various disturbances that come with a home recording. (Pro tip: If you need cost effective audio work, use a Tasmanian audio company.)On top of launching this newsletter, the recording process has been a bit of a marathon.In the opening instalment today comes the prologue - featuring Antony Catalano, as it happens, enjoying cocktails in Vegas, and Greg Hywood. It also includes my introduction, when I set the scene for the scope of the book, and then the opening chapter.The first scene of the chapter is based on this video I shot while trespassing in a basement at Sydney University back in 2010.But the thrust of the opening chapter is around the miserable situation Fairfax Media found itself in just over a decade ago as digital disruption finally caught up, and Hywood was forced to cut 1,900 jobs. It also features the story of the audacious way that Catalano launched The Weekly Review in Melbourne, setting him on a path to becoming Australia's last media mogul.For the next 26 weeks, I'll be uploading a chapter each Friday. You'll be able to listen to them via the player at the top of this newsletter, or by adding the feed to your own podcast player. (That's easier than it sounds - follow the instructions next to the player.)Some chapters will be available only to paying subscribers. The price of that goes up tomorrow, so your last opportunity to lock in Unmade's heavily discounted launch price of $144 per year is via this button, today.Recording the book has been a labour of love. If you like it, you can support it in a couple of ways. First, by buying the text edition. It's published by Hardie Grant and is available in book stores and online. And second, by passing this email to anybody who might be interested in hearing it.Time for me to let you get on with your day.Please do drop me a line to letters@unmade.media, or via the ugly brown comment button.Have a great weekend.Toodlepip…Tim BurrowesProprietor - Unmade This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.unmade.media/subscribe

Once upon a time, the General Public pinned their hopes, dreams and issues on the Entertainment Industry. Society stalked celebs, music moved millions, and the industry expanded endlessly. Where did this obsession start? Warning: This episode contains some strong language and adult themes Credits: Written by George the Poet Produced by Benbrick and George the Poet Mixing, recording and editing by Benbrick. With music from: Mahalia - What You Did ft Ella Mai Ray Charles - America The Beautiful Drake - Lust for Life Jeff Beal - House of Cards Main Title Theme Ella Mai - Boo'd Up Ella Mai - Not Another Love Song Nas - If I Ruled The World (Imagine That) ft. Lauryn Hill All original music is written by Benbrick and recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra. We had the following guests: ZeZe Mills as The General Public, Big Narstie, Alhan Gençay, and Kae Kurd. Thank you to: My team Sandra, Vidhu, and Birungi. Dylan Haskins and the team at BBC Sounds, BBC Concert Orchestra, ZeZe Mills, Mahalia, SK Vibemaker, Big Narstie, Alhan Gençay, Kae Kurd, Lewis Hamilton, Bloodworks Live Studio, Ella Mai, Mr Bounce and the Applebum Show, Chuckie Online, Evan Rogers, Tom Kelly & Adam Miller. Archive: The clip of Mahalia talking about vulnerability used at 09:47 is taken from her interview with SK Vibemaker, and the clip used at 11:16 is taken from MTV News. The clip used at 15:10 celebrating Lewis Hamilton's first victory is taken from Formula One. The clip of Mark Zuckerberg used at 15:18 is taken from CBS Evening News. The clips of George Marshall calling for Aid to Europe after WW2 used at 16:45 and the clip taken from Harry Truman's State of the Union used at 17:28 are both in the public domain. The used at 17:45 is taken from Harold Macmillan's speech at the Cape Town parliament. The clips used at 18:18 and 18:30 are taken from the documentary “Windrush" by the BBC. The clip of Queen Elizabeth used at 18:42 is used courtesy of The Royal Family. The live version of What You Did by Mahalia used at 19:38 is taken from the Bloodworks Live Studio YouTube channel, and the clip of Mahalia talking about wanting to work with Ella Mai used at 20:18 is taken from The Applebum Show. The clips of Ella Mai singing used at 20:34 are taken from Ella Mai's Instagram page, and the clips of DJ Mustard talking about Ella Mai used at 21:01 is taken from his interview with Bootleg Kev & DJ Hed on Real 92.3 LA. The clip of Ella Mai talking about Boo'd Up used at 21:23 and 22:34 are taken from her interview with Chuckie Online for JD in the Duffle Bag. The clips of Boo'd Up winning the GRAMMY used at 21:46 and 22:08 are taken from The Recording Academy. Soundtrack: Nines - NIC (feat. Tiggs Da Author) 00:37 - 02:30 Benbrick - Young Intro 02:18 - 03:51 Jay Z - My First Song [Benbrick Remake] 04:41 - 05:30 Benbrick - Young 05:45 - 06:40 Benbrick - Back to the kid 07:15 - 07:49 Benbrick - All Aboard 08:02 - 08:21 Benbrick - All Aboard 09:08 - 10:08 Benbrick - Damon 11:16- 12:03 Lonnie Liston Smith - A Garden of Peace 12:27 - 15:09 Jay-Z - Dead Presidents 15:10 - 15:54 Benbrick - Back to the kid 16:20 - 17:13 Jay Z - December 4Th (Benbrick Remake) 17:15 - 18:01 Benbrick - Dec 4 18:10 - 18:54 Benbrick - Back to the kid 19:05 - 19:46 Benbrick - Rodolfo 19:54 - 21:15 Jay Z - My First Song [Benbrick Remake] 21:48 - 22:45 Benbrick - Roc 23:04 - 24:00 Benbrick - Back to the kid 24:50 - 26:05 Jay Z - My First Song [Benbrick Remake] 26:08 - 26:57 Jay Z - My First Song 26:35 - 28:00 Have You Heard George's Podcast? is a George the Poet production for BBC Sounds. Commissioning Executive for BBC: Dylan Haskins

In the swinging sixties a sexpionage spy scandal took place called the Profumo Affaire unfortunately two of its players were amateurs and didn't know what the rules of the spy game were ; one was sacrificed as a scapegoat and the other Christine Keeler lived life under a long dark cloud until she died and all because they were enlisted by MI5 into taking part in a Russian honey trap for Queen and country which went dramatically wrong . Dr Steven Ward a brilliant osteopath and gifted portrait artist was demonised and double crossed to the point where he took his own life with an overdose of sleeping tablets the poison chalice , Baron Profumo who was the cause of it all retired in disgrace cleaning toilets and working for a charity where he was eventually awarded an OBE to pin next to the MBE and bronze star that he'd won as a military hero in the war . A wax statue still stands of Steven Ward in the house of horrors at Madame Tussauds a terribly cruel homage to say he was only doing what the British secret service ask or no doubt ordered him to do . The scandal also brought an Iron Curtain crashing down on the conservative government of Harold Macmillan . --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-richardson6/message

In the swinging sixties a sexpionage spy scandal took place called the Profumo Affaire unfortunately two of its players were amateurs and didn't know what the rules of the spy game were ; one was sacrificed as a scapegoat and the other Christine Keeler lived life under a long dark cloud until she died and all because they were enlisted by MI5 into taking part in a Russian honey trap for Queen and country which went dramatically wrong . Dr Steven Ward a brilliant osteopath and gifted portrait artist was demonised and double crossed to the point where he took his own life with an overdose of sleeping tablets the poison chalice , Baron Profumo who was the cause of it all retired in disgrace cleaning toilets and working for a charity where he was eventually awarded an OBE to pin next to the MBE and bronze star that he'd won as a military hero in the war . A wax statue still stands of Steven Ward in the house of horrors at Madame Tussauds a terribly cruel homage to say he was only doing what the British secret service ask or no doubt ordered him to do . The scandal also brought an Iron Curtain crashing down on the conservative government of Harold Macmillan .

In the swinging sixties a sexpionage spy scandal took place called the Profumo Affaire unfortunately two of its players were amateurs and didn't know what the rules of the spy game were ; one was sacrificed as a scapegoat and the other Christine Keeler lived life under a long dark cloud until she died and all because they were enlisted by MI5 into taking part in a Russian honey trap for Queen and country which went dramatically wrong . Dr Steven Ward a brilliant osteopath and gifted portrait artist was demonised and double crossed to the point where he took his own life with an overdose of sleeping tablets the poison chalice , Baron Profumo who was the cause of it all retired in disgrace cleaning toilets and working for a charity where he was eventually awarded an OBE to pin next to the MBE and bronze star that he'd won as a military hero in the war . A wax statue still stands of Steven Ward in the house of horrors at Madame Tussauds a terribly cruel homage to say he was only doing what the British secret service ask or no doubt ordered him to do . The scandal also brought an Iron Curtain crashing down on the conservative government of Harold Macmillan . --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/steven-richardson5/message

It's 60 years this week since Prime Minister's Questions started properly in the Commons. Matt Chorley goes back to that first PMQs in 1961, and recreating what it would have been like with the Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire.He pauses the action as Harold Macmillan faces questions from backbenchers and the leader of the opposition. Plus legendary Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd joined Matt to tell him what she makes of PMQs today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The BBC is facing a potentially existential crisis. Libertarian Tory backbenchers who don’t believe in it in the first place see, as Harold MacMillan put it, 'one damn thing after another' - Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall, Jimmy Savile and now their former religious affairs editor Martin Bashir. Of course, champions of the free market probably wouldn’t like the BBC’s socialised business model even if it was run by Franciscan Friars, but is this the moment when a critical mass of enemies of the BBC can finally strike? Laurence Fox sees this story from one side. He is of course an actor of note and has performed on the Corporation; however, in what now seems to be his day job, as the leader of the Reclaim Party, he clearly cannot be counted as one of Auntie’s friends – he came aboard Sputnik to tell us why. Of course the proximate cause of the BBC crisis is the forgeries which may have tricked the late Princess Diana into speaking as she did in her now infamous Panorama interview with Martin Bashir. The cover-up which followed prompted the man who would one day be King, Prince William, to make a heartfelt attribution of BBC culpability in his mother’s death and a plea that the BBC interview with his mother should never be aired again. Brian Basham is a supporter of the BBC but has a rather jaundiced view of the royal institution. He co-produced a film on the death of Princess Diana which, to say the least, was extremely critical of the Royal family. So we invited him onto Sputnik to give us a rather different view of the BBC.

Iain Dale talks to historian and former Conservative MP Keith Simpson about the life and Premiership of Harold Macmillan, who served as Conservative prime minister from 1957-63.

In this episode the author and journalist Philip Stephens takes us back to a crucial month in post-war British politics. December 1962, he explains, set Britain’s relationship with the rest of the world for the next half century. Featuring in this episode is the elderly British prime minister, Harold Macmillan; the charismatic US president John F Kennedy; and the trenchant French statesman Charles de Gaulle. In this one month these three men would set out their contrasting visions of what kind of country Britain would be. The scenes, characters and storylines in this episode of Travels Through Time all feature in Philip Stephen’s new book, Britain Alone: the path from Suez to Brexit (Faber) For much, much more, including the chance to win a hardback copy of Britain Alone and to see a fascinating colourised picture of JFK, head to our website: tttpodcast.com Show Notes Scene One: 5 December 1962. Dean Acheson’s speech to the cadets of the Military Academy at West Point, New York. Scene Two: 15 December. Macmillan's visit to Rambouillet to meet with Charles de Gaulle. Scene Three: 19 December 1962. Macmillan travels to the Bahamas to meet President John F Kennedy. Memento: The text for Dean Acheson’s ‘West Point Speech.’ People/Social Presenter: Peter Moore Guest: Philip Stephens Producers: Maria Nolan Titles: Jon O Follow us on Twitter: @tttpodcast_ Or on Facebook Podcast Partner: ColorGraph See where 1962 fits on our Timeline

This is the big one! Jake Yapp & Natt Tapley fight it out in today's Date Fight!

Tracy DW presents her perspective on a one of the most crucial speeches made in modern history. The end of World War 2 brings about the decline of Britain as a super power and the rise of nationalism within many of its colonies. As a result, African and Caribbean nations begin a struggle to regain their national identities while becoming the centrepiece in a tug-of-war between two ideologies. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's 'Wind of Change' in 1960 represents a call to action for Britain and Europe who find themselves  in unchartered  territory; having the ability to bring about change while being powerless in directing its course.  This is the fourth podcast in the 'Stories to be tolled - The Podcast Series' and compliments the poetic narrative 'Gone with the Wind? - Macmillan's Speech for Change' available on https://storiestobetolled.com and Amazon. Through her podcasts Tracy DW promotes a global approach to teaching history and invites you to share her learning journey about Britain's colonial past. She asks the question 'History is...a matter of fact or perspective?' Feel free to let us know your perspectives on the topics in these podcasts and we invite you to like, share and follow us at https://facbook.com/storiestobetolled and https://instagram.com/stories2betolled   If you're interested in listening to Harold Macmillan's speech  then you can click the link and watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9-C7ibnLok Please complete the short survey http://survey.libsyn.com/stories2betolled as part of our feedback to help us create more of what you want to listen to.

This month’s ten-minute extra bonus episode on news events at the time we’re looking at is on the Profumo Affair, and how a sex scandal transformed Britain. Click through to the full post to read a transcript. —-more—- Transcript Welcome to the second episode of “I Read the News Today, Oh Boy”, the ten-minute bonus podcast I’m running monthly alongside the main podcast. In case you’ve forgotten from last month, in these bonus episodes I’m going to talk about aspects of the news that were happening at the same time as the music we’re talking about, so you have some idea of the wider context in which the music was being made. This month, we’re going to look at the Profumo affair, which was one of the most important moments in post-War British history, not for anything that actually happened, but because of the change in cultural attitudes it created. A brief warning — this one contains some mention of suicide, violence against women, and gun violence. In 1963, the Conservative Party had been in power in Britain for twelve years, and as with any party in power for that long, it was starting to become unpopular. In that time there had been three different Prime Ministers — Winston Churchill, who had returned to power in 1951 after losing the 1945 election, but who had retired before the 1955 election; Anthony Eden, who had replaced Churchill, and who had been Prime Minister during the Suez Crisis, which was the event that finally led to the realisation that Britain was no longer a major world power; and finally Harold Macmillan, an ageing, Patrician, figure who gave the impression of being an amiable but rather befuddled old man. But the government was finally brought down by the first British sex scandal among the ruling classes ever to go public. John Profumo was a minor minister, never in the Cabinet but with a long history of ministerial roles. He was as establishment as you could get, having been educated at Harrow and Oxford, and he was technically the fifth Baron Profumo, a member of the Italian nobility, though he inherited his title during the Second World War at a time when Britain was at war with Italy, and the title was abolished soon afterwards. He had been the youngest MP to be elected in 1940, he’d gone and fought in the war and risen to the rank of Brigadier, and he was married to Valerie Hobson, an actor who had appeared in films such as Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, Great Expectations, and Kind Hearts and Coronets.  Profumo had attended a party hosted by his friend Viscount Astor, where he’d been introduced by the society osteopath and artist Stephen Ward to Christine Keeler, a model who was twenty-seven years younger than him, and who had a very active love life. Keeler was involved with many men, and Profumo soon became one of them — which caused problems with MI5. Because one of the other men with whom Keeler was involved was Yevgeny Ivanov, a Russian spy in Britain who MI5 were trying to induce to defect, while Profumo was the Minister of War, in charge of Britain’s defence.  Profumo and Keeler’s affair was quite brief, and would have been hushed up as these things usually were, except that one of Keeler’s other lovers, a jazz promoter named Johnny Edgecombe, attacked another man, a singer called “Lucky” Gordon, after being told by Keeler that Gordon had assaulted her. Edgecombe became angry when Keeler refused to testify in his defence, and took a gun round to Stephen Ward’s flat, where Keeler was staying, and shot five rounds into the building. This brought Keeler to the attention not only of the police, but of the press, and the story was initially just about the shooting — along with the excitement of the shooting itself there was also the prurient interest of a beautiful young woman with multiple lovers, and a chance for some good old-fashioned British racism, as Edgecombe and Gordon were Black. But because of this interest, the press started sniffing around Keeler’s other lovers, and discovered her connections with both Ivanov and Profumo. Up to this point, there had been a convention in the British media that one didn’t attack people in power, but that had very slowly been changing over the last few years, to the point where it had become possible for the comedian Peter Cook to actually impersonate the Prime Minister on stage during the show “Beyond the Fringe”: [Excerpt: Peter Cook, “T.V.P.M”] So the media didn’t say anything explicit about it — and even if there hadn’t been questions of decorum they would probably have worried about British libel laws being used against them — but they did start dropping subtle hints, which allowed anyone who knew the people involved but didn’t know what had been happening to work it out. Least subtle of all was the satirical magazine Private Eye, owned by Peter Cook, which printed the details of the story, but just changed the names of everyone involved to things like “Miss Gaye Funloving” and “Vladimir Bolokhov”. Eventually, George Wigg, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, used Parliamentary privilege to bring the matter out into the open. Parliamentary privilege is an aspect of British law which means that an MP saying something in Parliament is not liable under the normal laws of slander and libel. Profumo denied everything to Parliament, but suspicion still remained. Meanwhile, the police were getting suspicious of Stephen Ward, believing that he was acting as a pimp, rather than just as a friend of lots of people who happened to sometimes introduce them to one another. They started pressuring people who knew Ward to testify against him — Mandy Rice-Davies, Keeler’s flatmate, was arrested for a driving offence and held in prison for eight days until she agreed to testify. Stephen Ward went to various government ministers to try to get the police action against him halted, and he told them that he’d been covering for Profumo, who had lied to Parliament. Profumo resigned from his ministerial position, and retired from public life — he spent the rest of his very long life doing charity work in an attempt to rehabilitate himself, and seems to have been generally remorseful about the whole business. Stephen Ward, meanwhile, was put on trial for living off immoral earnings, though there seems little evidence that he was actually a pimp. But none of his friends would testify for him, and he was found guilty in absentia — the night before the verdict was due, he took an overdose of sleeping pills, and he died in hospital a few days later without ever regaining consciousness. Keeler was imprisoned for several months for perjury in a related trial, about the assault she had claimed Lucky Gordon had committed — Gordon was found not guilty of having attacked her. Keeler’s life was ruined, and she spent the next fifty-three years having to live with having had her sex life made a topic of national discussion. There were many more rumours about other people having been involved in compromising actions as part of Ward’s set, including other ministers and members of the Royal family, but the truth of most of those rumours will never be known. The Conservative government was fatally wounded by the affair — Macmillan resigned shortly afterwards, claiming he had health problems which led him to suspect he would not live much longer, though in fact he lived for another twenty-three years, finally dying at the age of ninety-two in the mid-eighties. His successor, Alec Douglas-Home, remained in power a little less than a year before being defeated in late 1964 by the Labour Party. That defeat let in one of the great reforming governments of the twentieth century — the Labour government that came in, and Roy Jenkins, who was Home Secretary for much of the next few years, abolished the death penalty, legalised sexual acts between men, legalised abortion, got rid of corporal punishment in the prison system, and ended censorship in the theatre, among many other things. And part of the reason they were able to do these things was because the Profumo affair had brought to light just how the people in power were behaving, and from that point on the media had decided politicians didn’t deserve respect because of their office. While nothing has a single cause, you can trace all the social changes we’ll see in Britain as we look at the sixties back to this point, and to a powerful man having an affair with a much younger woman.

This month's ten-minute extra bonus episode on news events at the time we're looking at is on the Profumo Affair, and how a sex scandal transformed Britain. Click through to the full post to read a transcript. ----more---- Transcript Welcome to the second episode of "I Read the News Today, Oh Boy", the ten-minute bonus podcast I'm running monthly alongside the main podcast. In case you've forgotten from last month, in these bonus episodes I'm going to talk about aspects of the news that were happening at the same time as the music we're talking about, so you have some idea of the wider context in which the music was being made. This month, we're going to look at the Profumo affair, which was one of the most important moments in post-War British history, not for anything that actually happened, but because of the change in cultural attitudes it created. A brief warning -- this one contains some mention of suicide, violence against women, and gun violence. In 1963, the Conservative Party had been in power in Britain for twelve years, and as with any party in power for that long, it was starting to become unpopular. In that time there had been three different Prime Ministers -- Winston Churchill, who had returned to power in 1951 after losing the 1945 election, but who had retired before the 1955 election; Anthony Eden, who had replaced Churchill, and who had been Prime Minister during the Suez Crisis, which was the event that finally led to the realisation that Britain was no longer a major world power; and finally Harold Macmillan, an ageing, Patrician, figure who gave the impression of being an amiable but rather befuddled old man. But the government was finally brought down by the first British sex scandal among the ruling classes ever to go public. John Profumo was a minor minister, never in the Cabinet but with a long history of ministerial roles. He was as establishment as you could get, having been educated at Harrow and Oxford, and he was technically the fifth Baron Profumo, a member of the Italian nobility, though he inherited his title during the Second World War at a time when Britain was at war with Italy, and the title was abolished soon afterwards. He had been the youngest MP to be elected in 1940, he'd gone and fought in the war and risen to the rank of Brigadier, and he was married to Valerie Hobson, an actor who had appeared in films such as Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, Great Expectations, and Kind Hearts and Coronets.  Profumo had attended a party hosted by his friend Viscount Astor, where he'd been introduced by the society osteopath and artist Stephen Ward to Christine Keeler, a model who was twenty-seven years younger than him, and who had a very active love life. Keeler was involved with many men, and Profumo soon became one of them -- which caused problems with MI5. Because one of the other men with whom Keeler was involved was Yevgeny Ivanov, a Russian spy in Britain who MI5 were trying to induce to defect, while Profumo was the Minister of War, in charge of Britain's defence.  Profumo and Keeler's affair was quite brief, and would have been hushed up as these things usually were, except that one of Keeler's other lovers, a jazz promoter named Johnny Edgecombe, attacked another man, a singer called "Lucky" Gordon, after being told by Keeler that Gordon had assaulted her. Edgecombe became angry when Keeler refused to testify in his defence, and took a gun round to Stephen Ward's flat, where Keeler was staying, and shot five rounds into the building. This brought Keeler to the attention not only of the police, but of the press, and the story was initially just about the shooting -- along with the excitement of the shooting itself there was also the prurient interest of a beautiful young woman with multiple lovers, and a chance for some good old-fashioned British racism, as Edgecombe and Gordon were Black. But because of this interest, the press started sniffing around Keeler's other lovers, and discovered her connections with both Ivanov and Profumo. Up to this point, there had been a convention in the British media that one didn't attack people in power, but that had very slowly been changing over the last few years, to the point where it had become possible for the comedian Peter Cook to actually impersonate the Prime Minister on stage during the show "Beyond the Fringe": [Excerpt: Peter Cook, "T.V.P.M"] So the media didn't say anything explicit about it -- and even if there hadn't been questions of decorum they would probably have worried about British libel laws being used against them -- but they did start dropping subtle hints, which allowed anyone who knew the people involved but didn't know what had been happening to work it out. Least subtle of all was the satirical magazine Private Eye, owned by Peter Cook, which printed the details of the story, but just changed the names of everyone involved to things like "Miss Gaye Funloving" and "Vladimir Bolokhov". Eventually, George Wigg, an MP for the opposition Labour Party, used Parliamentary privilege to bring the matter out into the open. Parliamentary privilege is an aspect of British law which means that an MP saying something in Parliament is not liable under the normal laws of slander and libel. Profumo denied everything to Parliament, but suspicion still remained. Meanwhile, the police were getting suspicious of Stephen Ward, believing that he was acting as a pimp, rather than just as a friend of lots of people who happened to sometimes introduce them to one another. They started pressuring people who knew Ward to testify against him -- Mandy Rice-Davies, Keeler's flatmate, was arrested for a driving offence and held in prison for eight days until she agreed to testify. Stephen Ward went to various government ministers to try to get the police action against him halted, and he told them that he'd been covering for Profumo, who had lied to Parliament. Profumo resigned from his ministerial position, and retired from public life -- he spent the rest of his very long life doing charity work in an attempt to rehabilitate himself, and seems to have been generally remorseful about the whole business. Stephen Ward, meanwhile, was put on trial for living off immoral earnings, though there seems little evidence that he was actually a pimp. But none of his friends would testify for him, and he was found guilty in absentia -- the night before the verdict was due, he took an overdose of sleeping pills, and he died in hospital a few days later without ever regaining consciousness. Keeler was imprisoned for several months for perjury in a related trial, about the assault she had claimed Lucky Gordon had committed -- Gordon was found not guilty of having attacked her. Keeler's life was ruined, and she spent the next fifty-three years having to live with having had her sex life made a topic of national discussion. There were many more rumours about other people having been involved in compromising actions as part of Ward's set, including other ministers and members of the Royal family, but the truth of most of those rumours will never be known. The Conservative government was fatally wounded by the affair -- Macmillan resigned shortly afterwards, claiming he had health problems which led him to suspect he would not live much longer, though in fact he lived for another twenty-three years, finally dying at the age of ninety-two in the mid-eighties. His successor, Alec Douglas-Home, remained in power a little less than a year before being defeated in late 1964 by the Labour Party. That defeat let in one of the great reforming governments of the twentieth century -- the Labour government that came in, and Roy Jenkins, who was Home Secretary for much of the next few years, abolished the death penalty, legalised sexual acts between men, legalised abortion, got rid of corporal punishment in the prison system, and ended censorship in the theatre, among many other things. And part of the reason they were able to do these things was because the Profumo affair had brought to light just how the people in power were behaving, and from that point on the media had decided politicians didn't deserve respect because of their office. While nothing has a single cause, you can trace all the social changes we'll see in Britain as we look at the sixties back to this point, and to a powerful man having an affair with a much younger woman.

I am joined by the marvellous Seymour Platt, a name might not be familiar with, but you may well know his mother’s name, Christine Keeler, and the Profumo Affair that she was involved in back in the early 60’s. Although the ‘scandal’ took place 70 years ago it is still as topical now, the affair featured in 'The Crown' and more recently this year with the BBC dramatization ‘The Trial of Christine Keeler’.I first came across the Christine Keelers name after watching the 1990 film Scandal featuring John Hurt, Ian McKellen and Joanne Whalley Kilmer as Christine. For those unfamiliar with what happened, it was 1961 and Christine Keeler a 19 year old model and showgirl had a brief affair with John Profumo the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan’s Tory government, Profumo was a very powerful man and was tipped to be the next British Prime Minister. At the time the affair was first revealed public interest was heightened due to reports Keeler may have also been sexually involved with a Soviet Naval attaché Captain Yevgent Ivanov. Christine had been introduced to both men by osteopath and high society type Stephen Ward. There was huge concern within the ranks that the affair had put Britain’s National Security at risk. And as the description for the film Scandal reads:“ When the affairs are made public, the resulting scandal costs many people their political careers, and someone's life.” But as Seymour explains during the podcast there are two stories at play here in Christine’s life. The other involved a very violent man who stalked and abused Christine for years called Lucky Gordon. It is during a statement to the police about an attack on her by Lucky Gordon during which Christine omitted the names of two witnesses were present during the attack, and later this lie was the solel reason that Christine got sent to prison charged with perjury. Seymour, a business analyst for many years, sadly had his career grind to a halt when COVID-19 struck. Time at home gave Seymour and wife Lorraine a chance to look through all the newspaper articles and court documents pertaining to his mum’s conviction. The pair went on to create a website celebrate his mum’s life and her legacy. It was when Seymour applied his ‘business analyst’ thought process to his mum's story, as well as to all the police and court documents that the misjustice of Christine’s prison sentence became apparent. Since launching the website there have now been significant interest from various legal types surrounding Christine’s case. A ‘Petition of Mercy’ is now in motion and Seymour and the legal team are hopeful that his mother will receive a full pardon posthumously. Seymour is so joyful and funny he had me laughing throughout or chat with all his stories, including falling at Phil Collins feet, crying on cue for John Hurt in the back of a Limo in America as well as his mum’s famous Christmas turkey incident and her affair with one of The Beatles! You can check out the website which is a celebration of all things Christine Keeler at www.christine-keeler.co.ukwww.christine-keeler.co.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I am joined by the marvellous Seymour Platt, a name might not be familiar with, but you may well know his mother’s name, Christine Keeler, and the Profumo Affair that she was involved in back in the early 60’s. Although the ‘scandal’ took place 70 years ago it is still as topical now, the affair featured in 'The Crown' and more recently this year with the BBC dramatization ‘The Trial of Christine Keeler’.I first came across the Christine Keelers name after watching the 1990 film Scandal featuring John Hurt, Ian McKellen and Joanne Whalley Kilmer as Christine. For those unfamiliar with what happened, it was 1961 and Christine Keeler a 19 year old model and showgirl had a brief affair with John Profumo the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan’s Tory government, Profumo was a very powerful man and was tipped to be the next British Prime Minister. At the time the affair was first revealed public interest was heightened due to reports Keeler may have also been sexually involved with a Soviet Naval attaché Captain Yevgent Ivanov. Christine had been introduced to both men by osteopath and high society type Stephen Ward. There was huge concern within the ranks that the affair had put Britain’s National Security at risk. And as the description for the film Scandal reads:“ When the affairs are made public, the resulting scandal costs many people their political careers, and someone's life.” But as Seymour explains during the podcast there are two stories at play here in Christine’s life. The other involved a very violent man who stalked and abused Christine for years called Lucky Gordon. It is during a statement to the police about an attack on her by Lucky Gordon during which Christine omitted the names of two witnesses were present during the attack, and later this lie was the solel reason that Christine got sent to prison charged with perjury. Seymour, a business analyst for many years, sadly had his career grind to a halt when COVID-19 struck. Time at home gave Seymour and wife Lorraine a chance to look through all the newspaper articles and court documents pertaining to his mum’s conviction. The pair went on to create a website celebrate his mum’s life and her legacy. It was when Seymour applied his ‘business analyst’ thought process to his mum's story, as well as to all the police and court documents that the misjustice of Christine’s prison sentence became apparent. Since launching the website there have now been significant interest from various legal types surrounding Christine’s case. A ‘Petition of Mercy’ is now in motion and Seymour and the legal team are hopeful that his mother will receive a full pardon posthumously. Seymour is so joyful and funny he had me laughing throughout or chat with all his stories, including falling at Phil Collins feet, crying on cue for John Hurt in the back of a Limo in America as well as his mum’s famous Christmas turkey incident and her affair with one of The Beatles! You can check out the website which is a celebration of all things Christine Keeler at www.christine-keeler.co.ukwww.christine-keeler.co.uk See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's quote, from British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, centers on trust and what it takes to earn it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What kind of plane goes up but doesn't come down? Why should Buddy Holly have stayed on the bus? What happens when you run out of cash? Jake Yapp & Natt Tapley find out in today's Date Fight!

Tredje afsnit i sæsonen om de britiske statsledere er en samtale mellem Lars Bangert Struwe, generalsekretær i Atlantsammenslutningen, og Peter Nedergaard, Professor i europæisk politik på institut for statskundskab. Her kan du lytte til en samtale om Harold Macmillan, som er Storbritanniens premierminister i perioden 1957-1963.

In 1962, while working as a clerk in the British Embassy in Moscow, homosexual civil servant John Vassall was caught in a ‘honey trap’ sprung by the Soviet Secret Service. He was blackmailed into passing secrets to the Soviet Union and as a result sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for espionage. Our contemporary records specialist Mark Dunton delves deeper into this scandal – one of a series that rocked the Macmillan government in the early 1960s, feeding into a national obsession with spy culture at the time. This podcast was recorded as part of The National Archives’ Cold War season, a programme of events to coincide with the exhibition, ‘Protect and Survive: Britain’s Cold War Revealed’.

Ed Luce is the Washington columnist and commentator for the Financial Times. This interview was taped on 3/12 REFERENCES AND SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL From Q&A: Manafort An article from the NYT on Manafort’s sentencing by Judge Amy Berman Jackson in D.C. A comment from Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, suggesting his client was selectively prosecuted An indictment of Paul Manafort by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; plus an article from the NYT on the DA’s charges College Admissions Scandal Listener question from Still Paul The college admissions scandal indictment, and a report from NPR about the scandal  The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, plus an article from the NYT about RICO lawsuits DOJ policy on indicting a president The 1973 and 2000 Office of Legal Counsel memos From the interview: Luce Luce’s most recent book, The Retreat of Western Liberalism Luce’s Financial Times op-ed, “America’s unexpected socialist dawn,” plus Luce’s op-ed page Trump An article from Vox on Michael Cohen’s closing statement from his 2/27 testimony before Congress, including his remarks on 2020 A list from NPR of strongmen Trump has praised Negative partisanship An op-ed from the Washington Post about negative partisanship and Newt Gingrich A paper by Emory political scientists Alan Abramowitz and Steven Webster, “All Politics is National: The Rise of Negative Partisanship and the Nationalization of U.S. House and Senate Elections in the 21st Century”  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) An article from the Washington Post comparing AOC and DJT’s social media strategy The most recent resolution outlining the Green New Deal, and a report from NPR on the Deal and its origin Institutional Trust An article in The Atlantic on declining levels of trust in institutions across the globe Britain A brief explanation of Britain’s constitutional monarchy An update from the NYT on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit Plan Britain’s Attorney General Geoffrey Cox’s tweet, “Bollocks,” in response to a critique A procedural explanation of the Prime Minister’s Questions, which you can watch here. Plus, an article in the Guardian recounting its history (including Harold Macmillan’s queasiness) An op-ed from the NYT imagining a Prime Minister’s Questions session in the U.S. Hungary An article in the NYT about Hungary’s eroding democracy India An article from Bloomberg on India’s upcoming election, the largest exercise of democracy on the planet China An article in Foreign Affairs on communist China’s capitalist development Socialism An article from The Atlantic on Trump’s application of the term “socialist” An article from the NYT on Teddy Roosevelt’s crusade for the inheritance tax An article in the NYT about Sweden’s response to the banking crisis Media An article from Bloomberg on the decline of local news, and the subsequent consequences Vocabulary Bollocks = nonsense Sui generis = constituting a class alone; unique Do you have a question for Preet? Tweet it to @PreetBharara with the hashtag #askpreet, email staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 and leave a voicemail.

Episode 31: The Power of Engaging your Team! Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. You don't become a leader when you are appointed into a position. The right of leadership is earned when others decide to follow because they believe in you and respect you. There are a few things we need to be clear on: 1. Leadership means you are effective and get results. 2. You cannot achieve the results you are expected to achieve without your team. 3. You must mobilize your team to help you get results. 4. To mobilize your team you must inspire and motivate them. 5. To motivate them you must engage them. 6. To engage them you must interact with, and know, each of them as an individual. 7. To engage them as individuals you need to be transparent and authentic. It starts with trust – A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts. Harold Macmillan. It's also the fundamental principle that holds all relationships. Stephen Covey. Don't be afraid to show your vulnerability. Be transparent with your team, even when the truth may be unpopular or inconvenient.” – BILL GEORGE Be a good listener. “It takes a great man to be a good listener.” – CALVIN COOLIDGE Engage your team around a common purpose that they can contribute to. “When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” – HOWARD SCHULTZ This – engaging your employees - could be the most neglected element of leadership, and yet it is one of the most vital today. Thank you for listening. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theleadershipboost/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theleadershipboost/support

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle's intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles de Gaulle is one of the greatest figures of twentieth century history. If Sir Winston Churchill was (in the words of Harold Macmillan) the "greatest Englishman In history", then Charles de Gaulle was without a doubt, the greatest Frenchman since Napoleon Bonaparte. Why so? In the early summer of 1940, when France was overrun by German troops, one junior general who had fought in the trenches in Verdun refused to accept defeat. He fled to London, where he took to the radio to address his compatriots back home. “Whatever happens,” he said, “the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle insisted he and his Free French movement were the true embodiment of France. Through sheer force of his personality and the grandeur of his vision of France, he inspired French men and women to risk their lives to resist the Nazi occupation. Usually proud and aloof, but almost always confident in his own leadership, he quarreled violently with Churchill, Roosevelt and many of his own countrymen. Yet they knew they would need his help to rebuild a shattered France. Thanks to de Gaulle, France was recognized as one of the victorious Allies when Germany was finally defeated. Then, as President of the Fifth Republic, he brought France back from the brink of a civil war over the war in Algeria. And, made the difficult decision to end the self-same war. Thereafter he challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO, and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community in his pursuit of what he called “a certain idea of France.” Julian Jackson, Professor of History at Queen Mary College, University of London, past winner of the Wolfson History Prize and the winner in 2018 of the Paris Book Award for his book on De Gaulle--De Gaulle (Harvard University Press, 2018)--has written a magnificent biography, the first major reconsideration in over twenty years. Drawing on the extensive resources of the recently opened de Gaulle archives, Jackson reveals the conservative roots of de Gaulle’s intellectual formation and upbringing, sheds new light on his relationship with Churchill, and shows how de Gaulle confronted riots at home and violent independence movements abroad from the Middle East to Vietnam. No previous biography has so vividly depicted this towering figure whose legacy remains evident in present-day France. In short Professor Jackson has written a superb book, which in every way possible is a glittering ornament in the biographical art. Charles Coutinho holds a doctorate in history from New York University. Where he studied with Tony Judt, Stewart Stehlin and McGeorge Bundy. His Ph. D. dissertation was on Anglo-American relations in the run-up to the Suez Crisis of 1956. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. It you have a recent title to suggest for a podcast, please send an e-mail to Charlescoutinho@aol.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20th century British Tory prime minister Harold Macmillan is most known not for anything he did but for a witty letter that he wrote to Dick Cressman, Director of Psychological Warfare at Allied Forces Headquarters in the Mediterranean…

Looks Unfamiliar is a podcast in which writer and occasional broadcaster Tim Worthington talks to a guest about some of the things that they remember that nobody else ever does. Joining Tim this time is writer Martin Ruddock, who tries to get a show of nostagic hands for Children's BBC Sherlock Holmes-spinoff The Baker Street Boys, comic strip Doomlord, techno-powered toy range Robotix, Commodore Amiga game The Fairy Tale Adventure, dubbed German drama serial The Legend Of Tim Tyler, and Britpop band Thurman and their somewhat mysterious past. Along the way we'll be finding out why history has failed to recognise the Baker Street Girls , why Slough's playing fields are to be avoided at all costs, and why a song called 'Evil' might not quite have the intended effect on its target audience. Also, if anyone can solve our Tim Tyler-related mystery, please get in touch! Find more episodes of Looks Unfamiliar at timworthington.org

Sheran James of The Sharin' Hour on KX 93.5 continues with the lives of the famous aristocratic sisters, focusing on Deborah (Debo) Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire, related by marriage to British PMs Winston Churchill and Harold MacMillan (also President Kennedy) and chatelaine of the real-life Downton Abbey-style stately home Chatsworth; and Nancy Mitford, journalist and […]

What is it really like to make decisions affecting millions of people, knowing that a mistake might be pounced upon instantly and your career left in tatters? Government ministers face this challenge every day, and now under ever-rising pressures - not just 24 hour news, but also hugely influential social media and far stronger demand for more open and accountable decision-making. Elinor Goodman finds out from senior politicians, civil service leaders and their advisors how government ministers make decisions in the face of growing pressure from this instant all-pervasive information culture. How is the quality of decision-making affected when the demands for faster and more transparent policy-making become impossible to resist? As information circulates ever faster, can ministers actually keep up and make good decisions rather than succumb to the demands for swifter ones? Where once there was just a news cycle to manage, now there is a need for instant replies to all manner of questions and challenges about the detail and purpose of policies themselves - and sometimes this happens before the policy has actually been finalised. David Cameron leads a government that can only dream of the time and space afforded to his political hero Harold Macmillan, who was able to take weeks deliberating on subjects which today's PM must sometimes resolve in minutes. So, what are the pressures and processes that contribute to ministerial decision-making in the 21st century? Producer: Jonathan Brunert.

Is there a ‘Special Relationship’ between the United States and the United Kingdom?  And, if there is, what actually is ‘special’ about it?  Those are the two questions we seek to answer on this month’s American History Too!.  Tune in for a guided tour of the ups and the downs of the US-UK relationship over the past 200 years – particularly during the post-World War II era – and come to your own conclusion on this fascinating topic.    New Year, New Format - we also introduce an opening question to the podcast! This week: If you could have dinner with three figures in American History who would they be?  We have our answers, but we are more interested in yours! Let us know at @ahtoopodcast or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanhistorytoo We’ll be back next month to discuss tumultuous presidency of Herbert Hoover with Alastair Duthie.  Cheers, Mark and Malcolm   Reading List Aldrich, Richard J., ‘British intelligence and the Anglo-American “Special relationship” during the Cold War’, Review of International Studies, 24:3 (Jul.,1998), 331-351 Ashton, Nigel, ‘Harold Macmillan and the “Golden Days” of Anglo-American Relations Revisited, 1957–63’, Diplomatic History, 29:4 (September 2005), 691-723. Cooper, James, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan: A Very Political Special Relationship (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), Danchev, Alex, ‘The Cold War “Special Relationship” Revisited’, Diplomacy and Statecraft, 17:3 (2006), 579-595 Dobson, Alan and Steve Marsh, ‘Anglo-American Relations: End of a Special Relationship?’, The International History Review, 36:4 (2014), 673-697 Dumbrell, John, A Special Relationship: Anglo-American Relations from the Cold War to Iraq, 2nd Edition (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006) Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri, In Spies We Trust: The Story of Western Intelligence (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013)  Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri, ‘The End of an Exclusive Special Intelligence Relationship: British-American Intelligence Co-operation Before, During and After the 1960s’, Intelligence and National Security, 27:5 (2012), 707-721 Khalil, Osamah F., ‘The Crossroads of the World: U.S. and British Foreign Policy Doctrines and the Construct of the Middle East, 1902–2007’, Diplomatic History, 38:2 (Feb., 2014)  McGarr, Paul M., The Cold War in South Asia: Britain, the United States, and the Indian Subcontinent, 1945-1965 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013), Ovendale, Ritchie, Anglo-American Relations in the Twentieth Century (Basingstoke: MacMillan, 1998) Parr, Helen, ‘Britain, America, East of Suez and the EEC: Finding a Role in British Foreign Policy, 1964–67’, Contemporary British History, 20:3 (2006), 403-421. Rossbach, Niklas H., Heath, Nixon and the Rebirth of the Special Relationship: Britain, the US and the EC, 1969-74 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), Ruane, Kevin and James Ellison, ‘Managing the Americans: Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and the Pursuit of Power-by-Proxy in the 1950s’, Contemporary British History, 18:3 (Autumn 2004), 147-167 Svendsen, Adam D.M., Intelligence Cooperation and the War on Terror: Anglo-American Security Relations after 9/11 (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010) Tate, Simon, A Special Relationship?: British Foreign Policy in the Era of American Hegemony (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2012)   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When British prime minister Harold Macmillan was asked by a journalist what was most likely to blow governments off course, he responded "Events, dear boy, events." He wasn't talking exactly about the shows, exhibitions and conferences that we class as events, but there's still no doubt that a bad event - an event which is not as sustainable as it should be, for example - can blow its sponsoring organisation seriously off course. This week I went to a sustainable event and I also learnt from sustainable expert Fiona Pelham, author of Making Events More Sustainable: A Guide To BS8901- available from your favourite bookshop.    

Political biographers D R Thorpe and John Campbell speak about their subjects' careers culminating in the role of Chancellor of the University of Oxford. The discussion was chaired by Lord Patten of Barnes.

Political biographers D R Thorpe and John Campbell speak about their subjects' careers culminating in the role of Chancellor of the University of Oxford. The discussion was chaired by Lord Patten of Barnes.

The 1959 General Election gave the Conservatives their third successive victory, the first time that a party had won three successive general elections since Napoleonic times. The outcome was widely credited to the deft materialism of Harold Macmillan, and the slogan `You've never had it so good', which the Conservatives, in fact, did not use. Did the result show that, in the words of another Conservative slogan, 'Conservative freedom works', or did it serve to mask deep-seated problems relating to the British economy and Britain's role in the world.The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/the-general-election-1959Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,500 lectures free to access or download from the website.Website: http://www.gresham.ac.ukTwitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

In 1963 John Profumo, Harold Macmillan's Minister for War was forced to resign following an affair with a young call girl Christine Keeler. Even though the scandal was relatively trivial it came to dominate the headlines and defined the modern sex scandal. It revealed far more about the anxieties of Britain in a time of growing prosperity than it did about the private life of a junior minister. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/explaininghistory.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Suzy Jagger, Roger Boyes and Patrick Kidd. Suzy Jagger Libya is at risk of fracturing into three fiefdoms - tripoli in the west, Benghazi in the east, and Sabbha in the south. Libya has enjoyed no stability since the overthrow of Gaddafi and points to a sobering third chapter of the Arab spring - uprising and coup; nascent democracy; and terrifying chaos. As the Middle East burns, literally, we have a foreign secretary with no foreign policy experience and a government with no foreign policy. Roger Boyes It's a hot summer. Wars in Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, trouble brewing in the South China Sea, Libya in flames. It hasn't been that bad for a century. All these flare-ups seem insoluble so it's tempting to look away, do the Harold Macmillan thing and shoot some grouse on the moors. But is all this killing really so difficult to stop? Patrick Kidd Cameron's packing the latest Ben Macintyre book (sensible fellow), Miliband's sucking up to a Labour donor... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This lecture analyses the background to Harold Macmillan's decision in 1961 to join the European Community, a reversal of previous Conservative policy. Labour opposed entry, although, in office after 1964, it too sought to join the Community. But Britain's second application in 1967, under a Labour government, also met with a rebuff from President de Gaulle of France. The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/was-karl-marx-always-wrongGresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 1,500 lectures free to access or download from the website.Website: http://www.gresham.ac.ukTwitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

With Britain's membership of the EU in the news again, we examine the moment 50 years ago, when Charles de Gaulle vetoed Harold Macmillan's request to join the EEC. Plus, we chat with Richard Morris about his new, rather personal, book on Britain's archaeological past See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark Dunton examines evidence surrounding civil servant John Vassall, imprisoned for espionage.

In this lecture, Dominic Sandbrook, the acclaimed historian of Sixties Britain, marks the 50th anniversary of the City of London Festival by looking back at Britain in 1962. Fifty years on, the Britain of Harold Macmillan, Acker Bilk, Jimmy Greaves and James Hanratty feels like a vanished world. But was life back then really so different?This is a part of the series of lectures held in partnership with the 2012 City of London Festival.

Between 1975 and 1989, the Polish-born expressionist artist, Feliks Topolski, worked on a 600ft mural in the railway arches in Waterloo. This masterpiece came to depict the 20th Century as he saw it, featuring the important events and people that forged the modern world that we now live in.Topolski was born in Poland in 1907 and came to London from France in 1935. He soon established himself in the intellectual life of London and eagerly took up a position as an official war artist during WWII. In 1947 he gained his British Citizenship and he went on to make portraits of the likes of H.G. Wells, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, and Harold Macmillan. His 600ft mural in the railway arches of Waterloo is now open to the public as the Topolski Century gallery.

Homemade condoms, Helen Mirren in Caligula, Harold McMillan exposed, Gin Lane, Crack Alley and obesity as an infectious disease

Focusing on Britain's changing relationship with the European Community between 1945 and 1975, Contemporary Specialist Mark Dunton guides us through the key documents that reveal the attitudes of leading figures, the diplomatic process and public perceptions of an evolving Europe.