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This week, Nish & Coco do a deep dive into the beginnings of Burnham's Britain. He's only been Prime Minister for a few days, but Andy has already pledged to end rough sleeping, cut electricity bills, and cap bus fares, as his new ‘cost of living government' takes shape. They're joined by Anoosh Chakelian, the New Statesman's Britain Editor, who has interviewed Burnham several times over the last decade. Is he the flip-flopping, people-pleasing Prime Minister his critics say he'll be, or do these early signals from No.10 suggest a clean break with the politics of the past? Anoosh, Coco & Nish talk through cabinet picks, what Trump might make of ‘Red Ed' as foreign sec, and how social care reform–if done right–could be good for us all. All eyes on the seventh Prime Minister in a decade…Plus: you listen to Nish & Coco every week, now we want to hear from you! We're launching an audience survey to hear about what you like, dislike, and want to see more of from PSUK. Guests! Live shows! Topics! Explainers! And did we mention there's a prize draw? You've got to be in it to win it - so fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 GUESTS Anoosh Chakelian USEFUL LINKSAudience survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK WISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.We'll be filming another mailbag episode next week so get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2025 on Sunday 19 October at Church House, Westminster. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION Tinder, Grindr, Bumble, Hinge, Feeld – whatever your dating preference, there's an app for it. Gone are the days of hitting the town in the hopes of catching someone's eye in a busy bar. People moan about their problems, and some want to leave digital dating behind, but for today's generation, the first spark often happens over a keypad. Should we be worried about the prevalence of online dating? For some, the game-like approach to virtual romance, with love thwarted or given a chance with a swipe of the thumb, is degrading. Novara Media's Aaron Bastani recently called for a ban on dating apps, as they ‘encourage the worst possible behaviour towards other people'. Others argue that the addictive nature of online dating, where multiple partners can be found at the touch of a button, has fed the addictive and attention-deficit qualities of an already fidgety generation. When love is always just a click away, why would anyone stick with just one partner? On the other hand, without online dating many argue that finding love would be near impossible. Pub closures, lockdown-hangover regulation on social spaces and less intergenerational mixing means it can be hard out there to meet someone the old-fashioned way. Many argue that panics about online dating foget that the app is just a tool to facilitate what people continue to do – meet up in person and carry on as normal. Building a profile online is no different to a lonely-hearts advert in the paper, or wearing your best dress and standing by the bar. Is love only worthwhile if it's found in the flesh? Is the boom in hook-up apps merely the straight world catching up with what gays have been enjoying for some time? Should we loosen up about online dating? Or is there something lost when it comes to romance if the story we tell our kids of how we first met starts with a ‘swipe right'? SPEAKERS Elliot Bewick host, The Next Generation; former producer, TRIGGERnometry Ella Dorn journalist, New Statesman; creator, Fairyland! Substack; project assistant, Academy of Ideas Ralph Leonard author, Unshackling Intimacy: Letters on Liberty; contributor, UnHerd, Quillette, New Statesman and Sublation Magazine CHAIR Beverley Marshall AoI Parents Forum; working mum of three young adults
In this conversation, Melanie Phillips joins John Anderson to discuss the crisis of Western resolve and moral decline. Drawing on her decades as a commentator, Phillips argues that Iran's perceived strength reflects Western weakness and hesitation. She also explores how anti-Zionism and elite failure have hollowed out Western valuesA pre-eminent voice in British public discourse, Melanie Phillips possesses a storied journalistic pedigree. Having established her reputation at The Guardian and the New Statesman, she now provides sharp political and social analysis for The Times, The Jerusalem Post, and The Jewish Chronicle. A familiar and formidable presence on the airwaves, she has long served as a regular panellist for BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and BBC One's Question Time. Phillips was honoured with the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 1996 during her tenure at The Observer, and her extensive bibliography includes her candid memoir, Guardian Angel: My Story, My Britain.
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Yahia Lababidi is an Arab American poet of Palestinian descent and essayist, and the author of sixteen books. His work appears in Liberties, Salmagundi, The Threepenny Review, The New Statesman, The New Arab, and DAWN, among others. His recent books include Palestine Wail (Daraja Press, 2024), written in the first months of Israel's assault on Gaza, and What Remains to Be Said (Wild Goose Publications, 2025). His forthcoming essay collection, If You Cannot Say GENOCIDE: Essays on Conscience and Witness, will be published by New Village Press in October 2026 and distributed by NYU Press. He divides his time between the United States and Colombia. The Book is available here: https://www.newvillagepress.org/ifyoucannotsaygenocide/ The Venezuelan Earthquake podcast:https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack/posts/patron-exclusive-162431599
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Yahia Lababidi is an Arab American poet and essayist of Palestinian descent, and the author of sixteen books. His work appears in Liberties, Salmagundi, The Threepenny Review, Dissent, The New Statesman, The New Arab, and DAWN, among others. His recent books include Palestine Wail (Daraja Press, 2024), written in the first months of Israel's assault on Gaza, and What Remains to Be Said (Wild Goose Publications, 2025). His forthcoming essay collection, If You Cannot Say GENOCIDE: Essays on Conscience and Witness, will be published by New Village Press in October 2026 and distributed by NYU Press. He divides his time between the United States and Colombia. The Book is available here:https://nyupress.org/9781613323045/if-you-cannot-say-genocide/ The Venezuelan Earthquake podcast:https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack/posts/patron-exclusive-162431599
Sonia Sodha discusses the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, which was published this week, with the former Conservative Security minister Tom Tugendhat and the Labour MP and former Royal Marine Fred Thomas.To review Andy Burnham's devolution plans, Sonia speaks to the Labour Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward and Greg Clark, a former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who was one of the architects of devolution policy when the Conservatives were in government. Following a series of maternity scandals, Baroness Amos published her independent review this week. The Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, who chairs the Health Select Committee and the Labour MP Michelle Welsh, who is the government's national maternity adviser discuss what has gone wrong. And to discuss Brand Burnham, Sonia brought together Rachel Cunliffe, the Associate Political Editor of the New Statesman and Farzana Baduel, the co-founder of Curzon PR and presenter of BBC Radio 4's ‘When It Hits the Fan'.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comJohn is a political philosopher. He retired from academia in 2007 as Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, and he's now a regular contributor and lead reviewer at the New Statesman. He's the author of two dozen books, and the most recent is The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism, which we discussed on the Dishcast last year (after first having him on the pod in 2023).For two clips of the episode — on what the Founders would think of the 250th, and sizing up the next prime minister of the UK — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: the deadly heatwave in Europe and its lack of AC; the Putin-esque corruption of Trump; the Joker-esque nature of US politics; civic exhaustion; our broken trust with the rest of the world; losing the Iran War; the stranglehold of Hormuz; fears over the Strait of Malacca; the JCPOA; Fukuyama; edge-lording and DOGE; the embarrassment of Trump's 250; his plunge in the polls; the socialist wins in NYC; DEI collectivism; Vance's Catholicism; Rubio's future; Tucker 2028; the collapse of free speech in higher ed; Keir's departure; Andy Burnham's rise; his neo-Blairite populism; Farage and Reform; Restore Britain; Kemi Badenoch; Scott Wiener hounded by transqueers; masks used by ICE and activists; the surge of antisemitism on the left and right; the Le Pen and Bardella factions; AfD; the EU becoming more right-wing; mass migration and Boris; the Swedish crackdown; Islamism; Meloni becoming a centrist; Putin and Ukraine; the drone revolution and Taiwan; the hope of Ossoff; and the World Cup.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Stephen Grosz on the struggles of love, David Thomson on cinema in American history and culture, John O'Sullivan on conservatism, Robby George on natural law, and Megan McArdle on pretty much anything. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
Anil Seth has spent more than twenty-five years asking one of the most disorienting questions a scientist can ask: what is it that makes you conscious, and are you as real as you feel? A Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, Seth has published more than 200 research papers and is recognized by Web of Science as being in the top 0.1% of researchers worldwide in his field. His 2017 TED talk, "Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality," has been viewed more than 14 million times, one of the most-watched science talks in TED history. His 2021 book, Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, became an instant Sunday Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for The Economist, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The New Statesman, and Bloomberg. In 2023, he was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for his extraordinary contribution to public engagement with science. In 2025, he won the Berggruen Prize Essay Competition for "The Mythology of Conscious AI." And in 2026, he delivered a new main-stage TED talk: "Why AI is unlikely to become conscious." His central argument is as simple as it is radical: we do not perceive the world as it actually is. Instead, the brain is a prediction machine, constantly generating its best guess about what's out there, using sensory signals only to correct its errors. What we experience as reality is a "controlled hallucination." And crucially, the self, the very sense of being a "you" behind your eyes, is part of that hallucination too. In this wide-ranging and mind-bending episode, Anil unpacks the ideas at the frontier of consciousness science, exploring: The controlled hallucination: why every perception you have, color, pain, the weight of your own body, is a construction of your brain, not a window onto objective reality, and what that means for how you move through the world The predictive brain: how your mind is not passively receiving information but constantly generating predictions, and why the experience of surprise is actually your brain updating its model of the world The "beast machine" theory of selfhood: why Anil believes that consciousness is not just about computation but is deeply grounded in the biological drive to stay alive, and why that matters for debates about AI The hard problem and the real problem: why philosophers have spent decades asking why there is subjective experience at all, and why Anil thinks we've been asking the wrong question Animal consciousness and the octopus: what creatures with radically different nervous systems reveal about the many possible ways of being conscious, and why this should expand our moral circle Can AI be conscious? Why Anil argues, against the dominant view in Silicon Valley, that large language models are almost certainly not conscious, what we'd actually need to look for, and why anthropomorphizing AI carries real societal risk The Dreamachine: how Anil led a groundbreaking science-art project that used stroboscopic light to induce visual hallucinations in more than 35,000 people, and what the largest ever citizen science study into perceptual diversity revealed about how differently each of us experiences the world What the neuroscience of consciousness means for medicine: from anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness to psychedelics and mental health, how understanding the brain's generative nature opens new clinical possibilities Free will, the self, and what's left: if the self is a controlled hallucination, does that mean we aren't really in control? And is that terrifying, or strangely liberating? This is a deeply searching and surprisingly personal conversation about the most intimate fact of human existence: the experience of being you. Learn more about Anil's work at anilseth.com, and find his book, Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, wherever books are sold. His TED talks are available HERE, and his 2025 Berggruen Prize essay, "The Mythology of Conscious AI," can be read at Noema Magazine.
Today, King Charles has become the first monarch ever to reveal their tax bill: £12.9 million. The King has broken royal precedent by publishing some of his finances, revealing that he is in the top 100 of UK taxpayers. But we still don't know much about his income, or how this tax bill was calculated. The accounts also show that the main source of annual public funding for the Royals will nearly double within three years. Adam speaks to Senior Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph. He's also joined by Ailbhe Rea, Political editor of the New Statesman, and Sienna Rodgers, Deputy Editor of the House Magazine, to discuss the week in Westminster.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren and Ellie House. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
As Ben Rhodes says on this week's episode, “we're in a revolutionary moment globally”. Joining Nish and Coco from sister show Pod Save the World, Ben shares (and despairs) about the state of UK and US politics, and tells us what we can take from the Democrats' disaster of 2024. Isn't it time that progressives got their own populist?Plus, we hear about Ben's new book, ‘All We Say', tracing American history through some of its most famous–and infamous–speeches. We talk to him about the similarities between Britain and America both losing their way when it comes to national identity, and how our leaders need to tell it like it is. We can handle the truth! Also on the show, New Statesman Editor Tom McTague dissects Starmer's swan song, his last minute decision not to challenge Burnham for leadership, and sets out why it all went wrong for a man who won a landslide victory less than two years ago. USEFUL LINKSGrab a copy of Ben's new book, All We Say: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470622/all-we-say-by-rhodes-ben/9781847928887 Ailbhe Rea's recent piece in the New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2026/06/what-happens-now Tom McTague's interview with Keir Starmer: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/what-keir-starmer-cant-say GUESTS Ben Rhodes Tom McTague CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SAILY: https://www.saily.com/podsave HRF Power Plays: Search Power Plays wherever you get your podcasts.VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKWISE: https://www.wise.comBT: Search ‘Why BT' to find out more.Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com we'd love to hear from you as we plan to do a mailbag episode soon: end any questions, thoughts, or musings our way!Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
Simon Marks sits in for Iain Dale and is joined by Labour MP Charlotte Nichols, Conservative peer and former Cabinet minister Lord Simon Hart, The Times columnist Cindy Yu, plus the New Statesman's associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe.
Vicki Young assesses Andy Burnham's Makerfield by-election win, which paves the way for a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer. She is joined by FT political editor, George Parker; New Statesman political editor, Ailbhe Rae; GB News political editor Christopher Hope and Labour peer and broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika.
Max and Donatienne sit down with Tom McTague, Editor in Chief at the New Statesman and author of Between the Waves: The Hidden History of a Very British Revolution 1945–2016, to discuss how the history of EU-UK relations set up this split, the state of British-EU relations today, and what has or has not changed in politics since 2016.Mentioned: Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus – by Rick Perlstein Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org If you love The Eurofile, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.
For this week's Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator's assistant editor Isabel Hardman and the editor of The New Statesman Tom McTague. Plus, in a special episode this week, the Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons joins for the first half of the episode, before political editor Tim Shipman jumps in later on.This week: was Brexit worth it? As we approach the tenth anniversary of the vote to leave the European Union, the Spectator's editor – and former prominent Vote Leave campaigner – Michael Gove makes the case that not only was Britain right to leave, but it has benefitted from leaving. The past decade however has been marked by domestic political chaos, so to what extent was Brexit a symptom or a cause of deeper problems with the British state? Tom argues that whatever your thoughts on Brexit itself, most people in Britain – including in Makerfield – feel nothing has changed; it has been a ‘damp squib'. The author of Between The Waves, which charts the decision to Leave back to the Second World War, explains that while Brexit might not have been inevitable, there was always going to be a reckoning for Britain's contradictory relationship with Europe. Brexit has undoubtably destabilised politics but, with a decade of chaos since, does that mean that Brexit has failed – or has the state failed? Also: to what extent is the Labour leadership saga connected to Brexit? Is it a symptom of the post-Brexit period, or was British politics always heading for instability? The group discuss where it all went wrong for Keir Starmer, from winter fuel to the welfare rebellion, and whether Andy Burnham will be able to succeed where Starmer failed. As the polls close in Makerfield, what happens next?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The former Health Secretary reveals why he believes Keir Starmer is failing.When Wes Streeting resigned from cabinet in May, it put an end to months of speculation. The former Health Secretary does want Keir Starmer's job. Since then, the Defence Secretary, John Healey, and the Armed Forces minister, Al Carns, have both resigned over the Defence Spending plan. Keir Starmer's leadership is looking more and more precarious.Now Andy Burnham is running in the Makerfield by-election. If he becomes an MP, that could clear a way for him to contest the leadership himself.In the days leading up to the by-election, Wes Streeting came into the New Statesman studio for an extended interview with our Political Correspondent, Ethan Croft. In the conversation you're about to hear, Streeting speaks candidly about the reasons he left government, his views on Keir Starmer's leadership and what he believes Labour needs to do to reverse its ailing fortunes. He's also surprisingly complimentary about his potential rival in a future leadership contest, Andy Burnham.LISTEN AD-FREE:
For this week's Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator's assistant editor Isabel Hardman and the editor of The New Statesman Tom McTague. Plus, in a special episode this week, the Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons joins for the first half of the episode, before political editor Tim Shipman jumps in later on.This week: was Brexit worth it? As we approach the tenth anniversary of the vote to leave the European Union, the Spectator's editor – and former prominent Vote Leave campaigner – Michael Gove makes the case that not only was Britain right to leave, but it has benefitted from leaving. The past decade however has been marked by domestic political chaos, so to what extent was Brexit a symptom or a cause of deeper problems with the British state? Tom argues that whatever your thoughts on Brexit itself, most people in Britain – including in Makerfield – feel nothing has changed; it has been a ‘damp squib'. The author of Between The Waves, which charts the decision to Leave back to the Second World War, explains that while Brexit might not have been inevitable, there was always going to be a reckoning for Britain's contradictory relationship with Europe. Brexit has undoubtably destabilised politics but, with a decade of chaos since, does that mean that Brexit has failed – or has the state failed? Also: to what extent is the Labour leadership saga connected to Brexit? Is it a symptom of the post-Brexit period, or was British politics always heading for instability? The group discuss where it all went wrong for Keir Starmer, from winter fuel to the welfare rebellion, and whether Andy Burnham will be able to succeed where Starmer failed. As the polls close in Makerfield, what happens next?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kate's an old pal of ours from Word magazine who writes scintillating columns and profiles for the New Statesman and Observer. We loved her book ‘Men Of A Certain Age: My Encounters With Rock Royalty' – just out in paperback! – where she relives her meetings with a variety of legends, eccentrics and old lags whose music she finds particularly compelling and wonders what they all have in common. This typically funny and colourful conversation stops off at … … the attractive fallibility of rock stars past their peak … a lifetime's devotion to Paul Simon … “Olivia Dean is the Carole King of her generation” … the ridiculous expectations we heap on musicians' creativity … why Arts Criticism is under threat … when the first record you buy (aged five) is the Chicken Song … “One-Hit Wonders have achieved infinitely more than most of us” … Ray Davies and his “eternal sense of apartness” … why George Michael is under-appreciated and the time he found someone living under his floorboards … the days when Jeff Beck modelled PVC jackets for Rave … the genius of Pat Metheny's Orchestrion … and the new acts who'll still be huge in ten years' time. Order copies of ‘Men Of A Certain Age' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Certain-Age-Encounters-Royalty/dp/1788705645Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kate's an old pal of ours from Word magazine who writes scintillating columns and profiles for the New Statesman and Observer. We loved her book ‘Men Of A Certain Age: My Encounters With Rock Royalty' – just out in paperback! – where she relives her meetings with a variety of legends, eccentrics and old lags whose music she finds particularly compelling and wonders what they all have in common. This typically funny and colourful conversation stops off at … … the attractive fallibility of rock stars past their peak … a lifetime's devotion to Paul Simon … “Olivia Dean is the Carole King of her generation” … the ridiculous expectations we heap on musicians' creativity … why Arts Criticism is under threat … when the first record you buy (aged five) is the Chicken Song … “One-Hit Wonders have achieved infinitely more than most of us” … Ray Davies and his “eternal sense of apartness” … why George Michael is under-appreciated and the time he found someone living under his floorboards … the days when Jeff Beck modelled PVC jackets for Rave … the genius of Pat Metheny's Orchestrion … and the new acts who'll still be huge in ten years' time. Order copies of ‘Men Of A Certain Age' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Certain-Age-Encounters-Royalty/dp/1788705645Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kate's an old pal of ours from Word magazine who writes scintillating columns and profiles for the New Statesman and Observer. We loved her book ‘Men Of A Certain Age: My Encounters With Rock Royalty' – just out in paperback! – where she relives her meetings with a variety of legends, eccentrics and old lags whose music she finds particularly compelling and wonders what they all have in common. This typically funny and colourful conversation stops off at … … the attractive fallibility of rock stars past their peak … a lifetime's devotion to Paul Simon … “Olivia Dean is the Carole King of her generation” … the ridiculous expectations we heap on musicians' creativity … why Arts Criticism is under threat … when the first record you buy (aged five) is the Chicken Song … “One-Hit Wonders have achieved infinitely more than most of us” … Ray Davies and his “eternal sense of apartness” … why George Michael is under-appreciated and the time he found someone living under his floorboards … the days when Jeff Beck modelled PVC jackets for Rave … the genius of Pat Metheny's Orchestrion … and the new acts who'll still be huge in ten years' time. Order copies of ‘Men Of A Certain Age' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Certain-Age-Encounters-Royalty/dp/1788705645Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock'n'Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Defence Secretary John Healey resigned, claiming Keir Starmer's lack of funding for the military will make the UK "less safe"Hugo Rifkind spoke to The Times' Chief Political Commentator Patrick Maguire and Times Radio's Political Editor Anna Mikhailova about the damage the resignation has done to the Prime Minister's authority.And before the news of Healey's resignation broke, Hugo spoke to the New Statesman's Political Correspondent Megan Kenyon and the academic and podcaster David Runciman about whether social media was fanning the flames of unrest in Belfast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ahead of the by-election in Makerfield on June 18th, polling expert Scarlett Maguire spoke to voters in the constituency for the New Statesman. This episode is made up of clips from these Makerfield locals.Scarlett spoke to two groups, some who said they would be voting Reform, some who said they would be voting Labour.They shared their concerns about the current state of the UK and its politics, and their opinions on the two main parties and candidates battling it out in Makerfield.LISTEN AD-FREE:
While Westminster looks inward, the world is moving fast. Keir Starmer's government needs to focus on the urgent changes affecting all of our lives.Tom McTague joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss his latest essay for the New Statesman, and answer listeners questions. This week, listeners ask: "Why have British politicians been so useless for the past 20 years?" and "is it finally time for voting reform?"LISTEN AD-FREE:
Séamas O'Reilly discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Séamas O'Reilly is a writer and author who has worked as a columnist for the Observer, the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner. He is Features Editor of London satirical magazine, The Fence and his writing has appeared in The Guardian, the New Statesman and the New York Times. His memoir Did Ye Hear Mammy Died topped the Irish Times Bestseller List for seven weeks, and won Best Biography at the 2021 Irish Book Awards. Séamas currently lives in Walthamstow, London with his family. His new novel is Prestige Drama, which is available at https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/seamas-oreilly/prestige-drama/9780349727899/. The book "On Bloody Sunday" by Julieann Campbell https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/30/on-bloody-sunday-by-julieann-campbell-review-the-most-powerful-account-of-a-brutal-day The writer Flann O'Brien/Myles na Gopaleen https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n07/clair-wills/anti-writer The Dyatlov Pass Incident https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved AI Is A Scam https://www.gardenofmemory.net/historian-vs-ai-the-technology-sucks-and-is-basically-a-scam/ Alan Moore's Top Ten comics series https://pagechewing.com/comic-commentary-top-10-by-alan-moore/ John Carpenter's The Thing Is Probably The Best Film Of All Time https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/thing-2-review/ This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm
Last month, an article in the New Statesman went viral. “Meet the Angry Young Women”, it was titled. “Across Britain a radical new feminism is rising”. What makes someone radically left-wing according to this article? Disliking billionaires, feeling anxious about social injustice, caring about Gaza, and of course – having pink hair and a nose ring. How very radical! The New Statesman article was then seized upon by The Times and The Telegraph in particular, who bemoaned that we should "Forget the Manosphere" and instead focus on "Angry leftie women" who are apparently "the vanguard of the Left's toxic empathy". 6 in 10 women wouldn't date someone who doesn't have the same view as them on Israel-Palestine, they gripe. Yet the articles fail to mention that the data set also found that 5 in 10 men feel the same. Can angry young women who are exercising their democratic right to vote really be compared to the angry young men of the manosphere, who are perpetuators and some even proven perpetrators of sexual violence? What is the media's real aim behind these lazy comparisons? And is the femosphere even real, or did the media manufacture it? Joining us on Media Storm to actually discuss why women are so bloody angry, is therapist and activist Megan Cooper (who was misrepresented and misquoted in the original article) and founder of Cheer Up Luv, Eliza Hatch. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia) The music is by @soundofsamfire Follow us @mediastormpod Edited by Toka Qassem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years. In this episode, Kim speaks with Gary Gerstle, best-selling author of The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order and ten other books. Kim said that after reading this book, she began to feel that when it comes to economic policy, we really have a one-party system. The architect of the New Deal Order was FDR, a Democrat, but its general contractor was Eisenhower, arguably the most progressive of all American presidents. The architect of the Neoliberal order was Reagan, but its general contractor was Clinton. Kim also said that reading this book made her realize that, time and again throughout her career, she thought she was working towards progressive ends, not understanding how neoliberalism had taken hold of the Democratic Party. Gerstle explains that “the phrase political order is meant to connote a constellation of ideologies, policies, and constituencies that shape American politics in ways that endure beyond the two-, four-, and six-year election cycles. In the last hundred years, America has had two political orders: the New Deal order that arose in the 1930s and 1940s, crested in the 1950s and 1960s, and fell in the 1970s; and the neoliberal order that arose in the 1970s and 1980s, crested in the 1990s and 2000s, and fell in the 2010s At the heart of each of these two political orders stood a distinctive program of political economy. The New Deal order was founded on the conviction that capitalism left to its own devices spelled economic disaster. It had to be managed by a strong central state able to govern the economic system in the public interest. The neoliberal order, by contrast, was grounded in the belief that market forces had to be liberated from government regulatory controls that were stymying growth, innovation, and freedom. The architects of the neoliberal order set out in the 1980s and 1990s to dismantle everything that the New Deal order had built across its forty-year span. Now it, too, is being dismantled. Alarmingly, there seems to be no coherent policy around whatever it is replacing the Neoliberal order–just a mad grab for wealth, leading to even greater disparities than those that led to the Gilded Age's excesses and to the Great Depression. Guest Background: Gary Gerstle is Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus and Paul Mellon Director of Research at the University of Cambridge. He is the author and editor of more than ten books, including two prizewinners, American Crucible (2017) and Liberty and Coercion (2015). He is a Guardian columnist and has also written for the Atlantic Monthly, the New Statesman, Dissent, The Nation, and Die Zeit, among others. He frequently appears on BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, ITV 4, Talking Politics, and NPR. CHAPTERS (00:00) Introduction to Radical Sabbatical and Guest (03:03) Understanding Liberalism and Neoliberalism (06:11) The Evolution of Liberalism in America (09:06) The New Deal and Its Impact (12:10) Violence and Wealth Inequality in Capitalism (14:59) The Great Depression and Its Consequences (18:07) Defining Political Order (21:11) The Rise of the Neoliberal Order (24:05) Clinton's Role in Neoliberalism (26:58) The Gorky Automobile Factory and Communism's Appeal (31:19) The Rise of Soviet Communism as a Challenge to Capitalism (36:18) The Treaty of Detroit: Compromise Between Labor and Capital (41:43) Transition to Neoliberalism: The Powell Memo and Its Impact (49:13) Telecom Act of 1996: Deregulation and Its Consequences (54:16) The 2008 Financial Crisis: A Turning Point for Neoliberalism Connect with the Radical Candor team: Website LinkedIn YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The data on young women and three big problemsMajor data points also laid out here: https://anyashakh.substack.com/p/the-... Based on the recently published piece by The New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-st... TIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Intro01:27 — New data on young women in the West04:14 — The big picture behind the data05:35 — The most alarming statistics07:00 — How anti-man sentiment is spreading09:18 — Anti-man culture in everyday conversation11:06 — Why criticism of women gets avoided12:40 — The first big problem: confusion about men14:56 — How feminism reshaped female identity17:09 — What women were doing differently before19:17 — Misplaced empathy and emotion-driven behavior21:19 — Feeling unloved and looking for meaning22:54 — The third problem: misunderstanding God25:03 — Why women avoid wrestling with deeper truths25:47 — God, masculinity, and authority26:35 — The collapse of real community27:00 — The three fundamental problems28:08 — OutroResource: FREE 50 Essential Books & Films - https://ancientintelligence.kit.com/t... Weekly newsletter - https://anyashakh.substack.com Beyond the podcast, I work 1:1 with men: Read what other men have said - https://share.google/oScXWNergQbnLknbA Book a free consultation today - https://calendly.com/anyashakh/discov...
Daniel Lavelle is an Orwell Prize-winning freelance feature writer from Manchester. His first book, Down and Out, was published in 2022 and won a Royal Society of Literature award for non-fiction writing. He has covered topics such as mental health, homelessness, and culture for the Guardian (for whom he co-authored the series ‘The Empty Doorway'), New Statesman and the Independent. He received the Guardian's Hugo Young award for an opinion piece on his experience of homelessness. ‘The Empty Doorway' won Feature of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2019 and was nominated for the same award at the National Press Awards 2020. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his new book Chasing Aliens: Faith and Conspiracy in the UFO Heartlands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy Burnham is running in a by-election in Makerfield, which is likely to be held on 18 June, to return to Parliament as an MP. If he wins, he will be the frontrunner in a contest to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.Burnham's personal brand of politics is often referred to as “Manchesterism”. So, what is it?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by The New Statesman's editor-in-chief Tom McTague, who profiled Andy Burnham back in September.LISTEN: https://www.newstatesman.com/podcasts/politics-podcast/2025/09/andy-burnham-has-a-plan-for-britain-2READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/09/exclusive-andy-burnhams-plan-for-britainLISTEN AD-FREE:
Wes Streeting has invoked the B-word, and it's not Burnham for once. Plus: We talk to Ben Walker, co-founder of Britain Elects and Senior Data Journalist at The New Statesman, about his predictions for the Makerfield by-election when adjusted for ‘The Burnham Effect', legal chaos continues as reporting restrictions covering the convictions of four Palestine Action activists are lifted, while contempt proceedings brought against one of their barristers are chucked out on appeal. Finally, Richard Hames took to the streets at this week's rally to investigate what, if anything, unites the Unite The Kingdom movement. With Michael Walker and Stephen Methven.
What happens when a government goes all in on AI? It creates some huge vulnerabilities. Will Dunn joins Paris Marx to dig into how the UK government is using chatbots to write laws without public consultation and why it isn't asking the hard questions about the risks of that growing reliance on US technology. Will Dunn is the business editor at the New Statesman. Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon. The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson. Also mentioned in this episode: Will wrote about the UK government's adoption of AI and the risks it presents. Rishi Sunak is working with Anthropic. Sunak acknowledges companies reliant on AI technology are hiring less young people. Will shouts out the book Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott J. Shapiro.
What happens when a government goes all in on AI? It creates some huge vulnerabilities. Will Dunn joins Paris Marx to dig into how the UK government is using chatbots to write laws without public consultation and why it isn't asking the hard questions about the risks of that growing reliance on US technology.Will Dunn is the business editor at the New Statesman.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
• It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing.Reform could well land a colossal freak victory and total power over the UK at the next General Election. Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system is struggling to cope with our new five-party system. As voters desert Labour and the Tories in droves, has proportional representation's moment finally come? Should Labour finally embrace fair votes for fear of something worse? Who is relighting the debate and how could it happen? And would a new PM's promise to make every vote count be big enough to convince Britain that Labour is serious about changing Britain for the better? The New Statesman's associate political editor and Oh God, What Now? regular Rachel Cunliffe digs into the new electoral reform debate with Andrew Harrison. • Read Rachel's piece on proportional representation in the New Statesman here. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. Reform could well land a colossal freak victory and total power over the UK at the next General Election. Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system is struggling to cope with our new five-party system. As voters desert Labour and the Tories in droves, has proportional representation's moment finally come? Should Labour finally embrace fair votes for fear of something worse? Who is relighting the debate and how could it happen? And would a new PM's promise to make every vote count be big enough to convince Britain that Labour is serious about changing Britain for the better? The New Statesman's associate political editor and Oh God, What Now? regular Rachel Cunliffe digs into the new electoral reform debate with Andrew Harrison. • Read Rachel's piece on proportional representation in the New Statesman here. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Are young men and women being pushed further apart? Recent polling by Merlin Strategies for the New Statesman suggests a growing divide: Gen Z women are less likely than their male peers to describe themselves as “happy”, “ambitious”, “excited” or “fulfilled, and only 35% of women under 25 say they have a positive view of men. Professor of Media and Communications at Loughborough University, Dr Jilly Kay argues that digital platforms are accelerating a new era of gender polarisation. In this special edition of Radical, guest hosted by historian and academic Dr Eliza Filby, Jilly explains why she coined the term “femosphere” to describe online communities in which women are encouraged to see men as inherently problematic, avoid casual dating, and exploit male attention for financial gain. Jilly and Eliza explore why a generation raised online feels increasingly powerless amid economic insecurity and social fragmentation, and ask what solutions might exist for a culture shaped by pessimism, alienation and division. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.ukRadical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray with Oscar Pearson and Bella Saltiel. Digital production was by Jem Westgate. Technical production was by Jonathan Greer. The Senior News Editor is Sam Bonham.
Declan Ryan is an Irish poet based in London. His first poetry collection, published in 2023, is called “Crisis Actor”. One reviewer said that the poems are preoccupied with, and driven by, the weight and difficulty of expectation — of ourselves and of others. His poems, reviews and essays have appeared in numerous journals including the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Observer, The Irish Times and New Statesman. My featured song is “Like Never Before”, my recent single. Spotify. link —----------------------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for All Episodes Click here for Guest List Click here for Guest Groupings Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here to Subscribe Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH DECLAN:www.declanryan.uk —---------------------------------------- ROBERT'S NEWEST RELEASE:“MI CACHIMBER ALL STARS” is the new, expanded version of Robert's single, “Mi Cachimber”, which he wrote for his father. Featuring Camila Cortina on Rhodes and Xito Lovell on trombone in addition to Benny Benack III and Dave Smith on flugelhorn, and Project Grand Slam's rhythm section. CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- ROBERT'S RECENT RELEASE: “MA PETITE FLEUR STRING QUARTET” is Robert's latest release. It transforms his jazz ballad into a lush classical string quartet piece. Praised by a host of classical music stars. CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINK CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —---------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast: Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music: Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com
On angry young women. Ashley Frawley, sociologist and senior editor at Compact, joins Alex and George to delve more deeply into young people's political polarisation on gender lines. Why is there a lack of mutual understanding or goodwill between young men and women when we have never been more equal? Why do differing political views on anything from Israel/Palestine to Donald Trump cause such interpersonal rancour? Young women are centrally concerned with pain, trauma, and empathy – and see men as lacking. What's behind this? How is the conservative explanation (bad lefty ideas) just as faulty as the lefty one (patriarchy)? What will the political consequences be of gender polarisation? For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast Links: Revealed: the new radicalism among young women, Scarlett Maguire, New Statesman Meet the Angry Young Women, Emily Lawford, New Statesman Why young women are so angry, Pippa Bailey, New Statesman Don't panic about “Angry Young Women”, Jack Davey, The Critic Magazine Why do young women hate men?, New Statesman, YouTube /394/ Girls, Left / Boys, Right ft. Nina Power (see for additional links) Girls and Boys are becoming very different, Alex Hochuli, Substack
Silicon Bites Ep336 | 2026-05-11 | The UK is falling – how a two-party system built over a century is cracking apart in real time — and why the architect of the wreckage is now the frontrunner to run it. You're not worried yet? You should be. An alleged grifter and fraud is about to take the UK to a dark place, and the implications for Ukraine and European security are huge. This grifter is Nigel Farage, and huge dark money forces have allegedly helped build his political platform over decades, and he has a history of repeating moronic Kremlin's narratives. His colleague was jailed for being paid to do the same in the EU parliament. The UK's mini-Trump is on the way, brace, brace, brace. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:CNN — "Farage's Reform UK wins big in local elections, splintering two-party system and piling pressure on Starmer" (8 May 2026) Al Jazeera — "UK's Labour set for heavy losses in elections as Reform makes early gains" (8 May 2026)Times of Israel / AP — "UK Labour dealt blow as far-right Reform surges, Greens gain in local elections" (8-9 May 2026) Prism News — "Reform UK leads fragmented English local elections as Labour, Conservatives lose ground" (8 May 2026) Socialist Worker UK — "Elections 2026: Reform UK surges as mainstream politics fractures" (8 May 2026) Brookings Institution — Adam Krugman, "Back to the future? British politics in 2026" (19 February 2026) ITV News Wales — "Former Reform leader in Wales Nathan Gill jailed for 10.5 years for accepting Russian bribes" (21 November 2025) Al Jazeera — "Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales jailed for 10 years over pro-Russia bribes" (21 November 2025) New Statesman — "Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales jailed for over 10 years" (21 November 2025) Wikipedia (Nathan Gill) ----------
We've all heard of the manosphere. We've all come across commentators who blame it for the radicalisation of young men. Political leaders express immense concern about manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, who are blamed for the alienation of their young fans from mainstream society. We hear a lot less about the femosphere. In a recent New Statesman cover story, titled 'Meet the Angry Young Women', journalist Emily Lawford and pollster Scarlett Maguire broke fresh ground in outlining just how radicalised young British women are. This is partly a story about the internet, specifically the femosphere. It's also a story about declining economic prospects for young people, elite over-production, and the increasing hostility directed against men. Emily Lawford is the online editor at the New Statesman. Scarlett Maguire is the founder and director of Merlin Strategy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daniel Dylan Wray on his anticipated first book, Groovy, Laidback & Nasty, the first ever authoritative history of Sheffield music (out today!).Exhaustively researched and spanning almost seven decades, Groovy, Laidback and Nasty features over 150 new interviews with the likes of Richard Hawley, Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Rebecca Lucy Taylor (Self Esteem), The Human League, ABC and Cabaret Voltaire – along with countless others.The book also delves deep into many of Sheffield's far-reaching cultural roots; from Peter Stringfellow's wild years as a club promoter in the 1960s to Toddla T's teenage breakthrough in the late 2000s, via Warp records, FON and seminal nightclubs such as Jive Turkey, Niche and Gatecrasher, as well as the noughties' so-called ‘New Yorkshire' movement, a controversial rave-meets-religion movement turned cult, and a whole host of stories spanning worldwide pop stardom through to more underground, DIY and leftfield musical excursions.Daniel Dylan Wray is a music and culture writer who lives in Sheffield. Primarily writing for the Guardian, he has also written for outlets including the BBC, Pitchfork, The Independent, The Times, New Statesman, Uncut, The Quietus and countless others. Groovy, Laidback and Nasty is his first book.https://www.instagram.com/ddywray/------22 Grand Pod is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/22grandpodOff the back of the main pod, we are creating Patreon only bonus content. For £3 a month you will get:The 00's Deep Dive: Taking a look back at the likes of the Stalking Pete Doherty documentary and going through them in painful detail. As well as going through NME Awards from back in the day and discussing what happened.My Favourite 00's Songs: Inviting patrons and other guests to come on the podcast to talk about their favourite songs, albums or moments from back in the day.Legend or Landfill: We go through NME's top 10 albums of each year and see if we think they are indeed Legendary or for the Landfill.Fans Stories: Talking to people about their memories and opinions on all things 00's.Unsigned Stories: Chatting with bands that didn't quite 'make it' in terms of signing that elusive record deal.Patrons will also get early access to any main pod episodesMerch etc: https://www.redbubble.com/people/22grandpod/shop?asc=uAlso check the YouTube channel for extended video versions of the interviews and much more: https://bit.ly/3Ts7Wu1And 22 Grand Pod on Islington Radio: https://www.mixcloud.com/IslingtonRadio/playlists/22-grand-pod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Crowds of young people chant his name but the Green leader is "nervous", says Ailbhe Rea.--A year ago, Zack Polanksi was relatively unknown. Now, he's leading an "eco-populist" movement that has revitalised the Green Party and looks likely to propel a left-wing surge in the May local elections.Ailbhe Rea profiled the Green leader for the New Statesman, meeting him shortly after he'd been addressing young activists. She found a "sweet, slightly nervous" man who admits he still has much to learn about running a political party. Here Ailbhe speaks to Anoosh Chakelian about Zack Polanski's political position, his unusual background, and the lessons he might learn from Jeremy Corbyn.LISTEN NEXT: Attacks on Jews are an indictment of Keir Starmer's BritainREAD: Zack Polanski is still learningLISTEN AD-FREE:
Ece Temelkuran (fascism expert, political exile, journalist) first began reporting on the global slide into fascism as a journalist witnessing it happen in her home country, Turkey. In 2016, she was forced into exile and went on to write the bestselling book How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps From Democracy to Authoritarianism that warned the rest of the world just how close it was to the same perilous descent. In her new book, Nation of Strangers, Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century, Ece argues we are entering “an age of survival” and that we are all about to become exiles of sorts, “unhomed” from our sense of belonging to the world as authoritarianism rips us from our sense of collective meaning as humans. Pivoting her focus to how we can best move through this moment, she says we need to turn to those who've already been exiled (the immigrants, the refugees, the victims of fascism) to learn how to rebuild our “what comes next”.This is a fascinating thesis and Ece, who lives nomadically between Berlin and Greece, gives us a very raw and vulnerable take on it.About EceEce Temelkuran is an award-winning Turkish novelist, political thinker, and public speaker. Her work has appeared in publications including The Guardian, The New York Times, Le Monde, El País, New Statesman, and Der Spiegel.Show Notes Get your copy of How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps From Democracy to Authoritarianism and Nation of Strangers, Rebuilding Home in the 21st CenturyYou can connect with Ece on Instagram here and on X here.--Watch on YouTube or SubstackIf you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations, subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it's where I interact the most!Let's connect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today, after a week of warning's from the government over the financial impact of the war in Iran - is the reality starting to hit home?Adam, Chris and Faisal are joined by Ailbhe Rea Political Editor of the New Statesman to discuss how the financial effects could be felt all over the country? It comes after the Bank of England warns interest rates could rise this year following a “significant energy price shock”. And, with economic uncertainty looking set to continue - could this put off Labour MPs from launching a challenge to Keir Starmer? You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Jem Westgate. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis . The technical producer was . The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
"It makes me furious," says New Statesman editor Tom McTague. An attack in Golders Green, London, yet again exposes the rise of antisemitism in Britain. Anoosh Chakelian has been reporting from the borough, where local Jews fear for their safety, volunteer security guards patrol the streets and Jewish children have to pass through heavy security cordons to get to school. She tells editor Tom McTague about what she found.Meanwhile, the rise of anti-Jewish hate is putting more pressure on a government still mired in the Peter Mandelson scandal. The Prime Minister has become deeply unpopular, the Iran War continues, and local elections loom. Westminster has concluded Keir Starmer has two options: fight or flight. The New Statesman's political editor, Ailbhe Rea, says the Prime Minister has made a decision and raised his fists. READ:Terror in Golders Green, by Anoosh Chakelianhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/society/2026/04/terror-in-suburbiaWe are under attack, by Rachel Cunliffehttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/society/2026/04/we-are-under-attackLISTEN AD-FREE:
Freya is the author of the Substack GIRLS, where she writes about the challenges girls and young women face in the modern world. She's also a staff writer for Jonathan Haidt's newsletter, After Babel. She has contributed to publications including The New Statesman, The Spectator, and The Free Press. Today, we are going to be discussing her debut book, GIRLS, Generation Z and the commodification of everything, which will be out in the US in May. Her book serves as both an account of her upbringing in the digital age, as well as an inside look for parents and caring adults about what adolescence online is like right now.
For years, we have wrung our hands about the manosphere: the misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate exploiting a generation of disillusioned and impressionable lost boys.But what about radicalised young women?New, exclusive polling for the New Statesman has uncovered a huge difference in the political, economic and social outlook of women and men under 30 in Britain, created largely by women turning to the left. Should we be worried about the “femmosphere”?Joining me to discuss is Scarlett Maguire, founder and director of polling and research company Merlin Strategy, and our online editor Emily Lawford, whose brilliant report about this phenomenon will be out in this week's issue of the New Statesman.Meet the Angry Young Womenhttps://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/04/meet-the-angry-young-women-why-young-women-dont-want-to-date-me Revealed: the new radicalism among young women https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/polling/2026/04/revealed-the-new-radicalism-among-young-women LISTEN AD-FREE:
The concept of domicide and its profound impact on Homs, Syria, is explored through the work and personal experiences of architect Ammar Azzouz. A research fellow at the University of Oxford, Dr. Azzouz discusses the deliberate destruction of homes, the trauma of exile, and his eventual return to his homeland. He examines how international attention frequently prioritizes the loss of ancient heritage sites, such as Palmyra, while often overlooking the intimate grief associated with the destruction of residential areas where people lived their daily lives. The discussion also delves into the slow violence of pre-war urban projects, like the "Homs Dream", which proposed demolishing parts of the historic old city for modern development, and how these top-down models continue to threaten the city's identity during current reconstruction efforts. 01:04 Introduction 01:35 Personal Memories of Home 05:00 The Architectural Identity of Homs 06:11 Exile and Return 10:51 Domicide vs. Urbicide 13:16 Slow Violence and the Homs Dream 17:18 The Politics of Reconstruction and Dubaization 21:04 Alternative Visions for Healing 33:00 Empowering the Next Generation 34:32 The Limitations of International Heritage Organizations 41:06 Highlighting Favorite Historical Sites Dr. Ammar Azzouz is a British Academy Research Fellow at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. Originally from Homs, Syria, he studied architecture before moving to the UK to complete his PhD. Since leaving Syria in 2011, he has not been able to return. Dr. Azzouz is the author of Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria (2023, Bloomsbury), with a foreword by Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. He is the Principal Investigator of the Slow Violence and the City research project, which explores the connection between violence and the built environment in both wartime and peacetime. His current research focuses on art and culture in exile, particularly within the Syrian diaspora. Dr. Azzouz has contributed to platforms such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and The New Statesman, and has been invited to speak at over 130 events worldwide, from Mexico and the US to Germany, the Netherlands, and Qatar. Connect with Dr. Ammar Azzouz
Fatima Bhutto is an acclaimed journalist and novelist. She is the author of the novels The Runaways and The Shadow of the Crescent Moon. Her nonfiction works include New Kings of the World and Songs of Blood and Sword. Fatima Bhutto's new book is The Hour of the Wolf: A Memoir. Her essays and other work have been featured in New Statesman, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, and The Nation. Fatima's life has been shaped by political violence. She is the granddaughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Pakistani prime minister arrested and executed in the 1970s. She is the niece of Benazir Bhutto, twice prime minister of Pakistan before being assassinated in 2007. Her father, Murtaza Bhutto, was killed when Fatima was just 14 years old. Fatima counsels that yes, this dystopic world is profoundly broken — but we need to find solace, community and strength from one another to make it a better place. She warns that ignoring injustice and evil only provides the illusion of temporary safety and that we must confront such dark forces even if it is terrifying and comes at a great cost. Fatima reflects on the ethics of bringing new life into such a broken world and the importance of healthy relationships, love, and community. Chauncey does some public thinking about why everything feels so much harder right now. The Age of Trump. The war and destruction in the Middle East. The Orwellian assault on reality and truth. And why we have no choice but to endure and soldier on. He ponders whether we are lost and spinning in the Twilight Zone and draws on Rod Serling's wisdom to find his way out. And he shares Fintan O'Toole's essential new essay on Donald Trump as the Mad King and his war against Iran. WHERE CAN YOU FIND ME? On Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaunceydevega On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chauncey.devega My email: chaunceydevega@gmail.com HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE CHAUNCEY DEVEGA SHOW? Via Paypal at ChaunceyDeVega.com: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thechaunceydevegashow https://www.patreon.com/TheTruthReportPodcast
In this special edition of Coffee House Shots, our political editor Tim Shipman is joined by historian, biographer and foreign policy adviser to four different prime ministers, John Bew. In his 7,000-word essay published in the New Statesman last week, John sets out the historical context which has contributed to the malaise and decline of the British state – and hypothesises that we are currently living in the ‘fourth great disruption' to the political and economic order. He takes Tim through the previous three disruptions and the lessons that government needs to learn from them in order to stop the rot. Does the secret to forging a new place in the world order lie in fixing the machinery of government? Which figures from the past should we take inspiration from?Produced by Megan McElroy.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thi Nguyen draws on the philosophy of games to explain how scores and metrics impact our lives—and what we can do to use them more meaningfully. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How metrics can coopt our values and behavior2) The hidden costs of the desire to quantify everything3) Why the wrong people often seem to get aheadSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1133 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT THI — C. Thi Nguyen is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Utah, and a specialist in the philosophy of games, the philosophy of technology, and the theory of value. A former food writer for the Los Angeles Times, Nguyen is active in public philosophy, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post, New Statesman, and elsewhere.• Book: The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game• Website: Objectionable.net• Bluesky: @add-hawk— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: The Cultural Evolution of Bad Science by Paul Smaldino and Richard McElrath• Book: Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (The Institution for Social and Policy St) by James Scott• Book: Trust and Antitrust: A Philosophical Exploration of Ethics by Annette Baier• Book: The Grasshopper - Third Edition: Games, Life and Utopia by Bernard Suits— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/betterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Last October, the war in Sudan took a new turn with the capture of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces. The city in western Sudan had been under siege by the RSF for more than two years before the Sudanese armed forces suddenly withdrew. After taking control of El Fasher, the RSF began to carry out a massacre of civilians. A UN fact-finding mission recently found that the crimes in El Fasher bore “hallmarks of genocide.” The Sudanese catastrophe is all the more depressing because it comes after a brief moment of greater political openness and optimism after the ousting of a dictator in 2019. Joshua Craze joins Long Reads to discuss the evolution of the conflict in Sudan and its likely future. Joshua has written many articles about the politics of Sudan and South Sudan for publications such as the New Statesman, the New York Review of Books, and Jacobin. Read Joshua's 2023 essay for Jacobin, “Only You Can Save Darfur”: https://jacobin.com/2023/07/only-you-can-save-darfur And find other work on his personal website: https://www.joshuacraze.com/essays Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine's longform writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.