Podcast appearances and mentions of Tony Blair

It was a new dawn. Or at least so Tony Blair said, as he emerged from his landslide victory in the 1997 General Election. It's what he would say, isn't it?Still, there was some truth to the claim. It was the end of eighteen years of Conservative rule. Eleven of them had been under the Iron lady, Maggie Thatcher. And whatever her achievements, she had certainly been the most divisive leader since the Second World War, as she made clear by explicitly breaking with the consensus politics that had marked the postwar scene up to her. It was also revealed in the deeply divided reactions to her death in 2013, with tributes from some (including Tony Blair) and celebration (Ding-dong, the witch is dead) from others.She'd been followed by John Major, in a government marked above all by division within his own party, as well as some blunders. Also marked, however, by one big breakthrough: the beginning of a peace process in Northern Ireland which he couldn't take through to completion, but which got some momentum behind it all the same.That's the theme the episode concludes with, because it fell to Tony Blair's government to take that process forward. Its work would lead to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. That would only be possible thanks to the unflagging support of the governments in both Dublin and London and, indeed, in Washington DC.As well as to the courage and willingness to go out on a limb of an extraordinary woman, the first female Northern Ireland Secretary and someone of outstanding firmness of will combined with willingness to negotiate to anyone she needed to win around. And who was she?Why, she was Mo Mowlam.Illustration: Mo Mowlam. Photograph: Paul McErlane/AP from 'The Guardian'Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

Peter Mandelson has been sacked from his role as British Ambassador to the US over his association with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. It is the third time he has been forced to leave government. An instrumental part of Tony Blair's landslide election victory in 1997, Mandelson was rewarded with a seat in the cabinet. But he was soon forced to resign as Business Secretary after failing to declare a six-figure loan from a fellow minister. His second resignation came in 2001 after making his way back into the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. Mandelson was accused influencing the passport applications of the wealthy Hinduja brothers, although was later exonerated. Mark Coles examines how despite these controversies, the man once dubbed the "Prince of Darkness" was able to keep getting himself into powerful positions. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Crighton, Alex Loftus and Adriana Urbano Editor: Justine Lang Sound Editor: Gareth Jones

He may have described himself as a ‘fighter not a quitter', but even Peter Mandelson couldn't survive new and lurid revelations about his relationship with convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. The ultimate political animal, Mandelson was no stranger to scandal – having twice been forced to resign from Tony Blair's Cabinet. But brought back into the Labour fold by Gordon Brown after a successful stint as European Commissioner, the former spin doctor went on to enjoy a career renaissance – which eventually took him to Washington as the UK's ambassador to the United States. However, Mandelson was summoned home from DC in disgrace, following the publication of a cache of embarrassing emails and other communications between himself and Epstein.  Was his downfall inevitable? And should Sir Keir Starmer have known better than to entrust one of the biggest diplomatic roles in the world to a man with a track record of self-destruction? Niall is joined by former ambassador and National Security Advisor, Lord Ricketts, and Sky News' former political editor, Adam Boulton. Producer: Emily Hulme Editor: Mike Bovill 

The (former) Deputy Prime Minister resigns literally two minutes before we press “record”. Regulars Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison plus special guest Steve Richards of the Rock'n'Roll Politics podcast rage at the brutal destruction of Angela Rayner and the uncontrolled power of the far-right press – and ask if there's any place for flawed humans or the working class in politics at all. Plus: As Steve publishes Tony Blair a razor-sharp analysis of Britain's last great Prime Minister, we look at the long reign of the leader they once called “Bambi” and ask whether Labour will ever get over it.  • Buy Tony Blair [through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  ESCAPE ROUTES  • Steve has been watching classic Michael Parkinson interviews on YouTube, especially this one with Peter Sellers.  • Raf has been playing folk-style live shows with a bit of blues with Theo Bard.  • Andrew recommends the scorching Swedish rock'n'roll of The Hives. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon or ad-free listening, bonus materials and more.  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are few more prolific Americans than the Harvard scholar, activist and athlete Cass Sunstein. The author of almost 30 books (including the best-selling Nudge) as well as an influential advisor in the Presidencies of Biden and Obama, Sunstein's new book, On Liberalism, is an unambiguously full throated defense of freedom. Both Reagan and FDR are part of the same big tent liberal family, Sunstein argues, in this defiantly bipartisan reminder of foundations of modern American freedom. There's not a lot of nudging On Liberalism. He warns that while liberalism faces "severe pressure" today, its core commitments to freedom, pluralism, and the rule of law must unite American citizens across political divides. The alternative, he says, is an unAmerican scenario of unfreedom. In a word: illiberalism. 1. The Liberal "Big Tent" Includes Both Reagan and FDRSunstein argues that liberalism isn't just for the left—it's a broad tradition unified by commitments to freedom, pluralism, rule of law, and security (freedom from fear). This tent includes everyone from Margaret Thatcher to Tony Blair, from Ronald Reagan to Franklin Roosevelt, united against illiberal forces like Hitler, Stalin, and Putin.2. "Experiments in Living" Are Liberalism's FoundationWhile just a throwaway line for John Stuart Mill, Sunstein sees "experiments in living" as central to liberalism. Whether it's entrepreneurs trying new businesses, people exploring different religious commitments, or individuals choosing unconventional lifestyles, liberalism protects and celebrates this diversity of human experience.3. Nudging and Freedom Are CompatibleSunstein defends his famous "nudge" concept as fundamentally liberal. Like a GPS that suggests routes but lets you choose your destination (or ignore its advice entirely), nudges inform and guide while preserving freedom of choice. Calorie labels nudge but don't coerce; you can still choose the fudge.4. Liberalism Faces "Severe Pressure" But Isn't CollapsingWhile warning that attacks on universities and political opponents are "not consistent with liberal traditions," Sunstein maintains optimism. America's robust liberal foundations—from the Revolutionary War to its cultural commitment to freedom—remain strong, though renewal and vigilance are needed now more than ever.5. Both Right and Left Harbor Illiberal TendenciesSunstein critiques illiberalism across the spectrum: from those who attack political opponents and universities on the right, to the "woke left" that sometimes opposes free speech and seeks to shame rather than persuade. His prescription: a liberalism focused on opportunity and individual agency, free from shaming and open to all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Keir Starmer has kept more or less the same Cabinet but given most of them new jobs. Will it work as Reform UK soars in the polls?  Rock & Roll Politics is live in the main concert hall at Kings Place on Thursday September 25th at the end of the Labour Party Conference week! Tickets available here. https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/steve-richards-presents-rock-n-roll-politics-6/     My biography of Tony Blair is published this Thursday and is available here. https://www.waterstones.com/book/tony-blair/steve-richards/9781800754409   Subscribe to Patreon for bonus podcasts, the main podcast a day early and ad free… plus special exclusive live events. A bonus podcast is coming soon! https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPolitics  Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when the life you dreamed of doesn't bring you happiness? This week on the Evolve to Succeed Podcast, we're joined by Katherine Baldwin. Former Reuters political and foreign correspondent who once travelled the world alongside Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron. From covering wars, natural disasters, and global crises, Katherine lived a life of adrenaline, success, and status. Yet behind the scenes, she was battling burnout, binge eating, alcohol dependence, and an overwhelming sense of emptiness. In this deeply honest and inspiring conversation, Katherine shares how she transitioned from chasing external validation to finding inner peace and purpose. We discuss the dangers of overachievement, the role of addiction and denial in high-pressure careers, and the courage it takes to step away from an identity built on success. Katherine also reveals the practices and mindset shifts that helped her recover, embrace self-love, and build meaningful relationships. Whether you're an entrepreneur, business leader, or professional striving for balance, this episode will give you tools to pause, reflect, and realign with what truly matters.

We're just about ready to move on from John Major but, before we do, we need to spend a few moments on two major events of his second premiership. One was a significant breakthrough, in Ireland, even if it didn't go to completion under his administration; the second, his back-to-basics campaign, was an unqualified disaster.The first of the two problems with ‘back-to-basics' is that going backwards isn't a slogan that appeals much to voters. The second is that it feels like an appeal to morality, and there couldn't have been a worse time for that kind of appeal in the Conservative Party: it was engulfed over the coming years by a whole string of scandals, many sexual but some more simply corrupt, involving such actions as MPs taking money to ask helpful parliamentary questions.On Ireland, Major got the peace process really motoring, with support not just from the Republic of Ireland but even more significantly, from the US. If things ground somewhat to a halt in the last year or so of his premiership, that was mostly down to the Provisional IRA ending its ceasefire, in response to Major's apparent over-readiness to accommodate the Northern Ireland Unionists. That, in turn, was mostly down to his having lost his parliamentary majority and therefore having to depend on the Unionists to cling on to office.That he did, calling the 1997 general election at very close to the last possible moment. But the atmosphere of sleaze created by the scandals, the unpopularity of moves such as railway privatisation, and the perception that the Tories were increasingly split (over Europe) sank his party in voters' views. The election, on 1 May 1997, gave a landslide Commons majority, even larger than Thatcher's, to Tony Blair and Labour – or, to use his language, New Labour. He reckoned Labour had won thanks to ‘a vote for the future'. It looks like going forward to the future resonated better with voters than heading back to basics.Illustration: John Major at the 1993 Conservative party conference, detail from a photograph by Malcolm Gilson/Rex Features, from 'The Guardian'Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

The plot to kill Americans: Kennedy escalates attacks on vaccines / ICE agents, National Guard could arrive in Chicago by weekend / Tony Blair adds ethnic cleansing in Gaza to his list of crimes

It's another wild week online including yet another internet meltdown involving a CEO. This episode begins with a new 'caught on camera' scandal at the US Open, where a paving CEO grabbed a signed cap meant for a child, sparking memes, fury, and tanked reviews for his company. Then the Trawl ladies head over to the White House Rose Garden, where Donald Trump raged about a scratch in his limestone path with more passion than he could muster for a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis. Marina and Jemma unpack the hypocrisy, America's gun crisis, and the empty ritual of 'thoughts and prayers.' And finally, there's the jaw-dropping plan to turn Gaza into a luxury resort — with Trump, Jared Kushner and yes, Tony Blair in the mix. The hosts trawl the takes, from biting satire to righteous outrage. The Under rated section is jam packed with people's takes on what Trump's brief break from Truth Social might have meant. From tennis courts to mass graves, the internet has feelings, and The Trawl is here to dredge them up.Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you've even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you'll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there's a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it's your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you're not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shouldn't the asylum seeker convicted of sexual assault be deported immediately?Political journalist and Tony Blair biographer Steve Richards takes your calls on the former Prime Minister's influence over Keir Starmer's government.

Join us at Bradgate Park in Leicester with Jules Acton, author, former podcast guest and Trust ambassador, while our regular host Adam enjoys a summer holiday. We meet senior park ranger Matt who gives us a tour as he explains his role in caring for the site and its amazing trees. We've come to the park to see one in particular: a magnificent 830-year-old oak. It's in the running for Tree of the Year 2025. This year's contest celebrates our cultural connections with trees, shining a light on those that are local landmarks, sources of passion, inspiration and creativity. Find out what makes Bradgate Park's oldest oak special and vote for your favourite by 19 September.   Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Jules: Good morning. I'm Jules Acton. I'm an ambassador for the Woodland Trust. I've been in this job for 10 years this month and it's been a fantastic 10 years. I've loved every day because I get to meet some amazing trees and woods and even more than that, I also get to meet lots of amazing people who love trees and woods and who are inspired by them. So Woodland Trust members, other supporters, staff and volunteers. And I think one of the reasons people love trees so much is not just for the fact they provide all the wonderful services they they store our carbon, they provide fresh air, they can help filter pollution. But they're also absolutely entwined in our culture. And that's been taking place over hundreds and thousands of years. So our, particularly our native tree species tree species are absolutely embedded in our culture, and every old tree has a story to tell. Now, the reason we're here today is that we're going to talk about Tree of the Year and the theme of the Tree of the Year is culture and the way trees are embedded in culture. Ten magnificent trees have been chosen by a panel of experts. Each has a wonderful story to tell, and members of the public can go and vote for their favourite tree on the Woodland Trust website.  We are here in Bradgate Park car park. It is a golden morning and we're surrounded by trees. I can see oak trees, hawthorns, birches, hazels. It's absolutely gorgeous with the dappled sunlight falling down on us through the leaves. We're here to meet a particularly special tree. It's Bradgate Park's oldest oak tree, and it's about 20 minutes walk from the car park. So I see my colleague Natasha. She's over there waiting at the edge of the car park, waiting for Matt. Hello Natasha.  Natasha: Hello. Ohh hi!  Jules: Can you tell us a bit about your role, Natasha and what you do at the Woodland Trust?  Natasha: Yeah, I'm a social media officer, so I just help create and schedule all social media content, jump on whenever there's an opportunity like today.  Jules: And today you're going to be helping with the recording.  Natasha: Yeah, getting a few clips behind the scenes of how we record the podcast so we can share that and a few bits for our website as well and YouTube.  Jules: Thanks Natasha. Now I think we have just seen somebody drive up who might well be Matt. He's he's appeared in a very groovy looking buggy. And here we go. I believe this is Matt. Hello.   Matt: Good morning, Jules.   Jules: Hello, Matt, hi, lovely to meet you.  Matt: Nice to meet you. Welcome to Bradgate Park.  Jules: Thank you. Can you tell us a little bit about your role, Matt?  Matt: So yeah so I've I've worked at Bradgate Park for just over 20 years now and main sort of roles on on the site are woodland management and caring for the ancient trees that we've got that that are of European importance. And I also get quite involved with the drystone walls and repairing them. I lead a a group of volunteers on a Thursday and as we go across the site, I'm sure I can show you some of the work that we've been doing.  Jules: Oh brilliant, and you're going to particularly show us a very special tree, I believe.  Matt: Yes, I believe we might be able to find that. Yeah, the tree is approximately 830 years old. It predates the Magna Carta and I'd certainly like to take you to the tree and tell you a bit more about it.  Jules: All right. We're just getting ready to go and all around us are people enjoying the park, there are some people walking up hills. There are lots of dogs. There's one very cute little brown dog that's having a little dip in, in a little stream, a little brook, really at the edge of the park and it's already quite a warm day, so I think it's having a nice little cool down.  We're back en route towards the special tree with the beautiful drystone wall to our right and across to the left are, well there's a tree, there's a plantation, and then there's also a sort of a bit of a wood pasture environment would you call it Matt, with some native trees dotted around in the landscape?  Matt: Yeah, very much so. So this is Hallgates Valley. We're looking across to Dale Spinney. The park itself is 830 acres, of which spinneys represent about 10% of the parkland area, so it's quite a large proportion. All the spinneys were planted on the, on the hilltops across the park, that's that's not just by chance. And they were created around about 1830s-40s by the 6th early of Stamford and and now we see the spinneys that we've got here today so you've got quite a mature, mature standard trees. Quite a lot are softwood, but then we've got a mixture of hardwoods in there. We certainly replant hardwoods in the spinneys.  Jules: How would you define a spinney as opposed to, you know, other kinds of woods?  Matt: Nice easy question *laughs*. I would I would say you've obviously got different names of woodlands and you know we're, we're, we're in Charnwood Forest, but a a forest isn't just trees, it's clearings. And I would say a copse is a small woodland. I would say the spinney is is probably like slightly larger than that and then you go up towards a wood. I could be totally wrong! *both laugh*  Jules: I like it though. So Matt you say, you've you've been here 20 years.   Matt: Yeah, 22.  Jules: 22. So you obviously love it. And what is it that keeps you here?  Matt: I was born in Leicester and came here as a young child playing and you know to end up working here as a job, it's certainly a nice place to be coming to and huge, beautiful surroundings, fresh air and and then I've I've just got a real passion for particularly the a lot of the heritage crafts that we keep alive on the estate. So yes, we go down and we manage the woodlands, but we're actually carrying out coppicing operations and that, they go back to the Stone Age and and then other work on the site for instance drystone walling, which we're approaching a gap now that we've been repairing and is obviously another heritage craft, and for me, I I just think it's really important that we're passing on these skills, heritage crafts on to the next sort of generation.  Jules: That that's brilliant. And do you do you train sort of volunteers or or is it staff members in in this kind of thing?  Matt: I've trained up to Level 2 in walling. That's something I I went up to Derbyshire to do. We've actually got another chap on site now, Leon. He's, he was in the armed forces and and and Leon is doing his levels in walling as well. I believe he's already got Level 1 and 2. He's working towards his 3, we might be able to pop and see him in a bit, but I guess the focus should be trees today *laughs*.  Jules: Yeah, well if we have time, that'd be great. See how we go.  Matt: This is certainly a large gap of wall that we've been doing on the estate. We've got 17 miles of drystone wall to maintain. The deer park itself goes back to 1241, but it's, the boundaries changed slightly over over the years and the largest extent of the deer park was probably around about 1550 and that would have, certain parts of the boundary are drystone wall and and that's obviously what what we're left with today and we need to maintain that. Not only does it keep the deer inside the park, which is obviously beneficial for a deer park, it's fantastic habitat for various, you know, sort of reptiles to live in and adders, grass snakes, things like that.  Jules: Fantastic, so we're looking at at one of the drystone walls and it's I'd say about shoulder height, would you say and it's a grey sort of almost sort of slaty looking stone actually, do you, can you tell us what kind of the stone it is?  Matt: Yeah so on on this side of the park, it's it's it's it's a little bit more slaty towards Newtown Linford, that's that's more of a granite, the walling that we do on the, that we we do on the park is is called random coursed walling. So yes, as we build the wall up, you start with the larger stones at the bottom and as the as the wall tapers up, it angles in, that's called the batter of the wall, you can see the frame we've got and that that we're working to, we've got the building lines in. So this one is 80 centimetres at the bottom, tapering up to 40 centimetres at the top. Originally this was actually a lime mortar wall and a lot of walls on the park are lime mortar, but it is possible to rebuild dry, but we do a mix a mixture of both on the estate.  Jules: That's great and it's just lovely to see these heritage practices being kept alive and you mentioned the coppicing as well, which is absolutely very much part of woodland culture going back centuries. I believe it goes back to the Vikings, maybe even earlier, I don't know if you know anything about the history of it, Matt?  Matt: Yeah, well, certainly the Stone Age coppicing going back, going back to the Stone Age, it's the process of cutting the tree down to ground level. Not all trees will coppice, certainly oak will. That's where Copt Oak gets the name from, coppiced oak. Hazel is the primary tree species that we are coppicing, certainly in Swithland Woods and we've got a management plan in place. We've we've just come to the end of a 10-year management plan that was supported by, there's a lady called Liz Sharkey who comes up with a great plan for us. We're just starting in, in November will be the next 10-year plan and the intention of that is to create the most diverse habitat that Swithland Woods is and it will create a mosaic of habitats, different age stands within the structure of the woodland and and part of that will be coppicing rotation and that will open up and the the the floor of the woodland, let light in and that will benefit bluebells and wood anemone and all the related bird species and invertebrates.  Jules: This is all music to our Woodland Trust ears. Thank you, Matt. Shall we continue on our little tour?  Matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will turn this very loud... *banging*  Jules: *laughs* I'm not actually sure how to get out the car, but ohh, OK, yeah, yeah. Natasha's on it. Thanks Natasha. OK, so we are walking up to not the tree we're here to see, but we couldn't resist this one because it's really special and it's a gnarly oak tree, kind of growing out of what looks like a big craggy load of rocks. Yeah, Matt, could you tell us a bit more about this tree?  Matt: Yes, I can. So it's English oak and some of the, it's growing out of granite and some of the rocks on the park are actually some of the oldest rocks, certainly in Britain and and the world, 560-million-year-old rocks that we've got on the park and it's all part part of the designation, actually, of the park, it's a SSSI, geological interest in the park and also the veteran trees are also part of that designation and we have just become a National Nature Reserve as well, Bradgate Park.  Jules: Well, congratulations! Could you just explain the SSSI to us just so people understand what the abbreviation means?  Matt: It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so there's many layers to Bradgate Park, people might just want to come have a nice walk, enjoy the views, and people that might be more interested in the geology of the park, so we get a lot of people that are coming out and looking at the rocks and looking for fossils and they're able to from that age, the rocks on the park and then other designations that we've got are related to the ancient trees and and that all forms a a bigger picture that makes the park so important that it has to be protected.  Jules: Fantastic. And one of the things that I've just noticed on both this very old oak tree and also on the rocks are, there's a lot of lichens. They're gorgeous. So they're sort of just splattered with them, some of them just look like, like, little sort of paint splats, don't they? They are different colours, we've got white ones, green ones on the rocks, I'm looking at, sort of greyish ones. Some are crusty, some are very flat, which is I think the nature of lichens. Do you know much about the lichens?  Matt: I certainly know that we need to keep the lichens exposed to the sunlight, so we have to clear bracken so they're not getting shaded out. They take a long time to form and I certainly know that they need good clean air. So that is a good sign, if you're seeing lichens, you're in a good place as a human being.  Jules: Yeah, absolutely. And and one of the things about oak trees as well is because they, they're long-lived trees, they provide particularly important habitat for lichens, cause some, many lichens are really, really slow growing, so they need a very slow, you know, stable habitat, so whether it be the rocks or or the very old tree and you'll get different species associated with the different environments as well.  Matt: Yeah, exactly right. And and you can see as well as the being lichens on the rock, you look up into the oak tree and in to the, up the, into the crown of the tree and we are seeing lichens on on the oak tree.  Jules: Yeah. Aed one of the other things about lichens is that they are also embedded in our culture as well, so we use them to to make dyes, some people cook with them, so again, a bit like bit like the oak trees and and other native trees, they're really entwined in our cultural history. This isn't the tree we're here to see, but it's absolutely marvellous! So I, gosh, I hope this becomes, goes on the Tree of the Year shortlist at some point because it deserves it!  Matt: Well, it's nice to have more than one entry.   Jules: Yeah, that would be good, wouldn't it?  Matt: I guess it would in in increase the chances of winning, but seeing as it's the first time you've come to the park, Jules, I thought you may as well see this.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love it. It looks quite elephantine from this, elephantine I should say, from this angle with this sort of like this great, long limb sticking out, it's almost like a trunk isn't it and up into the into the blue.  Matt: It certainly is, and I think that's certainly going to be the word of the day. I'm not, I'm not certainly going to try and trump that!   Jules: OK, yeah, let's, let's, let's try and use it again, in the next stop! *both laugh* OK. We're going back to the car now the the buggy, the T, TVA. No, the, what is it?  Matt: The ATV *both laugh* As we go back towards the ATV, we can see a absolutely stunning tower on a hill. It's gorgeous. It's kind of like, well it looks like it's in a fairytale to me. Could you tell us a bit about that?  Matt: So Old John Tower was, they started building it 1784 and and it is a folly and it was somewhere that the Greys, the owners, the Earls of Stamford could entertain guests and around the base of the tower, the rear is the remnants of an old racetrack, at the side of the tower, there's an old stable block and the Greys were certainly great horse fanciers and they entered racehorses into various events and along the the the old racetrack there's still remnants of old furlong markers and they were able to entertain the guests, stand up on the the roof of the of the tower and get an idea of of how good the how well the horses were performing.  Jules: Brilliant. And and the the Greys being the family of Lady Jane Grey, is that right?   Matt: Yes, that's right yeah.  Jules: OK. So it's it's absolutely stunning. It looks like the sort of, yeah, if you're drawing a scene in a fairytale, you'd be drawing a little turrety round tower on top of a hill, wouldn't you? And there'd be probably Rapunzel at the top, letting down her hair. On this occasion we've got a, on this occasion we've got a a very fit looking person who's just run a ring around the bottom of the tower and is now running towards us, obviously making use of this wonderful environment to to keep up their fantastic fitness. Right. OK. Now we are going back to the vehicle. And I think is next stop the the tree, our destination?  Matt: Yes it certainly is.  Jules: OK, OK, brilliant. I think I've actually worked out how to get in this time, which is ohh no, Matt's letting me in, thank you, what a gent, thank you. Right, we are now out of the vehicle and we are walking towards the special tree. And how long, how much of a walk is it from here?  Matt: So I can see it already and I'd say we're only about 200 yards away from it.  Jules: *laughs* Ohh, I still haven't seen it!  Matt: I'm I'm I'm deliberately walking in a way that it's going to appear.  Jules: Oh he's hiding it from us.   Matt: Yeah. There we go, fallow deer.  Jules: Ohh, there's ohh my goodness two fallow deer. The beautiful spotty backs, sort of trotting away. And then they've stopped and have given, they're looking at us. They're not too shy, actually are they?  Matt: No, no, they're not.  Jules: They look just like double Bambi. They're very beautiful.  Matt: You'll you'll you'll notice on all the trees, and there's about a dozen smaller oak trees that we planted, and these are about 30 years old now. Again, you can see how we've we've literally topped the smaller trees and and that's because we don't want to leave these trees just to get huge a. and maidens and straight and tall. So we want these to be stunted and more open grown. And so we've cut the tops off and and thinned them slightly. And then, again, we're hoping that that will make them longer lived.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. And of course, the oak trees love a lot of light, don't they? And these have got quite a lot of light and space around them.   Matt: Yes.   Jules: Ohh, I can see it now. Oh my goodness. What a beast. How fantastic. So it does, so it's the Bradgate Park's oldest oak, isn't it, so does it have a name, another name beyond that?  Matt: I think people people give it various names but it's just ‘the oldest tree in the park' *laughs*  Jules: Yeah, yeah.  Matt: Trying, I suppose for many years we've tried to keep it a bit bit sort of secret. That's probably for the benefit of the tree and certainly, the fact that it's within a spinney, people aren't walking up to it, and that's helped the tree. I feel that it's in a, it's obviously found some good growing conditions and despite the general habitat of the park being poor, upland soil, shallow, it's found some incredible growing conditions here it's been sheltered so that it's not being exposed to too much, too much wind force. And also it's it's nice and open so as the, as you know sort of from midday to right through into the evening, it's gonna get plenty of light as well. So there's I think there's been a number of factors that have certainly helped to prolong the life of the tree.  Jules: Yes, absolutely. Wow, it is a stunner. So just to try and describe this tree, it it's immensely tall. It's probably about the size of a, what about the height of a house would you say?   Matt: Yeah it's a good, good 45 feet.  Jules: Yeah. And it's got a very gnarly bole. I call it a bole rather than a trunk because it's really big, broad, and it's kind of split into two, kind of more than two. And it's got some dead branches coming out the middle. It's got one gorgeous, great, long, twisted limb reaching out. And it's that that's they're they're propped up, but it's kind of snaking, isn't it, ooh, it's elephantine that's what it is! Yeah, let's use our favourite word of the day.  Matt: I'd I'd say it's definitely elephantine *both laugh*  Jules: Yeah. And you can see kind of, it looks like there's faces everywhere, aren't there? It's like in that they've dead bit of branch there, you can see like a sort of twisted sort of face and a great long nose. And ohh it's, what a beautiful beast. So Matt, could you tell us a bit about its cultural connection to human beings?  Matt: Well, it certainly, it it was aged back in 2014 by a tree consultancy called Bosky and we we obtained a grant funding to tag and map many, many trees across the estate of this, being one of them, and it was it was aged at 818 back then, which puts us at around about the 830 mark now. In terms of relations to humans, it predates the Magna Carta and one of the most notable former residents of Bradgate Park obviously being Lady Jane, when she was a child living on the park, the tree would have already been quite a mighty oak of about 300 years.  Jules: Gosh, so, so Lady Jane Grey would have known this tree.   Matt: Yes, yeah.  Jules: She would probably sat underneath it.  Matt: Which is somewhat remarkable.  Jules: Yeah. Maybe had a little picnic under here. *Matt laughs* That's what I would have done. Fantastic. And it's wonderful that you're protecting it and actually, despite this sort of really craggy bole, it's it's looking in pretty good health, isn't it, it's got loads of leaves all around. Are you feeling sort of confident about its its future given given how it is?  Matt: Well, certainly, yeah you you've you've pointed out the props and these props have been in place supporting certainly this this limb. If we walk around the other side of the tree, you can you can get a bit more of an impression as to what the props are actually achieving for the tree and in due course, and I believe we'll we'll probably upgrade these props, which are basically telegraph posts with Land Rover tyres that have been cut, which is certainly an effective way of doing things, but we have evolved the propping techniques that are now, you can see the tree in the distance over there by the compound that's called the Pheasant Garden. And there's a there's an oak tree there that supported by a prop and that is manufactured using metal, sort of steel work and then there's a cup section that's manufactured and then that that's a more sympathetic way of actually supporting that bough.  Jules: Yeah, yes.  Matt: Regarding, you know the actual cover of the foliage, like you say, totally agree that it's it's still got reasonable foliage cover, certainly certain things that we do have to watch out for is shade. And that is partly why we've cut the tops off the trees around it. But also you can see where we've got a bit of interference here with this Scots pine at the back.  Jules: Oh yes, it's actually actually touching I think, almost touching.  Matt: So that is something that we would look to keep keep in check. So this Scots pine, as as lovely as it is, that Scots pine is more like 70 years old, and we wouldn't want that to be shading out so that's something we'll we'll probably climb up there and just cut that, cut the limb off off the Scots pine and stop that, because you can see if we just leave that doing what it's doing, it's going to start shading out and it's really important that we keep the living mass of this tree, so there's a balance there between the living mass and the dead mass of the tree, the static mass. And it's that balance as a ratio for the tree, you know, if you, if you look at a younger tree there, you can say that almost almost 100% of of the of the crown of that tree is alive. Whereas you look at this tree and you start thinking maybe 50%. So the closer that ratio between the living mass and the dead mass is, the closer that gets more like to a one to one, then the the tree will will then gradually just just just be going into decline. So you know, the tree will not live forever but I'm pretty confident it's going to outlive us guys *laughs*  Jules: Yes. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? And it's obviously very loved and and and I think the importance is is not just about the tree itself, is it? So really ancient oaks like this, they support enormous numbers of species, some of which only live on ancient oaks. So that's why we need to protect this tree as much as we possibly can and also bring on those veteran oaks of the future that you you, you're, you're that you're you're doing just that, aren't you, here in the park. Absolutely vital.   Matt: Yeah, very much so, very much so. As we've driven across the park, we've seen various planting that's been supported by the Tree Council. And like you say, that has, that certainly has been planting more oak trees, but then also other nectar bearing species, rowan, blackthorn, hawthorn, gorse. And these are all important, like you say for the deadwood insects that, that, that live within the ancient oak tree and and then as the tree gets older it then develops more veteran features and those crags, holes are very important roosting habitats for, certainly for owls and bats.  Jules: Yeah. And so oak trees in the UK collectively support more than 2,300 species, some of which are completely reliant on oak trees. They couldn't survive without oak trees, and one of the things we were talking about earlier as we drove up was the fact that there are, you know, some, some beetles, for example, some longhorn beetles, for example, they spend their lives as larvae living in deadwood. But then the adults, they need nectar when they grow up, so again, it's really important to have those nectar sources nearby isn't it?  Matt: Yeah. So very, very much is. Yeah. And that's what we're looking to do on the park we are we are planting those, those supporting plants.  Jules: Fantastic. Wonderful. This incredible tree that we're standing in front of is one of the ten contenders in this year's Tree of the Year competition and the theme of this year's competition is culture and the the the the history and culture associated with trees in our world. Ancient oaks are absolutely threaded in our culture. I'm particularly interested in them, I wrote a book about about oak trees called Oaklore, and one of the things that I talked about was the way that the oak tree intertwines with our lives with with lots of different species, but also with human lives and with our culture. There were so many stories associated with the oak tree. One of my favourites is the story of Charles II and the Boscobel Oak. So before Charles II was, became king he was fighting the parliamentarians and he took a terrible drubbing at a battle. And he needed to escape. And he escaped to Boscobel House. And he was with this soldier called Colonel Careless, and this soldier suggested that they hide in the oak tree overnight rather than the house. And they did. And even though the parliamentarian troops were were wandering nearby, they didn't find the king and his soldiers, and they escaped. And eventually they returned and that led to the restoration of the monarchy. The thing I like about this story is the cultural links then go on and on. Because at that point, a day of national celebration was declared throughout the land, and that was 29 May and that became Oak Apple Day and everybody would party and if the best people at the party, the coolest people at the party, they waved oak branches and wore oak leaves and and if you were super cool, you had lots of oak apples on your, so little galls on your oak branches. And if you didn't have little symbols of oaks, then others were apparently within their rights to take a bunch of nettles and and and attacked you with nettles, which wasn't so nice. So it was also called Nettle Day. It was also known as Pinch Bum Day and Maids Ruin Day. The story goes on, but the other sort of fun cultural connection to that is it also came, it also brought about lots of pubs called the Royal Oak, and the last time I looked there were about 400 oak trees, 400 sorry pubs called the Royal Oak throughout the land, so the cultural tales just go on and on. And that's just the oak tree. But all of our native trees have some fantastic stories associated with them in. In fact every old tree has a story to tell. It's like us, like every older person, we've all got a story, a history to tell. Yeah. OK.  Matt: So yeah, we're just walking back from the oldest tree now, and we're just sort of musing over just that connection that human, humans have got to trees. I think it's the fact that an oak tree can sort of live centuries and really, that puts our lifetimes somewhat in perspective. And the fact that an oak tree can just go from the tiniest of acorns to a huge mass of of timber and that is just really fantastic, how you could you could cut open a tree and see all those different tree rings, those years of growth and then just sort of put that in context, what was happening was, was it Dick Whittington that was the Lord Mayor of London for the last time, was it was it the Battle of Agincourt, was it the Magna Carta? And and it's for people like you that actually write books about it, Jules, that can say it a lot better than me *both laugh*  Jules: No that was brilliant and we're not gonna cut this one in half though are we, Matt?   Matt: No, we're certainly not. And the fact that it's hollow, we just can't see those rings anymore.  Jules: No. Thank you. Brilliant. Right. This is our final leg on our walk and we're now in a polytunnel and it's really warm because the sun's beating down outside and it smells gorgeous and and we are surrounded by lots of little trees. Matt, can you tell us a little bit about these?  Matt: So the polytunnel was funded by the Tree Council and it's just very important that we're growing on oaks for the future from acorns that have been collected on site. So they've got the genetic continuity of the long-lived oak trees and hopefully they'll grow and carry on into long into the future.  Jules: And are they, is it a a mix of acorns from all different trees in in here or is it, or is, are you, are you taking them from specific trees?  Matt: It's yeah, it's a bit of a mix. Sometimes, you know, where where we can and where they're viable, if we if we get to the acorns from a veteran tree before the deer, then that's certainly something that we we're looking to grow on. So generally that's what we're that's that's where we'll try and harvest them from that, we've put a frame down before with a bit of a grill, so we can collect the acorns, but then they don't get eaten and that's certainly quite a good technique. And and then we we we grow on from the old trees where we can, yes.  Jules: They're really lovely. So we've got really tiny little trees with, some of them have got like, you know, about 5 or 6 leaves. And then they go up to sort of above our just above our heads. And I think what always strikes me is the, the the diversity in in leaf shape and colour that you that you see all around you. So even the same place within within oak trees, it's incredible, the different shapes and sizes you get, isn't it?  Matt: Yeah, it really is. And you know, look, looking some of the some of the oaks have been collected from Swithland Woods as well. And and where you've got a stalked leaf, that is a sessile oak.   Jules: Ah yes.  Matt: And and where you've got a a leaf that's coming off that isn't stalked, that is an English oak, but but that will have a stalked acorn.  Jules: Yes. So that's the the key way to tell the difference isn't. Yeah, brilliant. Thank you. I love it. The Bradgate Park oak is one of ten iconic trees across the UK in the running for the Tree of the Year competition. Other examples include the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim. That's an iconic lime tree, I say a lime tree, it's actually two lime trees which are fused together so that the trunk has become bound as one and it's, they've become inseparable and as such they've become a symbol of harmony and hope. So newly married couples sit beneath that tree for a blessing and it became a particular symbol of peace and reconciliation when Tony Blair, David Trimble and John Hume met here in 1998 at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Another example is the Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow. This tree is growing right next to some historic flats and it's seen as a symbol of local resilience. It has survived all kinds of things, including Victorian industry, the Clydeside Blitz, recent development and so far, ash dieback. One of its cultural connections is that it was featured in a 1935 book by James Cowan. The book was called From Glasgow's Treasure Chest and in it he describes the tree as ‘quite the most graceful ash I have seen'. Well, that's enough of me. Meanwhile, thank you so much to Matt and Natasha. It's been great fun talking trees with you.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of five minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. 

Steve Richards gives his views on the state of British politics, some of the challenges facing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - including the vital importance of communication skills - the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK, the shift towards a multi party landscape, and the urgent need, as he sees it, to improve public services. Richards has been a political journalist for decades and, during their time in government, regularly met both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His new book, Tony Blair, is about to be published and in this podcast he also gives his verdict on the Blair years and compares him to Starmer. Whether you're a Westminster nerd or more loosely interested in the world around you, this is a riveting and insightful take on power, people and politics. 

Vorige week was het de week van Nigel Farage, en ook deze week staat hij weer volop in de schijnwerpers. Zijn partij Reform UK staat al vier maanden op nummer een in alle peilingen. Volgens het merendeel van de Britse media is er eigenlijk maar een politicus die er op dit moment toe doet in het Verenigd Koninkrijk, en dat is meneer Farage. En dan van de van de huidige en de mogelijke toekomstige premier naar een oud premier, want vorige week was Tony Blair in Washington. Hij was aanwezig in het Witte Huis bij besprekingen over Gaza. Ook in deze aflevering Het leek zo’n goed idee. De Franse president beloofde enkele jaren geleden dat hij een vroeg middeleeuws tapijt, waar Engelsen destijds jaar aan geborduurd hadden, uit zou lenen aan het VK. De Britten juichten, ze azen namelijk al decennia, zo niet eeuwen op het Tapijt van Bayeux. Maar misschien juichten ze te vroeg want Franse conservatoren zeggen nu dat het bewuste borduurwerk veel te fragiel is om te worden vervoerd. Over Van Bekhovens Britten In van Bekhovens Britten praten Lia van Bekhoven en Connor Clerx elke week over de grootste nieuwsonderwerpen en de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Van Brexit naar binnenlandse politiek, van de Royals tot de tabloids. Waarom fascineert het VK Nederlanders meer dan zo veel andere Europese landen? Welke rol speelt het vooralsnog Verenigd Koninkrijk in Europa, nu het woord Brexit uit het Britse leven lijkt verbannen, maar de gevolgen van de beslissing om uit de EU te stappen iedere dag duidelijker worden? De Britse monarchie, en daarmee de staat, staat voor grote veranderingen na de dood van Queen Elisabeth en de kroning van haar zoon Charles. De populariteit van het Koningshuis staat op een dieptepunt. Hoe verandert de Britse monarchie onder koning Charles, en welke gevolgen heeft dat voor de Gemenebest? In Van Bekhovens Britten analyseren Lia en Connor een Koninkrijk met tanende welvaart, invloed en macht. De Conservatieve Partij leverde veertien jaar op rij de premier, maar nu heeft Labour onder Keir Starmer de teugels in handen. Hoe ziet het VK er onder Keir Starmer uit? En hoe gaan de ‘gewone’ Britten, voor zover die bestaan, daar mee om? Al deze vragen en meer komen aan bod in Van Bekhovens Britten. Een kritische blik op het Verenigd Koninkrijk, waar het een race tussen Noord-Ierland en Schotland lijkt te worden wie zich het eerst af kan scheiden van het VK. Hoe lang blijft het Koninkrijk verenigd? Na ruim 45 jaar onder de Britten heeft Lia van Bekhoven een unieke kijk op het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Als inwoner, maar zeker geen anglofiel, heeft ze een scherpe blik op het nieuws, de politiek, de monarchie en het dagelijkse leven aan de overkant van de Noordzee. Elke woensdag krijg je een nieuwe podcast over het leven van Van Bekhovens Britten in je podcastapp. Scherpe analyses, diepgang waar op de radio geen tijd voor is en een flinke portie humor. Abonneer en mis geen aflevering. Over Lia Lia van Bekhoven is correspondent Verenigd Koninkrijk voor onder andere BNR Nieuwsradio, VRT, Knack en Elsevier en is regelmatig in talkshows te zien als duider van het nieuws uit het VK. Ze woont sinds 1976 in Londen, en is naast correspondent voor radio, televisie en geschreven media ook auteur van de boeken Mama gaat uit dansen, het erfgoed van Diana, prinses van Wales (1997), Land van de gespleten God, Noord-Ierland en de troubles (2000), In Londen, 9 wandelingen door de Britse hoofdstad (2009) en Klein-Brittannië (2022).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Labour languishing in the polls, Keir Starmer has reshuffled his top team… yet again. His leadership has been punctuated by changes in senior personnel, so does that tell us more about him or them?  My book on Tony Blair is published next Thursday. You can pre-order it here. Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on Thursday September 25th at the end of the Labour Party Conference week! Subscribe to Patreon for bonus podcasts, the main podcast a day early and ad free… plus special exclusive live events. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony Blair ha presentato a Donald Trump il suo progetto per trasformare Gaza nella riviera del Medio Oriente. Oggi vediamo cosa è venuto in mente all'ex premier britannico nel piano studiato assieme a un'importante società di consulenza. ... Qui il link per iscriversi al canale Whatsapp di Notizie a colazione: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7X7C4DjiOmdBGtOL3z Per iscriverti al canale Telegram: https://t.me/notizieacolazione ... Qui gli altri podcast di Class Editori: https://milanofinanza.it/podcast Musica https://www.bensound.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the great 'what if' moments of recent British history had turned out differently? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the political sliding doors that could have rewritten the last three decades. They debate whether Margaret Thatcher would have won the 1992 election if she hadn't been ousted, and how her legacy would have been transformed.Ed gives a behind-the-scenes account of the Blair-Brown transition and the so-called 'Curry House Plot', considering how Labour would have handled the 2008 financial crisis with Tony Blair still in No. 10. Then, the pair explore the huge question of whether Britain joining the Euro would have prevented Brexit, or simply led to a catastrophic economic crash.Plus, George reveals why he jumped for joy when Ed Miliband beat his brother David for the Labour leadership, and they discuss whether the result of that contest sealed Labour's fate in 2015.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:

Great… super en anglais… C'est l'un des mots préférés de Donald Trump et c'est aussi l'acronyme de son projet de reconstruction pour Gaza. GREAT, pour Gaza Reconstruction Economic Acceleration and Transformation… Ce plan, présenté sous forme d'un prospectus de 38 pages, circule depuis ces derniers mois au sein de l'administration Trump et a été publié hier par le Washington Post. Que prévoit-il ? « Gaza, précise le journal, passerait sous tutelle américaine pendant au moins 10 ans, le temps de transformer le territoire en une station touristique huppée et en centre de production de haute technologie. Ce plan envisagerait également la relocalisation temporaire des plus de 2 millions d'habitants de Gaza, soit par ce qu'il appelle des départs “volontaires“ vers un autre pays, soit dans des zones restreintes et sécurisées à l'intérieur de l'enclave pendant la reconstruction. Les propriétaires fonciers se verraient offrir un jeton numérique en échange du droit de réaménager leur propriété, qui servirait à financer une nouvelle vie ailleurs ou, à terme, à acquérir un appartement dans l'une des six à huit nouvelles “villes intelligentes alimentées par l'IA“ qui seront construites à Gaza. Chaque Palestinien choisissant de partir recevrait 5.000 dollars en espèces et des subventions pour couvrir quatre années de loyer ailleurs, ainsi qu'un an de nourriture. » Déjà en préparation ? « Trente-huit pages aux plans futuristes bien léchés, s'exclame Libération à Paris. La mer, le ciel bleu, des bateaux, des immeubles futuristes et des espaces verts à gogo, parcs et, évidemment, terrains de golf, des plans financiers précisément chiffrés : le plan trumpien de reconstruction de Gaza pour la transformer en zone touristique de premier choix et centre d'excellence pour l'industrie de la tech n'a pas disparu, bien au contraire. Le document publié hier par le Washington Post, rendu public en février et violemment critiqué alors, semble toujours d'actualité. Au moins dans l'esprit du président américain et de ses alliés et acolytes. (…) » Et Libération de rappeler que « mercredi dernier, Donald Trump a présidé une réunion sur Gaza, officiellement pour discuter des moyens de mettre fin à la guerre. Parmi les participants, le secrétaire d'Etat, Marco Rubio, l'émissaire de Trump au Moyen-Orient, Steve Witkoff, mais aussi l'ancien Premier ministre britannique Tony Blair. Selon la presse britannique, la fondation de ce dernier, le Tony Blair Institute, serait particulièrement intéressée par le projet de Riviera du Moyen-Orient. Autre participant à cette réunion, le gendre du Président, Jared Kushner, aux intérêts commerciaux bien connus dans la région. Rien n'a filtré des discussions, mais, la veille, Witkoff avait évoqué un “plan très complet“ de l'administration américaine pour Gaza. » Il pourrait donc s'agir du plan dévoilé par le Washington Post… Violation du droit international… Haaretz, quotidien israélien de gauche, s'insurge… « Ce plan, tel que révélé par le Washington Post, ne fait que confirmer les soupçons selon lesquels l'administration américaine se concentre uniquement sur des initiatives économiques illusoires, sans se soucier du bien-être des Palestiniens ou de la réalité sur le terrain, que ce soit à Gaza, en Israël, en Cisjordanie ou au Moyen-Orient au sens large. Ce plan envisage ce qu'il décrit comme une relocalisation temporaire de l'ensemble des deux millions d'habitants de Gaza, soit par des départs “volontaires“ vers d'autres pays, soit dans des zones sécurisées et restreintes de la bande de Gaza. Mais, ce projet fait fi de la réalité, s'exclame encore Haaretz : les transferts forcés de population violent le droit international, et aucun des pays proposés – Indonésie, Soudan du Sud, Somaliland, Libye, Éthiopie ou autres – n'a accepté d'y participer. » Journalistes réduits au silence… Et pendant ce temps, la guerre se poursuit à Gaza… « Jour après jour, déplore le Guardian à Londres, le bilan des morts s'alourdit, les crimes de guerre se multiplient et l'indignation grandit. » Le Guardian qui s'insurge plus particulièrement dans son éditorial sur le sort réservé aux journalistes gazaoui. « Il s'agit de la guerre la plus meurtrière que les médias aient connue ces derniers temps, dénonce le quotidien britannique. Une génération entière de journalistes est en voie d'extinction. (…) Israël pourrait mettre fin à la condamnation internationale en mettant un terme à sa campagne d'anéantissement. Au lieu de cela, soupire le Guardian, Israël tente de nous empêcher d'en entendre parler, en réduisant au silence ceux qui témoignent. »

Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss why Tony Blair is getting involved in Donald Trump's meetings on Gaza, whether it was a mistake for the US president to give Vladimir Putin the impression that the West is ready to welcome him back, and the case of Labour councillor Ricky Jones. Plus they talk about why Britain loves nostalgia so much, what single law or act they would pass given the opportunity, and if The Thursday Murder Club is as irritating as it looks.Have a question to stump the two Matts? Email us now at the2matts@thenewworld.co.ukOFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By winning the 1992 general election, John Major had his own mandate to form a government, instead of imply inheriting Margaret Thatcher's. He'd shown himself capable of leading the Conservative Party to success, as he took it to its fourth election win in a row. He'd emerged somewhat from the shadow of his Iron Lady predecessor. And then things immediately started going wrong. Black Wednesday, when a major run on the pound turned George Soros into ‘the man who broke the Bank of England' and drove Britain out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Major's positive poll ratings collapsed overnight and never entirely recovered.Then his own party began to creak as its seams, as a growing group began to emerge and express an increasingly strident Euroscepticism. It mounted a rebellion against the government's proposal to ratify what came to be known as the Maastricht Treaty, which converted the European Economic Community into the European Union, with more ambitious aims towards integration (from some of which Major obtained British opt-outs). Though eventually the sceptics voted with their own party's government to avoid bringing it down, their behaviour had been so objectionable to Major that, in an unguarded moment with a journalist, he referred to them as ‘bastards'.Meanwhile, in the Labour Party, John Smith, the well-respected leader who'd replaced Neil Kinnock after the general election defeat, died suddenly of a heart attack. There were two frontrunners to take over from him, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. It seems clear that they came to a deal whereby Brown would stand down as a candidate for the leadership to give Blair a clear run, in return for a big role in a future Labour government.Blair took over from Smith. He'd be leading Labour against Major's Conservatives at the next general election. Our subject for next week.Illustration: promotional image for Stephen Frears' The Deal, showing David Morrissey as Gordon Brown and Michael Sheen as Tony BlairMusic: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License

On this episode of Old Newscast, we look at how the downfall of Margaret Thatcher as prime minister changed British politics. Jim Naughtie, BBC special correspondent, joins Adam with Caroline Slocock, who was Thatcher's private secretary.They talk about how it affected the Conservative government that followed, how she might have influenced Tony Blair, and the toll the episode took on her.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhereGet 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://bit.ly/3ENLcS1 Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Rufus Gray and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Just as Sir Keir Starmer was stealing a few days' summer holiday, Reform unveiled its immigration policy, former Labour heavyweights called for a withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, and Tony Blair popped up in the White House. So with recess nearly over, the prime minister is trying to take back the news agenda starting with a shake-up at Number 10. And with conference season almost under way, an upcoming visit from President Donald Trump, and the Budget around the corner, Starmer has ample opportunity to seize the spotlight. Host George Parker is joined by political correspondent Anna Gross, the FT's chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley, and FT columnist and author of the daily newsletter Inside Politics Stephen Bush.Follow George on Bluesky or X: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Robert: @robertshrimsley, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb and Anna @AnnaSophieGross Want more?Farage is winning the new battle of BrexitDonald Trump holds White House talks on postwar plan for GazaKeir Starmer launches Downing Street shake-up Can Labour pull off a comeback?Jack Straw says the UK should ‘decouple' from the ECHRThe FT Weekend Festival returns for our 10th edition on Saturday, September 6 at Kenwood House Gardens in London. George Parker and Lucy Fisher will be hosting a breakfast event, talking politics and podcasts, in the Experience Tent from 9.45am. If you can't make it, please send a question, ideally as a voicenote, to our email address: politicalfix.com.PLUS, sign up to Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biz İsrail soykırımının hemen durdurulmasının peşinde koşarken, Beyaz Saray'da Jared Kushner ile Tony Blair'in katıldığı, ‘Gazze'nin geleceği' toplantıları yapılıyor. (‘Tony Blair and Jared Kushner to brief Trump on Gaza post-war plans', 27/08, Axios.) Başkan Trump'a savaş sonrası planı sunacaklarmış! Anlıyoruz ki, ‘sonrası' dedikleri, İsrail'in Filistin'i bitirmesi. İnsanların sürülmesi veya öldürülmesi. Yeni toprakların da İsrail'e katılması…

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. A reportedly routine policy meeting in the White House made headlines, says Magid, as it included two senior figures, Jared Kushner, son-in-law and former adviser to US President Donald Trump, and former UK prime minister Tony Blair. Magid discusses how Kushner and Blair have been working behind the scenes on a postwar Gaza management plan. He also notes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategic adviser, Ron Dermer, was at the meeting as well, pointing to the closeness between the US and Israel on this issue. Magid talks about an interview with a former State Department spokesman for Palestinian-Israeli affairs who was recently fired for perceived missteps regarding Trump administration policies concerning Israel. Finally, he takes a look at recent IDF activity in the West Bank, examining whether that region is destabilizing as pressure points reach urban areas such as Ramallah and Nablus. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Blair and Kushner join Trump’s Gaza meet; official calls it ‘a simple policy’ session Trump to hold White House meeting on ‘comprehensive plan’ for managing postwar Gaza Fired State Dept. press officer claims Huckabee, aide usurping Trump’s ‘America First’ policy IDF troops raid Ramallah money changer accused of funding Hamas activities Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, and Jared Kushner wait for the arrival of President Donald Trump at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J. on July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

durée : 00:03:50 - Charline explose les faits - par : Charline Vanhoenacker - Pourquoi réfléchir au présent des Gazaouis quand on peut déjà imaginer la reconstruction ? Après une grande réunion qui s'est tenue hier à la Maison Blanche, en présence notamment de Tony Blair, Donald Trump a livré sa version de l'après Gaza… Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Jon Herold takes listeners through a packed news day, starting with his personal connection to the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting and a call to shift focus toward mental health solutions. He covers the massive success of Brad Zerbo's Codex 9/11 screenings and announces upcoming Badlanders meetups, before diving into major headlines. Topics include D.C.'s 87% drop in carjackings under Trump's surge, German investigators pinning Nord Stream sabotage on Ukrainian operatives (while Herold points back to Seymour Hersh's CIA reporting), and Trump slamming gerrymandering in Utah. He also breaks down Judicial Watch's lawsuit over secret surveillance of Trump advisor Michael Caputo, the FDA ending COVID vaccine emergency authorizations, the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarres, and Trump's Middle East talks with Jared Kushner and Tony Blair. Economic updates, Fed drama, and Trump's possible plan for a pre-midterm GOP convention round out this sharp and fast-moving episode.

durée : 00:03:50 - Charline explose les faits - par : Charline Vanhoenacker - Pourquoi réfléchir au présent des Gazaouis quand on peut déjà imaginer la reconstruction ? Après une grande réunion qui s'est tenue hier à la Maison Blanche, en présence notamment de Tony Blair, Donald Trump a livré sa version de l'après Gaza… Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

durée : 00:03:27 - Le monde à l'endroit - Le rêve de "Côte d'Azur du Moyen Orient" ébauché par Donald Trump en février dernier n'est pas mort. Et un revenant, le premier ministre britannique Tony Blair, participe à sa résurrection. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Prezident Spojených štátov, pápež, expremiér Veľkej Británie, šéf diplomacie Izraela. Už bezmála dvojročná vojna medzi Izraelom a Hamasom zamestnáva svetové špičky.Donald Trump je po strategickej schôdzke o Gaze, kde mu radí aj niekdajší britský premiér Tony Blair. Pápež Lev apeluje na ochranu civilistov a vyslovuje „nie“ kolektívnemu trestu v podobe násilného vysídlenia Palestínčanov. Bezpečnostná rada OSN s výnimkou USA odsudzuje hladomor v Gaze a klasifikuje ho ako dôsledok vojny. Izrael pritom vyzýva na okamžité a bezpodmienečné zrušenie obmedzení dodávok potravinovej pomoci. A šéf izraelskej diplomacie – po tom, ako sa stretol so svojim americkým náprotivkom – opakovane odmieta ideu Palestínskeho štátu. Ideu, ktorá má podporu Francúzska či Kanady, ktorou sa má zaoberať aj Valné zhromaždenie OSN v septembri.Aké sú vyhliadky už takmer dvojročnej vojny medzi Izraelom a Hamasom? Téma pre orientalistu Attilu Kovácsa z katedry porovnávacej religionistiky UK v Bratislave.„Problémom je, že medzinárodné spoločenstvo napriek vážnosti situácie a obetiam nevenuje stále dostatočnú pozornosť tomuto konfliktu. Jedna vec sú pekné reči, no druhá činy,“ hovorí Attila Kovács. „Dostatočná časť izraelskej spoločnosti už má Netanjahuovej vojny dosť, je však paradoxom, že vláda Benjamina Netanjahua sa viac bojí mieru ako vojny,“ vysvetľuje. Z tohto pohľadu sú mierové vyhliadku pre región bez tlaku zvonka nerealistické.Podcast pripravil Jaroslav Barborák.

Prezident Spojených štátov, pápež, expremiér Veľkej Británie, šéf diplomacie Izraela. Už bezmála dvojročná vojna medzi Izraelom a Hamasom zamestnáva svetové špičky.Donald Trump je po strategickej schôdzke o Gaze, kde mu radí aj niekdajší britský premiér Tony Blair. Pápež Lev apeluje na ochranu civilistov a vyslovuje „nie“ kolektívnemu trestu v podobe násilného vysídlenia Palestínčanov. Bezpečnostná rada OSN s výnimkou USA odsudzuje hladomor v Gaze a klasifikuje ho ako dôsledok vojny. Izrael pritom vyzýva na okamžité a bezpodmienečné zrušenie obmedzení dodávok potravinovej pomoci. A šéf izraelskej diplomacie – po tom, ako sa stretol so svojim americkým náprotivkom – opakovane odmieta ideu Palestínskeho štátu. Ideu, ktorá má podporu Francúzska či Kanady, ktorou sa má zaoberať aj Valné zhromaždenie OSN v septembri.Aké sú vyhliadky už takmer dvojročnej vojny medzi Izraelom a Hamasom? Téma pre orientalistu Attilu Kovácsa z katedry porovnávacej religionistiky UK v Bratislave.„Problémom je, že medzinárodné spoločenstvo napriek vážnosti situácie a obetiam nevenuje stále dostatočnú pozornosť tomuto konfliktu. Jedna vec sú pekné reči, no druhá činy,“ hovorí Attila Kovács. „Dostatočná časť izraelskej spoločnosti už má Netanjahuovej vojny dosť, je však paradoxom, že vláda Benjamina Netanjahua sa viac bojí mieru ako vojny,“ vysvetľuje. Z tohto pohľadu sú mierové vyhliadku pre región bez tlaku zvonka nerealistické.Podcast pripravil Jaroslav Barborák.

Prezident Spojených štátov, pápež, expremiér Veľkej Británie, šéf diplomacie Izraela. Už bezmála dvojročná vojna medzi Izraelom a Hamasom zamestnáva svetové špičky.Donald Trump je po strategickej schôdzke o Gaze, kde mu radí aj niekdajší britský premiér Tony Blair. Pápež Lev apeluje na ochranu civilistov a vyslovuje „nie“ kolektívnemu trestu v podobe násilného vysídlenia Palestínčanov. Bezpečnostná rada OSN s výnimkou USA odsudzuje hladomor v Gaze a klasifikuje ho ako dôsledok vojny. Izrael pritom vyzýva na okamžité a bezpodmienečné zrušenie obmedzení dodávok potravinovej pomoci. A šéf izraelskej diplomacie – po tom, ako sa stretol so svojim americkým náprotivkom – opakovane odmieta ideu Palestínskeho štátu. Ideu, ktorá má podporu Francúzska či Kanady, ktorou sa má zaoberať aj Valné zhromaždenie OSN v septembri.Aké sú vyhliadky už takmer dvojročnej vojny medzi Izraelom a Hamasom? Téma pre orientalistu Attilu Kovácsa z katedry porovnávacej religionistiky UK v Bratislave.„Problémom je, že medzinárodné spoločenstvo napriek vážnosti situácie a obetiam nevenuje stále dostatočnú pozornosť tomuto konfliktu. Jedna vec sú pekné reči, no druhá činy,“ hovorí Attila Kovács. „Dostatočná časť izraelskej spoločnosti už má Netanjahuovej vojny dosť, je však paradoxom, že vláda Benjamina Netanjahua sa viac bojí mieru ako vojny,“ vysvetľuje. Z tohto pohľadu sú mierové vyhliadku pre región bez tlaku zvonka nerealistické.Podcast pripravil Jaroslav Barborák.

COFFEE MOANING the PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coffee-moaning/id1689250679ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3p6z4A1RbhidO0pnOGGZl2?si=IqwD7REzTwWdwsbn2gzWCg&nd=1HOW TO STAY MARRIED (SO FAR) the PODCASTON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/57MT4cv2c3i06ryQlIpUXc?si=1b5ed24f40c54ebaON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-stay-married-so-far/id1294257563 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair will take part in a meeting, chaired by Donald Trump, on plans for a post-war Gaza at the White House. It comes as Israeli tanks have pushed into a new area on the edge of Gaza City. Also: Nigel Farage says his Reform UK party still needs to "work out what to do" with people who arrive here illegally with children. And a Kylie Minogue CD, a solar powered calculator and a pocket TV, are amongst the items found in a time capsule buried by the late Princess Diana at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The world is racing toward prophetic fulfillment. The UN is pushing new treaties that could divide Israel. Tony Blair and global elites are demanding digital IDs that look more like the Beast System every day. And Hamas—backed by radical Islam—is rising as the Green Horse of Revelation. These headlines aren't random… they're prophecy coming to life. Are YOU ready for what's next? 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source Network and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Glastonbury performers to classical music buffs, Westminster has always been packed full of music obsessives. But the music industry has not always been so obsessed with politicians. Who could forget Stormzy calling out Theresa May over Grenfell or Elton John calling Keir Starmer's government "absolute losers"? So this week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan finds out what how important the cultural capital of the music industry is to SW1. She talks to boss of music lobby PRS organisation and former Longpigs frontman Crispin Hunt about Tony Blair being buoyed to success during the Britpop era. Corbyn advisor James Schneider reflects on Grime4Corbyn in 2017 and explains how important Stormzy leading the "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" chant was as a cultural moment. James Frith, Labour MP and former frontman of Finka, who once performed Glastonbury, takes Sascha inside the political scene at the music festival. Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture select committee and former Tory culture minister, told Sascha the music industry was often ungrateful to Conservative politicians, saying they probably said "f*** the Tories" under their breath even after billions of pounds in pandemic-era support. And she takes Sascha inside the current row over artificial intelligence and the music industry. She said Technology Secretary Peter Kyle was initially "arrogant" and "swallowed the A.I. kool-aid". Lord Brennan, Labour peer who was part of the Lord's recent rebellion over AI and is currently leading a fan-led review into music, says the intervention of top musicians can help move the dial and he tells a story of teaming up with Billy Bragg to exact policy change over guitars in jails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Education, education, education' was how Tony Blair set out New Labour's priorities in the early noughties. A quarter of a century on, what story is Keir Starmer trying to tell about schools under his premiership?In this episode, Sam and Anne are joined by Laura McInerney, a former teacher and co-founder of Teacher Tapp, to break down the government's plan for education as we head into a new school year. They ask:•  What will be included in the education white paper?•  Can there be further devolution within the education system?•  Will Bridget Phillipson remain as the education secretary? Sam and Anne are getting a lie-in over summer recess, but they'll be in your feed with special episodes every Monday before normal services resumes on 1 September.

It's results time for 700,000 A-level and T-level students. It'll mean final decisions about their future – and whether university is the best option for their finances and their career.  With the huge cost of a three or four-year course, squeezed graduate incomes and fast changes to the job market due to AI, is a degree worth it?  Niall Paterson speaks to business and economics correspondent Paul Kelso about whether the cost of a degree outweighs its reward and just what has changed since Tony Blair vowed to get 50% of school-leavers going to university in 1999.  Producer: Emily Hulme  Editor: Paul Stanworth 

On this week's episode of The Current Thing, I am joined by Britain's foremost historian, Dr. David Starkey. We discuss: -Why David hates Tony Blair and Keir Starmer -The secret left wing revolution Britain has undergone -The ‘transformation of the population' due to immigration -Why the Epping protests are a ‘symptom of something profound' -Britain's approaching financial collapse -Why Parliament is now just ‘theatre' -The problem with universal human rights -Why the left believe in magic -What we can do to save the country And lots more! Watch the full episode, with 30 minutes of extra content not available anywhere else, here: https://www.nickdixon.net Get all full episodes with top guests, join Nick's private chat group, and of course support the podcast and help us save the West, all for just £5 by going to nickdixon.net Or make a one-off donation here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon Nick's links Substack: nickdixon.net YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nick_dixon X: https://x.com/njdixon David Starkey's links: https://www.youtube.com/@davidstarkeytalks https://x.com/DrDStarkeyCBE 

Why haven't Ed Balls or George Osborne written political memoirs? Broadcaster Iain Dale puts the question to them, asking what's stopping them, what they'd reveal if they did, and whether political history is incomplete without their accounts.And another listener digs into a moment of political tension between Ed and Tony Blair over the Euro. Did Steve Richards's book Turning Points get it right, and what was really said in that meeting?Plus - the political fiction and non-fiction worth reading this summer, and whether George or Ed would ever dare to write a political thriller of their own.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:

In February, veteran fossil industry advisor Dan Yergin and two co-authors published a piece called The Troubled Transition. In it they dismiss the idea that there is or can ever be an energy transition, anchored on the fact that fossil fuels contributed 85% to so-called primary energy in 1990 and still contribute 80% today. Needless to say, their argument has been widely amplified by the oil and gas industry. They conclude with a demand for a new approach – which they call a “pragmatic path”. Pragmatism is needed, but not the pragmatism of defeat. Not the ‘pragmatism' of believing fossil fuels hold the key to further human progress. Not the ‘pragmatism' of addressing climate change only if it suits the interests of fossil-fuel companies. What is needed is the pragmatism of robust but affordable climate action. This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich debunks narratives that trumpet the alleged failure of climate action, and explains why a pragmatic climate reset is needed.Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is supported by the Leadership Circle, and its founding members: Actis, Alcazar Energy, Davidson Kempner, EcoPragma Capital, EDP of Portugal, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information on the Leadership Circle, please visit https://www.cleaningup.live. Links and more: Read the full article on BNEF: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-the-pragmatic-climate-reset-part-i/Tony Blair Institute Climate Reset Report: https://institute.global/insights/climate-and-energy/the-climate-paradox-why-we-need-to-reset-action-on-climate-changeMichael Cembalest 15th annual Eye On The Market: https://am.jpmorgan.com/content/dam/jpm-am-aem/global/en/insights/eye-on-the-market/heliocentrism-amv.pdfDan Yergin et al, The Troubled Transition: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/troubled-energy-transition-yergin-orszag-aryaGenerative AI – The Power and the Glory: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-generative-ai-the-power-and-the-glory/Five Superheroes of the Transition: https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/liebreich-net-zero-will-be-harder-than-you-think-and-easier-part-ii-easier/Tony Blair on Cleaning Up: https://youtu.be/Ko90KbFKBnIDan Yergin on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QIh4U3Vgjc  

Dwarkesh Patel is on a quest to know everything. He's using LLMs to enhance how he reads, learns, thinks, and conducts interviews. Dwarkesh is a podcaster who's interviewed a wide range of people, like Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Blair, and Marc Andreesen. Before conducting each of these interviews, Dwarkesh learns as much as he can about his guest and their area of expertise—AI hardware, tense geopolitical crises, and the genetics of human origins, to name a few. The most important tool in his learning arsenal? AI—specifically Claude, Claude Projects, and a few custom tools he's built to accelerate his workflow.He does this by researching extensively, and as his knowledge grows, each piece of new information builds upon the last, making it easier and easier to grasp meaningful insights. In this interview, I turn the tables on him to understand how the prolific podcaster uses AI to become a smarter version of himself. We get into:- How he uses LLMs to remember everything- His podcast prep workflow with Claude to understand complex topics- Why it's important to be an early adopter of technology- His taste in books and how he uses LLMs to learn from them- How he thinks about building a worldview - His quick takes on the AI's existential questions—AGI and P(doom)We also use Claude live on the show to help Dwarkesh research for an upcoming podcast recording.This is a must-watch for curious people who want to use AI to become smarter.If you found this episode interesting, please like, subscribe, comment, and share! Sponsor:Gemini: Experience high quality AI video generation with Google's most capable video model: Veo 3. Try it in the Gemini app at gemini.google with a Google AI Pro plan or get the highest access with the Ultra plan.Want even more?Sign up for Every to unlock our ⁠ultimate guide to prompting ChatGPT here⁠. It's usually only for paying subscribers, but you can get it here for free.To hear more from Dan Shipper:- ⁠Subscribe to Every⁠- ⁠Follow him on X⁠Links to resources mentioned in the episode:- ⁠Dwarkesh Patel⁠- Dwarkesh's ⁠podcast⁠ and ⁠newsletter⁠- Dwarkesh's⁠ interview with researcher Andy Matuschak⁠ on spaced repetition- The book about technology and society that both Dan and Dwarkesh are reading: Medieval Technology and Social Change- Dan's ⁠interview with Reid Hoffman⁠- The book by Will Durant that inspires Dwarkesh: ⁠Fallen Leaves- One of the most interesting books Dwarkesh has read: ⁠The Great Divide ⁠- Upcoming guests on Dwarkesh's podcast: ⁠David Reich⁠ and ⁠Daniel Yergin

Violent clashes erupt outside a migrant hotel in Essex as tensions over UK immigration reach a boiling point. With Keir Starmer warning of unrest and the BBC openly predicting a “summer of riots,” the signs of nationwide upheaval are already here. We trace the roots of the crisis—from Tony Blair's immigration legacy to today's chaotic scenes—and ask: is Britain entering a new era of civil disorder?   Go to http://rumble.com/premium/brand and use code BRAND to save $10 on your annual subscription http://www.1775coffee.com/BRAND to save 15% off your order of 1775 Coffee.  

MPs have left Westminster for the summer, but politics continues - with Nigel Farage promising to spend six weeks fighting a war on crime.Can opposition parties use the break to put pressure on the government, did David Cameron deserve his reputation for 'chillaxing', and why did Tony Blair's team hope he wouldn't call from the sun lounger?Send your comments and questions to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The whole thing just wreaks of arrogance and frankly looking down on ordinary people.'Nigel Farage fumes at a letter which shows Tony Blair considered a secret plan to make immigration more popular again while he was in No. 10. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norma Percy is a documentary film-maker. She has been making programmes for over three decades and her productions have featured a range of political leaders from Tony Blair and Bill Clinton to Mikhail Gorbachev and Slobodan Milošević. Her film-making method, which she developed alongside her colleague Brian Lapping, tells the stories of our times by taking viewers into the room where the big decisions were made, with the people who made them.Norma was born in New York City and majored in Government at Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1963 she moved to London where she studied at the London School of Economics, before finding a job in the House of Commons as a researcher for the MP John Mackintosh.In 1972 she became a researcher for Brian Lapping, working on the Granada series State of the Nation. Later she produced The Second Russian Revolution and the award-winning Watergate – a five-part BBC series about the Watergate scandal.Her programmes have won an Emmy, two BAFTAs and four Royal Television Awards. Norma lives in London with her husband, the geneticist Professor Steve Jones. DISC ONE: Be Prepared - Tom Lehrer DISC TWO: Waltz in C sharp-minor, Op.64 No. 2. Composed by Frederic Chopin and performed by Khatia Buniatishvili DISC THREE: Well, Did You Evah? - Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra DISC FOUR: Hard Day's Night - The Beatles DISC FIVE: Never Say No - The Fantasticks New Off-Broadway Cast DISC SIX: Swan Lake, Op. 20, TH.12 / Act 3: The Black Swan. Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and performed by Erich Gruenberg (violin), London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Richard Bonynge DISC SEVEN: It Ain't Me Babe - Joan Baez DISC EIGHT: Political Science - Randy Newman BOOK CHOICE: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust LUXURY ITEM: A hot shower CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: It Ain't Me Babe - Joan Baez Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

My guest this week is Irvine Welsh – who, three decades after his era-defining hit Trainspotting, returns with a direct sequel, Men In Love. Irvine tells me what Sick Boy, Renton, Spud and Begbie mean to him, why his new book hopes to encourage a new generation to discover Romantic verse and shagging, and why MDMA deserves more credit for the Good Friday Agreement than Tony Blair.

We begin on a positive note by welcoming a “doer,” citizen extraordinaire, Jon Merryman, who couldn't stand the trash, especially old tires, being dumped in his neighborhood. So, he took it upon himself to clean it up and has now expanded his efforts across the country. Then co-president of Public Citizen, Robert Weissman, joins us to explain how spending in the recent bill passed by the Republican controlled Congress prioritizes the Pentagon and deportation enforcement at the expense of the social safety net, essentially trading life for death.Jon Merryman was a software designer at Lockheed Martin, who after retiring found his true calling, cleaning up trash in every county in America.When I first started looking at the environment next to my place of work, one of the things I did uncover was tires. And they were definitely there from the '20s, the '30s, and the '40s, they've been there for decades. And then just after a while, the soil and the erosion just covers them up. And you just discover them, and you realize this has been going on forever.Jon MerrymanNature is innocent. It really doesn't deserve what we've given it. And I feel like someone's got to step up to undo what we've done.Jon MerrymanRobert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the Co-President of Public Citizen, he has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations, and the wealthy have over our democracy.The best estimates are that the loss of insurance and measures in this bill will cost 40,000 lives every year. Not once. Every year.Robert Weissman co-president of Public Citizen on the Budget BillPeople understand there's a rigged system. They understand that generally. They understand that with healthcare. But if you (the Democrats) don't name the health insurance companies as an enemy, as a barrier towards moving forward. You don't say United Health; you don't go after a Big Pharma, which is probably the most despised health sector in the economy, people don't think you're serious. And partially it's because you're not.Robert WeissmanNews 7/11/251. This week, the Financial Times published a stunning story showing the Tony Blair Institute – founded by the former New Labour British Prime Minister and Iraq War accomplice Tony Blair – “participated” in a project to “reimagine Gaza as a thriving trading hub.” This project would include a “Trump Riviera” and an “Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone”. To accomplish this, the investors would pay half a million Palestinians to leave Gaza to open the enclave up for development – and that is just the tip of the harebrained iceberg. This scheme would also involve creating “artificial islands off the coast akin to those in Dubai, blockchain-based trade initiatives…and low-tax ‘special economic zones'.” The development of this plot is somewhat shadowy. The FT story names a, “group of Israeli businessmen…including tech investor Liran Tancman and venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg,” who helped establish the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in February 2025. GHF has been accused of using supposed aid distribution sites as “death traps,” per France 24. Boston Consulting Group, also named in the FT story, strongly disavowed the project, as did the Tony Blair Institute.2. In more positive news related to Gaza, the National Education Association – the largest labor union in the United States – voted this week to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL, once an important group safeguarding the civil rights and wellbeing of American Jews, has completely abandoned its historic mission and has instead devoted its considerable resources to trying to crush the anti-Zionist movement. The NEA passed a resolution stating that the NEA “will not use, endorse, or publicize materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), such as its curricular materials or statistics,” because, “Despite its reputation as a civil rights organization, the ADL is not the social justice educational partner it claims to be.” Labor Notes writes that the ADL “has been a ubiquitous presence in U.S. schools for forty years, pushing curriculum, direct programming, and teacher training into K-12 schools and increasingly into universities.” One NEA delegate, Stephen Siegel, said from the assembly floor, “Allowing the ADL to determine what constitutes antisemitism would be like allowing the fossil fuel industry to determine what constitutes climate change.”3. Another major labor story from this week concerns sanitation workers in Philadelphia. According to the Delaware News Journal, AFSCME District Council 33 has reached a deal with the city to raise wages for their 9,000 workers by 9% over three years. The union went on strike July 1st, resulting in, “massive piles of trash piling up on city streets and around trash drop-off sites designated by the city,” and “changes to the city's annual Fourth of July concert with headliner LL Cool J and city native Jazmine Sullivan both dropping out,” in solidarity with the striking workers, per WHYY. The deal reached is a major compromise for the union, which was seeking a 32% total pay increase, but they held off on an extended trash pickup strike equivalent to 1986 strike, which went on for three weeks and left 45,000 tons of rotting garbage in the streets, per ABC.4. Yet another labor story brings us to New York City. ABC7 reports the United Federation of Teachers has endorsed Democratic Socialist – and Democratic Party nominee – Zohran Mamdani for mayor. This report notes “UFT is the city's second largest union…[with] 200,000 members.” Announcing the endorsement, UFT President Michael Mulgrew stated, “This is a real crisis and it's a moment for our city, and our city is starting to speak out very loudly…The voters are saying the same thing, 'enough is enough.' The income gap disparity is above…that which we saw during the Gilded Age." All eyes now turn to District Council 37, which ABC7 notes “endorsed Council speaker Adrienne Adams in the primary and has yet to endorse in the general election.”5. The margin of Mamdani's victory, meanwhile, continues to grow as the Board of Elections updates its ranked choice voting tallies. According to the conservative New York Post, Zohran has “won more votes than any other mayoral candidate in New York City primary election history.” Mamdani can now boast having won over 565,000 votes after 102,000 votes were transferred from other candidates. Not only that, “Mamdani's totals are expected to grow as…a small percent of ballots are still being counted.”6. Meanwhile, scandal-ridden incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams has yet another scandal on his hands. The New York Daily News reports, “Four high-ranking former NYPD chiefs are suing Mayor Adams, claiming they were forced to retire from the department after complaining that his ‘unqualified' friends were being placed in prestigious police positions, sometimes after allegedly bribing their way into the jobs.” Former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who was already forced to resign in disgrace amidst a federal corruption investigation, features prominently in this new lawsuit. Among other things, Caban is alleged to have been “selling promotions” to cops for up to $15,000. Adams is running for reelection as an independent, but trails Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo.7. Turning to the federal government, as the U.S. disinvests in science and technology, a new report published in the Financial Times finds that, “Almost three-quarters of all solar and wind power projects being built globally are in China.” According to the data, gathered by Global Energy Monitor, “China is building 510 gigawatts of utility-scale solar and wind projects… [out of] 689GW under construction globally.” As this report notes, one gigawatt can potentially supply electricity for about one million homes. This report goes on to say that, “China is expected to add at least 246.5GW of solar and 97.7GW of wind this year,” on top of the “1.5 terawatts of solar and wind power capacity up and running as of the end of March.” In the first quarter of 2025, solar and wind accounted for 22.5% of China's total electricity consumption; in 2023, solar and wind accounted for around 14% of electricity consumption in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.8. Developments this week put two key rules promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission under former Chair Lina Khan in jeopardy. First and worse, NPR reports the Republican-controlled FTC is abandoning a rule which would have banned non-compete clauses in employment contracts. These anti-worker provisions “trap workers and depress wages,” according to Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who has introduced legislation to ban them by statute. Perhaps more irritatingly however, Reuters reports the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis has blocked the so-called “click to cancel” rule just days before it was set to take effect. This rule would have, “required retailers, gyms and other businesses to provide cancellation methods for subscriptions, auto-renewals and free trials that convert to paid memberships that are ‘at least as easy to use' as the sign up process.” A coalition of corporate interests sued to block the rule, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade group representing major cable and internet providers such as Charter Communications, Comcast and Cox Communications along with media companies like Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. Lina Khan decried “Firms…making people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription, trapping Americans in needless bureaucracy and wasting their time & money.”9. In another betrayal of consumers, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to break promises and speak out of both sides of his mouth. A new report in NPR documents RFK Jr. speaking at a conference in April, where he “spoke about the health effects of exposure to harmful chemicals in our food, air and water…[and] cited recent research on microplastics from researchers in Oregon, finding these tiny particles had shown up in 99% of the seafood they sampled.” Yet Susanne Brander, the author of the study, had gotten word just an hour earlier that “a federal grant she'd relied on to fund her research for years…was being terminated.” Brander is quoted saying "It feels like they are promoting the field while ripping out the foundation." Ripping out the foundation of this research is felt acutely, as “regulators are weakening safeguards that limit pollution and other toxic chemicals.” So Mr. Secretary, which is more important – stopping the proliferation of microplastics or slashing funding for the very scientists studying the issue?10. Finally, in Los Angeles masked federal troops are marauding through the streets on horseback, sowing terror through immigrant communities, per the New York Times. President Trump mobilized approximately 4,000 National Guard members – putting them under federal control – alongside 700 Marines in response to protests against immigration raids in June. As the Times notes, “It has been more than three weeks since the last major demonstration in downtown Los Angeles,” but the federal forces have not been demobilized. While some have dismissed the shows of force as nothing more than stunts designed to fire up the president's base, Gregory Bovino, a Customs and Border Protection chief in Southern California told Fox News “[LA] Better get used to us now, cause this is going to be normal very soon.” As LA Mayor Karen Bass put it, “What I saw…looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation…It's the way a city looks before a coup.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comEd is the US national editor and columnist at the Financial Times. Before that, he was the FT's Washington Bureau chief, the South Asia bureau chief, Capital Markets editor, and Philippines correspondent. During the Clinton administration, he was the speechwriter for Larry Summers. The author of many books, his latest is Zbig: The Life and Times of Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet.For two clips of our convo — on how China played Trump on rare minerals, and Europe's bind over Russian energy — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in West Sussex near my hometown; the international appeal of English boarding schools; the gerontocracy of the USSR; Ed making a beeline to the Berlin Wall as it fell; Fukuyama's The End of History; Brzezinski's The Grand Failure — of Communism; enthusiasm for free markets after the Cold War; George Kennan warning against Ukraine independence; HW Bush and the Persian Gulf; climate change and migration; a population boom in Africa; W Bush tolerating autocracy in the war on terrorism; Trump tearing up his own NAFTA deal; the resurgence of US isolationism; the collapsing security umbrella in Europe leading to more self-reliance; Germany's flagging economy; the China threat; Taiwan's chips; TACO on tariffs; the clean energy cuts in OBBBA; the abundance agenda; national debt and Bowles-Simpson; the overrated Tony Blair; Liz Truss' “epic Dunning-Kruger”; Boris killing the Tory Party; the surprising success of Mark Carney; Biden's mediocrity; Bernie's appeal; and the Rest catching up with the West.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Tara Zahra on the revolt against globalization after WWI, Scott Anderson on the Iranian Revolution, Shannon Minter debating trans issues, Thomas Mallon on the AIDS crisis, and Johann Hari turning the tables to interview me. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Kevin Roberts, Kellyanne Conway, Ben Rhodes and I battled it out a few weeks ago on a stage in Toronto. This was for a Munk Debate on the motion: “Be it resolved, this is America's Golden Age.” It might not surprise you that I was arguing the negative, alongside Rhodes, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama and the co-host of “Pod Save the World.” Roberts and Conway were on the other side. Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation and an architect of Project 2025. Conway was Donald Trump's senior counselor in his first term. The Munk Debates organization has kindly let us share the audio of that debate with you. If you haven't heard of the Munk Debates, you should really check it out. It's a Canadian nonprofit that, for more than 15 years, has been hosting discussions on contentious, thought-provoking topics. If you go to its site and become a supporter, you can watch the entire video archive. A classic I recommend: “Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world” with Tony Blair debating Christopher Hitchens.Note: This recording has not been fact-checked by our team. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.