Donald Trump is increasingly insane - period! Nick Cohen t alks with U.S commentator and author Claire Berlinski about the increasingly dangerous and insane presidency of Donald Trump which Claire sees as a pattern of national sabotage rather than mere incompetence, impulsiveness, or corruption, highlighting the destructive impact of his policies on US global power and alliances. The last week has shocked the U.S's one-time allies with his reckless threats against Denmark and Greenland, his aban...
Jan 26, 2026•50 min•Season 1Ep. 115
Trump & Putin - the despots at war with our world In this week's Lowdown , Nick Cohen talks to Professor Sam Greene - the Director of the Russia Institute at King's College London about Vladamir Putin and Donald Trump, and how about how much longer Russia can endure the continuing carnage and humiliation of its seemingly never ending aggression against Ukraine. What Putin intended to be a few days of Blitzkrieg in February 2022 will soon enter its fifth gruesome year and has already lasted l...
Jan 19, 2026•42 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Nick Cohen talks to influential l eading US commentator Charlie Sykes who has a grim warning for the West about Trump and the far-right revolutionaries now in charge of the White House America's dark revolution threatens the world "We're not dealing with something that's going to be fixed by a midterm election. We are dealing with a fundamentally revolutionary time - a revolutionary age in which America has gone from being a reliable ally and a role model to being a genuine threat to being a gen...
Jan 12, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Charlotte Leslie, a former Conservative MP, discusses the rise of the radical right in politics and the potential for a Reform-led government in the UK, emphasising the need to take the group seriously despite their challenges. She and Nick Cohen explore the underlying divisions in British society that led to Brexit, using her experience as an MP for Bristol Northwest as an example, and discussed Farage's political strategies and leadership style. The conversation concluded with discussions on i...
Jan 05, 2026•51 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Nick Cohen and Dr Bharat Tandon , academic, novelist & Booker Prize judge, discuss Jane Austen's astonishing legacy before delving into a detailed analysis of her enduring popularity and literary significance. They explored themes of claustrophobia in Austen's works, particularly how her novels depict the constraints of patriarchal structures and economic relations for women, while also examining the misinterpretation of her writing by modern figures like Milo Yiannopoulos. The discussion co...
Dec 29, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 111
A Lowdown Christmas special with Rev. Richard Coles Richard Coles is a man of many parts and many talents - a former rock star turned vicar, who inspired the BBC TV series "Rev" and continues to be a prominent figure in religious and media circles, presenting radio shows and writing thrillers. With Lowdown host Nick Cohen , Richard explores the declining role of Christianity in Britain, with discussions about the changing nature of religious practice and the tension between moderate and more pol...
Dec 22, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Trump and MAGA see European values and societies as the real enemies Nick Cohen t alks to the leading US commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of the highly controversial US National Security Strategy 2025 which has overturned 80 years of post-war security strategy and threatens the very social and political fabric of Europe, as well as its security. Incredibly, in this document, the US says it will support nationalist far right parties in overturning European governments and says it will d...
Dec 15, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Labour's threat to the ancient right of Trial by Jury Nick Cohen and Francis FitzGibbon KC - a prominent barrister and former chair of the Criminal Bar Association - discuss the proposal by Labour politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, to restrict the right to trial by jury, which Nick finds astonishing given Starmer's previous advocacy for human rights and anti-racism. Francis argues against the proposed changes, which Nck thinks could expose ethnic mino...
Dec 08, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Summary Nick Cohen and Professor Alan Manning - economist and one of the country's leading experts on immigration - discuss the impact of immigration on Western democracies, including its role in recent and upcoming elections, as well as the resurgence of right-wing movements driven by immigration-related fears. Alan Manning, a professor at the London School of Economics, explains the complexities of immigration policy and the challenges of balancing migration capacity with global inequality. Ni...
Dec 01, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Center-Left's Struggle Against Radical Right Nick Cohen talks to The Guardian 's chief political correspondent Rafael Behr discuss the failure of the Western centre-left to effectively counter the rise of the radical right, using examples from the United States and Britain. They highlighted the Democrats' inability to stop Trump's return to power and Labour's struggles under Keir Starmer despite a significant majority. The discussion touched on the fragmentation of the centre-left vote into Gree...
Nov 24, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 106
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE - FROM EUROPE'S RADICAL RIGHT, AND EX-BREXIT PARTY MEP NATHAN GILL! Nick Cohen and Arthur Snell - the author and ex-diplomat - discuss political corruption and treason - following the sentencing of Nathan Gill, the former Brexit Party MEP and ex-leader of UKIP in Wales. They discuss the deply disturbing case of Gill- convicted of eight counts of bribery , after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing uncovered how he received payment in return for making statements whi...
Nov 17, 2025•49 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Nick Cohen and Robert Saunders , the author and academic, discuss historical political party splits in Britain, particularly in the 1920s when the Liberals split and Labour formed, contrasting with the current situation where both left and right-wing votes are fragmented. Nick and Robert analyse the current political landscape, noting that while the right-wing vote is divided with Nigel Farage being popular, the centre-left could dominate British politics if it remains united. The discussion hig...
Nov 10, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Nick Cohen talks to and Ronan McCrea about the current state and future challenges of the gay rights movement. Ronan expressed concerns about the potential reversal of LGBTQ+ gains due to weakening secular and liberal forces, arguing that the movement's expansion beyond gay rights has become counterproductive and risks alienating straight allies. The discussion concluded with Ronan emphasising the need for continued vigilance and moderate strategies to maintain long-term gay rights gains, while ...
Nov 03, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Can the Centre hold in France? Nick Cohen discusses the dire state of French politics with journalist, author & academic Agnès Poirier. They discuss the chaos of politics in France over the last years which has seen 4 prime ministers come and go in barely a year. Extremists on the far right and far left are becoming ever more dominant - their voices ever more shrill. In 2017, Emmanuelle Macron became the youngest man since Napoloeon to head the French state and to become President of France,...
Oct 26, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Is is already too late to save US democracy? In this week's The Lowdown, Nick Cohen asks Edward Luce - the Washing-based editor & columnist of the Financial Times - is it already too late to save the US? Trump is already trying to gerrymander the critical 2026 mid-term elections by demanding re-districting of states like Texas to produce more Republican states. Also, he repeatedly threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act to further threaten freedom, and sends ICE agents and troops into peace...
Oct 20, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Nick Cohen and historian and author James Hawes explore the rise of far-right sentiment in Britain and the Conservative Party's transformation, including their evolving definition of English identity and embrace of discriminatory immigration policies. Historical parallels were drawn between contemporary political events and pre-World War I era, with particular focus on the party's strategic shifts and potential mergers with right-wing factions. The conversation concluded with analysis of current...
Oct 13, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Nick Cohen talks to leading US political commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of Donald Trump's presidency on American politics and conservative institutions, with Charlie sharing his perspective as one of the first "Never Trump" conservatives and discussing the erosion of traditional conservative values and principles. They examine how Trump's rise was connected to broader trends in right-wing politics, including the appeal to "own the libs" and the normalisation of previously unacceptabl...
Oct 06, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Can Farage be stopped, and if so, by who? Nick Cohen talks to Ed Hodgson from the More in Common think-tank about growing concerns over the potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics by Nigel Reform & his latest insurgent party Reform and the implications for British society and the political landscape. Ed Hodgson explores divisions in British society and the rise of the Reform, while examining public sentiment towards immigration policies and the challenges facing Labour under Keir...
Sep 29, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Summary Let's face it - Labour inherited a total shit show after 14 years of Tory misrule - an economy crippled by Brexit, immigration chaos, turds in our rivers and seas, and rapidly deteriorating public services. But - inevitably - it's Sir Keir Starmer who's getting the blame for the country's woes, thanks mainly to the the fickleness of the electorate as well as the country's evident decline. But Labour seems to have bent over backwards to help its opponents with self-inflicted wounds such a...
Sep 22, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Summary Nick Cohen and Anne Applebaum discuss the current state of democracy in the United States and Europe, focusing on the rise of populism and identity politics, while exploring how political figures maintain support despite policy failures. They examined the systematic dismantling of American institutions under Trump's administration, including attacks on the civil service and potential weakening of military capabilities, while also discussing the emerging alliance between authoritarian sta...
Sep 15, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Nick Cohen and Sunder Katwala engage in a detailed discussion about the rise of right-wing extremism in Britain, analysing rabid right rabble-rousers like Nigel Farage and examining how his evolving stance and ambiguous approach appeal to both mainstream voters and extreme elements. They explored the current political climate, focusing on the challenges faced by mainstream conservative parties and the need for addressing legitimate concerns about immigration while drawing clear boundaries agains...
Sep 08, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Goodbye Normal - it was nice knowing you! Nick Cohen and author & academic Yascha Mounk explore the enduring presence of populism and the challenges faced by centrists in adapting to changing political realities, discussing how assumptions about the world have evolved over the past 25 years. They examine various economic and political challenges across different countries, including Britain, Poland, and the United States, while analyzing how populists like Modi and Trump have capitalised on ...
Sep 01, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Summary In this discussion, Nick Cohen and former diplomat Arthur Snell explore the complex relationship between Donald Trump and Russia, examining evidence suggesting Trump may be serving Russian interests either knowingly or unwittingly. They analyze Christopher Steele's controversial intelligence work on Trump-Russia connections, noting that despite criticism, many of his key allegations have proven accurate according to subsequent investigations, including the Senate Intelligence Committee r...
Aug 25, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 93
The death of the mainstream media has emboldened far right charlatans Nick Cohen talks to author and journalist James Bloodworth about the evolving nature of politics and media in today's digital age. James explores how traditional media institutions are losing influence while online platforms and personalities mainly of the radical and far right have become more prominent, particularly noting how successful figures leverage algorithms and controversial content to gain attention. The strange dea...
Aug 18, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Nick Cohen talks to former Conservative MP and minister Dr Phillip Lee about the Brexit Omertà that is killing the Conservative Party. Dr Lee, now a practising GP, blames the party's spectacular demise partly on its failure to call out Nigel Garage and the Reform Party for the failure of Brexit and the dire consequences. The elephant in the room Phillip Lee that although few people want to talk about Brexit, they are prepared to talk about the many problems either caused or exacerbated by Brexit...
Aug 11, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 91
The UK voting system is falling into disrepair and disrepute Nick Cohen talks to the distinguished pollster and political commentator Peter Kellner @PeterKellner1 about the parlous state of British democracy and the UK's creaking and increasingly unfit-for-purpose First Past the Post voting system. Peter explains how First Past the Post (FPTP) has become problematic with increased party fragmentation and changing voter demographics. He explains how economic shifts, declining manufacturing indust...
Aug 04, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Summary The discussion between Nick Cohen and US-based journalist and commentator Ben Cohen centres on the implications of the J effrey Epstein scandal for Donald Trump , including his alleged involvement with Epstein and how Trump exploited conspiracy theories like QAnon to gain political power. The conversation explored Trump's ability to control the narrative and create distractions, while examining the impact of conspiracy theories on American politics and Trump's base of supporters. Ben Coh...
Jul 28, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 89
All the evidence points to Genocide in Gaza Nick Cohen talks to author and former Foreign Office diplomat Arthur Snell about the ongoing Middle East crisis, focusing on the devastating impact of the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and its consequences for the region. They explored the situation in Gaza, including concerns about potential genocide and the humanitarian crisis, as well as the implications of proposed resettlement plans and refugee outflows. The conversation also touched on the role ...
Jul 21, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Nick Cohen & Professor Robert Wintemute discuss transgender rights and women's rights, exploring legal, medical, and societal implications of transgender issues. The conversation covered topics such as the evolving demands of the LGBTQ+ movement, challenges faced by transgender individuals in various settings, and the controversy surrounding medical treatments for gender dysphoria in minors. Transgender Rights vs. Women's Rights Debate Nick talks to Robert, Professor of human rights law at K...
Jul 14, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Nick Cohen and commentator Nick Tyrone discuss the rise of the radicalised right in the UK and ask why the Conservatives won't fight against the extremists in their midst and party. Instead, some Tories are have buckled to the siren voices of intolerance and extremism. They are dragging their party further to the extremes by trying to outflank Nigel Farage & Reform on the right. Right wing extremism becomes ever more extreme Nick Tyrone says, "We've come so far that Farage is starting to loo...
Jul 07, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 86
