This special episode was recorded live at the New Statesman ’s Politics Live event. Keir Starmer speaks to Rachel Wearmouth, currently the senior political correspondent at the Mirror , but soon to join the New Statesman as deputy political editor. They discuss the radical views of his youth, his promise for economic growth, and why he is scrapping the 2019 Labour Party manifesto. If you have a question for You Ask Us, email [email protected] P...
Jul 04, 2022•37 min
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the SNP, has announced that she wants to hold a second independence referendum on 19 October 2023. The constitutional debate was widely seen to be at a political deadlock, but now it enters a new phase. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Chris Deerin, the New Statesman Scotland editor, to discuss the motivations behind this latest bid for independence and the means of securing it. They also touch on how Scots have said t...
Jul 01, 2022•34 min
As the official measure of inflation in the UK hits 9.1 per cent, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman business team, Will Dunn and Emma Haslett, to discuss why inflation is hitting the country so badly. How much is Brexit making matters worse, and is inflation simply a worldwide problem? And what can the government do about it? Then in You Ask Us, the panel answer a listener’s question on Labour’s lack of a clear response to the rail strikes. If you have a question for Yo...
Jun 27, 2022•29 min
In a major blow to Boris Johnson, the Conservatives have lost the seats of Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield to the Liberal Democrats and Labour respectively, by double-digit margins. In the wake of the results, Oliver Dowden, the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, became the first cabinet minister to resign (if implicitly) over the PMs leadership. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Harry Lambert and the New Statesman’s polling expert Ben Walker to discuss the crushing Tory defeat, the power of ...
Jun 24, 2022•29 min
With just a few days until the Tiverton and Honiton by-election on 23 June, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman ’s business editor and Devonian Will Dunn, who has returned from a reporting trip to the south-west constituency. They discuss how cost of living is the big issue on the doorstep, why the Lib Dems have a mountain to climb to win the seat, and why the Labour candidate feels a bit miffed about being ignored. Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New...
Jun 20, 2022•18 min
The by-election in Wakefield on June 23 will be a crucial test of whether Labour can win the Red Wall back from the Conservatives. The election was triggered by the resignation of the Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan after he was found guilty in April of sexually assaulting a teenaged boy. Khan was elected in the 2019 general election as the first non-Labour MP in the seat, two thirds of which voted Leave in the EU referendum, since 1932. Victory for Labour would send a powerful signal tha...
Jun 16, 2022•30 min
The New Statesman podcast takes a special look at the Green Party, following their success in the local elections. Why did they do so well in May? And how can they build on this to become a major player in UK politics? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by our polling expert, Ben Walker, and environment correspondent India Bourke. If you have a question for You Ask Us, email [email protected] Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for j...
Jun 13, 2022•30 min
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is attempting yet another relaunch of his government just days after 148 MPs told him they don’t have confidence in his leadership. Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Cunliffe and Harry Lambert discuss the rebels' next move, what this means for the government, and whether Keir Starmer should have been more aggressive at PMQs. Then in You Ask Us, they answer a listener's question on why any MP would want to support Boris Johnson right now. If you have a question f...
Jun 09, 2022•26 min
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a vote of confidence from Conservative MPs. But 148 members voted against him, leaving a split party. In this special episode of the New Statesman Podcast , recorded at the Tate Britain just down the road from the Palace of Westminster, Rachel Cunliffe interviews the political editor Andrew Marr on where this development now leaves Johnson and the country. They discuss how this is good for the opposition but bad for government, why there is no coor...
Jun 07, 2022•19 min
On the day that Boris Johnson faces a vote of no confidence in his leadership, Rachel Cunliffe speaks to Harry Lambert, senior political correspondent, and Ben Walker, the New Statesman’s polling expert, about how we got here. They talk about the Prime Minister’s chances of survival, the damage done to him already and what to expect from by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton on June 23. If you have a question for You Ask Us email [email protected] Podcast listeners c...
Jun 06, 2022•25 min
The campaign to remove Boris Johnson as Prime Minister is building. The steady trickle of letters from Conservative MPs declaring they have no confidence in him and criticism from high-profile dissenters has sparked speculation that there could be a vote as early as next week. Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Cunliffe and Freddie Hayward discuss what’s causing the widespread discontent among the Tory ranks, what would happen should the party stumble into a vote, and the broader identit...
Jun 01, 2022•27 min
Fresh from Sydney, Professor Marc Stears, a former Labour speechwriter and author of its 2015 manifesto, tells Anoosh Chakelian what Labour can learn, and where Keir Starmer is going wrong. Stears reflects on how Anthony Albanese, the new Labor prime minister of Australia, avoided culture warring with Scott Morrison, his predecessor, what Keir Starmer can learn from this, and his concerns about Labour's lack of policy direction - and its fear of the Daily Mail. The UCL Policy Lab was launched on...
May 31, 2022•22 min
Sue Gray’s long-awaited report has been published at last. It contains lurid details of excessive drinking and partying at Downing Street during lockdown, as well as a “lack of respect and poor treatment” towards cleaners and security guards. But what does it mean for Boris Johnson? Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Harry Lambert discuss the mood among Tory MPs and why they continue to support Johnson, the “God complex” in Downing Street that created a cul...
May 26, 2022•26 min
Jeremy Hunt tells Anoosh Chakelian how he regrets the "silent killer" of social-care cuts made when he was in the cabinet, calls for the "penny to drop" for the current health secretary Sajid Javid on properly funding social care, and warns of electoral woes for the Tories in their southern English "heartlands". He also admits he wouldn't rule out serving as a minister under Boris Johnson. Hunt's book, Zero: Eliminating Unnecessary Deaths in a Post-Pandemic NHS , is available in boo...
May 24, 2022•34 min
UK inflation has reached its highest rate in 40 years, jumping from 7 per cent in March to 9 per cent in the year to April. With inflation hitting the poorest hardest , pressure is growing on the government to reverse its opposition to a windfall tax on energy profits. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman 's associate business editor Emma Haslett and senior associate editor Rachel Cunliffe to discuss the government’s lack of a plan to address the crisis, in...
May 20, 2022•31 min
While polling revealed exclusively by the New Statesman suggests that voters aren’t divided on so-called culture war issues, the Johnson administration is putting them at the centre of its political project. To understand why the Prime Minister seems intent on winning a war that doesn’t exist, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, who received an MBE last year for services to social cohesion, and Rory Stewart, senior fellow at...
May 17, 2022•26 min
Having cast himself as “Mr Rules” in opposition to Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer's reputation hangs in the balance amid allegations of breaking Covid restrictions. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the NS's political editor, Andrew Marr, to discuss Starmer’s future , the mutinous atmosphere in the Labour machine and rumours of runners and riders who could replace him. Then they answer a listener’s question on what Boris Johnson and Liz Truss hope to gain fro...
May 13, 2022•21 min
The renowned satirist and broadcaster Armando Iannucci returns to the New Statesman Podcast to co-host five more special episodes. In these shows Iannucci, explores the parts of British public life that he believes are broken, and he will be joined by guests from both inside and outside Westminster to discuss how politics could be better. In this episode, Iannucci and Anoosh Chakelian examine whether Westminster politics has just become a game to most politicians. They ar...
May 11, 2022•40 min
Voters in many areas deserted the Conservatives in last week's local elections, yet this was not a comprehensive victory for Labour. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman’s polling expert Ben Walker and political reporter Freddie Hayward to discuss the headline results and whether Labour has achieved the sea change it needs ahead of the next general election. Next, they turn to Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin's historic victory, gaining th...
May 09, 2022•29 min
As voting in the local elections begins, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman’s polling expert Ben Walker to discuss key councils to watch and predict the outcome . They talk about the driving forces behind people’s votes, from partygate and rising living costs to potholes, and what the political consequences of the results could be. Then they answer listeners’ questions on the impact the use of the single transferable vote (STV) system will...
May 05, 2022•28 min
The renowned satirist and broadcaster Armando Iannucci returns to the New Statesman Podcast to co-host five more special episodes. In these shows Iannucci, explores the parts of British public life that he believes are broken, and he will be joined by guests from inside and outside Westminster to discuss how politics could be better. In this episode, Iannucci and Ailbhe Rea examine voter loyalty and whether tribalism has died in favour of a kind of playlist politics. They are j...
May 04, 2022•38 min
Anoosh Chakelian chairs a special episode of the New Statesman Podcast , recorded live at the Cambridge Literary Festival. In recent years, Britain has witnessed the unlawful prorogation of parliament; debacles in the management of public health, education and immigration; and scandals of cronyism, incompetence and sleaze. How has the cultural and political debate become so degraded? Can such failures of leadership be traced back to an unwritten constitution and a political system th...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 2 min
The misogyny that many women working in parliament experience has reared its ugly head once more. Anoosh Chakelian, Ailbhe Rea and Harry Lambert discuss the latest revelations of sexual misconduct at Westminster and the personal cost for the women who speak out. The team then discuss Labour’s prospects for the local elections and whether the cost of living, not partygate, could be the key to victory. Then a special You Ask Us to say goodbye to Ailbhe Rea. If you have a question for Y...
Apr 29, 2022•29 min
The renowned satirist and broadcaster Armando Iannucci returns to the New Statesman Podcast to co-host five more special episodes. In these shows Iannucci, explores the parts of British public life that he believes are broken, and he will be joined by guests from both inside and outside Westminster to discuss how politics could be better. In this episode, Iannucci and Anoosh Chakelian examine what is at the very heart of British politics: the constitution. What is it, is it fit for p...
Apr 27, 2022•39 min
With partygate rumbling on and Boris Johnson referred to the House of Commons’ Committee of Priviliges, Anoosh Chakelian speaks to Hannah White, the deputy director of the Institute for Government. White is a former civil servant who worked on standards in public life and as a Commons clerk. She explains exactly how the privileges committee works, why the Prime Minister has been allowed to decide his own fate (so far) and what can be done to improve trust in parliament. White’s new ...
Apr 26, 2022•24 min
As MPs debate the fallout from partygate, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Andrew Marr, political editor, and Freddie Hayward, political reporter, to discuss why Boris Johnson may still be safe as PM and the opinions of Conservatives about their leader. Then in a special section on Northern Ireland, Ailbhe Rea reports from Belfast on what is becoming a very tense Stormont election. If you have a question for You Ask Us, email [email protected] Podcast listeners can subscribe to the ...
Apr 21, 2022•24 min
The legendary writer, satirist and broadcaster Armando Iannucci returns to the New Statesman podcast to co-host five more special episodes. In these shows, Iannucci explores parts of British public life he believes to be broken, and is joined by guests from both inside and outside Westminster to discuss how politics could be better. In this episode, Armando and Anoosh Chakelian examine whether people or politicians make change happen – and ask whether activists ...
Apr 20, 2022•38 min
A devolution special of the New Statesman Podcast looks ahead to the local elections in Scotland and Wales. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Scotland Editor Chris Deerin to discuss Scotland, including Nicola Sturgeon's face mask slip-up, why the real race is for second, and whether Labour can win back Glasgow. Anoosh then talks about the state of play in Wales with political reporter Freddie Hayward – and whether we’ll see the first signs of Labour winning back t...
Apr 19, 2022•27 min
When the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021, the Koofi family were among 8,000 Afghans airlifted to safety in the UK, as part of the government’s Operation Warm Welcome. The New Statesman ’s Sophie McBain met them in a hotel in the north of England soon afterwards, where they were waiting to be resettled. As the months passed, she followed their new life, as well as that of the hotel staff and its other residents: an uncertain limbo of bureaucracy and confinement. Writt...
Apr 16, 2022•34 min
Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Carrie Johnson have all received fixed-penalty notices for attending parties in Downing Street during lockdown, but could the Prime Minister now be safer than he was at the height of partygate? Harry Lambert, Senior Correspondent, joins Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea to discuss the fines, the downfall of Rishi Sunak and why we won’t know the real mood among MPs until they return to Westminster. Then in You Ask Us, they answer a listener’s question on whether the p...
Apr 14, 2022•27 min
