It's listener question time! Neil from Cambridge asks: "Rishi Sunak and other Conservatives keep telling us that Labour will take us 'back to square one' either through their policies or lack of a plan. What point in time does he want us to think of as being 'square one'? And why does he think that voters would believe that it is necessarily worse than where we are headed now?" Jon says: "Why do you guys propose on your podcasts that Starmer is currently lying, intending on being radical an...
Mar 08, 2024•16 min
Yesterday, Jeremy Hunt delivered the spring statement, the last before the next general election and his fourth budget since becoming Chancellor in October 2022, after replacing Kwasi Kwarteng. Non-doms have been abolished, national insurance has been cut by 2p, a vaping tax has been introduced, and the NHS has been promised 3.4 billion towards a digital transformation. But while inflation remains high and most of the nation is feeling the prolonged squeeze of the cost of living crisis - will th...
Mar 07, 2024•23 min
Over 5 million people in the UK live in a leasehold; a property ownership agreement which entitles people to the space inside the property but not necessarily the building it’s in nor the land it is built on. England and Wales are the last countries in the world where leaseholds are still widely used. So why is this, how does it affect the 5 million people living in these properties, and is it all a big feudal con? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman, is joined by Rachel Cunlif...
Mar 04, 2024•36 min
After a dramatic and chaotic campaigning period for the Rochdale by-election, the controversial politician George Galloway will be returning to Westminster - yet again. He currently represents the Workers Party of Britain, but this is the fourth city he’s been elected to represent and the third party in four decades. Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, is joined by the New Statesman's Britain editor Anoosh Chakelian, and senior data journalist, Ben Walker. Read Anoosh's report here: Roc...
Mar 01, 2024•23 min
From Lee Anderson’s rant against Sadiq Khan on GB News, to Liz Truss’s appearance with Steve Bannon, this week has been nothing short of a conspiratorial catastrophe for the Conservative Party. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss why Rishi Sunak and senior Conservatives are “too scared” to call out islamophobia – while Reform and GB News are “driving them a bit demented”. Become a New Statesman subscriber https://www.newstatesman.com/subscribe Download the ap...
Feb 29, 2024•17 min
The world is currently facing multiple crises, from geopolitical conflicts to pandemics and climate change. But amidst this turbulence, international aid budgets are being stretched as domestic issues take precedence. The UK has cut its overseas aid budget significantly, from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of gross national income. Meanwhile, low-income countries need more support than ever, as they deal with the fall out of wars, extreme poverty, natural disasters and humanitarian issues. The costs involv...
Feb 28, 2024•39 min
From opaque contract awards, to cosy relationships between politicians and business elites, the idea of a ‘chumocracy’ has long been making headlines and raising eyebrows. But just how endemic is the issue? And how does it affect the functioning of the state? Harry Clarke-Ezzidio, policy correspondent at the New Statesman, is joined by business editor, Will Dunn, to explore the links between peers and politicians, and the awarding of government money. Read Will's cover story: The rott...
Feb 26, 2024•29 min
"I've heard speculation that the Tories' election strategy is not really about "culture war and wedge issues" or evoking fear of Labour spending plans. It's about showing Starmer as indecisive and untrustworthy, and the Labour Party as divided." - one listener writes in to ask if the Conservatives election tactics have changed in recent months. Another listener writes in to ask if Labour "have got away with the 28 billion thing"; this being the u-turn the previous promise to spend £28 billion a ...
Feb 23, 2024•15 min
Almost five months on from the beginning of the conflict, Labour appears to have shifted its position - calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza. This culminated in a chaotic debate in parliament last night with SNP and Tory MPs walking out and this morning Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the house, is facing calls to resign. Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman, is joined by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, to...
Feb 22, 2024•21 min
The UK is one of the biggest plastic polluters in the world. According to Greenpeace we produce more plastic waste per person than almost any other country, with our supermarkets creating roughly 800,000 tonnes every year. We need to find ways to minimise waste through keeping products and packaging in circulation for as long as possible. This is where the circular economy comes in - a more sustainable model of production that reduces, reuses, repairs and recycles. With a general election coming...
Feb 21, 2024•26 min
More councils have gone bust in 2023 than in the 30 years before 2018, with eight effectively declaring bankruptcy since that year: Northamptonshire, Croydon, Slough, Northumberland, Thurrock, Woking, Birmingham and Nottingham. But why are councils going bust? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined by policy correspondent Megan Kenyon and Jonny Ball, associate editor of the New Statesman’s policy section, Spotlight, to delve into what’s happening in townhalls across the country. Read ...
Feb 19, 2024•33 min
The results of yesterday’s by-elections are in, Kingswood and Wellingborough - both previously Conservative seats - have turned red in a historic loss for the Tories. Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined by the New Statesman's associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe, and senior data journalist Ben Walker to discuss what these results mean for Labour, the Conservatives, and Reform UK. Join like minded readers that support our journalism. Enjoy unlimited access to our writing and subscri...
Feb 16, 2024•31 min
This week Labour has suspended not one, but two parliamentary candidates for reported comments made over Israel. The party has been on a mission to purge anti-semitism from its ranks over the past few years, so just how catastrophic has this week been for them? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined in the studio by the New Statesman's political editor Andrew Marr, and political correspondent Freddie Hayward. Join like minded readers that support our journalism. Enjoy unlimited access to ou...
Feb 15, 2024•16 min
How did one detective take on an international network of romance fraudsters? This episode was written Stuart McGurk and read by Will Dunn. The commissioning editor was Melissa Denes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 12, 2024•46 min
Our polling expert answers listener questions. Many of you have written in with questions for Ben Walker, the New Statesman's polling data analyst. In this episode Anoosh asks Ben your questions: What impact will tactical voting have on the next election? How will constituency boundary changes impact the main parties? Why are voters less "brand loyal" than in the past? Will 2024 see more green MPs elected? Submit a question for the New Statesman team to answer at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Be...
Feb 10, 2024•19 min
Will Liz Truss’s “PopCon” undermine Rishi Sunak? On Tuesday Tory right-wingers gathered in Westminster for the launch of “Popular Conservatism”, a new political group spearheaded by Liz Truss, who was joined by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lee Anderson and Mark Littlewood, formerly of the IEA. Rachel Cunliffe and Freddie Hayward attended the launch and join Anoosh Chakelian on the podcast to discuss what the new group hopes to achieve and whether they pose a threat to Rishi Sunak’s beleaguered ...
Feb 08, 2024•23 min
The 2010s were a decade that many hoped would usher in a new era of leftist revolutions. Yet, as we look back, the question looms large: What went wrong? In this episode of the podcast Alona Ferber, senior editor, is joined by William Davies, writer and Professor in Political Economy at Goldsmiths, University of London, to look back at the 2010s, the figures, events, and politics that defined this decade - and ask why did the left's aspirations for revolution during the 2010s fall short? Re...
Feb 05, 2024•36 min
This week's disposable vape ban follows a generational ban on smoking and an XL Bully ban. Is this Rishi Sunak's legacy? The Conservatives are typically against a "nanny state" but low-cost, high-impact interferences into personal choice seem to be Rishi Sunak's bread and butter. Anoosh Chakelian, Freddie Hayward and Rachel Cunliffe discuss the decision-making behind the bans and impact on the nation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 03, 2024•17 min
As the UK government and the DUP appear likely to break their Brexit impasse with a new deal, a listener asks what Labour would do differently in Northern Ireland. For two years, the DUP has been boycotting power sharing in Stormont in opposition to post-Brexit trade rules. Now the UK government has published a deal which would reduce checks and paperwork on goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which could lead to the return of devolution within days. Anoosh Chakelian, Ra...
Feb 01, 2024•19 min
New technology means cancer diagnosis is better than ever. Advances in genomic testing and other new technologies mean we are spotting cancer earlier, and getting better at identifying the best treatment for patients. But a greater understanding of the disease – or group of diseases – means a requirement for more tailored treatment plans to improve patient outcomes. This involves challenges for the health service when it comes to capacity, cost, personnel, infrastructure, and expertise. Is the N...
Jan 31, 2024•24 min
We’ve seen the fastest turnover of prime ministers in our history, and more MPs have been suspended from the house or stood down from their seats than ever before in recent years. Politicians breaking the rules and expecting to get away with it is one of the biggest issues in our parliament today - which seems to be unable to escape the mire of sleaze, cronyism and dishonesty. This conversation was recorded at the winter Cambridge Literary festival in December when Anoosh Chakelian, Britain edit...
Jan 29, 2024•53 min
Earlier this week former minister Simon Clarke wrote in the Telegraph, the Conservative party faces an electoral "massacre" under Rishi Sunak's leadership and warned “extinction is a very real possibility for our party”. “He does not get what Britain needs. And he is not listening to what the British people want.” and “Instead of conviction, we have convention.” A listener writes in to ask: with all the disarray and rebellion in the Tory party, what's the likelihood of a confidence vote any...
Jan 27, 2024•16 min
Anoosh reports on the Port Talbot steelworkers job losses, and how they will impact Labour's green agenda. 2,800 industrial jobs will be lost in Port Talbot steelworks if planned "green" updates go ahead. Anoosh Chakelian visited the Tata Steel plant to meet the workers who will lose their jobs, and joins Freddie Hayward to report what she found. They discuss the impact of the green transition on industrial communities, and whether Labour's planned investment is enough to deliver on environmenta...
Jan 25, 2024•14 min
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has now passed the 100 day mark. On the 14 January Alona Ferber attended the Jewish Labour Movement conference, which happened to take place on the 100th day of the war. In this podcast she speaks with Susan Neiman, the American moral philosopher, about the splits this war has caused on the left and tensions she sees between tribalist currents on the left and universalist principles, which Neiman believes are the values of a true left. Read Susan Ne...
Jan 22, 2024•16 min
"How powerful are select committees in holding government and other bodies to account? Highly important topic at the moment, given Lord Cameron cannot be held to account in the House of Commons?" a listener writes in. But while the foreign secretary wouldn't usually be seen in the House of Commons, he may be forced to answer questions there soon using an arcane mechanism that hasn't been used since 1957. Join Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, as they...
Jan 19, 2024•16 min
We’re discussing the Rwanda bill, yet again. On Tuesday there was a rebellion from the right of the Conservative party who attempted to put down amendments on the bill to try and ensure neither UK nor international law can be used to stop a person being deported to Rwanda, and to make it more difficult for people to appeal against their deportation. The bill still managed to pass through the Commons on Wednesday evening but what do we know about this divide amongst the Conservatives? Is Tor...
Jan 18, 2024•21 min
The UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. According to a recent study, the annual State of Nature report , nearly one in six of more than ten thousand species assessed – that's 16 per cent – could be lost. Many key habitats for our nature are at risk, and this is a problem both for biodiversity but also for our ability to cope with the climate crisis. How can we protect and restore nature? And what role can technology play? In response to ...
Jan 17, 2024•21 min
The Labour Party has a talent for losing elections. Over the last century, it has held office for just 33 years and has produced just six prime ministers. The Conservatives, by comparison, have held office for 67 years and produced 14 prime ministers. It is the burden of history that explains Labour’s caution at the outset of this election year. Senior editor George Eaton joins associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe in the studio to discuss why Team Starmer are refusing to believe ...
Jan 15, 2024•24 min
"I felt sure that millennials would never forgive the Lib Dems, but it seems like young people who are leaving London are voting Lib Dem in Tory strongholds. So have millennials forgiven the Lib Dems?" one listener asks. The team discusses how voter priorities change with age, and how this might be advantageous for the Lib Dems. Another listener writes in to ask whether the actions of the Israeli government that the British state are supporting are really in the British national interest? T...
Jan 12, 2024•15 min
Between 2009 and 2015 more than 700 people who ran Post Offices, also known as sub-postmasters, were wrongly accused of embezzling money and subsequently prosecuted. The fault was actually that of a dodgy computer accounting system. In addition to having to pay back the money from their own pockets, the strain, stress and stigma of this wrongful conviction destroyed the livelihoods of many of the sub-postmasters who were subject to criminal convictions, imprisonment, and bankruptcy. In some case...
Jan 11, 2024•23 min
