Yesterday elections took place up and down the country, for councils, six mayoral contests, and a by-election. What we’re looking at today is a big win for Nigel Farage’s Reform - and a seismic shift in British politics. Hannah Barnes is joined by senior data journalist Ben Walker and senior editor George Eaton. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy t...
May 02, 2025•24 min
Overnight, Ukraine and the United States have signed a long-awaited minerals deal. Hannah Barnes is joined by political editor Andrew Marr and international editor Megan Gibson to discuss what this means for Ukraine's security and the future of the conflict with Russia, and later in the episode the team look at Mark Carney's anti-Trump win in Canada and what this means for democracies around the world. Read more: New Statesman International Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us LIST...
May 01, 2025•23 min
In the short period which has elapsed since Donald Trump took office (again) in January, he has slashed public health funding, gone after education, attacked media freedom, and challenged the authority of the legal system of the courts. Some of this seems outright reckless, but some of the actions taken by this Trump administration mirror the political trajectories of countries like Hungary, el Salvador, Turkey, and Russia. Countries where democracy has crumbled and autocracy has taken hold. Kat...
Apr 30, 2025•35 min
The politics team answers listener questions on council tax, the voters ignored by Labour and the Tories, and the true value of billionaires. Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ...
Apr 25, 2025•17 min
After the purported 'Easter truce' fighting has resumed in Ukraine and Russia, meanwhile peace talks in the West have broken down with the US speaking to Russia separately. Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr to discuss this week in UK politics, and later in the episode by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to look at Reform UK's surging popularity ahead of the local elections. Read: Can Reform grow up? , Steve Reed: “Reform is a symptom of broken trust” LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Stat...
Apr 24, 2025•24 min
China's modern history is also a story about trade. So how will the echoes of the past 200 years shape the trade war that Donald Trump has waged on the world's second largest economy? Katie Stallard is joined by Rana Mitter and Kevin Xu. Read: What will China look like in 20 years Read: Interconnected LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of ...
Apr 23, 2025•32 min
Former senior civil servant Jill Rutter joins the podcast to answer listener questions on the inner workings of government. This episode is hosted by the New Statesman's associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter e...
Apr 18, 2025•32 min
How did a joke gone awry in 1967 forever changed the nation’s relationship with the truth? Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Phil Tinline, a regular writer for the New Statesman and author of the new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain: The Hoax that Duped America and its Sinister Legacy. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email eve...
Apr 17, 2025•24 min
Major pharmaceutical companies - or Big Pharma - research, develop and distribute medicines and treatments that we rely upon. However, their pursuit of commercial interests has often led to accusations of prioritising profits over the healthcare of patients both in the UK and beyond. Katie Stallard is joined by doctor and medical commentator Dr Phil Whitaker, and author/campaigner Nick Dearden. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we a...
Apr 16, 2025•26 min
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new 50-point AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to drive national growth and transform public services. In this episode host Jon Bernstein talks to AWS Director of Technology for the UK Public Sector Holly Ellis, and Director of Government Innovation Policy at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Alexander losad about the plan and what it could mean for businesses, policymakers and the wider economy. The conversation covers AI’s role in reshaping government operati...
Apr 14, 2025•20 min
The first of May is set to be a big day for local government with council elections, mayoral races, and even a by-election taking place. Rachel Cunliffe is joined by senior data journalist Ben Walker to discuss what's being contested and where the polls stand at the moment. Read more from Ben here Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ...
Apr 11, 2025•27 min
Thanks to Donald Trump and his dodgy formula, last week tariffs were applied to countries all over the world. Consequently, the stock markets had their worst downturn since the pandemic. And economists warned of a weakened dollar, trade wars, and global recession. The White House denied for days that the US would back down on the tariffs. Until yesterday, when Trump pressed pause on higher tariff rates, with a few notable exceptions. To unpack what on earth is going on in Washington and around t...
Apr 10, 2025•22 min
Rodrigo Duterte led a bloody war on drugs — now he faces The Hague. As the former Philippine president is brought closer to justice, what could his fall could mean for other powerful figures with ICC warrants, including Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu? Katie Stallard is joined by photojournalist Basilio Sepe and political scientist Kelebogile Zvobgo. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily...
Apr 09, 2025•25 min
The women who loved Picasso shaped his art in surprising ways. -- YOUR NEXT EPISODE: Why we can't let go of Never Let Me Go -- "We look at paintings to imagine other worlds, other times. They are doors into an alternative, creative way of life." So writes Sue Roe in her latest book, Hidden Portraits: the Untold Story of Six Women Who loved Picasso. And if there was ever an artist who opened the door to an alternative view of the world, surely Picasso qualifies: unorthodox, exhilarating, and expe...
Apr 07, 2025•31 min
As Putin wages a shadow war across the European continent—and the US commitment to NATO grows uncertain—we ask: would the West really defend the Baltic states if Russia advanced? Andrew Marr is joined by Oliver Moody, Berlin bureau chief for The Times and author of Baltic: The Future of Europe. Drawing on deep history, extensive reporting, and sobering military realities, Moody argues that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are not just small nations on the edge of Europe—they are a test of whether ...
Apr 04, 2025•23 min
Yesterday the US president Donald Trump unveiled his plans for his long trailed tariff liberation day. After a lengthy ‘speech’ about the cost of eggs and why the rest of the world wont buy American chicken and beef, Trump unveiled the quote unquote reciprocal tariffs the US will impose in the coming week. So do the figures add up? And what will these tariffs mean for the UK and for the global economy? Andrew Marr is joined by economist and journalist Duncan Weldon. Read more from Duncan Weldon ...
Apr 03, 2025•22 min
US President Donald Trump has his sights set on making Greenland part of the US, claiming the autonomous, self-governing territory of Denmark is essential "for national security and international security." However, the vast majority of Greenlanders have said they do not want to become part of the US. Denmark has also strongly opposed the suggestion. Despite this, the US President has continued to pursue the issue - his vice president JD Vance recently visited Greenland to make the case for the ...
Apr 02, 2025•36 min
"Meet your heroes - it'll help you get over them" Kate Mossman is known for her singular, surprising and ultra-perceptive interviews - in which she often reveals more about her subjects than sometimes they appear to know themselves. And there is one breed of interview subject Kate has written about more than any other: the ageing male rock star. If anyone knows about meeting their heroes, it’s her. In her debut book, Men of a Certain Age , Kate Mossman collects and revisits the interviews she’s ...
Mar 31, 2025•28 min
How would it work? Can a state really find out how rich someone is? If Britain were to introduce serious wealth taxes, would the super rich simply leave? Rachel Cunliffe is joined by the political editor Andrew Marr and business editor Will Dunn to discuss the prospect of a wealth text, and the implications of the Houthi PC small group on Westminster's Whatsapp addiction. Read: Would a wealth tax work? , Westminster’s WhatsApp addiction must end Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics news...
Mar 28, 2025•22 min
Growth has halved, welfare has been cut, and defence is hoovering up more and more. Things are looking, and sounding, pretty grim for the Chancellor - and in yesterday's Spring Statement we learned what the fallout from this harsh economic reality will be. Rachel Cunliffe is joined by the New Statesman's political editor Andrew Marr and economist Ben Zaranko from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a futur...
Mar 27, 2025•30 min
In today's Spring Statement Labour are having to make cuts - and welfare has been hit hard. Last week the health secretary Wes Streeting said that too many people were being written off work due to overdiagnosis. A statement which received considerable backlash. But what do we really mean by overdiagnosis? And how is it affecting public health? Hannah Barnes is joined by neurologist and author Suzanne O’Sullivan about her increasing fears of overdiagnosis and the impact it can have on both physi...
Mar 26, 2025•44 min
Kazuo Ishiguro's most popular novel is as relevant today as when it was published 20 years ago. -- When it was published in 2005, Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go was acclaimed by critics and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Twenty years on – having been adapted for stage and screen and adopted as a set text for schools – it is Ishiguro’s most read work, and is considered a modern classic. Why does this profoundly settling book continue to absorb us? And what does it tell us about the rol...
Mar 24, 2025•29 min
Are Labour on track for their target of 1.5million homes? What is NHS England? Why can't the Green's electrify the left in the same way that Reform has done for the right? What will the consequences be of cutting international aid? Hannah Barnes answers listener questions with the New Statesman's political editor, Andrew Marr, and associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe. Read: Labour’s housing slump Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for ...
Mar 21, 2025•16 min
The prospect of peace in Ukraine, Liz Kendall's welfare cut announcements, and while Kemi Badenoch flails as Conservative leader ... who's waiting around the corner for her job? Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss this week in Westminster and beyond. Read: A Labour welfare revolt is still brewing , Diane Abbott rails against Keir Starmer , What went wrong for Kemi Badenoch? , Who could succeed Kemi Badenoch? Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newslett...
Mar 20, 2025•28 min
Since Nato’s inception in 1949, the US has always formed a central part of the alliance and been the biggest contributor to its defensive strength. However, since his second term began, President Donald Trump has shifted the US’s allegiances towards Vladimir Putin’s Russia and away from Nato. Simultaneously, the US President has repeatedly criticised Europe’s defence spending and the continent’s reliance on the US. This radical shift from the Nato status quo has brought the alliance’s future int...
Mar 19, 2025•32 min
A fateful meeting at a village fête "tilted" the 20th Century "on its axis" So argues Ian Leslie in his new book, John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs. In the book, Leslie argues that The Beatles didn't just dominate pop culture - they redefined how we see ourselves. He reframes the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney as a kind of love story, which shaped the second half of the 20th Century and continues to influence us today. Leslie joins Kate Mossman on Culture from the New Sta...
Mar 17, 2025•43 min
Given the Rupert Lowe drama, what does the future looks like for Reform and Farage? Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and George Eaton to answer listener questions about trouble in Reform land and where to watch in the upcoming local elections. Read: Inside the Reform civil war , Will the Farage-Lowe saga hurt Reform at the polls? , A Reform Labour showdown looms in the Runcorn by-election Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future ...
Mar 14, 2025•17 min
This morning the PM announced that the state is overstretched and unfocused. The solution? NHS England has been scrapped, quangos are to be slashed, and the civil service shrunk. Do we finally have a vision of Starmerism? Hannah Barnes is joined by the New Statesman's political editor Andrew Marr, and later in the episode by business editor Will Dunn to discuss Britain's work and benefits problem. Read: Why Britain isn’t working Listen: Why Britain isn't working - with Alison McGovern, Minister ...
Mar 13, 2025•29 min
In recent weeks President Trump’s foreign policy pronouncements have been loud and abrasive. American allies watched in barely concealed dismay as the US president shouted at Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval office. Since then Trump has halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine and embarked on trade wars with Canada, Mexico, China - and perhaps next, the EU. In this episode Katie Stallard reports on America First - the Trumpian turn in US foreign policy and the ...
Mar 12, 2025•28 min
Lady Gaga rewrote the rules of female pop stardom. Now she's back with a new album. Can she do it again? Kate Mossman reviewed Lady Gaga's latest album, Mayhem, for the New Statesman and joins Tom Gatti on the Culture podcast to discuss the changing face - and powerful influence - of pop music. Read Kate's review here: https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music/2025/03/on-mayhem-lady-gaga-makes-a-chaotic-return-to-form Mayhem by Lady Gaga is published by Insterscope Records. Excerpts used in thi...
Mar 10, 2025•31 min
