Robert Jenrick's defection prompted a lot of listener questions. So we'll try to answer them! Last week Robert Jenrick dramatically defected to Reform after being booted out of the Conservatives by a furious Kemi Badenoch. The Tory leader claimed that she had "irrefutable evidence" that Jenrick had been planning to defect in "the most damaging way possible". So she sacked him from the government and removed the Conservative whip. This prompted a lot of listeners to write in to Daily Politics wit...
Jan 23, 2026•29 min
Andrew Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton in Greater Manchester, has resigned. This opens up the path for another Andrew, King of the North and Labour leadership hopeful, Andy Burnham, to return to Westminster. Ailbhe Rea joins Anoosh Chakelian. 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 every Saturday Hosted on Acast. S...
Jan 22, 2026•27 min
With Donald Trump threatening tariffs on the UK and eviscerating Keir Starmer on Truth Social, does the PM have no choice but run back into the arms of the EU? Many Labour MPs think yes. Tom McTague joins Rachel Cunliffe. 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 every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Jan 21, 2026•25 min
Cast your mind back to 2010… Apple launched the ipad, a volcano erupted in Iceland and David Cameron and Nick Clegg passed a bill that would screw over a generation of young people. This was, of course, the decision to triple university tuition fees in England to £9,000 per year Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe to discuss how this has radicalised graduates. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get ...
Jan 20, 2026•32 min
“Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.” This is what Donald Trump wrote in a letter to Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre this weekend. And true to his word, peace is not on the US President’s mind. Oli Dugmore speaks to the New Statesman's editor Tom McTague about Starmer's options, and in the second half of the episode, senior editor Katie Stallard interviews Rasmus Ja...
Jan 19, 2026•46 min
Claims from politicians both at home and abroad paint an increasingly decrepit picture of the nation's capital. But just how much crime and chaos is there really in London? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn to discuss her reporting on the issue, as well as a rundown of the big and brazen ongoings in political Britain this week. 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 ev...
Jan 17, 2026•36 min
A frustrated listener calls for consequences over broken Labour promises. Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe answer listener questions about UK politics. In the mailbag this week: Should parliament impose legislation to force governments to honour manifesto pledges? Is it time to reform council tax? The Scottish independence referendum settled the question for "a generation". But what counts as a generation? How would politics be different if the House of Commons was a different physical shape...
Jan 16, 2026•28 min
Robert Jenrick has become the latest Tory to defect to Reform. This morning he was fired by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, after she discovered his plan. The announcement followed former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defecting to Reform earlier this week. Tories broke Britain, say Tories. What does it mean? How did it happen? Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and Ethan Croft. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them ev...
Jan 15, 2026•30 min
How many U-turns before you admit you don’t know where you’re going? As little as four months ago, Keir Starmer said: "You will not be able to work in the UK if you don't have a digital ID, it's as simple as that." Now, he’s done yet another 180. Oli Dugmore is joined by Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea. 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 o...
Jan 14, 2026•29 min
Keir Starmer is challenging Elon Musk and x.com over AI generated non-consensual intimate images. A proliferation of these images, generated by x.com’s AI chatbot Grok, has flooded the platform. Users have been instructing Grok to create these images of high profile figures and even of children. The British government have announced they will introduce legislation to prevent these images. This debate has raised issues of free speech, big tech, power and transatlantic relations. Oli Dugmore unpac...
Jan 13, 2026•34 min
"Britain needs Nigel Farage as prime minister” said the former chancellor. Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and Ailbhe Rea. 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 every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 12, 2026•15 min
We’re launching our new culture and society podcast here at the New Statesman: The New Society. Tanjil Rashid, the New Statesman's culture editor, discusses his interview with Salman Rushdie, Rushdie's latest work as a reflection of his life, and also what listeners can expect to hear on future episodes of this new podcast. You can find the full interview via the links below. Follow The New Society on Spotify Follow The New Society on Apple Podcasts Watch The New Society on YouTube LISTEN AD-FRE...
Jan 10, 2026•31 min
Labour is splitting. Earlier this week we reported that the government is now THIRD in the opinion polls behind Reform and the Tories. Now, as they barrel inexorably towards testing local elections in May, rifts are emerging within the Labour party. This week, Preet Kaur Gill – a personal private secretary to Home Secretary Shabhana Mahmood – announced in the Telegraph, of all places, that she (Preet Kaur Gill) is “Blue Labour”. The intervention sparked fierce debate among MPs, with divisions do...
Jan 09, 2026•32 min
Keir Starmer is planning on developing a “closer relationship” with the single market. The PM wants to realign with the EU in three key areas to help the free flow of trade: food and farm exports, electricity and emissions trading. But what will this mean for Britain, and how is it going down in Westminster? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them ev...
Jan 08, 2026•32 min
Christmas polling has revealed that the Tories have edged past Labour into second place in the polls. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK are still sitting pretty in the top spot, with Zack Polanski’s insurgent Greens chasing Labour’s tail. With elections in May incoming, this is the last thing Labour need. 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 w...
Jan 07, 2026•21 min
In 2019, according to a deposition, Russia signalled that they could ease off their support for Venezuela if Washington were to ease its own position in Ukraine. The testimony was delivered by Fiona Hill, a former senior director on the US’s national security council during the first Trump administration. Fiona Hill joins Megan Gibson to discuss that Russian proposal, as well as the US’s strike on Venezuela – and what this means for the global order. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman...
Jan 06, 2026•42 min
Emily Thornberry MP joins us to discuss the US's actions in Venezuela, the legality, and the international response. In the second half of the podcast, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee reflects on Starmer's moves to a closer relationship with the EU. 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 every Saturday Hoste...
Jan 05, 2026•37 min
It’s New Year’s celebrations, part 2! Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ben Walker to discuss the political climate of 2026. From the 10 year anniversary of Brexit and the UK’s relationship with the US, to our ageing population and SEND Reforms, here’s what to expect from next year. If you missed part one of our “Look ahead”, where we discussed the May elections and what’s in store for our political parties, you can find that in the previous episode on your feed. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New ...
Jan 03, 2026•53 min
Happy New Year from the New Statesman podcast! What will 2026 have in store? Will Labour flop in the May elections? Will the Greens make gains? And will Reform overtake the ailing Conservatives? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ben Walker to make their political predictions. 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 every Sa...
Jan 01, 2026•47 min
As 2025 draws to a close Anoosh Chakelian joined by the New Statesman's associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe, and editor in chief Tom McTague to discuss the biggest domestic and international stories of the year. Daily Politics will return on 1 January 2026. 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 every Saturday H...
Dec 28, 2025•1 hr 3 min
How did Trump's tariffs affect the price of Labubus? Which bear was voiced by Volodymyr Zelensky? And what, crucially, did Katy Perry describe California girls as? Join the New Statesman team for our quiz of the year! 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 every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Dec 25, 2025•39 min
Months before 9/11, a passenger seized control of a Boeing 747 and nearly crashed it into the Sahara. Everyone survived - including a curious ensemble of famous passengers - but no one quite recovered. Kate Mossman tells the story of Flight 2069 to Oli Dugmore. READ: The strange fate of Flight 2069 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...
Dec 22, 2025•30 min
Is the New Statesman too soft on Wes Streeting? Are the Lib Dems an unserious party? Plus our journalists make their predictions for what will happen in 2026, and listen back to their guesses from last year… Oli Dugmore is joined by Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe. 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 every Satu...
Dec 19, 2025•40 min
After being pushed back not once, not twice, but three times, the government's long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls has been revealed. Measures include training teachers to spot signs of misogyny in the classroom and police forces introducing specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams. But do they go far enough? Rachel Cunliffe joins Luke O'Reilly. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer th...
Dec 18, 2025•23 min
Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s most famous media tycoon and a British citizen, could be sentenced to life in prison. What does his case say about the political climate in Hong Kong, and how might it affect relations between the East and West? Oli Dugmore is joined by Katie Stallard. 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 every...
Dec 17, 2025•27 min
Speculation surrounding a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer is rife. Andy Burnham, Manchester Mayor, is in the mix as a challenger. But can he find the necessary seat in parliament, and what hurdles does he face? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ethan Croft and George Eaton to discuss. 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 ...
Dec 16, 2025•20 min
The "evil" mass shooting at Bondi Beach was the latest in a rising number of antisemitic attacks. 16 people died in the attack in Sydney, Australia. They were Jews who had gathered to celebrate the first night of Chanukah. Among them, a holocaust survivor and a ten-year old girl. Antisemitic attacks are on the rise. In this year to September, Australia recorded 1654 anti-semitic incidents. That's three times higher than any year before the war in Gaza. Here in the UK, Jews faced over 1,500 attac...
Dec 15, 2025•32 min
Journalist Peter Oborne claims both Labour and Conservatives have fallen short on their response to Israel's war in Gaza. -- Peter Oborne is a journalist, author and commentator. He was the political editor of The Spectator, a commentator for the Daily Telegraph and now writes for Middle East Eye. A long-time conservative, Oborne joins Oli Dugmore to explain why he believes the Conservative Party have abandoned their principles, and to discuss the role that successive British governments have pl...
Dec 13, 2025•58 min
In this week’s episode of You Ask Us, one listener wonders, is the media infatuated with Zack Polanski? And another challenges our journalists to listen to the Liz Truss podcast. You ask, we deliver. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Cunliffe. 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 every Saturday Hosted on Acast. Se...
Dec 12, 2025•19 min
Wes Streeting denied plotting to oust Keir Starmer. Ailbhe Rea met the Health Secretary to learn what he's really thinking. *** Ailbhe writes: Labour is in danger of presenting itself as the “maintenance department for the country”, he says. “The problem with that kind of practical, technocratic approach is that if someone else comes along and says, ‘Well, I’ve got a maintenance company too, and mine’s cheaper,’ why wouldn’t people go, ‘OK, well, we’ll give that maintenance team a try’?” He does...
Dec 11, 2025•29 min
