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We're all making more of an effort to cut down on waste—but does it matter? Reporter Wendell Steavenson takes us through the surprising truth about British recycling (spoiler: lots of it doesn't get recycled).Plus Alex Dean and Sameer Rahim talk Brexit winners and losers, and a new Shakespeare interpretation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Former ambassador to Europe Stephen Wall joins Prospect's Alex Dean to discuss Parliament's Brexit problems, including why the backstop is such an issue, why Labour MPs are struggling, and what might happen in a second referendum.Plus: Sameer Rahim, Tom Clark and Stephanie Boland discuss the harassment of MPs and commentators near parliament, and Channel 4's An Uncivil War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Retired US general Stanley McChrystal was at the centre of the news cycle over the holiday period. Having branded Donald Trump dishonest and immoral, the president took to Twitter to retaliate: McChrystal got “fired like a dog” by Obama and is known for his “big, dumb mouth,” Trump said. In our new podcast, recorded shortly before the row, McChrystal spoke about Trump and leadership, which in his view is a trait that we fundamentally misunderstand. His latest book is Leaders: Myth and Reality. H...
In this podcast Sameer Rahim asks Clive James: what was Philip Larkin really like? What was it about this very ordinary man that enabled him to produce such extraordinary poetry? When Larkin died in 1985 he left a carefully curated collection of poems and novels but since then we’ve had shelffuls of letters—some of which James reviewed for our Winter issue—and biographies. How has our view of Larkin changed? Plus: your weekly dosing of politics. Produced by Jay Elwes. Hosted on Acast. See acast....
The Astronomer Royal joins Prospect to ask: How much can humans hope to understand? Our minds are finite but the universe is impossibly vast and always expanding. Are there some physical facts that humanity will necessarily never comprehend? This is the terrain Martin Rees covers in Prospect’s new podcast. Plus: Alex Dean on politics and Sameer Rahim on culture. Hosted by Tom Clark, produced by Jay Elwes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
China is heading for super-power status—but will it get there? George Magnus, one of Britain's leading China experts, sets out the deep social, economic and political challenges that Beijing now faces. If it overcomes them, the prize could be huge. How likely is that? And what if it fails? With Tom Clark, Sameer Rahim, Alex Dean and Timothy Garton Ash.Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chess used to be the ultimate expression of brilliance and ingenuity—but nowadays, a Grandmaster would lose to the chess app on your smartphone. The philosopher David Edmonds discusses the triumph of computer power over humans, what it means for chess and for the world at large. Interview by Sameer Rahim. Presented by Tom Clark, with Steve Bloomfield and Alex Dean.Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why is it that when British politicians look in the mirror they see Winston Churchill—just as French politicians, such as Macron, see Charles de Gaulle? The Cambridge historian and former keeper of the Churchill archive Piers Brendon talks to Prospect's executive editor Jay Elwes about the distortions of history and how these can warp our view of the present day.Presented by Tom Clark with Sameer Rahim and Alex Dean Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
An interview with Alan Rusbridger. He used to edit the Guardian newspaper and now he helps to run Oxford University. A degree from Oxford is a huge advantage in life, but it's still full of pupils from private school—so how can Oxford solve its "posh problem"?Featuring Tom Clark, Sameer Rahim and Alex Dean.Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Pakistan has endured decades of unsettled politics, extremist violence and war. But can a new generation of young political activists take the country in a new direction? Samira Shackle discusses her recent article for Prospect on the emerging voices in Pakistani politics which are challenging both the government and the army—a dangerous thing to do. With Steve Bloomfield, Tom Clark, Alex Dean and Sameer Rahim. Produced by Jay Elwes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Prospect speaks to Paul Collier, the Oxford economist, about Britain's London problem. The capital city attracts a huge amount amount of the country's economic activity and keeps the benefits for itself: how can Britain's smaller towns and cities get their fair share? Hosted by Tom Clark, with Steve Bloomfield and Alex Dean.Producer, Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Labour Shadow Chancellor is Jeremy Corbyn's oldest political ally, but is John McDonnell the hard-left bruiser that his image suggests? Kevin Maguire talks to Steve Bloomfield about the life and times of the man who would be Chancellor and how training for the priesthood, working in factories and running a care home have shaped his world view.Featuring Sameer Rahim and Alex Dean.Produced by Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Prospect magazine talks to Clare Malone from FiveThirtyEight.com about America's new left. How far can people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez go? And how will Democratic Socialists like her affect the coming midterm elections?Plus, Stephanie Boland on rediscovering a great writer and Alex Dean on when politicians just won't take the blame.Hosted by Tom Clark, editor, Prospect.Prod. Jay Elwes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The historian, author and BBC commentator Mark Urban discusses his new book on the former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned in Salisbury, along with his daughter. Who was Skripal, who tried to kill him and why?Plus, Alex Dean on politics and Sameer Rahim on culture. Presented by Prospect's editor, Tom Clark.Produced by Jay Elwes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From May's speech to McDonnell's economics, this week Prospect brings you a round-up of the Labour and Conservative party conferences—including an audio postcard from the Tory event in Birmingham.What are the parties and their activists thinking? And what's it actually like to be at a party conference?Stephanie Boland, Steve Bloomfield, Sameer Rahim and Tom Clark get to grips with the state of the parties—while Jay Elwes and Alex Dean take you on tour to Birmingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...
Kwame Anthony Appiah’s new book The Lies That Bind confronts the question of how social identities are formed. They are incredibly important to people: we are prepared to kill and die for them. But is identity actually a mirage? Plus: Sameer Rahim on literary prizes and Alex Dean on why there’s no such thing as a Canada Brexit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week it’s Stephen Collins, the illustrator who’s been doing the Prospect cartoon these many years. Subject-wise he’s covered a huge range, but one returned to more often than not recently is Donald Trump. Here, we ask Collins how you find humour in an era that’s often beyond satire. Plus: Sameer Rahim on new books about Trump and Alex Dean on Labour’s Brexit stance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week Stephanie Boland speaks to historian of ideas Lyndsey Stonebridge about refugees and their status. How should history inform our thinking about the current refugee crisis? What rights should displaced people have? Stonebridge focuses on the literary side of those questions. Her new book is Placeless People and you can read her Prospect contributions here. Before we get to that, Alex Dean on the Lib Dems and Sameer Rahim on Spike Lee’s new film BlacKkKlansman Hosted on Acast. See acast....
This week Ivan Hewett asks what happens when music meets philosophy and explains what lovers of classical music get wrong about the chart hits. These are newly relevant questions thanks to the publication of Roger Scruton’s book on the western musical tradition. You can read Hewett’s review of Scruton’s book on our website. Plus: politics with Alex Dean and culture with Sameer Rahim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week it’s economic historian Adam Tooze, whose new book Crashed tells the story of the financial crisis. It is prompting the world to rethink the near total breakdown in international finance that happened just 10 years ago. We bring you highlights from Tooze’s recent event in Prospect towers. Plus: Alex Dean on ministerial churn and Sameer Rahim on impeachment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week we speak to Donald Macintyre, the author and journalist who was Jerusalem correspondent for the Independent. Macintyre has written an essay for our September issue on the gradual death of the two-state solution. Twenty-five years since the Oslo Accords were signed, it is no longer achievable. Time to look at a radical alternative? Plus: Alex Dean on the minimum wage and Sameer Rahim on Israel and Palestine in the world of music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
This week it’s Eric Lonergan, the financier, economist and philosopher of money. Listeners will remember last year’s Bitcoin boom and bust but what next for cryptocurrencies? One day your coins may be able to decide how they are spent. Would that make the world a better place? Plus: Sameer Rahim on VS Naipaul and Alex Dean on the WTO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Freya Johnston wrote a widely-discussed essay for our July issue on British politeness. Is there something rude about enforced civility? More worrying, is it all an act to hide far more barbaric instincts that lurk beneath the surface? She discusses these questions with Sameer Rahim.Plus: in politics and culture, Alex Dean and Stephanie Boland look north of the border. The topics are Brexit and the devolution settlement, and the future of the Edinburgh Fringe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
This week the Prospect team is joined by esteemed writer Sarah Churchwell. Churchwell’s new book Behold, America charts the origins of Donald Trump’s America First approach, which goes back much further than you’d think. She also asks: have we lost sight of the fact that equality was part of the American dream?Before we get to that, the Prospect staff discuss what’s new in politics and culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week Zoe Williams speaks to Tom Clark about the left-wing path to a new Europe. But what would that look like and where does Jeremy Corbyn fit in? If the Labour leader did get into Downing Street could he really do a better job than the current crop? Williams raised these questions in her essay for our August issue.Plus: Alex Dean talks select committees and Sameer Rahim on the Man Booker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Eight-year-olds playing Chopin is certainly impressive, but is it good for children to develop prodigious skills so early on? Suna Erdem talks to Prospect about maestros in miniature, whether they’ll grow up hating their parents, and why we’re so fixated on the concept of the youthful genius anyway. Erdem wrote on the subject for our August issue. Also: Alex Dean discusses the future of the Brexit departments and Sameer Rahim asks how much first time novelists can expect to be paid. Hosted on Ac...
This week Ben Rhodes speaks to Steve Bloomfield. Rhodes was formerly at the centre of the Obama administration: he started as a speechwriter but quickly became one of Obama’s closest advisors on foreign policy. He was there for some of the most important geopolitical events in recent history. His new book is called The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House. Bloomfield reviewed it for our July issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week Cal Flyn speaks to Stephanie Boland about Britain’s other languages. Flyn wrote about learning Scottish Gaelic in our July 2018 issue. But what is the place of Gaelic in Scotland—and are dying languages really worth saving?Flyn certainly thinks so, and argues that all of us should be taking lessons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rock music is on the way down, music magazines aren’t what they used to be—but there are still an awful lot of sharp pens around. That’s the opinion of DJ Taylor who expands on his piece in Prospect’s July issue and talks to Sameer Rahim about the rock memoir. It’s a curious genre and we might think of it as unsophisticated, but actually it is at the centre of a new golden age of rock writing. Before that, Alex Dean and Tom Clark do a five minute political round-up on Brexit, Heathrow and the qu...
This week, as last, there’s one big story: Brexit and the Conservative Party. Theresa May just about managed to see off Remainer rebellion in the Commons. But is it a hollow victory? Tom Clark asks whether after 300 years, Brexit could be the row that finally sinks the Tories. It’s not just in Britain that the traditionally dominant centre-right is on its knees; Andrew Gamble argues in our new issue that it’s a much broader trend and explains why here. Hephzibah Anderson discusses the fall of an...
