TALKING POLITICS

Party like it's 1974

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We talk about the current election by talking about two previous ones: the February and October general elections of 1974. A lot of 2019 politics started back then, from the rise of the SNP to Liberals getting squeezed by the electoral system. But it was different too and we have stories of campaigning by landline and hovercraft, MPs on acid, naked civil servants and experts being taken seriously. Plus we discuss how the 1974 elections led to the rise of Thatcherism and changed British politics forever. With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Peter Sloman.Talking Points: The election of February 1974 was the last winter election. - The Conservative Edward Heath called the election, and tried to frame it as ‘Who governs Britain?’ - The election took place amid the National Union of Mineworkers strike, increased oil prices after the Yom Kippur War, and concerns about inflation. - Heath’s policies were not aligned with the kind of election he wanted.The bigger backdrop was a deep sense of political uncertainty. - Sir William Armstrong, the head of the civil service had a nervous breakdown. - Enoch Powell encouraged people to vote for Labour. This act was at least informally coordinated with Wilson. - Europe was also in the background.‘74 was a Liberal surge election under the leadership of Jeremy Thorpe. - The Liberals broke the two party stranglehold on voters. - Northern Ireland and Scotland also became electorally distinct. - The SNP significantly increased their vote share.The election, which was set up as a binary choice, created an even more fragmented government. - Heath got the first go at forming a government, but he miscalculated. - Wilson knew this, and called the Liberals’ bluff. - Wilson and his cabinet were incredibly experienced. Corbyn and his team are less so. - Wilson had the luxury of waiting for a majority, but the Brexit timetable makes this impossible for today’s Labour party.Mentioned in this episode: - “A Very English Scandal” (on the Thorpe Affair) - That Christopher Mayhew interview - “This House,” a play about the 1970s British Parliament by James GrahamFurther Learning: - Peter’s book on the Liberal party - What happened in the 1974 election? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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One Election or Many?

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We have a first look at what's happening in the election campaign by asking whether it's really one election or many. Do national vote shares mean much any more, given all the regional variations? How is the Remain Alliance meant to work? Is this a Brexit election? And is 2015 or 2017 (or neither) a better guide to 2019? Plus we discuss the recent election in Spain and explore parallels between gridlock there and possible gridlock here. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Mike Kenny.Talking Points:One month out from the election, what do we know? - Why do commentators still rely on polls and betting markets? - What is the appropriate unit of analysis for this election? Is it regional? National? - The rural/urban divide seems to cut across the regional effects. - But tactical voting pulls things down to a more granular level: you have to look at particular seats.Many people thought this would be a Brexit election, but it doesn’t really look like that. - The big theme seems to be spending. - The anti-Corbyn factor also complicates things. Corbyn has generated both a new base, and a backlash. - The Lib-Dems tried to capitalize on this. But they’ve backed down on their anti-Corbyn stance in favour of the Remain alliance. - If you look at polling on the fundamentals, Johnson is outstripping Corbyn. - Conservative remainers say they won’t vote for Labour.Will this election be more like 2015 than 2017? - Wider forces might overcome local variation. - Lib-Dem voters in the Southwest are generally closer to the Conservatives than Labour. - The SNP are now proactively in favour of a referendum, and Labour has essentially pulled out of the Unionist position. Who will speak for the Scottish unionists?There’s little scrutiny of Johnson’s deal. - Farage won’t be fighting Johnson on this point. And Labour doesn’t want the election to be just about Brexit. In Spain, instead of breaking the deadlock, voters entrenched it. Could this happen in the UK? - Catalonian independence also hardened far-right support. - Could Scotland drive English nationalism or increase support for far right parties?Mentioned in this Episode: - Betting odds for the next UK general electionFurther Learning: - Mike’s new Bennett institute report on townscapes in Scotland - More on the Spanish electionAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Esther Duflo

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 01:00:00 GMT

David and Helen talk to Nobel Prize-winning economist (the youngest ever!) Esther Duflo about how to do economics better. From investing in left-behind places to helping people adapt to change, we discuss good and bad economic ideas about some of the biggest challenges we face, and how it all connects back to politics. Plus we talk about what some of the world's richest countries can learn from some of the poorest. Esther's new book, with Abhijit Bannerjee, is Good Economics for Hard Times https://bit.ly/33q6uOmTalking Points: Why do economists believe “Invest in People not Places?” And why are they wrong? - The idea is that it’s better to target interventions at individual people than places, in part because people will move. - But research shows that people are remarkably sticky. They don’t really move. - Even faced with really high costs, and the complete freedom to move to another place, people don’t. During the Greek financial crisis, very few people left. - Mobility is easier at younger ages.Why do people stick? - In the U.S., one of the biggest factors is real estate. Wages may be higher on the coast, but housing is much more expensive. - People are not driven only, or even primarily by financial incentivesThe U.S. has not treated people who were left behind by manufacturing very well. - There is an implosion of economic activity in one place because people don’t move.The class and place categories are marred. The people who can afford to live in the big cities tend to be relatively well off. - This was at the root of the Yellow Vests movement in France. - Although there is also a lot of poverty in big cities. - Class is no longer defining political lines in the same way.How, as a society, can we prepare better for transitions? - It starts at birth: an excellent preschool education, followed by an excellent primary and secondary school education, and finally equal access to University. - When shocks happen, being willing to spend. - Some people will never move and we should make their lives honorable where they are.Mentioned in this Episode: - Esther’s book, Good Economics for Hard Times - “The Gift of Moving” (more on the Iceland case)Further Learning: - Esther and Abhijit Banerjee in The Guardian - And on economic incentives in The New York TimesAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Rory Stewart

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:50:34 GMT

On the night the UK parliament voted for a general election, David and Helen talk to former Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart about the state of our democracy. Is the constitution broken? Can the Union survive? Has the Tory party changed for good? And why does he want to be Mayor of London anyway? Recorded in front of a live audience at Church House in Westminster, near enough to parliament for Rory to run out halfway through our conversation to vote, and then run back in again to carry on talking. It's all here. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Not Over Yet

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 21:54:01 GMT

After two significant votes in the House of Commons pointing in two different directions - one towards a Brexit agreement and the other towards a general election - we discuss where we might be heading. Does Johnson have enough to persuade the wavering MPs he needs to get his Brexit deal over the line? Do his opponents have enough to stop him? Can European leaders still force the issue? And if there is an election, does it all change again? Plus we ask: what's actually in the WAB? With Helen Thompson, Catherine Barnard and Chris Brooke.Talking Points:Last night was the first time since the Brady amendment that Parliament voted positively on something. - The stop Brexit MP’s seem to be implementing tactics without a strategy. - Are there any conditions under which the 14 Labour MPs would vote for Johnson’s deal for real? - The Labour whipping operation is still working. So it seems unlikely that a WA will go through this House of Commons.Johnson’s deal is mostly Theresa May’s deal, with the exception of some really complicated legal points around Northern Island. - Until people are given an either/or choice, they’ll probably keep dancing around.Where is the EU on all of this? - They are unlikely to renegotiate another deal. - Macron could still force a choice between no deal and revoke, but he doesn’t want to be blamed for the UK crashing out.At some point, an election is going to become inevitable. - Can anything pass without an election? - Things have changed for Johnson: now he’d be campaigning with a deal. - Christmas could put a wrench in things: would a winter election be bad for Labour?How effective was a Benn act? - Perhaps more so than people originally thought. - A shorter extension could reveal the weaknesses in the Benn act. But Macron probably won’t force the issue. Mentioned in this Episode: - Keir Starmer on trap-doors - Kenneth’s blog post on the Withdrawal Bill Further Learning: - Catherine explains the Brexit deal in less than five minutes - Where do the EU leaders stand? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Inside the Bubble with Ayesha Hazarika: Live!

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 16:46:02 GMT

In a special live edition as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, David talks with journalist, comedian and former special adviser Ayesha Hazarika and Helen Thompson about the state of British politics. As three years of Brexit torture (maybe) reach a climax, we explore what it feels like on the inside, for politicians and for voters. What's been the psychological toll?? What's going on inside the Labour party? And is politics really worse than it's ever been? Recorded live at the Cambridge Junction on the evening of Weds 16 October, to celebrate our 3rd birthday.Talking Points: UK politics today feels different—but what explains this change? - Labour’s collapse in Scotland changed the dynamics. Labour now needs the SNP to govern. - Another change is that there are no longer fiscal constraints on government spending.Brexit has brought Parliament into people’s lives in a whole new way. - Although, it’s important to note, that not everyone is obsessed with Brexit. - Discourse within Parliament has gotten nastier. The old norms no longer seem to be holding. - We are no longer in an era of interchangeable leaders.Is British political rhetoric dead? - In the past, resignation speeches could bring down governments. - But despite heightened public attention, the rhetoric surrounding Brexit is largely unremarkable.Mentioned in this Episode: - Ayesha’s book on PMQ’s - Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech - Robin Cook’s resignation speech - Lewis Goodall interviews Dominic CummingsFurther Learning: - More on Labour in Scotland - Boiling PointAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Impeach This!

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 00:00:03 GMT

We catch up with Gary Gerstle and Helen Thompson about the state of the Trump presidency, from impeachment and cover-ups to Syria and Ukraine. We ask what it would take for Republican senators to desert him and what the collateral damage is likely to be for the Democratic presidential candidates. Plus is Hillary really - really?! - back in the game?Talking Points:What are the grounds for impeaching Trump? - There’s a legal argument: Trump breached campaign finance laws. - There’s also a constitutional argument: that Trump is trading American interests for personal gain.More specific charges are less open to counter-attack. Politically, it may be advantageous for the Democrats to focus on Ukraine. - But a too narrow charge might not resonate. The Democrats need to make the case that this matters morally and link it to a broader American narrative. - Elections are a sacred event in American democracy. - But the U.S. electoral system also depends on a certain amount of corruption to work. - Is fear of foreign interference really just displacement?The chances of a successful conviction that passes the Senate are next to nothing, but they’re not nothing. - The latest polls show a modest rise in Republican support for impeachment. - Republicans might see Pence as the best way to secure the interests of the party.A foriegn policy crisis may be what dooms Trump. - Republican Senators are furious about what Trump just did in Syria. - The Republican establishment can’t pull Erdogan back. - But during foreign policy crises, people usually rally around the president.Biden’s campaign may be collateral damage in all of this. Elizabeth Warren now appears to be the front runner. - There doesn’t seem to be a centrist candidate capable of picking up Biden’s banner. - Warren poses an existential threat to the Silicon Valley titans. - But she fits into a long American tradition of anti-monopoly dissent. - If Warren runs, and wins, as a candidate from the Democratic left, she would make history.Mentioned in this Episode: - The New Yorker piece on Hunter Biden - Tickets to David’s upcoming event at the Cambridge UnionFurther Learning: - Our friends at 538 on American support for impeachmentAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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December Elections: Live Special!

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 21:08:05 GMT

A special edition recorded in front of an audience at the Podcast Live festival in London on Saturday: David, Helen and Chris Brooke discuss what we can learn from the early twentieth century about holding elections in the depths of winter. Constitutional crises, threats of civil breakdown, broken coalitions and very grumpy voters: we may have been here before. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Cameron's Referendum

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David and Helen take a step back to unpick the tortuous history of how we got to the Brexit referendum in the first place. Does the justification Cameron offers in his new memoirs stack up? What was he trying to achieve? And why did we end up with an in/out vote when the political risks were so great? A conversation linked to David's review of Cameron's book in the current 40th anniversary issue of the LRB. https://www.lrb.co.ukTalking Points: Why did Cameron call for an in/out referendum? - He wanted to reconfigure Britain’s relationship with the EU, not abolish it.Let’s take the story back to 2004-2005 and the new constitutional treaty. - The key question was consent. - In Britain, there was a push for a referendum. Although Blair was initially opposed, he made a u-turn. - But the Dutch and the French voted the treaty down before it could happen.Then came the Lisbon Treaty. - Brown decided that this was different than the constitutional treaty and he ratified it without a referendum. - This creates a political problem. The Conservative Party opposed both the Lisbon Treaty and the way it had been legitimated.The constitutional treaty made the EU wary of using referendums to legitimate treaties. - But Cameron thought there would be another treaty—was this a mistake? - The European Union Act of 2011 required a referendum for any treaty that would increase the power of the EU.By December 2011, Cameron had two issues: the domestic politics of consent, and the risk of being a permanent minority on financial service matters. - In 2011, it became clear that the ECB would pursue a policy that would make it more difficult for London’s clearing houses to be the center of European trading. Ultimately, Britain could not fundamentally reconfigure its relationship with the EU. - Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate became a perfect example of British weakness and fueled the Leave campaign.For what is Cameron personally culpable? - He knew that Leave could win, but he didn’t make contingency arrangements for leaving. - When Leave won, the UK entered a constitutional crisis and Cameron just walked away.Mentioned in this Episode: - David’s review of Cameron’s memoir - Cameron’s Bloomberg speech - Macron’s 2017 Sorbonne speech - More on ChiracAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Ian McEwan

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to novelist Ian McEwan about his new Brexit parable, The Cockroach, and a lot else besides: counterfactual history, Labour party conferences, eighteenth-century satire, humanising judges and turning the economy on its head. But yes, it's all about the Brexit nightmare.Further Learning: - You can buy The Cockroach here - An extract from The CockroachMentioned in this Episode: - Selected quotes from Johnson’s UN speech - The Children Act - A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - Machines like MeUpcoming Events: - On 5 Oct. David, Helen, and Chris Brooke will be LIVE in London. Tickets here! - And on 16 Oct. David and Helen will be LIVE at Cambridge Junction with Ayesha Hazarika. Get your tickets here.And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Boiling Point

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 21:58:54 GMT

David and Helen try to lower the temperature by looking at the strategic choices behind the vitriolic clashes in the Commons this week: from the date of the next election to the prospects of a coalition government. Plus they consider the fall-out from the Labour party conference and ask what price a second Scottish referendum. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Supreme Court II & Italy!

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 22:04:49 GMT

A packed episode: we catch up with Catherine Barnard on the Supreme Court's unanimous decision against prorogation and we discuss what's going on in Italian politics. Plus we explore the links and differences between the two, from fears of an election to the role played by presidents and monarchs. Boris, Berlusconi, Baroness Hale and politics on the beach: it's all here! With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points:Is it surprising that the Supreme Court’s judgement was unanimous? - There’s a strength in unanimity—it also makes it harder to attribute political motives to individual judges. - This is only the beginning of what could be a series of contentious judgments, but because the decision was unanimous, it’s hard to read the room.The Supreme Court didn’t want to get into motive… or monarchy, so it focused on the effect of prorogation. - If the power to prorogue were unlimited, it could be used for unconstitutional purposes. - But Parliament did have an opportunity to hold the government to account and it chose not to.Are there parallels between what’s going on in Italy and the UK? - The government has broken down, and the opposition is scared of an election. Both Johnson and Salvini are polling at around 30% and facing divided oppositions. - But in Italy, the opposition has behaved very differently. Despite extreme contempt for each other, Renzi and De Maio are in coalition. - This is in part because of Mattarella, the President, and the EU.Does going into coalition with Renzi mark the end of 5 Star’s anti-establishment credentials? - They might go forward with a new leader, Di Battista, who is more left wing. Renzi is trying to position himself as a Macron-like figure. - The dominant feature of Italian politics is fragmentation: if you can get even 5-10% of the vote, you can be the kingmaker. - Renzi thinks he can sweep up Berlusconi’s voters. - But unlike Macron, Renzi isn’t an unknown entity. And the next election might be fought in the midst of a recession.Further Learning: - Our video guide to thinking about the future of Labour leadership - Catherine on the Supreme Court’s decision - More on SalviniUpcoming Events: - On 5 Oct. David, Helen, and Chris Brooke will be LIVE in London. Tickets here! - And on 16 Oct. David and Helen will be LIVE at Cambridge Junction with Ayesha Hazarika. Get your tickets here.And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Re-Engineering Humanity

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Brett Frischmann about how so-called 'smart' machines may be producing more machine-like humans. From GPS to Fitbit to Alexa to the Internet of Things: what is our interaction with new technology doing to change the kind of people we really are? https://www.reengineeringhumanity.com/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Supreme Court

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

In the middle of the epic prorogation battle at the Supreme Court, we ask what's at stake: for the government, for Brexit, for the constitution and for democracy. Is this a case of legal precedent, common law practice or higher constitutional principle? Is the UK constitution becoming more European in the act of leaving the EU? And what are the things lawyers on neither side can say? Plus we ask how Jo Swinson's case for revoking article 50 is going and we discuss whether we could really have a 2nd referendum without another general election. A packed episode! With Catherine Barnard, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton.The prorogation case has reached the Supreme Court. - Traditionally the courts are reluctant to second guess political decisions. - The high courts of England and Wales ruled that the case wasn’t justiciable. The Scottish court took a different line. - This case is really looking under the bonnet of the constitution.If there is no judicial control, the right to prorogue could be abused—this could trouble the courts. - But according to the UK constitution, the recourse to the abuse of power is supposed to be political rather than legal. - The current executive is a constitutional zombie: it doesn’t have the support of Parliament. How does the court see its role? - What Boris did may be outrageous, but it’s not clear what he gained by doing it. He squeezed options but he didn’t wipe them out. - Maybe they just did it to be provocative ahead of a general election. But neither side can say that.Who are the justices on the Supreme Court? - Most of these people have worked their way up the judicial hierarchy. - This is only the second time that all 11 are sitting. They know this case is a big deal. - The big question is legitimacy.Common law has been seen as a central part of the UK’s constitutional history, and common law ultimately is meant to rest on an appeal to experience. - What happens if it is used to assert an abstract principle?Across the board, politicians are no longer abiding by conventions. - If Parliament were functioning properly, it would replace the executive. - Parliament chose to legislate against no deal instead of calling for a general election. - The Fixed-Term Parliaments act has been a game changer. Further Learning: - The Talking Politics guide to… the UK Constitution - The Supreme Court and politics vs. the law - Who is Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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He's Still There (Just)

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 01:18:31 GMT

David and Helen try to make sense of where we've got to, though things are moving fast (*episode recorded before the Scottish court judgment*). Can parliament force Johnson's hand in the Brexit negotiations if he is still PM? Will Labour hold together now that it's become a second referendum party? Could the revocation of article 50 become a real prospect? Next week, on to the Supreme Court. We also pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague Finbarr Livesey, who very sadly died last week.Talking Points:People have claimed moral victories and rhetorical victories this week, but what actually happened? - Boris is still Prime Minister, and the opposition organized behind legislation that requires him to ask for an extension. - But the EU will want a reason. And Boris wouldn’t be breaking the law if he said there was no reason, or that it was purely political.Is it possible that all this turmoil actually gives Johnson more leverage with the EU? - Unless there’s movement from the Irish government, it will be extremely difficult for the EU to move. - The DUP’s position is weaker now, but a Northern Ireland only backstop would be a massive crisis for the Union. There appears to be a new centrist group in Parliament with Stephen Kinnock and others trying to rally in support of a deal. - But the numbers are very small and they’ll have to defend the fact that they voted against the withdrawal agreement before.What about Labour? - Labour has now become the second referendum party but there are still a lot of questions. - If Corbyn weren’t the leader of the opposition, would a vote of no confidence have passed? - Did Labour make the wrong call on an election? - Meanwhile, the Lib Dems seem to be moving towards a “revoke” position. The constitution is in uncharted waters: there’s a government with no majority that wants to call an election and Parliament is saying that the electorate cannot have a say. - Do the courts have the authority to reconvene Parliament?Further Learning: - How Would a Second Referendum on Brexit Work? - Helen on bending the constitution for the New Statesman - Is it Legal? - The Talking Politics guide to… the UK constitutionAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Adam Tooze on the Global Slowdown

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Helen Thompson and Adam Tooze take us beyond Brexit to look at the global situation and the bigger threats we face. Italy, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Russia, Trump vs. the Fed, the US vs. China, Hong Kong, the dollar, the euro, climate change, oil: an amazingly wide-ranging conversation that somehow manages to connect it all up.Talking Points: Christine Lagarde will take up her post at the ECB relatively soon. Does her most recent speech fit into a narrative of a French victory in the euro struggles? - Lagarde has clearly asserted the necessity of continuing the Draghi agenda, but augmenting it with fiscal action. That’s the big question mark. - There are still fundamental, unresolved issues: banking union and Italy’s sovereign debt.The condition for making Italian fiscal activism safe would be some agreement to collectivize a large portion of Italy’s sovereign debt. How that’s accounted for, and whose balance sheet it would fall onto is the real issue. - Do you really want to activate a major fiscal stimulus in the German economy? - This might be a good moment for a political deal between the North and South because the engine of German manufacturing is slowing down.What’s happening in Germany is less to do with the Eurozone and more to do with China and to some extent the Eurodollar system. - The Germany economy is export-centric. It won’t respond to stimulating domestic demand. - If we accept that the status quo is dangerous, then fiscal policy has to be more transformative. - Trying to figure out what is actually causing the weakness in the world economy is perhaps more important than the confrontation between Trump and the Fed.Something weird is going on in global capital markets, which means that the Americans are suffering basically no bond-market punishment despite extraordinary dysfunction. - At the same time, interest rates have plunged. - This allows Trump to politicize things further. - It’s both a return of the past, and something entirely new. - The eurozone does appear to have a disciplinary role. The idea of a euro-state leaving the eurozone still seems unconscionable. China clearly wants to escape a dollar world. Could this deal with Iran make it possible? - They want to be able to buy oil in their own currency. - But the dollar and the U.S. banking system are still America’s ultimate weapons.How big is the risk of a major global economic slowdown? - It’s already happening in Germany, Latin America, South Africa... - The question is scope: it hasn’t yet spread to the services sector. - There’s a variety of different economic ailments, but this is a real risk.Mentioned in this Episode: - Adam’s recent article in the NYTimesFurther Learning: - Why is Trump attacking the Fed? - Adam Tooze on Europe - Adam Tooze on the US vs. ChinaAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Is It Legal?

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 21:54:52 GMT

With British politics in disarray, we try to sort out what's a stake - legally, constitutionally and electorally. Can Johnson refuse to do what parliament demands? Can Corbyn get the election he wants? What is Dominic Cummings playing at? And how much is the Fixed-term Parliaments Act to blame for the mess? Plus we explore the likely choices ahead for voters and politicians and we ask the big question lying behind all the drama: is this a question of politics or is it a matter of law? With Helen Thompson and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points:What was Johnson trying to achieve with prorogation? - Deliberately provoking the opposition? Making it look like Parliament had been defeated to push the EU to work toward another agreement? A lot is going wrong for the government right now and it is struggling get to the general election it wants to fight. - Helen thinks that the actual goal is an orderly exit from the EU. - But people don’t believe Johnson when he says he is serious about getting a deal.Corbyn says that the opposition wants a general election, but only after no deal has been ruled out. - But if the election takes place in mid-October and Johnson wins a majority, he could overturn any legislation outlawing a no deal. - Parliament could still revoke Article 50. This might be the best case scenario for Johnson because he could then have a Parliament vs. the people election. - The assumption seems to be that the government cannot be replaced, but it also can’t do what it wants to do. - Everyone seems to be trying to tie someone’s hands, but how do you create the politics where you can actually do things?At some point there will be a general election: the government is framing it as a choice on Brexit. - May tried to do that in 2017 and failed. - But Johnson isn’t May, and he’s running on a more populist, anti-austerity platform. - What does Labour want to fight this election on? Would they fare better in a Brexit or non-Brexit election? - The Lib Dems are in a very different position this time.This is an unusual government: the stories about Dominic Cummings are damaging, but it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. - A referendum is very different than a general election. Mentioned in this episode: - Catherine Haddon on the Fixed Term Parliaments Act - Stephen Sedley on Jonathan Sumption and the rule of law for the LRBFurther Learning: - Scottish Court rules that prorogation is lawful - On challenges around a bill to prevent no deal - David and Helen talking about prorogation on the 538 podcastAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Marriage

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 20:25:59 GMT

We talk to political philosopher Clare Chambers about marriage as a political institution. How does it reflect the power of the state? How does it alter power relations between individuals? Should everyone be allowed to get married or should we move away from marriage altogether? A fresh, radical look at something we often take for granted.Talking Points:What makes marriage political? - Marriage is an institution recognized by the state. - It also structures the way people relate to each other along gendered lines, as well as those of race and class.Most of the clear legal inequalities in marriage have been reformed in contemporary Britain, but there is still significant practical and symbolic inequality. - Different sex married couples tend to exhibit more gendered behavior than unmarried couples. - We still view marriage as a goal, particularly for women. And for women, marriage often comes with a number of identity changes.When the state recognizes marriage, it is endorsing, or affirming the position of being married. - Does making marriage more accessible make it more equal? - Same sex marriage is one of the amazing succes stories of the last decade.Why are we so drawn to marriage? - What marriage means for people may be out of kilter with its legal condition. - There’s no official government position on the legal implications of marriage. - Most people believe that common law marriage exists: it doesn’t. - If you’re not married, you have no legal protections.When it comes to protecting children, it might make more sense to focus on parenthood than marriage. - In countries like the UK, only about 50% of children are born to married parents. Further Learning: - Clare’s website - Against Marriage (Clare’s book) - Clare talking about the politics of marriage at LSE - Clare at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas talking about marriageAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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538 Cross Over Special : Is Britain In The Middle Of A Constitutional Crisis?

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 07:43:06 GMT

Special cross over episode with the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast from America, hosted by Galen Druke.On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he had asked the queen to suspend parliament in September, reducing the amount of time lawmakers will have to debate legislation related to Brexit. John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons ,called the move a “constitutional outrage.” In this episode of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Helen Thompson and David Runciman discuss what qualifies as a constitutional crisis and whether they think Britain has reached that point. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Where Power Stops

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David gives another in his series of talks about democracy. This one draws on the theme of his new book Where Power Stops: The Making and Unmaking of Presidents and Prime Ministers. From Lyndon Johnson to Boris Johnson, does power reveal the true character of politicians or do politicians reveal the true character of power? What sets the limits to what presidents and prime minsters can do? And how do we find them? https://profilebooks.com/where-power-stops-hb.htmlThe books that have had the single largest influence on modern Western politicians are Robert Caro’s biographies of Lyndon Johson. - These books are a love letter to politics: the glory, the grind, the graft. - Johnson’s life is a tale of redemption: he was a terrible man, but he did some great things. - Johnson’s life shows that individual politicians can make a difference. This is a story that a lot of politicians want to hear.Caro says that the lesson of Johnson’s life is that power corrupts, but power also reveals. David disagrees. - Johnson wanted to dominate. Compassion was not who he really was, it was just another tool at his disposal. - To show he deserved power, Johnson had to do what Kennedy couldn’t do: civil rights and the great society. - It’s not that power reveals the person, but the person reveals the nature of the power. - Politicians don’t really change. And they often don’t really hide who they are. - When they get to the top, you see not who they are, but what that kind of person can do with power. Are Trump and Boris Johnson part of this pattern? - We haven’t discovered anything about Trump we didn’t know before. - Much more has been revealed about the institution of the presidency than the man. - What makes Trump different is that he doesn’t seem to believe that his power is subject to any constraints. This could actually change the institution. - Boris Johnson is different. For one thing, he is capable of shame. But he is also willing, potentially, to treat the limits of office as if they aren’t there.Further Learning: - David’s new book, Where Power Stops - The Caro biographies of Johnson - Caro on chasing Johnson’s paper trail - Yuval Noah Harari - Michael Howard on Talking PoliticsAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... European Union before the EU

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to historian Chris Brooke about ideas of a united Europe that long pre-dated the advent of the European Union. Since the eighteenth century philosophers, lawyers, diplomats and revolutionaries have constructed schemes to bring Europe together economically, legally and politically. How do these plans compare with what actually happened?Talking Points: Where does the idea of a union of European nation states come from? - The conversation about union predates the consolidation of European nation-states. - In the 18th century, Britain and France are long-established, but much of the rest of Europe isn’t really what we would call nation states. - The common threads in these earlier projects are the notion of “perpetual peace” and commerce.How do you create a union when some states are much more powerful than others? - You can’t escape geopolitics. - From the 18th century onwards a widespread theme in arguments for European union are fears of growing Russian power. - The European integrationists often take themselves to be critics of the balance of power, but at some point they realize that they’re actually trying to produce a new balance of power on the global level in response to the rise of America and East Asia. - The Europeans want to both counter and copy America. The key predecessor to the customs union was the German Zollverein, which linked together the Western states in the German confederation. - Union became a live political issue in the 1890s after the American tariff walls. - In the end, these earlier projects failed because of animosity between the French and Germans over Alsace-Lorraine. - The early legal conversations about union have disturbing racial and imperial subtexts. The First World War gave rise to the League of Nations, but this was not a purely European project. - To understand the contemporary European union, you really need to look at the end of the Second World War.It’s hard not to think of the 18th century schemes and 19th century proposals as antecedents to what actually happened. - But many things were still contingent. For example, the French were interested in cooperating because they wanted to shore up their empire in Africa, which collapsed soon after the Treaty of Rome.Further Learning: - Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisbrooke - A blog by Chris on the 18th century debate on European union - Jeremy Bentham’s plan for “an universal and perpetual peace” - On Napoleon and the European Union - Rosa Luxemburg denounces “The United States of Europe in 1911And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... The UK Constitution

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to lawyer and constitutional expert Alison Young about the current pressures on the UK constitution, from Brexit to devolution to political polarisation. Is parliamentary sovereignty still the linchpin of the system? What changed with the arrival of the Supreme Court? Can the constitution survive in its current form?Talking Points:How should we think about parliamentary sovereignty in the UK constitutional order? - The idea is that legislation enacted by parliament is the highest form of law in the land. - Unlike most other systems, the UK does not have a written constitution that is above legislation.What does this mean for the Union? - In a nutshell, Westminster can still override other parliaments. - The civil convention is the idea that Westminster won’t legislate in the devolved areas or change the devolved structures without the consent of the devolved bodies. - But this can’t be legally enforced, and Westminster doesn’t always comply with it. - The UK doesn’t have a federal system: there aren’t the same legal limits on Westminster but there are legal limits on the devolved bodies. - In short, the institutions are permanent but their powers aren’t.Did Parliament limit its sovereign powers when it created the Supreme Court? - Parliament could still abolish the court, but that could also trigger a constitutional crisis. - It’s not necessarily the Supreme Court that has limited parliamentary sovereignty. - EU law has primacy and direct effect. This is a restriction on parliamentary sovereignty. - Another tension is how the courts are beginning to interpret legislation.Brexit has led to renewed focus on parliamentary sovereignty. On the one hand, we see the reassertion of parliamentary sovereignty against the executive. On the other hand, the Brexiteers see themselves as this very principle from the EU. - The Gina Miller case revolved around the tension between the government and parliament—whether the government could trigger Article 50. This case actually reinforced parliamentary sovereignty. The referendum created a tension between the sovereignty of the people and the sovereignty of parliament. - This is the problem that has not been resolved.Further Learning: - The UK Constitutional Law Association - Alison’s article on populism and the UK constitution - Alison on “The Briefing Room” - Jonathan Sumption’s Reith Lectures on “Law’s expanding empire”And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Jill Lepore on the American Nation

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to historian Jill Lepore about the idea of nationalism in America, from the birth of the Republic through to Trump. What defines the nation? Why does the illiberal version keep getting the upper hand? Are there any politicians in America who can rescue the idea of liberal nationalism? Plus we ask Jill what she thinks of Johnson, Brexit and nationalism in the UK.The Union won the American Civil War, but the South won the peace. - The South won the peace by persuading the North both to undo the terms of Reconstruction and to remember the war as being about something different than it actually was. - The Confederacy was founded on the premise of racial hierarchy. - Reconstruction began as essentially a military occupation of the South to reinforce the new amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing equality for all people - But it was ended prematurely and the federal government wound up conceding the constitutionality of the Jim Crow laws that reenforced racial hierarchy.When did cities stop being a part of “the nation?” - To some on the right, there’s no such thing as a liberal nationalism or liberal patriotism. - Trump sets the nation against the government. - Historically, the term “globalist” is code for antisemitism. - The environmentalists may have replaced the old “internationalists.”The classic error on the left is to speak to either subgroups or the world. - Looking at the Democratic presidential candidates, you don’t really see anyone talking about what the nation is. - The concept of the “nation” is now one of the things that divides generations. - Obama did talk about the nation a lot—this is part of what made him so powerful rhetorically.There are competing notions of nationalism. On the one hand, you have an enlightened, liberal nationalism, which is about guaranteeing equal rights to citizens. On the other, there is illiberal nationalism, which is premised on exclusion. - Right now, illiberal nationalism seems to have the upper hand.Further Learning: - Jill on why America needs a new national story - What if Reconstruction hadn’t failed? - David Blight on the Civil War and Reconstruction, 1845-1877 (Open Yale Courses) - America First? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Being a Civil Servant

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to public policy expert Dennis Grube about the changing character of the civil service, from Victorian mandarins and Yes, Minister to the current battles over Brexit in the age of Twitter. Senior civil servants increasingly find themselves in the public eye, expected to communicate their views. Has this politicised the advice they give? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... The Euro

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to political economist Helen Thompson about the birth of the Euro and its tortuous recent history. Whose idea was it in the first place and how much of its current troubles were baked into its origins? A story of ambition, intrigue and unintended consequences.Talking Points:The euro was the brainchild of the French government, sometime around late 1987. - The French had become extremely dissatisfied with the exchange rate mechanism. They thought the set-up benefitted Germany to the expense of everyone else. - France saw monetary union as a way to Europeanize monetary policy.The French persuaded the rest of the European community to set up a committee to look into monetary union, which was chaired by the former French finance minister. - He understood that union would have to be on German terms: there would be an independent central bank committed to price stability. - Helmut Kohl also wanted shifts on the institutional questions within the European Community.The Maastricht Treaty was agreed in December 1991—ratification went on for two years. - The treaty is about much more than monetary union. - During contentious elections, Kohl started talking about monetary union as a symbol of European peace rather than a purely macroeconomic issue.The general improvement in economic conditions in the mid-1990s allowed the monetary union to proceed. - This doesn’t mean that there weren’t significant issues, but there wasn’t an existential crisis like the one that would emerge in 2009 with Greece.Before the euro itself got going, there was the convergence of interest rates. Even for states like Italy and Greece, that has been a clear advantage. - You also see some alignment on inflation. - But you don’t get fiscal convergence. Some states run much higher deficits than others.If the euro were to end now, it would be because of an implosion not states voluntarily seceding. - There is more skepticism over the euro in Eastern Europe.There is a recession coming; this will put more pressure on this system. - The flashpoint may be Germany. - There is going to be considerable pressure to go back to quantitative easing. Whether Draghi’s successor can secure tacit German approval is a different question. Further Learning: - Helen for the LRB: Will the EU hold? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Summer Reading

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We ask regular TP contributors and guests to tell us about the books they've most enjoyed recently and the ones they are looking forward to reading this summer. History, science fiction, philosophy, memoirs and a little bit of politics too: it's all here.Sarah Churchwell - My Face for the World to See, Alfred Hayes - In Love, Alfred HayesChris Bickerton - The Man Without Qualities, Robert MusilHans van de Ven - The Great Flowing River, Chi Pang-yuanHelen Thompson - Dominion, Tom Holland - The Hotel Years, Joseph Roth - The Emigrants, W.G. SebaldDennis Grube - The Fifth Risk, Michael Lewis - Middle England, Jonathan CoeCatherine Bernard - In our Mad and Furious City, Guy GunaratneDavid Runciman - From Bacteria to Bach and Back, Daniel C. Dennett - Stories of Your Life and Others, Ted ChiangClare Chambers - Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez - Normal People, Sally RooneyChris Brooke - On Mercy, Malcolm BullPaul Mason - Love Song: The Lives of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, Ethan MorddenTom HollandNefertiti’s Face, Joyce Tyldesley For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... The Chinese Communist Party

Sun, 04 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to historian of China Hans van de Ven about the origins of the CCP and its extraordinary rise to power. How has it managed to adapt to the changes of the last forty years and what lessons will be drawn as it approaches its one hundredth birthday?Talking Points:The Chinese Communist Party is an incredible success story. A group of students met in Shanghai; 30 years later, they were running a vast country. - A lot of luck was involved. If the Japanese hadn’t invaded, they never would have gone anywhere.The CCP didn’t become a Maoist party until the Second World War. - Communist parties are supposed to thrive in cities, but Mao turned his attention to the countryside. - Mao was a great tactician of violence. He was heavily influenced by Clausewitz. - Mao was also able to draw in both the youth and the intellectuals.The West tends to see Mao’s death as the decisive shift, but Mao himself allowed new people to come to the fore, including Deng Xiaoping. - Tiannamen was an existential threat to the Party, and it extended far beyond Beijing.The Party is still the dominant institution in Chinese life. Although Chinese life is more pluralistic under market reform, the Party still calls the final shots. - China has always been highly commercialized. Viewing reform as “Westernization” may not be the best approach.A key element of the Chinese political tradition is a direct connection between the highest and the lowest rungs of society. New technology makes this easier. - The leadership is extremely concerned with what people are thinking.As the 100th anniversary of the Party approaches, the leadership faces a dilemma: taking the history of the Party seriously could threaten its present legitimacy. - How do you explain all of the suffering? You can’t just ignore it.Further Learning: - Hans’ book, China at War: Triumph and Tragedy in the Emergence of the New China - ChinaFile - A guide to China from the Council on Foreign RelationsRecommended Reading: - A Critical Introduction to Mao Zedong, Timothy Cheek, ed (CUP, 2010) - Mao's Little Red Book: A Global History, Alastair Cook (CUP, 2014)Red Flags: Why Xi's China is in Jeopardy, George Magnus (Yale, 2018) For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... The Gilded Age

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to historian Sarah Churchwell about the Gilded Age in late nineteenth century America and the comparisons with today. Rampant inequality, racial conflict, fights over immigration, technological revolution: is Trump's America repeating the pattern or is it something new?Talking Points:In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles W. Warner coined the term “The Gilded Age,” in their eponymous novel. - The phrase was re-discovered in the 1920s and applied retrospectively to the period of the 1870s-roughly 1900. - The Gilded Age satirized the way wealth and consumerism were taking over American life and showed how this move towards a “huxterist” culture was subverting America’s democratic ideals.Yet this was also a period of real growth. - The major transformation of the period was the railroad. - Rampant inequality characterized the era: the robber barons on the one hand, and poor immigrant communities on the other. But in the middle of this, there was also a group of people working their way into the middle class.Immigration, particularly from Eastern Europe, exploded during this period. - America did not have immigration control. - The first immigration laws were passed in the 1880s and 1890s, most notably the Chinese Exclusion Act.Reconstruction overlaps with the Gilded Age. - There was no redistribution to the former slaves. Johnson effectively pardoned the former Confederates. - The Klan emerged during this period as domestic terrorists. - This ultimately leads to the Great Migration, African Americans leaving the South to seek opportunities further North.The bridge between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Period was the age of populism. - William Jennings Bryan was a grassroots populist who almost became president. - There are many echoes to the present moment: white working class men asserting their right to be middle America at the cost of excluding other communities.Is this a new Gilded Age? - Today, the tech giants are cornering technology the way that Carneige cornered steel. - But maybe the gilt is the story, and the exceptional moments are the aberrations. Further Learning: - Sarah’s book, Behold America - Chapters of Erie, Henry Adams For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Autumn of Chaos

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 22:22:12 GMT

Boris Johnson is off to see the Queen to become her 14th (!) Prime Minister, but where might he be taking the country this autumn? We try to work through the various Brexit scenarios, from a renegotiated Withdrawal Agreement to a crash no-deal exit. Can the backstop be changed? What is a 'standstill' arrangement? Will Macron force the issue? Plus we explore whether an early election or a second referendum can really provide a way out of the mess. Something's got to give - what will it be? With Helen Thompson, Catherine Barnard and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points: Can you change the backstop? - Deep changes seem unlikely, though maybe some changes around the edges would make it more sellable. - If the DUP won’t swallow it, will Johnson have to essentially sacrifice Northern Ireland to get a deal? - But cutting out the DUP presents a problem for parliamentary arithmetics. - The things that Johnson wants to discuss are in the withdrawal agreement. Europe is not open to talking about these things. What is GATT Article 24 5b? - This is the idea that you could have a “quick and dirty” free trade agreement ready to go on the 31 Oct. - The trouble is that the law gets in the way: the EU has to agree with it. - From the EU perspective, any agreement will require that the UK addresses citizens rights, money, and the backstop. - The idea that there’s some kind of standstill option is a unicorn.There’s a change of leadership in the EU as well. Does it make any difference? - The instability in German politics deserves more attention. - The Franco-German relationship is in a worse place than it was in March. - If the German position is weakened, this could strengthen Macron and the harder line.When will the moment of truth come? - The sequencing here is incredibly complex. - At some point, Johnson’s government will have to make a choice. Will it be over an election? Over no deal? - A confidence vote isn’t a last resort for Tory remainers, but it’s very close to it. - We also need to think more about the legal realities of a no deal Brexit. Mentioned in this Episode: - Who is Boris Johnson? - More on GATT Article 24Further Learning: - Catherine on the EU and the conservative leadership race - Helen on geopolitics, the EU, and BrexitAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Waiting for Boris

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Barring an act of God, Boris Johnson is going to be the next leader of the Conservative Party. We're exploring what that means in two parts. Today, Helen and David talk about the domestic implications. Can Johnson avoid an election? Can he hold on to the seats he needs while winning others he doesn't have? Will he unite or divide his party? Will Labour be able to stop him either way? Plus we talk about what's at stake for the Tories in Johnson's relationship with Trump. Next week: Europe and Brexit.Talking Points:What shifted to make Boris Johnson’s victory almost inevitable? - We need to go back to the third attempt to get the meaningful vote through the House of Commons. That was Theresa May’s chance. - After 31 March, the political calculus changed. - If May had been able to pass her deal, there might have been more of an effort to stop Johnson from becoming PM.Labour is now the more divided party. And the Conservative Party has united around a very unpopular leader. - There are some parallels to the United States. - The Labour remainers have been emboldened since the 31 March, but Labour also looks more divided than it did a few months ago.Are there enough people in the parliamentary Conservative Party who would be willing to precipitate a general election if Johnson pursued no deal? - It’s not impossible, but this would be a big deal.Could Johnson usher in a new relationship with the United States? - A lot would ride on his relationship with Trump—that’s risky. - Is there anything that Johnson can say that will not alienate Trump and not alienate the British public?The most important decision next week, if Johnson becomes PM, will be who he appoints as Chancellor. - Whoever it is will likely have a lot of power. - What happens with Brexit will be crucial to what kind of economic policy comes next. - The Conservatives will need to maintain their coalition, and probably make up for seats in Scotland.Will the opposition to a Johnson prime ministership coalesce around Labour or not? - Last time, the Conservatives committed an act of destruction with the social care issue. - And if the next general election happens after Brexit, there will not be the same disciplining effect. - If Johnson can walk a very narrow path in the next 6 months (which is far from certain), he could be prime minister for a long time. Mentioned in this Episode: - Hunt and Johnson on Trump’s tweets - Steve Baker’s tweet in response to Trump’s tweet - John Lanchester on Universal Basic Income - Adam Tooze on GermanyFurther Learning: - Who is Boris Johnson? - The Party Splits! (In 1846!)And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Hong Kong

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

What is happening in Hong Kong? We talk to a professor of Chinese history and a Hong Kong journalist about the recent wave of protests there and try to discover what is really at stake on all sides. Who are the protestors? What are their core demands? Can these be met? And what will happen if they aren't? Plus we explore the parallels with other protest movements around the world and look at the possible knock-on effects, from Beijing to Taiwan. With Hans van de Ven and Angus Hui.Talking Points:The protests in Hong Kong are now in their second month. As many as half a million people have taken to the streets. - There is also a smaller group of much younger people who occupied the legislative council chambers last week. - The initial protests were about repealing an extradition law. But the protest now seems to be about the entire system. - This is the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The protesters want to show that Hong Kong is not China. - Is this a threat to one country, two systems? - The Umbrella Movement in 2014 was about suffrage and democracy. Is this going beyond that? - One country, two systems was meant to last 50 years. We are now 22 years in. What would the protesters count as success? - Independence is an unrealistic goal. - The protesters want three things: 1) The withdrawal of the extradition bill 2) An independent investigation committee into police violence against the protesters and 3) protection from prosecution for the protesters. - A real win would be a genuinely elected chief executive and a genuinely elected legislative council. This would involve negotiations with Beijing.Even if these protests fade, the issues remain and will only get more serious. - What is happening in Hong Kong is the building up of a tradition of protests that will feed on each other. - There is a broader breakdown in trust between mainland China and the people living in Hong Kong, including the fear that the social credit system may be introduced in Hong Kong.Mentioned in this Episode: - English language news sources on the situation in Hong KongFurther Learning: - Background from the NYTimes on the protests - More on the umbrella revolution - More on Christianity and the Hong Kong protestsAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Libra

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

What does it mean when Facebook says it wants its own currency? We explore the power, the potential and the pitfalls of Libra. How does Facebook plan to make money out of making money? Can anyone stop it? And does this represent a fundamental shift in the model of surveillance capitalism? Plus we consider some of the rivals it faces: Bitcoin, WeChat and the good old dollar. Finally, this week we pay tribute to our dear friend and regular Talking Politics contributor Aaron Rapport (1980-2019) with some memories of his many appearances on the podcast.Talking Points:What is Libra? - A digital currency that Facebook unveiled in a White Paper last month - It aims to be a global currency that will bring the unbanked into banking and make certain transactions, such as remittances, easier. - Libra itself would be managed by an association of members, including big finance companies, big tech companies, and NGOs. But Facebook would control Calibra, the wallet that would allow people to actually use the currency.How is Libra different from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? - Unlike Bitcoin, Libra would be pegged to a basket of currencies. This would make it less volatile, but more centralized.What would it mean if Facebook started issuing money? - If Facebook were a state, it would have more subjects than any country on earth. - Regulation remains a huge question. - What will happen if Facebook has leverage over both social and economic capital?If Libra isn’t stopped before it launches, it could quickly become indispensable. - There are huge potential benefits, especially in terms of facilitating remittances and increasing the efficiency of payments. - But there are also risks: this could allow Facebook to go even further in accumulating new kinds of data and monetizing human behaviour. Mentioned in this Episode: - Facebook’s Libra white paper - John’s column on Libra Further Learning: - TP talks to Shoshana Zuboff about Surveillance Capitalism - The Talking Politics Guide To … FacebookAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Outlasting Trump

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk with Gary Gerstle about the big issues roiling US politics with likely aftereffects that will long outlast Trump's presidency. First up: the fight over the census. What's a stake in the citizenship question? How has American politics been shaped by people-counting in the past? And what is the Supreme Court likely to decide? Plus we look at constitutional reform, the environment and impeachment. These are the battles that could have consequences for decades to come. With Helen Thompson.Talking Points:The Trump administration wants to put the “citizenship question” on the U.S. census. - Lines are being drawn between personhood and citizenship. - If immigrants avoid the census, there could be consequences for Democrats. - The Republicans know that demographics are against them. - Trump probably wouldn’t have won the Republican primary without the backlash against immigration.The United States was the first country to put a census in its constitution. - The census is not connected to citizenship: it’s connected to personhood. - Counting for the purposes of elections becomes complicated when you have a significant number of people in the country who are not citizens. - The census gives you the numbers, but what happens is up to the states. This is why state-level offices are so important. If Trump wins a second term, he will likely appoint two justices to the Supreme Court. - He has promised that he will only appoint people approved by the Federalist Society, which promotes an originalist interpretation of the Constitution. - There can still be meaningful differences when people get on the court: Gorsuch, for example, has been more willing to side with liberal justices than Kavanaugh. - But Kavanaugh and Gorsuch both are unlikely to uphold environmental regulations. - If a Democrat wins, he or she will have to contend with a court that opposes the regulatory state.What about the impeachment question? - Is there a principle at stake here? If not now, when? - The Mueller report is damning—it emphasizes that the fact that they are not indicting the president does not mean they are exonerating him. - Mueller’s July testimony will be significant: if impeachment is going to happen, the next few months are crucial.Mentioned in this Episode: - The GOP gerrymandering architect and what his daughter found when she died.Further Learning: - What are the conditions at the U.S. border? - President Bernie? - Trump after Mueller - America First?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Party Splits! (In 1846!)

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The current crisis for the Conservatives is often described as the worst since the party split over the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. So we talk to historian Boyd Hilton about what really happened back then and what it meant for British politics. Why were the Corn Laws so divisive? How did public opinion impact on the politicians? Did Peel betray his party or did he do what needed to be done? And what are the real lessons for Brexit and for the Conservative Party today? With Helen Thompson. * We have extra show notes below, with a guide to the historical timeline and some further reading suggestions.Talking Points: What were the Corn Laws? - From 1815-1846, a series of tariffs and other trade restrictions on imported grains kept prices artificially high to favor domestic producers. - The laws were controversial from the beginning (but there wasn’t sizeable, collective opposition until later). - The Corn Laws benefited those who owned land, but they increased food prices and the costs of living for most of the British public. Manufacturers also opposed the Corn Laws, which they saw as inhibiting free trade. - Scarcity and self-sufficiency were part of the motivating ideology behind these laws. But in practice, they made Britain vulnerable to bad harvests. - In 1846, under increasing pressure, Conservative Prime Minister Robert Peel went against his own party to repeal the Corn Laws with the support of the Whigs. This split the Party, and kept it out of power for almost a generation.A Corn Laws Timeline: - 1815: Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the first Corn Laws were introduced to protect British grain production from outside competition. - 1832: The first Reform Act partially extends the franchise to include certain segments of the population who do not own landed property. It also redistributes seats from the agricultural south and west to the industrializing north. - 1834: A new poor law is passed, establishing workhouses and leading to the effective criminalization of poverty. - 1836: The Anti Corn Law Association is founded (in 1839 it becomes the Anti-Corn Law League). - 1841: Peel’s Conservatives take control of the House of Commons. This is the first time that a majority government is thrown out by the electorate since 1708. - 1844: As part of Peel’s deflationary program, the Bank Charter Act restricts the powers of British banks and gives the Bank of England the exclusive right to issue banknotes. This act creates a ratio between gold reserves and currency circulation. - 1845: The great famine in Ireland begins. - 1846: The Corn Laws are repealed, leading to a split in the Conservative Party and Peel’s resignation. - 1848: A series of revolutions and uprisings take place across Europe, including, most notably, in France. Anxiety over revolution leads to the repression and ultimate destruction of Chartism. - 1850s: Britain enthusiastically embraces free trade, this appears to be validated by the economic boom of the 1860sKey Terms and Figures: - Sir Robert Peel: The two-time, technocratic Conservative Prime Minister who repealed the Corn Laws. Although he was elected on a protectionist platform, Peel played a key role in Britain’s embrace of free trade. In 1846, he bucked his own party to join the Whigs and the Radicals to repeal the Corn Laws. This led to his resignation that year. - Benjamin Disraeli: A two-time Conservative Prime Minister who played a key role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party. He clashed with Peel over the repeal of the Corn Laws. - The Anti-Corn Law League: A highly successful, predominantly middle-class political movement that opposed the Corn Laws. - Chartism: A working class parliamentary reform movement from 1837-48 that called for reforms including universal suffrage for men, secret ballots, the abolition of property qualifications for MPs, equal cons...

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Who is Boris Johnson?

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We try to work out what the current favourite to be next Tory leader actually stands for. Can his time as Mayor of London tell us what kind of PM he might be? Will his journalistic past come back to haunt him? Does he have a political philosophy beyond 'doing Brexit'? Plus we discuss whether the Johnson-Trump comparisons really stand up. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.Talking Points:What does Boris Johnson stand for? - He’s emphasizing is his experience as Mayor of London, especially his ability to assemble a good team (of course this can be debated). - But the other side of his pitch is about Brexit, and the politics of that are going to overshadow everything that a Johnson cabinet could do. - He would need a chancellor to do a lot of heavy lifting. Who would that person be? And is Johnson self-aware enough to see this? - Johnson wallows in imperial nostalgia. This puts him in direct opposition to Corbyn. Could this lead to more public sparring over foreign policy?Could Johnson’s journalistic past create problems for him? - On the one hand, the people he offends aren’t likely to vote for him anyways. It’s hard to imagine a skeleton that would cut across political divides. - Michael Gove is clearly being held to a different standard right now. In some ways, Johnson has set himself outside of the traditional boundaries of political morality. - At the end of the day, however, the Conservative Party needs someone who can appeal to the Brexiteers, even if it might lose them some support elsewhere.Does Johnson have a political philosophy? - He’s not particularly ideological. - His best pitch might be tax cuts plus Brexit, which looks a lot like Trump. - A lot of Conservative MP’s don’t like Johnson at all—they think he’s only out for himself.Hunt is saying that the one thing we cannot have is an election; Johnson is saying the one thing that we cannot do is stay in the EU. Which is riskier? - The Conservative Party is in a bind, and it’s not clear how it will get out of this crisis. - But the problems run deeper than the Party. - Part of the reason for this impasse is that politicians keep postponing the moment of reckoning. Nothing that has happened so far has changed the fundamental issues.Mentioned in this Episode: - Johnson recites Kipling in Myanmar - Constitutional BreakdownFurther Learning: - Brexit Lessons - More on Boris Johnson, political satire, and “Have I Got New For You” - On Johnson’s mayoral recordAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Constitutional Breakdown

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 00:00:47 GMT

We ask whether the UK constitution is cracking up - and if so, where's the breakpoint going to come? Is Brexit at the heart of the current crisis or does it go deeper than that? What's the role of the Supreme Court? And the Queen? Could the Bank of England play a part? And where does Scotland fit in? We try to piece it all together with Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points: The British constitution is under big strain right now, and not just because of Brexit. - The British constitution is a political one, and If there is a crisis it is a crisis of politics. Fundamentally, this is about representation. - What happens if the next Conservative leader doesn’t command the confidence of Parliament?Right now, the constitution is facing multiple sources of strain including the Fixed Term Parliament Act, Brexit, and problems within the Union. - To survive, the constitution has to adapt to all of these things simultaneously. - Would things be better if the constitution were codified?If elections have been played down as a political tie breaker because of the Fixed Term Parliament Act, is there space for something else? - The rise of the Brexit party could create a real complication. - At a certain point, it becomes difficult to disentangle the party dynamics and constitutional issues.Where are the pressure points in Scottish politics now? - The most immediate one was the other week when the Scottish government published the referendum bill. It doesn’t provide for a second referendum. - This is a way of trying to corral politics toward a second referendum without pushing a button immediately. - Scotland is itself a vexed constitutional question.Mentioned in this Episode: - The Economist on Britain’s constitutional time bomb - PoliticalBetting.com on the odds of having four prime ministers in four yearsFurther Learning: - David’s series on rethinking representation for the BBC - David on representation in UK democracyAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Jared Diamond

Thu, 30 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to the author of Guns, Germs and Steel about his new book on nations in crisis. Jared Diamond argues that personal crises are a good way of thinking about national ones. He tells us about one of his own personal crises and we see whether the lessons really apply to politics. Plus we discuss what's gone wrong with political leadership in the US and we explore what it would take to tackle the global environmental crisis.Talking Points:The premise of Jared’s new book is that the outcome predictors for personal crises can also be applied to national crises. - How much does timing matter? Are early life crises different from late life crises? - National crises, like personal crises, might begin with a sudden shock or unfold slowly.Individuals are biased: that can make thinking about the arc of a life hard. But collective action problems do not necessarily map onto personal crises. - A key example is leadership: it matters for nations, but not individuals. - In a globalized world, we don’t have the luxury of an isolated collapse.What happens when the system that needs change also has to affect that change? - It’s impossible to get away from politics. - Jared thinks that this is where leadership comes in. Leaders make a difference under some (but not all) circumstances. - Democratic politics has a tendency to defer difficult decisions. But the world does have a track record of dealing with really tough problems.Mentioned in this Episode: - Upheaval - Democracy for Young PeopleFurther Learning: - Jared Diamond on his new book - Talking Politics with Yuval Noah HarariAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Split Down the Middle

Tue, 28 May 2019 21:22:13 GMT

David and Helen catch up with the European election results and the Tory leadership race - there's lots to talk about. How can the Tories compete with the Brexit Party? Are the Liberal Democrats a real threat to Labour? What does it all mean for Ireland? And for Scotland? Plus, is the surge in support for Greens across Europe a signal that it's time to take environmental politics seriously? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Next PM

Thu, 23 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As Theresa May's premiership gets very close to the end, we talk about who and what might be coming next. Can her successor re-establish the authority she has lost? Can anyone govern in this parliament or do we need a general election? Is the age of long-serving prime ministers also coming to an end? Plus we discuss what lessons can be drawn from the recent election in Australia: what does it tell us about the politics of climate change? With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.Talking Points:Theresa May’s prime ministership is nearing its last week. She has no authority left. - Is it about her and her mismanagement, or has something happened to the office? - Will her successor have any more luck? (It seems unlikely) - It doesn’t seem like there was any realistic scenario in which May could have peeled off significant numbers of Labour MP’s. - But the fight over the people’s vote within Labour could have turned out differently. If the leadership had succumbed, Labour MP’s in Leave constituencies might have done something different. October will be a month of high drama: both the Brexit deadline and the party conferences. - Also the three options will look more like two: everyone has to take no deal seriously at that point. - Could there be a general election in the autumn?If Labour doesn’t want to define itself according to Brexit, is there a plausible case for the Lib Dems to become the opposition? - A revival of the Lib Dems hurts the Conservatives much more than Labour. - Both main parties have a clear interest in having both Remain and Leave voters in their party. The problem is it means that neither of them can deliver Brexit.The long premierships of Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair are historical exceptions. - A lot of what’s going on is the absence of a parliamentary majority: that’s the norm in British politics. - But on the Conservative side, it’s also about the particular way they elect a leader. - In parliamentary politics there’s a pressure towards a soft Brexit, but the Conservative leadership is in the hands of the members. We don’t know that much about them, but everyone seems to think that the membership is very Brexity. That sets up the instability. - There are also substantive issues that have historically driven instability in UK politics: difficult questions about the UK’s relationship with the rest of the world, and difficult questions about the UK as a multi-national state.Did Australia just have a Brexit moment? Or is this something more familiar? - There are parallels to the Major/Kinnock election in 1992. - But there’s also the risk that the takeaway will be that going big on climate change is not a great strategy.Mentioned in this Episode: - Paul Mason in The New StatesmanFurther Learning: - The End of the Party? - More on Corbyn and Labour’s strategy - On climate change and the Australian election - Socialism in this Country? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Death of the Republic

Thu, 16 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to historian Tom Holland about the fall of the Roman Republic and the parallels with today. Why does Roman history still exert such a strong pull over our imaginations? Are politicians like Trump and Berlusconi recognisable types from the ancient past? And is contemporary democracy vulnerable to the same forces that brought down the Roman Republic? Plus, we discuss Putin's claim that Russia is now the Third Rome. What is he getting at? With Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Adam Tooze on US vs China

Sun, 12 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

An extra episode with Adam Tooze to catch up on the latest in the US/China trade wars. What's really at stake and what does Trump want? Is this about economics or security? What does it say about the future of capitalism? And where does Joe Biden fit in? With Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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President Bernie?

Thu, 09 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk about socialism in America: where it comes from, what it means, why it's so associated with Bernie Sanders and whether it can actually reach the White House. What's the difference between democratic socialism and social democracy? How would the workers gain control of businesses like Facebook and Amazon? Who are the workers these days anyway? Plus, we ask what a Sanders vs Trump contest would actually be like. With Adom Getachew, from the University of Chicago, and Gary Gerstle.Talking Points:In the U.S. context, is there a meaningful difference between democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders and social democrats like Elizabeth Warren? - Warren is more focused on politics: reforming the Senate, imposing taxes on corporations, etc. - Sanders sees socialism as a revolution, but his actual aims are fairly modest: strengthen labor, etc. - Warren wants to break up Amazon; Sanders wants to empower the workers to take on Amazon themselves. - One key difference is that Sanders comes out of a grass-roots, movement-type politics. Warren does not, and she’s explicitly denied a commitment to socialism.Can you have socialism without a labor movement? What takes its place? - In 1935, 35% of American workers belonged to a union. Today it’s only 11%. - There have been a number of strikes during the Trump presidency, such as the teachers strike. - We need to reimagine who the working class. It’s not the industrial working class anymore. It’s the service sector, and these are historically unorganized labor forces. - Today it’s the precariat, not the proletariat. - How does a labor movement speak to a radically altered working population?For many young people, the Occupy movement was a moment of political awakening. - The establishment seemed unable to deal with the crisis, and this opened up a new sense of political possibility. - For many young Americans, who have grown up in the absence of a real Left, Sanders represents an authentic commitment to a different kind of politics. - There may be some problems for Sanders. For example, his reluctance to support reparations opened him up to criticism about a blindness to racial justice. - A socialist in the U.S. has never become a major party nominee. The historical role of socialism in the U.S. has been disruptive, pressuring centrist candidates to move left. Can Sanders break that mold? - The American political project is designed to be slow. To have big change, you need a mass movement outside of politics too.Mentioned in this Episode: - Adom’s new book, Worldmaking after Empire - Isaac Chotiner interviews the editor of the Jacobin on American socialismFurther Learning: - Alissa Quart on the “precariat” - More on the history of American socialism - The Talking Politics Guide to… the U.S. Constitution - Green New Deal?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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A Mockery of Democracy?

Thu, 02 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Are the UK's looming European elections making a mockery of democracy, or is this how democracy is meant to work? Would cancelling them at the last minute make the situation worse? We talk about trust in politics, the threat to the two main parties, and the knock-on effects for the rest of Europe. Plus we discuss what can meaningfully happen before the end of October, and whether the events of the last few weeks have done permanent damage to the Tory brand. With Helen Thompson, Catherine Barnard and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points:Local elections and the European parliamentary elections are the closest that UK voters have been to getting a say on what’s going on—even if they may not actually have any consequences. - Are they good or bad for democracy? - People’s faith in democracy overall is declining.Because of Brexit, and the upcoming elections, the fracturing in British party politics is greater than ever before—what does this mean for British politics? - We overestimate how often we’ve had a two-party system. It’s actually rare (1832-1870 and 1945-1970) - You need a stable UK to have two party dynamics. - Brexit has shaken up the parties in fundamental ways. - Whether or not Britain leaves the EU, the next Conservative leader will likely be a leaver.With this Parliament, if it does come down to no deal or revoke article 50, what will it do? - This partially depends on the EU’s position. - There is still the problem of sequencing when it comes to leaving the EU. - The UK has become a geopolitical issue for the EU in a way that it wasn’t before. This is why Merkel and Macron are fighting.Mentioned in this Episode: - Sir John Holmes’ statement on uncertainty around European elections - The Pew polling on people’s faith in democracyFurther Learning: - On the 2019 European electionsAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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David King on Climate Repair

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:23:25 GMT

An extra episode in our climate season: we talk to Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the British government, about what's now known about the scale of the threat and the urgency of the need for action. What has happened since the Paris agreement? What is the Chinese government most afraid of? What is the meaning of Extinction Rebellion? And is it time to start talking about refreezing the poles to repair the damage already done? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Paul Mason on the Human Future

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to Paul Mason about his new book Clear Bright Future - a radical defence of the human being in the age of digital transformation and a call to political action. The book covers a lot of ground and so do we: Trump and Nietzsche, machine learning and network effects, climate change and neoliberalism, secular humanism and Christian Enlightenment. But no Brexit! A conversation about the biggest political choices we face and the deep philosophical questions that lie behind them. With Helen Thompson.Talking Points:How do we demystify technology? - In his first book on mechanics, Galileo described machines as things that harness the forces of nature. - Likewise, Adam Smith emphasized that labour produces value, not machines. - Modern science often likens reality to a computer; but we’ve created them, not the other way around.AI has the potential to fundamentally transform industrial societies. - Civil society needs to have a say in how this technology evolves. - How do we introduce ethical questions earlier in the process, instead of building first and asking questions later?Information has never been more abundant, yet we feel relatively helpless because we have so little control over network effects and the information environment. - Information wants to be free, but everywhere it is in chains. - Information technology has not created the fourth industrial revolution; it has created social relations of production that are designed to suppress the fourth industrial revolution.Is there still space in our political discourse for difficult choices? Are we willing to lose things we value if we want things to be better? - Paul thinks that civil society needs to refocus on moral philosophy. - Paul takes Nietzsche to task and argues that there is a biological basis for universal human rights.Paul is critical of the effect of neoliberal practice on the human self. - He argues that in America, the problem, as Arendt put it, is an alliance of the elite and the mob over “access to history.” - The thing to fight for is not just the truth but the possibility of truth.According to Paul, the left needs to harness the power of the state. - He calls himself a “radical social democrat.” - He thinks that the left’s failure to project a holistic answer and theory of reality has left the right possessing all of the momentum.Mentioned in this Episode: - Paul’s new book, coming out in May 2019 - Red Star by Alexander Bogdanov - TP with Yuval Noah HarariFurther Learning: - David’s review of Paul’s earlier book, PostCapitalism - Green New Deal? - Google, Deepmind, and ethical dilemmas - The Talking Politics Guide to… Machine LearningAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Copernican Principle

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David gives the third in his series of talks about the future of democracy. This one uses an idea from cosmology to work out where we might be in the story of democracy: are we at the beginning, in the middle or near the end? It all depends when and where we think the story starts. From Stonehenge to Les Miserables, from ancient Athens to Facebook, a simple idea turns out to have some surprising applications, and some important lessons for contemporary politics.Talking Points:The Copernican Principle is based on the idea that we are not the center of the universe. - Because we are not inherently special, most of the time, we encounter things without a natural life expectancy somewhere in the random middle. - If something has been going on for years, it will likely keep going for years. If something has been going on for weeks, it will likely keep going for weeks.What does this mean for democracy? It depends on which story you think we’re in. - The long story is about 2,500 years old, going back to the principles articulated in ancient Athens. This is the idea that humans are equal in political terms and no one is uniquely capable of rule. - The middle story is about 250 years old. This is the story of representative democracy. Democracies exist to protect against misrule and are based on a division of labor between professional politicians and everyone else. - The short story is at most 100 years old (and in many places, shorter). This is the story of mass enfranchisement, mass communications, and administrative democracy.It’s unlikely that all of these stories will end at the same time, but it also seems fairly likely that there are people alive now who will see at least the short story end. - In Eastern Europe, the short story is only 30 years old. - The second story is also under pressure. People are getting tired of the safeguards, and the division of labor appears increasingly unsustainable. - The old story, however, still stands. These may be the ideals that are better suited to tackle the current challenges.David on Democracy: - Democracy for Young People - How Democracy EndsFurther Learning: - Martin Rees and the Talking Politics guide to … Existential Risk - The Talking Politics Guide to … Deliberative Democracy - TP talks to David Wallace Wells about The Uninhabitable Earth For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Brexit Lessons

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 22:43:37 GMT

We try to draw some wider lessons from the nightmare that the Brexit process has now become. What have we learned about the relationship between parliament and the executive? Is there any way that the Article 50 process could have worked? And what conclusions will other countries reach about how hard it is to leave the EU? Plus we talk about the recent report from the Hansard Society indicating that the British public is more open than ever to the idea of a 'strong leader'. With Helen Thompson and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points:The Cooper Act has been rushed through both houses—but has it really changed anything? - Very little in this act actually constrains the government. - No deal isn’t off the table. - Even if it didn’t change much in substantive terms, in constitutional terms, Parliament may have set something in motion.The relationship between the executive and the legislature is under fire in a lot of places. - Executive power tends to be more unrestrained on the international stage. - Treaties take important issues out of the realm of national politics. Legislatures only get to say yes or no. - The EU raises a lot of these issues because it is a treaty-based union.By all objective measures the May government should be on its last legs right now. - But the Fixed-term Parliaments Act means there’s no real mechanism for getting rid of the government. - Could the May government just stagger on? - A lot of MP’s don’t want a general election. - Even if the Labour leadership does, the parliamentary Labour party doesn’t. - At every turn, Parliament seems to be trying to escape responsibility for its own actions.What is the lesson others should take from all of this? - Is the problem Ireland? - Or is the problem the UK parliamentary system, and coalition governance? - ... Or is it just really hard to leave the EU?A new report from the Hansard Society shows that a lot of people in Britain seem to have a taste for authoritarianism. - What people really want is a politician who can cut through politics. - There may be a substitution effect between process and personality. When process breaks down, people want a charismatic leader.Mentioned in this Episode: - About that Hansard Society report - The FT on Macron’s De Gaulle MomentFurther Learning: - Kenneth’s Brexit Time blog - May rolls the dice - On the Fixed-term Parliaments Act For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump After Mueller

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 06:13:13 GMT

We catch up with Gary Gerstle in the US to assess where the Trump presidency stands after the Mueller report appeared to give him a pass. Are there more revelations to come once the full report is available? Can Trump take advantage of his good fortune? And who in the crowded Democratic field currently looks best placed to beat him in 2020? With Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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May Rolls the Dice

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

David and Helen talk through the latest twist in the Brexit tale: Theresa May's offer to work with Labour to get some version of Brexit over the line. Can the two parties ever agree on what that version is? Could any agreement be made to stick? And if they can't agree, what happens next? Plus we talk about whether May's offer to stand down is still in effect and we ask what all this might mean for the ERG, the DUP, the SNP and the EU.Talking Points: On Tuesday night, Theresa May changed strategies: instead of courting Brexiteers and the DUP to get her withdrawal agreement through, she’s seeking Labour Party support. - But she can’t form an understanding with Corbyn about the future while also promising to step down as PM if the withdrawal agreement is passed. - Labour fears run deep: Since the late 80s, parts of the party have seen the EU as a constraint on the ultra-right wing side of the Conservative Party.There are only two ways the Parliament can stop no deal: pass the withdrawal agreement or revoke Article 50. - The EU could still refuse another extension. - Whatever the calculations Macron or Merkel might make, the European Parliament elections are a short-term contingency, and Brexit has the potential to cause chaos. - The EU keep saying that they want clarity about what the UK is going to do—but British domestic politics cannot provide that right now.The only way an agreement with Labour will work is if they believe that May’s government will continue through the end of the year. Is that possible? - What about the Labour leadership? When Corbyn seems to move toward accepting Brexit, he gets pulled back. - In the last general election, the most irreconcilable remainers voted for a Labour party that was committed to voting to leave the EU instead of the party that represented their views (the Lib Dems). A lot of difficulties followed from this.What about the DUP? - They’re more worried about betrayal at the hands of the Conservatives than a Corbyn government. - Arlene Foster has admitted that the Union comes before Brexit. - There is no constitutional or institutional channel for English nationalism. - If Brexit is thwarted because of Northern Ireland, there will probably be some kind of backlash.The basic fact of British political life is that there is no transmission mechanism from the legislative to the executive of an expression of will. - Parliament wants to say they have no confidence in the government to conduct these negotiations, but they aren’t willing to bring the government down. - Could the constitution assert itself? Could the government fall? - The easiest way out might be if the EU denies an extension, leading to a binary choice between the withdrawal agreement and no deal.Mentioned in this Episode: - Richard Drax’s statement on the withdrawal agreement - On EU pessimism and transmission mechanismsFurther Learning: - Adam Tooze on Europe - The last time we talked Brexit - ...and the time before thatAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Moment of Truth?

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 01:00:00 GMT

As parliament finally gets the chance to indicate its Brexit preferences - if it has any - we discuss the real choices now facing MPs and government. What is the sequence of events that would actually prevent a no-deal Brexit? Can the Withdrawal Agreement be separated from the Political Declaration? And if it can, will MPs eventually have to vote for it? Plus we ask how long we can avoid another general election and we discuss whether Theresa May's survival to this point tells us more about her resilience or about the dysfunctionality of British politics. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton, and Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU Law.Talking Points:What is the relationship between the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration? - The political declaration is about the future; the withdrawal agreement is about wrapping up the past. - Article 50, which is the basis for the withdrawal agreement, does not allow discussions about the future. - Anything about the future is done under separate legal provisions.The only feasible options now are no deal, May’s deal, or revoke article 50. - Are we underrating the possibility of no deal? How does parliament prevent it if it can’t do anything else. - Both sides seem to be sticking to the same strategy, which is to put their party first. - The only thing parliament can do unilaterally is revoke Article 50—everything else depends on the EU. This is the nuclear option.There are divisions within the EU over Brexit: Merkel doesn’t want a disruptive Brexit; Macron doesn’t want Britain in the EU. - A disorderly Brexit poses economic risks for Europe. - It’s hard to predict what the EU would do about another request for an extension.Any form of compromise doesn’t work: it’s either too little for remainers or too much for leavers. - The middle ground, which may be economically sensible, doesn’t work politically.Have we learned something about the office of the prime minister in all of this? - It’s really hard to throw people out of office. - Becoming prime minister now—the risk is enormous that your legacy would almost immediately be one of dramatic failure. - If the withdrawal agreement passes, people will want the job. But now? - The underestimated explanation of Theresa May’s resilience is the fixed-term parliament act. This is a fundamentally different constitutional arrangement.Mentioned in this Episode: - Catherine Barnard on “Question Time”Further Learning: - The Fate of Theresa May - Adam Tooze on Europe - More on the Fixed-term Parliaments Act - Catherine Barnard’s podcastAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Uninhabitable Earth

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to David Wallace-Wells about his bestselling - and terrifying - new book on the coming hellscape of climate change. When will it arrive? When will we face up to it? And what can we do about it now? 'We don't have time for a revolution.'https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Italy vs France vs Brexit

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We take the wider European view this week, catching up with the latest developments in Italy and France. A year on from the Italian elections, who is up and who is down in the coalition between the League and Five Star? What is China up to in Italy? Has Macron really got his mojo back? Plus we ask the big question: between chaos at Westminster, riots in Paris and rabble-rousing in Rome, whose democracy is in the biggest trouble? With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points:What’s going on in Italian politics? - In regional elections, the Five Star’s votes collapsed. - The PD, the centre-left party, now has a new leader, but at the time of the regional elections it was in transition and still beat Five Star. - The League has doubled its share of votes to 33-34%. - The new leader of the PD got elected on a platform that would bring the party further to the left. But the Renzi faction is still quite powerful.What about France? - There is something taking place in France that the national conversations don’t seem to have addressed. - France has been through a lot of turmoil during the Macron presidency. Yet the polling is remarkably unchanged. It’s a very divided electorate, but it’s divided in basically the same ways as it was a few years ago. - The gilets jaunes protest is targeted at Macron and the emblems of the state. Stepping back: In Italy, the anti-establishment parties are in power; in France, the centrist government is now facing radical street protests; and in Britain, you have Brexit. Which of these is the dominant crisis for this period in European politics? - Brexit is a peculiarly institutional crisis. It’s not that it isn’t important, but in France, there is a more self-evidently class-war element. - The Italian case is substantially different than both: it’s not an institutional crisis, at least for now. And unlike France, there isn’t opposition to what the government is doing—in fact, there’s a lot of support. - In Italy, the main divide isn’t education or age, but region: it’s North vs. South.Mentioned in this Episode: - Adam Tooze on Europe - Roberto Saviano on ItalyFurther Learning: - Italy vs. Europe - On the PD’s new leader - What is China up to in Southern Europe?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Can This Go On?

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:57:57 GMT

At the start of another momentous week, David catches up with Helen to explore some of the long term implications of the Brexit crisis. Is lasting damage being done to constitutional government in the UK? Can the Brexiteers still have their cake and eat it? And is the story of Theresa May ultimately a tragic one? You can also hear Helen and David this week on the 538 politics podcast https://53eig.ht/2FaPkJz*Recorded Monday the 18th March, before John Bercow's ruling on the 3rd meaningful vote* For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Impasse

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 23:11:04 GMT

We try to cut through the Brexit fog and see what's really out there, from new deals to no deal. Plus we ask some bigger questions: What is the true role of lawyers in politics? Does the EU want regime change? And how will future historians explain this extraordinary period? With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points:The concessions Theresa May secured made some difference, but if the fear on the Conservative side was about remaining “trapped,” the ways out remain limited. - There’s no exit unless the EU acts in “bad faith.” - The good things that came out of this were attempts to provide a path forward that would make sure the backstop is never triggered. - But the problem remains: ‘What happens if you wind up in the backstop?’ - Finding a way to unilaterally leave the backstop was probably an impossible task. - There’s a major expectation management problem here.If this were a free, anonymous vote, the deal would probably pass. But MP’s, particularly Labour MP’s aren’t going to expend political capital on a deal that won’t pass. - There has to be a tippling point. The Cox letter killed the chances of that happening. - Plus, no one believed that this was the last chance, in part because Juncker said there could be an extension.Politics and law keep clashing into each other. - What should the role of the attorney general be? - Cox was both the negotiator and the person who had to turn around and say that that this was undoable. - He once said that he cares more about his reputation as a barrister than as a politician.No deal remains the default, and also the thing that Parliament will not accept. - The ERG thinks this deal is worse than staying in the EU. - If no deal looms into view, the government will fall. - Is the EU line hardening about the terms of an extension?In 20-30 years time, will we understand what’s happening now? - Chris thinks that this shows that the British political system lacked the capacity to deliver on the referendum. - Helen thinks how we frame this moment will depend on two things: what happens to the EU and what happens to the UK as a multinational state. - It’s about structural forces, but it’s also about contingencies.Mentioned in this Episode: - Kenneth’s blog on legal clarifications - Geoffrey Cox’s letter - That Cox quoteFurther Learning: - The last time we talked about Brexit - Helen on the EU - The Fate of Theresa MayAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Party Splits

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We discuss the challenge posed by the Independent Group and by Tom Watson inside Labour to conventional two party-politics in Britain. Can the system hold together? If not, what might replace it? And where are the new ideas going to come from? Plus we talk about what the ERG wants on the Tory side: is it simply Boris? With Helen Thompson and Mike Kenny.Talking Points:The Independent Group is inching toward becoming a party. What will their platform be? - The only thing they seem to have in common is wanting a second referendum. - They’re pitching themselves as something new, but these are all career politicians. - They have to show that they can win votes. But where? How did we get here? Two major drivers: - The Second Referendum issue—especially after what happened with the Cooper and Brady Amendments. - The Labour antisemitism issue—especially around Luciana Berger - It’s not surprising that there are major tensions in the party system at the moment that Britain is leaving the EU, but it’s also happening at the same time as a crisis in the Labour Party. What is Tom Watson up to? - Watson thinks there needs to be space for the social democratic tradition within the Labour Party. - This marks the end of accomodation with Corbyn and may be a bigger threat than the Independent Group. - The real point of departure between Watson and Corbyn is foreign policy. - The social democratic brand is in trouble around the world. - But the countries where the centre left has done poorly in Europe are eurozone countries. The centre left in Britain moved to the left in response to 2008. It might be hard for Watson to distinguish himself from Corbyn on the economic front.Mentioned in this Episode: - The Independent Group’s Statement of Independence - Luciana Berger on antisemitism in the Labour PartyFurther Learning: - Labour’s Fault Lines - Socialism in this Country? - Chris on the decline of the social democrats - Big moments in the history of the Labour PartyAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Endgame?

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 23:34:43 GMT

We weigh up where we've reached with Brexit, now that the big choices can't be avoided for much longer. Is a second referendum any more likely than it was a week ago? What terms will the EU demand for an extension of article 50? And can May finally prevail? With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. Talking Points: - Are we finally approaching the endgame on Brexit? The sequence became more clear this week: 1) a vote on May’s deal; 2) A vote on no deal; 3) A vote for an extension - The case for an extension remains unclear: the EU states will want something concrete. - Kenneth Armstrong thinks that the key question around an extension is whether it would last 3 months or 2 years. What the extension would mean is also an open question. - What would happen if May’s deal went down? Neither side has an alternative. - David thinks that there are only two possible outcomes at this point: May’s deal or a general election - Although Helen argues that this logic leaves the EU out of the equation. - Even the Financial Times is talking about a second referendum, but how would you actually get the legislation through Parliament? - Chris says that Corbyn’s strategy seems to be to edge Brexit over the line while distancing Labour and himself from it. - The withdrawal and the political agreement still contain a lot of possibilities for a harder or softer Brexit. Mentioned in this Episode: - Kenneth Armstrong on the Cooper-Letwin Article 50 extension proposalFurther Learning: - The last time we talked about Brexit… - The Fate of Theresa May - Who is Jeremy Corbyn? - The Next Referendum?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Best Political Novels

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

A break from Brexit this week: we talk to the novelist Richard T. Kelly, author of Crusaders and The Knives, about what makes great political fiction. We discuss the research needed to make a political novel authentic, how to get inside the head of a politician and we ask whether May or Trump would make good fictional heroes. Plus we pick some of our favourite political novels, with literary critic Kasia Boddy. Don't worry: more Brexit soon!Talking Points:How does a novelist know what it’s like to be a Conservative Home Secretary? - It’s about research and empathy. - Novelists should understand and contain forces of both revolution and counter-revolution within themself.The best political novels often extend forward into dystopia but also backward into history to explain how you got to that outcome. - Writing the present is extremely difficult. - Political novels need human drama and conflict. - The human elements allow you to get beyond Washington or Westminster. - The challenge is to capture both powerful and ordinary people with equal verisimilitude. - Politics today are increasingly schematic, which presents problems for the novelist.At their core, political novels are political because they deal with question of the legitimate and illegitimate use of force. - Controlling the killing machines is what makes a politician’s job different. What does it mean to live with the consequences of that kind of power?Books come and go because of things that happen in the world. - U.S. publishers are currently reprinting a lot of old dystopias—but not many new novels. - Fiction sales are down. People are too engrossed in the daily news cycle.The Panel’s Favourite Political Novels: - All the King’s Men, Robert Penn Warren - The Book of Daniel, E.L. Doctorow - American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld - The Palliser Novels, Anthony TrollopeAlso on the TP Bookshelf: - The Knives, Richard T. Kelly - Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Charles Moore - The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst - The Information, Martin Amis - La Comédie Humaine, Honoré de Balzac - Harlot’s Ghost, Norman Mailer - The Great Melody, Conor Cruise O’Brien - Crusaders, Richard T. Kelly - The Ghost, Robert Harris - The U.S.A. Trilogy, John Dos Passos - Middle England, Jonathan Coe - “Tell the truth but tell it slant—,” Emily Dickinson - The Secret Agent, Joseph Conrad - Demons (or The Devils), Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Plot Against America, Philip Roth - Gilead, Marilynne Robinson - Corridors of Power, C.P. Snow - It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis - The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. DickAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Green New Deal?

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

This week we talk about another side of capitalism: the innovation economy. Can capitalism deal with climate change? How much depends on the role of the state? And who will pay? We compare the Green New Deal to FDR's original version: does history show us how to get this done? With Bill Janeway, author of Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy, Diane Coyle and Helen Thompson. Plus: David and Helen catch up with the latest comings and goings in British politics: are the two main parties starting to break apart? More - much more - next week.Talking Points:The basic idea behind the Green New Deal is that an innovation economy faced with an existential crisis will need massive state investment. Is it being pitched right? - Putting climate change on the agenda is an important first step. - How do you make this a legitimate political mission? The language of war has been debased; you can’t use that. - We don’t have the technologies needed to allow 50% or more of the grid anywhere in the world to be supplied by intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind. The mission needs to allow the state the latitude to experiment and build this technological base.The state has longer time horizons and has to be a part of fundamental investments in technology. - The time horizons for venture capitalism aren’t appropriate for tackling climate change. - The idea of industrial strategy/industrial policy is coming back. - State coordination is also necessary to set technical standards and figure out how infrastructure will be funded.Eventually, the productivity benefits of technical changes comes through, but it can take decades. Are we on the cusp of that with digital technology? - It’s not just about using a new technology to do what you’re already doing, but using the new technology to change what you’re doing. - This requires infrastructure investments and corporate reorganization. - It can take a long time to see the full benefits because it’s not just about technical change, it’s also about social change.These are all international issues, but the frameworks are still domestic. - To what extent will politics constrain progress? - Technological innovation has been heavily politicized: there is no way to do this kind of innovation on a global scale that would escape geopolitics.What about the independent group? - When it was just the Labour MPs, it was more a critique of Corbyn’s leadership. - With the defection of 3 conservative MPs, it looks more like an anti-Brexit formation. - It may be more difficult for Labour MPs to defect now. - But these groupings don’t change the parliamentary arithmetic.Mentioned in this Episode: - Bill Janeway’s book, Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy - Diane Coyle’s blog, The Enlightened Economist - Simon Wren-Lewis on funding the new deal for The New Statesman - The Solow productivity paradoxAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Nightmare of Surveillance Capitalism

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We talk to Shoshana Zuboff about The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, her game-changing account of what's gone wrong with the world of big tech and how to fix it. What is surveillance power and why is it destroying the things we value? How have we allowed this to happen? Where will the resistance come from? Plus we ask whether the real problem here is technology or capitalism itself. With John Naughton.Talking Points: In her new book Zuboff writes, “"surveillance capitalists know too much to qualify for freedom.” - What is the relationship between knowledge, freedom, and capitalism? - The neoliberal argument is that markets must be free because they are so complex that they are ineffable. No one knew anything, so everyone must be free. - Today, the major tech companies are claiming the same thing. But in fact, these same arguments are the opposite of what Hayek and Smith intended because surveillance capitalists make it their business—literally—to know everything. - Surveillance capitalism is a radical asymmetry of knowledge, and this knowledge creates a new and unique form of power.Surveillance capitalists have succeeded in part because of an ideology of inevitablism. Blame the networks, this is just how they are. - This is insidious because it threatens free will and human autonomy. - Democratic society is impossible without the notion that individuals have the capacity to choose their actions and shape the future.What can be done? - Lifting the veil: naming what’s going on allows us to deem it intolerable. We need a sea change in public opinion. - Building better systems: people do not want to be trapped in the current environment. There is space for someone to forge an alternative path to the digital future. - Collective Action: Power is not just exerted in the economic domain—it’s everywhere all the time. How do we come together to tame this kind of capitalism?Will this be enough? The excesses of raw capitalism during the Gilded Age were tempered by the World Wars. The historical conditions today are different. Democracy was in trouble before Facebook. - Thomas Paine says that every generation needs to fight for democratic values. These principles are never won for all time.In surveillance capitalism, we are not the customers or the employees. This is rogue capitalism that is cut loose from society. - Are predictions of human behavior legitimate products that should be sold in the marketplace? Should we have markets that trade in human futures? - Information technology always produces more information. Who gets to know, who decides who knows, and who decides who decides who knows? The Chinese state sees in surveillance capitalism the means to its own political ends. - The conflation of authoritarian power and instrumentarian power is the ultimate nightmare—and this is a realistic prospect for the future of humanity. - A happy ending is not inevitable, nor is it impossible.Mentioned in this episode: - Shoshana Zuboff’s new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Eric Schmidt in 2009 on privacy - Democracy Hacked: David talks to Alan Rusbridger and Martin Moore about fake news, democracy, and the changing information environment - Toronto, Google, and resistance to the “smart city”Further Learning: - John on Shoshana’s book for The Observer - The Talking Politics guide to… Machine Learning with Jennifer Cobbe - The Talking Politics guide to… Facebook with John NaughtonAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Wall

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

This week David talks to John Lanchester about his new novel depicting Britain after a climate catastrophe and encircled by a vast wall that must be defended at all costs. Where does this nightmarish vision come from? How closely does it track what we know about climate change? And what does it tell us about our political choices now and in the future? Plus we discuss the relationship between climate and capitalism. https://amzn.to/2Sx7PAD For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Back to Brussels

Sun, 03 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

An extra episode as David and Helen try to work out where we've got to with Brexit after this week's votes in the Commons. Can Tory unity hold? Can EU unity hold? Something's got to give - but what? And when?Talking Points:Is there a contradiction in offering to renegotiate the backstop? - If a no deal means a hard border and economic chaos, then maybe there is a good argument for reopening the backstop? - If you’re sitting in Dublin right now, you might be nervous because the chance that Britain leaves without a deal seems higher than it was. - Would the other EU states abandon Ireland? The big loser of the week was the second referendum. There does not seem to be stomach in parliament for stopping Brexit. - The massive tactical problem that May now faces is that Feb. 14 is way too soon - An extension of Article 50? For what purpose? 60% of the UK electorate sees extending Article 50 as stopping Brexit. - Does this mean that events are leading toward either a deal or no deal Brexit? - A general election seems like the logical way out. - But both Labour and the Tories would have a lot of problems in a general election.There could be some common group between the ERG position and the EU position if all parties could be 100% confident that the backstop would not materialize. - But it is also possible that we are totally trapped.Mentioned in this Episode: - New numbers on the EU economyFurther Learning: - The FT on Germany’s current position - Our recap of Theresa May’s crushing Commons defeat - Can May get her deal over the line?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Problem with Political Leaders

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 01:00:00 GMT

This week marks the 100th anniversary of one of the most influential lectures ever given on politics: Max Weber's 'Politics as a Vocation', first delivered in Munich on 28 January 1919. David and Helen talk with Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's former chief of staff, about some of its lessons for the age of Brexit. Where have all the good leaders gone? Is the party system to blame? Are we suffering from an excess of conviction or a lack of conviction? And who will be responsible if we see a return to violence? Recorded before a live audience at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.Talking Points:The British two-party system, which Weber admired, was intended to organize political divisions; however the plebiscitary politics of the Brexit referendum introduced another set of divisions. - Divisions over Brexit cut across the parties. - This demonstrates the danger of mixing different types of politics. Another problem is that the UK is a multinational state.Is the current failure of leadership about the leaders we have chosen or the dilemmas they face? - Right now, there doesn’t seem to be an opposition that is ready to take over. Does this suggest the need for a new party, or parties? - In many ways, Tony Blair represented Weber’s ideal of charismatic leadership. But he also discredited that model for many people. - Regardless of what you think of May or Corbyn, it’s clear that neither of them is in it for the money. - May and Corbyn are a generational step back; right now, there aren’t any new leaders emerging.When Weber wrote his lecture, the stakes of politics were remarkably high—there was a real risk of civil war. - In a world in which large-scale violence is unlikely, is charismatic leadership still the answer?Mentioned in this episode: - Max Weber, “Politics as a Vocation” - Jonathan Powell’s essay in the New Statesman, “The Rise and Fall of Britain’s Political Class”Further Learning: - Jonathan Powell on the backstop - David on how divisions between the old and the young are threatening democracy. - The Talking Politics guide to… the 1970s, in which Helen explains the turbulent decade - Who is Jeremy Corbyn? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump and the Shutdown

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 01:00:00 GMT

With the US government still shut, we compare this standoff to shutdowns of the past and try to work out what happens next. What is Trump's game? Can the two parties hold together? And why aren't the workers taking to the streets? Plus we weigh up where things stand with the Mueller investigation, the race for the Democratic nomination and Trump's shifting policy on Syria. It's all connected! With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Adam Tooze on Europe

Sun, 20 Jan 2019 01:00:00 GMT

A special extra episode for this week with Adam Tooze, author of Crashed and one of our most popular previous guests. He takes us through the wider political and economic context for Britain's Brexit crisis, from Italy to France to Germany, and beyond to China and the US. Plus he explains why Brexit is one of the great calamities of his lifetime. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What Now?

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 23:24:58 GMT

After the crushing defeat for Theresa May's deal in the Commons, we try to work out where we go from here. How and when can Article 50 be extended? What would it mean for parliament to take control of the process? Do we need another general election? Can this government survive? It's all connected and we search for the path through the maze. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Kenneth Armstrong. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Existential Risk

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Martin Rees about how we should evaluate the greatest threats facing the human species in the twenty-first century. Does the biggest danger come from bio-terror or bio-error, climate change, nuclear war or AI? And what prospects does space travel provide for a post-human future?Talking Points:Existential risk is risk that cascades globally and is a severe setback to civilization. We are now so interconnected and so empowered as a species that humans could be responsible for this kind of destruction. - There are natural existential risks too, such as asteroids. But what is concerning about the present moment is that humans have the ability to affect the entire biosphere. - This is a story about technology, but it’s also about global population growth and the depletion of resources.There are four categories of existential risk: climate change, bioterror/bioerror, nuclear weapons, and AI/new technology. - Climate Change has a long tail, meaning that the risk of total catastrophe is non-negligible. - Bioterror/bio-error is becoming more of a risk as technology advances. It’s hard to predict the consequences of the misuse of biotech. Our social order is more vulnerable than it used to be. Overwhelmed hospitals could lead to a societal breakdown. - Machine learning has not yet reached the level of existential risk. Real stupidity, not artificial intelligence, will remain our chief concern in the coming decades. Still, AI could make certain kinds of cyber-attacks much worse. - The nuclear risk has changed since the Cold War. Today there is a greater risk that some nukes go off in a particular region, although global catastrophe is less likely.These threats are human-made. Solving them is also our responsibility. - We can’t all move to Mars. Earth problems have to be dealt with here. - There are downsides to tech, but we will also need it. Martin describes himself as a technical optimist, but a political pessimist.Mentioned in this episode: - Martin Weitzman on long tail risks and climate change - The Stern Review on climate change, 10 years on - A review of Jared Diamond’s Collapse. Further Learning: - Martin’s new book, On the Future: Prospects for Humanity - The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge - The Talking Politics Guide to Nuclear Weapons - Who wants to colonize Mars? And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Bretton Woods

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Helen Thompson about the economic order that was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. What was agreed at Bretton Woods, how did it work, why did it eventually fail, and can any of it be revived?Talking Points:The Bretton Woods system: - Established a system of fixed exchange rates with the U.S. dollar as the international reserve currency (other currencies were pegged to the dollar, and the dollar was pegged to gold) - Created the IMF and the World Bank - Established capital controlsOn the surface, Bretton Woods is a success story. - The following three decades were a period of economic growth and relative stability. - But there are other parts of that story too, such as low oil prices. - The system had to be patched up many times from 1961 onward, in part because of the misaligned role of dollars and gold. - Bretton Woods also created a problem for U.S. presidents who had to balance domestic and international pressures on the dollar. The election of Richard Nixon in 1968 marked the beginning of the end for Bretton Woods. - Nixon didn’t like Bretton Woods because it imposed domestic constraints that were at odds with his protectionist message. - In 1971, Nixon ended dollar/gold convertibility. By 1973, it was clear that there was no longer the will to sustain Bretton Woods.The Bretton woods system was a function of American power—there’s no going back now. - A system like Bretton Woods needs an anchoring power. - China doesn’t have a currency that is convertible in the same way and the Chinese are wary of the domestic pitfalls of becoming the international currency.Further Learning: - In the Talking Politics Guide to… the 1970s: Helen discusses the decade in which the Bretton Woods system broke down. - The panel speaks to Oliver Bullough about “Moneyland,” and how a handful of London bankers helped break Bretton Woods. - Why did the architect of Bretton Woods spy for the Soviets? - David and Helen talk to historian Adam Tooze about the global financial crisis.And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talkingSet your alarms… for Thursday when David talks to Martin Rees about how we should evaluate the greatest threats facing the human species in the twenty-first century. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Deliberative Democracy

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 01:00:53 GMT

David talks to Matthew Taylor about whether more deliberation could remedy some of the defects in contemporary democracy. What can deliberative democracy add to traditional forms of political representation and how might it actually work in practice?Talking Points: The key feature of deliberative democracy is the idea that in order to fully tap into citizens’ views of an issue, you need to give them the time, information, and range of opinion to make an informed choice. - The deliberative group should be a mini-public—it’s the same principle as a jury. - Deliberative democracy allows you to see the process as well as the outcome. Many citizens change their minds. - Deliberation can legitimize representative democracy and make it possible for politicians to take difficult decisions. - But there are drawbacks too: it takes a lot of time and it can lead to polarization.Deliberation leads to more long term thinking and creates a sense of shared responsibility between citizens and the government. - Some people are suspicious that deliberative democracy is simply an attempt to get progressive politics in by another route. - So much of contemporary politics is about crowds, charisma, and slogans. Deliberative democracy is slow and informed.There should have been some kind of deliberative process before Brexit. - There was a deliberative process before the Irish referendum, which made something that could have been incredibly divisive into a positive. - But it might be too late for Brexit. Politicizing deliberative democracy could undermine it. - Deliberative democracy needs to be a habit in order to work properly.Deliberative democracy is a form of democracy that is attractive and uplifting. - It could be an antidote to the ugliness of contemporary politics. - Deliberation is a gateway reform: if you make it a habit, you can use deliberative methodologies to explore other kinds of democratic reforms. - The main barrier is ignorance, not hostility. Once people understand what deliberative democracy is, they tend to be interested.Mentioned in this Episode: - Cass Sunstein on polarization and deliberative democracy. - Deliberative democracy in Ulaanbaatar. - How a citizens' assembly broke Ireland’s deadlock on abortion.Further Learning: - David discusses the future of referendums with Gisela Stuart, Jenny Watson, and Alan Renwick. - Matthew gives the RSA Chief Executive’s Lecture on citizens' assemblies.And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talkingSet your alarms… for Sunday, when David talks to Helen about the economic order that was created in the aftermath of the Second World War. What was agreed at Bretton Woods, how did it work, why did it eventually fail, and can any of it be revived? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Human Rights in the Digital Age

Sun, 30 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Ella McPherson about whether digital communication is making it easier or harder to hold human rights abusers to account. What has been the impact of the social media revolution on reporting human rights violations and does anonymity help or hinder the pursuit of justice?Talking Points:Human rights activism is about analyzing information, processing it, and turning it into evidence. - New technologies such as smartphones and messaging services have fundamentally changed the process of information gathering. - Analysis has also changed. For example, Google Earth or new forms of modeling can help activists verify reports. - Technology has also widened the human rights project. Many groups, including Amnesty International, now outsource some forms of analysis to amateurs. This allows them to process far more information and gives concerned citizens a way to get involved.For a few years, the story about technology and human rights was mostly positive, but there are drawbacks too. - Activists had an early adopter advantage (e.g. civilian witness videos), but states are starting to catch up. - Technology makes it easier to organize, but it also makes activists more visible and trackable. - Today, many activists are limiting or opting out of digital communications. - New developments such as “deepfakes” also make it harder to verify information. States can sow doubt by flooding the zone with misinformation. Anonymity in human rights reporting is a mixed bag because it runs against our social understanding of how to produce knowledge. - Anonymously provided information may alert fact finders to a problem, but it will rarely be sufficient. - Knowing where information comes from is important in the verification process. - Unfortunately, this means that vulnerable people are more likely to be silenced.Mentioned in this Episode: - Amnesty International’s digital verification project - And their open-source investigations - The Forensic Architecture agency at Goldsmiths, University of London Further Reading: - “Anatomy of a Killing:” the BBC uses open-source information including Google Earth to identify and verify a horrifying video circulating on social media - What are “deepfakes” and can we still trust what we see? - On blockchain and deepfakes - What happens when war crimes are recorded on social media?Set your alarms… for Thursday, when David talk to Matthew Taylor about whether more deliberation could remedy some of the defects in contemporary democracy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Facebook

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

How did Facebook get to be so powerful and what, if anything, can we do to take some of that power back? David talks to John Naughton about the rise and possible fall of Mark Zuckerberg’s social media monolith. Talking Points:Facebook is a data extraction company claiming to be a social network. - If the service is free, your data is the product. - Advertisers, not users, are Facebook’s real customers. - How do we reconcile this reality with the fact that people value it as a public service?In some parts of the world, Facebook has become the internet. - People who wouldn’t be able to afford data charges can access the internet for free via the Facebook app. - If you are a monopoly platform for information, what kind of responsibility do you have?2018 has been a tough year for Facebook, but is it really vulnerable? - Investigative reporting has revealed the darker side of the social network. - So far, they’ve been pretty inept at handling these scandals. - This is creating a morale problem, which could affect their ability to recruit. - But the company’s services have inserted themselves into people’s daily lives. - We don’t have the right analytical framework for analyzing how Facebook does harm.Facebook has become the corporate extension of Mark Zuckerberg’s personality. - He has absolute control, and this means that his vision dominates. - Zuckerberg appears to believe that the world would be better if everyone were on Facebook. - For Facebook, it’s all about growth. What if they embraced a more self-limiting strategy? - A massive revolt by a significant portion of people might shift the narrative and cause investor panic. - But it’s unlikely that Facebook will be out-competed. The barrier to entry has become too high.Mentioned in this Episode: - Carole Cadwalladr’s groundbreaking reporting on Cambridge Analytica - The New York Times’ investigation into how Facebook handled revelations about Russian interference in the 2016 election - How Facebook enabled a genocide in MyanmarFurther Learning: - From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg, John’s book about the internet. - The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos profiles Mark Zuckerberg. - From our archive... David unpacks the Cambridge Analytica story with John and Jennifer Cobbe. - Shoshana Zuboff’s new book on the age of surveillance capitalism. - The U.S. Senate’s report on disinformation and Russian interference.And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talkingSet your alarms… for Sunday, when David talks to Ella McPherson about whether digital communication is making it easier or harder to hold human rights abusers to account. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Economic Well-being

Sun, 23 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Diane Coyle about how we measure whether the state of the economy is actually doing us any good. Why is it so hard to capture well-being in economic statistics and what impact has the digital revolution had on our quality of life?Talking Points: What does it mean when there is a disconnect between conventional economic measures and life as it is experienced? - Consider the United States: economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment statistics look good, but the social indicators are terrible. Life expectancy is falling due to an epidemic of drug overdoses and suicide. Politics are practically deranged.What are the conventional economic measures missing? - There are lots of things going on that GDP doesn’t pick up, especially in the household. - Technology is rapidly changing work patterns, and data collection hasn’t yet caught up. - Life in cities looks very different than life elsewhere. Due to forces of agglomeration, people in big cities have more access to public services. - We need better data that takes into account factors such as wealth, the state of infrastructure, geographic distribution, and human capital. - Disjunction leads to distrust. Better measurement might help build trust between experts and citizens.The 2008 Crash left deep scars, but the problems we see today go further back than that. - After deindustrialization in the 1980s and 1990s, there was no meaningful policy response to the loss of jobs. - This created a vicious cycle of unemployment, declining schools, and poor health. - With automation on the horizon, we need better policies. - We aren’t asking the right questions around automation: What kind of skills will be needed and can people acquire them? What will the adjustment costs look like?Interconnectivity is a key challenge going forward. - Societies adjust to technological changes all the time, but today, rapid changes are also interacting with trade wars and geopolitical disturbances such as Brexit.Mentioned in this Episode: - The United States is experiencing the longest sustained decline in life expectancy in a century - A brief summary of Thomas Piketty’s Capital - And check out Talking Politics in conversation with Piketty - The Bennett Institute, which is trying to collect better data on some of these issuesFurther Learning: - If you’re interested in reading more of Diane’s work, check out her website. - Diane in the FT on how we can get better at measuring economic realities - And from our archives, Diane talks with David, Chris, and Helen about what’s wrong with GDP - Anand Menon on the Brexit GDP heckler (“That’s your GDP, not mine”) - The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the U.S. opioid epidemicAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talkingSet your alarms… for Thursday, when David talks to John Naughton about the rise and possible fall of Mark Zuckerberg’s social media monolith. How did Facebook get to be so powerful and what, if anything, can we do to take some of that power back? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... the US Constitution

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Gary Gerstle about the history of the United States Constitution and its current role in American political life. Is it still fit for purpose in the twenty-first century and what could be done to change it?“American democracy is stuck, but because of the Constitution it also has a history of getting stuck.”Talking Points:The Constitution not only divided power between the federal government and the states; it also gave each level of governance a different theory of power. - The Constitution strengthened the power of the central state—this was necessary for the fledgling country to take on larger challenges. - But Americans were wary about centralized power. Their solution was the enumeration of powers: the federal government would only have those powers explicitly stated in the Constitution. - Non-enumerated powers remained in the hands of the states, which have, historically, legislated far more intrusively than the federal government.The biggest changes to the Constitution are not through amendments but through interpretation and practice. - Amending the Constitution is extremely difficult. - Commentators often identify the Civil War as a constitutional inflection point. After the war, the Constitution was amended to abolish slavery (13th amendment) and protect the rights of citizens (14th and 15th amendments). - But in the years that followed, the states successfully clawed back many of the powers they had been forced to relinquish. As a result, the force of the civil rights amendments was not felt until the 1960s when the Warren Court effectively imposed the Bill of Rights on the states.The 1960s saw a split between those who believed in originalism versus the living constitution. - The Democrats say that the Constitution only works in a radically changing society if you interpret it liberally, in a living sense, for every generation. - The conservatives say that the Constitution must be interpreted according to what the founding fathers intended. - The root of the conflict between Democrats and Republicans is over the proper use of federal power.Today, federal paralysis means that there is a resurgence of activity on the state level. - With a conservative court, the states could even become the vanguard of the progressive movement. - In the post-Civil War, post-Warren court era, federalism may be able to work in a way that it never could before.Further Learning: - Gary Gerstle’s fascinating book about American governance - Gary and the panel recap the 2018 U.S. midterm elections - How did the U.S. Supreme Court get so polarized? - More on the Warren Court and where it stood on the issuesAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talkingSet your alarm clocks… next week, Diane Coyle talks to David about economic well-being. What do the statistics miss and how has the digital revolution affected our quality of life? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Fate of Theresa May

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

This week David and Helen try to make sense of everything that's going on: not just the Brexit drama, but its links to Macron's fate in France and Merkel's fate in Germany. How will history see this moment? Does Theresa May have any cards left to play? Plus David responds to some of the feedback from last week's episode about votes for children. Recorded on Weds morning before the result of the confidence vote, with a short update. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Democracy For Young People

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 01:00:00 GMT

As a follow-up to last year's How Democracy Ends lecture, David talks about how divisions between young and old are threatening representative democracy. He traces the story from Ancient Greece to Brexit and beyond, and asks how the age divide connects to the education divide in contemporary politics. Plus he offers some radical suggestions for what we might do about it. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Martha Nussbaum

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 01:00:00 GMT

A break from Brexit! This week we talk to one of the world's leading moral philosophers Martha Nussbaum about the really big stuff: anger and disgust, trust and hope, childhood and experience. Can contemporary democracy cope with the growing fears of its citizens? What are we so afraid of? And what does Trump's election tell us about where we should look to rebuild faith in politics? Martha Nussbaum's latest book is The Monarchy of Fear https://bit.ly/2zwpLR9 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Brexit Time

Thu, 22 Nov 2018 01:00:00 GMT

As Theresa May gets closer to putting her Brexit deal before parliament, we discuss the chances of success. Was this really the best deal available? What will MPs be weighing up when they get their chance to vote on it? Have its opponents missed their chance? Plus we try to make sense of the choices facing the DUP and we consider the larger question of what this version of Brexit would mean for the future of the Union. With Kenneth Armstrong, author of Brexit Time, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Italy vs. Europe

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 01:00:00 GMT

We try to make sense of the big story in European politics this week: not Brexit (not yet!) but the high stakes standoff between the Italian government and the EU. Why has the proposed Italian budget produced this showdown? Who is really pulling the strings? And what does it tell us about the current prospects for populism in Europe? Plus we assess the ups and downs of the Macron project and ask what its fate means for the future of France and of the wider European project. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Lucia Rubinelli. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What's happening in Brazil?

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 01:00:00 GMT

We try to make sense of the recent election of far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro as president of Brazil, with the help of three experts in Brazilian politics and society. Who voted for Bolsonaro and why? What role is being played by the army? Can he deliver on his promises? And what does his election tell us about the prospects for democracy in the country and the wider world? With Nadya Araujo Guimarães, Pedro Mendes Loureiro and Graham Denyer Willis. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Midterms special!

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 23:27:53 GMT

In a special episode recorded the morning after the midterms, we try to make sense of the results as they come in. How much trouble can a Democratic House cause for Trump's presidency? What will Republicans do with their new strength in the Senate? And when, if ever, will the South turn blue? Plus we ask what impact the Kavanaugh hearings had on the outcome and whether the Democrats have an economic message for 2020. With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle - in front of a live audience at Trinity College, Cambridge. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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America First?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 01:00:00 GMT

We talk to the historian Sarah Churchwell about the origins of some of the ideas churning up politics in the age of Trump: 'America First', 'Make America Great Again', 'Fake News'. Where do these phrases come from and what do they mean? We try to unpick the racism from the isolationism and the anti-immigrant from the anti-elitist sentiment. Plus we discuss whether fascism in America was a real threat in the 1930s and whether it's a real threat today. With Andrew Preston, historian of US foreign policy. Next week: the midterms! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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How Bad Could it Get?

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 00:00:57 GMT

As crunch time approaches, we talk through some worst-case Brexit scenarios: for the government, for the economy, for Remainers, for Europe. Have the negotiations been a humiliation for Britain? Is the Tory Party facing an existential crisis? And what might go wrong if the marchers for a 'people's vote' got their way? Plus we speculate about what a no-deal Brexit would mean for Britain's service economy. With Diane Coyle, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Gandhi's Politics

Sun, 21 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks about the enduring influence of Gandhi with Ramachandra Guha, author of an epic new biography Gandhi 1914-194: The Years That Changed the World. A conversation about the politics of protest, the legacy of empire and the possibility of moral leadership. Plus, what was it like having Gandhi as your father? https://bit.ly/2OVe7VE For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Francis Fukuyama

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to the author of The End of History about his new book, Identity. Can 'identity politics' really make sense of everything from populism to #MeToo? Why are liberal democracies struggling to meet their citizens' desire for recognition? And what happened to the end of history anyway? Plus we discuss the Kavanaugh hearings, 'getting to Denmark' and the challenge of an ageing population. NB: This weekend there's a special extra edition of Talking Politics looking at the enduring legacy of Gandhi. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Democracy Hacked

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We try to uncover the truth about fake news with Alan Rusbridger, former editor of the Guardian, and Martin Moore, director of the Centre for the Study of Media, Communication and Power. Why have elections around the world been so easy to hack? Can newspapers survive the age of 'free'? And is anonymity a friend or an enemy to democracy? Big questions, big answers. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Brexit Choices

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Back to Brexit: as decision-day approaches we try to work out what might happen next. Did Labour patch up its differences? Can anyone really start the negotiations again? And what would it take to get the EU to deviate from its script? Plus we explore some of the ideological roots of Tory opposition to Chequers and we ask what happened to the good old British bye-election. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Waseem Yaqoob. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Moneyland

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to Oliver Bullough about his acclaimed new book Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take it Back. Where is Moneyland? How did London become its capital? And will Brexit, or a Corbyn government, or another financial crash change how it operates? A conversation about tax havens, money-laundering, the politics of corruption and the corruption of politics. With Jason Sharman, author of The Despot's Guide to Wealth Management, and Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Dan Snow

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to the host of Dan Snow's History Hit, the no. 1 history podcast, about some of our favourite subjects. Does history help us understand the present state of politics, and which history? Are we closer to the 1890's, the 1930's, or the 1980's? How should we commemorate the aftermath of WWI? Plus we talk about whether Chinese politicians are really able to take the long view. With Helen Thompson. https://www.historyhit.com/podcasts/dan-snows-history-hit/ For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Taming Trump

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We talk with Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government and former Washington bureau chief of the Times, about the latest revelations from inside Trumpworld. With claims that the resistance has spread to the government, we ask whether it is ethical for administration officials to resist the elected president. Is this about Trump's personality or his policies? What precedent might be being set? And are Obama's interventions in the mid-term elections helping? Recorded at the Institute for Government with Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Labour's Fault Lines

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Summer's over: politics is back! This week we return to the mystery inside the enigma that is Brexit to ask where Labour now stands. What is the big divide in the Labour movement: Is it MPs vs leader? Members vs voters? Young vs old? And what could a second referendum achieve anyway? Plus we try to make sense of the fraught fight over the definition of anti-Semitism. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Waseem Yaqoob. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Crashed

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Crashed - Helen and David talk to historian Adam Tooze about his epic new book Crashed: How A Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World. Why did the crash of 2008 take so many people by surprise? How did it spread from the US around the world? Why was Europe so vulnerable? And how do the answers to these questions help explain Brexit, Trump and what's now going on in places from Hungary to China? Plus, as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the event that triggered the crisis, we explore what might have happened if Lehman Brothers had been saved. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Turkey

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Ayse Zarakol about how Erdogan accumulated so much power and what lessons his story provides for democracy in other places For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Nuclear Weapons

Sun, 19 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Aaron Rapport about the most destructive weapons of all and how they continue to shape international politics. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Machine Learning

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Jennifer Cobbe about whether machines can think for themselves and what this means for politics. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Distributive Justice

Sun, 12 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Chris Brooke about the history of ideas of justice and the long-standing political battles over who gets what. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Politics of Food

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In a special live edition recorded at the Wilderness Festival, David talks to BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon and best-selling food writer Jack Monroe about austerity, Brexit and the politics of how people eat. What is gained and what is lost when politician talk about food as a matter of personal choice? Just how powerful are the big food corporations? And is it really possible for Britain to take back control of its food supply? With some lively questions from the audience. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Technocracy

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Chris Bickerton about what technocracy means and whether we should be afraid of it. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... American Foreign Policy

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Andrew Preston about how America sees its place in the world and what has changed recently. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to ... Summer Reading

Sun, 29 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Regular Talking Politics contributors tell us about the books they’ve most enjoyed reading, and what they are looking forward to reading next. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics Guide to . . . the 1970s

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Helen Thompson about the decade that helps explain a lot about the political world we live in today. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Summer Plans

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Over the summer, Talking Politics will be publishing a special series of slightly shorter episodes: guides to the subjects we frequently reference, but never stop and explain. These eight podcasts are designed to keep you busy over the next few months - whether you enjoy them in one indulgent sitting, or spread out your listening throughout the summer. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump Blows Through

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:00:13 GMT

After another extraordinary week, we try to make sense of what Trump has been up to on his European travels. From Chequers to Brussels to Helsinki, what was he doing and why was he doing it? Is he really Putin's puppet? Has he helped or hurt May's chances of survival? Plus we catch up with the other side of the Trump presidency: the remaking of the US Supreme Court. How will the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh impact on some of the most contentious issues in American politics, above all the deep divisive question of abortion? With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle, Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Next Referendum?

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:12 GMT

With more Brexit chaos on us, we cut through some of the noise to talk about a new report on the future of referendums. How can we run them better in future? When is it appropriate to have a second referendum? What else can we do to reconnect democratic politics with the voters? With Gisela Stuart, former Labour MP and Chair of Vote Leave; Jenny Watson, former Chair of the Electoral Commission; and Alan Renwick of the Constitution Unit at UCL. Plus at the end some thoughts from David on where we are now. You can read the full report here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/electionsandreferendums/icreferendums For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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World Cup Politics

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:20 GMT

As the World Cup approaches its climax we talk politics and football, on the morning after England's dramatic penalty shootout win over Colombia. What happened to the warnings that this World Cup would be like the 1936 Berlin Olympics? Can we learn anything about German politics from the failure of the German football team? What does England's progress mean for Brexit? Plus much more, from Saudi Arabia to Croatia to West Ham. With Helen Thompson and Mike Kenny. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Populism, Migration and Merkel

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 23:44:05 GMT

In a special live edition recorded at the Guardian's King's Place Politics Festival on Sunday 24th June - David, Helen and Chris Bickerton discuss whether the migration crisis has opened up a new dividing line in European politics. Is Viktor Orban right that Europe is now split between the countries that will accept immigrants and the countries that won't? What does that mean for Merkel's survival prospects? Where does Macron stand in this fight? Plus we take questions from the audience about what populism really means and what, if anything, we can do about the current state of politics. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Andrew O'Hagan on Grenfell

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to Andrew O'Hagan about his epic essay in the LRB on the causes, consequences and fall-out of the terrible Grenfell Tower fire that happened a year ago. We discuss what the Grenfell community was like before the fire, what went wrong on the night, and how politics has intruded into everything that has happened since. Plus we talk about the angry push-back to Andrew's account. It can all be read here: https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n11/andrew-ohagan/the-tower For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump Abroad

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

From the G7 to the Singapore summit, it's Trump's world: we just live in it. This week we try to get some perspective on these spectacular events. Is Trump's behaviour really unprecedented for an American president? What is the point of the G7? Where is his relationship with Kim heading? Plus we compare with summits past: Nixon in China, Reagan & Gorbachev, or something new? With Helen Thompson and Andrew Preston, who gives a Canadian view. Next week: Grenfell. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Oh Italy!

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

A new Italian government spells a heap of trouble for Europe. We ask how we got to this point and what it means the future of the Euro. What really spooked the markets? Who blinked first? And why does Italian politics have such a soft spot for university professors? Plus we talk about the new government in Spain and we weigh up the state of democracy across the continent. Is this how democracy is meant to work or is this really how democracy ends? With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Lucia Rubinelli from the LSE. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Socialism in this Country?

Thu, 31 May 2018 00:00:29 GMT

After John McDonnell said he was still committed to the socialist transformation of Britain, we ask what that might mean. Does socialism really require the overthrow of capitalism? What's the difference between socialism and communism? And with successful Democratic candidates in the US starting to use the s-word in public, what does socialism have to offer in America? Plus we talk about whether social media and social networks offer the possibility of a new kind of socialism for the twenty-first century. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Chris Brooke For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Iran, Israel, Korea, the World

Thu, 24 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This week we try to make sense of what's happening to the international order, from the end of the Iran deal to the on-again-off-again US-North Korean summit to opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Can Europe carve out a separate foreign policy from the Trump administration? Is regime change still the name of the game? And what has it all got to do with the price of oil? Plus we ask if anything is left of Obama's legacy and why it was so easy to undo. With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Politics of Mental Health

Thu, 17 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This week we discuss how and why mental health has become a growing political issue. What are the differences in the way the political parties approach this problem? Is it something that unites or divides people across generations and classes? And what can politicians do to help us cope? Plus we talk about whether politics itself has become a more stressful job than it used to be. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Strike

Thu, 10 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

After the largest strike in the sector for a generation, we talk to Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, about the politics of higher education. How did the issue of pensions become so politically charged? What are the long-term consequences of treating students as consumers? How should universities respond to the challenge of Brexit? Plus we return to the question of why having a university degree is now one of the main dividing lines in contemporary politics. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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How Democracy Ends - The Book

Sun, 06 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

An extra episode this week to talk about David's new book How Democracy Ends, out next week. With a clip from the lecture we put out at the start of the year and a chat with Helen and Chris Bickerton. The book is available with a special discount for Talking Politics listeners at www.profilebooks.com For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What's wrong with GDP?

Thu, 03 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We talk with economist Diane Coyle about what's wrong with our main measure of economic performance and how it impacts on politics. She tells us what we're missing in our measures of economic activity and she explains how we could do it better. Plus we discuss whether the unemployment figures still tell a true picture of the world of work and we ask whether the dollar's days as the global reserve currency may be coming to an end. Numbers and why they matter. With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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James Williams

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We catch up with James Williams, winner of the Nine Dots Prize, ahead of the publication of his prize-winning book Stand Out of Our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy. What is the relentless competition for our attention doing to our well-being? How can we fight back against the endless pull of the phone in our pocket? And what does it all mean for politics? The book will available free to download from Cambridge University Press on 31 May. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Tim Shipman

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We talk to Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman, author of the definitive insider accounts of three years of turmoil in British politics: All Out War and Fall Out. He tells us about what drives the bloodletting in the Tory Party, how Theresa May survived the general election fiasco and the difference between Tory leakers and Labour leakers. Plus we talk Trump and Tim explains how Twitter has changed political journalism. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The End of the Party?

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 00:00:34 GMT

The Conservative Party now has barely 70,000 members, most of them aged over 60. Meanwhile Labour has over half a million, many of them young. What does this mean for the future of British politics? Can a party survive without members? Can Labour negotiate the divisions within its ranks? And what room is there for a new party of the centre? With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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James Meek on the NHS

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to journalist and novelist James Meek about his epic new study of the NHS in crisis. They discuss the ideas behind a generation of NHS reforms, the meaning of efficiency and the challenge of caring for an ageing population. What does the future hold - Japanese-style robotics or explosive politics and inter-generational strife? Read the essay in the current edition of the LRB - https://bit.ly/2IpapQv For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Facebook vs the World

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 00:00:19 GMT

With the help of John Naughton and Jennifer Cobbe we unpick the Cambridge Analytica story and get to the heart of the matter: what is Facebook doing to us and can anything make it stop? We talk about the business of surveillance capitalism and the difference between a scandal and a crisis. Plus how working in tech is like working on the Manhattan Project and how Cambridge Analytica is like the Australian cricket team. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Bridget Kendall on Russia

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 01:00:00 GMT

As the world wonders what Vladimir Putin is up to, we ask Bridget Kendall, former BBC correspondent in Moscow. We talk about what really happened in Salisbury, what the master-plan is and whether Putin is succeeding in his goal of splitting the West. Plus we catch up on the latest comings and goings in Washington and ask whether Corbyn's stance on Putin is doing the Labour Party lasting harm. With Aaron Rapport and Helen Thompson. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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George Monbiot

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:00:00 GMT

We talk to George about some of the biggest questions of all: how to make politics better, how to effect meaningful change, how to save the planet. Who is going to make the real difference? Plus we ask whether he's been discombobulated by having Michael Gove as Environment Secretary. Short answer: yes! Recorded as part of the Imagine 2027 project https://imagine2027.org.uk For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Italy, Germany and the Future of Europe

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 01:00:37 GMT

Germany finally has a government, while Italy has none. We try to make sense of the latest twists in European politics, including theextraordinary results of the Italian elections. Why is social democracy is such trouble everywhere? Can Merkel's grand coalition survive? Whatis Italy for anyway? With Chris Clark, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Ed Miliband & Geoff Lloyd

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to the hosts of the Reasons to be Cheerful podcast about why they are so darned perky about politics. We discuss whether the political surprises are likely to keep coming and Ed and Geoff pick their favourite ideas from the ones they've covered on the show. Plus we ask Ed the question we asked his brother David a few months back: if there are so many good progressive ideas out there, why didn't the Blair government act on more of them? He gives a slightly different answer. Recorded in Geoff's loft. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Who is Jeremy Corbyn?

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 01:00:00 GMT

We talk about one of the central questions of British politics: what does Jeremy Corbyn really want? In the week he's been forced to answer questions about what he did in the Cold War, we ask where his past connects to his present and how long he can maintain his delicate balancing act on Europe. Plus we discuss his attack on the press barons who are attacking him: where does power now lie in the new media landscape? With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Educated

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to Tara Westover about her incredible new book Educated, which tells the story of how a girl brought up by survivalists in Idaho and who never went to school ended up with a PhD from Cambridge. Along the way we discuss what education means and what Tara's journey has taught her about politics and about life. Really, this is a conversation about the important stuff. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Fundamentals

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 01:00:00 GMT

With stock markets swooning and financial volatility back, we talk about the deeper trends underpinning our politics and our future. Why have British governments never managed to fix the housing crisis? What does the state of the American economy mean for Trump's long-term prospects? And will a period of economic growth make our politics more stable, or are the wild times set to continue? These are the fundamentals. With Helen, Chris Brooke and Aaron. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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A Second Referendum?

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 01:00:00 GMT

This week David and Helen chew over the big issues of British politics. How vulnerable is Theresa May? What is Philip Hammond playing at? What would be the point of a second referendum on Brexit? Lots of questions, lots of answers, not so much agreement on which answers are the right ones. You decide! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Nadia Urbinati on Italy

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 01:00:00 GMT

With Italians elections coming up, we talking to the leading philosopher of democracy Nadia Urbinati about what's going on. How is Berlusconi still in the game? What is the role of the Five Star movement? Are Italian politicians learning any lessons from Trump or Macron? Plus we address the perennial question: is Italy a good indicator of where democracy is heading? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Peter Carey

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 01:00:00 GMT

David talks to two-time Booker-prize winning novelist Peter Carey (Oscar and Lucinda, True History of the Kelly Gang) about his latest book A Long Way From Home, which tells a story of race and dispossession in Australia's recent past. Plus we cover a lot else besides: Trump, conspiracy theories, the CIA, Tocqueville and what's it's like to be an Australian in America today. A wide-ranging chat with one of the greatest novelists of our time. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Reformation Then and Now

Thu, 11 Jan 2018 01:00:00 GMT

Before we get stuck into 2018, we go back to the sixteenth century to explore another technology revolution that overthrew the established order. John Naughton recently published his 95 theses for the digital age and we talk to John about the theology of technopoly and the Church of Facebook. Plus we're joined by Helen to discuss the parallels between the current revolt against the elites and what happened five hundred years ago. From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: where does this story end? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Books and Things

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:00:00 GMT

To ring in the New Year, before we get back to the serious business of talking politics, we talk about some of our favourite recent reading. History books, novels, Asian politics, shameless plugs for our nearest and dearest - it's all here in one neat little package, from Aaron, Helen, Chris, Chris and David. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Nobody Knows Anything

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 01:00:00 GMT

David recently gave the Political Quarterly annual lecture, on the subject 'Nobody Knows Anything: Why Is Politics So Surprising?' We hear his thoughts on why so many people - including podcasts like this one! - keep calling elections wrong. And why, when there is so much more information available about how people behave, do we know so little about what the voters are really thinking? Recorded at an echoey venue in Bush House, London - apologies for the sound quality, hope you enjoy the content. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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That was 2017

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 01:00:00 GMT

With Christmas round the corner, we pick some personal highlights and low lights from another roller-coaster year of politics. What are our most memorable Trump moments? What stays with us from the UK general election six months on? And, with all the usual caveats, what do we think is coming down the pipe in 2018? With Helen, Aaron, Chris, Chris and David For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Deal or No Deal

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 01:00:45 GMT

This week we try to work out who's up and who's down in the great game of European politics. Has May won anything significant in the Brexit deal? Is Merkel any nearer to forming a government? Is Macron the big winner from recent events? Plus we ask what prospect of Martin Schulz getting his United States of Europe, and what chance now of Jeremy Corbyn making it to No 10. With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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How Democracy Ends

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 01:00:00 GMT

Worst-case scenarios for democracy - especially since Trump's victory - hark back to how democracy has failed in the past. So do we really risk a return to the 1930s? This week David argues no - if democracy is going to fail in the twenty-first century it will be in ways that are new and surprising. A talk based on his new book coming out next year. Recorded at Churchill College as part of the CSAR lecture series http://www.csar.org.uk For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Jess Phillips

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 01:00:00 GMT

This week we talk to Labour MP Jess Phillips about sexism, Twitter and the future of democracy. Has anything changed in Westminster post-Weinstein? What would it take to make parliament more representative? And how can politicians be more relatable? Plus we discuss what Brexit tell us about the biggest social divides in our politics. Jess is the author of Everywoman: One Woman's Truth About Speaking the Truth http://amzn.to/2Ajlqjk For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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David Miliband

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 01:00:00 GMT

This week we talk to former Foreign Secretary David Miliband about his new book Rescue: Refugees and the Political Crisis of our Time. He explains what the refugee crisis tells us about the state of world politics and why it is both so essential and so hard to tackle it. We also talk about climate change, Brexit, the failures of the Blair government and the fate of social democracy in the new 'age of extremes'. David Miliband is currently Chair and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Jan-Werner Müller on Populism

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 01:00:00 GMT

This week, as one of our LRB author specials, we talk to regular LRB contributor Jan-Werner Müller about populism, Trump and the state of democracy. Jan has long argued that populism is not just an election winning strategy, it's also a governing philosophy. We ask whether Trump's first year in office bears that out. Does he have a governing philosophy? How does it compare with other populists, from Berlusconi to Modi? And what difference does it make that he has a nuclear arsenal at his disposal? With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump and Tax Havens

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 01:00:00 GMT

In the week Trump tours Asia and with the Paradise Papers shining a light on tax avoidance, we talk about what's really going on: from the Mueller investigation to the latest developments in Saudi Arabia, and from Lithuania to Lebanon, we try to connect the dots. With Jason Sharman, author of The Despot's Guide to Wealth Management, historian Andrew Preston, Helen Thompson and Aaron Rapport. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Brexit and the Universities

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 06:29:03 GMT

After some Tory politicians have started asking for details of what lecturers are saying about Brexit, we're joined this week by regular panellist Chris Bickerton to talk about what it's like being a pro-Brexit academic in an anti-Brexit university. Plus we catch up with Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke on where they think the Brexit negotiations have reached and what chance they see of a successful outcome. We also revisit Catalonia to discuss the latest developments there. Is Madrid winning, and what might that mean for the EU? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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John Gray

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

David talks to writer and philosopher John Gray about pretty much everything, from the Corbyn cult to the craziness of cryogenics. John tells us how to make the connections between technology, populism and religion and he explains why the worst may be still to come. Plus we ask whether democracy is really finished. A conversation about the big stuff, recorded in the stationery cupboard at the London Review of Books. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What If?

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

In honour of Hillary Clinton's visit to the UK, we talk about some of the might-have-beens of recent politics. Where would we be now if Theresa May hadn't called an election, if Clinton had beaten Trump, if Brexit had never happened? Would things be a whole lot better or might they be even worse? With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Catalonia

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As the face-off between Madrid and Barcelona continues, we explore how this happened and where it might end. Marc Weller, chair of the independent commission on Catalan independence, explains the legal background and historian Brendan Simms sets out what is at stake for European politics. Could this be the crisis that brings the whole thing crashing down? With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Where is the Centre?

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Jeremy Corbyn claims that Labour now represents the political mainstream. Is that really true? Where does it leave the Tories? What can Theresa May do about it? We trawl the data to try to find the elusive centre ground of British politics. Plus we ask whether mainstream regional politicians like Ruth Davidson and Sadiq Khan can speak for the whole of the UK. If they can't, who on earth can? With Mike Kenny, Professor of Public Policy at Cambridge, and Helen Thompson. *recorded before Theresa May's speech* For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Live Special

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This week's episode is a recording of a live Talking Politics event as part of the Cambridge Alumni Festival, with questions from the audience. We talk about normalising Trump, neglecting Turkey and kicking Brexit down the road. Plus we ask what counts as a coup and whatever happened to cabinet government. With Gary Gerstle, Ayse Zarakol, Aaron Rapport and Chris Brooke. Recorded on Saturday 23rd September. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Mystery of Germany

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 05:44:35 GMT

We talk with historian Chris Clark and Helen Thompson about whether German politics is as stable as it seems. With the federal election coming up in a few days, and Angela Merkel seemingly on course for another comfortable victory, we ask what could happen next. Why would a Jamaican coalition be bad for France? What's going on in Bavaria? And is East vs West still the central division in German politics? Plus we catch up with the other general election taking place this weekend - in New Zealand. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Pax Technica

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

John Naughton talks to Philip Howard of the Oxford Internet Institute about whether the digital revolution has been good or bad for democracy. Will the Internet of Things usher in an era of universal peace or universal surveillance? What happened to the hopes of tech liberation that came with the Arab Spring? Is there anything we can do about fake news? A fascinating conversation between two recovering utopians about the past, present and future of the internet age. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump and Religion

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We're joined this week by historian Andrew Preston to talk about how Trump fits into America's religious traditions - and how he doesn't. Why is his support so strong among evangelicals? What makes his foreign policy different from American crusades in the past? Can Trump be saved? Plus we catch up with the latest news from Korea - not good. With Aaron Rapport. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Year Ahead

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As the summer winds down, David and Helen talk about what the coming political year might have in store. Is talk of a new UK political party just hot air? What does Angela Merkel’s likely success in the German elections mean for European politics? Will Trump’s presidency ever lose its power to shock? Plus, we discuss who else might be on our political radars in twelve months time. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Summer Reading 3

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With a long weekend approaching, Helen Thompson, Glen Rangwala and Chris Brooke talk about what's been on their summer reading lists. It's a surprising smorgasbord featuring: blogs on the economy; the literature of the Middle East ; novels about Vikings and academic books on the Conservative party. (We even squeeze in a dash of Verdi.) Enjoy! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Macron and History

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Two of Britain's leading historians of France, Robert Tombs and John Keiger, discuss the wider significance of Macron's presidency. What does it mean for the French state? What does it mean for the future of Europe? And what are the French really thinking about Brexit? As the new film about Dunkirk does the rounds on both sides of the Channel, can Britain be accused of abandoning France to its fate all over again? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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America, Russia, Venezuela, France

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We reconvene in the dog days of summer to talk about what's been on our minds. Helen wants to know how the US Congress managed to agree a tough sanctions regime against Russia when it can't agree on anything else. What does this mean for Trump and for Europe? David wants to know why Jeremy Corbyn is so little damaged by his past support for the current Venezuelan regime. When does ideology catch up with domestic politics? Chris Bickerton wants to know whether Macron is coming down to earth with a bump. How is he doing a hundred days in? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What a Year!

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

A mash-up of some of the best bits from the last year.. as we look back on an unbelievable period of politics. With clips from TP guests: Mary Beard, Yuval Noah Harari, Pankaj Mishra, Thomas Piketty, Jill Lepore, and Michael Gove.. and of course featuring David Runciman and some of the panel. It ends with Judith Butler and one of our favourite ever moments on the podcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Nine Dots Winner

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This week we talk to James Williams, winner of the inaugural Nine Dots Prize, which offered $100,000 for the best answer to the question: 'Are digital technologies making politics impossible?' James used to work at Google and he channeled his experiences for his prize-winning entry. He tells us what he learned there and what it means to live in the attention economy. Plus we discuss how Trump has managed to monopolise the attention of the entire world. Along with the money, James now has to write a book with his answer - we'll be checking in with him along the way to see how he's getting on. With John Naughton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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SUMMER READING 2

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 05:28:49 GMT

Regular panellists John Naughton and Aaron Rapport share their summer reading recommendations this week, joined by the podcast's intern Colby Smith. The list includes blogs and baseball. Listen out for an appearance from Maha Rafi Atal at the end, who helps Aaron brush up on his English history. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Ha-Joon Chang

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With arguments about austerity and public spending back at the heart of British politics, we ask economist Ha-Joon Chang to help us make sense of it all. Why is tax always described as a 'burden'? Are the Tories trapped in their austerity narrative? Where should the government invest for the best return? Plus we discuss why it's so hard to solve Britain's productivity problem: it goes back a hundred years. Ha-Joon Chang is the author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism (2010) and Economics: A User's Guide (2014). For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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SUMMER READING 1

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With thoughts turning to the idea of some kind of break over the summer, members of the panel pause to share what they'll be reading over the next few weeks - for work and for fun. In this episode, David Runciman, Maha Rafi Atal and Chris Bickerton also make recommendations about the things they've read over the last rollercoaster of a year. Listen to the end for a special pop-up appearance by Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina, who visited Cambridge recently. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Zafar Ansari

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We gear up for summer with a conversation about cricket, politics and life. Zafar Ansari studied at Cambridge, played cricket for England and now, at the age of 25, has retired from professional sport to take up other challenges. We talk to Zafar about what prompted his decision and what his cricket career taught him about things other than cricket. He tells us about the politics of the dressing room and the role of race and class in sport. He also tells us what it was like to discover Trump had won the presidency while he was playing a test match for England in India. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Oil!

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

While we've been obsessing about the UK election, the world has been turning - this week we broaden our horizons to discuss the latest developments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Syria. What do recent changes in Saudi politics mean for the stability of the region? Is the Trump administration making a bad situation worse? Plus we ask the WWI question: are there fault-lines here that remind us of 1914 and a world on the brink of war? We also talk to Helen about her new book: Oil and the Western Economic Crisis. It all comes back to oil. With Helen Thompson, Glen Rangwala and Aaron Rapport. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Crisis, What Crisis?

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The PM lurches from crisis to crisis, but her government looks more secure than it did a week ago. What gives? We try to make sense of where British politics now stands, after the terrible Grenfell tower fire, further terrorist attacks, and the start of the Brexit negotiations. We also ask why there is such a disconnect between political turmoil and serenity in the financial markets: why aren't they more spooked? Plus we talk with John Naughton about the role of social media in Corbyn's unexpected success. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Turning Left

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Less than a week on from the election result almost no one saw coming, we take stock. What does Labour's unexpected success mean for the prospect of other parties of the left? Can they learn from Corbyn or is British politics now following its own path? Plus we discuss the rise and rise of Macron in France. Will his new version of technocracy square the circle of elites doing democratic politics? With a full house of Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke, Chris Bickerton and our very own Macroniste, Hugo Drochon. *This episode was recorded shortly before Tim Farron resigned as leader of the Lib Dems. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Another Shock!

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 19:59:33 GMT

We reconvene on little sleep to pick over the bones of another extraordinary election. Where did it go wrong for Mrs May? How did Labour win back UKIP supporters? How will anyone meet the expectations of all the young people who came out to vote? We recorded shortly before the Conservatives announced their intention to govern with 'friends in the DUP'. We ask how long any arrangement can last. With Helen Thompson, Finbarr Livesey and Glen Rangwala. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Decision Day

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 21:03:29 GMT

After a tumultuous campaign decision day is finally here: we explore what could happen next. We talk through the different scenarios suggested by the chaotic polling, from a hung parliament to a Tory landslide, and ask what each one would mean for British politics. We also talk about what's surprised us most over the last six weeks. What happened to the Lib Dems? When did Mrs May lose her nerve? Where is the economy? Then we'll reconvene for another episode when it's done to find out what really went down: stay tuned. With Helen Thompson, Finbarr Livesey and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Corbyn Surge?

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With a week to go, and the polls tightening, we ask what Corbyn is doing right and what May is doing wrong. Is Corbyn riding a wave like the one that got Bernie Sanders close to the White House? Or are May's troubles more about Tory weaknesses? Plus we discuss the missing international dimension to the campaign. After Merkel declared that Europe could no longer rely on a Trump-led United States, why is our Brexit election still so focussed on domestic issues? With Aaron Rapport, Maha Rafi Atal and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Tim O'Reilly and the WTF Economy

Sat, 27 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We speak to Silicon Valley publisher, entrepreneur and guru Tim O'Reilly about what technology means for the future of politics and society. A short conversation about the biggest questions: How do we get from a world of jobs to a world of meaningful work? How can politics keep up with technological innovation? How can we re-set our basic social arrangements without a war? Recorded at the Computer Labs in Cambridge. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Who, The What, The How

Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We recorded this week in the aftermath of the Manchester terror attack, with the election campaign temporarily suspended. We take a step back to review some of the broad themes of the campaign so far and talk about how the main parties have been presenting themselves and what they are trying to achieve. We reflect on the importance of leadership style - what makes Theresa May different from Tony Blair? - and we ask why so little of the election has been about Brexit. With Helen Thompson, Glen Rangwala and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump vs. Comey

Thu, 18 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We take stock of the latest developments in Washington as the heat intensifies on Trump and the leaking war continues. What do the new revelations tell us about Trump's fitness to be president? What do they tell us about the power struggles inside the administration? We also take a step back to ask about the risks of any showdown between an elected president and the secret state. Might Trump's fate set a precedent for any outsider who takes on the political establishment? Do the Democrats need to be careful what they wish for? Plus, in the week the UK parties start publishing their election manifestos, we ask: what's a manifesto worth anyway? With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Meaning of UKIP

Thu, 11 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

After UKIP’s dreadful performance in the local elections we ask about the historic legacy of Nigel Farage’s party. How big was its role in taking the UK out of the EU? Will UKIP turn out to be the gateway drug for turning Labour supporters into Conservatives? How do its fortunes compare with the Front National in France? Plus we catch up on the latest development across the Channel and discuss the prospects for Macron’s presidency. Can he find a solution to the perennial problem that hangs over French politics: Germany? With Helen Thompson, Hugo Drochon, Chris Bickerton and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Michael Gove

Sun, 07 May 2017 19:33:39 GMT

We catch up with Michael Gove, one of the leaders of the Brexit campaign, to ask how he feels about the future of Europe now. What difference will a Macron presidency make? Will Theresa May have more of a mandate than any other European leader when it comes to the Brexit negotiations? And how does he feel today about his notorious remark that 'the people of this country have had enough of experts'? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Thomas Piketty

Sat, 06 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We're joined by internationally best-selling economist Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, to talk about the French elections and what inequality is doing to democratic politics. Recorded a few days before the 2nd round of the French presidential vote, we discuss Macron vs. Le Pen, the failure of mainstream social democracy, and why Brexit was such a gamble. We also talk about what needs to be done to reform the EU. With Hugo Drochon. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Tory Machine

Thu, 04 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

What makes the Conservatives so good at winning elections - the most successful party in modern political history? Is it money? Leadership? Luck? We talk with Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Aaron Rapport about Tory successes and failures and we explore some of the inbuilt quirks of the UK electoral system. Plus we answer some questions posed to us by listeners: How is Mayism different from Milibandism? And what hopes for a progressive alliance? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Scotland and the Union

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This week we focus on what the general election in Scotland might mean for the rest of the UK. Does a Tory revival in Scotland spell the end of Indyref 2? Does Labour's collapse chime with what's going on in the rest of Europe? Plus we explore whether a thumping majority for Mrs May would strengthen her hand in the Brexit negotiations. In the first in a series of historical comparisons, we also ask whether this election has echoes of what happened when Ted Heath called a snap poll in 1974. Is Tony Blair now the Enoch Powell of British politics? You heard it here first. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Pankaj Mishra

Sat, 22 Apr 2017 11:24:01 GMT

In a Talking Politics EXTRA, we speak to Indian novelist and historian Pankaj Mishra about his new book The Age of Anger. He explains the deep historical roots that underpin the rise of populism and he explores what connects Modi and Trump. He also tells us why the British general election might be just a sideshow. Recorded at the Cambridge Literary Festival. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Elections!

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Here we go again! The day after Mrs May makes her announcement, we talk about what a UK election means, whatever happened to the fixed-term parliament act and what the real choices will be on June 8. Plus we're joined by historian Robert Tombs to discuss the upcoming French presidential election, and Ayse Zarakol shares her thoughts on this weekend's referendum in Turkey. Is Erdogan the winner or the loser? Elections everywhere - so much to talk about! With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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John Lanchester

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

David and Helen talk to novelist and LRB essayist John Lanchester about banks, money and power. Why have so few bankers gone to jail since the financial crisis? Can the Euro survive? Should we be more frightened of unaccountable power in Wall Street or in Silicon Valley? Plus John updates us on how he's getting on with his Amazon Echo: it's scarier than you think. In collaboration with the London Review of Books. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Power in the Digital Age

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This week we're bringing you some of the ideas and voices from an event held in Cambridge to discuss power in the world of Facebook and Google. Where does Mark Zuckerberg end and Facebook begin? How are autocratic regimes taking advantage of the latest technology? Why is online shopping like the Truman Show? We talk with the people doing the most interesting research into how smart machines are changing the very basis of politics. It's scary, but it's also really interesting. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Richard Dearlove

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

In the week following the worst terrorist attack in Britain for more than a decade, we talk to the former Head of MI6 (the British Secret Intelligence Service) about terror, security and Trump. Richard Dearlove tells us how he sees the future of NATO and of Europe, and where he thinks the next big threats are coming from. Plus he tells us why he is pro-Brexit and why the Trump administration is not all bad. A lively exchange of views, with Aaron Rapport. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Chris Clark/Germany and India

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 01:00:00 GMT

**Recorded + edited before the events of 22/3/17 in London**We're joined by best-selling historian Chris Clark - author of The Sleepwalkers - to talk about German politics past and present. How spooked is the German political establishment by Trump and Brexit? How big is the threat to Angela Merkel from a resurgent SPD? And how can Germany square its growing power with the legacy of its history? With Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton. Plus Maha Rafi Atal updates us on the latest developments in India, where Modi's populism appears to be more popular than ever. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Patience Wheatcroft/Brexit

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 08:14:11 GMT

In the week Brexit clears its first big parliamentary hurdle, we talk to prominent Remainer and Tory rebel Patience Wheatcroft about the view from the Lords and what it's like to be on the receiving end of the wrath of the Brexiteers. Plus we're joined by Helen and the two Chrises to talk about IndyRef2 and whether Project Fear could possibly work second time round. Is the UK finished? We try to decide. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Election Season

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 01:00:00 GMT

We catch up with elections taking place here, there and everywhere: last week's vote for the Northern Ireland assembly, next week's general election in the Netherlands, the continuing drama of the French presidential race. Do these votes have anything in common and what might it be? Are we seeing the inexorable rise of populism or is the tide starting to turn? And how did a thrown shoe change the course of recent political history? Plus we ask what, if anything, the Trump presidency is doing for European harmony. With Barry Colfer, Chris Bickerton, Maha Rafi Atal and Aaron Rapport. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Dani Rodrik

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 01:00:00 GMT

We're joined by one of the world's leading economists Dani Rodrik to talk about globalisation, Trump and Brexit. Who are the real winners and losers from the integration of the global economy? What chance has Trump got of making good on his economic promises? How much are economists to blame for the mess we're in? Dani talks with David, Helen Thompson and Finbarr Livesey about the dangers of circling the wagons and the tough choices we all have to face. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Mary Beard

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 22:28:11 GMT

Ahead of her LRB lecture at the British Museum, we talk to Mary Beard about women in power. Why are powerful women so often called phonies? What can we learn about women and power from the ancient world? We discuss what's wrong with the idea of glass ceilings and what Hillary Clinton's treatment at the hands of Trump and his supporters really says about political misogyny. Plus Mary tells us what she thinks has gone wrong with the Labour party. On that note, we also have Helen and Chris Brooke looking ahead to this week's by-elections: who has most to lose, Corbyn or UKIP? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Rory Bremner/France

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 01:00:00 GMT

Is Trump beyond parody? We talk to Rory Bremner about what it's like trying to do political comedy when politics seems to have lost its moorings. Plus Rory gives us his Trump (which we think it better than Baldwin's). We also catch up with the latest twists and turns in the French presidential election. Is Macron now the favourite? Can Fillon recover? And have we reach peak Putin panic, or is it only just beginning? With Helen, Chris Bickerton and Hugo Drochon. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Is Democracy Failing?

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:00:00 GMT

This week we take a step back to ask whether what's happening in the US is a symptom of a wider problem: the failure of democracy. We talk Turkey with Ayse Zarakol, who explains just how bad things have got there over the past year. Is America going to follow Turkey's lead towards authoritarianism? If not, which institutions are going to rescue it? Plus we discuss what Trump's strategy really is in his confrontation with the courts and we talk Calexit. With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Maha Rafi Atal. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Mrs May Goes to Washington

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 01:00:00 GMT

After another tumultuous week, we talk about Britain's place in the world under a Trump presidency. How much leverage does Theresa May have in Washington? What might a Trump administration want in return? And what does 'global Britain' really mean post-Brexit? Plus we're joined by Glen Rangwala to discuss the implications of Trump's arrival in the White House for US policy towards the Middle East. With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Chris Brooke. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Jill Lepore

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:00:00 GMT

We speak with New Yorker writer and historian Jill Lepore about Trump, the Tea Party and the constitution. She tells us how they go together, and how they don't. This conversation was recorded on the day of Trump's inauguration and we also have some voices and sounds from the event in Washington. Plus we try to make sense of what the Supreme Court verdict about Article 50 means for the sovereignty of the UK parliament, and what it means for Ireland and Scotland. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Inaugurals

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 01:00:00 GMT

As we gear up for Trump taking the oath of office, we talk about our favourite inaugural addresses from the past. That includes the classics - Lincoln, FDR - but also some hidden gems. Who thinks Adams in 1797 was speaking direct to us today? Who gets moved by Nixon in 1969 describing the world seen from space? Who argues LBJ in 1965 is the most underrated of all? Hear that and more as we try to tell a story of America through the things its presidents said when they took on the job. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What Next for Labour?

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 01:00:00 GMT

After the attempt to relaunch project Corbyn, we talk about what the future holds for the Labour Party. Is it on life support? Does it know where it stands on Brexit and the free movement of people? And how does its predicament compare to other centre-left parties around Europe and across the Atlantic? Including a special detour into Canada. With Helen, Maha, Finbarr and Chris (Bickerton). Next week: back over the border as we gear up for the inauguration of President Trump. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Cyberpolitics

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 06:06:16 GMT

Technology guru and Observer columnist John Naughton joins David and Aaron to talk about the knotty relationship between tech and politics. Does the online world have a right-wing bias? Why are Silicon Valley billionaires frightened of Trump? And just what have the Russians been playing at? Plus Aaron takes us through the latest twists and turns as the outgoing Obama administration and the incoming Trump administration squabble over America's place in the world. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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What we're reading

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 01:00:00 GMT

We say goodbye to 2016 with some individual thoughts from regular Talking Politics contributors: a chance to hear what we're reading and what we think we might be talking about next year. Also a chance to find out who we all are - without interruption! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Talking Politics/New Statesman PART 1

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 01:00:00 GMT

We're joined by Helen Lewis and Stephen Bush from the New Statesman podcast, to chew over the ups and downs of 2016. How do they feel as journalists about a year when the political news has been so startling so often? Who are the winners and losers from the 'fake news' agenda? Who do their readers trust to tell them the truth? Plus we look ahead to 2017 to ask what will happen when the economy catches up with the winners of 2016. And we ask Helen and Stephen for their good news stories from the past year.To hear part II of our conversation, please go to http://www.newstatesman.com/podcast For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Trump's Cabinet

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 01:00:00 GMT

We try to make sense of what Trump's Cabinet appointments tell us about a Trump Presidency. What will oil baron Rex Tillerson do as Secretary of State? What will fast food tycoon Andrew Pudzer do at Labor? Rick Perry has been put in charge of one of the agencies - Energy - that he previously promised to eliminate (and then forgot). So we ask: is this about what Trump wants to undo, not what he wants to do? Plus we talk Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia and (very briefly) Theresa May's trousers. At the end, Maha, Aaron and Finbarr give us some good news after all the doom and gloom of 2016. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Italy: What's Next?

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 06:49:55 GMT

After the resounding No vote in the Italian referendum and the resignation of Matteo Renzi we talk about what comes next. Is this vote part of the populist backlash that brought us Brexit and Trump, or is it something different? What does it mean for the future of the Euro and the EU? And is it possible to be a populist and a technocrat? Plus, we discuss the meaning of 'Viva Trump, Viva Putin, Viva Le Pen'. With Chris Bickerton and Mariana Mazzucato. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Gary Younge

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 06:31:57 GMT

Guardian journalist Gary Younge covered the presidential election from Muncie, Indiana: aka Middletown. We talk to him about the view of Trump and Clinton from Middle America, what he thinks might happen next, and what Trump's election means for race, violence and poverty in the US. We also talk with Helen and Chris about the latest developments in Europe: Fillon vs. Le Pen in France, and Renzi vs. everyone in Italy. There are still more twists and turns to come in this most amazing political year. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Brexit after Trump

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMT

We come back across the Atlantic to talk about how UK politics stands after Trump's victory. Will it make Brexit harder? Will Europe punish the UK for America's sins? Plus, on the day of the Chancellor's autumn statement, we discuss how much wriggle room the government has to push its economic agenda. Who has the better grip on strategy: May/Hammond or Corbyn/McDonnnell? And Helen shares some more scary thoughts about the future of the Euro. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Judith Butler

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 01:00:00 GMT

One week on, the feminist philosopher Judith Butler talks to us about what Trump's victory means to her and what it says about rage and misogyny in America. We also discuss where American democracy goes from here: reform, resistance or collapse? Plus Judith reads Auden's 'September 1, 1939' and Helen and Aaron answer listeners' questions from last week. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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President Trump

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 01:00:00 GMT

Still reeling, we gather round the table to talk about the election of President Trump, just a couple of hours after it actually happened. What does it mean for America, democracy and the world? We discuss what went wrong for Clinton, whether Bernie could have done better, and what explains the latest in the series of astonishing political events. All this on little or no sleep. The start of a much longer conversation, in the weeks and months to come. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Ahir Shah

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 09:25:37 GMT

Award-winning comedian Ahir Shah talks Brexit, Trump and Corbyn and why his generation feels betrayed by the baby boomers. There's a bit of swearing - some light relief before the serious business of next week. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Six Days To Go

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 01:00:00 GMT

Less than a week out we give our final thoughts on this amazing campaign. We talk emails, we reflect on what it's like inside Clintonworld and we discuss Peter Thiel's speech doubling down on his support for Trump: an authoritarian billionaire maverick making the case for another one. Plus some predictions about what might happen next Tuesday, before we reconvene next Wednesday to see what really went down. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Sophie Hannah

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

We take a break from Trumpworld for a week to talk about attitudes to politics in the UK with best-selling crime novelist and poet Sophie Hannah. She explains her feelings about Brexit, the AV referendum, trial by Twitter and the importance of weighing the arguments on their merits. Funny, witty and wise: not Trumpworld at all. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Live Special - Trump and History

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 23:11:00 GMT

On the night of the final debate, we take a step back to ask: Is Trump really unprecedented in the history of American democracy? Is this the worst campaign ever? What's gone wrong with American politics? With leading historians Gary Gerstle and David Reynolds, recorded before a live audience as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Conspiracy Theories and the Second Debate

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

After another tumultuous week, we look back on the fall-out from the second debate and the Trump tape. Plus: who is Sidney Blumenthal? We discuss the paranoid style in American politics. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Dilemmas of Brexit

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Theresa May says she will make a success of Brexit - but what does that mean? What might happen economically or politically to blow her off course? Plus what we learned from the VP debate, and we talk about politics in Colombia - are there wider lessons from the extraordinary vote on ending the civil war there? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The First Debate

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

24 hours on, we know Trump lost the debate, but what does that mean any more? We consider whether the old rules still apply to presidential politics and we ask what is going on inside Donald's head. Plus, Jeremy Corbyn has been re-elected leader of the Labour Party, but is it still the same party? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Yuval Noah Harari

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Yuval Noah Harari talks about what technology means for the future of the human race and the future of politics. If Facebook knows better than you do how you are going to vote, what's left for democracy? The author of Sapiens and Homo Deus on consciousness, intelligence and Donald Trump. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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TALKING POLITICS

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 08:02:14 GMT

Corbyn! Trump! Brexit! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting. From next week (22ND September 2016), a brand new podcast called TALKING POLITICS will be launched to try to make sense of it all. Each week, David Runciman will talk to the most interesting people around: novelists, comedians, historians, philosophers - and even a few politicians - and ask them what they think is going on. Democracy is feeling the strain everywhere. What might happen next? How bad could it get? As the crazy stuff happens, TALKING POLITICS will be on it. It’s the political conversation everyone is having: please join us. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The Chilcot Report with Glen Rangwala

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:18:12 GMT

David Runciman talks to Glen Rangwala on the day after the publication of the Chilcot report, about what's in it and what's missing. Glen exposed the 'dodgy dossier' at the time of the Iraq war and is a leading expert on the politics of the region. They discuss what are the real lessons to learn from Chilcot and why the problems extend beyond a few individuals. They also examine Tony Blair's claims about what Iraq would be like if Saddam were still there. Plus, was Jeremy Corbyn the right person to apologise? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP15 It's Brexit! One week on.

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 08:37:51 GMT

On the morning Gove joins the race (and just before Boris drops out) we try to catch up with the news. The panel discusses the civil war in the Labour party, the Theresa May project, and what the referendum means for politics in Northern Ireland. We also take a step back to ask how serious things now are: just how bad could it get? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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The UK decides: it's Brexit!

Sat, 25 Jun 2016 10:27:33 GMT

The panel reassembles on the morning after the night before to start sifting through the implications of this momentous decision: What does it mean for Labour? For UKIP? For Scotland? For the rest of Europe? And why did the betting markets get it so wrong? More next week. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP14 Indiana decides: it's Trump!

Thu, 05 May 2016 08:17:56 GMT

Now we know it's Trump, David Runciman and the panel reassembles to discuss what comes next. How ugly will the contest with Hillary get? Will Cleveland make it through July? Plus we talk the UK elections this week and the ongoing saga of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. How can they get rid of him? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP 13 Paul Cartledge on democracy ancient and modern: what can we learn from Greeks?

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 08:18:07 GMT

Democracies ancient and modern: just how far have we come from the ancient Athenian idea of democracy and what can we do to get back to it? Are we still really democracies at all? We speak to classicist and historian Paul Cartledge about what the ancient Greeks meant by democracy and what it should still mean to us. Plus we ask the panel for their views about the current state of democracy in the age of Trump and Brexit: how bad is it? In this bumper final episode we also get their predictions for the US presidential election and the EU referendum. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP12 Anand Menon on how to sort fact from fiction in the EU referendum debate.

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 08:29:21 GMT

How much more information do people need about Europe before they can make up their minds to remain or leave? And do the facts ever beat a good story? We talk to Anand Menon, who has been leading a project to bring the facts about the EU to the wider public before the referendum vote. We also talk about what role experts can play in an age where the voters are mistrustful of elites: is it better to pretend to be something else? Plus the latest news from the US, as the Trump bandwagon stumbles out of Wisconsin and Bernie is still trying to reel Hillary in. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02 - EP11 - John Judis on 'the emerging Democratic majority' and the perils of predicting where America might be heading.

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 09:18:37 GMT

This week the election panel wonder what - if anything - the BBC adaptation of Le Carre's novel 'The Night Manager' has to say about the UK's place in the world. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP10 Jim Naughtie with his tales from the primary campaign trail

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 10:14:50 GMT

Is this the wildest election in recent US history? We ask former Today programme presenter James Naughtie, who has covered every American presidential election for the BBC since 1988, how it's been for him. He tells us why he's never seen anything like it, and how things could get crazier still. We also catch up with the fall-out from the UK Budget. Is the Tory party in real trouble for the first time since the last election? And is Jeremy Corbyn any closer to knowing how to take advantage? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP09 Leading US polling analyst Sean Trende on what Trumpism really means for American democracy.

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 12:24:30 GMT

How violent is US politics going to get? The panel talks historical parallels with 1968 and what might happen at a contested convention in Cleveland. Our special guest is Sean Trende from realclearpolitics, who explains why Americans have become such a mystery to each other and whether this marks a fundamental shift in the two party system. Plus it's the week of the Budget and we rake over the politics of austerity. How does George Osborne keep getting away with it? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP08 Jeremy Cliffe of the Economist on Brexit, the future of the UK and the fate of David Cameron.

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 09:35:19 GMT

Is Donald Trump or Ted Cruz the real ideologue? What would Brexit mean for the future of the UK? And why is Cambridge so different from Peterborough? We talk the EU referendum with Jeremy Cliffe, who writes the hugely influential Bagehot column on British politics for the Economist, and he tells us what divides the Eurosceptics from the rest: it's not what you think. Plus the panel catch up on the news from the US as we track developments in the endlessly fascinating and occasionally terrifying race to the White House. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP07 Xenia Wickett on America's place in the world and what the world makes of this extraordinary election.

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 09:33:36 GMT

Did Super Tuesday settle the nominations? This week we explore where the races now stand and have another go at decoding the appeal of Donald Trump, with some help from our friends in the Brooklyn nail bar. Our special guest is Xenia Wickett from the Chatham House think tank. She explains what Trumpism tells us about how America sees its place in the world and what this election might mean for the future of American foreign policy. Plus we revisit Ireland to explore the messy election result there and see what the future might hold for Irish democracy. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP06 David McWilliams on Ireland, talking bail-outs and the blame game.

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 10:34:49 GMT

This week we are talking about three elections and a referendum. We go back to Uganda to catch up on the election results there, and back to the US to try to wrap our heads around Donald Trump's recent successes: is he now unstoppable? Our focus is on Ireland, where voters go to the polls for a general election later this week. Our special guest is the leading Irish economist and broadcaster David McWilliams, who takes us through the continuing blame game for the financial crash. We also talk Brexit, looking at its possible implications for Ireland as well as the UK. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP05 - Gary Gerstle on police power and paranoia in US politics, plus we talk Uganda.

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 09:13:20 GMT

This week we talk about two presidential elections - Uganda, where the long-standing incumbent faces a new kind of challenge, and the US, where the primary season keeps throwing up surprises. Our special guest is Gary Gerstle, author of a new history of American government Liberty and Coercion, to take us through the long background to the deep tensions currently on display. He tells us where anti-government feeling in America comes from and why he still has hope. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP04 - Athene Donald on women in science, scientists in politics and why Britain needs to stay in Europe.

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:46:12 GMT

This week we have instant reaction to the results from New Hampshire, plus we start to talk seriously about whether Britain might vote to leave the EU. Our guest is Dame Athene Donald, scientist and campaigner, who tells us what politicians get wrong about science and why it's still not a level playing field for women. And for anyone who's still confused, we have a quick primer on how the US primary system actually works. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP03 - Bill Janeway on Silicon Valley, inequality and presidential politics in the age of Google.

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 09:37:12 GMT

This week we look back on what happened in Iowa and ask whether the Sanders campaign can really be compared to Corbynmania, with a little help from our friends in the Brooklyn Nailbar. And what is a populist anyway? Our special guest is the economist and venture capitalist Bill Janeway, who discusses the new twist the digital revolution has given to the long story of popular anger in American politics. Is inequality driving this anger or is it the quality of the jobs now on offer? And what will happen to those jobs when machines can do them more efficiently? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP02 - Anne-Marie Slaughter talks about what is making Americans so fearful and the difference it would make to have a grandmother in the White House.

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 09:29:47 GMT

This week we look at the US elections and speak to our panel and to voters in New York about what Hillary Clinton means to them. We also talk about whether it makes sense to start the search for the leader of the free world in Iowa, and what is a caucus anyway? Our special guest is Anne-Marie Slaughter, one of America's best-known public commentators, who talks about what is making Americans so fearful, whether the two-party system is broken and the difference it would make to have a grandmother in the White House. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S02-EP01 - Jackie Ashley discusses the state of the Labour party and whether we are seeing a new kind of politics.

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 09:42:55 GMT

Jackie Ashley on Corbyn, Labour party splits and riding the wave of anti-politics.The regular Election panel return to talk about Corbyn and Cameron, Clinton and Trump. We look back to what's happened in the UK since we were last with you and ahead to the US presidential election. Our special guest is the leading political commentator Jackie Ashley, who discusses the state of the Labour party, the balance of power between pro- and anti-Corbyn factions and whether we are seeing a new kind of politics.http://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/about-us/election/season-2 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP17 The Election Podcast returns for a special edition, recorded in front of a live audience as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas 2015

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 08:36:14 GMT

We ask special guest Charles Clarke - the former Labour Home Secretary - about political leadership, the Corbyn phenomenon, and what he thinks Labour needs to do in opposition to become a party of government again. The original Election podcast panel also takes part, talking about what’s been happening in British politics since we finished broadcasting in June, as well as also looking ahead to the US primaries and the EU referendum. These are both subjects we will be talking about when ELECTION returns for a second series in January. The panel also take questions from the audience, who were asked to think of an answer to the question: "If Jeremy Corbyn can be elected leader of Labour, what other seemingly impossible things can happen?"(ELECTION returns for a 12 week run from January 2016. Follow @Dept_of_POLIS #ElectionPodcast, OR keep an eye on this page for how to find bonus interviews, features and to find out how pupils at your school or college can be involved.) For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP16 - FINALE: Remembering a remarkable election PLUS Lord Grabiner on the Human Rights Act, the future of Labour & the lessons of Tony Blair

Wed, 27 May 2015 14:23:26 GMT

In the final episode of the series, the team debate what we will remember about this election. We’ve had television debates, a remarkable exit poll, and the ‘Ed Stone’ – but what moments will stick in the public consciousness over the years ahead? And in light of erroneous polls and wild exaggerations of the power of social media, to what extent was this election of illusions? In the end, did it live up to the hype? Then we interview Lord Grabiner QC, influential barrister and someone at the top level of Labour politics, to discuss the Human Rights Act – what it’s really all about, why people feel so strongly about it, and the Conservative strategy for loosening its power over UK law. And as a close ally and friend to David Miliband, we also ask him for his thoughts on the lessons of the Blair years, and whether the elder Miliband plans to return. Finally, the team look forward to the next series in January, which will cover elections across the world, the US presidential primaries, and the evolving... For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP15 - Richard Danbury on television debates, old vs new media & the BBC

Wed, 20 May 2015 14:13:40 GMT

In the penultimate episode of the series, we interview one of the deputy editors of the pioneering prime ministerial television debates in 2010 and a producer of Jeremy Paxman’s piercing interviews with Cameron and Miliband, to discuss the power of old and new forms of media. Do performers make the best politicians? Are the Press as powerful as people think? And what role, if any, did social media play in this election? Then in the week that saw new MPs jostle for seats in Parliament, the regular team discuss the historic twists and turns of unionist politics, the SNP strategy, and the on-going Labour leadership contest. Do ambitious politicians really think five or ten years ahead, and if so, what does that mean for our democracy? Posted 20/5/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP14 - ELECTION RESULT SPECIAL: Former guests discuss the outcome PLUS Chris Huhne on the Lib Dem collapse, electoral reform & the future of progressive politics

Wed, 13 May 2015 13:55:56 GMT

After one of the most unexpected election results in modern political history, we debate what won it for the Conservatives. Was it personality, fear, money, or the issues - and what does it tell us about the British electorate? The team also discuss the hurdles Labour must overcome to recover, and what problems the Conservatives will have to tackle over the coming years. Then we talk to some of our former guests for their reaction – was it what they expected, and if not, why not? Finally we interview Chris Huhne - the former Liberal Democrat Cabinet member who narrowly lost to Nick Clegg for the Party leadership – for his thoughts on the Party’s collapse, what it means for progressive politics, and whether the result spells the end of Coalitions in Britain. Posted 13/5/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP13 - David Howarth on winning an election, Polling Day & the future of democracy

Wed, 06 May 2015 13:18:07 GMT

With one day to go, we interview the former politician and academic David Howarth – who won a surprise victory to become the Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge in 2005 – for his insight on the twists and turns of Polling Day, and the daily pressures of life in Westminster. In a refreshingly candid discussion, he reveals why the ‘public mood’ is a myth, what it’s really like on the campaign trail, why the legacy of the MP expenses scandal makes him fear for the future of our democracy, and how Alex Salmond predicted the key role of minor parties almost a decade ago. Also in this episode, we speak to Khue Pham – foreign correspondent for the leading German newspaper Die Zeit – for a German’s perspective on the quirks of British elections, and whether a grand coalition of Labour and the Conservatives is the answer to our political stalemate. Finally, our regular panel assess their predictions from earlier podcasts, and give their own forecast for tomorrow’s result. Posted 6/5/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP12 - Richard N. Haass on foreign policy, the US perspective & Northern Ireland

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:15:44 GMT

UK politicians have defined this election as the most important for a generation, but is that how it’s seen outside the British bubble? Is this an election with worldwide implications, or has it been blown out of proportion? And why has foreign policy been so neglected in this campaign? We put these questions to Richard N. Haass – senior American diplomat, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, and adviser to four US Presidents from George Bush to Obama – to discuss our election through American eyes. We then turn to Northern Ireland where Mr Haass was US Special Envoy, to discuss the peace process, NI’s potentially important role in this election, and whether The Troubles are well and truly over.Also this week, we ask a group of first time student voters for their perspective – what’s been memorable about their first election, why apathy is so prevalent among young people, and is there room for any optimism about the future? Finally, the regular team discuss the similarities and differences... For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP11 - Sherry Coutu on education, stimulating business & coalitions

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 12:39:09 GMT

In this election the economy has been centre stage - we know what the politicians think, but what about the business community? Are the fortunes of British business rising or falling? Can the UK economy really compete with the likes of China and the US? How can our education system prepare the next generation for the global marketplace? David puts these questions to Sherry Coutu - one of this country’s most respected entrepreneurs and investors - to discuss the relationship between business, technology, and government. The team also debate whether democracies can grapple with complex economic problems; plus first-past-the-post in multi-party elections, the fate of the Liberal Democrats, and in light of this week’s election result in Finland, our tendency to idolise Nordic politics. Posted 22/4/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP10 - Barbara Sahakian on psychology, politics & well-being

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:22:42 GMT

Are our brains hardwired to be left-wing or right-wing? How did mental health become a hot political issue? What advice can brain scientists give politicians to help get their message across? This week David interviews Professor Barbara Sahakian – the renowned neuropsychologist who has worked with the U.K. government on questions of mental health and well-being – to discover the lessons of new scientific research for our politics. The team then discuss the Labour and Conservative manifestos and the inner tensions they reveal within the parties, and what their pledges really mean in an age of coalitions and compromise. And, in the week when Hilary Clinton declared her presidential candidacy, we debate the time spans of political campaigns in the UK and the U.S., and the different ways the two countries do politics. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP09 - Simon Szreter on conspiracy theories, trust in politics & solutions

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 18:45:13 GMT

It is said that trust in politics is at an all-time low. Our politicians are seen as out of touch and out to fill their own pockets. But when does mistrust become something more profound? This week we discuss this phenomenon in its most extreme form: conspiracy theories. What conspiracy theories do the British public believe? How commonplace are they, and how have they spread? Are people really so wrong to believe that the world is run by a secret elite? We interview a team of Cambridge researchers for answers. Then David turns to Professor Simon Szreter - social historian and founder of ‘History & Policy’ - to discuss how academics are trying to find ways of restoring the public’s faith in politics, and bridge the gap between the politicians’ narrow view of the world and how the voters see it. The team also discuss the television debates, politicians’ use (and abuse) of facts and figures, Tony Blair, and UKIP’s strategy for electoral success. Posted 8/4/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP08 - Robert Tombs on Britishness, Britain's place in Europe & the NHS

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 18:20:22 GMT

What makes our politics uniquely ‘British’? Why is there no English Independence Party? How did the NHS become a sacred cow? And will Britannia ever rule the waves again? David puts these questions to Professor Robert Tombs – historian and author of a new epic history of England – to discover the impact of culture and foreign affairs on British political life. The team also review David Cameron and Ed Miliband’s favourite books, the pros and cons of the fixed-term Parliament, the neglected but extraordinary Nigerian election, and what to expect between now and polling day. Posted 1/4/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP07 - SPECIAL: Michael Howard & Stephan Shakespeare on Margaret Thatcher, the true power of polls, and the impact of UKIP in 2015

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:04:13 GMT

Could Margaret Thatcher have won this election? How would the Iron Lady have handled UKIP? Who would win more seats in 2015 – her or David Cameron? In a special episode featuring remarkable research, we put these questions to Michael Howard, former Conservative Leader and member of Mrs Thatcher’s Cabinet, and Stephan Shakespeare, founder of the polling firm YouGov. Other insights include the untold story of how polling impacted the Westminster vote for the Iraq War, why Cameron was wrong to rule out a third-term in office, and the only thing that Michael Howard and Gordon Brown agree upon. Posted 25/3/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP06 - Rae Langton on Charlie Hebdo, free speech vs hate speech & blasphemy

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 19:36:31 GMT

What constitutes hate speech? Does the Press do more harm than good in our democracy? When should words become the government’s business? We put these questions to Professor Rae Langton – award-winning philosopher and the world’s ‘fourth most influential woman thinker’ – and discuss whether free speech can ever be reconciled with a need to suppress hateful voices. The team then discuss the fallout of Ed Miliband’s ‘second kitchen’, whether politicians can – or should – keep their families out of the media spotlight, and the lessons from the Israeli election result. Posted 18/3/15 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP05 - Clare Jackson on the United Kingdom, Scotland & the politics of memory

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:16:08 GMT

Will the United Kingdom stay together? What have England’s politicians got wrong that Scotland’s have got right? Which had the greater impact on the Scottish Independence Referendum result – people’s views of the past, or of a possible future? We put these questions to the historian and documentary-presenter Clare Jackson, whose widely acclaimed BBC series on the Stuart dynasty was broadcast in the run-up to Referendum last year. The team then discuss the potential impact of Scotland in the upcoming election, and the legacy of a vote that saw the highest electoral turnout in over 60 years. Posted 11/3/15. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP04 - John Naughton on Facebook in Politics, Edward Snowden, & Surveillance

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 15:19:49 GMT

Could Facebook really decide the outcome of this election? Is the Internet a positive force for democracy? Why is global surveillance, as unveiled by Edward Snowden, not an electoral issue? We put these questions to Prof John Naughton – author of A Brief History of the Future and early advocate of the Internet’s power to change the world – and ask if politicians are tuned-in to the transformative potential of social media. Putting cynicism to one side, the team then give their good-points about the General Election so far. Posted 4/3/15. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP03 - Martin Jacques on the global perspective, Britain’s decline, & China’s rise

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:36:39 GMT

David asks Martin Jacques – journalist, academic, and author of the bestseller When China Rules the World – if this election matters in global terms. Will the transformation of China overshadow short-term political events in Britain and Europe? How does China adapt in the absence of democratic elections? Is it possible for our politicians to successfully supervise Britain’s steady decline? The team also discuss the week’s political events. Posted 25/2/15. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP02 - Martin Rees on surviving this century, scientists in politics, and 2015

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:07:16 GMT

How can we reconcile short-term politics with the long-term global problems we face? Should scientists wield more political power? Is it fair to criticise politicians for faults in our political system, or is it our failing? Or is democracy itself to blame? David puts these questions to Lord (Martin) Rees – cosmologist, Astronomer Royal, and former President of the Royal Society – and someone who believes that mankind only has a 50% chance of making it through this century without a serious global “setback”. The team then debate this week’s political events. Posted 18/2/15. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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S01-EP01 - Maurice Glasman on democracy, creative destruction and Wolf Hall

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:38:24 GMT

David interviews Lord (Maurice) Glasman - Labour peer, academic, and architect of ‘Blue Labour’ – for his predictions on the outcome of 2015, the future of the Labour Party, and what modern politicians can learn from Wolf Hall. The team then give their forecasts for the Election and scrutinise this week’s political events. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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