In this podcast, Dominic Cummings, former Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister during COVID and director of Vote Leave, discusses the broken state of Western governments and provides insights on how to fix them. Some of the interesting topics covered include the dysfunction within the government, missed opportunities for reform, attracting talent to the civil service, and the importance of government decisions for future generations.

Dominic Cummings, a political strategist and former Chief Adviser to Boris Johnson, reveals the chaotic inner workings of the UK government. He discusses the Conservative Party's failures and the deeper issues around immigration post-Brexit. Listeners hear about the disconnect between media narratives and political reality, as well as the inefficiencies in governance exposed during the pandemic. Cummings also shares personal anecdotes, including the experience of having Benedict Cumberbatch portray him in a film. It's a fascinating dive into political turmoil and reform.

Matthew Syed asks what the world's greatest fighter pilot can tell us about decision making. He discovers a theory that transformed warfare and might have played a key role in Brexit.John Boyd was a rebel. The quintessential cigar-chomping fighter pilot. A legend within the US Air Force, he was known to be able to shoot down any opponent in a dogfight in under 40 seconds.He developed a decision making tool that would take the military by storm – OODA - observe, orient, decide, act. Boyd explained that this process looped, with each action leading to a new opportunity to observe. To defeat an enemy all you had to do was disrupt their OODA loop. Matthew reveals how Boyd devotee Dominic Cummings, deployed OODA during the Brexit campaign with great effect.While the OODA loop is highly effecting in confrontational settings, Matthew asks whether this form of thinking works when co-operation, rather than domination, is the name of the game.Producer: Robbie MacInnesA Novel production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2021.

Dominic Cummings, a political scientist, discusses topics such as Elon, techies in politics, and new elitism. They also touch on the challenges of addressing crime and corruption, the influence of Israeli PR strategy on shaping Western perception, strategies for becoming president, the debate over the British monarchy, and San Francisco's changing tech landscape.

Dominic Cummings, influential figure in UK politics, returns to Whitehall and gives evidence to the COVID Inquiry. The podcast also discusses the UK's response to the conflict in Gaza, Rishi Sunak's AI summit, concerns over the Muslim vote, upcoming public inquiry into Covid-19, and the future of transparency and auto deletion.