Byline Podcast

Tens of thousands of Palestinians – many of them non combatants - have been killed since October 7th when Hamas launched a series of co-ordinated incursions into Israel. 1200 Israelis – most of them civilians - were slaughtered - and more than 100 hostages taken at the time are still in captivity.Israel’s response – designed it says to free the hostages and destroy Hamas – has led to the deaths of more than 29,000 people. 85% of the population of Gaza has been displaced. Critics like South Africa have accused Israel of genocide – a claim being tested in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.The latest flashpoint is Rafah on the border with Egypt where more than a million Palestinians have fled in the hope of finding safety, only to learn that Israel will launch a ground offensive if the remaining hostages aren’t freed by March 10th – the start of the holy month of Ramadan.Meanwhile in debating the issue, the UK parliament has been caught up in procedural rows that seem to make a mockery of the very serious issue at stake. So why is it so hard to just call for a ceasefire?Adrian Goldberg hears from Shaista Aziz once a Labour councillor in Oxford who quit over Keir Starmer’s support of the Israeli government’s stance and Byline Times political editor Adam Bienkov.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are Citizens Assemblies the way to make up the so-called "democratic deficit" which leaves many people estranged from parliament?Sue Gray the former senior civil servant who reported on Partygate during Boris Johnson’s time as Prime Minister seems to think so. In her first interview as chief of staff to Keir Starmer, she revealed that plans are being drawn up to bypass Whitehall and involve the public directly in decision making.Citizens assembles are credited with building consensus in Ireland for allowing gay marriage and ending the ban on abortion. But what exactly are they? How do they work? And will they undermine the role of MPs?Adrian Goldberg hears from Sarah Castell, CEO of the Involve Foundation, which aims to put people at the heart of decision making and Rebecca Willis is a Professor of energy and climate governance at Lancaster University who was behind the Climate Assembly which worked with the UK parliament in 2020.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Tories are trounced in two by elections is there any way back for Rishi Sunak?Labour overturned Peter Bone’s 18,000 majority in the Northamptonshire seat of Wellingborough – a “catastrophically bad” defeat according to Gavin Barwell, an ex Conservative MP and Theresa May’s former chief of staff.Labour also overcame an 11,000 majority in Kingswood in South Gloucesteshire.This is obviously great news for Keir Starmer; but Reform UK, the party that grew from the ashes of UKIP came third in both by elections offering a threat to the Tories on the right.Adrian Goldberg talks to Byline Times political editor Adam Bienkov and Jon Tonge, professor of politics at Liverpool University.Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by Adrian Goldberg/We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introducing Vote Watch, a new Byline Times campaign to ensure that the upcoming UK general election is both free and fair. We want to hold political parties of all stripes to account by making sure that rules around voting and donations are observed; and to identify those trying to unduly influence the outcome of the ballot, whether through bots on social media, artificial intelligence or supposed grass roots campaigns that are in fact a front for one undeclared interest or another.It's an issue which has been brought into sharp focus recently by changes to rules around voting eligibility and election finance, which led the Labour MP Dawn Butler to say she fears the Conservatives are trying to steal the next election.A new strategy document set out for the The Electoral Commission has also roused fears that ministers might be leaning on this supposedly independent voting watchdog.We want you to act as our eyes and ears in the months ahead, and there’s a crowdfunder too, so that you can help support our work. You can also email votewatch24@bylinetimes.comAdrian Goldberg hears from Byline Times chief reporter Josiah Mortimer and Byline Times editor Hardeep Matharu.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The two likeliest contenders to be the next UK Prime Minister have both come under pressure in recent days...PM Rishi Sunak mocked Kier Starmer's stance on trans women, even though the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was in the Visitors Gallery of the House of Commons; meanwhile Starmer himself, the Leader of the Opposition, has been criticised for u-turning on Labour's Green Prosperity Plan.Byline Times Political Editor Adam Bienkov assesses the performance of two leaders under pressure with Adrian Goldberg.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Foreign secretary Lord Cameron has said rather than waiting for a successful outcome of peace talks in the Middle East the UK would consider the idea of Palestinian state during negotiations. It’s a subtle but important shift in emphasis in the government's position – the idea, said Cameron, is to give the Palestinian people “a political horizon”. In other words, a route to statehood a without having to resort to violence.The initiative been welcomed by the Palestinian mission in London, but rejected by the Israeli government.Adrian Goldberg hears from Hannah Weisfeld, Executive Director of Yachad, an organisation whose primary mission is to empower British Jews to support a political resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty five years after an amazing demonstration of people power in Birmingham which led to the cancellation of billions of dollars worth of debt in the developing world, Adrian Goldberg asks - is it time for a repeat performance?Adrian hears from Ruth Stephens who devised a Human Chain which attracted 70,000 participants at a G8 summit in 1998, attended by Tony Blair and President Clinton. Plus Heidi Chow from Debt Justice and Precious Kalombwana in Zambia.  Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Byline Times political editor Adam Bienkov assesses how the two likeliest rivals to become PM are measuring up in the polls. Produced and presented in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Britain sliding to war in the Middle East? The RAF has once again taken part in US led attacks on military sites in Yemen from where Houthi fighters have been targeting cargo vessels in the Red Sea - one of the world’s most important commercial shipping routes. This followed similar action on the 11 January.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insists the UK’s military action amounts to nothing more than self defence; and that its unconnected to the conflict between Israel and Gaza. But is that how it will be seen in Yemen itself and more widely in the Middle East? If the Houthi’s step up their attacks is there a risk of further escalation, perhaps involving the Houthi’s backers Iran, and their rivals Saudi Arabia.Adrian Goldberg hears from David Wearing, an expert on UK foreign relations in the Middle East and Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the NHS putting patients at risk by expanding the role of medical professionals who aren’t qualified as doctors? Physician Associates have been around in the Health Service for a couple of decades now and there are plans to more than double their numbers in an attempt to plug gaps in the workforce. They don’t have a medical degrees and while they must complete a two year training course, there are concerns that physician associates don’t meet the ‘gold standard’ of a qualified medic.In one tragic case, Emily Chesterton died in 2022 when a physician associate at her GP surgery in London misdiagnosed a fatal blood clot as first a sprain, then anxiety. This week, MP’s have been discussing whether to bring Physician Associates and Anaesthetist Associates under the regulation of the General Medical Council.Adrian Goldberg hears from Dr Matt Kneale, co chair of the Doctors Association, a lobbying group which describes itself as 'the voice of frontline doctors'.Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg. Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times. Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices