Daily Politics from the New Statesman
The New Statesman
Helping you make sense of politics – every weekday.Anoosh Chakelian, Oli Dugmore and the New Statesman team bring you sharp reporting, clear analysis and thoughtful conversations to help you understand what’s really going on in Westminster and beyond.The New Statesman is Britain’s leading source of news and commentary on politics and culture with a progressive perspective. On Daily Politics, our journalists and expert guests cut through the noise of the headlines to explain the forces shaping our world. From the battles inside the Labour Party to the future of the Conservatives, from the rise of Reform UK to the debates that dominate Parliament, we provide the clarity you need to follow UK politics.--START HERE:▶︎ Kemi Badenoch isn't working | Cover Story with Tom McTague▶︎ Do billionaires really benefit the UK?▶︎ One year of Labour rule: can things still only get better?--LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download and subscribe in the New Statesman app to enjoy all our episodes without the ads.--MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question - we answer them on the podcast every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter in your inbox every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday--JOIN US:⭐️ Treat yourself or someone special to big ideas, bold politics and proper journalism from just £2 this Christmas when you subscribe to the New Statesman. Subscribe today at newstatesman.com/xmaspod25--Hosts:Anoosh ChakelianOli DugmoreRegular contributors and co-hosts:Tom McTague, Editor-in-chiefWill Lloyd, Deputy editorAndrew Marr, Political editorGeorge Eaton, Senior editor, politicsHannah Barnes, Associate editorRachel Cunliffe, Associate political editorWill Dunn, Business editorMegan Gibson, Foreign editorKatie Stallard, Global affairs editorTanjil Rashid, Culture editorKate Mossman, Senior writerProduction team:Senior podcast producer: Catharine HughesVideo producer: Rob Le MareAssistant producer: Biba KangExecutive producer: Chris Stone Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Oct 7, 2023 • 24min
How Britain became a dangerous place to have a baby
What are the roots of today’s maternity crisis? Recent research by the Care Quality Commission has found a “concerning decline” in England, with over half of maternity wards rated substandard. Donna Ockenden’s review of Shrewsbury and Telford maternity trust found that, between 2001 and 2019, 201 babies and nine mothers had died avoidable deaths. In this week’s audio long read, the editor of the New Statesman’s Spotlight magazine Alona Ferber traces the origins of this decline – from the advent of woman-centred care in the 1980s to today’s more frayed and divided landscape. Are austerity and political indifference the key factors, and does an ideological split over ‘natural’ and ‘medical’ birth play a part? “Thirty years ago,” Ferber writes, “when power moved from the institution to the individual, that shift was radical, progressive and revolutionary. It was about women’s rights and politics, as much as it was about health. But today the system is so stretched that the nexus of power is nowhere. It is not with clinical staff, nor with families. Instead, we muddle through.” Drawing on interviews with practitioners and her own birth experiences, she pieces together the elements of an ongoing crisis. Written and read by Alona Ferber. This article was originally published on 30 September 2023 and you can read the text version here. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Sophie McBain on The ADHD decade: what’s behind the boom in adult diagnosesSAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 6, 2023 • 26min
Labour takes Rutherglen: the end of SNP domination?
In what has been described by Keir Starmer as a 'seismic result', Labour has taken the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat with more than twice the votes received by the SNP candidate. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ben Walker, the New Statesman's senior data journalist, and Chris Deerin, Scotland editor, to discuss what this result means for the future of Labour, for Scottish politics, and the question of Scottish independence. Submit a question for You Ask Us: https://www.newstatesman.com/YouAskUsDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 5, 2023 • 22min
Is Suella Braverman the future of the Conservative Party?
Rishi Sunak wrapped up this year's Conservative Party conference with an hour long speech in which he finally announced the long-rumoured cancellation of HS2 Manchester. He also proposed a life-ban on smoking and a replacement for A-levels, as well as waging into the culture wars asserting that 'a man is a man and a woman is a woman'.Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Wearmouth and Zoë Grünewald, who have both been in Manchester this week. They discuss the impact of the Prime Minister's speech as well as the future trajectory of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, whose hard-hitting address was well-received by fellow conservatives in the room.Submit a question for You Ask Us: https://www.newstatesman.com/YouAskUsDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 3, 2023 • 25min
How thriving cities can unlock productivity | Sponsored
Economic growth in the UK is stagnating. Can a radical reshaping of private and public sector roles in core cities help unlock productivity and prosperity in Britain? The latest in our Spotlight on Policy series welcomes the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, the CEO of Leeds City Council, Tom Riordan, and PwC’s Public Sector expert Katie Johnston, to explore the role cities can play in boosting Britain’s productivity. This episode is sponsored by PwC.Download the Good Growth for Cities report here: https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/government-public-sector/good-growth.htmlView the PWC productivity tracker: https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/insights/productivity-tracker/regional.htmlFind out more about the UK Urban Futures Commission: https://www.thersa.org/projects/uk-urban-futures-commission SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 2, 2023 • 17min
Soft-launching the end of HS2
We're bringing you this episode from Manchester where this year's Conservative Party conference is taking place. Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, is joined by political correspondent Freddie Hayward, and deputy political editor Rachel Wearmouth to discuss the speculation around the scrapping of HS2 Manchester, as well as Liz Truss's popularity at the conference a year on from her chaotic leadership.Submit a question for You Ask Us: https://www.newstatesman.com/YouAskUsDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 30, 2023 • 48min
A year inside GB News: "what the hell have we done?"
For today’s Audio Long Read we’re bringing you one from our archives, which is suddenly extremely prescient. This week GB News is in the spotlight once again, this time for broadcasting misogynist comments made by Laurence Fox about a female journalist, Ava Evans. The channel has suspended Fox, along with host Dan Wootton, and has apologised for broadcasting the comments. But this is the latest in a long line of incidents in which GB News has pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in broadcast journalism. In 2022 we published Stuart McGurk’s investigation into the origins of the right-wing news channel, speaking to insiders working in the founding team including senior journalists, editorial and production staff, and the chief executive himself. Stuart’s article, which is both alarming and hilarious, sheds light on the tumultuous origins of GB News and provides context for its current battle to be taken seriously.This article was originally published online on the New Statesman in April 2022; you can read the text version here. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might also like Cancel culture comes to GB News, by Clive Martin.SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 29, 2023 • 20min
You Ask Us: What was behind Suella Braverman's speech on immigration?
The Home Secretary made a speech this week in Washington to a right-wing US think tank called the American Enterprise Institute. She made a number eye-catching statements, including “a misguided dogma of multiculturalism” has proven “toxic” for Europe, and the pace of migrant arrivals posed an “existential threat” to the West.Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor and host of the New Statesman podcast, is joined in the studio by Zoë Grünewald, policy and politics correspondent, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent. Together they analyse what was behind Suella Braverman's speech, before discussing what happened at the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth earlier this week.Submit a question for You Ask Us: https://www.newstatesman.com/YouAskUsDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 28, 2023 • 22min
Who really controls Britain's right wing?
The Conservatives have been in power for more than 13 years under five different prime ministers. We have experienced Cameroon austerity, Mayite statism, Johnsonite populism, and Trussite libertarianism. But who now wields the greatest influence among the Tories and on the British right?George Eaton, senior editor, joins the podcast to discuss the publication of the New Statesman's inaugural Right Power List – a guide to the 50 most influential people in conservative politics.This podcast is hosted by Anoosh Chakelilan, Britain editor at the New Statesman.Submit a question for You Ask Us: https://www.newstatesman.com/YouAskUsDownload the app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our daily politics email: https://morningcall.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 25, 2023 • 29min
IQ fetishism, in Silicon Valley and beyond
Where does the concept of IQ fetishism originate? And why has it resurfaced in contemporary discussions, particularly within the tech-right movement? Join historian Quinn Slobodian as he discusses how IQ-based hierarchies have influenced societal perceptions and policies and the potential societal consequences and divisions resulting from the prevalence of such thinking.The host for this episode is senior editor for China and global affairs, at the New Statesman.You can read Quinn Slobodian's full piece The rise of the new tech right here.Download the New Statesman app:iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=USSubscribe to the New Statesman from £1 per week:https://newstatesman.com/podcastofferSign up to our weekly Saturday Read emailhttps://saturdayread.substack.com/SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2023 • 36min
The philosopher and the crypto king: Sam Bankman-Fried and the effective altruism delusion | Audio Long Read
At the time of writing, the crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried is due to stand trial on 3 October 2023. He stands accused of fraud and money-laundering on an epic scale through his currency exchange FTX. Did he gamble with other people’s money in a bid to do the maximum good? In this week’s long read, the New Statesman’s associate editor Sophie McBain examines the relationship between Bankman-Fried and the Oxford-based effective altruism (EA) movement. The billionaire was a close associate and supporter of William MacAskill, the Scottish moral philosopher who many consider EA’s leader. It was MacAskill who had persuaded him – and many other young graduates – to earn more, in order to give more. But how much money was enough – and what should they spend it on? Was EA just “a dumb game we woke Westerners play”, as Bankman-Fried told one journalist? In conversations with EA members past and present, McBain hears how the movement was altered by its enormous wealth. As the trial of its biggest sponsor approaches, will effective altruism survive – or be swallowed by its more cynical Silicon Valley devotees? Written and read by Sophie McBain. This article originally appeared in the 22-28 September 2023 edition of the New Statesman; you can read the text version here. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might also like Big Tech and the quest for eternal youth, by Jenny Kleeman.SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
