Daily Politics from the New Statesman

As Stephen writes in his latest political column, a concensus is growing among the commentariat that Keir Starmer is not up to the job. But does this underestimate the gains he’s made outside of the Westminster bubble?On this episode of the New Statesman Podcast, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss why this matters for the future of Starmer’s leadership.Then, in You Ask Us, they take your questions on whether Labour needs to embrace flags, veterans and dressing up smartly.We'd love to hear from you.Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk.You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewSubscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12If you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.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.

The European Commission has rowed back on their 'hugely inflammatory' attempt to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, after outcry from the British and Irish governments. The fact that it was even attempted in the first place exposes a misunderstanding of the Irish border on the part of the EU, and sets a dangerous precedent.On this episode of the New Statesman Podcast, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss why the decision was made to invoke the clause, and the implications it raises. Then, in You Ask Us, they answer your question on whether a nominally leftwing party can ever justify a closed border policy.Further Reading:Stephen writes that the EU doesn't understand the Irish border any better than the Brexiteers do.Ailbhe argues that by attempting to trigger Article 16, the EU has lost the moral high ground.Anoosh has been following the cladding crisis, and reports here on the millions of people stuck in unsafe homes as a result.We'd love to hear from you.Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk.You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewSubscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12If you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.Topics in this episodeEuropeUKIrelandNorthern IrelandArticle 16Northern Ireland protocolBrexitCovid-19VaccineThe DUPConservativesEuropean CommissionPeople in this episodeArlene FosterBoris JohnsonUrsula Von der LayenJean Claude JunckerKeir StarmerStephen BushAnoosh ChakelianAilbhe ReaSAVE £££ 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.

Over 100,000 people have now died with Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. In this episode, Stephen, Anoosh and Ailbhe look at the mistakes that were made, how they might yet be countered, and what the electoral cost of the disaster will be when the country next heads to the polls.We'd love to hear from you. Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk.You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.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.

Travellers to the UK from Covid hotspots will be required to quarantine in hotels, under plans expected to be announced this week. Epidimiologists have long been arguing for tighter border controls, but debate continues among MPs who are divided on how tough these measures should be.On The New Statesman podcast Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss whether the government's plans are sufficient to protect the UK against new coronavirus variants, and what the divisions in cabinet mean for this new effort to contain the virus. Then, in You Ask Us, they tackle your question on whether the upcoming Welsh elections have a wider importance.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.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.

Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Boris Johnson struggled to answer a question about whether the new US leader is 'woke'. On this episode of the New Statesman Podcast, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss the debate that ensued, and whether the so-called 'culture wars' pack an electoral punch. Then, in You Ask Us, they take your question on whether Westminster can go on denying another Scottish independence referendum for the remainder of this parliament.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.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.

As the commons prepares to vote on whether to extend the £20 uplift to universal credit - due to be reduced at the end of March - Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss the divisions it exposes in the Conservative party, and whether Labour's position is consistent. Then, in You Ask Us, they take your question on whether Keir Starmer's leadership has learned the lessons of his predecessor (but one), Ed Miliband.Read more on NewStatesman.com: Stephen: Why Conservative defensiveness over Universal Credit shows how politics has changedAnoosh: It would be morally indefensible – and politically foolish – to cut Universal CreditAilbhe: Keir Starmer opens up on foreign policy and conversations with Barack ObamaWe'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.Topics in this episode:Universal CreditWelfareThe Labour PartyThe Conservative PartyLeadershipUK politicsPeople mentioned in this episode:Keir StarmerBoris JohnsonJeremy CorbynEd MilibandDiane AbbottSAVE £££ 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.

As Britain's hospitals face crisis, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss what it really means for the NHS to be overwhelmed. Then, in You Ask Us, they take your questions on the food parcel scandal and the most effective routes to tackling poverty.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.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.

On Monday, Keir Starmer made his first big speech of the year, which was widely reported as an excoriating attack on the Prime Minister's flawed response to the Covid crisis. Beyond his comments on the pandemic, though, Starmer was also making a streetwise move to set his party up for strong case in future elections. In this episode of the New Statesman podcast, Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss what Keir Starmer was actually trying to say. Then, in You Ask Us, they take your questions on whether lockdown restrictions need tightening - are the British public really to blame for rising cases, as the Government claims?Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Anoosh Chakelian is @Anoosh_C and Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Topics discussed in this episodeSir Keir Starmer speechLabour partyCoronavirus / Covid 19Covid vaccineFurloughLockdownFamilyCouncil taxBenefitsBusinessUK lockdown restrictionsHospitalsPeople mentioned in this episodeSir Keir StarmerBoris JohnsonSAVE £££ 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.

Stephen Bush and Ailbhe Rea discuss the aftermath of the shocking scenes from Washington as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building, and what those events mean for changing international norms around politics and the media. Then, in You Ask Us, they look at what impact lockdown scepticism has actually had on UK Government policy.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12More audio from the New Statesman: listen to our weekly global affairs show World ReviewIf you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.Topics in this podcast:US politicsUS electionProtestCapitol HillPro-Trump riotsMediaCNNFox NewsBBCUK politicsUK GovernmentConservative PartyCoronavirusCovid-19LockdownPeople discussed in this podcast:Donald TrumpJoe BidenNancy PelosiProtestorsBoris JohnsonSAVE £££ 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.

Stephen Bush and Ailbhe Rea sit down for the first time in 2021 to discuss the government's response to the new Covid variation, the inevitability of a new national lockdown, and the political fallout for Boris Johnson. They also take your questions on Labour's uncertain stance on school closures.Subscribing to the New Statesman helps us keep producing this podcast. You can now subscribe for 12 weeks for just £12. Visit newstatesman.com/subscribe12If you are a New Statesman digital subscriber you can get ad-free access to this podcast by visiting newstatesman.com/nssubscribers.We'd love to hear from you! Send us your You Ask Us questions at youaskus.co.uk. You can follow Stephen Bush on twitter @stephenkb. Ailbhe Rea is @PronouncedAlva.***Topics in this podcast: UK CoronavirusCovid 19The NHSNational lockdown restrictionsSchool closuresScotland, Wales and Northern IrelandDevolved administrationsPolitical impact of the crisis for Boris JohnsonLabourConservativesLiberal DemocratsPeople mentioned this podcast:Boris JohnsonNicola SturgeonKeir StarmerEd DaveySAVE £££ 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.