The Fourcast

Luke Tryl, a public-opinion pollster, Megan Kenyon, a New Statesman political correspondent, and Rachel Millward, Green deputy leader, examine the fallout from Labour’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election win. They debate Zack Polanski’s leadership, membership power, concerns over antisemitism and Gaza, and whether the Greens can reconnect with voters through climate, cost-of-living and NHS priorities amid Britain’s volatile five-party politics.

Sir Mark Lyall Grant, former UK National Security Adviser and UN ambassador, joins a discussion on Europe’s intensifying spy wars. Topics include alleged German intelligence leaks, a British sailor charged with espionage, Russian sabotage and cyberattacks, online recruitment, consultancy traps, signals intelligence, and the rise of deniable proxy operations.

Ian Woods, author of Surviving Execution, Robin Maher, a death-penalty policy expert, and Dr. Joel Zivot, an anesthesiologist advising Christa Pike’s defense, examine her unprecedented survival after two lethal injections. They explore the medical failures behind the botched execution, wrongful convictions, the trauma of death row, physician ethics, and whether capital punishment can ever avoid cruel suffering.

Trita Parsi, an Iranian-American foreign-policy analyst, Jim Townsend, a former senior Pentagon official, and David Jordan, a defence analyst, examine the RAF Fairford drama. Why did US bombers suddenly leave Britain? Could Iran claim a tactical and propaganda win? They explore Tehran’s evolving missile and cyber strategy, the risks of escalation, Trump-era uncertainty, and whether the UK-US alliance is ready for modern threats.

A Flydubai flight plunges 14,000 feet after an alleged cockpit attack, sparking a dramatic struggle involving passengers and off-duty pilots. The discussion explores whether the incident was a hijacking attempt, suicide plot or something else, along with aviation security, insider threats and pilot mental health. It also examines Netanyahu’s political response, Israel-UAE ties and the lack of evidence linking the event to Iran.

Football finance expert and author Kieran Maguire joins chief football writer Darren Lewis to examine Manchester City’s financial-rule verdict. They explore alleged sham sponsorships, possible points deductions or expulsion, compensation claims from affected clubs, and whether titles could be stripped. The discussion also tackles City’s appeal, football’s culture of financial greed, and the lasting damage to the club’s golden era.

Mariana Mazzucato, economist and founder of UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and Fraser Nelson, journalist and editor of The Spectator, debate Britain’s route to growth. They clash over taxes, regulation, welfare reform and public investment, while exploring housing, infrastructure, innovation, corporate governance and whether smarter government can deliver a more inclusive economy.

Tsedale Lemma, Ethiopian journalist and founder of the Addis Standard, joins Nicholas Westcott, a diplomacy professor and former Royal African Society director. They examine Ethiopia’s fragile peace, the TPLF-led alliance of seven armed groups, and the risk of renewed war. The discussion explores Eritrea, Egypt and other regional powers, Abiy Ahmed’s Red Sea ambitions, and whether international institutions can prevent a wider conflict.

Bronwen Maddox, chief executive of Chatham House and a leading British foreign-policy analyst, explores the shifting balance between Donald Trump’s America and Xi Jinping’s China. They discuss China’s industrial rise, rare-earth leverage, Nvidia’s AI chips, Taiwan’s growing vulnerability and the risk of a dangerous superpower rivalry. The conversation also examines whether competition can avoid war and how AI may reshape global power.

Alicia Kearns, Conservative MP and foreign-policy specialist; Lord Beamish, intelligence oversight chair; and Nina Jankowicz, disinformation researcher and author, examine Russia’s influence operations, political interference and online manipulation. They debate the UK’s proposed information defence centre, tech platforms, media literacy and pre-bunking, while confronting a difficult question: how can democracy resist hostile propaganda without turning free speech into censorship?