The Owen Jones Podcast

As the French people are now forced to choose between the neo-liberal Emmanual Macron and the far-right Marine Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election, we talk to the fascinating young French intellectual Edouard Louis - about what this means for France, for the left, and what hope there is in a bleak political landscape.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On both sides of the Atlantic, the war on trans people is escalating - from Republican legislation in the United States, to an increasingly feverish moral panic in the UK. What can be done, including by cis allies - and what are the stakes?Joining us are three brilliant trans activists from both the UK and US: Arden Hart, Felix F. Fern and Arthur Webber.Help us take on the anti-LGBTQ media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much of the world were relieved when Donald Trump was defeated back in 2020 - but as Joe Biden's administration plunges new depths of unpopularity, how much of a mess is it in? Whose fault is the stalling of the domestic agenda? How serious are his gaffes on Russia's invasion of Ukraine? What hope of a progressive fightback - not least as midterms loom, and Trump is ahead in the polls?We're joined by brilliant commentators from across the Atlantic.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rishi Sunak's ill-deserved popularity has finally crashed. His positive approval ratings were entirely fuelled by furlough in the Covid era - but now policies which are hammering working people who have suffered the longest squeeze in wages since the Napoleonic era have come to bite. Just how bad are his economic policies - and what is the alternative?We are joined by Gary Stevenson - former Citibank trader and campaigner against inequality.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As P&O sack 800 staff - many by video message, others marched off ships like criminals - and reportedly replace them with Eastern European workers on £2.60 an hour, what does this say about Britain's woefully unjust economic model - and how do we fight back?We are joined by Mick Lynch - general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At least 1,200 Ukrainians are believed to have died in Mariupol alone - killed by Putin's brutal invasion of the country - while thousands of Russian soldiers may be dead. As Russia becomes bogged down in Ukraine, the war is becoming increasingly violent - and a horrific siege of Kyiv may be imminent. Rumours abound too that Putin may resort to chemical weapons. How badly is the invasion going for Russia, what happens next - and what lengths could Putin resort to?We're joined by Tom Burgis, investigative journalist and author of Kleptopia, to explain how we crack down on oligarchs linked to Putin; Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies, to tell us the state of the Russia invasion; and Adam Bienkov, on Boris Johnson's links to media mogul Evgeny Lebedev.We're also joined by Jeed Basyoun from Reprieve to discuss Saudi Arabia's mass executions.Please subscribe and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://www.patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of 2013, a letter apparently setting out an Islamist extremist plot take over schools was set to Birmingham City Council: it prompted a massive national scandal, official inquiries and changes to the law. One small problem: it was fake. The viral hit Trojan Horse Affair podcast - presented by Serial's Brian Reed and Hamza Syed - brilliantly set out the astonishing truth about this scandal, which reveals damning truth about British society, our media and our politics.But since the podcast was released, much of the British media has aggressively come from Syed and Reed and their work - so the two meet us, explain the truth of what they've found - and face down the critics.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine continues with catastrophic human consequences - just how bad can things get? What sort of atrocities could Putin's regime inflict to subjugate the nation, including conquering its cities, not least Kyiv? And with siren voices in the West calling for a No Fly Zone - which would entail war with a nuclear armed power - is an apocalyptic scenario unthinkable?We're joined by Ukrainian social scientist Volodymyr Ishchenko and by Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This isn't just any strike: it's a story of modern Britain, of workers suffering a cost of living crisis but with no major political party willing to champion them. These Coventry bin drivers are striking against a Labour council, and the Unite union is threatening to pull the plug on their funding for a cash-strapped Labour over the dispute. With the social crisis only set to escalate - this is a sign of things to come.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right wing media: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russia launches a war of aggression against Ukraine - has it backfired? There are signs the invasion may not be going to plan as Ukrainians courageously put up resistance, while anti-war sentiment has been expressed in surprising sections of Russian society. What are Putin's prospects, what happens next - and how is it all likely to end?We're joined from St. Petersburg by researcher and anti-war activist Ilya Matveev and Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies.Please subscribe - and help us take on the establishment media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.