The Prospect Podcast

Brown sauce, like many things in the UK, came from the spoils of empire. Also, like many things in the UK, it’s become a lightning rod for endless debates about class, snobbery, and English identity. Where did brown sauce come from, and why does it occupy such a fraught space in Britain’s public imagination?Writer and novelist Caroline O’Donoghue has just joined Prospect as a life columnist, where she will be reflecting on the big stories behind our supposedly “small” everyday objects. She joins this week’s podcast to talk about the idea behind her column, and why she kicked it off with a reflection on the humble hero enlivening many an English plate: HP sauce. The tangy condiment has more to do with the Labour Party than you might think. You can read Caroline’s first column for Prospect, on brown sauce, here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/caroline-odonoghue-brown-sauce-column Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A WhatsApp group that got started on Twitter helped journalist Suchandrika Chakrabarti process personal grief that she had been carrying for decades. Adult orphans around the world have started a group chat in which members amongst themselves about loneliness, grief—and just about everything else.At a time when social media seems to be dominated by shouty voices, division and trolls, could this WhatsApp group pave a new way of relating to one another online?Suchandrika’s article can be found here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/orphans-young-whatsapp-grief-death-parentAnd you can read Stephanie Boland’s article on Twitter here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/philosophy/why-we-cant-handle-online-criticism Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Veganuary; fake cheese; lab-grown meat. "Plant-based" diets have become trendier and more mainstream over the past few years. It's often said that in the era of environmental disaster, we should all eating less meat. But can going vegan really help fend off climate change? Journalist Hephzibah Anderson joins the Prospect interview to talk about the curious history of veganism, the academic debates around its environmental promises, and the easy traps of politics based around consumer choices.You can read Hephzibah's feature on the "Green New Meal" here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/veganism-climate-change-environment-pros-cons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Rebecca Long-Bailey to Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy to Keir Starmer and beyond—who will win the top spot? Former political adviser and Labour Party insider Tom Hamilton joins the Prospect podcast this week to discuss everything you need to know about the Labour leadership contest. We run through the timetable for the vote, the procedures, and what this means for the broader direction for the party overall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brexit, Trump, international protests, the era of the “strongman”: Is liberalism really in crisis, or will it come out of this historical era changed, but essentially unscathed? Political theorist Katrina Forrester joins the Prospect podcast to talk about liberalism past and present, and the thought of icon of 20th century liberalism, John Rawls. Katrina’s book, In the Shadow of Justice: Postwar Liberalism and the Remaking of Political Philosophy is published by Princeton University Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prospect's editors talk last night's election in this special edition of the podcast. What lessons were learned, what were the high and low points of the campaigns, and will the Union remain in tact? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure it's a good idea in theory, but does meritocracy really work in real life? Yale law school professor Daniel Markovits joins the Prospect podcast and tells us why he's sceptical. Far from seeing a world where people can get ahead regardless of one's social background, Markovits instead argues that meritocracy has also emerged alongside a greater concentration of wealth and privilege, more so than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did the death of one man radically alter the course of modern English philosophy? Biographer and philosopher Ray Monk joins the Prospect Podcast to talk about the life and work of RG Collingwood, a 20th century intellectual whose premature death may have led to discipline to take a different—and according to Monk, less rich—direction today. Ray Monk’s article on RG Collingwood can be read here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/how-the-untimely-death-of-rg-collingwood-changed-the-course-of-philosophy-forever-gilbert-ryle-ray-monk-analytic-continental Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What really was the East India Company, and how does its legacy affect Britain today? Historian William Dalrymple joins the Prospect podcast this week to talk about Britain’s imperial legacy and how the company grew from being a silks and spices trader to an engine of colonialism. William’s book, The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company is out with Bloomsbury.Plus: Steve Bloomfield and Sameer Rahim on teaching history in schools Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Windrush scandal was just the tip of the iceberg. It was a result of, and part of a long-ranging Home Office strategy to create a hostile environment for Britain’s immigrants. Writer and researcher Maya Goodfellow joins the Prospect podcast this week to discuss the UK’s current and historic immigration policies, and what she learned from talking to migrants and asylum seekers while writing her book, Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.