UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

An inside look at Tony Blair's daily life and the activities of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Discussing the challenges of a globalized technocratic world and accountability. Exploration of Tony Blair's financial situation and motivations. Examining power, accountability, and democracy. Exploring the international aspects of the Tony Blair Institute and discussing the Future of Britain conference and Tony Blair's influence.

Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, falsely classified as a politically exposed person (PEP), shares her experience of being debanked due to her Russian connections. She discusses her family history and journey of rediscovering her Russian heritage. The podcast also explores the world of Russian oligarchs and the challenges faced by Russian opponents of Putin in terms of having their accounts shut down and lacking a bank account as a human right.

US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are ready to do a deal, according to the historian, military strategist and advisor to the US government Edward Luttwak. The comments were made in a discussion this week with UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers, during which Luttwak argued that “a shift in the overall situation” has resulted in both leaders being more willing to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war.The author, who has worked inside and outside of the Pentagon and the US Department of State for decades, believes that channels between the CIA and the Kremlin are sufficiently open for peace talks to develop. Following the aborted Wagner Group uprising at the end of last month, CIA chief William Burns spoke directly to Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, to reassure him there was no CIA involvement in the rebellion. For Luttwak, this implies “a certain overall attitude and willingness to communicate”, while Naryshkin’s very presence in the Kremlin is further evidence that the war could be coming to an end.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining UnHerd to talk about why so few voices in public life and the media have spoken out against the shipment of cluster bombs, and about the recession of anti-war sentiment more widely, is the academic and writer Ashok Swain. A professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University in Sweden, he is one of the world’s leading experts on conflict resolution. His nation of residence is now set to join Nato, and he sat down with Freddie Sayers to unpick how Sweden’s proposed membership goes against its history of neutrality.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At its peak, the Roman Empire was perhaps the greatest civilisation in history. But like so many cultures before and after it, it declined and finally ended. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer financed groups lobbying for Covid-19 vaccine mandates, the investigative reporter Lee Fang has claimed. Speaking to UnHerd’s Florence Read, Fang discussed a recent report he wrote in which he uncovered the Chicago Urban League’s acceptance of a special $100,000 donation from Pfizer that was not publicly disclosed. Fang suggested that such a lack of disclosure could have a particularly negative impact on African Americans, who have historically been victims of medical malpractice in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retired US General Kevin Ryan discusses the possibility of Putin deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The podcast explores the indicators suggesting this scenario, the potential targets, and the extent of radiation damage. It also analyzes the US/NATO response and the need for preparedness. The discussion delves into the potential nuclear threat from Russia and the importance of adapting Western strategy in the face of this threat.

UnHerd's Florence Read sits down with ex-Olympian swimmer Sharron Davies to discuss her new book 'Unfair Play, and the fraught issue of trans participation in sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer Paul Kingsnorth discusses resisting the soulless nature of human life, the loss of meaningful things like forests, the impact of COVID on politics and worldviews, becoming a 'cooked barbarian' to challenge the machine's control, the relationship between capitalism, religion, and the state, exploring Wicca and old gods, and the mystical connection between Ireland's sacred sites and its people.

UnHerd's Freddie Sayers sits down with Richard Dawkins to discuss God, vaccines and his poetic spirit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.