Shows / The Politics Show
The Politics Show
Helping you make sense of politics – every week.
Anoosh Chakelian and the New Statesman team bring you sharp reporting, clear analysis and thoughtful conversations to help you understand what’s really going on in Westminster and beyond.
The New Statesman is Britain’s leading source of news and commentary on politics and culture with a progressive perspective. On The Politics Show, our journalists and expert guests cut through the noise of the headlines to explain the forces shaping our world…
Episodes
The Politics ShowA year undercover on the far right
The far right now makes up a third of terrorism convictions and a majority of referrals to the governments Prevent counter-radicalisation scheme But what fuels…
The Politics Show100 years of The Great Gatsby
Tom Gatti meets authors Sarah Churchwell and Erica Wagner to discuss why The Great Gatsby is still relevant a century after it was published. Considered by…
The Politics ShowReform wins: dire for Labour, existential for Tories
Yesterday elections took place up and down the country, for councils, six mayoral contests, and a by-election. What we’re looking at today is a big win for…
The Politics ShowTrump finally invests in Ukraine
Overnight, Ukraine and the United States have signed a long-awaited minerals deal. Hannah Barnes is joined by political editor Andrew Marr and international…
The Politics ShowTrump's 100 day fight with democracy
In the short period which has elapsed since Donald Trump took office (again) in January, he has slashed public health funding, gone after education, attacked…
The Politics ShowDo billionaires truly benefit the country?
The politics team answers listener questions on council tax, the voters ignored by Labour and the Tories, and the true value of billionaires. Hannah Barnes is…
The Politics ShowUkraine peace talks crumble
After the purported 'Easter truce' fighting has resumed in Ukraine and Russia, meanwhile peace talks in the West have broken down with the US speaking to…
The Politics ShowThis isn't China's first rodeo (or trade war)
China's modern history is also a story about trade. So how will the echoes of the past 200 years shape the trade war that Donald Trump has waged on the world's…
The Politics ShowShould we have an elected House of Lords?
Former senior civil servant Jill Rutter joins the podcast to answer listener questions on the inner workings of government. This episode is hosted by the New…
The Politics ShowAmerica's greatest hoax
How did a joke gone awry in 1967 forever changed the nation’s relationship with the truth? Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Phil Tinline, a regular writer for the…
The Politics ShowBig Pharma: Gaming the system
Major pharmaceutical companies - or Big Pharma - research, develop and distribute medicines and treatments that we rely upon. However, their pursuit of…
The Politics ShowCan the government’s AI Action Plan drive innovation and growth in the UK?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new 50-point AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to drive national growth and transform public services. In this episode host Jon…
The Politics ShowRuncorn by-election decisive for British politics
The first of May is set to be a big day for local government with council elections, mayoral races, and even a by-election taking place. Rachel Cunliffe is…
The Politics ShowA big bad week for money
Thanks to Donald Trump and his dodgy formula, last week tariffs were applied to countries all over the world. Consequently, the stock markets had their worst…
The Politics ShowStrongman at The Hague: The fall of Duterte
Rodrigo Duterte led a bloody war on drugs — now he faces The Hague. As the former Philippine president is brought closer to justice, what could his fall could…
The Politics ShowThe untold story of Picasso's muses
The women who loved Picasso shaped his art in surprising ways. -- YOUR NEXT EPISODE: Why we can't let go of Never Let Me Go -- "We look at paintings to imagine…
The Politics ShowRussia's next war?
As Putin wages a shadow war across the European continent—and the US commitment to NATO grows uncertain—we ask: would the West really defend the Baltic states…
The Politics ShowAmerican beef
Yesterday the US president Donald Trump unveiled his plans for his long trailed tariff liberation day. After a lengthy ‘speech’ about the cost of eggs and why…
The Politics ShowThe fight for Greenland
US President Donald Trump has his sights set on making Greenland part of the US, claiming the autonomous, self-governing territory of Denmark is essential "for…
The Politics ShowThe ageing rock gods and me - Kate Mossman on meeting KISS, Bon Jovi, Terence Trent D'arby and more
"Meet your heroes - it'll help you get over them" Kate Mossman is known for her singular, surprising and ultra-perceptive interviews - in which she often…
The Politics ShowWhy aren't we getting a wealth tax?
How would it work? Can a state really find out how rich someone is? If Britain were to introduce serious wealth taxes, would the super rich simply leave?…
The Politics ShowUnpacking a grim Spring Statement
Growth has halved, welfare has been cut, and defence is hoovering up more and more. Things are looking, and sounding, pretty grim for the Chancellor - and in…
The Politics ShowAre we living through an overdiagnosis epidemic?
In today's Spring Statement Labour are having to make cuts - and welfare has been hit hard. Last week the health secretary Wes Streeting said that too many…
The Politics ShowWhy we can't let go of Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro's most popular novel is as relevant today as when it was published 20 years ago. -- When it was published in 2005, Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never…
The Politics ShowWhy can't the left be mobilised?
Are Labour on track for their target of 1.5million homes? What is NHS England? Why can't the Green's electrify the left in the same way that Reform has done…
The Politics ShowIs Boris Johnson ... back?
The prospect of peace in Ukraine, Liz Kendall's welfare cut announcements, and while Kemi Badenoch flails as Conservative leader ... who's waiting around the…
The Politics ShowNato’s fragile future
Since Nato’s inception in 1949, the US has always formed a central part of the alliance and been the biggest contributor to its defensive strength. However…
The Politics ShowHow The Beatles' love story shaped the 20th Century
A fateful meeting at a village fête "tilted" the 20th Century "on its axis" So argues Ian Leslie in his new book, John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs. In the…
The Politics ShowPanic! at the "Nigel dog-and-pony show"
Given the Rupert Lowe drama, what does the future looks like for Reform and Farage? Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and George Eaton to answer listener…
The Politics ShowIt's time to debloat the flabby state
This morning the PM announced that the state is overstretched and unfocused. The solution? NHS England has been scrapped, quangos are to be slashed, and the…
The Politics ShowThe return of America First
In recent weeks President Trump’s foreign policy pronouncements have been loud and abrasive. American allies watched in barely concealed dismay as the US…
The Politics ShowLady Gaga and the evolution of the pop icon
Lady Gaga rewrote the rules of female pop stardom. Now she's back with a new album. Can she do it again? Kate Mossman reviewed Lady Gaga's latest album…
The Politics ShowWhat do Reform voters think of Trump?
Could Farage’s lack of criticism of Trump damage Reform’s prospects in future UK elections? The team answer listener questions on Trump and Reform, the…
The Politics ShowWelfare cuts spell trouble ahead for Labour
The politics team discuss Starmer's week on the world stage and whether he can be the pivotal bridge between Ukraine and the US, as well as the prospective…
The Politics ShowEurope's battleground: war or peace?
Not even a week ago European countries were hailing the prospects of peace in Ukraine, but after a disastrous visit to the White House for President Zelensky…
The Politics ShowHow to protect elections in the age of AI | Sponsored
The rapid rise of generative AI has revolutionised creativity while also raising significant challenges. The rapid rise of generative AI has revolutionised…
The Politics ShowAndrey Kurkov: "Life is now measured in Orwells and Kafkas"
Reflecting on the passing of the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, award-winning author Andrey Kurkov has written the diary for this…
The Politics ShowStarmer & Trump: a (qualified) victory?
Keir Starmer returns victorious from his meeting with Donald Trump. But was it the success it seems? Andrew Marr, Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe answer…
The Politics ShowAndrew Marr: "National service, watch this space"
Keir Starmer has promised defence spending will reach 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the next Parliament. There’s been some sparring over exactly how much money…
The Politics ShowThe Godfather of Maga
Last week Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist for the first seven months of his first term in office, graced the stage at CPAC (the annual Conservative…
The Politics ShowWhy Britain isn't working - with Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Employment
The number of working age people out of work in Britain 2010 was around 9 million. In 2025? Around 9 million. But why is worklessness in Britain now deemed a…
The Politics ShowRussia has been brought in from the cold
Donald Trump has reached out to Vladimir Putin, over the heads of Ukraine and Europe. The Western alliance is fracturing, so what comes next? Can European…
The Politics ShowDid JD Vance boost Germany's far right?
Last Friday the US Vice President - JD Vance, took to the stage and railed against his country’s European allies, accusing them of not listening to voters on…
The Politics ShowWhy fiction matters - Deborah Levy
The novel is a living thing, argues author Deborah Levy in the New Statesman Goldsmith's Prize lecture. Tom Gatti hosts Deborah Levy, author of Swimming Home…
The Politics ShowThe rise of the "super-council" - plus, assisted dying interview with Kim Leadbeater
Are local council changes "an attack on democracy"? Rachel Cunliffe and Megan Kenyon join Hannah Barnes to discuss changes to the rules governing local…
The Politics ShowA Labour crash is coming
Keir Starmer is making a radical shift to appease Reform and "blue labour". "There has been a conservative revolution going on around the world," says Andrew…
The Politics ShowWho should decide how our children are taught?
The freedoms that the UK's academy schools have been granted could be curtailed. Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill proposes centralising and…
The Politics ShowTrump's Florida Project: how the Sunshine State became the centre of power
Ten years ago the sunshine state was mainly known for its outlandish stereotypes: swamps, gators, retirees, Disneyland all the time. But now power is shifting…
The Politics ShowHow America runs Britain
US investment already owns much of the British high street. Are "ignorant" politicians "selling the UK down the river"? As Donald Trump announces new tariffs…
The Politics ShowDoes Morgan McSweeney really run Labour?
Andrew Marr is joined by the authors of Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer, Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire. But while this is ostensibly the…
The Politics Show"It's guided by six rats": The battle for a life-changing drug
For some with epilepsy, valproate is the only medication which can control their seizures. But for decades women say they were not made aware of the risk this…
The Politics ShowHow do you solve a problem like Margaret Thatcher?
In 1989, following the shock resignation of the chancellor, Nigel Lawson, Margaret Thatcher sat down with veteran broadcaster, friend, and former Labour MP…
The Politics ShowReturning to Labour is John McDonnell's "greatest wish"
Last week marked the end of the sanctioned 6 month whip removal of 7 Labour MPs who voted against the two-child benefit cap in July. Andrew Marr is joined by…
The Politics ShowAre Labour "clutching at straws" on growth?
Rachel Reeves' latest growth speech has failed to convince one curious listener. George Eaton and Rachel Cunliffe join Hannah Barnes for a special listener…
The Politics ShowBeg, borrow or steel
Last year Scunthorpe’s two blast furnaces Queen Anne and Queen Bess became the last remaining primary steelmaking facility in the UK. However there were…
The Politics ShowThe Times They Have a-Changed: Where is the protest song now?
In 1966, to the chagrin of his fans and the folk music community, Bob Dylan went electric. The five years leading up to this moment is the focus of A Complete…
The Politics ShowWhat does Trump 2.0 mean for the UK?
Freddie Hayward joins from Washington DC to answer listener questions on the new Trump administration. Following his inauguration on Monday January 20, Donald…
The Politics ShowHow do we fight terror now? - Andrew Marr and Jacob Davey on the Southport killer trial.
Is Axel Rudakubana a terrorist, or just a very disturbed individual? Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and Jacob Davey of the Institute for Strategic…
The Politics ShowWill the ceasefire hold?
This weekend, almost 500 days after the October 7th attack, a ceasefire came into effect between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. But just how…
The Politics ShowWhy are we having fewer children?
Birth rates are declining around the world. Why? And what can - or should - be done? Tom Gatti meets authors Madeleine Davis and Anastasia Berg, who have both…