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Does the Trump administration have a strategy in the Middle East? What is the trajectory of Erdogan's regime? Is free speech being defended on campuses?
In this weekly podcast, brought to you by The Pinsker Centre, university students and experts alike will discuss these questions and many more, on topics including domestic British policy, the Middle East and global diplomacy.
In this weekly podcast, brought to you by The Pinsker Centre, university students and experts alike will discuss these questions and many more, on topics including domestic British policy, the Middle East and global diplomacy.
65 Episodes
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This conversation, originally recorded in the Summer of 2025, sees Matthew D'Ancona, author of Post-Truth: The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back (2017), sit down with Sophie Seitler, a Policy Fellow at the Pinsker Centre. The pair discuss what 'Post-Truth' means in the context of our politics and global affairs, and the how the global balance is changing. Matthew D'Ancona previously served as Education Correspondent and Assistant Editor for The Times, Deputy Editor of The Sunday Telegraph, and Editor of The Spectator.
In this episode, Stephen Evans, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, High Commissioner to Bangladesh and NATO assistant secretary general, sits down with Ava Grainger Williams, policy fellow at the Pinsker Centre.The pair discuss the realities and intricacies of diplomacy in the 21st Century, offering an insight into the goals and responsibilities of the international community in Afghanistan and the inner workings of NATO, whilst also reflecting on the lessons that can be learned from the Cold War and other conflicts.
Over the past two years, the Middle East has experienced seismic geopolitical shifts. Most recently, tensions between Israel and Iran escalated to new levels, with the U.S. also intervening to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.In this episode, we speak with Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), to unpack the latest developments in the region and explore how they may be reshaping Iran’s position in the Middle East.
In this episode, Policy Fellow James Abrahams and Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib discuss a vision for a better future. Ahmed grew up in the Middle East, spending time in Gaza during his childhood. He is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he heads Realign for Palestine. In this podcast, he gives his thoughts on the Israel-Palestine discourse, assesses various barriers to peace, and explains his hopes for what Palestinian statehood might look like.
In this special edition of the podcast, we sit down with Colonel Richard Kemp, discussing Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and leadership, the ensuing conflict, and the the impact beyond the Middle East. Richard Kemp spent close to 3 decades in the British military, which included serving as commander of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Richard is a best selling author, and regularly appears in British media discussing military affairs and national security.
In this episode, Noah Arazi, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, sits down with Nile Gardiner, Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, to discuss Britain's recent trade deal with the US, the condition of the Special Relationship, and the future of wider transatlantic cooperation.
In this episode, Policy Fellows James Abrahams and Sophie Seitler discuss all things NATO. They look at internal and external challenges faced by member states, like whether nations are positioned to adequately increase their defence spending, and how they can adapt to the Trump Administration's changing vision for America's role on the world's stage.
John Spencer is the Chief of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point's Modern Warfare Institute, and the Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute. Spencer also has over 25 years of active military service as an infantry soldier, achieving the rank of Major. He sat down with Nadav Tikochinsky, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, to reflect on his own experience in combat, how non-state actors are changing urban warfare, and how he sees the rules of war being misunderstood and manipulated.
In this episode, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellows Nadav, Sophia and Ava examine French influence in the Middle East today. They discuss the unique nature of the Franco-Lebanese relationship, and whether France are uniquely placed to broker peace between Lebanon and Israel.
In this episode, Jacob Gibson, a Policy Fellow at the Pinsker Centre, interviews the Shalom Hartman Institute's Rabbi Elhanan Miller. The pair discuss leadership changes in some of Israel's neighbouring countries, and what those changes might mean for Israel. They then go on to discuss Israel's strategy in Gaza and its relationship with the new US administration. TIMESTAMP: Please note that this episode was recorded on Wednesday February 12th, amid speculation that Hamas planned to halt the hostage release which had been agreed in phase 1 of the ceasefire negotiations.
In our first episode of 2025, Pinsker Centre Policy Fellow, Charles Aldous, sits down with Lord Brady. The pair discuss major changes in British politics over the past two decades, before focussing on Lord Brady's tenure as the head of the influential 1922 committee.
Tune in for the new episode of People Talk…Politics! Max, Samantha and Felix discuss whether Israel is disproportionately targeted by international organisations. They debated whether the anti-Israel bias in the UN Human Rights Council, exemplified by Agenda 7, is systemic within the UN as a whole, argued whether the ICC arrest warrants against Israeli politicians are justified and discussed the future of UNRWA in light of the involvement of their staff in the October 7.
Our Policy Fellow Lucas Blasco Argullós recently interviewed Shaun Pinner, an ex-British soldier who served in the Ukrainian army, was captured by the Russians and released in a prisoner swap. They discussed Shaun’s extraordinary story and his experience in captivity. Shaun also shared his concerns about the influence of Russian propaganda in the West and spoke about the progress of the war, emphasising the need to supply Ukraine with more weapons and allow Ukraine to strike further inside Russian territory. Check out the latest podcast!
In the new podcast episode, our Policy Fellow Ellie Guaschi interviewed Professor Kian Tajbakhsh, former political prisoner in Iran released during a prisoner swap under the Obama administration. Professor Tajbakhsh shared his story and explained why it was naive to believe that ‘reformists’ could change the political and strategic direction of Iran back in the 2000s and is still naive now. He argued that Iran’s ultimate goal is to destroy Israel and establish hegemony in the Middle East.
In this podcast episode, Policy Fellows Blerton, Alex and Jack discussed the economic, political, and security implications of China’s involvement in the Middle East as the US is perceived to be disengaging from the region. They argued that partnerships with China are often asymmetric, which raises strategic concerns, and discussed China’s relationship with Israel and its role in the Israel-Hamas war. This conversation took place before the recent Beijing summit which saw Palestinian factions agree to unify. Have a listen to hear how our Fellows’ predictions match up with recent events!
Tune in for the new episode of People Talk...Politics! Our Policy Fellows Alex, Blerton and Jack discuss how emerging technologies are changing the character of warfare. They consider the ethical concerns surrounding the use of UAVs and precision-guided munitions, examine the distinct approaches to AI regulation in the US, EU and China, and question the resistance and fitness of existing legal frameworks to tackle new security challenges, such as cyber warfare. Make sure to give it a listen!
In this episode of People Talk...Politics, our Policy Fellow Matthew Brooker interviewed Rt Hon Sir David Lidington CBE, UK's longest serving Minister for European Affairs, Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office in Theresa May’s government. They discussed how internal divisions in the Conservative Party may affect its electability and what issues and policies the Tories should emphasise in their campaign. Sir David also shared his insights on the relationship between government, the civil service and local government, outlining potential reforms that could increase efficiency, transparency and decentralisation.
As Britain's involvement in a war does not seem like an outrageous fantasy anymore, our Policy Fellows Lucas, Baran and Orla discuss whether the UK defence spending is sufficient, explore the role defence may play in the upcoming general election, consider the UK's role in NATO and European defence and debate whether the current British "small high tech army" approach is sustainable.
Is an AI revolution upon us? In this episode of People Talk...Politics, Policy Fellows Calista Toner and Jonathan Gibson delve into the debate about opportunities and dangers associated with AI. They discuss how AI is revolutionising the defence industry and the character of warfare and argue that there is a threat of interference of malign actors in democratic practices and misinformation, including the use of deep fakes and bots on social media, which points to the proliferation of digital technologies and cyber warfare. They also debate whether AI should be regulated on the national or international level.
With the looming general election, Policy Fellows Matthew and Ellie discuss why Conservatives are polling so poorly and argue that Labour and Kier Starmer aren't particularly popular with voters but are less unpopular than Sunak and the Tories. They discuss both parties' election strategies and outline the issues that are likely to dominate the campaign. Check out this episode of People Talk...Politics!
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