Daily Politics from the New Statesman

Angry about the lack of support for his war in Iran, Donald Trump stated that he didn’t need any help from the UK, despite using British airbases for strikes. In an angry social media rant, he also called Keir Starmer a “loser” and “no Winston Churchill”.Just a day later, the two leaders had a call to discuss military cooperation. Can relations be repaired? And is Westminster telling us the whole story?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by US Correspondent Freddie Hayward.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite Dubai’s proximity to Iran, is it safer than Sadiq Khan’s London? Do young people have a different perspective on class? And could the corgi be banned?Will and Anoosh round up their picks of news stories from the week.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday 10 March, MPs will debate the Courts and Tribunals Bill, in what could be the biggest shakeup of the justice system since the 1970s.To tackle the Crown Court backlog of over 80,000 cases, the government has put forward proposals to radically reform which cases are heard where, including restricting the right to a trial by jury in all but the most serious cases.Sarah Sackman, Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services, speaks to Rachel Cunliffe to discuss the legislation and its potential impact on British justice.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour is losing the voters it used to count on, a new study reveals.In the aftermath of the Green Party’s triumph in the Gorton and Denton by-election, and with local elections in London councils and other major cities coming up, Labour is losing the left progressive voters it could once rely on having “nowhere else to go”.Now, the biggest study ever of these voters – shared exclusively with the New Statesman – reveals the true risk to Labour’s future of leaving them behind.This work, done by surveying 10,000 voters and a randomised control trial style approach, has found out who the so-called progressive defectors are, why they’re deserting Labour, and what impact this could have on Labour’s electoral prospects.Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Steve Akehurst of Persuasion UK who co-authored this report with 38 Degrees.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her spring statement - an economic update - to the commons.With the news completely dominated by conflict in the Middle East, you would be forgiven for not noticing. In fact, many have deduced that this was exactly what the government were hoping for.Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn to discuss.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday afternoon in the Commons, Keir Starmer took a stance against Trump's attacks on Iran. The US President has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister.Is a rift developing? Should the UK be pivoting away from the US and towards Europe? And should talk of the "special relationship" be banned from the government's parlance?Oli Dugmore is joined by journalist, author, and ex-Foreign Office special adviser Ben Judah to discuss.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the US bombs Iran, the Kremlin will see immediate advantages for Russia.Vladimir Putin expressed “deep condolences” to the people of Iran over the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by US and Israeli forces.The Russian president – currently leading his own brutal and illegal war in Ukraine – condemned what he called Khamenei’s “assassination” as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law”.Russia and Iran are long-term “strategic partners”. They signed a new treaty in January last year.But while Putin offers consoling words to Iran, the Kremlin will undoubtedly have eyes on the potential benefits to them of a US-Israel war on Russia’s ally.So, is Trump’s war in Iran playing into Russia’s hands?LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fiona Hill, former presidential advisor, joins Megan Gibson.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark Rare Disease Day, this special Spotlight episode explores why  rare diseases - affecting an estimated one in 17 people in the UK – still face years of diagnostic delays and limited treatment options.Host Sarah Darwood speaks to CEO of LifeArc Dr Sam Barrell and Terry Pirovalakis, whose son Michael has been diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder SPG50. Their discussion looks at the reality of the “diagnostic odyssey”; gaps in data, investment and regulatory pathways; and the financial and structural challenges that limit progress in rare conditions.They also explore the growing role of parents as advocates and innovators, the case for a national rare disease champion, and why a more joined-up approach across government, regulators, industry and charities is essential to delivering faster diagnoses and access to life-changing therapies.This New Statesman podcast episode has been fully funded by LifeArc.Find out more about LifeArc’s Taskforce Report and recommendations.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Lewis ambushed Kemi Badenoch, Your Party think bureaucracy will stop nuclear war, and the Sea Bass handling committee have released exciting new guidance.Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn round up the week's political news you might have missed.READ:Abandon all hope at the Your Party hustingsLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the Greens' decisive victory in Gorton & Denton spell the end of Keir Starmer's Labour?After the worst possible outcome for Labour in the Gorton & Denton by-election, Ailbhe Rea joins Tom McTague on Daily Politics from the New Statesman.They discuss what this means for Keir Starmer, for the Labour party - and for the future of politics in Britain.READ: Inside the Greens' seismic Gorton and Denton winLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hannah Spencer, a plumber and Green Party councillor, is now the MP for Gorton and Denton.The party takes the seat from right under Labour, following weeks of what was seen to be a three way race with Reform.Megan Kenyon is joined by Ben Walker.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should some children be given drugs to stop them going through puberty?That’s the question the NHS, the government and an independent research and ethics committee have been trying to answer.The “Pathways” trial, backed by the NHS and led by a team from King’s College London, aims to test the effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers for children experiencing gender dysphoria.At the end of 2025, the trial was approved to go ahead. Health Secretary Wes Streeting reassured parliamentary colleagues it “could not have received more oversight and scrutiny”. But now the agency in charge of medicine regulation has U-turned. The study is now paused because of ethical and safety concerns. All of which, Hannah Barnes reports today on the New Statesman website, they knew about when they first approved it.So how did the study get approved in the first place? And what does this tell us about the systems we trust to ensure medical research is safe and ethical?Also: Baroness Amos has released the interim findings from her review into England's maternity care, and says the system is "not working". Oli Dugmore is joined by Hannah Barnes to discuss.READ MOREInside the decision to pause the puberty blockers trialEngland's maternity system "not working" for anyone, report saysLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has since been released under investigation. The police have searched Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge.The former Prince’s relationship to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is triggering a reckoning for not just Andrew, but the monarchy itself.Oli Dugmore is joined by Will Lloyd to discuss. LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday, a by-election in a Southern Manchester constituency, Gorton and Denton, is shaping up to be a seismic litmus test for British politics.After the previous MP, Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, stepped down in January, an opening for a new MP has set in motion a battle between Labour and their insurgent challengers, Reform and the Green Party.Oli Dugmore is joined by our senior data journalist Ben Walker to discuss.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has settled into a grinding and uncertain stalemate.Despite proving remarkably resilient, Ukraine, and the rest of the world, must face the question: What if Russia wins?Katie Stallard explores this urgent question with German political scientist, Professor Carlo Masala.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why has Keir Starmer ordered an investigation into Labour Together? What the hell is going on with our local elections? And what are we meant to make of Reform UK’s new “shadow cabinet”?You asked, we’ll answer. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Cunliffe for the listener questions episode of Daily Politics from the New Statesman.📚 READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/02/dismay-as-no-10-works-with-brendan-cox-after-misconduct-claimsLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we launched another, that’s right ANOTHER, podcast. The Exchange is the New Statesman’s long-form interviews show, featuring some big names you know, and some big names you’ll be glad to learn of.Listen on: Spotify and AppleLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been arrested.The alleged offence: misconduct in public office. The arrest came after claims Andrew allegedly shared official documents during his time as UK Trade Envoy, with two emails in particular showing up in the latest Epstein files – although police haven’t yet released the specifics of their investigation.Police have searched Andrew’s homes, and at the time of recording the former Prince is in custody. He’s not yet been charged, and has previously – strenuously – denied any wrongdoing on these matters related to Epstein. The King has said “the law must take its course”. Oli Dugmore is joined by Will Lloyd in the studio.LISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From “Nazi” to “Marxist” Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has faced intense criticism from all sides.But how exactly is she trying to reform the British education system? For the cover of this week’s New Statesman magazine, our executive editor Pippa Bailey has written an extended profile of Phillipson - exploring what motivates the education secretary, and how consequential the next few months could be for her - and the Labour Party.She joins Oli Dugmore in the studio.📚 READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2026/02/is-bridget-phillipson-the-most-dangerous-woman-in-britainLISTEN AD-FREE:📱Download the New Statesman appMORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.