What's Left? With Jovan + Freddie

JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleft Early Access to Ad-Free Extended Interviews Ask our Guests Questions LIVEs with Jovan + Freddie WL Book Club + Community Discussion Articles + Exclusive Content ********************************************** Dr. Andrew Lownie has been vindicated. After putting his reputation on the line with his investigations into rogue members of the British Royal family, Lownie faced a barrage of criticism aimed at discrediting him. A well-respected academic historian, he trusted the veracity of his sources and stood by their claims with regards to the disgraced royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Lownie's latest book, 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York', has been flying off the shelves. It documents arguably the greatest crisis to grip the British Royal Family, following claims of corruption, criminal associations and cover ups. In this interview, we explore the wider ramifications of the Epste1n files on the state of liberal democracy. When elites are not held to the same accountability as the rest of society, what happens to the legitimacy of our systems? Where are the checks and balances? What can be done to regain trust? This really feels like a moral reckoning, where justice must be meted out for the victims and accountability must be returned to public life. Our leaders must be beyond being bought. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:55 Lownie's Investigations Into The Royals 07:12 Shocking Allegations Against Prince Andrew 11:15 Russian or Israeli Assets? 16:30 Royals Are Above The Law 21:27 Elites and Societal Breakdown 25:50 Royal Narcissism and Psychological Disorders 30:23 Globalisation and Elite Corruption 35:05 Are We Tending Toward Revolution? 39:15 How To Save Liberal Democracy

JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleft Early Access to Ad-Free Extended Interviews Ask our Guests Questions LIVEs with Jovan + Freddie WL Book Club + Community Discussion Articles + Exclusive Content ********************************************** Steve Tsang is a political scientist, Director of the SOAS China Institute and the author of 'Xi Jingping's Political Thought'. On Tuesday 27th January, We sat down with Steve as Keir Starmer landed in Beijing for the first visit of a British Prime Minister in China since 2018. With the Davos consensus of globalisation and free seamless trade becoming a relic of modern history, how should Britain hedge its strategic bets in a bipolar world of Chinese and American competition? Does a third way even exist between these two undeniable superpowers? In the UK and the West more broadly, we suffer from a paucity of understanding when it comes to the world's second largest economy. China is enormous, deeply complex and hidden behind a veil of propaganda and posturing from the ruling Communist Party. Over the past decade, China's president Xi Jinping has consolidated absolute power in the executive, undoing many of the consultative reforms under previous regimes. But has this move, while making Xi omnipotent, actually made China vulnerable? On the day before Starmer set off to Beijing, it was reported that General Zhang Youxia, one of Xi's most loyal acolytes, had been purged. The official story from the CCP was that he had passed on state secrets about China's nuclear deterrent to the United States. What seems more likely is that Zhang had a base of power that would not be tolerated by the supreme leader... China's irrepressible rise to superpower status has been driven by its ruthless execution of long-term modernising policies. It's not merely a story of manufacturing dominance. Half a billion people have relocated from the countryside to the cities in 25 years. In 2025, they amassed a trade surplus over $1 trillion. And now they lead the world in electrification with giant leaps in solar technology, much to the chagrin of European counterparts who devised the 'Green New Deal'. Indeed, there is much to admire about China, and with its economic dominance, much to fear. So what lessons should we learn from China's rise and what caveats must we bear in mind, when forging a path forward for Britain as a middle power in a world without rules... Chapters00:25 - Intro 01:16 - What Starmer Must Know About China 05:21 - Xi Jinping’s Total Control of China 16:36 - Have We Forgotten The Post-War Lessons? 24:42 - Is Freddie Chinese In The Eyes of Xi Jinping? 32:20 - The Two Tories Accused of Spying for China... 40:26 - What Western Narratives of China Get Wrong 51:05 - Xi's Purges + Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution 1:04:41 - Inequality From China's Economic Supremacy

JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleft for extended interviews, articles and first look on content!‘This could be the end for Starmer’. Pundits, sub-editors and political rivals have been drawn to this phrase more than any other over the past 18 months. Evidentially, it seems a spurious claim. The Prime Minister has trudged on, by all accounts unfazed, despite the merry-go-round of self-immolation (call it a self-destructive fireworks display) that’s dogged his premiership. Labour’s top-scorer, much like the PM’s beloved Arsenal, has been own goals. And yet with a soviet-style majority, Starmer still will think he is top of the league.When Peter Mandelson, the ‘Prince of Darkness’ (I imagine he now calls this a ‘regrettable’ nickname), was chosen as US Ambassador there was consternation on many wings of the Labour Party.In fact, over a year before he was made US Ambassador, the FT had uncovered a JP Morgan report from 2019 which found Epstein and Mandy had kept a ‘particularly close relationship’ - and that he had stayed at Epstein’s home in 2009, shortly after his conviction for ‘soliciting an underage girl’. One would think Mandelson’s close friendship with an astonishingly powerful convicted nonce would be enough to stave off his proximity to a party preparing for government. But clearly assurances were made.The public were well aware of just how implicated Mandelson was in the Epstein affair. You don’t need to be a PR expert to realise that much more was to come. When faced with the treachery of the latest revelations in the Epstein files, it looks quite unforgivable that Mandelson was allowed to return to high office. Our own security services had briefed No 10 that he was compromised. Were they aware that Mandelson had been forwarding highly sensitive information to Epstein (sometimes within seconds) from his personal email account? That he had told JP Morgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon to ‘mildly threaten’ then-Chancellor Alistair Darling over a Bankers’ bonuses tax? My gut feeling is that this is very very bad news for Starmer, who has never been much of a Mandelson whisperer, and his under-fire chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who has been accused of personally backing Mandelson’s appointment. Mandelson’s response to ‘own the narrative’ has revealed just how out of touch he is - a few posed magazine shots with your dog and grumbles about how ‘unfortunate’ the whole affair is, isn’t going to cut the mustard. You were best mates with the world’s most notorious nonce, allegedly took money from him and leaked sensitive information against your own country’s interests. You’re a disgrace. This has really cut through and solidified the distrust many feel towards a faction of the Labour Party obsessed with power. As Anoosh Chakelian put it in the New Statesman, voters are fed up with “the dark triad of New Labour’s Third Way: a distant political class; rule by political spin; amoral liberal pragmatism”. We shouldn’t be making decisions just for the sake of saying ‘we got to make them’. There must be morality in our mission. Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - How Dan Neidle Broke the Mandelson Affair 01:55 - The Financial Crash and Mandelson's Correspondence w Epstein 10:22 - Is This Treason? 19:54 - Did Mandelson Know the Epstein Leaks Were Coming? 26:05 - The Legal Ramifications of Reporting on Epstein/Mandelson 32:00 - The Consequences for the Labour Government 37:54 - Will Mandelson Face Criminal Proceedings? 43:24 - Have the Conspiracy Theorists Been Vindicated? 51:28 - What did Dan find out about Ghislaine Maxwell and Mandelson? 54:54 - Will This Change the Media's Relationship with Powerful People?

JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleft - Early Access to Ad-Free Extended Interviews - Ask our Guests Questions - LIVEs with Jovan + Freddie - WL Book Club + Community Discussion - Articles + Exclusive Content ********************************************** Now this is cricket. Horatio Gould, comedian + podcast virtuoso (and OG fan of What's Left), joins us in the studio with author James Bloodworth (Hired, Lost Boys) guest-hosting. Post Davos, Western elites are checking their bank accounts and stock portfolios, considering the premium paid for their unerring loyalty to the market. Their rationale is clear: follow the wind and back the military 'might-is-right' agenda of Donald Trump, or argue with the sails and be blown off course. They don't need any invitation to make hay while the sun shines. But amongst the more seaworthy, there was cause for reflection. Mark Carney, the Canadian PM, had done the unthinkable: made a relatively memorable Davos speech. That's harsh. It was actually a very good speech – a candid indictment of the hypocrisy of the Western liberal 'rules-based' order, who better to tell it than one of the lead hypocrites. Accepting that the US and its allies had told the world a useful fiction to advance its interests, Carney argued that such a narrative can no longer stand up to scrutiny. The 'new' rules are dead. Long live the old rules: bully and win. Of course, there is a rejoinder. Cowering to bullies keeps their fiction alive. But standing up to them, collectively, offers another path. Carney made it clear to the elites, deep into their thus-far profitable hedge, that a choice remains on the table. Middle powers must stand side by side if they are to have any collective bargaining power. We've been making this argument since September (please see our episode with Hassan Damluji). And we should be clear, the costs are real: decoupling from the US and taking on a world of hard power alone will be very dangerous. But what is at stake is bigger than us as individuals. It's about Britain being in charge of her own destiny. It's about sovereignty; the power to choose at all. And it's at this juncture that every Brit should be considering what makes us British and how we stand stronger together. Yes, it's incredibly trite to talk about how divided our society is. But I think it's a edifying to be anti-polarisation. We're on an island, wouldn't it be better if we all got along? Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:30 - Politics and comedy 22:55 - Most right-wing views as a leftie35:29 - What is masculinity? 39:56 - Do other world leaders have Trump's charisma? 50:41 - Who would join Trump's Board of Peace? 60:22 - Tories defecting to Reform and Trumpism in the UK 74:02 - Britain is a heritage trail for tourists 86:58 - What is the guiding light for left-wing politics?

*** JOIN US ON SUBSTACK: substack.com/@wtfisleft - Early Access to Ad-Free Extended Interviews - Ask our Guests Questions - LIVEs with Jovan + Freddie - WL Book Club + Community Discussion - Articles + Exclusive Content ***Hey What’s-Leftists, We’re back for season 2 and finally doing paid content so we can keep the lights on. So, if you’re a fan of the show and want early access to ad-free extended cuts and much more, THIS is the product for you. We had planned to take some more time to recharge before season 2, but the amount of mental sh*t that’s happened recently made this virtually impossible. So here we are with a rapid 30 min catch up on Trump dictating an emerging multipolar world order and a 1hr interview with the contrarian British political commentator Lin Mei. As you know, we’re passionate about being a home for debate from across the political spectrum and thought it was time to host a someone from a minority community who is interested in voting for Nigel Farage. Yes, they do exist. Lin is a fascinating character, often reposted by the UK BAME Culture gossip pages on Instagram as a minority conservative voice, who is never shy to critique issues or people regardless of their popularity. So is she just another tabloid ragebaiter or is there a discernible and consistent politics that underlines her views? And how does it contrast with our own? While the conversation was limited to an hour, we managed to cover various topics from the diversity of politics within the Black British community, to the state of community decline and the appeal of landlordism for aspirational wealth creation. We also address Lin’s beef with popular IG influencer Bouncer, and why she “looks down” on some members of the Black culture podcasting community. It’s juicy. We were so busy talking about these broader topics that we forgot to discuss the spate of defections to Reform UK, including one Robert Jenrick. As the dust settles this week after some punchy comms from the Tories, it appears the commentariat are waking up to the old wisdom that defections (it’s not exactly a sacking) tend to be a sign of party weakness, rather than strength. Naturally, the evidence is piling up of Reform being a retirement home for failed Tories. But as Ailbhe Rea of the New Statesman pointed out: you can’t really attack Reform for being an ‘unprecedented new threat’ while also claiming they are made up of ‘the same old Tories’... Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:27 Multipolar World Order 10:03 US Plans To Dismantle Europe 17:48 Iran Protests + US Intervention 34:15 Who is Lin Mei 38:05 Slavery, Reparations + Intergenerational Trauma 47:14 Left Wing vs Right Wing Politics 1:00:04 Bouncer + Black British Entertainment Culture 1:11:15 Should Minorities Be Capitalists? 1:20:15 Welfare + Future of Multiculturalism

Finale of SZN 1 w the donny herself, Grace Campbell ❤️!!! This might be our funniest episode yet. Or maybe just the one where we all laughed the most. Recently, I found out a listener had stopped engaging with the pod as he was finding the topics too depressing. I get it. Confronting our myriad crises has been hardly been reassuring. But I'm hoping that this ep could be the antidote that brings him back into the fold. Why has there been no revival of the political comedy genius of 'The Thick Of It'? My thesis is that reality itself has become satire. What need is there for fiction, when each and every day of political life feels utterly script-written. Chatting, or more accurately, creasing with Grace is a reminder that we just need to find the humour in the s**t things in life. While events and actions can hurt us, like muscular tears, we end up growing back stronger. And maybe it's a thicker skin we should all be wishing for from Santa this year. In this convo we go all over the shop, from why many on the urban left have abandoned Labour to why young men and women feel so divided and what we can do to bring us back into connection. There's also some bombshell exclusives... It's the perfect way for us to wrap our first season of WTF is Left. 18 episodes, 50 million social views and 130k+ followers since taking a big old Kierkegaardian dive into the ether... Trying to make a podcast about progressive politics while the government falls to record lows. If you don't laugh you'll cry. Big massive juicy thank you to each and every one of you who listened and supported the show this year. We're gonna be taking a bit of a break but will be back in 2026 for S2. Until then x Chapters00:00 Intro 01:20 Are the Campbells Posh Elite? 11:52 Why Grace is Voting Green 19:50 Zack Polanski vs. The Rest is Politics 29:14 Has the Left Lost its Sense of Humour? 37:08 Embracing Dark Humour 43:06 Why are Young Men and Women Divided? 50:38 In Defence of Relationships, Connection + Empathy 1:02:01 Wanting to Have Kids 1:07:06 Beauty Trends + Hating the Daily Mail 1:14:21 Why Grace will NEVER write for the Guardian 1:21:35 How We Move Forward

George Gilbert, the Gen-Z Farage fan recently kicked off Big Brother, joins us for a chat on cancel culture, young men and the radical right, with guest host Jordan Stephens!As you know, What’s Left aims to stick its head above the culture wars. But we can’t avoid the magnetic pull from controversial personalities that keep the digital news cycle churning. We’re just as human as you.Following our interview with the Oxford Union’s George Abaraonye, it appears we’ve found a new theme: interviewing cancelled Georges. Indeed, George Gilbert is a very different phenomenon - a young Parish councillor, recently booted off one of the UK’s biggest reality TV shows for voicing contrarian and inflammatory views, which included an allegation of antisemitism which ITV decided not to broadcast.When I asked Jordan Stephens to guest host, we agreed we wanted to make something fresh. How rare is it to see a healthy conversation of three lads with very different politics, discussing challenging topics? George had already been on the circuit of right-wing anti-woke podcasts with Dan Wootton and Andrew Gold. We wanted to show that the Left are equally as up for these chats. Yep, some ‘Wokies’ are, in fact, against culture.This is not to absolve George from the framing of his questions, but to show that civil society must explain to young people why some views and questions are considered beyond the pale. Just shutting down the conversation is clearly not working. If anything, it pushes some young people further down the rabbit hole. Jordan and I believe that openness and dialogue is key to dissolving animosity and encouraging compassion in our politics. Hopefully this conversation is a step in the right direction.Chapters00:00 Intro, Waffle + Housekeeping09:54 Greens vs. Labour20:15 George Gilbert Arrives25:50 Why George Got Kicked Off Big Brother36:00 The Right-Wing Rabbit Hole51:55 Tommy Robinson Is A Grifter58:05 Stop and Search Racism Allegations1:06:42 George’s Dating Challenges1:15:13 Post-Christian West1:22:15 How Social Media Creates Populists1:35:20 Has Brexit Destroyed the UK?1:42:13 Wealth Inequality Is Out of Control1:50:41 George’s National Identity Mission

UK's biggest politics substacker, Sam Freedman, explains the deep rot at the heart of British politics. In this episode we address the big questions: why is Keir Starmer's Labour government failing and what would Reform do differently? After winning a swathe of councils at the last local elections, Reform have struggled with the realities of governing. Indeed, a majority of Reform councils look set to raise council tax by the maximum after winning power by promising millions in cuts to spending. Freedman argues that this is the result of the failure of state capacity, devolution and the brittle British economy which is at the mercy of foreign capital. With few levers to change the underlying fundamentals that incapacitate Britain, Freedman thinks that Reform would govern like chaotic populists - borrowing directly from Trump's MAGA playbook. It's starting to look existential for the Labour Party. If the brutal budget and Welsh and Scottish elections in May go as badly as expected, pressure will inevitably mount to change leader. But what would a new boss actually do differently? Is there really such a thing as 'not being in hock to the bond markets' without growth or a budget surplus? Or is this just 'good vibes' comms that will rub up against reality... We are staring down a bleak future, where a politics of false promises and resentment could turbocharge Britain's malaise. Progressives need to get real about our political project: what is the radical antithesis to nativist populism? We need a positive vision to unite the left and create a future worth fighting for.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:49 Dominic Cummings Lost The Plot12:10 Reform Are Moving Further Right20:28 Remigration vs. Integration28:17 Will Farage Copy Trump’s Playbook?49:42 Why Labour is Losing1:01:20 Disaster of Privatisation and Zero Growth1:15:30 Economic Populism vs. Bond Market1:22:04 Labour’s Budget Dilemma1:34:00 Should Labour Replace Starmer?

Jonathan Hall, the Independent Reviewer of Terror Legislation, was in the room when the UK Govt decided it would proscribe Palestine Action as a terror group, alongside the likes of Al-Qaeda and ISIS.Since then, we’ve seen anti-war activists, including pacifist priests and grandmothers (even both!) arrested for carrying placards, as the police enforce the letter of the law. A recent Guardian article revealed that the home office was advised that proscribing Palestine Action could make the organisation more popular. Over a thousand arrests later, it appears the advisors have been proved right.Simultaneously, Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom marches have taken place in the capital with far fewer arrests, despite now-viral footage of some attendees calling for racist violence (see Niko Omilana!). Moreover legal responses to the Southport Riots last year found swift convictions without one terror law invoked, despite the threshold seemingly being met.So is there really two-tier policing going on or is it all just a game of optics and perspective… and has the government’s use of terror laws undermined trust in terror law itself?National security expert Jonathan Hall addresses:Why the Home Office chose proscription of PA as a ‘terror group’ over other means2-tier policing accusations + Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ marchesWhether Elon Musk’s call for revolution in the UK is foreign interferenceHall’s concerns about the government’s ineffective communication with the publicIranian, Chinese and Russian interference in the Culture WarsThe threat of AI, deepfakes and tech deregulationHow to protect democracy via a ‘Blitz’ resilience spiritDeep concerns re the far-right narrative against multiculturalismThe likelihood of civil war or mass civil disobediencePrisons crisis and the threat of islamist violence vs far-rightIn times of grievance politics, subversion and widespread cynicism about politics and government, how do we ensure the protection of our civil liberties? We hope this episode, discussing some of the most controversial issues of the day, helps elucidate the challenges in applying the law equally to all. Chapters00:00 Intro02:13 Palestine Action Proscription 10:47 Is this Chilling Dissent in a Democracy?19:45 Two-Tier Justice and the Far-Right25:36 Failures in Political Communication33:42 Undermining Democracy and Foreign Interference44:21 Subversion, Culture Wars and Free Speech51:42 Generative AI + Big Tech’s Deregulation Threat1:02:28 Algorithms, Revolutions and Civil Unrest1:14:11 Islamist Extremist vs Far-Right Threat

Miles Taylor, the Trump whistleblower, is now an enemy of the state.Latest WL? dispatch comes from McGill University's conference on big tech's threat to democracy. We’ve stitched together four interviews with leading thinkers on whether the AI bubble will burst and how to confront mass manipulation in the digital age.The first half is a deep cut with Miles Taylor, the author of the explosive NYT ‘anonymous’ op-ed, which revealed the chaos inside the first Trump administration. A vociferous critic of Trump and MAGA, Taylor is now experiencing the regime’s nefarious tactics to quell dissent.Currently under investigation by the deep state, Miles is convinced the US has slid into techno-authoritarianism. We discuss:- Dissent = treason for Trump, a crime punishable by death- Threat of Martial Law under the Insurrection Act- Stephen Miller’s “shock and awe blitz” of Executive Orders- Taylor’s fears for the safety of his family- Trump using tech & AI to silence critics- Why Taylor believes the rule of law is dead in America- Mass mobilisation = chance to save American democracy- The Real Matrix: war of pro-tech vs anti-tech humansThe second half of the episode explores the big questions around free speech, big tech accountablity, and European competition with political heavyweights:- Sasha Havlicek, CEO of Institute for Strategic Dialogue, on owning our data and how algorithms profit from polarisation- Imran Ahmed, CEO of Centre for Countering Digital Hate, explains how the free speech argument distracts from the perverse incentives of the digital attention economy.- Alexandra Geese, 🇩🇪 Green MEP, on whether Europe can compete with big tech America and find some backbone to enforce good regulation.It’s striking how age-defining these issue are and how little air time they get – it’s almost like big tech’s lobbying efforts are working…When the AI bubble inevitably pops, which politicians will stand up and say ‘I told you so’? Time’s running out.Huge thank you to Taylor Owen, John Matheson and the folks at the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy for the invite. Was also great to meet some listeners of the podcast at McGill!----------------------00:00 Intro01:20 Republicans Against Trump09:08 MAGA’s Authoritarian Plan16:55 Dissent = Treason21:50 The Rise of TechnoFascism31:07 Corruption in America39:02 How To Save Democracy44:42 The Real Matrix50:24 Sasha Havlicek on Digital Radicalisation56:12 Control Over our Data1:02:46 Imran Ahmed on Free Speech Online1:08:29 Imran’s Triggernometry Interview1:14:52 The Ragebait Economy1:23:35 Green MEP on Tech Accountability1:34:15 Can Europe Rival American Tech?1:43:25 Outro

Aaron Bastani, co-bossman ⁨@NovaraMedia⁩ just burnished our leftie credentials!!!Super gassed to share this episode with one of our absolute favourite political commentators. We filmed this on August 20th (2 months before release) so we didn't manage to get into the Your Party in-fighting / capitulation nor the rise of eco-populist Zack Polanski. Sorry about that.But we still managed to get into the weeds on immigration, identity politics and why Aaron thinks the Labour Party is failing to win over the public!!! You're welcome. In a time of insurgent politics, commentators like Bastani have taken the risk of meeting audiences where they are. While mainstream media continues to flounder, Novara has grown to new heights, breaking audience records month on month. Given the way digital is now dominating electoral politics, it's hard to see how Novara's coverage isn't shaping the weather for Leftist audiences in the UK and further afield.That said, Bastani often appears as a bug bear amongst leftist comrades, exasperated at his heterodox takes, pushed from his marxist-futurist, self-confessed socially conservative vantage point. He is not afraid to think for himself nor challenge those who disagree with him. That's why he's at the frontier of what's left.Chapters00:00 Intro02:25 Digital Political Communication10:50 Corbyn’s Labour Failures20:22 Why Labour is Losing34:30 End of 2 Party Politics43:40 Reform’s Immigration Plans54:00 Labour’s Comms Problem1:05:35 Britain’s Managed Decline1:16:08 Identity Politics and Race1:25:00 Can Leftist Politicians Capitalise1:35:45 Strategic Autonomy and US-UK RelationsCome hang @wtf_is.left

EXCLUSIVE: Oxford Union President wants to make amends for insensitive Charlie Kirk comments.In June, George Abaraonye rose to uni fame as the Oxford student who challenged Charlie Kirk about ‘toxic masculinity’. Just a few months later, his name and face was plastered all over digital and broadcast media as the Oxford Union President who ‘celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s death. What happened? Moments after news broke that Kirk had been shot at one of his classic campus debate events, Abaraonye took to Instagram to post a public note ‘Charlie Kirk got shot LOOOOL’ and in a private group chat, ‘Charlie Kirk got shot let’s f——ing go’. After seeing the shockingly gruesome video of Kirk’s execution, Abaraonye deleted his comments. But by this point, screenshots had already been taken that would soon be leaked to the press. In our interview, George tells his side of the story, including: - those notorious leaked messages- the campaign for his resignation from the Union and expulsion from Oxford, pushed by ex-PM Liz Truss and Elon Musk - that viral Union video which has led to accusations of Abaraonye calling for violent revolution- death threats and racist abuse - what really goes on in the Oxford Union- his apology and accusations of doubling down- his hopes for making amendsThere are going to be some people watching this interview who think we’ve gone too soft on George. The question I would ask is, ‘Where else do you see conversations like this?’ – Discourse where a young man is held accountable, reflects on his actions and charts a path for his personal growth. Honestly, when I look at George, I see a 20-year-old lad learning on the job about the weight and power of language in our febrile political environment. He found out in no uncertain terms just how much political capital he had, while being, like us all, a work in progress.When Jovan Owusu-Nepaul and I started What’s Left - these were the exact conversations we had in mind. The ones that democracy are all about. Oh btw, thank you for 100k followers xChapters: 00:00 Intro06:08 Why George Debated Charlie Kirk15:30 Labelling People ‘Fascists’26:43 George’s Journey Through the Oxford Union36:20 Reacting To Kirk’s Death46:33 George’s Apology + Reaction55:15 Dealing with Radicalised Online Abuse1:04:00 Free Speech vs. Campaign for George’s Resignation1:13:33 How To Defuse Political Anger1:21:10 Immigration, Labour + Community1:30:10 Building A Great BritainCome hang @wtf_is.left

Will Ed Miliband take on Richard Tice in a Misfits Boxing Match for the future of Net-Zero? We’ve got the exclusive 🤣 It’s been an exhilarating 10 days of b2b conferences and a huge milestone for What’s Left as we interviewed ex-Labour leader, Energy Secretary of State Ed Miliband and Kamala Harris’ immigration tsar Frank Sharry! In this episode we’ve got something a bit different for you – a buy one get one free. The first half is an interview with Miliband, where we discuss the challenges of urgently lowering bills and industrial energy costs, while delivering new jobs. We all know Reform is on the offensive, but Miliband is up for the fight against Tice and his legion of chronically online climate change deniers. LPC was a curious bubble, with attendees drifting from ‘complacency to cynicism’. The vibe, as Ed pointed out, was “anxious”. We felt the PM delivered a punchy speech against Farage, framing the next election as Labour vs Reform - but will it be enough to pull together a fractured and divided left? Deindustrialisation, how the PM has handled Trump, and ofc my Issey Miyake trousers also feature in our convo w Ed… Honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen a Labour politician look more natural and relatable in an interview for quite some time. But then again, we didn’t have enough time to truly get into the weeds of policy. Ed you’ll have to come back for some more scrutiny!
The 2nd half of the ep joins us at the Global Progress Action Summit (think centre-left CPAC!) which saw the PM announce digital ID cards in a bid to tackle illegal immigration. Once polling at +35%, support has cratered to -19, demonstrating a govt severely lacking in trust to deliver the change the country needs. Now even Palantir has come out against the policy, which may be surprising to some, but consider their current PR troubles and the type of access they could acquire under a Reform govt. Maybe twisting the knife is in their interest? Frank Sharry, the Biden-Harris border security policy tsar was kind enough to give us an interview on how the centre-left responds to the challenge of illegal immigration. He makes a compelling argument for Labour to change tack and become the party of both immigration and controlled borders. We also discuss the government’s £5bn high-street regeneration plan - the exact sort of policy that could go some distance in galvanising community spirit in the places hit worst by the cost of living crisis. It’s a brilliant policy. So why do we hear so little about it? Ofc, we were delighted to be invited to GPAS and to discuss with leading experts of the Left how we unite against populism. But, I can’t help feeling that we’re still lacking the radicalism we need at such a crisis point in our politics. It’s not looking good brev but we’re still holding out hope. Follow us @wtf_is.left + fix up as we organise against the Right. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:08 Cold Water Swimming, Chappell Roan + Mental Health 05:50 Fears of Reform + Radical Right 12:20 Taking the Fight to Richard Tice 18:30 Challenges for Net-Zero 24:26 Cutting Edge Communication 27:47 Our Verdict on Ed 32:57 Global Progress Action Summit 38:45 Starmer’s Digital ID Gamble 45:40 AI + Growth Agenda 50:10 Best Policy for Fighting Populism 53:00 Interview with Frank Sharry - Biden/Harris Immigration Tsar 58:35 Farage Copying Trump’s Playbook 1:07:08 American Authoritarianism Backsliding

Bill Gates Advisor + LSE academic Hassan Damluji offers us a glimmer of hope to avoid international catastrophe! Expert in global politics, climate change, pandemics and education reform, Hassan spent a decade at the Gates Foundation in charge of the Middle East, Pakistan and East Asia, closely advising Bill Gates and holding discussions with the likes of Saudi’s MBS, UAE’s President MBZ, Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif and original GOAT investor Warren Buffet. Quite the line up. Currently, he is a senior visiting fellow in International Relations at LSE and director of the think/do tank ‘Global Nation’, which advises UN agencies. He is also the author of ‘The Responsible Globalist’, a manifesto for reforming internationalists, unmoored by the MAGA-led nativist populist insurgency that has multilateralism on its knees. Gates described it as “thought-provoking and well written”, endorsing Hassan’s “ideas that can help make global systems more successful’. At the UN General Assembly this week, Trump doubled down on the end of American Internationalism. In the face of increasing global disorder and violent conflict, what strategy should the Labour pursue to protect the UK’s interests while meeting its principles as a moral mission? Such a tightrope has seemed contradictory at times - with the pomp and flattery of a Trump state visit being counterbalanced by the historic recognition of Palestine as a state. Hassan believes this can be turned into a coherent strategy, with the UK pursuing a middle powers alliance that stands up for the international rule of law. His latest report, Rules Britannia, is well worth a read: In this episode, we chart the failures of ‘globalism’, addressing the rise of populism in response to the immigration crisis, as well as the economic challenges facing developed economies. Hassan explains his vision for a world that feels solidarity around global identity, giving international institutions the requisite consent to solve complex problems like climate change. We also spend a long time discussing the US’ internal contradictions and how it’s not in billionaire’s interests for the world to descend into war and chaos. An international wealth tax must form some part of the solution. This chat with Hassan is probably our favourite so far for the podcast. It addresses the seemingly intractable political problems of our era and offers a real yet narrow way forward. I hope it gives you a bit of hope in these worrying times. As always, follow us @wtf_is.left on Instagram/TikTok Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/ZJe5aef3 00:00 Intro 01:25 Bill Gates, Billionaires and Philanthropy 11:10 Globalism vs Populism22:15 Democracy Matters Most 35:18 Why Populists are Winning 43:09 Britain + Middle Powers Alliance 53:05 An End to American Hegemony 1:04:02 Avoiding World War 3 1:12:04 UK’s Response to America’s Economic Revolution

We are addicted to ragebait - Jameela Jamil dropped serious bars in the latest What’s Left? pod!Short Form content is information crack. We’re hooked on it, even though doomscrolling leaves us feeling empty. Your da’ gets sunday scaries now - isn’t that mad.But what’s even more mental is hosting Jameela on the podcast discussing what the hell is left?! Thanks for coming Jam 🤝A legend who has experienced the culture war from the eye of the hurricane. Conquered London + LA. A megaphone for millions, whose voice is valued by many across the activist base.Our chat meandered from populism to relationships to the influencers shaping modern culture. But the common thread that tied it together was the spectre of ragebait.In echo chamber freefall, we are ploughed with ragebait content, intoxicating us with something to hate and fear.Is the algorithm just holding a mirror up to ourselves, like the social media bosses want us to believe? Or are we in fact being sold an identity, that doubles as a product - constantly?We discussed how the Right looks for converts, while the Left indefatigably looks for traitors. Infighting has naturally been the achilles heel of the Left. Now, we must look for unity as we dive headfirst into a fight against international populism.If we are indeed addicted to division, I urge us to remind ourselves: recovery is about progression, not perfection.Chapters00:00 Intro01:43 Why Jameela is an Advocate not an Activist09:33 How the Left gets Ragebaited16:40 Building a Left Co-alition25:10 Populism and Anti-System Feeling31:10 Bonnie Blue Documentary + Being Deepfaked37:28 Challenging Misogyny46:10 Algorithms are Exploiting Us51:15 The Reality of VAWG58:10 Ending Polarisation———As always, drop us a follow on IG/TT: @wtf_is.leftJoin us on Discord: https://discord.gg/GSq9CeWZWe're setting up a Patreon soon!! So bear with lol.

When Britain is shattered who do you need to win the next UK election? Latest What's Left episode with pollster Luke Tryl drops amongst the “OMG this poll has Reform predicted to win 400 seats” hysteria. Chillllll, Winston, we’re still a few years out. Of course, any given poll should be taken with a pinch of salt and a shot of tequila + lime. Politicos are taught not to read polls in isolation - but to look at the average across the polls for a sober analysis. Even then, you only have a limited snapshot and political parties and No 10 have their own operations with more accurate data. But if we’re being fully real rn, to quote Castillo, the average of the public-facing polls is “not looking good brev [sic]”. So what explains Labour’s drop off and the dramatic rise of Reform in the polls since the election? Who better to ask than one of the UK’s leading pollsters, Luke Tryl.Luke is the Executive Director of More in Common, widely rated as one of the best polling companies in SW1. He’s long had his finger on Westminster’s pulse, having served as a Special Advisor in the Department for Education during the Theresa May premiership following years on the think tank circuit. His analysis is deeply respected across the major parties, as shown by his frequent guest appearances on The News Agents’ podcast. In this discussion we delved into More in Common’s latest report, ‘Shattered Britain’, and its segmentation of the electorate which identified 7 types of voter. In particular, we zoomed in on the growing anti-system sentiment across the UK and Labour’s challenge in being seen as defenders of a rotten orthodoxy. Luke also made some adroit observations around the prospect of widespread social disorder, that has been whipped up by Farage and co over the past few weeks. No one wants to see the ugly and violent scenes we saw last year. Cool heads are needed to avoid talking ourselves into a febrile atmosphere. And Reform themselves would be wise to heed Luke's advice on how the public views such self-fulfilling prophecies...So how can Labour win the next election? The government needs to be seen to deliver for normal people - it’s about returning control to the electorate around a politics of respect. A renewed social contract, where you give in and understand that you also get out. Now more than ever, we need to rebuke the Thatcherism that 'there is no such thing as society' and create an integrative common culture. Otherwise, the UK will capitulate to the f@r-r1ght. It really is that deep, I’m afraid.Chapters00:00 Intro01:35 Britain is Shattered11:23 Pro-System vs. Anti-System21:23 What’s Causing Social Fragmentation?30:30 Splitting the Left Vote37:10 Better Political Comms 42:33 Impending Civil Unrest?46:30 Immigration and Social Integration53:10 Can our Electoral System Cope?59:50 How to Win the Next Election---------------Follow Luke on Tw*tter: @LukeTrylFollow us on IG/TT: @wtf_is.leftBe safe be lucky people yh!

Wealth taxes are all the rage as we approach an Autumn budget where money affi make for the Treasury.75% of the British public want a wealth tax (2% tax on assets over £10 million) according to YouGov polling. Gary Stevenson, Dale Vince and the Patriotic Millionaires crew say it will raise £24 billion - so why doesn't the government just do it... Dan Neidle is the UK's foremost tax expert - head of the Tax Policy Associates and formerly Clifford Chance's Head of Tax for 20 years. His tax vigilanteism led to the sacking of senior Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi. His organisation 'Tax Policy Associates' continues to go after dodgy tax schemes, creating more scuffles with some of the most rich and powerful in the UK. We call him Professor (ta)X, some call him tax Batman.In this episode we discuss a wide range of ideas - not just wealth taxes - but wealth inequality, populist comms and radical pro-growth reform of the UK's antiquated tax system. P.S. for our leftist audience, we're not giving up on an internationally co-ordinated wealth tax.We also hone in on a land value tax, supported by every tax policy wonk across the political spectrum but a big fat 0 politicians. Maybe the govt's mission really should be a housing-theory-of-quite-a-lot, moving with far more urgency and doing whatever necessary to upend the UK's supply problem.But of course, the cost of that is votes - votes that virtually every party has deemed necessary not to challenge, leaving us with council tax home valuations from the 90s... It really is such a mess. Enough of the doomerism. Hopefully this episode will leave you, like us, feeling a bit more informed about the shape of British tax policy and how we should be influencing the national conversation.------Chapters00:00 Intro01:23 Will a Wealth Tax Work?08:02 Are Millionaires Leaving the UK?14:00 Wealth Tax vs. Economic Growth21:12 International Wealth Taxes26:53 Fixing the UK’s Boomer Tax Problem31:58 Land Value Tax = A Real ‘Wealth Tax’38:00 Farmer’s Inheritance Tax Solution41:06 Why Politicians are Failing on Tax52:55 Eradicating Tax Havens59:00 Fighting Fraud and Tax Avoidance1:04:51 Private Sector vs. Public Sector------Watch on YouTube: Youtube.com/@wtfisleftFollow Dan on X: @DanNeidle Follow us on IG + TikTok: @wtf_is.leftJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/vmF3SjKu

New left-wing commentator unlocked!! Tilly Middlehurst a.k.a. BlondePraxis shot to TikTok fame after her debate with Charlie Kirk at the Cambridge Union went viral.Charlie Kirk made a name for himself by turning up on US college campuses to troll leftie students. When he came up against Tilly, a competitive British debater currently in her 2nd year at uni, the chronically online US political scene went ballistic. Kirk had certainly met his match.With over 300k followers on TikTok, Tilly has done what Robbie Williams failed to do – broken America. Her content focuses on the state of American democracy, insurgent populism in the UK and abroad and what that means for left wing politics.In this podcast, we chatted about Cambridge, meritocracy and got the inside scoop on the pushback she had post the Kirk debate. There’s also an in-depth discussion about the new Left party in the UK and its wider political implications.It’s always a pleasure to see the emergence of a new voice on the scene!!! And a privilege to host Tilly’s first of very many podcast appearances on our channel.00:00 Intro 01:23 Charlie Kirk Debate 09:45 Working Class in Cambridge16:52 Meritocracy, Identity and Code Switching25:15 Controversy post-Kirk Debate31:00 Is Gen-Z Polarisation Real?38:00 What are Tilly’s political views?45:20 Do you support the Labour Party?53:46 Corbyn-Sultana's New Left Party

Worried about the Manosphere? We got you w a DLC.We've got two of the world's leading authorities on what is really going on inside the world of the pay-to-play male paranoia.James Bloodworth is a journalist and author, who has recently published 'Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere'. Matt Shea is a former VICE journalist, best known for his series of documentaries on 'you know who', which were aired on the BBC.Hopefully this 90+ min discussion can help explain the deeper complexities that tie the manosphere, the conspiracy right and male loneliness together - and offer some thought-provoking ideas on how we move forward.Chapters00:00 The reality of the manosphere12:00 The male anxiety marketing industry22:50 Lessons from leaving the manosphere31:15 ‘Feminism has gone too far’46:16 Why are the left losing with men?55:00 Social Media has changed our relationships1:09:13 C0rn, doomscrolling and dopamine addiction1:24:19 Conspiracy theories shifting the Overton window1:28:50 - Positive masculinity and role modelsDon't forget to drop us a follow @wtf_is.left on IG/TikTok. Stay blessed people.

Labour welfare rebel Henry Tufnell is the first MP in the hot seat at WLHQ… 

There’s been no breaks to the psychodrama of UK politics since 2016. We can’t be the only ones who are feeling completely exhausted.This week the government had to climb down from its proposal for welfare reform which targeted the UC + PIP bill (benefits) which has ballooned since COVID and is projected to double over the course of this parliament. Critics of the bill said it would target the most vulnerable. Many economists said it was absolutely necessary.If you want to know what’s really going on here, who better to ask than one of the signatories to the amendment that killed the bill?Let’s not cap, this has been an incredibly challenging week for the Starmer-Reeves premiership. Most of the country is ever more confused about the direction of travel. And there is clearly a disconnect between number 10 and the backbenches. So how do we solve this seemingly intractable problem?
We need to find a way to unite, a story that offers a solution to the deep rot we can sense in our communities – a new social contract, perhaps. 
More questions than answers, and ever more pressing a time to help us figure out what’s left.