The Bristol Cable

Gen Z listeners, do you actually know what a strike is? If not, we’ve got just the episode for you. PJDS this week features Bristol teacher Nik, National Education Union rep and co-host of the Requires Improvement podcast, who joins Isaac with his feet still freezing cold from standing on a picket line in January. So how does one go about organising workers? What is the point of industrial action – and what are the key ingredients to make it successful? Tune for an authentic union bro love-in…Requires Improvement PodcastHead to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to People Just Do Something wherever you get your podcasts.

01-20

57:45

Bristol is famous for being a maritime city, and its harbour – a vast area of water and historic docklands regenerated from dereliction since the 1990s –  draws tourists from all over the world. But who are the people living on the many vessels moored there? What has led them to choose a boat-dwelling life? And why are they protesting against how the council is managing the harbourside? Join Neil Maggs, in conversation with chair of the Bristol Boaters’ Community Association Amanda Sharman, to find out.Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

12-16

56:16

When authorities make plans that affect people’s lives, what do they get wrong – and how can they do better at working with communities? What are the lessons here for the council in Bristol, as it continues to face blowback over traffic restrictions in east Bristol? And why is it more important than ever for young people to have access to safe spaces, and adults they can trust? Join Neil and Samira Musse, from Barton Hill Activity Club, as they get deep into these issues and more…Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

12-02

01:10:37

A year on from the Barton House tower block evacuation, and six months after the Green Party became the largest party on Bristol City Council, what has changed as Bristol continues to grapple with a brutal housing crisis? How are the Greens finding being the party of leadership rather than opposition? And if they seized power at a national level, would they tone down their combative comments on Donald Trump? Join Neil Maggs in conversation with Easton councillor and housing committee lead, Barry Parsons, as a fresh series of Unpacked gets underway.Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

11-18

55:08

This week Alex Turner sits down with Priyanka Raval to talk about her print piece, Barton House, One Year On, The Enduring Trauma and Search for Justice. Priyanka spoke to Barton House residents and discovered how the emergency evacuation last year continues to impact them. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

11-11

31:28

This week, Priyanka sits down with Sean Morrisson to discuss an Avon and Somerset police report leaked to the Cable. The report demonstrates that the police messaging around the impact of stop and search powers is misaligned with the public messaging around this. Topics include discussions around strip searching which could be distressing.Bristol says NO to section 60 petition

11-04

25:53

Has the council stuck to a commitment it made in 2019 to work more ethically with people who owe it money? What can we expect on this issue from the new Green Party led administration? And why is it so important to stick with stories like this over the long term?Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

10-07

25:01

Cable reporter Sean Morrison takes us inside our new campaign to say no to section 60 - special powers being used to to crack down on knife crime that are disproportionately targeting people of colour and leaving them traumatised.Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

09-23

26:18

The Cable’s Priyanka Raval interviews freelance reporter Adam Quarshie about trade unions’ response to recent far-right unrest in Bristol, how they can do more for migrant workers, and whether their past relationship with racism needs to be reckoned with.Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to People Just Do Something wherever you get your podcasts.

09-09

31:22

Join Cable journalists Priyanka and Sean as they reflect on what’s driving the far right violence across the country, and Bristol's incredible show of solidarity as thousands took to the streets to say no to hatred.Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.

08-12

37:08

Emma Edwards is the leader of Bristol Green Party who could well be in charge of the council for the first time after May's local elections. She chats to Neil about the Green's vision for doing politics in a more transparent and collaborative way, how they'd sort out our public transport, and whether they're ready to make the tricky transition from party of opposition to party of power.Subscribe to The Bristol Cable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04-26

01:14:28

Neil Maggs sits down with Mark Weston, who was first elected as a councillor nearly 20 years ago, and has led the local Tory party for a decade. On the eve of the local elections, they discuss the Tories miserable national polling, the so-called 'war on motorists' being waged by Bristol City Council, and the cultural divides between Bristol's inner city and suburbs.Subscribe to The Bristol Cable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04-24

01:08:54

Jos Clark is an experienced local councillor now leading the Lib Dems into Bristol's local elections. A party that used to have strong support in the city has seen its seats dwindle over the last decade. The critic of Marvin Rees and the mayoral system, who helped manoeuvre the referendum on introducing the new committee system, talks to Neil Maggs about libraries, Bristol's failing bus services and her prediction that Labour will take a kicking after eight years in powerSubscribe to The Bristol Cable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04-19

01:09:03

Just three years after being first elected as a councillor, Labour's Tom Renhard is now leading the party into May's local elections. Neil Maggs asks him about his record as the city's housing chief, why he thinks the Greens aren't up to the task of being in power and Labour's plans for building new homes, campaigning for rent controls and bringing buses back into public ownership.Subscribe to The Bristol Cable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04-12

01:05:32

Salma, a lawyer who spent her childhood in Gaza, shares the 'dystopian' experience of life under occupation and knowing your family are in a war zone, as well as discussing happier memories and pro-Palestinian activism in the UK.Content warning: contains graphic descriptions of war and violenceSalma Hajjar is a young trainee solicitor who spent her childhood up to age eight in Gaza, where decades of oppression and violence have been succeeded by a return to the horrors of all-out war.In the latest episode of Bristol Unpacked, the last of the current run, Salma offers a devastating personal perspective on the war – which has taken the lives of some of her loved ones – and on the “dystopian” experience of living under occupation. She reflects on happier memories of the beauty of Gaza – its beaches, its food and its community – and on the pain and loss of being separated from home, and the desire to return one day. Salma, who has now lived in Bristol for five years, also discusses her love for the city, the solidarity she has found, including from Jewish friends, and the value of activism in changing public opinions – and holding politicians’ feet to the fire.With the International Court of Justice recently demanding measures to reduce the suffering inflicted on Palestinian civilians – and continuing to weigh a genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa – pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza is continuing to mount. But under what conditions can such a deal take place? Do the court’s actions go far enough? And are there any grounds for longer-term optimism around an end to Israeli-Palestinian conflict and progress towards a two-state solution?Join Salma and Neil Maggs for a sometimes harrowing but always thought-provoking finale to the winter season of Bristol Unpacked – and with elections on the horizon, be sure to stay tuned for the team’s next moves during the spring.Subscribe to The Bristol Cable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.