The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

In 2020, Sinn Féin, a left-wing party born out of Ireland’s nationalist movement, claimed victory. At the time Ireland’s two major parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, went into coalition with each other, preventing Sinn Fein from forming a government. Sinn Fein’s leader, Mary-Lou McDonald proudly claimed that she would be the first female Taoiseach.Four years later, support for the left-wing has markedly dropped, scandals have surrounded them on both sides of the border, and party political identities have become blurred.But when Ireland heads to the polls next week, what will be at the forefront of voter's minds? And how will issues of economy, housing, and immigration decide trajectory of the country's future?Kate Lamble is joined by Eoin O'Malley, Finn McRedmond, Conor Kelly, and Dan O'Brien. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The author of Orbital says Elon Musk's "individualistic" future is "problematic in all sorts of ways".Samantha Harvey, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize for fiction speaks to Nicholas Harris in this episode of Culture from the New Statesman.She discusses how her novel portrays the politics and powers of the world from orbit, and why the de-orbiting of the ISS marks the end of an era of "peaceful co-operation between nations".📚 READ Nicholas Harris's write up of this conversationhttps://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2024/11/samantha-harvey-booker-prize-2024-winner-interview-orbital🙋‍♀️ ASKWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREEGet our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Give a loved one a year's subscription to the New Statesman for just £49 https://www.newstatesman.com/pod24 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where you live could drastically impact how long you live. According to the Office for National Statistics, a person in South Kensington, one of London’s wealthiest areas, can expect to live up to 16 years longer than someone in a more deprived area, like Blackpool. In this episode, host Sarah Dawood is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the stark health inequalities across the UK. -      Jennifer Dixon DBE, CEO of The Health Foundation-      Jonathan Ashworth, CEO of Labour Together, former Shadow Secretary for Health, and former Labour MP-      Steve Brine, former Conservative MP, former Minister for Public Health and Primary Care, Chair of Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee, and host of Prevention Is The New Cure podcast The panel discusses the social determinants, or building blocks of health, that shape health outcomes and life expectancy. They discuss the need for a cross-government approach to address these inequalities and highlight the urgency of meaningful, coordinated action to improve public health. We also hear from Dr. Ronny Cheung, Consultant General Paediatrician at Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Officer for Health Services at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. This episode is sponsored by Health Equals, a coalition of 27 organisations campaigning to ‘Make Health Equal’. Visit www.healthequals.org.uk Show references: Health at the heart of government https://www.health.org.uk/publications/health-at-the-heart-of-government Health and social care select committee prevention inquiry https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7205/prevention-in-health-and-social-care/ Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health – Child health inequalities and poverty toolkit https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/key-topics/child-health-inequalities-poverty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And what can Keir Starmer learn from Theresa May's relationship with Trump? (keep hands firmly in pockets)Read: Andrew Marr's weekly column Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Starmer contends with a fraught political landscape, he has increasingly turned to figures from the Blair administration: Jonathan Powell, Liz Lloyd, Peter Mandelson, Alan Milburn. What will this means for the factions within the current Labour government?We are also midway through COP29 which is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. Keir Starmer was only one of two G7 leaders to appear at the conference (where he announced new plans for the UK to cut its emissions by 81% compared to 1990 levels by 2035. How are Labour going to stick to their pledge of going green?Read: The return of the Blairites Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month Russia gained the most Ukrainian territory since March 2022 when the war was in its infancy. At least 10,000 North Korean troops have also joined the fight, which will do little to replace the roughly 1,500 Russian soldiers killed or injured daily. And among all that Donald Trump was re-elected as US President. Kate Lamble is joined by Chris York, Wolfgang Munchau, Angela Stent, and Mex Bergmann.Read: Putin stares down the west by Wolfgang Munchau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are we all becoming increasingly angry? And what did Donald Trump understand about harnessing this emotion to win back the presidency?Tom Gatti is joined by New Statesman columnist Sarah Manavis and psychoanlyst Josh Cohen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fuel poverty is hitting homeowners, full-time workers, and young people. As energy prices rise and the cost of living crisis deepens, heating our homes is becoming increasingly difficult. In this episode, host Zoe Grunewald speaks with Jessica Taplin, CEO of British Gas Energy Trust, Martin Lord from Citizens Advice Essex, and Carol Shreve from Citizens Advice North Yorkshire and Law Centre. Together, they discuss the shifting demographics affected by fuel poverty, the importance of community-based support, and the urgent need for policy changes. We also explore insights from British Gas Energy Trust's roundtable events across the UK, highlighting the collaborative efforts required to tackle this growing issue. This New Statesman podcast episode is sponsored by British Gas Energy Trust, an independent charitable trust fully funded by British Gas, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicholas Harris reports from the new Labour seat of Southport, which was rocked by riots three months ago. There he found anger and resentment towards migrants. A listener asks if Reform UK now pose as much of a threat to Labour as they do to the Conservatives.Plus Rachel Cunliffe joins Hannah Barnes and Nicholas Harris to answer a listener who asks whether Donald Trump's win is good news for new Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch.🙋‍♀️ ASK a questionWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREE get our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Become a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Class? Gender? Economy? What did the Democrats get wrong, what did Trump get right, and how will the UK respond to this?Hannah Barnes is joined by senior editors George Eaton and Katie Stallard as the dust settles on the US election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has headed to the polls and we want to ask what’s at stake - what will a Trump or Harris victory mean for America, international diplomacy, even your finances. Kate Lamble is joined by senior editor Katie Stallard and New Statesman columnists Jill Filipovic and Sohrab Ahmari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was behind the Washington Post's shock decision not to endorse a presidential candidate? It's owner, Jeff Bezos, has cited reasons of impartiality and a perception of bias. Others have suggested that the decision was financially motivated, made out of fear of losing support and contracts from a Trump government.Tom Gatti is joined by Alison Phillips, former editor of the Daily Mirror, to discuss the impact of this choice and also what drives the handful of men who have controlled our media throughout history.Read more from Alison Phillips on the New Statesman here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Gauke reveals his pick for the Tory leadership “not without reservations”. As Labour deliver “hard decisions” in their first budget in 14 years, a listener asks if Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are reliving Nick Clegg’s 2011.David Gauke, who served with Nick Clegg in government, gives his take.He joins Rachel Cunliffe and Hannah Barnes on our weekly listener questions episode, in which they also discuss the Conservative leadership election and David Gauke reveals who he, reluctantly, voted for.📚 READWhy Tory centrists are hopeless at leadership electionshttps://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/10/why-tory-centrists-are-hopeless-leadership-electionsWould Kemi Badenoch be worth the risk for the Conservatives?https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/10/would-kemi-badenoch-be-worth-the-risk-for-conservatives🙋‍♀️ ASK a questionWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREE get our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Become a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first Labour budget in 14 years is "refreshing" but risky, say the IFS.Rachel Reeves has delivered her maiden budget in the House of Commons. As expected, thanks to leaks and pre-briefing over the preceding week or so, the Chancellor is raising employers' National Insurance, changing capital gains and inheritance tax, and increasing stamp duty. Andrew Marr and George Eaton join Hannah Barnes on the New Statesman podcast to analyse the politics of the Labour budget. They are also joined by Ben Zaranko from the IFS to review the economics.📚 READLabour has laid a trap for the Torieshttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2024/10/how-labour-aims-to-trap-the-tories🙋‍♀️ ASK a questionWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREE get our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Become a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week from the US Presidential Elections, the race remains tight. There’s been renewed focus on Trump’s political rallies. At Madison Square Garden in New York Trump spoke to tens of thousands about the enemy from within, others who appeared likened Kamala Harris to a prostitute with pimp handlers, called her the antichrist and described Puerto Rico an island of garbage.The rally drew comparisons to a fascist event held in the same arena on the eve of the Second World War in 1939. Are these comparisons accurate, and if so, what does this mean for the future of the Republican party and American conservatism?Kate Lamble is joined by New Statesman writers Freddie Hayward, Sarah Churchwell, and Sohrab Ahmari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new film from Steve McQueen is about to hit cinema screens: Blitz. Set during the devastating German bombing raids of 1940 to 1941, it follows Saiorse Ronan as east end mum Rita, and her son George, played by Elliot Heffernan, as they travel across London searching for each other.In some ways, it’s a new look at history, Rita’s son is mixed race – and issues of race, class, and gender are present throughout McQueen’s film.But Blitz also takes its place in a long tradition: almost 80 years on from the end of the Second World War, Britain’s role in both world wars still dominates British culture and retains a central place in our national psyche, and our politics. Why is this?Tom Gatti is joined by journalist and academic Gary Younge and historian David Edgerton.Read Gary's piece: The myths of Blitz spiritGet access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Marr, Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe hear from a focus group of voters in a marginal Kent constituency, to get their views on Labour's first three months in government. They reveal why they're struggling to trust "posh" Keir Starmer, whether they regret their vote, and which public figure they would love to see in parliament.This focus group was arranged by Public First.📚 READThe 100 days that shook Labourhttps://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/10/andrew-marr-100-days-that-shook-labour-keir-starmer🙋‍♀️ ASK a questionWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREE get our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Become a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Zaranko, senior research economist from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, takes us through the numbers ahead of next week's budget, and the New Statesman's political editor Andrew Marr takes us through the politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re just two weeks from the 2024 US Presidential election. Donald Trump is up against Kamala Harris. Polls are vanishingly close. They suggest Harris has a 53% chance of moving into the Oval office. But after years of incorrect predictions, can they be trusted?In this episode of Insight, Kate Lamble speaks with Scott Keeter from Pew Research centre as well as the New Statesman's data journalist Ben Walker about what can be gleaned from the polls, and if they are more trustworthy than the past two election cycles. Later on in the programme we hear from the New Statesman's Megan Gibson and Katie Stallard about what, or rather who, doomed Harris from the start. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has reshaped American politics. But who shaped him? A new film has some answers.The Apprentice, written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abasi, charts the rise of a young Trump (Sebastian Stan) under the caustic tutelage of bulldog lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Megan Gibson interviews writer Gabriel Sherman to discuss the creative challenges of putting Trump on screen, and Tom Gatti speaks to New Statesman film critic David Sexton to explore whether star Sebastian Stan is right that “the first three-dimensional portrayal” of Trump has done the presidential candidate a favour.This is the first episode of a new weekly series, Culture from the New Statesman, hosted by Tom Gatti. We would love your feedback on our new episodes, and on the New Statesman podcast in general. Please email your comments to podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk📚 READ The Apprentice: a grotesque, compelling Trump satirehttps://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2024/10/the-apprentice-review-grotesque-compelling-donald-trump-satire🙋‍♀️ ASK a questionWe answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting here, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus📧 FREE get our daily politics emailhttps://morningcall.substack.com💷 SAVE Become a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save🎧 LISTEN to the New Statesman podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@NewStatesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.