The New Statesman Podcast

The longer the Conservatives hang on, the worse it gets. Last week Rishi Sunak lost 474 councillors, the constituency of Blackpool south, and Andy Street’s West Midlands mayoral. And yesterday things went from bad to worse for Sunak with a surprise defection to Labour from Natalie Elphicke MP for Dover and Deal. The Conservatives can’t seem to escape this endless decline in support and popularity. So when did it all start to go wrong, and can they stop the train before it completely derails? Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, is joined in the studio by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and George Eaton, senior editor. Read: The Tory doomscroll Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK is on course for a huge rise in preventable illness. The Health Foundation charity predicts that by 2040, one in five adults will be living with a serious condition, such as cancer, dementia or heart disease. Meanwhile, economic activity is stagnating, with roughly 2.8 million people currently out of work due to ill health, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Our world-leading life sciences sector has the capacity to help reverse this trend. In 2021 alone, it contributed £43.3bn to the UK economy, and supported 646,000 jobs. With the right investment, it could add an additional £68bn to GDP over the next 30 years, create 85,000 more jobs and result in a 40 per cent decrease in disease burden across the UK. This episode, in partnership with professional services firm PwC, explores how greater investment into vital disease areas such as cancer, obesity and immunology could make British society physically and financially healthier. Emma Haslett is joined by Chi Onwurah, the shadow minister for science, research and innovation; Dr Dan Mahony, chair of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the government’s life sciences investment envoy; and Stephen Aherne, pharmaceutical and life sciences leader at PwC UK. If you enjoyed this podcast you can find more of Spotlight's policy reporting in our standalone Spotlight podcast feed, or at newstatesman.com/spotlight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer is the man poised to be the next leader of the UK. But he is also a man of whom many - including those in his own party - have asked: what does he stand for? Four years after Starmer became leader of the Labour party we know a little more about him. We’ve heard about his childhood, the pebble-dashed semi and his time at the Crown Prosecution Service. But what are the principles behind the man and his project ? What do we really know about ‘Starmerism’? Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, is joined by George Eaton, senior editor, who has written this week's cover story. Read: What is Starmerism? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been a terrible night for the Conservatives who have lost councillors, constituencies, and new Mayoral positions to Labour. Keir Starmer has called this result a sign to move on and for Rishi Sunak to call a general election. So far the Tories have held onto the Tees Valley mayoral position but Labour have won in Rishi Sunak's backyard. So as the rest of the results continue to trickle in, Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Ben Walker, senior data journalist, as they analyse what yesterday's elections, and today’s results, tell us about the UK wants from its leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week ago, Humza Yousaf, first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party, terminated the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. There had been mounting pressure on both Yousaf’s leadership and ending the coalition, but the eventual timing of the termination caused the now former leader to appear panicked and triggered a Scottish government crisis. On Monday, just after 13 months in office, Yousaf resigned, ahead of two no confidence votes. This morning John Swinney announced his leadership to be Scotland’s next first minister, meanwhile this afternoon Kate Forbes has announced that she will not be entering the leadership race. But the SNP was deeply fractured when Yousaf inherited it, would a successor be able to unite it? Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, is joined by Chris Deerin, Scotland editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2022, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that for the first time since records had begun, 100 million people were displaced by war, violence, persecution and human rights abuses. No one wants to leave their home, but for many, the threat of death, danger and destruction leaves them with very little choice. But where can they go? And where will they be met with humanity? Sarah Dawood, senior associate editor at the New Statesman, is joined by former asylum seeker Arman Azadi, who arrived in the UK at 14 years old. After completing school and university in the UK he has worked with charities, governments, and the United Nations to advise on policies concerning displaced children whose lives have been torn apart by war and conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener writes in to ask, "Is there any risk of a Conservative - Reform coalition?" "Why do journalists not ask “how are you going to pay for it” when it comes to defence spending? Why is Keir Starmer's defence spending target covered so differently to planned green spending?" - another listener asks. Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, to answer listener questions. Would you like to ask the team a question? You can do so here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Train travel in the UK has become an increasingly painful experience in the past few years. Prices continue to rise at an astonishing rate, meanwhile delays, cancellations and strikes have become the norm. Many have simply given up on this mode of transport. Last night, Labour announced their plan to get Britain’s railways back on track. But what does this mean? And could bringing trains back into public ownership really fix the dire state of rail travel in the UK? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined in the studio by George Eaton, senior editor, and Freddie Hayward, political correspondent. Read: Louise Haigh: Labour manifesto will pledge rail renationalisation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MPs have voted to back Rishi Sunak's progressive smoking ban. Can it work? The Tobacco & Vapes Bill includes new legislation to increase the smoking age by one year, every year, banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 1st January 2009. MPs have voted the bill through its second reading and it is now in the committee stage. The tobacco firm Philip Morris International have pledged to move away from selling cigarettes, and instead focus on heated tobacco products. In this episode, Becky Slack is joined by Dr. Moira Gilchrist of Philip Morris International, to discuss the company's plans for a "smoke-free future" and whether Britain - and tobacco firms - really can kick cigarettes for good. This episode was paid for by Philip Morris International. The New Statesman retains full editorial control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, published his memoir - A Very Private School. This recounted, in devastating detail, the abuse, both mental and physical, that he had been subjected to at his elite prep boarding school. The brutality is laid bare. For centuries in the UK, a private education has been the pathway to opportunity. Today those who attended private schools are five times more likely to hold top jobs in politics, the judiciary, media, and business. Boarding school boys in particular, who represent less than 1% of the population, have been in charge of the country for most of the past 14 years. But at what cost? For both the survivors of these institutions and for the whole country. Read: A boyhood built on fear, The price of private education Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded on the 18th of April, prior to Israel's missile strikes on Iran. Tensions in the Middle East have heightened further after Iran launched a missile attack on Israel last week. This was in response to Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria - which killed 16 people. Western leaders came to Israel’s defence and condemned Iran’s attack, but prior to this David Cameron - the UK foreign secretary - had warned that the UK’s support for Israel was ‘not unconditional’. So how have these latest developments divided the government’s stance on Israel’s conflict? And how are Labour planning to act should they come into government amid this war? Anoosh Chakelian, Britian editor at the New Statesman, is joined by Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, and George Eaton, senior editor. Read: The new Tory divide on Israel Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics email Morning Call Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Liz Truss has embarked on the press tour of a lifetime with her new book, Ten Years to Save the West: Lessons from the only conservative in the room. She's been casting blame from the UN to the Bank of England for the failure of her time in office, but does she really believe what she's saying? And how might this affect her standing in the next general election? Anoosh and Rachel also ask Freddie about his recent trip to the National Conservatism conference in Brussels with the likes of Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman, Éric Zemmour, Viktor Orbán, and the Belgian police. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People up and down the country have been struggling to get NHS dental appointments for the past few years, forcing some to pay inflated prices for private treatment, or ignore their oral health until it’s reached an unbearable point. This crisis is also greatly impacting children across the nation, and today the number one reason children are admitted to hospital is due to severe dental issues. So how did we get here? Why is the UK faced with Dickensian rot in 2024? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined by policy correspondent Harry Clarke-Ezzidio, and senior associate editor, Sarah Dawood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, is being accused of being a ‘tax avoider’. While these attacks are coming predominantly from the right, they’ve been mounting in recent weeks and now Labour is having to confront the allegations. So what could this mean for the deputy leader? Is Labour in trouble? Or is this a Tory smear campaign? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman, is joined in the studio by political correspondent Freddie Hayward; this episode was recorded on Thursday 11th April. Read the pieces mentioned in this podcast: Is Angela Rayner in danger?; What Dominic Raab missed about Angela Rayner at Glyndebourne; I looked into Angela Rayner’s tax affairs – here’s what I found Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been digging around in our virtual mailbag and have brought a couple of your questions to discuss. One listener asks: What are the political implications of the Cass report and will it affect how British politicians approach the transgender conversation? And another listener writes in to ask: Could a Starmer win in the UK and a Trump win in the US spell the end for the ‘special relationship’? Ask a question for a future podcast: www.newstatesman.com/podcasts/2022/10/you-ask-us Read Andrew Marr's piece: Inside Labour’s foreign policy factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British royal family was in crisis even before Queen Elizabeth II died, and the new King and princess of wales both became ill with cancer. In this modern age where access increasingly equates to relevance, and truth and conspiracy so often intertwine, how is Britain’s relationship with monarchy changing? Chris Stone is joined on the New Statesman podcast by author Tanya Gold who has written this week's cover story: The Fragile Crown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's listener questions time! Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe answer a listener who asks why senior politicians flock to address culture wars issues "which are frankly below their station", and another who wants to know if MPs who are also landlords should recuse themselves from voting on laws affecting renters. Submit a question for us to answer on a future episode: www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Listen to our previous episode on leasehold reform with Barry Gardiner MP: https://pod.fo/e/22360d Sign up to receive Morning Call, our daily politics newsletter: https://substack.com/morningcall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

England’s waterways are overflowing with sewage. In a recent report it has been found that a record amount of sewage is being discharged into rivers and seas around England. Data revealed that last year raw sewage was discharged, by private water companies, for more than 3.6 million hours, a 105% increase on the previous 12 months. And in addition to all of this Thames Water, Britain’s biggest water company, is at risk of insolvency. Who’s responsible for this shitstorm? And in how many ways is this damaging for the country? Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman, is joined in the studio by Will Dunn, business editor, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor. Read Will's piece: Who killed Thames Water? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flexible work has existed for decades. Think about local hairdressers, personal trainers, or tutors working for themselves – or even the jazz musicians in the early 1900s who coined the term ‘gig economy’. But the past ten years of technology have made it more accessible – and visible – to both the people who use it and those who work in it. But what is the right balance between job autonomy, economic security and worker’s rights? Is there a world where an evolving labour market provides proper workers’ protections and union representation while maintaining real autonomy and flexibility? This New Statesman podcast, sponsored by Uber ahead of the three year anniversary of their groundbreaking recognition agreement with GMB – the first of its kind in the gig economy – breaks down all of this and more, to discuss the future of work in 21st-century Britain. Journalist Suze Cooper was joined by a panel of guests including Sir Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham since 1994 and Chair of Parliament’s Work and Pensions Select Committee; the GMB trade union’s National Secretary, Andy Prendergast and Uber’s UK General Manager, Andrew Brem. Through the episode, they discussed how changes in ways of working have come to the fore in our everyday lives, with technological advances seeing less of a focus on traditional industries and more on the dynamic, flexible labour market of the 21st century. Alongside these transformations we’ve seen the world of work change in other ways with the rise of hybrid working environments, the gig and sharing economy, work-from-anywhere culture and digital nomads. The pandemic has sped up and baked in these developments across the UK, as people’s approach to work-life balance adjusted, with workers seemingly coming to value their autonomy in much more profound ways than previous generations. Options for flexible work across various apps and platforms have enabled more choice for millions of people around their working patterns, choosing when and where they earn. More and more, it appears British workers are putting greater value on autonomy and flexibility in their lives and careers than their parents and grandparents did, balancing work around other responsibilities like caring or studying. But the question for the UK – and considered by the panel throughout this episode – is how best to deliver this flexibility and autonomy whilst not compromising on the protections and benefits workers need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast we're bringing you a conversation from the New Statesman's Path to Power conference which looked inside the Labour Party machine as it gears up for the next election. In this session Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman, was joined by Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South and Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, to discuss Labour's plans for labour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.