It's Bloody Complicated - A Compass Podcast

The 2025 Budget was set up to be the most important since at least the Truss-Kwarteng mega-failure of 2022. It’s Labour’s first attempt to set a full, multi-year spanning agenda since 2007. In the build-up to it every possible financial lever has been floated as on the table: income tax rises, changes to national insurance and VAT, windfall taxes on banks or the gambling industry, to name a few. What the Chancellor eventually decides to do will have serious ramifications for years to come. So it’s only right that our reactive episode of It’s Bloody Complicated treats this moment with the seriousness it deserves. This episode was hosted by Clive Lewis, Labour Member of Parliament for Norwich South, as he gave his own insight into what the Budget means and how the PLP have reacted to it. Joining Clive was Erin Mansell, Head of External Affairs at the Women’s Budget Group, and Michael Jacobs, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Sheffield. Erin Mansell leads WBG’s influencing work getting their analysis and policy recommendations for a gender equal economy out to as large and diverse audiences as possible. Before joining WBG in October 2022, Erin was responsible for public affairs at Solace Women’s Aid, a specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence charity where she specialised in tackling housing and homelessness issues for survivors of male violence. Prior to that she was Political Advisor and Researcher at the Women’s Equality Party, supporting the Party Leader, developing policies, and campaigning for universal free childcare and an end to violence against women and girls. Michael Jacobs is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Sheffield. He is a former General Secretary of the Fabian Society (1997-2003) and member of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Treasury (2004-07). He was Special Adviser to Gordon Brown at 10 Downing St from 2007-10. His books include The Green Economy: Environment, Sustainable Development and the Politics of the Future (1991), Paying for Progress: A New Politics of Tax for Public Spending (2000) and Rethinking Capitalism: Economics and Policy for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (ed, with Mariana Mazzucato. 2016). Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Jamie Driscoll was the Mayor of the North of Tyne between 2019-2024 and a true champion of progressive ideas throughout his political career. In 2023, he was denied the ability to run as Labour’s candidate for the North East Mayoral Election by the Labour NEC – an unprecedented decision for an incumbent Mayor and an inherently political decision. This moment has become one of the key indicators of the direction the Labour Party has moved under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer. Since then, Jamie Driscoll has set up the political party Majority to advance progressive ideals up and down the country. With the launch of the new Left party by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, Driscoll has been open about the need and desire for unity, cohesion and cooperation on the Left. This has only been exacerbated by Zack Polanski’s election as leader of the Green Party. With the threat of Reform lurking and a political system not built to house six legitimate political parties, listen now to hear Neal and Jamie Driscoll discuss exactly what the Left need to do to navigate this fragmented space. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

In the second instalment in this miniseries, Compass Director Neal Lawson sits down to chat to long-time Compass intellectual contributors - and hosts of their own podcast Culture, Power and Politics - Professor Jeremy Gilbert and Professor Alan Finlayson. The three discuss the history of factions within the Labour Party, from its inception through the New Labour era and now to the Starmer-McSweeney hyperfaction, and the consequences that has both for the party and for democracy in Britain today. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Paul Holden's new book, 'The Fraud', has made waves since its publication last month as it lays bare the intrigues, stratagems, and deceits that made Keir Starmer Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. Paul Holden shows how Starmer has been the frontman for a ruthless, right-wing political project headed by Morgan McSweeney, now chief of staff in Number 10 and arguably the most powerful man in Britain. McSweeney’s clique often employed dirty tricks to undermine the left-wing Labour leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, fuelling a moral panic over antisemitism and establishing front groups that hobbled prominent independent media outlets in the name of fighting ‘misinformation’. With the shallow nature of this Labour project now clearly in its final throes, this episode is part of a multi-episode series bringing together how this happened and what can be done to bring the Party back into the hands of those who have its best interests at heart. You can purchase 'The Fraud' from OR Books here: https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Named one of The Guardian and The Telegraph’s Top 50 Comedians of the 21st Century, Nish Kumar has come to stand out from the stand-up crowd. With his politically-charged brand of funny, he has sought out and established his own space in the entertainment scene. As co-host of Pod Save the UK, Nish melds comedy with commentary to bring light and resolution to the ever-growing sense of bleakness in British politics (including on an episode with Compass Director, Neal Lawson, back in 2023). As host of The Mash Report in the late-2010’s, The Bugle, and regular appearances on your TV screens on successful shows such as Taskmaster, Nish has come to be one of the most recognisable figures in British entertainment. So join us as Nish Kumar dissects a turbulent autumn in British politics and sets out the landscape for what on earth progressives need to do between now and the next election. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Where and how we live has always been political – but with the right to buy, the explosion of the private-rented sector, and ever-increasingly demand for affordable, social, and council housing, it’s rarely felt this existential. With the Renters’ Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament, the mammoth English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill set to extend planning powers to new mayors and councils, and the budget expected on 26th November, it feels like a timely moment to unpick this huge, crucial issue – and how Labour is handling it. To dig into this, we were joined by two brilliant guests: Aydin Dikerdem Beth Stratford is anSupport the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

The Labour Government find themselves in a difficult moment. On the eve of their 2025 Conference, they are faced with the knowledge that their ‘decade of national renewal’ currently seems stuck in first gear. A series of events have rocked public confidence in the government, including the resignation of Angela Rayner from her government roles and role as Deputy Leader of the party, the sacking of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador, and the launch of the new network, ‘Mainstream’. With the autumn looking decisive for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, we’re thrilled to be joined by two amazing guests to discuss: Rachael MaskellJeremy GilbertTwenty-First-Century SocialismHegemony Now: How Big Tech and Wall Street Won the World.Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

It's clear that this Labour Government are in a bit of trouble. Already floundering in the polls off the back of a year in which their promise of 'change' in 2024 hasn't lived up to expectations, they have now been rocked by a series of scandals and resignations - Angela Rayner, Peter Mandelson, Paul Ovenden - that are undermining Sir Keir Starmer's Premiership. With a Deputy Leadership contest now being seen as an internal referendum on the leadership, the 2025 Party Conference is set to be one to keep your eye on. To that end, the release of Mark Perryman's new book, 'The Starmer Symptom', couldn't have come at a more opportune time. The Starmer Symptom brings together leading political writers to navigate the complex terrain of this seismic shift in British politics. This unique collection analyses voter data, and looks at the break-up of the two-party system with the rise of a populist right in Reform UK and a new independent left. Will Keir Starmer’s government be able to successfully combine the pragmatic and social democratic to produce radical change? And if not, who is waiting in the wings? Perryman sits down with Compass Director Neal Lawson, who contributed a chapter to the book. Other contributors include Clive Lewis, Danny Dorling, Emma Burnell, Gargi Bhattacharyya, James Meadway, Hilary Wainwright, Jeremy Gilbert, Phil Burton-Cartledge, and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Special Offer for Compass Members and Supporters: ‘The Starmer Symptom’ for JUST £11.89 (usual price £16.99). Use coupon code ‘STARMER30’ at Pluto Press here. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Investigative journalist, author, commentator and activist – George Monbiot has come to define the intellectual left in many of his own ways over the past three decades. From the rights of indigenous peoples the world over to climate activism to opposition to the Iraq War to now speaking out on the Government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action, George has taken a stand where many others wouldn’t tread. And with the political moment being what it is, with tremendous uncertainty both home and abroad, valued voices are needed more than ever. So listen in as Compass Director, Neal Lawson, discusses what progressives need to do strategically to win the next decade-plus and what a Popular Front could achieve in Britain. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Zack Polanski’s victory in the Green Party leadership election has hailed in a a new political moment and couldn’t have arrived at a more turbulent time. With Reform surging in the polls, the Labour government struggling to gain any traction, the Conservatives fighting for relevance and the Liberal Democrats looking to capitalise in their heartlands, the Greens find themselves balancing their own member’s interests between dynamic leftism and seat-winning localism. But with Polanski defeating MP’s Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay by 20,411 votes to 3,705, his mandate for ‘eco-populism’ couldn’t be clearer. Yet the formation of a new Left party by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn threatens the cut-through of a Polanski-led Green Party. So what are they to do now and what does Polanski’s victory mean for the future of politics in Britain? To discuss this, Compass Director Neal Lawson is joined by former Green Party co-leader, Jonathan Bartley. Jonathan led the Greens between 2016-2021 alongside Caroline Lucas, and then Sian Berry, and was a councillor in Lambeth between 2018-2022. But taking a step back from frontline politics has allowed him to develop a thoughtful, nuanced perspective on the Green Party – you won’t want to miss this one. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

The launch of a new left party by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn is all anyone is talking about in the political world right now. An out-and-out left-wing party hasn't existed in Britain for quite some time, let alone seen any Parliamentary success, and for all of us in the progressive space its potential success will be fascinating to watch. But how could it succeed? What are the implications? To discuss this, Compass Director Neal Lawson sat down with campaigner Laura Parker, Professor Alan Finlayson and economist James Meadway. This episode is split into two sections: the discussion with Laura Parker (02:37) and a seperate discussion with Alan Finlayson and James Meadway (33:45). Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Under Mark Drakeford’s leadership, Labour in Wales bucked the party’s national trend in 2021, winning a working majority of 30 seats in the Senedd, worked with Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, and pushed genuinely innovative, exciting, unapologetically progressive policy: the UK’s first a universal basic income (UBI) trial, a Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, changing the voting system to a form of Proportional Representation, and taking Welsh rail services back into public hands. We talked to Mark about his vision of a good society, what’s next for Labour nationally and in Wales, and his proposal of a ‘union of solidarity’. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

In this special BONUS episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Compass Director Neal Lawson is joined by John McTernan - former Director of Political Operations to Tony Blair - and Compass Board Member, Baroness Ruth Lister. Following the extraordinary action by the Labour Party to suspend the whip from four MPs last week - Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell - for alleged 'repeated breaches of party discipline', the question had to be asked: where do we go from here? This episode covers the whip withdrawals, situates it in Labour's past and brings about a keen discussion of the party's future. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Caroline Lucas spent 10 years at the helm of the Green Party between 2003-2006, 2007-2012 and 2016-2018, as well as being the party’s first and only solely-elected MP for 14 years between 2010-2024. In that time, she became the face of green politics and one of the foremost voices for progressive politics in the country, laying the groundwork for the emerging climate discussion and leading the way in advocating against the ongoing climate catastrophe. In that time the Green Party went from receiving just over 250,000 votes in the 2005 General Election to nearly 2 million last July, returning four MP’s for the first time in its history. Lucas stepped down at that election, paving the way for the new generation of green voices. But with the Greens now undergoing a seismic leadership election, as well as intense public criticism of the Government’s net zero policy platform and disillusionment with Labour from the left, Lucas’s perspective remains just as valuable as it has been for the past two decades in public life. Don’t miss out on this fascinating conversation between Frances Foley, Deputy Director of Compass and Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party and former MP for Brighton Pavilion. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

From their leader’s bungee-jumping stunts, their best general election result ever, and leading the fight for social care, the Lib Dems have had a good year. But in the political narrative, their place as the ‘third party’ outside the Labour-Tory duopoly has been threatened by Reform UK’s ascendancy. Coupled with their perennial struggle to be a party that fights for a progressive vision of the future while representing some of the most affluent, small-C constituencies across the country, the future of the Lib Dems feels unclear. To pitch their versions of the future of the party, on this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, Lena will be joined by two progressive champions in the party, Roz Savage MP and Cllr Carl Cashman. Don’t miss out on this urgent conversation with our two guests Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Hilary Cottam is a world-renowned author, innovator and change maker across a whole range of policy profiles. Between international humanitarianism, education policy, social architecture, welfare and prison reform – amongst many other things – she has been a social innovator committed to getting things done for nearly 40 years. Her latest book, The Work We Need, presents a radical vision of what the future of work in this world can be. She identifies work as a cultural force at the heart of good lives, strong communities and a sense of a shared national destiny, and argues that the combined forces of a technology revolution, an ecological crisis and wider demands for social justice have created the conditions in which we must and can transform work. The Work We Need sets out the principles of good 21st century work – work that will enable people, local places, nature and business to flourish – and she provides a road map as to how we might get there. This is a book for workers everywhere, for policy makers and for business leaders, drawing on fascinating insights from a whole range of sectors to push towards a work revolution. Don’t miss out on this necessary conversation about the future of the European left and the rise of the right at home and on the continent between Neal Lawson, Director of Compass and Hilary Cottam, author, social innovator and Honorary Professor at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

The government’s child poverty taskforce is set to release its findings imminently. But with a country that needs widespread reform at-large, what are the necessary steps in tackling child poverty? A new report by Baroness Ruth Lister, and published by Compass, argues for a radical set of new policies ranging from direct provisions, social welfare and wider societal attitudes towards how we view childhood to alleviate the epidemic of child poverty in this country. We were joined by Baroness Lister in the latest episode of It's Bloody Complicated to discuss this report, and more. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, listeners will get a sneak peek of the debate and discussion set to take place at Compass’ upcoming national conference, CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal, on Saturday 31st May. Last summer, Labour was returned to government promising to deliver ‘a decade of national renewal’. Whilst some positive things have happened since then – especially on GB Energy and returning the railways to public ownership – decisions on oil and gas licenses, cuts to disability benefits and the go-ahead for a new runway at Heathrow have rightly caused alarm. With voters calling for change, and the populist right on the rise at home and abroad, the costs of Labour failing to make good on its promise would be catastrophic. On this episode of the podcast, you’ll get an exclusive preview of the vision for transformative change that we’ll be building together at CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal, with Jon Cruddas – former Labour MP for Dagenham & Rainham and member of the Compass Board Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

Since its launch in 1992 Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy has consistently advanced and examined the conditions for a radical and emancipatory vision of social democracy. And now, with its historic ties to Compass Director Neal Lawson and a background of offering new policies, paradigms and strategies to an international readership of citizens, activists and politicians, Compass is delighted that it will be publishing Renewal starting from the next issue at the end of April. Last summer saw Labour returned to government with the promise of ‘a decade of national renewal’. But what exactly would national renewal look like? With right-wing populism on the march, and with voters desperate for real change, it’s crucial that we start to develop the ideas and intellectual basis, as well as the organisation and alliances, required to answer that question and deliver. And it’s not just at home that the left is struggling. They’re facing existential political and electoral challenges, exacerbated by crises of capitalism, climate, technology and the global order, it is clear that a compelling vision of the future is sorely lacking. Which is where Renewal comes in. Whilst maintaining their editorial independence, they will host, initiate and organise reflection not only on short-term challenges, but also on the deeper renewal of their intellectual project, drawing inspiration from both within and beyond our own tradition. To help us unpack what the future holds for the journal and how it will fit with Compass’ plans, our Director, Neal Lawson was joined by two members of the editorial board: Dr Lise Butler, David Klemperer, Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

In a recent substack post, John Harris said that ‘the itch to write’ his new book Maybe I’m Amazed ‘arrived not long after the General Election of 2019’: I’d chewed over writing a book about the turns Britain had taken since the Brexit referendum three years before, but I had the feeling that a)The story had got too grim and relentless to return to with the dedication that a book would need, and b)In any case, the whole saga showed no sign of coming to any kind of conclusion (it still hasn’t). In some way I couldn’t quite work out, after all the political turbulence and anger I had been reporting on, what I really wanted to write about was human happiness. And music.John HarrisThe blurb for the book reads: “Obsessed with music since he was a child, John Harris had no idea that he was in fact preparing himself for the greatest challenge of his life. But so it transpired. When his son James was born, and three years later diagnosed with autism, music became a source of precious connection and endless wonder for both of them. Maybe I’m Amazed describes how the music of The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Funkadelic, The Velvet Underground, Amy Winehouse and many more were soon woven into the fabric of James’s life, becoming an essential part of who he is. It takes us through the struggles of raising an autistic child in a prejudiced world, and uncovers a hidden history of neurodivergence and creativity that casts new light on why notes, chords and lyrics speak so powerfully to the human mind.” We were thrilled to have John back on the It’s Bloody Complicated on Tues 8th April to discuss his new book. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.