People Talk... Politics

In this episode of People Talk...Politics, our Policy Fellow Matthew Brooker interviewed Rt Hon Sir David Lidington CBE, UK's longest serving Minister for European Affairs, Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office in Theresa May’s government. They discussed how internal divisions in the Conservative Party may affect its electability and what issues and policies the Tories should emphasise in their campaign. Sir David also shared his insights on the relationship between government, the civil service and local government, outlining potential reforms that could increase efficiency, transparency and decentralisation.

As Britain's involvement in a war does not seem like an outrageous fantasy anymore, our Policy Fellows Lucas, Baran and Orla discuss whether the UK defence spending is sufficient, explore the role defence may play in the upcoming general election, consider the UK's role in NATO and European defence and debate whether the current British "small high tech army" approach is sustainable.

Is an AI revolution upon us? In this episode of People Talk...Politics, Policy Fellows Calista Toner and Jonathan Gibson delve into the debate about opportunities and dangers associated with AI. They discuss how AI is revolutionising the defence industry and the character of warfare and argue that there is a threat of interference of malign actors in democratic practices and misinformation, including the use of deep fakes and bots on social media, which points to the proliferation of digital technologies and cyber warfare. They also debate whether AI should be regulated on the national or international level.

With the looming general election, Policy Fellows Matthew and Ellie discuss why Conservatives are polling so poorly and argue that Labour and Kier Starmer aren't particularly popular with voters but are less unpopular than Sunak and the Tories. They discuss both parties' election strategies and outline the issues that are likely to dominate the campaign. Check out this episode of People Talk...Politics!

In this episode of People Talk...Politics, our policy fellows Blerton, Jack and Alex debate at what point free speech becomes hate speech, particularly in the context of anti-Israel protests and instances of antisemitism on university campuses, examine the existing legal framework for the protection of free speech in British universities and discuss how these policies may be improved.

Pinsker Policy Fellows Felix, Samantha and Max discuss Iran’s attempts to undermine the liberal international order as it collaborates with autocratic regimes in Latin America and Russia, uses its proxies to intervene in regional conflicts in Yemen and Syria and finances terrorist organisations including Hamas and Hezbollah.

In this podcast Mackenzie France sat down with Paul Gross, Senior Fellow at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, to discuss the recent developments and likely prospects of the war in Gaza, tensions within the government, Netanyahu's popularity, and the role the Palestinian Authority and the Arab states may play in the eventual solution for Gaza.

Pinker Centre policy fellows Dan, Jonathan and Calista consider the challenges to free speech on UK university campuses and assess the effectiveness and implications of the 2023 Freedom of Speech Act. They debate whether it is the university or government that should regulate freedom of speech on campuses and discuss the ongoing discourse on Israel and Gaza from the perspective of freedom of speech.

In this episode, our Policy Fellows Matthew and Ellie talk about the role of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the Israel-Hamas war and its position in the West Bank. They outline the challenges the PA faces in the West Bank, including its rivalry with Hamas, and discuss whether the PA can be a legitimate governing force in Gaza in the future.

In this podcast, our Policy Fellows Baran, Orla and Lucas discuss how the Israel-Hamas war has affected Israel's relationship with regional partners, particularly with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, and what role the US plays and should play in the conflict, considering its military involvement in the region and the security threat of Iran. They also outline different scenarios of post-war resolution for Gaza and what they could mean for Israel's domestic politics and international reputation.

In this episode of People Talk...Politics, our policy fellows Alex, David and Lucy compare the Trump and Biden Administrations' approaches to relations with Israel, discuss how Israel's stance on the Ukraine war may affect the US-Israeli partnership and evaluate the impact the judicial reform will have on US-Israel relations. They point out that Israel is looking beyond the US and the West and is building new security and military cooperations with countries like Turkey and India.

In this podcast episode, our policy fellows discuss the implications of new technological developments for security, arguing that the separation between the physical and the digital realms of war is shrinking. They discuss the use of AI in defence, question its ability to make moral judgements, debate how states should regulate technological development, and emphasize the importance of digital literacy and critical thinking in modern society.

Our policy fellows Olivia Peterson, Ryan Wee and William Rome discuss whether anti-Zionism is antisemitism. They argue that anti-Zionism is often used as a cover for antisemitism, discuss whether the anti-Israel bias in international institutions amounts to antisemitism and note that anti-Zionism has become socially acceptable and even trendy, particularly on university campuses.

Tune in for the next episode of People Talk…Politics! Our policy fellows Abigail Darwish, Sam Brummer and Oliver Udy debate how British schools should teach history. They discuss the importance of representation in history, the emphasis on the British Empire and the relevance of the history curriculum in the contemporary world. They evaluate the merits of ‘decolonising History’ and argue that teaching history through this lens to 14-year-olds who may drop History in their further studies risks oversimplifying and misrepresenting history by over-scrutinising Britain while giving little critical attention to other empires, colonial powers and conquerors.

Tune in for our Coronation Special podcast episode! Our policy fellows William Rome, Ryan Wee and Olivia Peterson discuss the role of the monarchy in contemporary Britain, the economic value of the monarchy and the royal family's role in diplomacy and representing Britain abroad, especially in the context of rising republicanism in the Commonwealth. They also consider how the traditional role of the monarch in politics and policy may be changing with King Charles III.

Is free speech in academic institutions under attack? In the latest podcast episode, Policy Fellows Ely, Romy and Nolan highlight the changing culture in academic institutions, whereby, far from being places for free debate and exchange of ideas, academic institutions are increasingly becoming echo chambers, characterised by restrictions of free discussion, lack of diversity of perspectives and desire to silence the other side on the grounds of “offensive” or “hate speech”. They address the question: should academic institutions have the right to limit free speech and deplatform speakers?

In our recent podcast episode, Mackenzie France interviewed Paul Gross, a Senior Fellow at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, discussing the judicial reform and its implications for Israel. Paul outlines and explains the four main proposals incorporated into the judicial reform, arguing that the reform aims to weaken the judiciary and change the governmental system of Israel. Mackenzie and Paul further discuss whether Netanyahu’s support for the reform is ideological or pragmatic, and what benefits various coalition members hope to derive from it. Paul also noted that the judicial reform is hurting Israel’s reputation abroad, not only among the critics of Israel but also among her friends.

How has the Labour Party changed under Keir Starmer? Policy Fellows Lucy, David and Alex discuss how Kier Starmer has transformed the Labour Party, moving away from Corbynism and distancing himself from the far left of the party. They further discuss whether Labour still represents the values of the working class and whether "Starmerism" can be considered an extension of Blairism. Finally, they compare and contrast the Labour and Conservative campaign promises.

As the Midterms have passed, and the Presidential campaigns are picking up steam, where is US politics heading? In this episode of People Talk...Politics Policy Fellows William, Ryan and Olivia analyse the recent trends and developments in American domestic politics, such as increasing political polarisation, the cost of living crisis, Trump's influence in the Republican Party and DeSantis' ambitions. They also discuss foreign policy, questioning whether support for Ukraine will remain bi-partisan, and evaluating how the Biden administration approaches the relationships with America's adversaries like China and friends like Israel.

In this episode, Mackenzie France interviewed Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation and a former aide to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Mackenzie and Nial discussed the US midterms, the success of Di Santes in Florida and changes in the Latino vote, recent Ukrainian advances, Russian failures and Putin’s plans and reflected on the recent developments in the Conservative Party and how Britain is viewed abroad.