Shows
Woman's HourWater industry review, Actor Harriet Webb, Author Molly Jong-FastThe state of the UK’s water sector is barely out of the headlines at the moment and today a major review into the water industry in England and Wales said the regulator Ofwat should be scrapped. Sir Jon Cunliffe, who led the review, also warned that household bills will rise by 30% over the next five years. Nuala McGovern is joined by Esme Stallard, the BBC's climate and science reporter, and by two women campaigning for clean water on a local and a national level - Jo Robb, member of the Henley Mermaids wild swimming group and District Councillor fo...2025-07-2157 min
Oh God, What Now?System of a Climbdown – Starmer: Year One ends in tearsWhat better way for Labour to celebrate a year in power than with a humiliating climbdown on welfare? Political historian Steven Fielding joins the panel to discuss rebellions, “Austerity PSD”, and how Starmer and Reeves can make Year Two better than Year One. Plus, after the anti-IDF rants by punk band Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, has the festival really become the antisemitic “hatefest” its critics claim? Unlike most of them, our own Andrew Harrison was actually there… And in the Extra Bit for Patreon supporters, is far-right ideologue Matthew Goodwin serious when he says he wants to be Reform UK’s Home...2025-07-041h 08
L'Écho des PassésArts préhistoriques, la nouvelle vagueSéquence "Les mots de l’archéo" : à votre avis, c’est quoi une "compois" ? Avec Alaïs Tayac, médiéviste à l'Inrap.La chronique "Notes de lecture" de Sandra Péré-Nogues sur les découvertes de nouveaux fragments de deux tragédies perdues du grec Euripide (article notamment à retrouver sur Actualitté).L’entretien "Archéo en studio" : nous recevons comme invité·e·s Esther Lopez-Montalvo (chercheuse au CNRS), Guilhem Mauran (post-doctorant) et Marie Descottes (doctorante), trois membres du laboratoire TRACES. Nous parlerons d’arts préhistoriques et notamment des évolutions récentes dans ce domaine, dans les thémati...2025-02-261h 07
Oh God, What Now?If you voted for better government, then fight for it – with guest Polly Toynbee• Go here to get tickets for Oh God, What Now? live at the Comedy Store on Tue 10 Dec.Labour’s first budget since regaining power is an opportunity to get back on the front foot and silence its critics on the right. What could Rachel Reeves introduce in this budget, how key is a focus on the NHS going to be, and, importantly, WHO THE HELL does the bins at Buckingham Palace?! Plus, the vote for the Assisted Dying Bill is about 5 weeks away. Some MPs feel there hasn’t been enough time to debate it properly. Wes St...2024-10-291h 04Woman's HourHarriet Harman and election reaction, Sports Day, France Me TooThere are a record number of women MPs in the new parliament. Nuala McGovern is joined by former Mother of the House and now chair of the charity the Fawcett Society, Harriet Harman, who wants to set up a Women’s Caucus made up of female MPs. We also have political reaction from journalists Rachel Cunliffe and Caroline Wheeler.Is sports day something that teaches children invaluable life lessons, or simply an annual event that demoralises? Nuala is joined by journalist Esther Walker and comedian Helen Thorn to discuss further.The French film industry has be...2024-07-0857 min
The New Statesman | UK politics and cultureThe Covid Inquiry: Inside a toxic governmentModule two of the Covid inquiry - decision-making and political governance - was set to be the most controversial section, looking into the workings of central government. And from the use of the term “f***pigs” to Boris Johnson’s query about blowing a hair dryer up his nose, this has rung true.On this episode of the podcast Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Emma Norris, deputy director at the Institute for Government, and the New Statesman's associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe, to analyse what the public has learned over the past week about the handling of the...2023-11-0223 min
Sky News DailyA year of Rishi Sunak – but what about the next 12 months?A year after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, has he convinced the public of his competence and of his electability? Sophy Ridge from Sky News’ Politics Hub programme takes over from Niall Paterson for this episode. She discusses Sunak’s record with Katy Balls, political editor at the Spectator, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman. Then, Andrew Lansley, who ran Tory national election campaigns including in 1992, joins Sophy to discuss what the PM might be able to learn from the 1992 election campaign – and whether Jeremy Hunt is or isn’t part of the p...2023-10-2522 min
Sky News DailyA year of Rishi Sunak – but what about the next 12 months?A year after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, has he convinced the public of his competence and of his electability? Sophy Ridge from Sky News’ Politics Hub programme takes over from Niall Paterson for this episode. She discusses Sunak’s record with Katy Balls, political editor at the Spectator, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman. Then, Andrew Lansley, who ran Tory national election campaigns including in 1992, joins Sophy to discuss what the PM might be able to learn from the 1992 election campaign – and whether Jeremy Hunt is or isn’t part of the p...2023-10-2522 minWoman's HourIsrael-Gaza conflict: Bereaved parents across the divide, musician Esther Abrami, Emily Hunt, Is the future of the Labour PartyAfter the Hamas attacks at the weekend and Israel’s order of a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip in response, we talk to two people from the different communities involved. A few years ago, Bassam Aramin lost his 10-year-old daughter, Abir, who was killed by an Israeli soldier, and Robi Damelin lost her 28 year old son, David, after he was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Neither were killed in this latest stage of the Israel-Gaza conflict but as members of a cross-community group called the Parents Circle-Families Forum, they’re uniquely placed to comment on the situation.Esther...2023-10-1054 min
The New Statesman | UK politics and cultureThe Tories’ plan to make the rich richerKwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor, presented a mini-Budget today (23 September) whose centrepiece was the biggest tax cuts in decades in an attempt to stimulate the economy. Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Wearmouth, Rachel Cunliffe and Emma Haslett take us through the announcements that shocked the House of Commons. They discuss how these ideological policies will disproportionately benefit the rich; the UK’s precarious financial position as borrowing costs jump; and whether this is a departure from the last twelve years of Tory rule, as was suggested by Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor.In You Ask Us, the...2022-09-2329 min
Bedside Reading12 books for a year of good doctoringSend us a textAn episode with a difference this week as we celebrate changeover week for doctors in training in the UK.I've asked 12 GPs across the UK all with different backgrounds and interests each to recommend one book they think every GP should read. I'd argue they are all books any healthcare professional will benefit from reading. A huge thank you to each and every one of them for being a part of this episode. You may recognise some voices as previous guests, you may recognise some names as big faces from medtwitter o...2022-08-0229 min