Novara Media
1,507 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 119 ratingsNovara Media is an independent media organisation addressing the issues – from a crisis of capitalism to racism and climate change – that are set to define the 21st century.
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Episodes
Downstream: Europe Is Over w/ Yanis Varoufakis
October 09, 2023 09:31 - 57 minutes - 79.3 MBIn his new book, ‘Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism’, Yanis Varoufakis explores how giant tech firms, both in the US and China are expanding their control over the planet. His analysis is that, whilst material resources certainly matter, the real battle ground is over digital real estate. Aaron sat down with Yanis to talk about how […]
ACFM Trip 37: Surrealism
October 08, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBThings get weird on this Trip into Surrealism, a subject of great interest to ACFM and all historians of the weird left. Nadia, Jem and Keir follow a thread of off-kilter expression from Dadaism and André Breton’s manifesto through to Situationism, punk and Afrosurrealism. The gang explore the importance of surrealism to socialist thought and […]
Novara FM: Trillions of Tiny Flying Particles w/ Jay Owens
October 05, 2023 11:53 - 1 hour - 94 MBLast month it was revealed that 98% of Europeans are breathing toxic air. We’re slowly realising that the modern world is covered in the dust of environmental devastation, from particle air pollution to nuclear fallout and dried-up lakes. And as life on Earth gets hotter and drier, it’s going to get even dustier. As Jay […]
Downstream: Into The Mirror World w/ Naomi Klein
October 01, 2023 20:30 - 1 hour - 101 MBWhen we were in lockdown, conspiracy theorists went on the march. The emergence of anti-vaccine scaremongering coupled with virulent antisemitism was disconcerting for all of us. But it was even more nuts for renowned journalist and author Naomi Klein, who noticed that she was being constantly getting mixed up with another author: Naomi Wolf. Klein […]
Novara FM: The Other Enlightenment w/ Kenan Malik
September 28, 2023 17:30 - 1 hour - 84.6 MBFor the second episode of our series on class, writer and broadcaster Kenan Malik takes us through three centuries of thought to explain the origins of identity politics. It all starts with Haitian Revolution and its contribution to the radical Enlightenment – a movement that sought to overcome the racism inherent in the other, liberal […]
Downstream: Big Pharma’s Secrets w/ Nick Dearden
September 25, 2023 12:49 - 1 hour - 109 MBNick Dearden has been an economic justice campaigner for over 20 years, and his attention was on the pharmaceutical industry when Covid-19 hit. But as the world began to sing the praises of pharmaceutical companies, Nick saw an unprecedented PR coup. Giant corporations capitalised on the crisis, tightening their stranglehold over the health of the […]
Novara FM: Is It Time For Post-Doom Politics? w/ Jem Bendell
September 22, 2023 12:18 - 1 hour - 106 MBThe politics of ‘deep adaptation’ is as intriguing as it is controversial. Jem Bendell, a former professor of sustainability leadership, launched the Deep Adaptation movement in 2018 by claiming that social collapse is not just a plausible outcome of climate change, but an extremely likely one. He sat down with Richard Hames in Berlin to […]
Downstream: Empire, Austerity and Why Corbyn Was Right About Iraq w/ Rory Stewart
September 18, 2023 12:11 - 1 hour - 99.9 MBRory Stewart has led a colourful life: diplomat in Indonesia, governor in post-invasion Iraq, founder of an NGO and a Member of Parliament. He’s also run for London Mayor and leader of the Conservative Party. But his latest occupation is podcaster, hosting ‘The Rest is Politics’ with Alastair Campbell. Rory sat down with Ash Sarkar […]
Novara FM: What Does Class Mean Now?
September 15, 2023 07:21 - 54 minutes - 75.9 MBWe’re going back to basics on Novara FM this autumn with a series about the big one: class. What does it mean to look at the world through the lens of class in the 2020s, an era of precarious work, rising inequality and elusive social mobility? Three classy thinkers join FM to investigate: political researcher […]
Downstream: Here’s How Power Really Works w/ Grace Blakeley
September 11, 2023 11:57 - 1 hour - 105 MBMost people know that the game is rigged. Those who set the rules – win the game. Grace Blakeley has made a career of studying the rules, exposing the exploitative ways in which powerful institutions govern our lives and figuring out ways in which we can beat the banker and resist the game itself. Grace […]
Downstream: Oligarchs Are Ruining This Country w/ Sam Bright
September 04, 2023 15:53 - 1 hour - 105 MBWho exactly is the ruling class? The conspicuous top hat and tailed Bullingdon Club still exert dominance, but their era is waning. There are new folks in town. They can’t beat the obscene wealth of petrostate oligarchs, so they’ve joined them in ransacking the country. Ash is joined by Sam Bright, author of Bullingdon Club […]
ACFM Trip 36: Festivals
September 03, 2023 07:00 - 2 hours - 179 MBFestivals. The perfect embodiment of the ACFM aesthetic, and even social politics… or are they? As the season comes to a close, Nadia, Jem and Keir ask themselves what festivals are really about. Is it music? Camping? The breakdown of everyday hierachies? Or is it just 20,000 people standing in a field? With help from […]
Novara FM: Will We Still Be Mad After Capitalism? w/ Micha Frazer-Carroll
August 24, 2023 13:34 - 52 minutes - 73.5 MBMental illness is endemic to life under capitalism, yet it’s still largely talked about as a personal and medical issue. But what if we ditched the campaigns to “raise awareness” and instead turned our attention to criticising the systems that make us mad? Micha Frazer-Carroll is a journalist and the author of Mad World: The […]
Keir Starmer in Workers’ Rights Row After yet Another U-Turn
August 18, 2023 19:01 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBKeir Starmer has made yet another U-turn leaving the Labour party in a new row over workers rights. Plus: An update on the situation with the conflict in Ukraine; and the right-wing freakout over drag queens continues. With Michael Walker and Mike Bankole.
A Level Results See Record Fall in Top Grades, Israeli Forces Targeting Paramedics
August 17, 2023 18:32 - 52 minutes - 48.6 MBA-level results have seen a record fall in grades following the government’s pledge to return the system to normal after the pandemic. Plus: the international chess federation have banned trans-women from women-only competitions; and how hard-right Tories are pushing for a net zero referendum. With Moya Lothian-McLean and Rivkah Brown.
Novara FM: The Art of the Psyop w/ Trevor Paglen
August 17, 2023 16:56 - 1 hour - 102 MBWe live in exciting times for ufology. We’re also coming to realise that many of the modern-day myths around visiting spacecraft were in fact planted by our own intelligence services. But how to tell fact from fiction? Trevor Paglen is an American artist known for investigating the invisible through the visible. His practice has taken […]
Tories Try to Take Credit for Lower Inflation
August 16, 2023 18:39 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBAnnual Inflation has fallen, and the Tory government are trying to take credit. Plus: the Home Office have come up with a new way to mistreat migrants; and a new development in the captain Tom Moore family farce. With Dalia Gebrial and Ash Sarkar.
Tory Funding For Crumbling NHS Branded A “Sticking Plaster”
August 15, 2023 18:37 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBRishi Sunak’s government have announced an extra 250 million pounds for the NHS. Labour say this isn’t nearly enough. Plus, police forces across the UK have leaked data, Vice News is accused of blocking stories that offend the Saudi Arabian government and Humza Yousaf has spoken out about the need for men in positions of […]
Braverman’s “Thoughts and Prayers” After Migrants Drown, Labour U-Turn on Clean Air
August 14, 2023 18:57 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MBAfter six afghani men drowned in the channel after their boat sank, home secretary Suella Braverman has given them her “thoughts and prayers.” Plus: Tony Blair is still taking money from Saudi Arabia; and some shocking contributions from the public on small boat crossings. With Aaron Bastani and Mike Bankole.
Deadly Bacteria Found on Tory Barge for Asylum Seekers
August 11, 2023 18:54 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBAn outbreak of legionella bacteria has forced all migrants to leave the government’s Bibby Stockholm barge. Plus: Hugh Grant speaks out about everything wrong with the British media; and a controversial video of an arrest made by West Yorkshire Police has gone viral. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.
Sunak’s Tories Preside Over Record High for NHS Waiting Lists
August 10, 2023 18:51 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThe number of people waiting for routine treatment on the NHS in England has just hit 7.6 million people – smashing all previous records. Plus: home secretary Suella Braverman says that a group of teenagers should be hunted down; and a certain Tory MP tells Michael Walker to solve his renting problems by simply buying […]
Novara FM: The Oxygen of Democracy w/ Amy Goodman
August 10, 2023 09:43 - 50 minutes - 70.1 MB“Democratic media is the oxygen of democracy.” That’s the maxim that motivates Amy Goodman, award-winning American journalist and longtime host of Democracy Now!, the daily news show that has blazed a trail for alternative media in its nearly three decades on air. Whether reporting on East Timor’s independence movement or following the pipeline protests at […]
Jenrick and Anderson’s Shameful Cruelty Competition
August 09, 2023 18:58 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBA split has opened up in the Conservative party after Tory chair Lee Anderson has said Sunak’s government have “failed” on immigration. Plus: tragedy in the Mediterranean as 41 migrants die after a shipwreck; and a certain Tory peer has announced he may end up voting Labour. With Michael Walker and Dalia Gebrial.
Braverman Goes After Lawyers Defending Asylum Seekers, Electoral Commission Hacked
August 08, 2023 19:21 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBHome secretary Suella Braverman has announced a new taskforce to catch immigration lawyers who she has branded as “immoral”. Plus: the electoral commission announce they were hacked; and a look at the influences and finances behind the Tony Blair institute. With Aaron Bastani and Sam Bright.
Downstream: A History of Sex Scandals w/ Steven Methven
August 08, 2023 12:05 - 1 hour - 141 MBThe media and the public seem to be fixated on sex scandals this year, from household names in the headlines to salacious rumours spread on social media. But haven’t we always been intrigued by the private lives of those in power? Ash Sarkar is joined by Novara Live researcher Steven Methven to delve into the […]
Braverman’s Barge Begins Housing Migrants, Coup in Niger
August 07, 2023 18:57 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBThe first group of asylum seekers to be housed on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Dorset have today been taken onboard. Plus: Pro-car activists attack ULEZ cameras whilst anti-SUV activists deflate Land Rover tyres. With Michael Walker and James Meadway.
ACFM Trip 35: The Internet
August 06, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 157 MBIn this bumper Trip, the gang survey the totalising modern phenomenon that is The Internet. Nadia, Keir and Jem dredge up their early interactions with a primitive web and explain how the dream of free and open communication was displaced by closed networks of e-commerce and data harvesting. Following Keir’s recent Microdose episode with Malcolm […]
Mayors Line up to Back Khan Over ULEZ, Ocean Temperatures Hit New Record
August 04, 2023 18:44 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBAs new climate records are broken, mayors from around the world have urged Sadiq Khan not to back down on ULEZ. Plus: GB News storm the offices of Greenpeace; and Dan Wootton is dropped by the Mail. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.
Sunak’s Mansion Taken Over by Greenpeace, Another Interest Rate Rise
August 03, 2023 18:32 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBRishi Sunak’s residence in north Yorkshire has been protested by climate activists from Greenpeace. Plus: A tory cabinet minister thinks over 50s should start riding for Deliveroo; and the Bank of England raise interest rates yet again. With Ash Sarkar and James Meadway.
Donald Trump Indicted Over Attempt to Overturn 2020 Election
August 02, 2023 19:20 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBDonald Trump has been charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 U.S presidential election. Plus: Rishi Sunak blames the NHS backlog on industrial action and calls out Nadine Dorries for squatting as an MP after saying she would resign. With Michael Walker and Emma Dabiri.
ACFM Microdose: Californian Capitalism w/ Malcolm Harris
August 02, 2023 11:39 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MBAhead of an ACFM Trip about the internet, Keir Milburn is joined by Malcolm Harris to talk about the unique political history of his hometown of Palo Alto, the intellectual laboratory for a century of American hegemony. The Kids These Days author tells a story that connects the founding of California, the violent removal of its […]
Miliband Slams BP’s £2bn in Profits Amid Climate Crisis, Tory Says Jail Shoplifters
August 01, 2023 18:29 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBFossil Fuel giant BP have recorded profits of over £2bn amid ongoing climate change. Plus: Boris Johnson has a new nemesis; and a Tory minister has declared that the government are prepared to build more prisons to jail shoplifters. With Dalia Gebrial and Mike Bankole.
Hundreds of Oil & Gas Licenses Announced, Tensions Between Starmer & Labour Mayors
July 31, 2023 18:39 - 47 minutes - 44 MBRishi Sunak has announced the government will grant hundreds of new oil and gas licenses. Plus: should Labour get a free pass just to get the Tories out of power? and rifts begin to emerge between the Labour leadership and the parties mayors in devolved English regions. With Ash Sarkar and Maurice Mcleod.
Downstream: Social Mobility Is A Lie w/ Dan Evans
July 31, 2023 17:18 - 2 hours - 169 MBHas the left misunderstood the state of our nation? Sociologist and trade unionist Dan Evans thinks so. He talks to Aaron about the unexpected power of the petty bourgeoisie – the insecure class between the working class and the bourgeoisie – and how its Thatcherite values of home ownership and entrepreneurialism have reshaped British politics in the last […]
Sadiq Khan Sees Down The ULEZ-Haters With High Court Ruling
July 28, 2023 18:26 - 51 minutes - 126 MB VideoLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan has won a high court battle brought against his expanded ULEZ scheme. Plus: the home office are preparing yet another awful way to treat migrants; and wild claims are coming out of a congressional hearing in the United States. With Ash Sarkar and Mike Bankole.
Novara FM: The Empty Promise of Ethical Meat w/ Amber Husain
July 28, 2023 10:04 - 50 minutes - 69.7 MBThe global meat industry has grown fivefold since the 1960s and is still growing. Yet sales of vegan and so-called ‘plant-based’ alternatives are soaring, as more of us question our relationship with meat and our attitudes towards animal life and the planet’s health. In her provocative new book Meat Love, writer Amber Husain plucks examples […]
UN Chief Says “Global Boiling” Has Arrived As Energy Companies Record Profits
July 27, 2023 19:05 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThe parent company of Britain’s biggest energy supplier British Gas have recorded record profits. Plus: the allegation surrounding GB News presenter Dan Wootton reach shocking new levels; and the high court rule that the Home Office’s use of hotels for housing unaccompanied child asylum seekers is unlawful. With Dalia Gebrial and Kojo Koram.
NatWest CEO Resigns Over Farage Debanking, UK Rental Hell
July 26, 2023 18:26 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBThe CEO of the NatWest Group has resigned over the Nigel Farage debanking scandal. Plus: Jamie Driscoll hits back at Rachel Reeves; and new data lays bare the terrible state of the UK rental market. With Michael Walker and Mike Bankole.
Sunak Makes Toxic Tweet About Labour While He Wobbles on Climate Pledge
July 25, 2023 19:13 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBRishi Sunak has said that the Labour party are on the “same-side” as criminal gangs in relation to channel crossings. Plus: the latest on the allegations facing GB News host Dan Wootton; and the BBC apologise to Nigel Farage over their coverage of his ‘de-banking’. With Aaron Bastani and Maurice Mcleod.
Sunak & Starmer Wobble On Climate
July 24, 2023 18:36 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBAs the world exceeds multiple heat records, our politicians are going backward on climate. Was this weekend final proof that our politics is broken? Plus: Spanish elections have ended in deadlock with neither major block receiving a governing majority. We speak to the Progressive International’s David Adler in Madrid.
Downstream: Going Undercover With Extremists w/ Julia Ebner
July 24, 2023 10:43 - 56 minutes - 78.7 MBSince 2016 we’ve seen mainstream politics take a turn for the weird, epitomised by the surprise success of populist projects like Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Since then, fringe views have continued to muscle into the middle ground, with conspiracy theories and far-right talking points trickling into political discourse. Julia Ebner has been […]
Tories Clobbered in Triple Byelection, Labour Fail to Take Uxbridge
July 21, 2023 18:44 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBMichael Walker and Aaron Bastani break down the results from three byelections across England.
Byelection Preview: Triple-Threat Thursday for Sunak
July 20, 2023 19:13 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRishi Sunak is facing a potentially historic bruising today as voters go to the polls in three English constituencies. Plus: JSO are counterprotested and even violently attacked; and former Labour leaders Blair and Corbyn both weigh in on the two-child benefit cap. With Moya Lothian-Mclean and Rivkah Brown.
Novara FM: We Were Promised Robot Butlers w/ Helen Hester & Nick Srnicek
July 20, 2023 07:49 - 1 hour - 127 MBOnce upon a time we dreamed of a world free from household drudgery, helped by robot butlers, self-cleaning appliances and “smart” homes that saved energy and tidied after themselves. Yet despite decades of high-tech innovation in the home, we’ve barely reduced our workload – and no one’s managed to automate the folding of laundry. So why […]
Labour Attacked on Child Benefit Plan by SNP, European Heatwave Causes Havoc
July 19, 2023 19:20 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBThe SNP have attacked Labour’s continued stance over child benefits after Starmer refused to abolish the two-child cap. Plus: the Tories have selected an awful candidate to challenge Sadiq Khan for London Mayor; and the heatwave hitting southern Europe is wreaking havoc. With Michael Walker and Dalia Gebrial.
Starmer Digs His Heels in As Labour Backlash Continues
July 18, 2023 19:05 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBAs the backlash continues around his stance on the two-child benefit cap, Keir Starmer sits down for an interview with Tony Blair. Plus: Tobias Ellwood comes out for redeveloping relations with Afghanistan; and GB News host Dan Wootton faces damning allegations. With Aaron Bastani and Michael Walker.
Jamie Driscoll Resigns From Labour, Raises £50k+ to Run As Independent
July 17, 2023 19:20 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBWe speak to North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll on why he has resigned from Labour and his campaign to become independent north-east mayor. Plus: a row has broken out in Labour over another U-turn from Starmer; and the met have paid out millions to the family of Daniel Morgan. With Moya Lothian-Mclean and Ash […]
Downstream: What Have We Got Wrong About Antiracism? w/ Arun Kundnani
July 17, 2023 16:57 - 1 hour - 86.9 MBAfter the summer of 2020, the liberal consensus was that in order to tackle racism, white people would have to look inside themselves and ‘do the work’. In 2023, this idea has spread from well-meaning allies on Twitter to the HR departments of corporate behemoths – all while the institutions that consolidate and expand systemic […]
The Hole in Rishi Sunak’s Plan, the Heatwave Hitting Europe
July 14, 2023 18:40 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBRishi Sunak takes heat for his below inflation pay offer to public sector workers, and for his failure to rule out more cuts. Plus: Hollywood actors walk out of their own premiere as a strike begins; and should MP’s really have second jobs? With Michael Walker and Ash Sarkar.
Sunak Gives Public Sector Pay Offer, Longest Doctors Strike in NHS History
July 13, 2023 19:18 - 43 minutes - 40 MBRishi Sunak has accepted recommendations on public sector pay from independent pay review bodies. Plus: Junior doctors walk out for the longest strike in NHS history; and Nadine Dorries is releasing her vengeance in the form of a new book. With Michael Walker and Emma Dabiri