TALKING POLITICS
411 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago - ★★★★★ - 619 ratingsCoronavirus! Climate! Brexit! Trump! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting: Talking Politics is the podcast that tries to make sense of it all. Every week David Runciman and Helen Thompson talk to the most interesting people around about the ideas and events that shape our world: from history to economics, from philosophy to fiction. What does the future hold?
Can democracy survive? How crazy will it get? This is the political conversation that matters.
Talking Politics is brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books, Europe's leading magazine of books and ideas.
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Episodes
Party like it's 1974
November 21, 2019 01:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MBWe talk about the current election by talking about two previous ones: the February and October general elections of 1974. A lot of 2019 politics started back then, from the rise of the SNP to Liberals getting squeezed by the electoral system. But it was different too and we have stories of campaigning by landline and hovercraft, MPs on acid, naked civil servants and experts being taken seriously. Plus we discuss how the 1974 elections led to the rise of Thatcherism and changed British polit...
One Election or Many?
November 14, 2019 01:00 - 47 minutes - 110 MBWe have a first look at what's happening in the election campaign by asking whether it's really one election or many. Do national vote shares mean much any more, given all the regional variations? How is the Remain Alliance meant to work? Is this a Brexit election? And is 2015 or 2017 (or neither) a better guide to 2019? Plus we discuss the recent election in Spain and explore parallels between gridlock there and possible gridlock here. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Mike Kenny. T...
Esther Duflo
November 07, 2019 01:00 - 47 minutes - 108 MBDavid and Helen talk to Nobel Prize-winning economist (the youngest ever!) Esther Duflo about how to do economics better. From investing in left-behind places to helping people adapt to change, we discuss good and bad economic ideas about some of the biggest challenges we face, and how it all connects back to politics. Plus we talk about what some of the world's richest countries can learn from some of the poorest. Esther's new book, with Abhijit Bannerjee, is Good Economics for Hard Times h...
Rory Stewart
October 30, 2019 23:50 - 1 hour - 182 MBOn the night the UK parliament voted for a general election, David and Helen talk to former Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart about the state of our democracy. Is the constitution broken? Can the Union survive? Has the Tory party changed for good? And why does he want to be Mayor of London anyway? Recorded in front of a live audience at Church House in Westminster, near enough to parliament for Rory to run out halfway through our conversation to vote, and then run back in again t...
Not Over Yet
October 23, 2019 21:54 - 46 minutes - 106 MBAfter two significant votes in the House of Commons pointing in two different directions - one towards a Brexit agreement and the other towards a general election - we discuss where we might be heading. Does Johnson have enough to persuade the wavering MPs he needs to get his Brexit deal over the line? Do his opponents have enough to stop him? Can European leaders still force the issue? And if there is an election, does it all change again? Plus we ask: what's actually in the WAB? With Helen...
Inside the Bubble with Ayesha Hazarika: Live!
October 17, 2019 16:46 - 1 hour - 144 MBIn a special live edition as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas, David talks with journalist, comedian and former special adviser Ayesha Hazarika and Helen Thompson about the state of British politics. As three years of Brexit torture (maybe) reach a climax, we explore what it feels like on the inside, for politicians and for voters. What's been the psychological toll?? What's going on inside the Labour party? And is politics really worse than it's ever been? Recorded live at the Cambri...
Impeach This!
October 10, 2019 00:00 - 46 minutes - 106 MBWe catch up with Gary Gerstle and Helen Thompson about the state of the Trump presidency, from impeachment and cover-ups to Syria and Ukraine. We ask what it would take for Republican senators to desert him and what the collateral damage is likely to be for the Democratic presidential candidates. Plus is Hillary really - really?! - back in the game? Talking Points: What are the grounds for impeaching Trump? There’s a legal argument: Trump breached campaign finance laws. There’s also a co...
Impeach This!
October 10, 2019 00:00 - 46 minutes - 106 MBWe catch up with Gary Gerstle and Helen Thompson about the state of the Trump presidency, from impeachment and cover-ups to Syria and Ukraine. We ask what it would take for Republican senators to desert him and what the collateral damage is likely to be for the Democratic presidential candidates. Plus is Hillary really - really?! - back in the game? Talking Points: What are the grounds for impeaching Trump? There’s a legal argument: Trump breached campaign finance laws. There’s also a co...
December Elections: Live Special!
October 07, 2019 21:08 - 42 minutes - 97.9 MBA special edition recorded in front of an audience at the Podcast Live festival in London on Saturday: David, Helen and Chris Brooke discuss what we can learn from the early twentieth century about holding elections in the depths of winter. Constitutional crises, threats of civil breakdown, broken coalitions and very grumpy voters: we may have been here before.
Cameron's Referendum
October 03, 2019 00:00 - 49 minutes - 113 MBDavid and Helen take a step back to unpick the tortuous history of how we got to the Brexit referendum in the first place. Does the justification Cameron offers in his new memoirs stack up? What was he trying to achieve? And why did we end up with an in/out vote when the political risks were so great? A conversation linked to David's review of Cameron's book in the current 40th anniversary issue of the LRB. https://www.lrb.co.uk Talking Points: Why did Cameron call for an in/out referendu...
Ian McEwan
September 29, 2019 00:00 - 28 minutes - 64.5 MBDavid talks to novelist Ian McEwan about his new Brexit parable, The Cockroach, and a lot else besides: counterfactual history, Labour party conferences, eighteenth-century satire, humanising judges and turning the economy on its head. But yes, it's all about the Brexit nightmare. Further Learning: You can buy The Cockroach here An extract from The Cockroach Mentioned in this Episode: Selected quotes from Johnson’s UN speech The Children Act A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Machi...
Boiling Point
September 26, 2019 21:58 - 26 minutes - 60.4 MBDavid and Helen try to lower the temperature by looking at the strategic choices behind the vitriolic clashes in the Commons this week: from the date of the next election to the prospects of a coalition government. Plus they consider the fall-out from the Labour party conference and ask what price a second Scottish referendum.
Supreme Court II & Italy!
September 25, 2019 22:04 - 45 minutes - 104 MBA packed episode: we catch up with Catherine Barnard on the Supreme Court's unanimous decision against prorogation and we discuss what's going on in Italian politics. Plus we explore the links and differences between the two, from fears of an election to the role played by presidents and monarchs. Boris, Berlusconi, Baroness Hale and politics on the beach: it's all here! With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton. Talking Points: Is it surprising that the Supreme Court’s judgement was unanim...
Re-Engineering Humanity
September 22, 2019 00:00 - 35 minutes - 81.9 MBDavid talks to Brett Frischmann about how so-called 'smart' machines may be producing more machine-like humans. From GPS to Fitbit to Alexa to the Internet of Things: what is our interaction with new technology doing to change the kind of people we really are? https://www.reengineeringhumanity.com/
Supreme Court
September 19, 2019 00:00 - 45 minutes - 103 MBIn the middle of the epic prorogation battle at the Supreme Court, we ask what's at stake: for the government, for Brexit, for the constitution and for democracy. Is this a case of legal precedent, common law practice or higher constitutional principle? Is the UK constitution becoming more European in the act of leaving the EU? And what are the things lawyers on neither side can say? Plus we ask how Jo Swinson's case for revoking article 50 is going and we discuss whether we could really hav...
He's Still There (Just)
September 12, 2019 01:18 - 45 minutes - 105 MBDavid and Helen try to make sense of where we've got to, though things are moving fast (*episode recorded before the Scottish court judgment*). Can parliament force Johnson's hand in the Brexit negotiations if he is still PM? Will Labour hold together now that it's become a second referendum party? Could the revocation of article 50 become a real prospect? Next week, on to the Supreme Court. We also pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague Finbarr Livesey, who very sadly died last week. ...
He's Still There (Just)
September 12, 2019 01:18 - 45 minutes - 105 MBDavid and Helen try to make sense of where we've got to, though things are moving fast (*episode recorded before the Scottish court judgment*). Can parliament force Johnson's hand in the Brexit negotiations if he is still PM? Will Labour hold together now that it's become a second referendum party? Could the revocation of article 50 become a real prospect? Next week, on to the Supreme Court. We also pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague Finbarr Livesey, who very sadly died last week. ...
Adam Tooze on the Global Slowdown
September 08, 2019 00:00 - 48 minutes - 112 MBHelen Thompson and Adam Tooze take us beyond Brexit to look at the global situation and the bigger threats we face. Italy, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Russia, Trump vs. the Fed, the US vs. China, Hong Kong, the dollar, the euro, climate change, oil: an amazingly wide-ranging conversation that somehow manages to connect it all up. Talking Points: Christine Lagarde will take up her post at the ECB relatively soon. Does her most recent speech fit into a narrative of a French vict...
Is It Legal?
September 04, 2019 21:54 - 47 minutes - 108 MBWith British politics in disarray, we try to sort out what's a stake - legally, constitutionally and electorally. Can Johnson refuse to do what parliament demands? Can Corbyn get the election he wants? What is Dominic Cummings playing at? And how much is the Fixed-term Parliaments Act to blame for the mess? Plus we explore the likely choices ahead for voters and politicians and we ask the big question lying behind all the drama: is this a question of politics or is it a matter of law? With H...
Talking Politics Guide to ... Marriage
September 01, 2019 20:25 - 31 minutes - 71.7 MBWe talk to political philosopher Clare Chambers about marriage as a political institution. How does it reflect the power of the state? How does it alter power relations between individuals? Should everyone be allowed to get married or should we move away from marriage altogether? A fresh, radical look at something we often take for granted. Talking Points: What makes marriage political? Marriage is an institution recognized by the state. It also structures the way people relate to each...
Talking Politics Guide to ... Marriage
September 01, 2019 20:25 - 31 minutes - 71.7 MBWe talk to political philosopher Clare Chambers about marriage as a political institution. How does it reflect the power of the state? How does it alter power relations between individuals? Should everyone be allowed to get married or should we move away from marriage altogether? A fresh, radical look at something we often take for granted. Talking Points: What makes marriage political? Marriage is an institution recognized by the state. It also structures the way people relate to each...
538 Cross Over Special : Is Britain In The Middle Of A Constitutional Crisis?
August 30, 2019 07:43 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBSpecial cross over episode with the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast from America, hosted by Galen Druke. On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he had asked the queen to suspend parliament in September, reducing the amount of time lawmakers will have to debate legislation related to Brexit. John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons ,called the move a “constitutional outrage.” In this episode of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, Helen Thompson and David...
Where Power Stops
August 29, 2019 00:00 - 35 minutes - 82.5 MBDavid gives another in his series of talks about democracy. This one draws on the theme of his new book Where Power Stops: The Making and Unmaking of Presidents and Prime Ministers. From Lyndon Johnson to Boris Johnson, does power reveal the true character of politicians or do politicians reveal the true character of power? What sets the limits to what presidents and prime minsters can do? And how do we find them? https://profilebooks.com/where-power-stops-hb.html The books that have had th...
Talking Politics Guide to ... European Union before the EU
August 25, 2019 00:00 - 28 minutes - 65.5 MBWe talk to historian Chris Brooke about ideas of a united Europe that long pre-dated the advent of the European Union. Since the eighteenth century philosophers, lawyers, diplomats and revolutionaries have constructed schemes to bring Europe together economically, legally and politically. How do these plans compare with what actually happened? Talking Points: Where does the idea of a union of European nation states come from? The conversation about union predates the consolidation of Eur...
Talking Politics Guide to ... The UK Constitution
August 22, 2019 00:00 - 28 minutes - 65.3 MBWe talk to lawyer and constitutional expert Alison Young about the current pressures on the UK constitution, from Brexit to devolution to political polarisation. Is parliamentary sovereignty still the linchpin of the system? What changed with the arrival of the Supreme Court? Can the constitution survive in its current form? Talking Points: How should we think about parliamentary sovereignty in the UK constitutional order? The idea is that legislation enacted by parliament is the highest ...
Jill Lepore on the American Nation
August 18, 2019 00:00 - 39 minutes - 90.5 MBWe talk to historian Jill Lepore about the idea of nationalism in America, from the birth of the Republic through to Trump. What defines the nation? Why does the illiberal version keep getting the upper hand? Are there any politicians in America who can rescue the idea of liberal nationalism? Plus we ask Jill what she thinks of Johnson, Brexit and nationalism in the UK. The Union won the American Civil War, but the South won the peace. The South won the peace by persuading the North both ...
Talking Politics Guide to ... Being a Civil Servant
August 15, 2019 00:00 - 30 minutes - 70.8 MBWe talk to public policy expert Dennis Grube about the changing character of the civil service, from Victorian mandarins and Yes, Minister to the current battles over Brexit in the age of Twitter. Senior civil servants increasingly find themselves in the public eye, expected to communicate their views. Has this politicised the advice they give?
Talking Politics Guide to ... The Euro
August 11, 2019 00:00 - 29 minutes - 67.7 MBWe talk to political economist Helen Thompson about the birth of the Euro and its tortuous recent history. Whose idea was it in the first place and how much of its current troubles were baked into its origins? A story of ambition, intrigue and unintended consequences. Talking Points: The euro was the brainchild of the French government, sometime around late 1987. The French had become extremely dissatisfied with the exchange rate mechanism. They thought the set-up benefitted Germany to th...
Talking Politics Guide to ... The Euro
August 11, 2019 00:00 - 29 minutes - 67.7 MBWe talk to political economist Helen Thompson about the birth of the Euro and its tortuous recent history. Whose idea was it in the first place and how much of its current troubles were baked into its origins? A story of ambition, intrigue and unintended consequences. Talking Points: The euro was the brainchild of the French government, sometime around late 1987. The French had become extremely dissatisfied with the exchange rate mechanism. They thought the set-up benefitted Germany to th...
Talking Politics Guide to ... Summer Reading
August 08, 2019 00:00 - 20 minutes - 52.5 MBWe ask regular TP contributors and guests to tell us about the books they've most enjoyed recently and the ones they are looking forward to reading this summer. History, science fiction, philosophy, memoirs and a little bit of politics too: it's all here. Sarah Churchwell My Face for the World to See, Alfred Hayes In Love, Alfred Hayes Chris Bickerton The Man Without Qualities, Robert Musil Hans van de Ven The Great Flowing River, Chi Pang-yuan Helen Thompson Dominion, Tom Holland ...
Talking Politics Guide to ... The Chinese Communist Party
August 04, 2019 00:00 - 28 minutes - 65.6 MBWe talk to historian of China Hans van de Ven about the origins of the CCP and its extraordinary rise to power. How has it managed to adapt to the changes of the last forty years and what lessons will be drawn as it approaches its one hundredth birthday? Talking Points: The Chinese Communist Party is an incredible success story. A group of students met in Shanghai; 30 years later, they were running a vast country. A lot of luck was involved. If the Japanese hadn’t invaded, they never woul...
Talking Politics Guide to ... The Gilded Age
August 01, 2019 00:00 - 31 minutes - 71.2 MBWe talk to historian Sarah Churchwell about the Gilded Age in late nineteenth century America and the comparisons with today. Rampant inequality, racial conflict, fights over immigration, technological revolution: is Trump's America repeating the pattern or is it something new? Talking Points: In 1873, Mark Twain and Charles W. Warner coined the term “The Gilded Age,” in their eponymous novel. The phrase was re-discovered in the 1920s and applied retrospectively to the period of the 18...
Autumn of Chaos
July 24, 2019 22:22 - 46 minutes - 106 MBBoris Johnson is off to see the Queen to become her 14th (!) Prime Minister, but where might he be taking the country this autumn? We try to work through the various Brexit scenarios, from a renegotiated Withdrawal Agreement to a crash no-deal exit. Can the backstop be changed? What is a 'standstill' arrangement? Will Macron force the issue? Plus we explore whether an early election or a second referendum can really provide a way out of the mess. Something's got to give - what will it be? W...
Autumn of Chaos
July 24, 2019 22:22 - 46 minutes - 106 MBBoris Johnson is off to see the Queen to become her 14th (!) Prime Minister, but where might he be taking the country this autumn? We try to work through the various Brexit scenarios, from a renegotiated Withdrawal Agreement to a crash no-deal exit. Can the backstop be changed? What is a 'standstill' arrangement? Will Macron force the issue? Plus we explore whether an early election or a second referendum can really provide a way out of the mess. Something's got to give - what will it be? W...
Waiting for Boris
July 18, 2019 00:00 - 46 minutes - 108 MBBarring an act of God, Boris Johnson is going to be the next leader of the Conservative Party. We're exploring what that means in two parts. Today, Helen and David talk about the domestic implications. Can Johnson avoid an election? Can he hold on to the seats he needs while winning others he doesn't have? Will he unite or divide his party? Will Labour be able to stop him either way? Plus we talk about what's at stake for the Tories in Johnson's relationship with Trump. Next week: Europe a...
Hong Kong
July 11, 2019 00:00 - 41 minutes - 95.6 MBWhat is happening in Hong Kong? We talk to a professor of Chinese history and a Hong Kong journalist about the recent wave of protests there and try to discover what is really at stake on all sides. Who are the protestors? What are their core demands? Can these be met? And what will happen if they aren't? Plus we explore the parallels with other protest movements around the world and look at the possible knock-on effects, from Beijing to Taiwan. With Hans van de Ven and Angus Hui. Talking ...
Hong Kong
July 11, 2019 00:00 - 41 minutes - 95.6 MBWhat is happening in Hong Kong? We talk to a professor of Chinese history and a Hong Kong journalist about the recent wave of protests there and try to discover what is really at stake on all sides. Who are the protestors? What are their core demands? Can these be met? And what will happen if they aren't? Plus we explore the parallels with other protest movements around the world and look at the possible knock-on effects, from Beijing to Taiwan. With Hans van de Ven and Angus Hui. Talking ...
Libra
July 04, 2019 00:00 - 51 minutes - 118 MBWhat does it mean when Facebook says it wants its own currency? We explore the power, the potential and the pitfalls of Libra. How does Facebook plan to make money out of making money? Can anyone stop it? And does this represent a fundamental shift in the model of surveillance capitalism? Plus we consider some of the rivals it faces: Bitcoin, WeChat and the good old dollar. Finally, this week we pay tribute to our dear friend and regular Talking Politics contributor Aaron Rapport (1980-2019...
Outlasting Trump
June 27, 2019 00:00 - 45 minutes - 105 MBWe talk with Gary Gerstle about the big issues roiling US politics with likely aftereffects that will long outlast Trump's presidency. First up: the fight over the census. What's a stake in the citizenship question? How has American politics been shaped by people-counting in the past? And what is the Supreme Court likely to decide? Plus we look at constitutional reform, the environment and impeachment. These are the battles that could have consequences for decades to come. With Helen Thompso...
The Party Splits! (In 1846!)
June 20, 2019 00:00 - 52 minutes - 120 MBThe current crisis for the Conservatives is often described as the worst since the party split over the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. So we talk to historian Boyd Hilton about what really happened back then and what it meant for British politics. Why were the Corn Laws so divisive? How did public opinion impact on the politicians? Did Peel betray his party or did he do what needed to be done? And what are the real lessons for Brexit and for the Conservative Party today? With Helen Thomp...
Who is Boris Johnson?
June 13, 2019 00:00 - 47 minutes - 109 MBWe try to work out what the current favourite to be next Tory leader actually stands for. Can his time as Mayor of London tell us what kind of PM he might be? Will his journalistic past come back to haunt him? Does he have a political philosophy beyond 'doing Brexit'? Plus we discuss whether the Johnson-Trump comparisons really stand up. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. Talking Points: What does Boris Johnson stand for? He’s emphasizing is his experience as Mayor of London, especiall...
Constitutional Breakdown
June 06, 2019 00:00 - 44 minutes - 102 MBWe ask whether the UK constitution is cracking up - and if so, where's the breakpoint going to come? Is Brexit at the heart of the current crisis or does it go deeper than that? What's the role of the Supreme Court? And the Queen? Could the Bank of England play a part? And where does Scotland fit in? We try to piece it all together with Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Kenneth Armstrong. Talking Points: The British constitution is under big strain right now, and not just because of Bre...
Jared Diamond
May 30, 2019 00:00 - 37 minutes - 85.4 MBWe talk to the author of Guns, Germs and Steel about his new book on nations in crisis. Jared Diamond argues that personal crises are a good way of thinking about national ones. He tells us about one of his own personal crises and we see whether the lessons really apply to politics. Plus we discuss what's gone wrong with political leadership in the US and we explore what it would take to tackle the global environmental crisis. Talking Points: The premise of Jared’s new book is that the out...
Split Down the Middle
May 28, 2019 21:22 - 26 minutes - 60.5 MBDavid and Helen catch up with the European election results and the Tory leadership race - there's lots to talk about. How can the Tories compete with the Brexit Party? Are the Liberal Democrats a real threat to Labour? What does it all mean for Ireland? And for Scotland? Plus, is the surge in support for Greens across Europe a signal that it's time to take environmental politics seriously?
The Next PM
May 23, 2019 00:00 - 46 minutes - 106 MBAs Theresa May's premiership gets very close to the end, we talk about who and what might be coming next. Can her successor re-establish the authority she has lost? Can anyone govern in this parliament or do we need a general election? Is the age of long-serving prime ministers also coming to an end? Plus we discuss what lessons can be drawn from the recent election in Australia: what does it tell us about the politics of climate change? With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke. Talking Points:...
Death of the Republic
May 16, 2019 00:00 - 45 minutes - 104 MBWe talk to historian Tom Holland about the fall of the Roman Republic and the parallels with today. Why does Roman history still exert such a strong pull over our imaginations? Are politicians like Trump and Berlusconi recognisable types from the ancient past? And is contemporary democracy vulnerable to the same forces that brought down the Roman Republic? Plus, we discuss Putin's claim that Russia is now the Third Rome. What is he getting at? With Helen Thompson.
Adam Tooze on US vs China
May 12, 2019 00:00 - 29 minutes - 67.1 MBAn extra episode with Adam Tooze to catch up on the latest in the US/China trade wars. What's really at stake and what does Trump want? Is this about economics or security? What does it say about the future of capitalism? And where does Joe Biden fit in? With Helen Thompson.
President Bernie?
May 09, 2019 00:00 - 52 minutes - 120 MBWe talk about socialism in America: where it comes from, what it means, why it's so associated with Bernie Sanders and whether it can actually reach the White House. What's the difference between democratic socialism and social democracy? How would the workers gain control of businesses like Facebook and Amazon? Who are the workers these days anyway? Plus, we ask what a Sanders vs Trump contest would actually be like. With Adom Getachew, from the University of Chicago, and Gary Gerstle. Tal...
A Mockery of Democracy?
May 02, 2019 00:00 - 47 minutes - 110 MBAre the UK's looming European elections making a mockery of democracy, or is this how democracy is meant to work? Would cancelling them at the last minute make the situation worse? We talk about trust in politics, the threat to the two main parties, and the knock-on effects for the rest of Europe. Plus we discuss what can meaningfully happen before the end of October, and whether the events of the last few weeks have done permanent damage to the Tory brand. With Helen Thompson, Catherine Bar...
David King on Climate Repair
April 30, 2019 14:23 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBAn extra episode in our climate season: we talk to Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the British government, about what's now known about the scale of the threat and the urgency of the need for action. What has happened since the Paris agreement? What is the Chinese government most afraid of? What is the meaning of Extinction Rebellion? And is it time to start talking about refreezing the poles to repair the damage already done?