Adrian Goldberg's Talk Show

Most people in the UK would take pride in the fact that whatever your political persuasion you can take part in free and fair elections. But two new reports suggest that this right isn’t always all it seems.   The Electoral Commission – the government’s own watchdog – has warned that hundreds of thousands of people could be excluded from voting the next time the country goes to the polls...

  On the weekend that this podcast is released, Saudi Arabia will be playing two international football matches at Newcastle United’s St James Park, against Costa Rica and South Korea - but the results won’t really matter, and not just because the games are friendlies.   Critics say that whatever the final scores, the despotic regime of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) will already...

London is about to have the world’s largest pollution charging area, as the capital’s outer suburbs are added to the inner city Ultra Low Emission Zone - ULEZ. Drivers of vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards will be charged £12.50 a day – with motorists facing the threat of a £180 fine if they don’t comply.   ULEZ expansion was widely regarded as a key factor in the Conservatives hold...

The life and death of Yevgeny Prigozhin tells us much about modern Russia. After spending years in prison, he launched a business career in St Petersburg in the 1990s, supported by former KGB agent Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin became the figurehead of the Wagner mercenary group, whose troops supported the regular Russian army in Ukraine before launching a short-lived rebellion against Putin, now his...

Adrian Goldberg hears from Nathan Akehurst a British volunteer, working on a search and rescue boat in the Mediterranean. The vessel - the Sea Eye IV - has been impounded by the Italian authorities after saving 114 migrants who'd been drifting for days without food, fuel, and water.    Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White.   Funded by subscriptions to the Bylin...

Adrian Goldberg hears from former US congressman Joe Walsh, once a member of the low tax, socially conservative Tea Party faction of the Republican party, who supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Joe has since been on a remarkable political journey that led him to challenging Trump for the 2020 presidential nomination. He now calls himself 'woke' and is on a mission to heal the...

Adrian Goldberg hears from Byline Times writer Iain Overton, freshly returned from Ukraine, about how Russia’s invasion has led to a plummeting birth rate. This is perhaps understandable at a time of war, but many Ukrainians see it in the context of attempts to downplay their culture, destroy their history and erase their language. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.   Funded by subscr...

Journalist Daniel Knowles talks about his new book 'Carmageddon - How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It'.   Daniel tells Adrian Goldberg that, “car manufacturers are really not much different to the oil industry or big tobacco”.    He explores the racialised road building helped segregate the US, discusses how UK cities were rebuilt around after the Second World War in wa...

As we stand on the brink of a new football season, is there an alternative to the global financial and political interests now dominating the national sport?   There are clubs like Newcastle United which are owned by the oil state of Saudi Arabia – keen to greenwash its reputation and desperate to promote its sporting credentials rather than discuss its human rights abuses. Or Manchester Unit...

As Mediterranean countries grapple with an unprecedented heatwave, the UK is dealing with April showers in July. It seems that we’re now starting to experience the extreme andf unpredictable weather, climate scientists have long predicted. Is it too late to act – and what can we as individuals do.   Adrian Goldberg is joined by Erika Coppola, a climate scientists working at the Abdu...

Adrian Goldberg discusses The Sun's headline grabbing and untrue Huw Edwards story and reflects on what it tells us about Rupert Murdoch's media empire, with Nathan Sparkes, CEO of Hacked Of and Francesca Cociani, an Associate at Hodge Jones Allen solicitors.  Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.   Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times.   Made by We Bring...

What is the REAL migrant boat crisis? The British media seem obsessed with small boats crossing the Channel, but there's been far less coverage of the vessels carrying hundreds of migrants from West Africa which have gone missing en route to the Canary Islands. They were seeking the relative safety of Europe, after fleeing instability in Senegal.   A fleet of three boats set sail a fortnight...

The NHS is 75, but it's birthday that comes with warnings that the institution – like many of the people it serves – is showing signs of ageing badly.  The Health Service is arguably a victim of its own success with people genera living longer than in previous generations, but with conditions that require long term care – including dementia, diabetes and heart disease.   A combination of...

The NHS is 75, but it's birthday that comes with warnings that the institution – like many of the people it serves – is showing signs of ageing badly.  The Health Service is arguably a victim of its own success with people genera living longer than in previous generations, but with conditions that require long term care – including dementia, diabetes and heart disease.   A combination of...

"My Extinction" is a new documentary by award winning film maker Josh Appignanensi about his conversion to climate activism and the battle against climate denialism.   Adrian Goldberg hears from both Josh and Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda, a book about disinformation and the denial of objective truth. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg and Harvey White.   Fu...

This time, a new twist Boris Johnson and the Lebedevs…a long running story which has featured extensively in the Byline Times and here on the podcast…   Alexanxder Lebdev is a former senior KGB spy and businessman; Evgeny his son owns the Evening Standard and is an investor in The Independent…Boris Johnson is friends with both men, and as Foreign Secretary attended their 'X Rated parties' in...

This time – a new twist Boris Johnson and the Lebedevs…a long running story which has featured extensively in the Byline Times and here on the podcast…   Alexanxder Lebdev is a former senior KGB spy and businessman, Evgeny his son owns the Evening Standard and is an investor in The Independent…Boris Johnson is friends with both men, and as Foreign Secretary attended their 'X Rated parties' in...

In June 1948, the HMT Empire Windrush set sail from Jamaica carrying 802 people to Tilbury In Essex. Along with their suitcases they carried dreams of a better life in the 'Mother Country.'   It wasn’t the first migrant ship from the Caribbean to arrive in the UK but it was the largest and most famous – a former troopship which gave its name to a generation of willing workers coming to a coun...

Desi pubs are Indian owned drinking establishments in the UK and they tell two very different but inter-related stories about this country.   One is a story of segregation that most British people would rather forget; the other is a story of communities growing together through a shared love of food and beer.   David Jesudason, author of "Desi Pubs, A Guide to British Indian Pubs Food an...

Has Britain officially become a police state? That might seem like an over-egged question, but thanks to legislation introduced by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the authorities will now have the power to restrict any protest that could cause a “more than minor hindrance or delay” - and its the police who'll be able to define precisely what that means. As if that wasn't serious enough, the...

The Duke of Sussex aka Prince Harry is taking the media to task over intrusion into his private life which he claims crossed a line into illegality; He believes that Mirror Group Newspapers – publishers of the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and The People published details about his private life that could only have been obtained by hacking or other unlawful means; MGN is contesting the claim. &n...

The secrets and silence of the state. Adrian Goldberg explores the government's reluctance to release What's App messages in defiance of the Covid Inquiry Chair Baroness Hallett, with Iain Overton and Josiah Mortimer. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.   Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times.   Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.

Is It time to stop treating kids in care as commodities?  In this episode, Adrian Goldberg examines the outsourcing of children’s homes to private companies. The evidence suggests that profit making firms in the sector generally provide a worse service than local authority providers; and are more likely to move youngsters away from their families and community networks.    Adrian's...

More than 7 million patients are on waiting lists for non emergency operations – the highest number since record began 16 years ago.   The government’s solution involves telling GP’s to give a range of options to anyone referred for treatment.   Choices might include travelling further for healthcare or going private - but is this the only way forward? Or is there an alternative? &n...

John Sweeney discuss his new movie for Byline TV, 'Eastern Front - Terror and Torture in Ukraine'. Produced in Birmingham by Adrian Goldberg.   Funded by subscriptions to the Byline Times.   Made by We Bring Audio for Byline Times.