Novara Media Podcasts

As Healey vows to get “tough” on unemployed young people, we look at what Labour could do to help them instead. Plus: A guide to some of the battles progressives are looking to win in the upcoming US midterms, the Scottish and English MPs blocked from entering the West Bank &Farage’s latest security scare comes […]

We take an in-depth look at John Healey’s first budget as Treasurer. Plus: Polls have closed in Israel, leaving both Netanyahu and the opposition short of an outright majority. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, James Meadway & Dan Levy.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić has been defeated by a student movement in a historic election for the country. Plus: Burnham’s pre-budget strategy explained, Iran releases a video preparing its citizens for a nuclear attack, and Kylian Mbappé sparks a diplomatic storm with China.

Ash has a big theory about our growing fear of cringe. How does the internalisation of secondhand embarrassment change our behaviour? Is it possible that to be cringe is to be free? Plus: advice for a listener who’s become scared of sex. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

Lula has shocked the world by snatching election victory from Bolsonaro in Brazil, how did he do it? Plus: After greenlighting work to commence on the Jackdaw oilfield, is the government about to do the same at Rosebank? Finally, a Labour MP admits he doesn’t know the meaning of Zionism, but only after reporting the […]

In Brighton, for a special recording of Downstream IRL, Ash Sarkar sat down with Naomi Klein, and organiser, writer and co-founder of the Debt Collective, Astra Taylor. They gathered to discuss their new book, End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World. An apocalyptic alliance of religious fundamentalists, billionaire Silicon Valley tech kings […]

No one is disputed like Mao. Was he a mass murderer, a Communist hero, a charlatan, or a great poet? The saviour of the peasants, or the man who extracted from them all that he could? Mao’s biography is a nest of contradictions. He led the largest revolution in world history, then presided over its […]

We talk to a top economist and former advisor to Gordon Brown about the challenges and opportunities facing John Healy’s first budget announcement. With Michael Walker & Michael Jacobs.

Protests are erupting all over Europe against high costs of living and conditions for students and workers. Where is the UK in all of this? Plus: The IMF’s attack on welfare, big tech’s stranglehold on governments and infrastructure, and Dalia defends Sally Rooney on Politics Live.  With NoJusticeMTG, Dalia Gebrial & Harriet Williamson. Read Harriet […]

Labour have approved the controversial Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. Plus: A deep dive into the conditions which created the riots that have engulfed France. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, Tessa Khan & Cole Stangler.

The UK is set to deploy fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks. Plus: We speak to Ashok Kumar about the Green Party’s Zionism is Racism motion, and Andy Burnham announces new fines for noisy train passengers. With Aaron Bastani & Banseka Kayembe.

A weird interaction on the dancefloor gets Ash thinking about ambiguity. How do we balance the need for clear consent with the perks of mystery and uncertainty? Has growing up online increased our need for clarity? Plus: a friend who’s been separated from her besties. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has called for curfews after hundreds of thousands of protesters across the country took to the streets, with incidents of violence & looting. Plus: Amnesty International have released a new report on the silencing of pro-Palestine students by universities. With Michael Walker, Ash Sarkar, Alice Cappelle, Danièle Obono & Hannah […]

Three years ago, just weeks after the genocide began, writer Omar El Akkad posted a tweet, attached to some footage showing the extent of the ruin that Israel had already visited on Gaza. The compelling thought, crystallised in that viral tweet, would go on to become the name of his bestselling book: One Day, Everyone […]

For a century, China underwent a series of invasions, revolutions and counter-revolutions. In China, it’s known as the Century of Humiliation. It was a time of immense upheavals: from the Opium Wars of 1839, through the Taiping Rebellion, the Xinhai Republican Revolution, a Civil War, an invasion by the Japanese which merged into the Second […]

Chancellor John Healey is poised to raise taxes on banks in the autumn budget. Plus: Why housing benefits are broken, Iran is picking apart Gulf infrastructure, ITV releases more undercover footage from inside Reform UK, and the police are looking into a post by the wife of Britain’s national security adviser in relation to Palestine […]

Severe drought has been declared throughout the South of England, with reservoir storage levels at record lows for this time of year – is nationalisation the answer? Plus: Ukraine claims its Starlink access has been severely limited since Trump agreed to buy Russian diesel, Labour Councillors have been instructed not to collaborate with their Green […]

The Houthis attacks on Saudi Arabia continue to cause death and destruction, why can’t the kingdom bring them under control? Plus: Burnham rules out a pact with the greens, we ask an expert what really happened at RAF Fairford & author Salley Rooney claims she’s been banned from profiting from her work in the UK […]

MI5 chief Ken McCallum has used his annual speech to warn of threats to the UK from Iran and right-wing extremists. Plus: The chancellor has rejected calls to match capital gains and income tax rates, Nigel Farage is publicly rebutting Robert Jenrick, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon pledges more support for small business owners. With Aaron Bastani […]

After quitting Instagram, Moya wonders if the concept of ‘healthy competition’ is a myth, and Ash explains how to hate with artistry. Plus: Taylor Swift chat (for the first 8 minutes, be warned!) and advice for a couple in a longterm sex drought. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

Peter Oborne takes us through the UK Government’s latest capitulation to Israel. Peter’s latest book available here: https://orbooks.com/catalog/complicit/ With Michael Walker & Peter Oborne.

This week marked three years since the Hamas attack of October 7th, and the beginning of the Israeli state’s genocidal onslaught against the Palestinian people. In that time, Western leaders from Joe Biden and Donald Trump to Keir Starmer and now Andy Burnham have refused to call the genocide what it is, despite the consensus […]

Huawei makes the pipes and cables that power the Chinese internet. Its global reach has made China into a superpower. Huawei is often accused of spying for China. But how was the US so sure that Huawei’s technology could be used for spying? Because they had already hacked it and were using it to spy […]

Labour have held Holborn & St Pancras, was the Greens’ campaign lacklustre? Plus: Anthropic has banned cruel behaviour towards its chatbots, Abdul Al-Sayed gives a masterclass & Jacob Rees-Mogg has a history lesson for Tucker Carlson. With Michael Walker & Barry Malone.

Burnham is on his first official visit to the EU as Prime Minister, is he taking us all back with him? Plus: We speak to the author of a new report on the profligacy of the arms industry, Mamdani is heckled by pro-Palestine supporters at an October 7th memorial and the right are in a […]