The Owen Jones Podcast

Jim Sterling is an iconic games journalist, critic, YouTuber, you name it. They talk to me about coming out as non-binary a few months ago, the attack on LGBTQ rights, on mental health, on the gaming industry, wrestling, and so much else! I'm a huge fan. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast ....

We live in a time of crisis and catastrophe - and it goes much further than COVID-19. Capitalism is driving the world to the edge, as ever more concentrated ownership, major corporations and Big Finance put profit before human comfort, happiness and even existence. Is the climate emergency going to doom us all? I'm joined by two brilliant guests - Mathew Lawrence and Laurie Laybourn-Langton, the a...

Shami Chakrabarti is the former Director of Liberty, the former Shadow Attorney General and one of the most acclaimed living human rights champions. She joined me live to talk about the spy cops bill - which allows undercover police officers to get away with anything - and the broader onslaught on human rights. Help support us taking on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 ​...

As violence broke out at protests in Bristol against the repressive Policing Bill - with police vans burned and windows smashed - almost all media coverage has solely focused on the police's point of view. Today we redress that imbalance: both Louis and Saranya were amongst the protesters on Sunday and tell their side of the story, alleging police aggression and provocation - and they talk about a...

The pandemic has caused misery, turmoil and death for so many - but as this documentary exposes, for much of the rich elite, this is boomtime. From Amazon to private contractors, profit margins have exploded. In the first 9 months of the crisis, billionaires' fortunes jumped by nearly $4 trillion. While the high street is in a tailspin of decline, Amazon saw their profits triple in one quarter; an...

The 'F' word is a biggie - but as the government unleashes a crackdown on protest in atmosphere of increasingly intolerant right-wing populism, where is Britain headed? I'm joined by two brilliant guests: author Prof. Gargi Bhattacharyya and David Renton. Plus - we're joined by Steve Turner, assistant general secretary of Unite, on his bid to be Len McCluskey's successor, on a green industrial rev...

Michael Rosen is one of the world's best loved children's authors. As COVID-19 ravaged Britain, he was hospitalised and nearly died from the illness. His new book 'Many Different Kinds of Love: Live, Death and the NHS' is a beautiful look at his experiences. We talk about what he went through, how he's changed, the stigma of death, the heroic role of NHS workers, the government's catastrophic hand...

Around 1 in every 500 Britons have been killed by COVID-19: one of the worst death tolls and death rates on earth. But the horrors of Britain's worst crisis since World War II were not inevitable. A new book - Failures of State - by leading investigative journalists Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott exposes the British government's catastrophic failures in horrifying detail. We talk about the...

The alleged murder of Sarah Everard has to led to an outpouring from women sharing their stories of male harassment and male violence. The conversation can't focus on how women are kept safe from men - it has to be about how men can be stopped from being dangerous to women. 'Not all men' is meaningless not just because there is a raging pandemic of male violence - but because there is a culture am...

We talk about the sickening police treatment of mourners at Sarah Everard's vigil, and about the groundswell of women sharing their experiences, and the "safety work" they have to do when leaving the house; about the role of the state; about gatekeeping in the women's sector; building capacity to respond to sexual violence outside of the state; the role of cisgendered men - and much else. Joining...

Abigail Thorn - aka Philosophy Tube - is a YouTube superstar, actor and much else. We talk about coming out as trans, about the burning skip of transphobia raging in Britain, about the struggle for LGBTQ rights - as well as making philosophy accessible, becoming a YouTube star, her acting career, and her hopes for the future. Please subscribe - and help us take on the right wing media here: https:...

Meghan Markle's horrifying revelations reveal that Britain's figurehead institution is unaccountable, secretive, riddled with racism, and vengefully intolerant of anyone perceived to cross it. That we haven't replaced our monarchy with an elected head of state shows a lack of self-confidence in who we are - including the pervasive myth that people only visit this country because of our Royal Famil...

As the Meghan Markle revelations underline, the British media is institutionally racist. From incessantly racist and bigoted news coverage, to the treatment of people of colour within the media industry, this is a conversation that needs to be had. I'm joined by The Guardian's Joseph Harker, former BBC and CNN journalist Saima Mohsin and Miqdaad Versi from the Muslim Council of Britain. Help us of...

Tory ministers went from applauding the nurses to imposing a real terms pay cut on them - now the Tory press machine is kicking into action. Joining me are Ruby Kirby from the Feminist Nursing Network, NHS nurse Holly and commentators Ellie Mae O'Hagan and Matt Zarb Cousin. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-o...

Throughout their history, the Conservatives have fought the class war on behalf of the privileged and the wealthy. The Tories imposing a derisory pay deal on nurses and slashing Universal Credit while handing big business keeps that tradition alive - from the 19th century onwards. This is the history that never gets told. Help us take on the Tory media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support...

Life has been made hard for trans people in Britain. Transphobic hate crimes have quadrupled, levels of mental distress are much higher than the rest of the population, and polling shows that many trans people fear using public toilets, face discrimination at work and in education, are far more likely to be homeless, and are stuck on NHS waiting lists. Yet there is a full blown moral panic under w...

It's fair to say Claire Fox and I disagree on a lot - she's a former Brexit Party MEP, and last time I checked, I'm not - so we had a chat about the whole Brexit palaver, about free speech and what it actually is, and her political journey from revolutionary Trotskyism. It's spiky stuff! Help us take on the right-wing media here!: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter....

The pro-Trump insurrection in the Capitol on 6th January shocked the world. But the real novelty of this coup attempt is that it took place on domestic soil. There is a long and bloody history of US-organised coups against governments perceived to threaten the country's economic and strategic interests - but the truth is rarely talked about. Journalist Vincent Bevins - author of The Jakarta Method...

Naomi Klein is one of the world's foremost progressive writers and thinkers, and we have so much to talk about: Joe Biden, the strategy of the US left and the 'Squad', COVID and the shock doctrine, the climate emergency, what happens to Trumpism next, protests in India and the role of Big Tech, and loads more... Help us take on the right wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support thi...

Labour have not only let the Tories get away with one of the most catastrophic handlings of the pandemic on earth - they're now opposing tax hikes on big business, not least those which profiteered from the crisis. It's time to remind ourselves what Labour is for - to champion the interests of working people and challenge the vested elites at the top of society, despite the best efforts of pro-est...

As Labour positions itself to passionately oppose Tory plans to hike corporation tax and introduce a windfall tax on businesses which profiteered from the pandemic, it's time to ask - what does Keir Starmer's leadership actually believe in? Joining me are James Schneider - Jeremy Corbyn's former Director of Strategic Communications and spokesperson - and Zoe Williams - Guardian columnist. Help us...

Ana Kasparian is one of the US's leading progressive commentators. The flagship presenter of the Young Turks, we talk about whether the US left can build pressure on the Biden administration, about progressive struggles, and about how a savvier right-wing populist than Donald Trump could triumph unless the left fights back. elp us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84...

Alexei Sayle is an iconic comedian, actor, author, TV presenter, among so many other things. We talk about the rise of his career under Thatcherism, the general lockdown nightmare, the state of left-wing politics and the Labour party, the assault on the left, and we discuss antisemitism. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.a...

Since becoming a Labour MP in 2015, Clive Lewis has made a huge impression: from serving in Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet to fighting for climate justice. We had a lot to talk about: Corbyn's suspension, Labour and antisemitism, racism, proportional representation, whether Keir Starmer will stick to his promises - and Labour's future. Support the podcast here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Supp...

The Green Party are surging in many polls, and with Labour causing disaffection among some of its natural supporters, should Keir Starmer worry? Their co-leader Sian Berry gives her verdict on Labour and their positioning in the pandemic, why the Greens are doing well - and discusses everything from our broken electoral system to the climate emergency. Please like, subscribe - and help us take on...