The Politics Show

Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary and ally of Jeremy Corbyn, has been suspended as a Labour MP after she claimed Jewish people cannot be victims of racism, in a letter to the  Observer responding to a column by Tomiwa Owolade, a  New Statesman  contributing writer. He joins Anoosh Chakelian and Freddie Hayward to talk about her suspension, why the anti-Semitism row cont...

In a special episode of the  New Statesman Podcast  recorded live at the Cambridge Literary Festival, Anoosh Chakelian, Freddie Hayward and Ben Walker discuss Dominic Raab’s resignation and what it means for Rishi Sunak's position. They also examine the Prime Minister's improving poll numbers and ask whether the recovery is real – and what Labour under Keir Starmer is doing in...

The local elections in England are on 4 May, with more than 8,000 council seats across the country up for grabs. It is the first major electoral test for Rishi Sunak since becoming Prime Minister and a sign of how things could go in the general election next year. What should we watch out for?    Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Wearmouth and Freddie Hayward are joined by the  New Statesman...

With the public's view of government and parliament at new lows after the pandemic, what can be done to increase belief in politics? Dr Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government, speaks to Zoë Grünewald about her new book  Held in Contempt, What’s Wrong with the House of Commons . They discuss how trust was damaged so severely under Boris Johnson, and whether Rishi Suna...

The US president, Joe Biden, arrived in Belfast on a  week-long visit  to the island of Ireland marking the 25th anniversary Good Friday Agreement. Northern Ireland has been in a year of political limbo since it’s devolved government collapsed as a result of divisions over the post-Brexit trade regime. Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Wearmouth are joined by the  New Statesman ’s foreign...

The energy market is complicated. Consumers are understandably confused by the range of tariffs and suppliers – and even by where energy comes from. In 2021, 40 percent of our electricity was generated using gas, around half of which was imported by pipeline from Norway or by ship from places such as Qatar, the United States and Russia. Smart meters enable the opposite of this opaque system. They...

In this special podcast, nine political editors and writers come together to discuss working at the  New Statesman , covering everything from the rise and fall of Thatcher and New Labour through to the coalition government and the recent period of Conservative hegemony.   We hear from Patrick Wintour, Sarah Baxter, Steve Richards, Jackie Ashley, Rafael Behr, Mehdi Hasan, Helen Lewis, Ste...

It’s a quarter of a century since a peace deal introduced cross-community power-sharing to Northern Ireland. One of the architects of the deal was Tony Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell.   He speaks to the  New Statesman 's deputy political editor Rachel Wearmouth about how the deal came together, how it has fared since 1998, and the likelihood today of an Irish unification referend...

The Easter exodus from the UK has begun but holidaymakers hoping for a quick getaway were stranded by lengthy delays at the Port of Dover. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, has  denied that this was related to Brexit , instead blaming the weather. Anoosh Chakelian, Zoë Grünewald and Ben Walker discuss what’s causing the snarl-up, why evasiveness around the “B” word is not confined to the...

As the Tories increasingly use social issues and culture wars to appeal to voters, we talk about the key MPs behind this trend, analyse how socially conservative the country really is, and debate what this means for the future of the Conservative Party and the UK more broadly.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Wearmouth, Rachel Cunliffe and our polling expert, Ben Walker, along with spec...

Petty crime is emerging as a central battleground of the next election. The Prime Minister has announced headline-grabbing plans to ban laughing gas (nitrous oxide), which the Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, has described as an “increasing scourge”. This swiftly followed a  big speech  on law and order from the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, which unveiled ambitions to reverse rising...

Has winning the Brexit vote made the Conservative Party ungovernable? That’s the question political scientist Tim Bale is tackling in his new book  The Conservative Party After Brexit .  He speaks to Anoosh Chakelian about how the party has changed, why its coalition of right-wing populism and free-market fundamentalism is inherently unstable and why the damage could continue well beyond...

Humza Yousaf is the new leader of the SNP after beating his closest rival, Kate Forbes, by 52 per cent to 48 per cent in the final round of the party’s leadership election. He’s the continuity candidate, but is continuity enough to keep the SNP in power in Holyrood and dominant in Scottish Westminster seats as it continues to push for independence? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Chris Deerin, Scotl...

During a grumpy four-hour hearing with the Commons Privileges Committee, Boris Johnson appeared to lack the deft political touches that got him into No 10. The team discuss how his performance didn’t help him, why he was unable to lead a dramatic revolt against Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal, and if this is good or bad for the current prime minister.   Then in You Ask Us, they answer a listener’s...

After Jeremy Hunt announced an extension of free childcare provision to children older than nine months in the Budget this week, some parents groups are celebrating – but is this really a victory? Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Zoë Grünewald and Alona Ferber to discuss what was announced, whether it leaves Labour in a difficult position, and if the new policy will actually deliver what it promises....

Jeremy Hunt presented his first Budget on Wednesday (15 March) as forecasts said that Britain faces a record fall in living standards over the next two years. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman’s political editor, Andrew Marr, and business editor, Will Dunn, to take us through the key measures. They discuss the huge stealth tax rises the Chancellor snuck into his “boring” Budget and,...

The local elections in May will be the first time that voters in England must show a form of photo ID to cast their vote. The government has said we need these tough restrictions to combat election fraud but pilots suggest one million voters could be put off voting, with police told to prepare for polling station chaos . Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Cunliffe and Ben Walker discuss the reality of voter...

Women have  turned away  from the Conservative Party over the past few decades, who since 2010 have been more likely to vote for Labour. The Conservatives’ failure to support women – who are bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis – has not helped things. Anoosh Chakelian, Zoë Grünewald and Rachel Wearmouth discuss why the Tories have failed to win over female voters, the rise of&...

Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive among the countries of the OECD. The lack of affordable and accessible childcare is costing the nation £27bn a year – equivalent to 1 per cent of GDP – according to report by Centre for Progressive Policy.   In this bonus episode of the  New Statesman  podcast, brought to you by the Spotlight team, Alona Ferber, editor of the Spot...

A new report from economics think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) reveals the UK is losing 1 per cent of GDP through a lack of suitable childcare. Rachel Cunliffe, Alona Ferber and Zoë Grünewald discuss the cost of Britain’s broken childcare system as the pressure increases for action.   We hear from Labour MP Stella Creasy, who with shadow education secretary Bridget Philli...

Rishi Sunak has agreed a deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol. He has hailed this as a “new chapter” in relations, but will he  reap the rewards ?   Anoosh Chakelian, Freddie Hayward and Rachel Wearmouth discuss the “Windsor framework”, as the deal is known, and what the DUP and hardline Tory Brexiteers  will do now . They also debate whether Labour will be forced to dr...

Anoosh Chakelian and Zoë Grünewald are joined by two parliamentary researchers to delve into the working conditions, power imbalances and abuses that take place within Westminster.   Jenny Symmons and Holly Brazier Tope are senior researchers for Labour MPs and representatives of parliamentary staff for the GMB union. They open up about the problems at their workplace, ranging from...

For a hot moment Kate Forbes was favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister. But revealing her socially conservative views in a series of interviews, including being against equal marriage, gender self-identification and sex outside of marriage, has dismayed her supporters and jeopardised her campaign.   Anoosh Chakelian and Ben Walker discuss the SNP’s s...

Widespread use of autonomous cars is on the horizon. Self-driving vehicles are already out on our roads. And autonomy will change our relationship with our vehicles. But what will the new immersive world inside a vehicle be like?   In the third episode of a three-part special series partnered with Wejo, the smart mobility tech company, a panel of expert guests discuss how legislation and poli...

With the criminal justice system under immense strain, from huge case backlogs to crumbling court buildings and staff shortages, Labour has seized the opportunity to attack the Tories’ record on crime. In a speech on Thursday 16 February the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, declared that “only Labour is the party of law and order”.   Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Rachel Wearmouth...