TALKING POLITICS

Talking Politics producer Catherine Carr returns to her role as mic-wielder in 'Where Are You Going?' a unique storytelling podcast, delivered in bite-size episodes.

Called 'utterly compelling and unique' by the Financial Times, 'engrossing' by The Times and 'riveting' by The Spectator.

In each episode, Catherine interrupts people as they go about their everyday lives and asks simply; "Where are you going?"

The conversations that follow are always unpredictable: sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, silly, romantic or downright 'stop-you-in-your-tracks' surprising.

Be transported to places around the world and into the lives of others. What story is coming next? You just never know....

'Where Are You Going?' is produced by the team at Loftus Media. New episodes are published twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday.

Past Present Future is a new weekly podcast with David Runciman, host of Talking Politics, exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, culture to technology. David talks to historians, novelists, scientists and many others about where the most interesting ideas come from, what they mean, and why they matter.

Ideas from the past, questions about the present, shaping the future.

Brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books.

New episodes every Thursday. Just subscribe to Past Present Future wherever you get your podcasts.

David, Helen and Catherine get together for our final episode, to reflect on podcasting through six extraordinary years of politics, and what it means to be ending at the beginning of a war. We talk about the current crisis, how it connects to the crises of the past, and where it might fit in to the crises of the future. This episode is dedicated to Finbarr Livesey and Aaron Rapport.

So you don’t miss us too much…  

In grateful memory of our colleagues Aaron Rapport and Finbarr Livesey

For our penultimate episode, David talks to Helen about her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the Twenty-First Century. It’s a conversation about many of the themes Helen has explored on Talking Politics over the years, from the energy transition to the perils of QE, from the travails of the Eurozone to the crisis of democracy, from China to America, from the past to the present to the future. In this book, she brings all these themes together to help make sense of the world we’re in.

Talking Points: 

Suez is often seen as a crisis of British imperial hubris. But it’s also about energy.

The aftermath was hugely consequential.

The shale boom was a double-edged sword: it also destabilized the alliance with Saudi Arabia and increased competition between the US and Russia.

QE created a wholly new situation in the Eurozone.

One of the risks of democracy is democratic excess. But democracies can also experience aristocratic excess.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David, Helen and Chris Brooke have one more go at making sense of the tangled web that is British politics. Can Johnson really survive, and even if he does, can his brand ever recover? Is this a scandal, is it a crisis, or is it something else entirely? Does history offer any guide to what comes next? Plus we explore what might be the really big lessons from the last two years of Covid-dominated politics.

Talking Points: 

It’s obvious why Boris is a problem, but it’s not clear who would replace him.

Boris won’t go voluntarily. But can he survive?

In 2015, Ed Miliband was leading in the headline polls. But there were signs of weakness.

The politics of scandal are different from the politics of crisis.

This particular scandal is bound up in Johnson’s appeal. 

Were the pandemic years a dress rehearsal for the politics of climate change?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor of the Economist, about what Vladimir Putin hopes to get out of the Ukraine crisis and what anyone can do to stop him. Is some sort of invasion inevitable? Is Russia’s goal to sow dissent or to achieve regime change? What leverage does the rest of world have over Putin and his allies? Plus we explore where the roots of the crisis lie: in 2014, in the end of the Cold War, or even earlier still?

Talking Points: 

What does Putin want from Ukraine? 

What would Putin count as a success in the current crisis? 

Kiev seems less convinced about the imminence of an invasion.

What is different today from 2014? 

NATO allies should still feel reasonably secure.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to John Naughton about what’s coming next in the tech revolution and where it’s taking us. From quantum computing to cryptocurrency, from AI to the Internet of Things: what’s hype, what’s for real and how will it shape our politics. Plus we discuss what China understands about technology that the rest of the world might have missed.

Talking Points: 

The metaverse is the next big thing in Silicon Valley. It feels like the logical conclusion of prevailing trends.

What will be the next big technological shift? Are we in a kind of lull?

Does the Chinese system show us that there is another choice on technology? 

Technology has undeniably changed our lives, but the liberatory promise does not seem to have been realized.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

One year on from Joe Biden’s inauguration David and Helen talk with Gary Gerstle about what’s gone wrong. What is the strategy behind this presidency? Has it tried to do too much or too little? And are the dark warnings of another American civil war really plausible? Plus we discuss whether the original American Civil War should really be used as the template for political breakdown.

Talking Points: 

It’s hard to be a transformational president when your congressional margin is as slim as Biden’s is.

What would Biden’s presidency look like if Democrats did not have a majority in the Senate?

Are fears about a looming American civil war overblown?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

To kick off the new year David and Helen are joined by historian Robert Saunders to talk about two possible trends for the next twelve months. Could Labour and the Lib Dem’s really find electoral common ground to defeat the Tories? And is Netzero scepticism about to become a serious force on the British right? A conversation about history, coalitions, energy prices, populism and the return of Nigel Farage. Coming up on Talking Politics: Biden one year on.

Talking Points:

By-elections and opinion polls suggest that the Conservative Party might be in trouble.

What complicates things now is the Scottish question. 

Is there potential for serious opposition to climate-centric politics in the coming years?

Is there an unoccupied political space between techno-utopianism and net zero skepticism?  

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk through what’s going on with the prime minister, the pandemic and the state of British politics. Is Johnson still in touch with public opinion on Covid? Why is hypocrisy more toxic than lying? What are the historical parallels - if any - for the Tories recent by-election disasters? Plus we try to decide what 2021 will be remembered for politically in the years to come.

David and Helen talk to historian Chris Clark about the 1848 revolutions and what they teach us about political change. What explains the contagiousness of the revolutionary moment? Is it possible to combine parliamentary reform with street politics? Where does counter-revolution get its power?

The revolutions of 1848 started with a small civil war in Switzerland in 1847.

These were revolutions about political and social order, but also about national order.

What accounts for the simultaneity of these revolutions?

Why wasn’t there a revolution in Britain? 

The forces of counterrevolution were primarily those of monarchism and money.

The revolutions of 1848 combined radical street politics with legislative politics. The institutional side of the revolution seemed to win.

Helen and David talk to Cindy Yu, host of the Chinese Whispers podcast, about the trajectory of Chinese politics. What is Beijing’s political strategy for Hong Kong and Taiwan? Is Xi Jinping really a socialist? Can the CCP escape its history? Plus, what’s the real reason Xi didn’t show up in Glasgow?

Talking Points: 

Before the pandemic, the central questions about China in the West revolved around Hong Kong. Now we don’t talk about it so much.

China is trying to repair its territorial claims.

This is a precarious situation: the risks of miscalculation are enormous. 

The CCP apparatus is incredibly opaque. 

How ideological is Xi’s project? 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk to Jason Bordoff, Dean of the Columbia Climate School and former Special Assistant to Barack Obama, about climate, COP26 and the enormous challenges of the energy transition. How can we balance the need for energy security with the need to wean the world off its dependency on fossil fuels? Why is China still so reliant on coal? Who will pay for the energy needs of the developing world? Plus, just how scared are the oil companies of public opinion? You can read more of Jason’s work here.

Talking Points:

Energy transition will require a lot of capital investment.

There is a clash between climate ambition and energy reality.

During a lockdown that shut down half of the global economy, carbon emissions only fell 6%. 

In many parts of the world, energy use will actually need to increase in the coming decades. 

Some people, like John Kerry, hoped that the U.S. and China might find a point of consensus on climate.

If we always see high oil prices as a political problem that we can’t afford, then how will we get to the point at which we allow high prices to reduce demand?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

In a special episode recorded in front of a live audience, Helen and David talk to Hilary Mantel about power, monarchy and political intrigue. From the Tudors to the present, from Henry VIII to Boris Johnson, from Thomas Cromwell to Dominic Cummings. A fascinating insight into politics and the writer’s imagination, from one of the greatest modern novelists.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks with Lea Ypi about her astonishing new memoir Free: Coming of Age at the End of History, which tells the story of her childhood in Stalinist Albania and what came after. It’s a tale of family secrets, political oppression and the promise of liberation - and a profound meditation on what it really means to be free. From Marxism to liberalism and back again, this is a conversation that brings political ideas to life. Lea Ypi is Professor of Political Theory at the LSE and Freehas been shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize

Talking Points: 

Albania was a socialist country that went through various alliances.

For Albania, the key year was not 1989 but 1990.

How do we conceptualize freedom? 

For Lea, freedom is about being the author of your own fate, even when it seems overdetermined.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

David and Helen are joined by Politico’s chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig to explore the consequences of the German elections. Who were the real winners and losers? Are there lessons for centre-left parties in other countries, including the Labour Party in Britain? And what are the choices facing Germany as it decides on its place in an increasingly unstable world? Plus we ask whether this was a Covid election. If not, why not?

Talking Points:

What was surprising about the German elections?

Do campaigns make a difference to election outcomes? 

Scholz prevailed because of his experience—he isn’t perceived as a change candidate.

Most German voters wanted change, and yet it is the continuity Merkel candidate who is most likely to become the next chancellor.

The parties seem to believe that their differences are bridgeable. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

Hear more of Matthew on Politico's podcast on European politics, EU Confidential, which he hosts.

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We’re back from our summer break with David, Helen and Adam Tooze exploring what the pandemic has revealed about politics, economics and the new world order. From Covid crisis to China crisis to climate crisis: how does it all fit together? And what comes next? Adam’s new book is Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy. Plus David talks about his new book based on series one of History of Ideas: Confronting Leviathan. 

Talking Points:

The term ‘lockdown’ can be misleading. Many aspects of the response were not top-down.

The term ‘shutdown’ better captures the pandemic’s impact on the economy.

Is there such thing as democratic money?

The entire monetary order in China is political, but there was a debate within the regime over stimulus.

The Republican party is becoming increasingly incoherent.

The U.S.-China competition has changed. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

The second part of our attempt to answer your questions, this week covering British politics. Helen and David tackle whether Labour can win, what happened to the Lib Dems, where the Greens are heading and what's in store for the Union. Plus, how much is being held together by the Queen and what will happen when she is no longer around? Next week, Trump, and much more.

Talking UK Politics… 

Our State of the Union Series: 

From our archives:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

In the first of a short series of episodes, Helen and David do their best to answer your questions about anything and everything. Here, it's the geopolitics of vaccines, Germany as a 'useful idiot', the Great Game in the 21st century, oil prices, green finance and the risks and rewards of 'Japanification'. Next week, they tackle UK politics and the future of the Union.

Talking Geopolitics… from our archives

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to Ed Miliband about the thinking behind his new book Go Big. What are the ideas that have the power to change British politics? If they have been shown to work elsewhere, why are they so hard to make happen? Is it the politicians or the public who are reluctant to make the shift? Plus, we discuss whether the Tories might be better at the politics of change than Labour.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week David and Helen take stock of the state of British politics, looking at how the big themes of the last year fit together. They try to join the dots between the pandemic and the fraying of the Union, the weakness of the Labour party and the fraught politics of climate change, along with the lingering impact of Brexit on everything. We are also looking for your questions on these topics too - please let us know what you would like David and Helen to discuss next: https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/contact

Talking Points: 

Incumbents, under the conditions of vaccine politics, have done well. 

The Northern Ireland question may pose a real challenge to the politics of the Union.

Is the First Past the Post system propping up a moribund Labour Party?

In 2020, Britain and the EU diverged on the question of China. 

The geopolitics of climate change are bound up in the EU/US position on China.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to historian Linda Colley about her new global history of written constitutions: the paper documents that made and remade the modern world. From Corsica to Pitcairn, from Mexico to Japan, it's an amazing story of war and peace, violence, imagination and fear. Recorded as part of the Cambridge Literary Festival www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com

Talking Points:

Swords need words: conquest generates a demand for writing and explanation.

By the mid-18th century, big transcontinental wars were becoming more common. 

Constitutions can do a lot of things. They can be used to claim territory, for example. 

Constitutions are sticky; even failed constitutions leave a legacy.

The U.S. constitution had a disproportionate impact, not just—or even primarily because of its content.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We talk to the historians Robert Tombs and Robert Saunders about the history of England and the future of the Union. Is the size and complexity of England the real problem in holding the UK together? What can England's past teach us about the present state of British politics? Does England have a 'Northern Question' to go with its 'Scottish Question' and 'Irish Question'? This is the final episode in our series about the constituent parts of the UK. Find the others - on Scotland, NI, Wales - at https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/

Talking Points: 

Is the island of Britain a natural seat of government?

Most people probably don’t know that the Union was a Scottish creation.

Governance of the Union has changed: the leadership of both major parties in Westminster is now almost exclusively English and they compete for almost exclusively English votes. 

The English don’t really have a story about before the Union in part because the English have never really seen the Acts of Union as dividing lines in English history.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

We talk to the historian Niall Ferguson about the politics of catastrophe, from pandemics and famines to world wars and climate change. Have we been worrying about the right things? Why have some countries done so much better than others with Covid? And what can history teach us about the worst that can happen? Plus, how likely is it that a cold war between the US and China turns hot? 

Talking Points:

Niall argues that COVID is more like the Asian flu in ‘57/’58 than the 1918/1919 Spanish flu.

When we’re trying to assess the political impact of a disaster, the body count is not the most important thing.

What did we get wrong about the COVID response?

The distinction between natural and manmade disasters is a false one.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen are joined by the historian Colin Kidd to try to make sense of last week's elections in England, Scotland and Wales. What do they mean for the future of the UK? What do they mean for the future of the Labour Party? Are either (or both) in terminal trouble? Plus we explore how Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson are going to resolve their standoff over a second Scottish independence referendum.

Talking Points:

Gordon Brown says that Scotland is a 30-30-40 nation.

Alex Salmond’s party lost, but it put forward a more coherent vision for an independent Scotland. 

There’s a new alliance in Scottish politics between the SNP and the Greens.

Where is the SNP’s greatest weakness? 

How should Labour think about the basic challenge of reassembling a coalition? 

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We talk to Michael Lewis about his new book The Premonition, which tells the story of the people who saw the pandemic coming and asks why they couldn't get a hearing. It's a tale of short-term failures and long-term trends in US government and it follows on from his previous book about the risks America has been running in hollowing out the administrative state. A sobering account with glimmers of hope for the future. 

Talking Points: 

Old timers at the CDC say that things began to change after the 1976 swine flu outbreak.

Doing a public health job well carries a high risk of getting fired.

Why was it so hard to learn from the experiences of other cities in the heart of the crisis?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We talk to Hans Kundnani about the prospects for German politics in the run-up to September's federal elections, now that the cast list of possible successors to Merkel is known. Can Laschet escape from her shadow and does he want to? Would a Green led government be radically different from the alternatives? Is the age of the 'grand coalition' over? Plus we consider the historical parallels, from Bismarck to Adenauer to Kohl: do long-serving leaders ever manage a successful transition?

Talking Points:

To wrap up the second season of History of Ideas, on 11 May, the LRB is hosting a conversation between David and Pankaj Mishra. They’ll discuss the thinkers we did—and didn’t talk about. To book tickets, follow this link.

Armin Laschet is the new CDU leader.

Is the era of grand coalition politics between the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats coming to an end?

The German Greens hope to be in power too—with the Christian Democrats.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

As part of our series about the future of the Union, David and Helen talk to Dan Wincott of Cardiff Law School about the history of Welsh devolution and the possibility of Welsh independence. How has English dominance shaped Welsh attitudes to the Union? What did the Brexit vote reveal about the different strands of Welsh and British identity? Has the pandemic made the case for more devolution and even independence for Wales stronger? Plus, what happens to Wales if Scotland votes to leave the UK?

Talking Points: 

The Anglo-Welsh union is a story of conquest and incorporation.

It’s hard to understand the rise of the Labour Party at the beginning of the 20th century without seeing its relationship to questions about the Union.

The majority of Wales who voted in the referendum voted Leave.

People are at least curious about what more devolution might look like in Wales.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week David talks to the celebrated film-maker Adam Curtis about his new series Can't Get You Out of My Head, which tells the history of the rise and fall of individualism. Why do so many people feel so powerless in the age of the empowered individual? How has digital technology turbo-charged our feelings of alienation? And what has all this got to do with behavioural psychology? Plus much more: Nixon, China, Dominic Cummings, complex systems, Max Weber and conspiracy theories. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p093wp6h/cant-get-you-out-of-my-head

Talking Points:

In his newest series, Adam identifies the 1970s as the wellspring of a global system that feels irrational and beyond political control. 

In an age of mass democracy, where individualism reigns, states become extremely difficult to govern.

On the surface, behaviouralism seemed like a challenge to the notion of the rational, self-interested individual.

The Internet, as it is currently constructed, is like a modern ghost story. It’s always looking at patterns in the past.

Fake stability has led to a kind of blindness: think about the collapse of the Soviet Union, or the financial crisis, or Trump.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

70 days into the first 100 days we take the temperature of the Biden presidency and ask how he's doing, and how he's doing so much. What made sleepy Joe such an active president? Is it him or the people around him? And how should the Republicans respond? Plus we discuss what it would take to restore America's standing in the world - does anyone want that anyway? With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle.

Talking Points: 

The message of Biden’s early presidency is that he understands the challenge of the moment.

Biden essentially has a two year window to get things done—maybe less.

The reigning paradigm of U.S. politics since Reagan has been deregulation. There’s now a sense that this paradigm has exhausted itself.

What will happen when the pandemic ends? Will this create opportunities for a skillfully led opposition?

Is Pax Americana over?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk to Chris Bickerton about how technocracy and populism have come together to create a new form of democratic politics. From New Labour to Macron's En Marche, from Dominic Cummings to Five Star, we discuss what these different forms of politics have in common and whether the pandemic has entrenched the hold of technopopulism or whether we are on the brink of something new. 

Technopopulism: The New Logic of Democratic Politics

David talks to Helen Thompson and Adam Tooze about the choices facing the world in addressing climate change. Can we transition away from fossil fuels while maintaining our current ways of living? Will we act in time if we also insist on taking our time? Can the West uphold its values while getting its hands dirty with China? Plus we discuss whether American democracy is the worst system of all for doing what needs to be done.

Talking Points: 

The transition away from fossil fuels to non-carbon energy sources is, for now, constrained by the laws of physics around energy use.

Or is this way of framing things too negative? 

How do we actually get to carbon neutrality by 2050?

There are different timescales at play here.

There is no collective climate solution that doesn’t involve China. 

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week we discuss the government's post-Budget economic strategy and the new dividing lines in British politics. Have the Tories stolen Labour's clothes? Is there a new consensus emerging on tax and pend? What can Keir Starmer do to carve out a distinctive economic position? Plus we consider whether a new Labour leader in Scotland can kickstart a revival of the party's fortunes there. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.

Talking Points: 

Rishi Sunak’s plan in the short-term is to concentrate on economic recovery and to end pandemic support in a reasonably—but not entirely—gradualist fashion.

Starmer put a heavy bet on the competence case against Johnson. 

In two-party politics, the two parties often tend to converge. Is this happening in the UK?

The politics for each party are different.

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

 In the latest in our series on the fate of the Union, we talk to historians Richard Bourke and Niamh Gallagher about the history of Northern Ireland's relationship to the rest of the UK. From the Anglo-Irish Union to partition to the Troubles to the Peace Process to Brexit and beyond, we discuss what makes Northern Irish politics so contentious and whether consensus is possible. Plus we ask if Irish re-unification is coming and what it might look like.

Talking Points: 

The Anglo-Irish union was a response to the 1798 rebellion. It was a means of pacification through incorporation.

The home rule movement was seeking a devolved administration, but failure to deliver that made the Irish Catholic movement more committed to independence.

In Northern Ireland, proportional representation was abolished in local elections in 1923, and in general elections in 1929. In practice, Northern Ireland became a single party state with a large, disempowered minority.

At some point during the 20th century, the dynamics of Northern Ireland became seen as a problem that didn’t apply to the rest of Britain.

Today, Unionism in the North has become a new phenomenon focused on its own domestic welfare and constituency. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be...

This week we talk to Suzanne Heywood about her memoirof her late husband, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood - the man who helped to run Britain for more than two decades, working with four different prime ministers. From Black Wednesday to Brexit, from the Blair/Brown battles to the surprising successes of the Coalition, Jeremy Heywood had a unique position at the heart of British politics. We discuss what he did, what he learned and what he wished had turned out differently. 

Talking Points:

The book starts with the ERM crisis.

Blair had a huge parliamentary majority; this meant he could do many of the things that Jeremy wanted to see done.

During political transitions, all the ‘in-flight’ initiatives pause. Any one of them may or may not land as you previously expected.

At what point do civil servants have to swallow their personal objections and get on with things? 

Jeremy’s real genius was in relationships.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk to Nick Timothy, former chief of staff in Downing Street under Theresa May, about the future for Boris Johnson's government. Is he now safe from leadership challenges? Can he hold together the coalition that won the 2019 election? Is Keir Starmer the one under pressure? Plus we discuss where the next big destabilising threat to this government might come from: Scotland, Northern Ireland, the EU, China?

Talking Points:

Is Johnson’s political position more secure now?

Boris probably doesn’t want to be an austerity prime minister.

Starmer still faces serious structural problems: Labour is in trouble in Scotland and the increasing importance of cultural issues create problems for Labour in the Red Wall.

Who is in the biggest trouble in Scotland?

The Tories are worried about the union, but there aren’t obvious solutions. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to Bronwen Maddox, Director of the Institute for Government, about how well the Johnson government has performed over the past year of the pandemic. There have been some successes - the furlough scheme, vaccines - and plenty of failures - education policy, health outcomes. But which were the key choices? Who can claim the credit? And where does the blame really lie? Plus we discuss how much personality still matters in political decision-making.

Talking Points:

What has the government done well over the last year?

Vaccines have been heralded as a success story; can the government really claim credit?

What went the most wrong?

A case often made against this government is that one of their key problems is timing. 

The government says it’s been following the science, but science is often uncertain too.

With coronavirus, Starmer opted for a politics of competence.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

In this extra episode David catches up with Thant Myint-U to discuss the latest developments in Burma (Myanmar), following the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's government. What prompted the generals to act? What do the protestors want? And what does it mean for the future of Burmese democracy? Thant Myint-U is the author of The Hidden History of Burma.

Further Reading

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n22/thant-myint-u/not-a-single-year-s-peace

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Myanmar-should-use-COVID-crisis-to-end-30-years-of-crony-capitalism

https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/myanmar-needs-to-reimagine-its-economic-future/

http://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Policy_Note_Poverty_Food_Insecurity_Social_Protection_during_COVID-19_IFPRI_Nov2020.pdf

For this first in our series looking at the future of the UK, we talk to the historian Colin Kidd about the origins of the Union and the ideas that underpin it. Is the island of Britain a natural territorial political unit? Is nationalism compatible with Unionism? What changed in the 1970s? Plus we discuss how the shifting character of the SNP has shaped the arguments for and against the Union.

Talking Points:

Historically, the Kings of England considered themselves rulers of the whole island.

The union in 1707 was a product of contingency, part of a succession crisis. 

The height of British consciousness came during the two world wars.

Secularization led to Scots moving away from private identities being linked to denominational allegiances to a broader, more secular national identity.

For at least a time, there was a sense of coexistence between patriotism and Britishness.

The SNP is a curious hybrid: it includes hard-core nationalists, but also social democrats, like Sturgeon, who think the best way to preserve the welfare state in Scotland is by going it alone.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:

This is episode 1 of the new HISTORY OF IDEAS series from Talking Politics. To hear the remaining 11 episodes, please subscribeto History of Ideas!

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality (also known as the Second Discourse) tells the story of all human history to answer one simple question: how did we end up in such an unequal world? David explores the steps Rousseau traces in the fall of humankind and asks whether this is a radical alternative to the vision offered by Hobbes or just a variant on it. Is Rousseau really such a nice philosopher?

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Going deeper…

We look at two countries where things may be changing: Germany, as it starts to imagine life beyond Merkel, and Italy, after the resignation of the prime minister. Would Armin Laschet as Chancellor mean business as usual? Can Conte cobble together a new government? Where are the biggest challenges to the established order coming from? Plus we talk about the new politics of vaccine nationalism. With Helen Thompson, Hans Kundnani and Lucia Rubinelli.

Talking Points:

In some ways Germany is in a state of continuity, rather than flux.

The German Greens may be different from other Green parties.

Anti-Americanism in Germany is now quite high.

Conte resigned yesterday; he has 72 hours to try to come back.

Conte was initially meant to be a placeholder prime minister.

Further Learning: 

David, Helen and Gary reflect on what lies ahead for American politics and for the Biden administration. Does Trump pose more of a threat from inside or outside the Republican party? Is immigration about to become the central partisan dividing line once again? How much good can calls for unity do in such a fractured country? Plus, we look at Trump's list of entrants for his garden of national heroes. From Emily Dickinson to Hannah Arendt to Woody Guthrie - but no Bruce Springsteen. What's going on?

Talking Points:

Many in the Republican Party, including McConnell, have never liked Trump—are they now breaking with him?

Success in American party politics requires party organization in all 50 states.

The Biden administration wants to be much more ambitious on immigration.

Biden has made clear that climate is a priority.

Biden’s initial window is really two years, not four.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen are joined by Diane Coyle and Anand Menon to have another go at pinning down the long term consequences of Brexit. Now we have a deal, what are the prospects for rebalancing the UK economy? Do EU politicians want a post-Brexit UK to succeed or to fail? Can Labour really avoid re-opening the Brexit wars for the next four years? Plus, an update on the next series of History of Ideas.

Talking Points: 

Because of Brexit there is more friction in trade with the EU. 

We will be talking about Brexit for a long time.

The British economy is taking two shocks: separating from the EU but also separating from what Osborne and Cameron called a golden era of UK-China economic relations.

Brexit does create some opportunities.

A German-led EU tends to treat geopolitical questions as primarily economic questions rather than long-term security questions. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to historian Jill Lepore about what took place at the Capitol on January 6th. What should we call it? What can we compare it to? And what should happen next? Plus we ask how Biden ought to address what happened in his inaugural next week. Are we past the time for talk about reconciliation?

Talking Points:

Is there a word for what happened in the US on 6 Jan? 

A problem with Trump’s entire presidency has been that reporters and commentators have sought precedents in American history, but Jill thinks nothing in American history has been like this.

Unlike right-movements in countries like Hungary and Turkey, the Trump project did not successfully co-opt the institutions of the state.

When Trump is out of office will it be easier for him to become a ‘martyr?’ 

Mentioned in this Episode:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen look at what's changed - and what hasn't - since we last spoke, from Brexit to Biden to Covid. Has the Brexit deal really given the UK a chance to do things differently? Do Democrat wins in the Georgia Senate races open up new possibilities for Biden? What is at stake in the politics of vaccination? Plus, we talk about where things now stand for the future of the Union.

*Recorded before the events in Washington on Wednesday *

Talking Points:

What can the UK do that it couldn’t do before Brexit? 

Northern Ireland and Scotland will both be key questions that we will talk about in greater depth this year.

Meanwhile, in the USA… the Democrats now have control of the Senate.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week David, Helen and our producer Catherine Carr look back at five years of podcasting and five years of crazy politics, to pick our favourite moments and to discuss what we've learned. From the 2015 general election to the current crisis, via the Corn Laws and Crashed, the politics of abortion and super forecasting, Corbyn and nuclear weapons. Plus, we'll let you know about some of our plans for 2021.

Episodes Mentioned in this Episode: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We look past Covid and Brexit to ask where the long-term opposition to Johnson's government is going to come from. Can Corbynism remain a force in British politics, even without Corbyn? Is there room for a challenge to the Conservatives from the right? Will climate politics drive street protest politics or can it help the Greens? Plus we consider whether Nicola Sturgeon is really the leader of the opposition. With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.

Talking Points:

Corbynist energy levels are low these days.

When Starmer ran for leader, he essentially offered Corbynism without Corbyn.

Will the Green Party benefit from these developments?

If Johnson is really committed to greener politics, does that open space on the right?

What should Starmer do about Scotland?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

As we wait for a Brexit deal or no deal, we discuss what the next year might hold for French and Italian politics. What are Macron's prospects as he heads towards the next presidential election? Has Giorgia Meloni replaced Matteo Salvini as the leader of the Italian far right? And what chance of a return to political normalcy in either country? With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.

Talking Points: 

The Italian public is fed up with Brexit—there isn’t much public debate about it.

There are particular issues that affect different member states. The broader European unity is now being tested on certain key issues.

Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and the first to lockdown. The response created a sense of pride.

Macron also went in earlier on lockdown, and came out of lockdown earlier too. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We try to join the dots from the final days of the Brexit negotiations to the looming prospect of another referendum on Scottish independence. Can the government really risk a no-deal outcome? Will the SNP still hold a referendum if the courts say no? What will Labour do? Plus we ask how COVID politics intersects with the fate of the Union. With Helen Thompson, Anand Menon and Kenneth Armstrong.

Talking Points:

Will there be a Brexit deal?

The Union is in a more precarious position than it was before.

There is undeniably support for independence in opinion polls, but can the SNP offer a coherent independence project?

Brexit and Scotland are problems for Keir Starmer too.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week we talk about race and representation with Cathy Cohen of the GenForward Survey project based in Chicago. What do young Americans want from democratic politics? How do their priorities vary according to race and ethnicity? And can a Biden presidency deliver on the desire for real change? Plus we catch up with Jeevun Sandher and Michael Bankole of the Politics Jam podcast to explore a UK perspective on why young and minority voices find it so hard to be heard.

Talking Points:

We are seeing more racial and ethnic diversity in generations than ever before.

Does Biden have a problem with young people?

Young people broadly favor a more expansive state.

In both the UK and the US, young people haven’t been represented well by the political system.

Mentioned in this episode:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week a special edition from the Bristol Festival of Economics with Helen Thompson and Adam Tooze talking about what might follow the pandemic. From vaccines to changing patterns of employment, from action on climate to new tensions with China, we explore what the long-term effects of 2020 might be. Plus we discuss what options are open to a Biden administration: with the Georgia run-offs to come and the disease still spreading, how much wriggle room has he got?

Talking Points: 

Headlines about the COVID vaccines focus on effectiveness, but it’s also about supply chains, storage, and scale.

After the initial financial meltdown in March, in aggregate terms there was a share market recovery—one which was at odds with what was going on with people’s lives.

The Biden administration will be embroiled in crisis politics from Day 1.

The Biden Administration will make early moves on climate.

After the health crisis ends, some jobs might not come back.

There are imaginably worse pandemics than this one, and yet we have responded in an almost unimaginable way.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:

We talk to the historian Margaret MacMillan about the changing character of war, from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. Do we still understand the risks? Where are the conflicts of the future likely to break out? And how can we reconcile the terrible destructiveness of war with its capacity to bring about positive change? Plus we talk about why war produces so much great art.

Talking Points:

Is the way we commemorate war distancing us from the reality of it? 

War is terrible, yet so much of the innovation that we value seems intertwined with it.

If war is connected to innovation because it is so wasteful you cannot recreate those conditions.

Templates from the past don’t fully apply to the US-China relationship.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

Now that we have a result, David and Helen reflect on what the next four years might hold. What issues could define a Biden presidency? Has this election indicated a possible realignment of American politics? And is it enough to restore faith in democratic politics? If Trump is not how democracy ends, where does the real danger lie?

Talking Points:

Biden faces three big issues: China, climate, and COVID.

This was too close to be a realignment election. Both parties turned out their vote because they had oppositional energy.

A lot of the ‘Trump is how democracy ends story’ didn’t add up. How can American democracy have been so vulnerable, and yet so easily restored?   

Trump’s presidency did have serious geopolitical implications.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David, Helen and Gary convene on very little sleep to try to make sense of another extraordinary election. Though we still don't know who won, we do know that some things are going to get even harder for American democracy. What's the nightmare scenario: the loser refusing to lose, or the winner being unable to govern? Why did the pollsters get it wrong again? And what's likely to happen when the contest reaches the courts? Plus we ask if the American Constitution can cope with close elections any more.

Relevant Episodes:

From our Mini-Series:

Old Episodes on Trump:

A Broader Perspective on US Politics:

From the LRB

David talks to Roberto Foa about his recent report into young people's attitude to democracy around the world. Why are millennials so much less satisfied with democratic politics than older generations? Can populist politics do anything to alter that? And what does the generation divide tell us about changing attitudes to Trump? Plus we discuss the generational politics of climate change, education and wealth inequality. 

The report in full: https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/youth_and_satisfaction_with_democracy.pdf

A conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin about the new energy map of the world. What impact has the shale revolution had on global politics? Is China winning or losing the energy wars? And will the energy transition happen fast enough for climate change?

Daniel's book: www.waterstones.com/book/the-new-map/daniel-yergin/9780241472347

Helen on oil: play.acast.com/s/talkingpolitics/oil-

Helen and David talk about what four years of Trump - and of talking (and talking) about Trump - have meant for their thinking about America and about democratic politics. Is it possible to give a balanced picture of Trump's presidency? Have the last four years followed a pattern or has it just been chaos? What is the likely legacy of Trump's extraordinary level of global fame? Plus we discuss whether 2020 marks the beginning of the 'short' twenty-first century and what that means for Trump's place in it.

Talking Points:

Will historians see 2020 as the start of the ‘short’ 21st century?

Is American power in decline? 

The Republican party got what they wanted out of a Trump presidency, the courts.

Trump invokes huge depths of revulsion in many Americans. Trying to stand back and look at his presidency historically can seem like moral indifference.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

We talk to Peter Geoghegan of openDemocracy and Jennifer Cobbe of the Trust and Technology Initiative about Cambridge Analytica, money, power and what is and isn't corrupting our democracy. How easy is it to buy influence in British politics? Did Cambridge Analytica break the rules or show just how little difference the rules make anyway? Who has the power to take on Facebook? Plus we discuss why the British government's failure to handle the pandemic tells us a lot about the corrosive effects of cronyism.  https://www.petergeoghegan.com/books/

Talking Points:

The ICO report on Cambridge Analytica largely concluded that their tactics were not unusual.

The conversation about micro-targeting often centers on Cambridge Analytica, but we need to look at the structures that make these practices so easy and so potent.

The pandemic has made the tech giants unthinkably wealthy.

Governments are dependent on these technologies, as we all are.

Cronyism has been a prominent feature of the UK Government’s COVID response.

Does the system that needs reform have the capacity to generate the necessary reforms?

Mentioned in this Episode:

David talks to the historian Sarah Churchwell about how well America's political institutions have withstood the stress of the last four years. Have we seen the limits of presidential power or have we discovered how easy it is to trash those limits? Are constitutional checks and balances still intact? Is it really Mitch McConnell who is putting American democracy under stress? Plus we talk about what will be needed to restore the social contract and the perils of political humility.

Talking Points:

Many of the founding institutions in political life have been put under stress during the Trump administration. 

The power of the U.S. executive has been growing, certainly since 9/11.

Because congressional Republicans have sanctioned his behaviour, Trump has not been as constrained as he might have been.

We focus on Trump, but the lasting legacy of the Trump presidency may be elsewhere.

Trump has not been able to totalize authoritarian control. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

This week we come back to Brexit and ask whether Boris Johnson has a good way out of the current negotiations with the EU over a trade deal. First we talk with Kenneth Armstrong, Professor of European Law, about the thinking and the reality behind the government's Internal Market Bill. Then David, Helen and Chris Brooke explore the politics of success and failure in the negotiations. Can the Union survive? Does the government have a coherent strategy? And how much trouble is Johnson really in?

Talking Points:

Is the Internal Market Bill just a negotiating tactic, or is it a genuine safeguard for a future world in which there is no trade deal? 

The EU has launched infringement proceedings against the UK. 

The ultimate obstacles to a deal are existential: the UK wants to guarantee respect for its autonomy, so does the EU.

Johnson gave his conference speech and he barely mentioned Brexit.

The pandemic has made the politics of devolution even more complicated because it’s created a de facto English government, which is the UK parliament.

Is Johnson on his way out?

Mentioned in this Episode:

David talks to Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle about the historical precedents for US presidents losing office after a singleterm. It doesn't happen very often, but it could be about to happen again! Can Trump use the powers of incumbency to prevent it? Can Biden use Trump's growing chaos to seal his fate? Plus we talk about the fall-out from the first presidential debate and we ask how the politics of the Supreme Court might intersect with a contested election result.

Talking Points:

One-term presidents are rare in American history.

The Hoover and Carter cases came at turning points in presidential cycles.

In the Carter case, incumbency was perhaps a disadvantage. 

There’s never been a Supreme Court justice appointed and confirmed so quickly or so close to an election.

The debate may have been unedifying, but it clarified what was at stake.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

David and Helen talk to the philosopher Michael Sandel about the damage that the idea of rewarding people on merit has done to education, democracy and public life. Why is it wrong to try to match the best students to the best universities? What is credentialism and how has it warped the way work is rewarded? Whatever happened to the idea of the common good? Plus we discuss America's sense of itself as God's chosen nation in the age of Obama and Trump.

Talking Points:

Places like Stanford and Harvard have more than 40,000 applicants for 2,000 places. Most of these applicants are qualified.

For decades, we have been told that the solution to inequality is individual upward mobility through higher education.

What kind of jobs has the shift towards credentialism encouraged?

The money people make, or the recognition they receive, is not a measure of their contribution to the common good.

There has been a structural, material transformation in Western economies since the 1980s that has gone hand and hand with the rise of credentialism and financialisation.

What happened to the nation as a source of identity and belonging?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

David talks to the American historian Jill Lepore about the damage new technology can do to democracy, from the 1960s to the present. Who first tried to manipulate the minds of the electorate? Where did the money come from? What happened when the same technology was applied to fighting the Vietnam War? Plus we discuss US presidential elections from 1960 to 2020: do the machines really decide who is going to win, and if he does win this time, what might Joe Biden be able to do about it?

Talking Points

The Simulmatics Corporation was one of the first data analytics companies founded in 1959.

Advertising was basically invented to defend corporations against muckraking journalists.

Was the Simulmatics Corporation for real?

There’s a big gap between how we understand politics should work in the physical world and the mysteriousness and anarchy of the digital world.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

This week we talk about the politics of incompetence: when does it matter and when can politicians get away with it. Have repeated u-turns during the pandemic damaged the government? Has Nicola Sturgeon had a better crisis than Boris Johnson or is it just competence theatre? Is the government's incompetence going to be enough to get Keir Starmer into Downing Street? With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton.

Talking Points:

Competence: does it matter? 

The important context for u-turns in British politics is Margaret Thatcher’s 1980 speech to the Conservative Party Conference.

The internal market bill is being published and it will apparently renege on some aspects of the withdrawal act.

COVID has revealed big differences between Westminster and the devolved governments.

Can Starmer use competence as a lever? Can you win power through competence?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

David talks to economist and author Noreena Hertz about loneliness and its impact on all our lives. How does the experience of loneliness shape contemporary democracy? What kind of politics could make us feel more connected? Can technology bring us together or is it driving us further apart? Plus we discuss the consequences of the pandemic for the future of work and the possibility of building a better world.

Loneliness has been rising among young people over recent years: 3 in 5 18-34 year olds feel lonely often or sometimes; nearly a half of 10-15 year olds.

Loneliness is political as well as personal, social as well as economic.

What solutions do politicians provide for solidarity?

Democracy produces certain kinds of visibility and excludes others. What would it look like to be more open to the lonely?

If loneliness is the problem, and human beings are increasingly socially inept, the machines might step in.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We revisit our interview with the economist Thomas Piketty recorded the week Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency and David and Helen ask what we have learned since. Where does Macron fit on the left/right political spectrum? What has his cult of personality done to French politics? And are we anywhere nearer knowing how to tackle the problem of inequality? The last in our series of updates from the Talking Politics archive.

Show Notes:

Why isn’t inequality having a more primary effect on our politics? 

Piketty’s research shows that nothing is pre-ordained, but it often takes a crisis to reorient politics.

Macron relatively quickly became a politician of the centre-right.

Macron’s rise blew apart the French party system. 

The larger story about economic choices, especially macroeconomic choices, being taken out of the hands of democratic politics took a particular shape in France.

Has COVID moved Europe any closer to answering questions about what engenders solidarity?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

This week we look at the big changes in European politics during the crisis and ask who has managed to turn it around. Is Italy now a model for crisis management? Has there been a reorientation in German politics under Merkel? Can the EU rescue fund really rescue the European project? Plus we discuss the long-term implications of big state politics for the future of Europe. With Helen Thompson, Lucia Rubinelli and Hans Kundnani.

Talking Points:

Over the summer, life—including political life—in Italy resumed some normalcy.

Salvini’s comeback has slowed down. 

Italy has stabilized the situation domestically by excluding those who are most radical about the euro and by getting ECB and wider EU external support for Italy’s debt.

During the negotiations in March, Conte was hard on the EU. But once it was negotiated, the tone switched completely. 

There is too much focus on Merkel. 

In both Italy and Germany, there appears to be a doubling down on grand coalition politics.

There is a danger that the EU constrains countries from making the kind of shift toward state intervention that European governments currently want to make due to COVID.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

This week two conversations with the feminist theorist and writer Judith Butler: one recorded the week Trump won the presidency in 2016 and one recorded a few days ago, as his presidency (just maybe) approaches its end. We reflect on what has changed over the last four years, what has stayed the same, and whether our worst fears were realised. Plus Judith tells us what she sees when she sees Biden and what she hopes might come next. Two linked conversations about misogyny, racism, representation, empowerment, hope, rage, and the damage one man can do to democracy.

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

This week David and Helen talk with the historian David Kynaston about his diary of the 2016-17 season in football and in politics, when a lot happened both to the world and to his beloved Aldershot FC. It's a conversation about loyalty, identity and belonging, and about what sorts of change we can tolerate and what we can't. Plus Helen reflects on her life as a West Ham fan.

Talking Points:

For David Kynaston, football is about identity.

Football in Britain has derived a lot of meaning from the relationship between club and place.

For David Kynaston, football is rooted in place; politics is not.

What is the relationship between the planning period of the 50s and 60s and Brexit voters?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk with Diane Coyle about what the pandemic has revealed about the changing nature of work. Who is doing more of it? Who is still getting paid for it? Which jobs are not coming back? Plus we explore the impact of the digital revolution on how we get rewarded for what we do and we ask whether the big tech firms can continue to hoover up so many of the rewards. Is Jeff Bezos really worth it?

Talking Points: 

Since the post-war era, unpaid work in the home doesn’t get measured in formal economic statistics.

The pandemic has exacerbated existing social patterns and trends.

Official economic statistics are analytical and statistical constructs. 

The financial market economy today bears little relationship to the real productive economy.

What has the pandemic done to people’s economic psychology?

Information technologies have become part of our fundamental economic infrastructure and often these markets are dominated by only one corporation.

There may still be a shock coming, especially when the furlough scheme winds down.

Will the pandemic take us back to an earlier version of the digital economy? Will we go back to living further apart? 

Mentioned in this Episode: 

This week we go back to the first ever interview we recorded for Talking Politics, when David talked to Yuval Noah Harari in 2016 about his book Homo Deus. That conversation touched on many of the themes that we've kept coming back to in the four years since: the power of the big technology companies; the vulnerability of democracy; the deep uncertainty we all feel about the future. David reflects on what difference those four years have made to how we think about these questions now.

Talking Points:

In Homo Deus, Harari distinguishes between intelligence and consciousness.

Artificial intelligence could create a new class—the useless class.

The idea of the individual is that you have an indivisible inner core and your task as an individual is to get away from outside forces and get in touch with your true, authentic self.

In a long-tail world, everyone has a little bit—there’s lots of tailored, personal politics—but there’s also a huge concentration of power and wealth.

In the four years since this interview, machine intelligence hasn’t hugely advanced.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

David talks to the writer Anne Applebaum about her highly personal new book, which charts the last twenty years of broken friendships and democratic failure. We start in Poland with the story of what happened to the high hopes for Polish democracy, including what we've learned from this week's presidential election. But we also take in Trump and Brexit, Hungary and Spain. What explains the prevalence of

conspiracy theories in contemporary politics? Why are so many conservatives drawn to the politics of despair? Is history really circular? And is democracy doomed?

Talking Points:

Yesterday, Poland’s incumbent president Andrzej Duda narrowly won re-election.

The new illiberal way of thinking is not a totalizing ideology.

When elections become about ‘who is really Polish,’ whoever wins gains a sense of legitimacy in excluding and discriminating against the ‘others.’

How did Brexit bring together figures like Johnson, Scruton, and Cummings?

In places with a shorter modern democratic history like Greece and Spain, democracy has proved surprisingly robust. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

David talks with Helen to get her take on the history of ideas - both what's there and what's missing. Why start with Hobbes? What can we learn from the Federalist Papers? Where's Nietzsche? Plus we talk about whether understanding where political ideas come from is

liberating or limiting and we ask how many of them were just rationalisations for power.

Talking Points: 

Should we start the story of modern politics with Hobbes?

Who has the authority to decide is a fundamental question in politics.

Constant says that the worst thing that can happen isn’t civil war; it’s the tyranny of the state.

From the French revolution onwards, nationalism became the dominant idea by which the authority of states was justified to those over whom it exercised power.

The idea of federalism as enshrined in the US constitution is also important: Hobbes did not think sovereignty could be divided.

Nietzsche forces a reckoning with the religion question.

What do ideas explain about human motivation in politics, and to what extent are they rationalizations of other motives?

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

David talks to the writer James Meek about what the Covid crisis has revealed about how we understand healthcare and how we think about the organisations tasked with delivering it. A conversation about hospitals and community care, about Trump's America and Johnson's Britain, and about WHO and NHS. James's writing on these themes is available on the LRB website https://www.lrb.co.uk/

Amy Maxmen on Ebola, Covid and the WHO

https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/243-ebola-covid-and-the-who

We have passed the deadline for any extension to the Brexit trade negotiations - now it's 31 December or bust. We catch up with three of our resident experts to explore what this means, what the chances are of getting a deal and where the sticking points might be. Plus we asses the impact of the Covid crisis on the fate of Brexit and its implications for what might happen later this year. With Anand Menon,

Catherine Barnard and Helen Thompson.

Talking Points: 

The formal legal position is that it’s not possible to seek an extension of the Brexit transition period.

A second COVID spike in the autumn could make no deal more likely.

The UK doesn’t have a constitutional regime that protects things like workers rights and environmental standards in the way that treaty law effectively does in the EU.

The Johnson government is not prepared to accept the EU’s argument about it’s economic sphere of influence.

The German constitutional court decision was a blow to the ECB and ECJ.

Couching the debate as deal vs. no deal instead of good deal vs. bad deal may give the Johnson government some wiggle room.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

In this extra episode David talks to Thant Myint-U about the fraught recent history of Burma (Myanmar) and asks what it can teach us about twenty-first century politics. Why did the West have so many illusions about Aung San Suu Kyi? Can democracy really rescue the country? What model of development might work in the age of Covid and climate change? A wide-ranging conversation about the forces shaping our world.

Thant's website:https://www.thantmyintu.com/

Thant's book:https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781786497871

We talk with the writer and political commentator Fintan O'Toole about how British politics can and should deal with its imperial past in the age of Brexit. From battles over statues to fights over nationalism we explore whether history has become the new democratic divide. Why does Churchill loom so large over our politics? Can Labour reclaim the mantle of patriotism? Will the Union survive the history wars? Plus we ask whether there has been a generational shift in attitudes to race and identity. With Helen Thompson.

Talking Points: 

Debates over statues and monuments are really more about the present than the past.

Is it possible to have a serious political argument about Churchill’s legacy anymore?

How do you articulate a sense of British patriotism when the state is in decline and the history it’s wrapped up in is often disgraceful? 

Over the last 10 years, two different consensuses have broken down, and these interact with each other quite lethally. 

Nationalisms always want to purify themselves into victimhood.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk with historian Sarah Churchwell about the origins, uses and abuses of the idea of American fascism. Where does American fascism come from? Does it follow a European model or is it something exceptional? What role do white supremacy and anti-Semitism play in its development? How close has it got to power? Plus we ask the big question for now: Does it make sense to call Trump a fascist?

Talking Points: 

Trump’s decision to hold a rally in Tulsa on 19 June is an act of clear provocation to African Americans, especially at this moment. 

Is fascism the right word for what has happened—and is happening in America? 

Fascism is ultra-nationalism. It has to be different in every country: it’s highly situational, highly historicized. 

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

We talk to Adom Getachew, Jasson Perez and Gary Gerstle about the politics of protest and the politics of policing in America. What does 'Defund the Police' mean in practice? Is the current crisis likely to empower or curtail the surveillance state? How are the current protests different from ones we've seen in the past? And where Minneapolis leads, will the world follow? Plus we talk about the implications of the protests for the November elections.

Talking Points:

The ‘defund the police’ movement has gained a lot of ground in the last few weeks.

We associate the last 30 years with state shrinkage, neoliberalism, and disinvestment from public goods, especially education, but there has been an ongoing increase in police spending.

There are two things going on: historically recognizable violence, but also the risk that this movement empowers the move toward technological forms of violence. 

The American federal system is set up to stymie change, so moments like this are rare but important.

Are there any useful historical analogies?

Trump is an incumbent and this happened on his watch. That’s different from the 1968/Nixon story.

Mentioned in this Episode:

In an extra episode, we're back with last week's guest Jonathan Shainin, Head of Opinion at the Guardian, so he can talk us through the big blow-up at the NYT. What has it taught us about about the new battlegrounds in newspaper opinion? Where does power now lie in newspaper offices? And where does Jonathan draw the line between what can and can't be published? In our next episode, voices on the ground in the US.

Further Reading:

The Tom Cotton Op-Ed from the New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/opinion/tom-cotton-protests-military.html

Michelle Goldberg in the NYT

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/opinion/tom-cotton-op-ed-new-york-times.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Tom Cotton Op-Ed under review:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/business/new-york-times-op-ed-cotton.html

The creation of the NYT "op-ed" page, which was launched in 1970

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1001&context=cmj_facpub

The history of the "objectivity norm" in American journalism

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/146488490100200201

David talks to comedian and host of the Political Party podcast Matt Forde about his lockdown experiences and about his life with the Labour party: before, during and after the Corbyn years. Plus we discuss the ways in which political allegiances are (and aren't) like supporting a football team.

https://www.mattforde.com/

https://planetradio.co.uk/absolute-radio/presenters/matt-forde/

David and Helen talk with Jonathan Shainin, Head of Opinion at the Guardian newspaper, about the challenges of political journalism in a deeply polarised age. Is it possible to hold the line between news and comment? Are the arguments about Covid a rerun of Brexit? What can scientists and historians add to political analysis? Plus we discuss how American journalism has changed the way it talks about race and violence and what that means for the current moment.

Talking Points: 

The heightened state of political opinion writing around Brexit seems to have dissipated.

Is there a distinction between emotional and analytical opinion pieces?

One thing John set out to do is to reduce the frequency of opinion pieces.

Analytical pieces aim for a different kind of persuasion.

The classical model of how the facts, the news, and the demos interact is now outdated.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

David and Helen talk to the historian Dan Snow about the parallels for the current crisis. Is it like past pandemics or is it more like a war? What has it exposed about the weak spots in our societies? And what have we learned about the role of political leadership? Plus we explore the value of Churchill comparisons on the 80th anniversary of his great WWII speeches and we dip our toes into the Cummings affair.

Talking Points: 

Lockdown, quarantine, social distancing have been borrowed from the past.

Perhaps the better comparisons are the forgotten ones: 1957 and 1968.

This event has exacerbated existing faultlines, but also, things that we’ve assumed were facts of life have been completely halted.

Are future historians more likely to see this as an economic crisis than as a health crisis?

Are we now health-fiscal states? 

Johnson is trapped between what the pandemic looks like it requires with regards to Cummings and his government’s ability to deal with Brexit.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

David talks to the writer Annie Zaidi, winner of the Nine Dots Prize, about her remarkable memoir of life in India and the search for identity. It's s story of conflict, migration, belonging and the idea of home. We also discuss what home means for Indians now the country is under lockdown and Annie tells us how life is in Mumbai.

*The sound is not great, we are sorry. It is nicer to listen through speakers than on headphones*

Further Reading and listening:

Annie Zaidi's book

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/bread-cement-cactus/75DCB40487D5CD8DCB772761555CF10C

Nine Dots Prize

https://ninedotsprize.org/

Annie Zaidi speaks to Qudsiya Ahmad, Head of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press India

http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/gallery/video/nine-dots-prize-winner-annie-zaidi-indian-society

Guardian article about the Indian migration caused by lock-down

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/19/my-angel-man-who-became-face-of-indias-stranded-helped-home-by-stranger-coronavirus

How does a judgement of the German constitutional court threaten to explode the European project? David talk to Helen Thompson, Adam Tooze and Shahin Vallee about what the court's decision might mean for the Euro, for the response to the pandemic, for Franco-German relations and for the future of central banks. Can the great European fudge continue? And what happens if it can't?

Plus a bonus chat with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd from the ‘Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast’ https://www.cheerfulpodcast.com/

The German Constitutional Court ruled that the ECB’s QE program is illegal. 

This raises three fundamental political questions: 

Monetary union rested on a sharp distinction between monetary policy, which was going to be a matter for the EU, and the rest of economic policy, where there was going to be no federal authority.

This is a very political judgment. 

Part of this judgment is about democratic control over otherwise unaccountable institutions.

Independent central banks were meant to reign in the inflationary tendencies of democratic governments. Now their primary role is to guard against the forces of deflation.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David is joined by Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke to try to get beyond the current crisis and work out where British politics is heading. How different is Starmer's political programme likely to be from Corbyn's? Can the Labour party become the party of the workers again? And is Brexit really going to happen without an extension and without a deal? Plus we explore the renewed influence of the trade unions and ask what it means for the political choices ahead.

Talking Points:

What kind of Labour Party is Keir Starmer looking to create?

Does moving back to being a workers’ party move you away from being a students’ party?

Issues about unions and workplaces go to the top of government policy at the moment.

The universal basic income question has emerged again.

Starmer is trying to move on from Brexit.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk this week with Amy Maxmen, senior reporter at Nature.  Amy has covered the Ebola epidemic in Western Africa and now COVID-19 in the US. Does she see comparisons between the two? What explains the failures of the US response? Can the WHO still make a difference? Plus we explore the implications of the growing politicisation of science. When did data become so divisive?

Talking Points:

There are significant parallels between what is happening now and epidemics such as ebola.

Politics made the ebola outbreak in DRC worse.

For Amy, the lack of tests and the failure to contact trace and quarantine made it clear that the U.S. response would be much worse than she had feared.

There’s a lot to be said for supply chain management right now.

The WHO is now getting politicized, but they still have the most experience at coordinating things like this at a global level.

If you need people to stay home; you need to be sure that you can support them.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning:

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

We talk with David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, about the impact of the pandemic on the world's poorest countries. What happens in places where social distancing is not possible? Plus we discuss the long-term implications of the crisis for the future global co-operation and global conflict. Is this the moment for social democracy? More details of the work of the IRC can be found here: https://www.rescue-uk.org/

Talking Points: 

By fluke or demography, the virus has not hit places such as the Middle East or sub-Saharan Africa yet in full force.

There are parts of the world where social distancing is impossible.

Right now, there is more myopia than global thinking.

The politics of the WHO are part of its problem.

Right now America is a flagship for dysfunction.

New inequalities in the service economy have been brought to the surface.

Mentioned in this Episode: 

Further Learning: 

And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:lrb.co.uk/talking

Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) is one of the most remarkable books in the history of ideas. A classic of early feminism, it uses what’s wrong with the relationship between men and women to illustrate what’s gone wrong with politics. It’s a story of lust and power, education and revolution. David explores how Wollstonecraft’s radical challenge to the basic ideas of modern politics continues to resonate today.

To get all 12 talks - please subscribe to the new podcast - Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS. https://tinyurl.com/ybypzokq

Free online version of the text:

Recommended version to purchase: 

Going Deeper:

Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan (1651) reimagined how we could do politics. It redefined many of the ideas that continue to shape modern politics: representation, sovereignty, the state. But in Leviathan these ideas have a strange and puzzling power. David explores what Hobbes was trying to achieve and how a vision of politics that came out of the English civil war, can still illuminate the world we live in.

To get all 12 talks - please subscribe to the new podcast - Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS. https://tinyurl.com/ybypzokq

Free online version of the text:

Recommended version to purchase: 

Going Deeper: