Is banning smoking outdoors good for our health or state overreach?

The Prime Minister has confirmed he's thinking about extending the indoor smoking ban to include outdoor areas restaurant terraces and pub gardens. This, in addition, to plans to progressively increase the age at which you can buy cigarettes so a whole generation never even starts smoking.

It's sparked a social media discussion on personal freedom, the nanny state and the removal of civil liberties. But others argued that it would improve health, help the NHS and de-normalise smoking.

Adam Fleming asks what does this reaction tell us about attitudes to public health, the collective wellness of a nation and the role of the individual within it?

GUESTS

There is one accent that is often rated as the most prestigious - Received Pronunciation. But what is RP and how did it come about?

Is it classist to stop Geordies using the term of endearment 'pet'? After the University of Newcastle sent out guidance to researchers advising they avoid using the word 'pet' as it might feel patronising or sexist to women, people took to social media to claim this was a classist move. It sparked a wider discussion about accents and class. Others claimed accents shouldn't be used as a marker of identity and that speaking with Received Pronunciation could be an equalising tool that could prevent prejudice. So what are the origins of RP and what does the data show about our perceptions of accents?

GUESTS:

What kind of online content could be considered 'extreme misogyny' and who's promoting it? Dr Joe Whittaker, lecturer in Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy at Swansea University has been researching the ‘manopshere’, where content that might be considered ‘extreme misogyny’ is published and shared. Much of this activity takes place in forums that promote the ‘incel’ ideology, made up of men who say they are involuntarily celibate and are unhappy about it.

Should some forms of misogyny be classed as extremism?

After the Government announced it would look at ‘extreme misogyny’ in a review of its counter-extremism strategy, a fierce row kicked off on social media.

Would creating a category of ‘extreme misogyny’ be a long-overdue move, or dangerous overreach that risks labelling young men and boys as radical?

We look at the kind of misogynist content the government might be worried about, what the law does and doesn’t say about extremism, and how the government’s de-radicalisation programme Prevent is already dealing with forms of misogyny.

Guests:

Dr Joe Whittaker, lecturer in Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy at Swansea University.

The so-called ‘Battle of Cable Street’ in 1936 is often held up by counter-protesters as a model of how to defeat fascism - but it failed to stop antisemitic violence and actually led to a recruitment boost for the British Union of Fascists.

Professor Nigel Copsey separates the history and the myth for us.

Are counter-protests important for sending a message or can they make confrontation or violence more likely? Is marching in the street a vital expression or is it the wrong place to tackle serious issues? After riots took place outside hotels housing refugees and migrants, counter-protests were swiftly assembled in cities around the UK. They were largely peaceful, but some counter-protesters were arrested and have been charged. Can having two competing sides up the ante and make violence and disorder more likely or is it important two groups of people can be seen to be disagreeing in public? Adam Fleming hears of the history of antifascist counter-protests through history and whether they were effective. He also hears about protest crowd psychology.

Guests:

Professor Nigel Copsey from the University of Teeside

The greenhouse gas emissions caused by meat, dairy, and plant-based alternatives.

Sarah Bridle, professor of food, climate, and society at the University of York, digests the data.

Should meat and dairy be taken off menus to help save the planet from climate change?

A university is accused of “going woke” after reports it is transitioning to 100% plant-based catering by 2027. Climate activists are calling on universities and other public bodies like councils to ditch animal food products to help tackle the climate crisis. But what did the university in question actually decide and how widespread is the shift to plant-based menus? What’s the evidence about the climate impact of meat and dairy versus vegan alternatives? And what is the best way to change people’s behaviour when it comes to what they eat?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

The term “Anglo-Saxon” has become controversial, but where does it come from?

As people argue online about whether the term is tainted by racism, history professor Joanna Story tells its origin story.