The New Statesman: politics, ideas and interviews

In a 2022 poll, a majority of Americans said they believe their government was corrupt and rigged, and more than a quarter believed it might soon be necessary to take up arms against it.

Conspiracy theories have ripped across America’s political landscape for decades, but in the last 10 years the divide between fact and fiction has become almost indistinguishable at times. So how did we get here?

Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by journalist and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse. 

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"A very dark speech, very serious, very closely argued, but there was passion there, but the passion was anger" - Andrew Marr reacts after Keir Starmer's speech at Labour party conference, the first Labour prime minister to do so in 15 years.

We also hear from David Blunkett, Wes Streeting MP, Baroness Taylor, and Henry Tufnell MP, on the key takeaways from the party's time in Liverpool.

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We're coming to you from Liverpool where Rachel Reeves has just delivered her keynote speech at this year's Labour Party Conference. There were lots of smiles in the Chancellor's speech as well as the commitment to the tough economic decisions that she has to make, but has she managed to turn the page on Labour's rough beginning in government?

Hannah Barnes hears from Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, and Andy Burnham, and after the break she speaks to the New Statesman's Nicholas Harris about his trip to the very first Reform conference in Birmingham.

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Labour Party Conference is just around the corner and the party needs to tell a story about the bigger picture for their time in government, but could this get lost amongst the smaller stories cropping up around free clothes and the chief of staff's pay?

Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and George Eaton, senior editor.

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Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us

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Conference season is underway and Ed Davey sat down with the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe to set out his party's ambitions to become the party of opposition.

We also hear from Wes Streeting and the political battle for NHS reform.

Hannah Barnes is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor.

Ed Davey: “The Conservatives are in our sights”

Wes Streeting: “I don’t want to be the fun police”

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Will Dunn meets the political pranksters who sent Liz Truss fleeing in rage.

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From films detailing Conservative hypocrisy projected on Parliament buildings, to remote-controlled lettuce banners unfurling over the head of the former Prime Minister, Led By Donkeys have been a regular fixture of political activism over the past decade.

Now with a Labour government in place after 14 years of Tory rule, will the group - with their predominantly progressive politics - change their approach?

The New Statesman's Will Dunn meets Led By Donkeys in this extended interview.

Led By Donkeys: Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability is published by Thames & Hudson and available now.

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Freddie Hayward rejoins the podcast in his new role as US correspondent to answer listener questions on the weird world of US politics. 

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He speaks to Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss how Keir Starmer’s commitment to “tough choices” compares with the Kamala Harris campaign, and how US election campaigns use the vast amounts of money they receive in donations.

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Read more: 

Robert F Kennedy Jr and the end of the party

https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/08/robert-f-kennedy-tulsi-gabbard

Kamala Harris wants to make America nice again

https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2024/08/cnn-interview-kamala-harris

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Submit a question:

We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus

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Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save

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“She’s done an awful lot of damage to morale,” says Andrew Marr.

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves secured a victory in Parliament for her proposed changes to the Winter Fuel allowance. 

But the move has divided the Labour party, angered voters, and possibly tarnished Keir Starmer’s authority. Is this a sign Rachel Reeves “is not very good at politics”? 

Andrew Marr and George Eaton join Hannah Barnes on this episode of the New Statesman podcast.

They also discuss Keir Starmer’s relationships with the trade unions following his speech at the TUC this week, and Freddie Hayward joins from the US to discuss the response to the Trump/Harris presidential debate.

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Read more: 

Rachel Reeves’ great gamble, by George Eaton

https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/09/rachel-reeves-great-gamble

Workers’ rights or growth: another tough choice for Labour, by Andrew Marr

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/09/workers-rights-or-growth-another-tough-choice-for-labour

Kamala Harris made Trump look like a loser, by Freddie Hayward

https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2024/09/kamala-harris-donald-trump-debate-loser

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Submit a question:

We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus

Become a New Statesman subscriber:

Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save

Sign up for our daily politics email

Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com

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“We cannot know what sort of human beings will emerge from this.”

Following Hamas’s deadly attack on 7 October 2023, Israel’s military response has been described as “inevitable”. Eleven months on, the scope and ferocity of that military response has stunned the world. 

In this episode of the podcast we speak to four of the writers who contributed to the New Statesman essay collection Losing Gaza.

Raja Shehadeh: “Palestinians are not treated as human beings deserving of human rights”

Ghada Karmi: “The physical damage of Israel’s assault is real enough. The mental trauma will be far worse” 

Raja Khalidi: “After the war, world leaders will need a new Marshall Plan for Palestine”

Mezna Qato: “Without our libraries and universities, how will we tell the story of Gaza?”

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The former Labour leader’s new coalition could be “a real force” in Parliament, says Andrew Marr.

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Jeremy Corbyn has formed a new “Independent Alliance” of MPs, united around opposition to the Gaza war. Answering a listener question on this “You Ask Us” episode, Andrew Marr says Corbyn could well attract more Labour MPs to his cause. This would make the Independent Alliance bigger than Reform UK, and could influence policy from the Left.

Andrew Marr joins Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe on this listener questions episode of the podcast. They also discuss Keir Starmer’s plans for UK-EU relations, and whether the Prime Minister will row back on some Brexit agreements. 

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Read more: 

Andrew Marr on Labour’s battle for Britain

https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/09/labours-battle-for-britain

Submit a question:

We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus

Become a New Statesman subscriber:

Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save

Sign up for our daily politics email

Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com

Watch the New Statesman podcast

Find all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman

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