Independent Thinking

After a crisis week for Britain's ruling Labour Party, host Bronwen Maddox and Chatham House's Olivia Sullivan are joined by economist Professor Stephen Millard and pollster Joe Twyman to look at the foreign and domestic challenges facing the country just one year after Keir Starmer won a landslide election victory.

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Is China friend or foe to the UK? A government audit says: 'It's complicated'

Brazil's BRICS agenda may be hard to accomplish after the Iran–Israel war

The Middle East still fears Israel – and Iran

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Did US strikes cripple Iran's nuclear programme — or just set the stage for the next crisis? Bronwen Maddox hosts from Jordan, joined by international security expert Marion Messmer and Middle East associate fellow Lina Khatib in London, to examine the claims and counter-claims and what it means for the region's fragile balance of power.

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US strikes on Iran: What next for Iran, Israel and President Trump?

For NATO's collective defence, Europe must lead on data sharing

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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Following Israel's strikes on Iran on 13 June, and the subsequent sequence of retaliation and counter retaliation, fears are rising that the conflict could escalate. In this special episode of Independent Thinking (an edited version of a live webinar) Galip Dalay joins a panel of experts to discuss strategic goals, the responses of the key regional and international actors, including the Gulf states and the US, and what if any viable diplomatic or military off-ramps exist to prevent a broader regional war.

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Trump must take control as Israel–Iran war threatens to escalate

Iran–Israel conflict: Iran has run out of good options

It's time to rethink the G7

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Summer issue of The World Today

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Is Britain chasing faded glory or forging a credible future? As the government lays out its latest spending review, Bronwen Maddox is joined by Jeremy Hunt and Samir Puri to ask whether bold talk of growth, defence and science hides a deeper strategic drift – or a real path back to global influence.

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Europe could win the battle for the future of digital money

History suggests Trump's snapped back sanctions won't deliver change in Venezuela

Why peacebuilding fails and what to do about it

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Summer issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

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Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Drones, AI, cyber warfare and nuclear weapons are a key part of the UK's new Strategic Defence Review, along with conventional weapons. Chatham House experts unpack the strategy, spending pledges and how Britain should adapt its military to deal with Putin, China, and Donald Trump.

Bronwen Maddox is joined by Chatham House experts Grace Cassy, Marion Messmer and Olivia O'Sullivan to unpack the strategy, spending pledges, and the UK's place in a rapidly shifting global security landscape.

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The SDR presents an opportunity for the UK to become a leader in space – if it is followed by urgent investment

The UK Strategic Defence Review draws the right lessons from Ukraine – but still relies on continued US commitment

I was part of the team behind the UK Strategic Defence Review: Here is what shaped our thinking

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Executive producer - John Pollock. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

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As Gaza reels from staggering humanitarian devastation, Bronwen Maddox speaks with Yossi Mekelberg, Stephen Farrell, and Julie Norman to unpack the political drivers of Israel's war, the role of Donald Trump, and the region's competing visions for Gaza's future. From internal power struggles to shifting U.S. policy and Arab diplomatic proposals, this episode asks: what future is even possible for Gaza now?

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Gaza: War, hunger and politics

The dissolution of the PKK could transform Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy

Escalating conflict in Tripoli exposes the realities of false stability – and international neglect in Libya

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

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Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Nine years after the Brexit vote, a new UK–EU deal promises smoother trade and deeper cooperation — but is it the end of the Brexit saga or just another chapter? Bronwen Maddox digs into what the deal really means with Rod Liddle and Nicolai von Ondarza, from political fallout to Britain's shifting role on the world stage.

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The dissolution of the PKK could transform Turkey's domestic politics and foreign policy

The Pandemic Agreement may weaken, rather than strengthen multilateralism

Escalating conflict in Tripoli exposes the realities of false stability – and international neglect in Libya

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

As trade tensions, security concerns, and diplomatic crossroads converge, the UK's bid for economic growth faces hard choices on the global stage. In this episode host Bronwen Maddox explores the UK's complex balancing act between the EU, US, and China with guests Janka Oertel and Sir Martin Donnelly.

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The UK–EU summit will bring some progress on defence cooperation. But more could be done on aid and trade

Trump's Gulf tour exposes Netanyahu's increasingly isolated position on Gaza

The UK government should prioritize linking carbon markets at the UK–EU summit

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

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Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have surged following a deadly attack in Kashmir and air strikes by India inside Pakistan. With nuclear risks, regional diplomacy, and rising domestic pressures in play, what could prevent this crisis from spiralling further?

In this episode, Bronwen Maddox discusses what this means for South Asia and the world with Marion Messmer, a senior research fellow with our International Security Programme; Chietigj Bajpaee, the senior research fellow for South Asia with our Asia-Pacific Programme; and Stephen Farrell, our head of News and Comment.

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After India's missile strikes on Pakistan, the risk of accidental escalation is high

India–UK free trade agreement signals deepening bilateral relations

Urgent mediation to save the Indus Waters Treaty could be a route to de-escalation between India and Pakistan

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. Executive producer - John Pollock. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

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Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

As Donald Trump floats a controversial peace deal that could leave Ukraine facing territorial losses and NATO exclusion, Kyiv is forced to weigh an impossible choice between sovereignty and survival.

Bronwen Maddox speaks with Orysia Lutsevych from Chatham House and Matthew Savill from RUSI about battlefield fatigue, shifting alliances, and the future of European security.

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Trump's 100 days have been like no other

The Kashmir attack will renew hostilities between India and Pakistan

Merz and Macron can restart Europe's Franco–German engine

Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Amanda Nunn. 'Independent Thinking' is an Indio Media production for Chatham House.

Read the Spring issue of The World Today

Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧

Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧

Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.