Michael Crick is an Oxford-honed, long-haul chronicler of the Westminster circus. He’s run the whole gauntlet—from bare-knuckle TV newsrooms to writing biographies of colourful grandees, and chasing Cabinet Ministers down Whitehall.

Together, we explore how news got smarter (and sometimes not), why local papers are the canaries in the democratic coalmine, and how AI could blow it all apart.

With friends such as Robbie Gibb, what does Michael make of the latest BBC crisis? Are malign forces circling?

And as the biographer of Nigel Farage: why do voters like him, and why would governing by Reform—which already has form—be no laughing matter?

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Krugman is a Nobel laureate, economics sage, “deranged bum” according to President Trump, and a former New York Times heavyweight.

Together, we unravel Trump’s economic policy (does he have one?) and why he’s “not a Mussolini” when it comes to public transport.

We dissect the Trump era’s political theatre: Nazis in the Republican institutional structure, and a Putin/Orban-style bid for takeover. But is Trump following the right rule book? How’s the resistance faring? Will there be fair elections, or is “everything on the table as a possibility”?

We also explore the chill felt by academics, authoritarian shifts, the clout of oligarchs and think tanks, global echoes of populism, the decline of expertise in government—and, finally, why Paul left the New York Times.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Mills is a sociologist, senior lecturer at Aston University, and author of The BBC: The Myth of a Public Service Broadcaster.

Once “a communist in my early teens,” he now dissects how media and politics intertwine—how the national print press, 90% owned by three businesses, has the ability to shift stories to which “the BBC is kind of responsive,” and what happens when funding cuts “smash morale” in great institutions. And if there is a Farage government, will the BBC stand up to power?

We explore the changing media landscape—ownership, independence, and how we’ve ended up sandwiched between “unaccountable, patrician, well-meaning people at the BBC” and “odd characters in Silicon Valley and Washington.”

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cosmo Landesman is a mature journalist and cultural commentator and a "conscientious objector" to the heated political debates of our time.

We explore his experiences in Islington's media circles, his evolution from the bohemian 80s where "a canon of good taste" existed to today's polarised media environment, and his nuanced views on political debate, social media, and preferring dessert over discourse.

From his work with the Modern Review, keeping "debauchery away from Uncle Peter," to his current writing for the Spectator, we explore how political conversations have changed, the role of media in shaping public opinion, and whether it's possible to have "ghastly" friends.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jolyon Maugham KC, founder of the Good Law Project, is one of the UK’s most prominent—and provocative—legal campaigners. Jolyon reveals how, as a high-flying tax barrister, “I knew where the bodies were buried often, because it was my clients who had dug them in,” and why he traded big money for bigger causes. He explains the origins of the Good Law Project, his mission to fight the “decay in our public life,” and candidly addresses why “the right hates me.”

We delve into the mechanics of judicial review, the realities of modern culture wars, and the challenges of tackling misinformation, wealth inequality, and creeping authoritarianism. Jolyon also reflects on what he’s done since “waking up,” the controversies that follow him, and the future battles for justice in a rapidly changing political landscape.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Angus Hanton, author of Vassal State: How America Runs Britain, explains why his book emerged from one simple question: “How much of the UK is controlled by the Americans?” 

In seeking the answer, he uncovers shocking numbers that reveal the extent to which American capital, corporations, and influence permeate the UK economy and society. Remarkably, Hanton’s analysis anticipated the risks of a Trump presidency—making his warnings more urgent and relevant than ever considering recent events. 

We ask why does the British government seem unconcerned about who owns British industry? How was the British “national jumble sale” allowed to happen? While Americans may act like lions, Hanton insists the real question is how Britain, as the zookeeper, has allowed this situation to develop. His recommendations? There are three key actions needed to take back control. 

And what about the media? Is the BBC playing its proper role, or does it appear to lean too heavily toward an Atlanticist perspective?

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine Stewart is the investigative journalist who’s spent twenty years following the money, myths, and masterminds behind America’s new right — from Bible Belt Sunday schools to Silicon Valley boardrooms and shadowy donor networks that span continents. Her new book, Money, Lies and God, exposes the billionaires, strategists, and true believers who, she argues, are reshaping not just America, but democracy itself.

We talk about the rise of Christian nationalism — how “Caesar” Trump, “an imperfect ruler that God chose to enact his will,” ended up crowned by what Katherine calls “the angriest group of winners I’ve ever seen.” How did they pull it off?

What did “billions of dollars” capture? What was the master plan? What three things did Trump promise “over 1,000 pastors in New York City”? Why the push to target “children aged 4 to 14” - and what’s behind the “persecution narrative”?

We also peer into the mindset of the wealthy funders — those who, feeling they don’t quite deserve their fortunes still justify “squelching the voices of their critics.” 

Is this all just an American phenomenon? What is a $1.6 billion trust funding here in the UK?

And, finally — we talk fashion. Fancy a T-shirt with guns saying I’m going RINO hunting? But we’re not talking about the horned variety.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Martin Sorrell is the man who turned a plastics shell company, WPP, into the world’s biggest ad and marketing empire, snapping up the old Mad Men giants of Madison Avenue. By the time he left WPP in 2018, it was the world sector leader.

Transformed by the internet, is this now the “golden age” of a “trillion-dollar” advertising industry? Are the “nation state”-sized big tech companies to be regulated — and should we be more relaxed about them? After all are they just our modern-day equivalents of the Beaverbrooks and Murdochs?

And what of politics — which executive order was Martin “flummoxed by”? Are there signs of a successful midterm for Trump — and with democracy sliding, is a Trump dynasty emerging?

As AI and technology reshape everything, transforming labour markets and creating significant social disruption, Martin dissects how the world is fragmenting into a slow-growth environment — and which country he thinks is in “deep doo-doo”. What can be done? Is there scope for a Sorrell Foundation?

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gina Miller, the financial whiz and legal warrior who took on Brexit's biggest beasts. From challenging May and Johnson in court to facing death threats as a woman of colour, Miller unpacks the messy world of populist politics, tech bros, and the rise of snake oil salesmen. 

"What I'm going to say may sound very odd..." — and indeed it does. Gina calls for the return of one of those very 'snake oil salesmen'. She shares her frustrations of the Brexit campaign — "they just kept telling me I was overreacting" — the shocking personal abuse she endured from her cancer ward bed, as recently as a few months ago, and her journey from City activist to Cambridge Chancellor candidate.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

https://goodeggproductions.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Peter York’s Culture Wars House Party. This episode, I’m joined by Matthew d’Ancona—former Spectator editor, Guardian columnist, and early prophet of the post-truth age. He left The Spectator, as he puts it, “when the world was falling apart,” and when “politics suddenly became downstream from culture.”

We trace his career—and his defence of identity politics, along with the “big fat message” he believes liberalism needs to hear.

Then there’s the “dark, dark stuff”: mass deportation as blunt-force politics, culture wars by design, and the question hanging over the media—has it already crossed the line from reticence to irresponsibility? Should words like fascist be in the BBC’s vocabulary?

What happens to political parties when the pendulum no longer swings back? Matthew has thoughts – and a few warnings. 

And finally—we learn what he’d rather have been than a journalist.

Please do check out my latest book, A Dead Cat On Your Table – available online and in all good book shops.

@peteryork.bsky.social

LinkedIn: Peter York's Culture Wars House Party podcast

Good Egg Productions

https://goodeggproductions.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.