The experimental novelist on finding God, being "a misfit" and her return to writing.

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Nicola Barker is "has broken the mould so many times it's almost beyond repair".

 She's a post-punk literary anarchist who writes from the peripheries of the UK.

Her experiments with narrative form have won her many plaudits, including the Goldsmith's Prize for literary fiction, which the New Statesman partners with.

Barker joins Tanjil Rashid on the New Statesman culture podcast to discuss her latest novel, Tony Interrupter: a comedy about art, virality, chaos, and the surprising impact of freak events in Kent.

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“⁠Do you think the English flag has been so easily co-opted by by the far right because there is no English government that is proudly flying the flag and building a better narrative around English national pride?”

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Harry Clarke-Ezzidio and George Eaton to answer listener quesitons.

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It was foreseen for months, as Israel cut off all aid, but this month the UN declared that more than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine.

By the end of September, more than 640 000 people will face Catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Leading to preventable deaths on a devastating scale.

For Humza Yousaf, the former First Minister of Scotland and SNP leader, the horrors facing the people of Gaza for the past two years are deeply personal. His wife Nadia has relatives in Gaza - the family has described the experience as a “living nightmare”.

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Last October, the government published the Employment Rights Bill, a slate of reforms set to change workers' rights in the UK - from banning “fire and rehire” tactics, to ending exploitative zero-hours contracts, to giving workers employment protection from day one.

The bill has passed through the Commons and is currently on its third reading in the House of Lords - the first changes are expected to be enacted in 2026.

But what does this bill really mean for workers, businesses, and the economy? And could there be unintended consequences that even its biggest supporters are worried about?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, one of the UK’s leading trade unions representing over 150,000 professionals across science, engineering, and technology.

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Ahead of this autumn’s budget there has been a reshuffle in Rachel Reeves’ treasury team. What’s at play? And what might it tell us about the trajectory of Britain’s finances?

Will Dunn, the New Statesman's business editor, is joined by George Eaton.

Read: Torsten Bell rises as Rachel Reeves reshuffles her team; Rachel Reeves will never get serious on tax

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Students across the UK have reported a dramatic rise in misogyny in their schools. The government has described this as being on an "epidemic scale". This is often connected to social media content targeted at young men and boys, but is there more to it?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by journalist James Bloodworth, author of Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere, to discuss.

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Due to Britain’s falling birth rates and the government’s desire for lower immigration levels, does the government have any plan to financially encourage and support couples to have children?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to answer listener questions.

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The Mayor of Manchester is the most popular choice to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

Keir Starmer is now less popular than Donald Trump.

Despite the Labour Party's historic election win just over one year ago, popularity ratings for leading Labour figures have plummeted.

Economic woes, crunching u-turns, unrest over Gaza and asylum hotel protests have left leading Labour figures looking to their next leadership battle.

George Eaton reports that Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have both been monitoring their popularity among party members. But there is one tantalising option who polling reveals as the public's preferred choice: Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

Could he be Britain's next Prime Minister?

George joins Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe on the New Statesman podcast.

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Host:

Anoosh Chakelian

Guests:

George Eaton

Rachel Cunliffe

Producer:

Catharine Hughes

Video Producer:

Rob Le Mare

Executive Producer:

Chris Stone

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Following last year’s riots, in the wake of the Southport murders, Elon Musk predicted civil war in the UK was “inevitable”. So far, however, no civil war…

Over the last century, people in British politics at times of turmoil have raised the prospect of civil war, repeatedly, in ways not unlike today. What did they fear, and why? And what might we learn from the fact that - each time - those fears remained unfounded?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by author and journalist Phil Tinline.

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Host: Anoosh Chakelian

Guest: Phil Tinline

Producer: Catharine Hughes

Video producer: Rob Le Mare

Executive Producer: Chris Stone

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Yesterday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington, flanked by seven European leaders, in order to meet with Donald Trump and push forward talks to end the war in Ukraine.

This came just three days after Trump’s carefully choreographed meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Could this be the beginning of the end for the drawn out conflict? And can Trump be trusted?

Megan Gibson is joined by Katie Stallard.

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Host: Megan Gibson

Guest: Katie Stallard

Producer: Catharine Hughes

Video producer: Rob Le Mare

Executive producer: Chris Stone

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