2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner, widely celebrated as Britain's greatest landscape painter. 

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The untold story of Picasso's muses

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Yet, beyond the familiar image of the "painter of light", Turner was a complex figure whose radical art often baffled his contemporaries.

Tom Gatti meets the New Statesman’s art critic, Michael Prodger, to explore why Turner still matters – and how themes in his work like the power of nature, the impact of technology, and national identity resonate profoundly today. 

READ: The second birth of JMW Turner, by Michael Prodger

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/art-design/2025/04/the-second-birth-of-jmw-turner

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The team answer questions on the Green party's charisma issue, how Reform's power in local council could hurt their overall polling, and whether too many Lib Dems are vegan.

Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Ben Walker, Megan Kenyon, and George Eaton.

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Tom McTague, the incoming editor of the New Statesman, joins Andrew Marr to discuss Labour's rocky week following Reform's dramatic wins, the India and US trade deals, and also his vision for the future of the publication.

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The far right now makes up a third of terrorism convictions and a majority of referrals to the governments Prevent counter-radicalisation scheme

But what fuels the far-right and how influential are they becoming?

Harry Shukman, journalist and researcher at HOPE not hate, an anti-fascist organisation, went undercover with the British far right to find out how these groups operate, their plans for changing Britain, and the conversations that go on behind closed doors, far away from voters’ doorsteps.

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Tom Gatti meets authors Sarah Churchwell and Erica Wagner to discuss why The Great Gatsby is still relevant a century after it was published.

Considered by many to be the great American novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic tale of ambition, class and the American dream continues to resonate today.

Sarah Churchwell and Erica Wagner joined Tom Gatti at the Cambridge Literary Festival to offer fresh perspectives on a timeless classic.

Watch more from the Cambridge Literary Festival at https://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com/clf-player-watch-listen/

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Yesterday elections took place up and down the country, for councils, six mayoral contests, and a by-election. What we’re looking at today is a big win for Nigel Farage’s Reform - and a seismic shift in British politics.

Hannah Barnes is joined by senior data journalist Ben Walker and senior editor George Eaton.

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Overnight, Ukraine and the United States have signed a long-awaited minerals deal.

Hannah Barnes is joined by political editor Andrew Marr and international editor Megan Gibson to discuss what this means for Ukraine's security and the future of the conflict with Russia, and later in the episode the team look at Mark Carney's anti-Trump win in Canada and what this means for democracies around the world.

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In the short period which has elapsed since Donald Trump took office (again) in January, he has slashed public health funding, gone after education, attacked media freedom, and challenged the authority of the legal system of the courts.

Some of this seems outright reckless, but some of the actions taken by this Trump administration mirror the political trajectories of countries like Hungary, el Salvador, Turkey, and Russia. Countries where democracy has crumbled and autocracy has taken hold.

Katie Stallard is joined by Kim Lane Scheppele, a scholar of law and politics at Princeton University and Lucan Way, distinguished professor of democracy at the University of Toronto.

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The politics team answers listener questions on council tax, the voters ignored by Labour and the Tories, and the true value of billionaires.

Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe.

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After the purported 'Easter truce' fighting has resumed in Ukraine and Russia, meanwhile peace talks in the West have broken down with the US speaking to Russia separately.

Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr to discuss this week in UK politics, and later in the episode by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to look at Reform UK's surging popularity ahead of the local elections.

Read: Can Reform grow up?, Steve Reed: “Reform is a symptom of broken trust”

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