Political anoraks in this country are fascinated by the extra pizzazz of American politics. Last week saw number of UK-based US experts skyrocket for the midterm elections. But who can you really trust on this stuff? And what was the real story in the results? Matthew Doyle is on hand to explain.

Meanwhile, Alison McGovern discusses the refugee crisis following her trip to Lebanon, where over a million displaced Syrians now live.

Further reading:

*Matthew Doyle: The politicians got it wrong – not the people

*A new world disorder – Mary Creagh on the new breed of strong men

*Volunteer for Refugee Action

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Conor Pope and Stephanie Lloyd discuss the overlooked good news from this week’s US elections, as well as what different responses to the budget tell us about Labour’s new approach.

Further reading:

*Afzal Khan on the boundary review

*Mary Creagh on strong men leaders

*Conor Pope on Labour’s budget response

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Is Labour losing its traditional support? If so, what can be done. Stephen Kinnock and Joe Jervis believe that what, ‘many people in Labour are failing to see is so many Communtarian values are traditional Labour values’. They explain the thinking outlined in their latest book Spirit of Britain, Purpose of Labour and the ‘six shifts’ the party needs!

Further reading:

*Download the Spirt of Britain, Pride of Labour here

*Britain is not only polarised, it is paralysed: in their new book, Stephen Kinnock MP and Joe Jervis provide a blueprint for how Labour can unite a deeply divided country by rediscovering our communitarian values

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Conor Pope and Alison McGovern look at what the budget really means, including universal credit, how austerity would end, and those controversial tax cuts.

Further reading:

*Budget preview – Alison McGovern’s 10 things to watch out for

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How should the Windrush scandal change the way we talk about immigration and citizenship? Has Donald Trump emboldened racism in the UK? And would a People’s Vote see a resurgence of the far right?

Conor Pope, Henna Shah and David Lammy discuss in this episode to mark Black History Month 2018.

Further reading:

*David Lammy: The economic and social grievances that led to Brexit were not caused by the EU

*We must stand up for migrants – the current conversation on integration works for nobody, argues Henna Shah

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Do young people see themselves as feminists – and do they have different attitudes to society as a whole? 100 years after the first women got the vote in Britain, what are the next big goals for fighting feminism? And what is the latest in the campaign to legalise abortion in Northern Ireland?

The Fawcett Society’s Doris Amankwaah talks to Alison McGovern, Stephanie Lloyd and Conor Pope.

Further reading:

*Without cues or exposure, the questions about the women who changed Britain never get asked, writes Jess Phillips MP

*Outdated abortion laws: BPAS’s Katherine O’Brien on Repeal to reform

*Support Future Fawcett

*Find out about the Fawcett Society’s Know Our Worth annual conference in November

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With Brexit talks being put off due to lack of progress, how many political solutions are there to the Brexit deadlock? Why was Angela Merkel so dumbfounded by Theresa May’s speech? And which politicians are the most likely to be chessmasters? Conor Pope and Joe Cox look at the big issues in politics this week.

Demand a say:

*Join the Labour bloc at the People’s Vote march in London on Saturday 20 October

Use your code:

*Ayesha Hazarika tour dates and tickets 

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Summer holiday hunger. The universal credit saga. Why do we see more people facing acute poverty and hunger, and what can we do to tackle it

Alison McGovern and Stephanie Lloyd are joined by Garry Lemon director of policy, external affairs and research at the Trussell Trust to discuss the reality of food poverty in Britain today.

Further reading:

*Financial insecurity, food insecurity, and disability report: the profile of people receiving emergency food assistant from the Trussell Trust Foodbank Network in Britain

*Get involved with the Trussell Trust

*Hunger Hurts – Jack Monroe

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The Conservatives have woken up to the problems around universal credit – but will they do anything about it? (No.) 

And a year on from when the #MeToo movement started, why does it seem as though the initial hope of a societal shift has fallen away? Conor Pope and Stephanie Lloyd discuss.

Further reading:

*Sign the petition to stop the universal credit rollout

*Women have been lulled into thinking things would get better after #MeToo – we were wrong

Listen again:

*Universal discredit: can they get it right? Progressive Britain episode two with Catherine McKinnell

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