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As a heatwave sweeps across Europe, Ellen and Imaan are joined by sociologist Jens Beckert, the author of 'How We Sold Our Future: The Failure to Fight Climate Change'. 

He argues that the cultural, political and economic structures of capitalist modernity are themselves barriers to fighting the climate crisis. From profit maximisation to short term limits for politicians, is capitalist democracy ill-equipped to tackle climate change? 

He also discusses the philosophical roots of the problem, stemming from the Enlightenment, and suggests the idea of progress may actually be hindering us. 

Jens explores geopolitical inequality, the role of corporate power in blocking climate action, and whether renewables are really the answer. He offers a sobering analysis of the situation but also offers solutions, explaining why pragmatism is our best bet, and what we can do next.  

How We Sold Our Future: The Failure to Fight Climate Change is published by Polity.

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The UK has a maternal mental health support crisis. The leading cause of maternal deaths in the UK is mental health issues, including suicide, with maternal deaths from suicide having risen by seventy-four per cent in the last seven years alone.

How can we address this urgent need for improved support? Speaking to Prospect's Alona Ferber, Biogen's medical lead Teresa Shering, consultant adult and perinatal psychiatrist Dr Getrude Seneviratne OBE and Laura Kyrke-Smith MP examine the factors behind these alarming statistics and the practical changes that could help secure positive steps forward.

Hosted in partnership with and funded by Biogen UK & Ireland.

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What does the World Cup mean to you?

This year’s tournament has been highly political so far: as it began, one of the host nations was at war with one of the competitors and referees and staff have been banned from the United States.

This week, Philip and Ellen are joined by sports writer and sociologist David Goldblatt, the author of Injury Time: Football in a State of Emergency to discuss the stakes. With eye-watering ticket prices, is this a World Cup of the super-rich? And how much can Trump really make his mark on the tournament?

Plus, David makes his predictions—from the most underrated team to the biggest scandal.

To read David’s piece ‘How the world cup took over the planet’, click here or head to prospectmagazine.co.uk.

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The country feels stuck. But can Britain prosper again? On the Prospect podcast this week, Prospect editor Philip Collins is joined by Ravi Gurumurthy to discuss this question. 

Ravi is CEO of Nesta, which is a research foundation and “innovation agency”. He is a lead non-executive of the Department for Energy and Net Zero and sits on the board of NHS England. Writing in a personal capacity, he also penned the cover story in this month’s magazine (which you can read in full here.)

Phil and Ravi discuss what changes the current government could make to re-energise the country, and debate everything from housing to data. Can the UK get the energy for a transformation?

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Would you want to work with a robot? A new technological revolution is underway—but what that revolution looks like, and where it takes us, is still being determined.

This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Sarah O’Connor, award-winning reporter and associate editor at the Financial Times, whose new book We Are Not Machines charts how AI is shaping the workplace.

Sarah shares her experience working alongside robots in an Amazon warehouse in the midlands, visiting a Swedish mine, and learning from the controllers of driverless lorries. She examines the impacts of technology on workers and asks: what makes a bad relationship between a human and a machine—and what makes a good one?

She argues that machines will never be able to replace the rich talents of a human—and explains how we can actively shape the future of AI and its impact on us.

Sarah's book We Are Not Machines is published by Allen Lane. To read more on this topic, click here.

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From nurseries to nursing homes, private equity increasingly affects all of us.

This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist Hettie O’Brien, who investigates the rise of private equity in her book The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself.

Hettie traces the rise of private equity partnerships and their profound impact on our economy. She tells the story of how the buyout of railway arches resulted in rising rents and small local businesses being forced out in London.

She also discusses how it influences key services like healthcare and housing, often resulting in increased costs—as well as the shocking effects on outcomes, such as mortality rates in care homes.

Why are these firms shielded from accountability? And, as societal inequality widens, what reforms need to be made?

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Although the world seems full of war and conflict, love—of all kinds—is everywhere. This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Sally Hayden, award-winning journalist and author of This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World.

As a reporter, Sally has witnessed first-hand the consequences of human brutality, as well as moments of hope. She shares stories from across the globe, from Ukraine to Japan to Syria.

Having lived in Lebanon since 2024, she also discusses life under Israeli bombardment and the tragically mundane items she finds buried amongst the rubble.

In the modern age, is empathy under attack? And why does her book include a bank robbery as an example of love? Listen to find out.

To read Sally’s Beirut diary, click here or head to prospectmagazine.co.uk.

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It’s been a nightmare week for Keir Starmer. After devastating results for Labour in the 7th May elections, pressure has this week mounted on the prime minister to resign. He has said that he will stay, and that he wants to lead Labour into the next general election—but how long can he hang on, and what would it mean for Labour’s fortunes if he did?

Ellen and Alona are joined by veteran pollster and regular Prospect contributor Peter Kellner to discuss Starmer’s predicament, what a leadership challenge would look like, and whether any of the contenders could rally the support needed to oust the prime minister.

Visit prospectmagazine.co.uk to read all of Peter Kellner’s latest analysis, including his open letter to the next Labour leader: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/72547/an-open-letter-to-labours-next-prime-minister

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