In many ways neoliberalism is an extreme ideology, much like fascism and communism, but we very rarely recognise it as such. It hides behind the free-market, deregulation and privatisation, but in reality it’s quietly increasing isolation, inequality, poverty, disease and environmental threat.

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Peter Beresford, author of ‘The Antidote: How People-Powered Movements Can Renew Politics, Policy and Practice’, about the problem neoliberalism poses, both in politics and in our everyday lives.

They discuss how neoliberalism has undermined democracy, the power of new social movements, and what can be done to create a better society for everyone.

Peter Beresford OBE is Visiting Professor at the University of East Anglia and Co-Chair of Shaping Our Lives, the national disabled people’s organisation.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-antidote

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/09/01/podcast-from-faultlines-to-frontlines-neoliberalism-vs-people-powered-movements/

Timestamps:

2:03 - What is neoliberalism, what make it extreme and how has it clung on for so long?

5:06 - How was neoliberalism first sold to us?

8:13 - How does neoliberalism affect our day-to-day lives?

9:15 - How is the murder of Sarah Everard connected to neoliberalism?

18:50 - How did neoliberalism affect COVID-19 responses, and what policies went unscrutinised during the pandemic?

24:26 - What are new social movements and what are they doing differently?

34:46 - How has neoliberalism shaped digital space, particularly social media?

41:14 - How is neoliberalism related to slavery and white privilege?

43:53 - Is left-wing populism a danger?

47:16 - Why do we need radical changes, and what should these changes be?

53:35 - What actions can we, individually, take to move away from neoliberalism?

Intro music:

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Despite claims that we now live in a post-racial society, race continues to disadvantage those from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Kalwant Bhopal, author of the second edition of ‘White Privilege: The myth of a post-racial society’, about why those from black and minority ethnic communities continue to be marginalised.

They discuss the backlash against the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the way conversations about race always get sidelined for other elements of the EDI umbrella, and why we must continue to have hope.

Kalwant Bhopal is Professor of Education and Social Justice and Director of the Centre for Research on Race and Education at the University of Birmingham.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/white-privilege-1

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/07/22/podcast-has-racism-really-changed-from-black-lives-matter-to-edi-backlash-and-beyond/

Timestamps:

01:31 - Could you explain the hope that was sparked in 2020 and how it was lost?

08:13 - Is this diluting of the narrative conscious?

13:59 - What are the unearned assets that white privilege provides?

18:25 - What is the relationship between Prevent and racism in schools?

21:34 - Has EDI become a hollow buzzword, and how does it perpetuate white privilege?

26:31 - How did Donald Trump use his whiteness to achieve re-election?

31:59 - Why was the experience of COVID-19 so different for black and minority ethnic groups?

38:56 - What can we do to work towards genuine, positive change?

Intro music:

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The welfare state is often talked about as a universal safety net, a system designed to catch anyone who falls. But does that image really capture how different countries understand and organise welfare around the world?

In this episode, George Miller talks to Professor Paul Spicker, author of What Is the Welfare State For?, about some of the historical roots, moral foundations, and practical workings of different welfare systems. Drawing on examples ranging from 16th-century Flanders to modern-day India, Paul explores the tension between ideal models and on-the-ground realities – and explains why the British case is far from typical.

The conversation touches on cash assistance, healthcare, solidarity, new technology and the role of the private sector – offering insight into what the welfare state is, what it does, and who it’s really for.

Paul Spicker is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen and a writer and commentator on social policy.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-the-welfare-state-for

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/07/01/podcast-safety-net-or-patchwork-quilt-getting-to-grips-with-the-welfare-state/

Timestamps:

00:56 - Can you take us back to the mid-70s and introduce us to who you were then?

06:48 - What is the problem with the 'ideal' welfare state?

08:17 - How do you define something as nebulous as the welfare state?

13:31 - Can you tell us about Ypres in Belgium in the 1530s?

24:14 - Why is the welfare state always couched in moral terms?

26:40 - To what extent are those debates healthy and inevitable? 

33:30 - Are worries about welfare cuts misplaced?

40:39 - Is the private sector part of the solution or is it actually part of the problem?

43:34 - Is there anything that you've fundamentally changed your mind on since the mid-70s? 

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As basic income trials take place around the world, the idea can no longer be dismissed as purely utopian. But can it truly reshape economies and societies?

In this episode, Richard Kemp talks with Howard Reed and Elliott Johnson, two of the co-authors of Basic Income: The Policy That Changes Everything, about the reality of basic income. 

They explore various models of implementation, how such a system could be funded, how it differs from the current welfare framework, and the potential for basic income to create transformative change across society.

Howard Reed is Senior Research Fellow in Public Policy at Northumbria University and Director of Landman Economics. Elliott Johnson is Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow in Public Policy at Northumbria University.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/basic-income

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/06/10/podcast-is-basic-income-the-answer-to-our-age-of-crisis/

Timestamps:

01:34 - What is basic income and how is it different from our current welfare offer?

04:19 - Can you talk more about the conditionality of our current welfare and the behaviour it causes?

05:55 - Has the welfare situation always been this bad?

08:05 - What are the three schemes for basic income?

12:26 - Can you explain why people from wealthy families can afford to fail?

14:54 - How fiscally different would basic income be for people on the ground?

16:53 - What are the wider societal benefits of basic income?

22:27 - Why do you call it basic income instead of universal basic income?

24:39 - Wouldn't prices just go up if everyone had this extra money?

30:26 - How would basic income do better to help child poverty than child benefit?

35:26 - What do we need to do, and what's already being done, to help basic income become a reality?

Intro music:

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What does a humanist feel when they gaze up at the stars? In this episode, George Miller speaks to philosopher Richard Norman, author of What Is Humanism For?, about wonder, meaning and morality in a world without God.

Their conversation traces Norman’s intellectual journey, from religious upbringing to secular commitment, and explores how humanism answers some of life’s deepest questions — not through divine revelation, but through shared human experience.

Along the way, they consider humanist funerals, climate change, artificial intelligence and how a humanist might still feel awe in a godless universe:

‘The awe comes from our sense of both our insignificance when confronted with the vastness of the universe — and our connection with it. A sense that we are part of this magnificent universe.’ 

Richard Norman, BA (Cantab), PhD (London), is a British academic, philosopher and humanist. He is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent, where he spent most of his career, and a patron of Humanists UK.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-humanism-for

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/05/30/podcast-a-humanist-looks-at-the-night-sky/

Timestamps:

00:58 - What feelings and thoughts does it provoke in a humanist when they look up on a starry night?

08:22 - Did you have a religious upbringing?

17:13 - When does it become possible to begin to put forward ideas which seriously question Christianity?

22:55 - What provides the ethical foundations for humanism? 

26:48 - How does that basic foundation then begin to help us with the purpose?

32:15 - How does a humanist funeral work?

34:59 - Does putting the human at the centre lead to things like climate change?

41:05 - What do humanists think about this possible brave new world where we're no longer the most rational creature on the planet?

44:14 - What should you do next if you're still curious?

Intro music:

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Within the next 30 years the European workforce will be down by a quarter, upsetting the systems we have had in place for decades. 

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Giles Merritt, author of 'Timebomb: When Ageing Explodes', about this impending ageing crisis. 

They discuss the multiple factors that have led us here, as well as what needs to be done to defuse this bomb before it goes off and explodes the European economy.

Since his 1978 arrival in the 'Capital of Europe' as a correspondent of the Financial Times, Giles Merritt has specialised in Europe's policy challenges as a journalist and think-tanker. He's often hailed as a 'Brussels institution' by readers of his incisive and often critical commentaries on European politics and economics.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/timebomb

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/05/19/podcast-the-ageing-crisis-that-no-ones-talking-about/

Timestamps:

1:20 - What is the timebomb and when is it going to go off?

6:27 - What happened to our growth and should we be concerned?

12:31 - Shouldn't Brexiters be celebrating the lower number of migrants?

25:15 - What happened to create this chasm between just two generations?

35:31 - What is the truth behind the workforce crisis?

42:11 - Has there been any change to fix the upcoming pension crisis?

46:40 - Why do billionaires get away with profit diversion? Why can't we tax them properly?

52:49 - Do parties like Trump, AFD and Reform actually intend to fix the problem?

54:01 - Where should we start to take action against this timebomb?

Intro music:

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With the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles, Britain has entered a new era — and questions about the future of the monarchy have become more pressing. Does it have a long-term role to play in modern Britain, or is it an anachronism whose days are numbered?

In this episode, George Miller talks to Laura Clancy, lecturer in media at Lancaster University and author of the new book What is the Monarchy For?, about the questions she think we should be asking about the monarchy in 21st-century Britain. Their conversation explores the monarchy’s part in perpetuating inequality, its use of soft power, the influence it exerts over media narratives, and whether the institution can keep re-inventing itself while essentially remaining the same.

‘The monarchy is doing important work ideologically,’ Laura argues, ‘upholding systems of inequality – even if it’s not authoritarian, even if it seems passive. It’s part of a structure that still shapes who has power and who doesn’t in Britain.’

Laura Clancy is a lecturer in media in the sociology department, Lancaster University. Her research focuses on issues of inequality, particularly 'the elites' and the monarchy.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-the-monarchy-for

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/05/02/podcast-challenging-the-monarchy-britain-after-elizabeth-ii/

Timestamps:

02:11 - What sort of attitude did your family have towards the royals?

05:49 - What approach did you take to the question of what is the monarchy for, and why?

14:10 - Do you think other countries are better for not having a monarchy?

16:16 - Did the death of Queen Elizabeth II change the book?

23:11 - What are the main motivators for becoming a republic?

32:57 - What eye-opening discoveries came from interviewing royal correspondents?

39:47 - What do you think about the countervailing force of British exceptionalism?

Intro music:

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There are many truisms about journalism. That it should speak truth to power. That it must be rooted in community. But what do these mean in practice, especially at a time when journalism is facing an unprecedented set of threats – financial, technological, and political? 

In this episode, George Miller talks to journalist and media commentator Jon Allsop about the challenges confronting journalism today and how he went about exploring them in his new book, What is Journalism For? Their conversation covers journalism’s complex relationship with democracy and power, the impact of declining local news, the evolving role of social media, and whether there's reason for hope amid the crises.  

Society needs journalism, Jon says, but ‘that is not the same as saying society needs legacy media – large newspapers, cable news networks – and that these things will somehow be preserved in aspic forever, in the current form, and that traditional journalism with its ethical codes and its norms will persist forever.’

Jon Allsop writes for the Columbia Journalism Review, editing its flagship “Media Today” newsletter.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-journalism-for

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/04/14/podcast-can-journalism-as-we-know-it-survive/

Timestamps:

01:43 - How do you explain what your job is?

05:02 - When you get up in the morning what is your journalistic diet? What is your routine?

08:27 - How did you decide the best way to tackle the question of what is journalism for?

13:16 - How did you actually approach that process of speaking to fellow journalists?

24:05 - Why do journalists sit so low in the league table of trusted professionals?

30:02 - How worried should we be about the disappearance of local news? 

44:45 - Do you think there is reason to be hopeful even with the changing landscape of journalism?

Intro music:

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Billionaires represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it within our culture?

In this episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Carl Rhodes, author of ‘Stinking Rich’, explains the dangerous and deceptive myths which portray billionaires as a ‘force for good’.

They discuss the myths of the heroic, generous, meritorious and vigilante billionaire, and how their wealth and power is setting us back to old-fashioned feudalism and plutocracy.

Hosted by leading organization studies professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), Transforming Business is a new series from Transforming Society, featuring in-depth conversations with top experts in work, economy, finance, employment, leadership, responsible and sustainable business, innovation, organising and activism. These insightful interviews explore fresh ideas and bold strategies for creating a more ethical and equitable business world. Tune in to challenge conventions, spark innovation and drive meaningful change.

Carl Rhodes is Professor of Organization Studies and Dean of the Business School, University of Technology Sydney.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/stinking-rich

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/03/26/podcast-the-myth-of-the-heroic-billionaire/

Timestamps:

00:31 - What did you want to achieve with this book?

01:25 - Why do you think we have an elevated perception of billionaires?

05:45 - The myth of the heroic billionaire

09:51 - The myth of the generous billionaire

14:04 - The myth of the meritorious billionaire

19:20 - The myth of the vigilante billionaire

26:30 - The importance of writing for a non-academic audience

Intro music:

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Everybody wants to change the world, but can we actually make a difference? 

In the first episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Jane Holgate and John Page, authors of Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising, discuss the power of activism and challenge the belief that change is impossible.

They explore the distinction between mobilising and organising, the role of optimism in driving social change and how we can actively contribute to meaningful transformation in our communities.

Hosted by leading organization studies professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), Transforming Business is a new series from Transforming Society, featuring in-depth conversations with top experts in work, economy, finance, employment, leadership, responsible and sustainable business, innovation, organising and activism. These insightful interviews explore fresh ideas and bold strategies for creating a more ethical and equitable business world. Tune in to challenge conventions, spark innovation and drive meaningful change.

Jane Holgate is Professor of Work and Employment Relations at the University of Leeds and a Trustee of the Ella Baker School of Organising. John Page serves on the committee of the Ella Baker School of Organising.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/changemakers

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/03/19/podcast-changemaking-and-radical-hope-in-times-of-crisis/

Timestamps:

01:27 - Why is optimism important when thinking about social change?

03:43 - What about people who say this will never change?

06:46 - What is the distinction between mobilising and organising?

11:02 - What is the metaphor of the spider versus the starfish?

14:53 - How do you understand leadership?

17:41 - Can you reflect on the idea of giving people a sense they can participate actively in forms of social change?

21:12 - Can you talk about the difference between Saul Alinsky and Myles Horton's approaches?

27:12 - Who do you hope will buy this book? Who would you like to read it?

Intro music:

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