Half of Britain (51 per cent) wants the voting system to change, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, while only 44 per cent want to retain the current system. Most Labour supporters are in favour and this year the Labour Party conference voted for a manifesto commitment to proportional representation for general elections.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by special guest Jess Garland, director of policy and research at the Electoral Reform Society, to talk all things voter reform. They discuss the significance of proportional representation and the recent rise in public support, where the various political parties stand on the issue, and how a change to the system could be brought about.
You can submit a question for You Ask Us at newstatesman.com/youaskus, and sign up for the Morning Call politics newsletter at newstatesman.com/politics/morning-call. 
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Will Labour change the voting system?

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News & Politics

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People up and down the country have been struggling to get NHS dental appointments for the past few years, forcing some to pay inflated prices for private treatment, or ignore their oral health until it’s reached an unbearable point. This crisis is also greatly impacting children across the nation, and today the number one reason children are admitted to hospital is due to severe dental issues.
So how did we get here? Why is the UK faced with Dickensian rot in 2024?
Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor, is joined by policy correspondent Harry Clarke-Ezzidio, and policy associate editor, Sarah Dawood.

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Decaying Britain: how severe is the NHS dental crisis?

Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, is being accused of being a ‘tax avoider’. While these attacks are coming predominantly from the right, they’ve been mounting in recent weeks and now Labour is having to confront the allegations.
So what could this mean for the deputy leader? Is Labour in trouble? Or is this a Tory smear campaign?
Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at the New Statesman, is joined in the studio by political correspondent Freddie Hayward; this episode was recorded on Thursday 11th April.
Read the pieces mentioned in this podcast: Is Angela Rayner in danger?; What Dominic Raab missed about Angela Rayner at Glyndebourne; I looked into Angela Rayner’s tax affairs – here’s what I found Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Angela Rayner investigation: scandal or smear campaign?

We’ve been digging around in our virtual mailbag and have brought a couple of your questions  to discuss. 
One listener asks: What are the political implications of the Cass report and will it affect how British politicians approach the transgender conversation?
And another listener writes in to ask: Could a Starmer win in the UK and a Trump win in the US spell the end for the ‘special relationship’?
Ask a question for a future podcast: www.newstatesman.com/podcasts/2022/10/you-ask-us
Read Andrew Marr's piece: Inside Labour’s foreign policy factory

 
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How will the gender care report affect politics?

The British royal family was in crisis even before Queen Elizabeth II died, and the new King and princess of wales both became ill with cancer.
In this modern age where access increasingly equates to relevance, and truth and conspiracy so often intertwine, how is Britain’s relationship with monarchy changing? 
Chris Stone is joined on the New Statesman podcast by author Tanya Gold who has written this week's cover story: The Fragile Crown. 
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Is Britain addicted to monarchy?

It's listener questions time! 
Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe answer a listener who asks why senior politicians flock to address culture wars issues "which are frankly below their station", and another who wants to know if MPs who are also landlords should recuse themselves from voting on laws affecting renters.
Submit a question for us to answer on a future episode: www.newstatesman.com/youaskus
Listen to our previous episode on leasehold reform with Barry Gardiner MP: https://pod.fo/e/22360d
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Will Labour change the voting system?

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