In a 2022 poll, a majority of Americans said they believe their government was corrupt and rigged, and more than a quarter believed it might soon be necessary to take up arms against it. Conspiracy theories have ripped across America’s political landscape for decades, but in the last 10 years the divide between fact and fiction has become almost indistinguishable at times. So how did we get here? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by journalist and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"A very dark speech, very serious, very closely argued, but there was passion there, but the passion was anger" - Andrew Marr reacts after Keir Starmer's speech at Labour party conference, the first Labour prime minister to do so in 15 years. We also hear from David Blunkett, Wes Streeting MP, Baroness Taylor, and Henry Tufnell MP, on the key takeaways from the party's time in Liverpool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're coming to you from Liverpool where Rachel Reeves has just delivered her keynote speech at this year's Labour Party Conference. There were lots of smiles in the Chancellor's speech as well as the commitment to the tough economic decisions that she has to make, but has she managed to turn the page on Labour's rough beginning in government? Hannah Barnes hears from Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, and Andy Burnham, and after the break she speaks to the New Statesman's Nicholas Harris about his trip to the very first Reform conference in Birmingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour Party Conference is just around the corner and the party needs to tell a story about the bigger picture for their time in government, but could this get lost amongst the smaller stories cropping up around free clothes and the chief of staff's pay? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and George Eaton, senior editor. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conference season is underway and Ed Davey sat down with the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe to set out his party's ambitions to become the party of opposition. We also hear from Wes Streeting and the political battle for NHS reform. Hannah Barnes is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor. Ed Davey: “The Conservatives are in our sights” Wes Streeting: “I don’t want to be the fun police” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Dunn meets the political pranksters who sent Liz Truss fleeing in rage. **Follow on your podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they're released** From films detailing Conservative hypocrisy projected on Parliament buildings, to remote-controlled lettuce banners unfurling over the head of the former Prime Minister, Led By Donkeys have been a regular fixture of political activism over the past decade. Now with a Labour government in place after 14 years of Tory rule, will the group - with their predominantly progressive politics - change their approach? The New Statesman's Will Dunn meets Led By Donkeys in this extended interview. Led By Donkeys: Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability is published by Thames & Hudson and available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddie Hayward rejoins the podcast in his new role as US correspondent to answer listener questions on the weird world of US politics.  **Hit 'follow' on your podcast app to get new episodes first** He speaks to Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss how Keir Starmer’s commitment to “tough choices” compares with the Kamala Harris campaign, and how US election campaigns use the vast amounts of money they receive in donations. – Read more:  Robert F Kennedy Jr and the end of the party https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/08/robert-f-kennedy-tulsi-gabbard Kamala Harris wants to make America nice again https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2024/08/cnn-interview-kamala-harris – Submit a question: We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Become a New Statesman subscriber: Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Sign up for our daily politics email Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com Watch the New Statesman podcast Find all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“She’s done an awful lot of damage to morale,” says Andrew Marr. Hit “Follow” in your podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they publish Chancellor Rachel Reeves secured a victory in Parliament for her proposed changes to the Winter Fuel allowance.  But the move has divided the Labour party, angered voters, and possibly tarnished Keir Starmer’s authority. Is this a sign Rachel Reeves “is not very good at politics”?  Andrew Marr and George Eaton join Hannah Barnes on this episode of the New Statesman podcast. They also discuss Keir Starmer’s relationships with the trade unions following his speech at the TUC this week, and Freddie Hayward joins from the US to discuss the response to the Trump/Harris presidential debate. – Read more:  Rachel Reeves’ great gamble, by George Eaton https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/09/rachel-reeves-great-gamble Workers’ rights or growth: another tough choice for Labour, by Andrew Marr https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/09/workers-rights-or-growth-another-tough-choice-for-labour Kamala Harris made Trump look like a loser, by Freddie Hayward https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2024/09/kamala-harris-donald-trump-debate-loser – Submit a question: We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Become a New Statesman subscriber: Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Sign up for our daily politics email Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com Watch the New Statesman podcast Find all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We cannot know what sort of human beings will emerge from this.” Following Hamas’s deadly attack on 7 October 2023, Israel’s military response has been described as “inevitable”. Eleven months on, the scope and ferocity of that military response has stunned the world.  In this episode of the podcast we speak to four of the writers who contributed to the New Statesman essay collection Losing Gaza. Raja Shehadeh: “Palestinians are not treated as human beings deserving of human rights” Ghada Karmi: “The physical damage of Israel’s assault is real enough. The mental trauma will be far worse”  Raja Khalidi: “After the war, world leaders will need a new Marshall Plan for Palestine” Mezna Qato: “Without our libraries and universities, how will we tell the story of Gaza?” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former Labour leader’s new coalition could be “a real force” in Parliament, says Andrew Marr. **Hit ‘Follow’ in your podcast app to get every episode as soon as it drops** Jeremy Corbyn has formed a new “Independent Alliance” of MPs, united around opposition to the Gaza war. Answering a listener question on this “You Ask Us” episode, Andrew Marr says Corbyn could well attract more Labour MPs to his cause. This would make the Independent Alliance bigger than Reform UK, and could influence policy from the Left. Andrew Marr joins Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe on this listener questions episode of the podcast. They also discuss Keir Starmer’s plans for UK-EU relations, and whether the Prime Minister will row back on some Brexit agreements.  – Read more:  Andrew Marr on Labour’s battle for Britain https://www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/2024/09/labours-battle-for-britain Submit a question: We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Become a New Statesman subscriber: Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Sign up for our daily politics email Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com Watch the New Statesman podcast Find all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Grenfell report is damning. Will there finally be justice for Grenfell? -- After seven long years the Grenfell Inquiry has published its damning verdict: the 72 deaths caused by the Grenfell Tower fire were completely avoidable. The 1500-page report names and shames companies and government bodies who’s choices and actions led to the deaths. In this episode, Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe join Hannah Barnes to discuss the findings of the inquiry and why justice must finally come for Grenfell. They also review the Conservative leadership race following the first vote which saw former Home Secretary Priti Patel fall at the first hurdle. Andrew and Rachel report on view within Westminster of the remaining candidates, and why one in particular divides opinion among MPs in the Commons tea rooms. – Read more:  Megan Kenyon on the Grenfell report: failure on an industrial scale https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/09/grenfell-inquiry-failure-on-an-industrial-scale George Eaton: the Grenfell report is damning for David Cameron https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/09/the-grenfell-report-is-damning-for-david-cameron Submit a question: We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Become a New Statesman subscriber: Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/save Sign up for our daily politics email Receive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.com Watch the New Statesman podcast Find all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Noel and Liam Gallagher have managed the impossible. They've apparently buried the hatchet and announced that Oasis is coming back in 2025. Is this the return of Cool Britannia? Rachel Cunliffe, associate editor, is joined by George Eaton, senior editor, to answer listener questions about ex-MP's jobs, SPADs, and the politics of Britpop. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday morning Keir Starmer addressed the nation and warned that Labour’s first Budget “is going to be painful”, suggesting that tax rises are on the way.  While the prime minister stressed that those with the “broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden”, he warned that he won’t “shy away from making unpopular decisions”, raising the question of whether Labour is bringing back austerity. Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, is joined by George Eaton, senior editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener asks: will Keir Starmer and the Labour government attempt to change the conversation around immigration, or continue with a more hawkish stance in an attempt to win over reform voters? Hannah Barnes and George Eaton discuss in our latest listener questions episode. They also answer questions on how the electorate might change by the next election and whether voting reform will have an impact in future. Send us a question: www.newstatesman.com/youaskus Read more: George’s interview with Sadiq Khan: “politicians need to be braver on immigration” https://www.newstatesman.com/encounter/2024/08/sadiq-khan-politicians-need-to-be-braver-on-immigration Subscribe to the New Statesman - first two months just £2 www.newstatesman.com/save Follow the New Statesman: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewStatesman  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newstatesman  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newstatesman  Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NewStatesman  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour have agreed pay deals with NHS staff, public service workers and now train drivers - but they've handed the conservatives an effective attack line. Are Labour really beholden to "union paymasters"? And can they sustain pay rises while cutting the winter fuel allowance? Hannah Barnes and George Eaton discuss on the New Statesman podcast. Also in this episode, Hannah and George look at the crisis in prisons, and Labour's plan to house inmates in police cells. Can Keir Starmer and new prisons minister James Timpson hold Britain's overflowing prison estate together? Read Hannah Barnes interview with Charlie Taylor, Prisons Inspector, here: https://www.newstatesman.com/ns-interview/2024/07/the-prison-system-is-broken Ask a question: newstatesman.com/youaskus Subscribe to the New Statesman with a special discount: newstatesman.com/save Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And should Starmer be trying to befriend Elon Musk? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by senior editor George Eaton to answer this week's listener questions. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unrest and violence which gripped the country last week after the killing of three young girls seems to have halted for the time being. A brief sigh of relief. But this doesn’t mean that the anger -  which was unleashed on asylum seekers, police, mosques, and local communities - or what may lie beneath it, has gone away. The prime minister promised that rioters would feel ‘the full force of the law’. And he has been true to his word. As many as 1,000 people have been arrested so far and almost 550 charged. But beneath the misinformation around the Southport murders of three little girls, what was the root of the rioters' anger? While some undoubtedly sought to sow division, and others went on opportunistic looting expeditions, there are genuine held concerns over immigration and the gulf between different societies in the UK. The immediate task of restoring law and order is one which perhaps comes easy to Keir Starmer, but now the harder, longer term job: What story will he tell to rebuild and re-unite this divided nation? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by George Eaton, senior editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The number of children who say they feel lonely at school more than doubled between 2012 and 2018, and Britons aged 16-29 are more than twice as likely to report feeling often or always lonely as those aged over 70.  A report by the think tank Onward found that one in five Britons aged 18-24 have one or no close friends, a proportion that has tripled in the past decade.  Historically, people’s social networks have tended to shrink with age, but nowadays research shows that young people have fewer friends than older Britons.  The evidence from the UK and other Western countries suggests that Generation Z – those born after 1997 – isn’t just the loneliest cohort in the country, they may be the loneliest generation in human history. - Sarah Dawood, senior associate editor speaks to writer Sophie McBain, who looked into the epidemic of loneliness amongst young people today for her New Statesman feature The lonely land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the Labour party in the next 5 years decide to get rid of the House of Lords, what is the most likely option for a replacement? Should there be upper and lower age limits for politicians? What are the rules for becoming a lobby journalist? Who decides who gets in, and can a journalist be kicked out? Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, to answer this week's listener questions. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After over a week of violence and unrest, it was feared last night that the riots would gather even more momentum, targeting immigration offices and centres across the country. Instead, we saw an outpouring of solidarity and counter-protests took place. Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Nick Harris, Staggers' editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.