Hap-py New Year! We welcome our first guest of the Chatteroo-era, and what a guest: This year's BBC Reith Lecturer, Professor Ben Ansell - political scientist and former teaching assistant to Ed Miliband (as Ed mentions 5,000 time during the conversation.) Listen to/read Ben's Reith Lectures: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00729d9 Buy Ben's book, 'Why Politics Fails': https://www.pagesofhackney.co.uk/webshop/product/why-politics-fails-ansell-ben-w/ Visit Ben's website:...

A chatty accompaniment as your potatoes roast and your sprouts boil. We wish you a cheerful Christmas! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chatteroo, roo, roo! Push pineapple, shake the tree! More Cop reflections, plus encouragment for Ed's paleontology ambition Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey you, the Chatteroo crew! Show what you do, make a break, make a move. Ed's back from COP28 and is bursting to talk about a phasedown of unabated fossil fuels, paleontology, and Taylor Swift. Plus Geoff pitches a policy idea for the next Labour Party manifesto. Suggest things for us to chatteroo about: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're live from COP28. Well, Ed is - Geoff wasn't invited. He's asked for a souvenir from the COP shop. Dive in for Ed's news from Dubai, he's *very* excited about the ENAP Emissions Report. Plus, saying 'hi' to strangers, and a mysterious high energy particle is heading for Earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the Chatteroo stew this week: Ed reflects on the Autumn Statement and budgets he has known and (sometimes) loved, and Geoff gets the wrong end of the stick - or drumstick - about an American tradition. Email us: [email protected] Music: Ed Seed Artwork: A child with a potato and some paint Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All aboard the Chatterooga Choo-Choo for: * The return of David Cameron * Fika and Swedish Work Culture: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/08/fika-four-week-holidays-and-zero-overtime-swedens-stunningly-healthy-work-culture * The Book Club that took 28 years to read one novel: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/12/california-venice-book-club-finngeans-wake-28-years * Ezra Klein interviews Maryanne Wolf / Deep Reading:...

For our last episode of Reasons to be Cheerful in its current form, Hannah Ritchie from Our World In Data tells us why things are more cheerful than we might think when it comes to the long-term trends and talks about her forthcoming book on what we do to make a sustainable world. Then Ed's podcast crush David Runciman reflects on our 6 years, what we have witnessed and how our political system can become fit for purpose. Plus tears, thank yous, Oscar-style tributes and emosh....but don't...

As this chapter of Reasons to be Cheerful almost draws to a close we wanted to leave you feeling motivated and inspired to take action on the things you care most about, from climate change to inequality. Feeling disempowered and frustrated with the state of the world? Our three guests are here to tell you why doing your bit can be joyful, fun and might just restore your faith in humanity a little bit! We hear from Froi Legaspi from Citizens UK who tells us about his journey into community...

The last decade or so has witnessed the seemingly unstoppable rise of populism across Europe and the world. The ruling Law and Justice party in Poland were one example of the trend and there were no signs they were going anywhere. But a couple of weekends ago, Poland voted for a change. We explore the shock result, how we got here and what drove the record turnout with Piotr Buras and Anne Applebaum. Then we speak to young climate activist Dominika Lasota about her role mobilising women in...

Long-time listeners to the pod will know that Ed never ever talks about his swimming hobby, but the RTBC team have decided to indulge him - just this once, mind - and dedicate a *whole episode* to the boom in outdoor swimming. Whether you’re a seasoned wild swimmer, a winter dipper or a lido goer, there’s a huge number of reasons why you might like to step outside the indoor confines of your local swimming baths. We speak to Kate Rew and journalist - and former Hampstead Ponds lifeguard -...

Would you like to work less, feel happier and maybe even do something good for the planet, all with no loss in pay? It’s a dream that could soon become a reality for many, after the world's biggest four day week trial wrapped up last year. We explore the results and dig back through our audio archives to revisit the history of a shorter working week, why it could be a solution to Britain's flatlining productivity problem, and what comes next for the four day week campaign. Guests Andrew...

Story hound Michael Lewis is back with a new book that charts the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, once the world's youngest billionaire. A journalist once said that they would read a history of the stapler if Michael Lewis wrote it, and he delivers his most compelling story yet (office stationery absent). Well versed in the world of finance, the Moneyball and Big Short author was granted unparalleled access to SBF, the crypto tycoon who said he wanted to give away his money to good...

The winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics was announced earlier this week. Claudia Goldin’s research showed that at the point of having a child women's wages start to lag behind men's. But why is parenthood a penalty for mothers? Could a more generous parental leave offer - including a ‘use it or lose it’ policy for fathers - be the key to achieving gender equality? Guests Sam Smethers, former CEO, Fawcett Society Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland Molly Mayer, former senior...

In 2019 Gina Martin - a self-confessed ‘political novice’ - led a successful campaign that resulted in a law change to make upskirting illegal. Since then her activism on gender equality has continued apace but changing legislation is no longer her aim. Why? We find out as we speak to her and activist Ben Hurst, head facilitator at Beyond Equality, who works with young men and boys to engage in conversations about what being a man means today.  Plus: We’re gongoozling with the Queen of...

The national living wage is going up to at least £11 an hour from next April. Although it's claimed the rise will help two million of the lowest paid workers, many campaigners are saying it's still not enough for a decent standard of living in the current economic climate. The Real Living Wage is one alternative. It's a voluntary commitment from employers to pay their workers enough to meet their everyday needs, and unlike the government's living wage it's calculated according to the actual...

Is the climate crisis a children’s rights crisis? It’s a great injustice that children and young people are the most affected but least responsible for the climate and nature crises. Is there a way to give them more power to shape future decision making? Scotland and Ireland have tried to do just that, and we speak to Katie Reid and Diarmuid Torney, who have played a central role in leading children’s participation in two citizens’ assemblies. We also check in with young assembly members...

All aboard! Last weekend, Greater Manchester made history as the first place outside London to bring its bus system into public control. Since 1986 - when buses were deregulated - fares have almost doubled, routes have been cut and fewer people are taking the bus. The Bee Network is Mayor Andy Burnham's answer to the problem. We spoke to him in 2021 about his commitment to make the region's buses better. We also talked to transport expert Nicole Badstuber about why London's buses never...

Happy 6th birthday to us! And just like a young child who hasn’t learned a sense of self-restraint we’re reaching for the Ferrero Rocher with restaurant critic Grace Dent. Join us for a conversation about comfort eating, the title of her podcast and new book. What do we eat when nobody else is watching? And why are some foods so steeped in nostalgia? PLUS: Geoff and Ed reminisce about the past 6 years and Ed has been checking out a new band We’ll be back with another episode next Monday, but...

How do we tackle the housing crisis? It’s a question we’ve looked at several times over the years, but it hasn’t become any less pressing. This week, new statistics showed that rents are rising at their fastest rate in almost a decade. We delve into some of the potential solutions, from rent control to long-term tenancy agreements. We hop into our RTBC time machine and go back to 2017, where we speak to Grace, a tenant in a rent-controlled flat and Greg Beales from housing charity Shelter....

Depending on who you speak to, AI is either going to plunge us into the abyss or improve every aspect of our lives immeasurably. The hype around AI can be disorientating, so let the RTBC team steer you away from the grim end-of-humanity inevitability, as we explore a more nuanced version of the AI story. Our guests Mustafa Suleyman, Dr Mhairi Aitken and Lauren M. E. Goodlad discuss whether the benefits of AI will ever outweigh the risks, why AI hype can serve as a distraction from some very...

Stop the press! We're bringing you an extra dose of RTBC each week, as we dig back into our audio archives and brief you on a big idea that's having a moment. This week the UK's GDP estimates showed the economy shrunk in July, sparking fears of a recession. But what if there was a different way to measure a country's economic success? We spoke to Katherine Trebeck, Annie Quick and Kate Raworth about the alternatives, from doughnut economics to New Zealand's Wellbeing Budget. Can we move...

We’re back! Over the summer the Youth Hostel Association announced it was selling off some of its properties in a bid to stay afloat. It seems like a cruel irony at a time when many of us had reconnected with nature over the lockdowns. The charity has long been committed to opening up the outdoors to more people, especially children and young people, says Sally Nutland. But is there a way to save the YHA hostels? We talk about what the loss of these hostels means with Talia Randall and Haroon...

Ben Goldsmith’s daughter Iris was killed in a tragic accident when she was only 15 years old. Hopeless in grief and searching for answers, he turned to nature in his darkest moments to find a way through. Ben speaks movingly about his grief for Iris, how he sought connection to her in the year after her death, and why he's hopeful that nature restoration will not only be a central part of tackling the climate crisis, but for finding solace and healing for ourselves too. Guest Ben Goldsmith,...

Crispy duck, chow mein, and sweet & sour pork. Many of us have a narrow understanding of Chinese food, its rich history, and the sophisticated culinary culture surrounding it. Chef and author Fuchsia Dunlop is on a quest to show us that there's so much more to Chinese food than our usual Friday night takeaway, and that there's immense joy (and health) to be drawn from it too. Fuchsia tells us about how her love of Chinese cookery began, her experience as the first westerner to train as a...