50 years ago this month the German band Kraftwerk released Autobahn – an album that not only marked a dramatic departure in their sound, but went on to change the entire course of contemporary music.  With the title track, a 22-minute ode to the German motorway, Kraftwerk’s founding members Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider forged a modern musical language, using electronics to articulate a new and optimistic vision of the future. To discuss Autobahn’s genesis and enduing legacy Tom Gatti is...

And what's behind the global "incumbency curse" which has seen so many incumbent leaders ousted in 2024 elections? Hannah Barnes is joined by political editor Andrew Marr, and associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe to answer listener questions. Read Andrew's column: The UK’s broken system makes losers of us all Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Marr pays tribute to "an extraordinary character" - the former Labour deputy Prime Minister and titan of Blair-era New Labour, who died on Thursday. Also, George Eaton interviews the David Lammy in New York. The foreign secretary opened his appearance at the UN security council with a declaration of "shame on Putin". In an interview with George Eaton, Lammy explains why he believes Donald Trump will pursue "peace through strength" rather than giving way to Putin over Ukraine. George...

In 2020, Sinn Féin, a left-wing party born out of Ireland’s nationalist movement, claimed victory. At the time Ireland’s two major parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, went into coalition with each other, preventing Sinn Fein from forming a government. Sinn Fein’s leader, Mary-Lou McDonald proudly claimed that she would be the first female Taoiseach. Four years later, support for the left-wing has markedly dropped, scandals have surrounded them on both sides of the border, and party political...

The author of Orbital says Elon Musk's "individualistic" future is "problematic in all sorts of ways". Samantha Harvey, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize for fiction speaks to Nicholas Harris in this episode of Culture from the New Statesman. She discusses how her novel portrays the politics and powers of the world from orbit, and why the de-orbiting of the ISS marks the end of an era of "peaceful co-operation between nations". 📚 READ Nicholas Harris's write up of this...

Where you live could drastically impact how long you live.   According to the Office for National Statistics, a person in South Kensington, one of London’s wealthiest areas, can expect to live up to 16 years longer than someone in a more deprived area, like Blackpool.   In this episode, host Sarah Dawood is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the stark health inequalities across the UK.   -      Jennifer Dixon DBE, CEO of The Health Foundation -      Jonathan Ashworth, CEO of Labour...

And what can Keir Starmer learn from Theresa May's relationship with Trump? (keep hands firmly in pockets) Read: Andrew Marr's weekly column Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Starmer contends with a fraught political landscape, he has increasingly turned to figures from the Blair administration: Jonathan Powell, Liz Lloyd, Peter Mandelson, Alan Milburn. What will this means for the factions within the current Labour government? We are also midway through COP29 which is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. Keir Starmer was only one of two G7 leaders to appear at the conference (where he announced new plans for the UK to cut its emissions by 81% compared to 1990...

Last month Russia gained the most Ukrainian territory since March 2022 when the war was in its infancy. At least 10,000 North Korean troops have also joined the fight, which will do little to replace the roughly 1,500 Russian soldiers killed or injured daily. And among all that Donald Trump was re-elected as US President.  Kate Lamble is joined by Chris York, Wolfgang Munchau, Angela Stent, and Mex Bergmann. Read: Putin stares down the west by Wolfgang Munchau Hosted on Acast. See...

Why are we all becoming increasingly angry? And what did Donald Trump understand about harnessing this emotion to win back the presidency? Tom Gatti is joined by New Statesman columnist Sarah Manavis and psychoanlyst Josh Cohen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fuel poverty is hitting homeowners, full-time workers, and young people. As energy prices rise and the cost of living crisis deepens, heating our homes is becoming increasingly difficult.   In this episode, host Zoe Grunewald speaks with Jessica Taplin, CEO of British Gas Energy Trust, Martin Lord from Citizens Advice Essex, and Carol Shreve from Citizens Advice North Yorkshire and Law Centre. Together, they discuss the shifting demographics affected by fuel poverty, the importance of...

Nicholas Harris reports from the new Labour seat of Southport, which was rocked by riots three months ago. There he found anger and resentment towards migrants. A listener asks if Reform UK now pose as much of a threat to Labour as they do to the Conservatives. Plus Rachel Cunliffe joins Hannah Barnes and Nicholas Harris to answer a listener who asks whether Donald Trump's win is good news for new Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch. 🙋‍♀️ ASK a question We answer listener questions every...

Class? Gender? Economy? What did the Democrats get wrong, what did Trump get right, and how will the UK respond to this? Hannah Barnes is joined by senior editors George Eaton and Katie Stallard as the dust settles on the US election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has headed to the polls and we want to ask what’s at stake - what will a Trump or Harris victory mean for America, international diplomacy, even your finances.  Kate Lamble is joined by senior editor Katie Stallard and New Statesman columnists Jill Filipovic and Sohrab Ahmari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was behind the Washington Post's shock decision not to endorse a presidential candidate? It's owner, Jeff Bezos, has cited reasons of impartiality and a perception of bias. Others have suggested that the decision was financially motivated, made out of fear of losing support and contracts from a Trump government. Tom Gatti is joined by Alison Phillips, former editor of the Daily Mirror, to discuss the impact of this choice and also what drives the handful of men who have controlled our...

David Gauke reveals his pick for the Tory leadership “not without reservations”.  As Labour deliver “hard decisions” in their first budget in 14 years, a listener asks if Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are reliving Nick Clegg’s 2011. David Gauke, who served with Nick Clegg in government, gives his take. He joins Rachel Cunliffe and Hannah Barnes on our weekly listener questions episode, in which they also discuss the Conservative leadership election and David Gauke reveals who he,...

The first Labour budget in 14 years is "refreshing" but risky, say the IFS. Rachel Reeves has delivered her maiden budget in the House of Commons. As expected, thanks to leaks and pre-briefing over the preceding week or so, the Chancellor is raising employers' National Insurance, changing capital gains and inheritance tax, and increasing stamp duty. Andrew Marr and George Eaton join Hannah Barnes on the New Statesman podcast to analyse the politics of the Labour budget. They are also joined...

One week from the US Presidential Elections, the race remains tight. There’s been renewed focus on Trump’s political rallies.  At Madison Square Garden in New York Trump spoke to tens of thousands about the enemy from within, others who appeared likened Kamala Harris to a prostitute with pimp handlers, called her the antichrist and described Puerto Rico an island of garbage. The rally drew comparisons to a fascist event held in the same arena on the eve of the Second World War in 1939. Are...

A new film from Steve McQueen is about to hit cinema screens: Blitz. Set during the devastating German bombing raids of 1940 to 1941, it follows Saiorse Ronan as east end mum Rita, and her son George, played by Elliot Heffernan, as they travel across London searching for each other. In some ways, it’s a new look at history, Rita’s son is mixed race – and issues of race, class, and gender are present throughout McQueen’s film. But Blitz also takes its place in a long tradition: almost 80 years...

Andrew Marr, Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe hear from a focus group of voters in a marginal Kent constituency, to get their views on Labour's first three months in government. They reveal why they're struggling to trust "posh" Keir Starmer, whether they regret their vote, and which public figure they would love to see in parliament. This focus group was arranged by Public First. 📚 READ The 100 days that shook...

Ben Zaranko, senior research economist from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, takes us through the numbers ahead of next week's budget, and the New Statesman's political editor Andrew Marr takes us through the politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re just two weeks from the 2024 US Presidential election. Donald Trump is up against Kamala Harris. Polls are vanishingly close. They suggest Harris has a 53% chance of moving into the Oval office. But after years of incorrect predictions, can they be trusted? In this episode of Insight, Kate Lamble speaks with Scott Keeter from Pew Research centre as well as the New Statesman's data journalist Ben Walker about what can be gleaned from the polls, and if they are more trustworthy than the...

Donald Trump has reshaped American politics. But who shaped him? A new film has some answers. The Apprentice, written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abasi, charts the rise of a young Trump (Sebastian Stan) under the caustic tutelage of bulldog lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).  Megan Gibson interviews writer Gabriel Sherman to discuss the creative challenges of putting Trump on screen, and Tom Gatti speaks to New Statesman film critic David Sexton to explore whether star Sebastian Stan...

With "normal" James Cleverly out of the Tory leadership race, a listener asks if a Badenoch or Jenrick leadership would split the Conservative party in two. Andrew Marr, Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe answer listener questions in our weekly episode, You Ask Us - published every Friday. Also in this episode: do journalists talk about Westminster gossip too much? Our own gossipy journalists give their answer! 📚 READ Would Kemi Badenoch be worth the risk for the...