Explore every episode of the podcast The Prospect Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Mason: Who are the new fascists? | 27 Aug 2024 | 00:45:51 | |
In a brand-new season of the Prospect Podcast, Ellen Halliday welcomes aboard her new co-host Alona Ferber. They are then joined by leading print and broadcast journalist Paul Mason—an expert on the far-right—to tackle this week's big question: what is the new face of fascism? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Joan Didion, Viv Richards, envy and imitation | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:41:57 | |
This months Gen Z-er Alice Garnett and former England cricket Captain Mike Brearley are exploring the value of imitating one's idols, while farmer Tom Martin returns from Rugen in Germany, where he learns from local farmers on the island. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Tory manifesto, and universities in crisis | 12 Jun 2024 | 00:40:54 | |
Assistant editor Emily Lawford introduces Prospect’s election panel—the ultimate group chat of politics nerds from across the spectrum. One of the team, former Number 10 speechwriter Phil Collins, joins to give his take on the Tory manifesto and much more. After, Ellen unpacks the crisis in universities with professor of academic history Glen O’Hara, who explains why they are in such trouble and what it means for students. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Peter Kellner and Alfie Stirling: The Autumn Statement | 17 Nov 2022 | 00:29:13 | |
Leading political journalist and pollster Peter Kellner and Alfie Stirling, chief economist at the New Economics Foundation, unpack today's Autumn Statement with deputy editor Ellen Halliday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Paul Maynard MP and Helen Barnard: What is the modern welfare state for? | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:34:25 | |
It’s 80 years since William Beveridge identified the five giant problems holding back post-war Britain, laying the groundwork for the welfare state. Today, that welfare state appears in crisis—but has it failed, or has it simply not evolved after completing its original tasks? Paul Maynard, Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, and Helen Barnard, associate director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, join Ellen Halliday to discuss what the welfare state must fix next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Rule of Law: Caroline Elkins | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:39:01 | |
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and professor at Harvard University, Caroline Elkins joins Richard Hermer, Murray Hunt and Helen Mountfield to discuss her new book Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Dino Sofos and Tom Clark: Can Sheffield level up? | 02 Nov 2022 | 00:28:30 | |
Does Sheffield have a productivity problem? Or is it a city on the verge of "levelling up"? Contributing editor Tom Clark and Sheffield born podcasting maestro Dino Sofos join Alan Rusbridger to discuss Sheffields post-industrial revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Helen King and Emily Lawford: Are the police institutionally sexist? | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:25:27 | |
Is it too difficult to dismiss officers who commit misconduct from the police? Are there a few rotten apples or a culture of sexism? Helen King, former assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan Police and principal of St Anne's College Oxford, and Emily Lawford, assistant editor at Prospect join Sarah Collins on the podcast to discuss Baroness Casey's recent review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Emergency episode: The lettuce won | 20 Oct 2022 | 00:26:13 | |
Resigning as prime minister this afternoon, Liz Truss has been outlived by the Daily Star's lettuce. Peter Kellner and Naomi Smith return to the podcast to discuss how Truss was toppled and which of the leadership hopefuls might follow her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Naomi Smith and Peter Kellner: Can Truss cling on? | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:39:12 | |
After another chaotic week in Westminster—in which Penny Mordaunt had to reassure the House of Commons that prime minister Truss was not "hiding under a desk"—chief executive of Best for Britain Naomi Smith and seasoned political journalist Peter Kellner join Alan Rusbridger to discuss whether Truss can cling on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Is CEO pay too high? | 12 Oct 2022 | 00:34:26 | |
Despite being overall a wealthy country, the UK has the second highest income inequality in the G7—a point best exemplified by the huge disparity in wealth between the top executives and the lowest paid in some of the country’s biggest countries.
In this week’s podcast, deputy editor Ellen Halliday is joined by Luke Hildyard, director of the High Pay Centre, and Sandy Pepper, emeritus professor of the London School of Economics, to discuss how CEO pay packets got so out of control—and whether or not there’s a way to fix it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sonia Sodha and Rachel Sylvester: Conference chaos | 05 Oct 2022 | 00:29:45 | |
Observer writer Sonia Sodha and political columnist at The Times, Rachel Sylvester join Alan Rusbridger on the podcast to discuss an eventful week at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Fiscal unfairness: will workers revolt? | 27 Sep 2022 | 00:34:56 | |
The announcement of the chancellor's mini-budget—including tax breaks for the highest earners and cuts to stamp duty—threatens to ignite an already raging public anger, argue journalist John Lloyd, political economist Will Hutton, and Taj Ali, member of the Enough is Enough Campaign. They join Prospect deputy editor Ellen Halliday on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Rafael Behr: The farce of our electoral politics | 05 Jun 2024 | 00:28:00 | |
As the election campaign whirrs on—media circus in tow—Prospect’s senior editor Alona Ferber is joined by Guardian columnist and author Rafael Behr to look beyond the Westminster bubble and ask: what does the Punch-and-Judy nature of our politics mean for the country, and our democracy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Books in brief | 20 Sep 2022 | 00:17:22 | |
David McAllister hosts a quick-fire roundup of some of the most interesting books of the month with the writers who reviewed them in Prospect. Sarah Collins discusses Elizabeth's Strout's pandemic novel, Lucy by the Sea while Lucy Thynne tells us about Shehan Karunatilaka’s latest book, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Peter Forbes reviews Prospect science writer Philip Ball's The Book of Minds, while David reviews Murray Pittock's new history Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How the housing crisis harmed a generation | 13 Sep 2022 | 00:34:47 | |
What are the emotional consequences of precarious housing? How do we reframe the housing crisis from a "knotty policy problem" to a "fundamental issue of justice"? Planning barrister and author of a new book A Home Of One's Own, Hashi Mohamed joins Sarah Collins on the podcast, along with Ben Reeve-Lewis, co-founder of housing charity Safer Renting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Prime minister Truss | 06 Sep 2022 | 00:32:45 | |
Political journalists Ailbhe Rea, Peter Kellner and Lara Spirit join Alan Rusbridger to discuss about our new prime minister, Liz Truss—and what we can expect from her early days in government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sameer Rahim: Demonising Salman Rushdie | 30 Aug 2022 | 00:31:50 | |
In light of the horrific attack on Salman Rushdie on the 12th August, Sameer Rahim joins the podcast to discuss The Satanic Verses and the debates contained within book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Helen Barnard and Stu Hennigan: The deep poverty crisis | 23 Aug 2022 | 00:23:26 | |
Last week inflation hit double figures for the first time in 40 years, while real wages saw their largest drop since records began. So, what does this bleak picture mean for people on the lowest-incomes? Helen Barnard, Associate Director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Stu Hennigan, author of the book Ghost Signs, Poverty and the Pandemic join Ellen Halliday to talk about the millions of Britons facing deep poverty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Why do we anthropomorphise AI? | 16 Aug 2022 | 00:30:40 | |
Why do we talk about sentience and artificial intelligence? And why do we constantly compare the robots we build to human beings? Science writer Philip Ball and philosopher Julian Baggini join Sameer Rahim to discuss the new frontiers in artificial intelligence—including a project from DeepMind predicting the shape of every protein known to science—and what they mean for us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hot cultural summer | 09 Aug 2022 | 00:26:50 | |
"Summer is a sentimental education. A portal to feelings that, once experienced, are impossible to subdue," writes Sukhdev Sandhu in his recent piece for Prospect. On the podcast, Sameer Rahim and Emily Lawford join Sarah Collins to discuss the highbrow and lowbrow cultural highlights of the season, from Wagner's The Ring Cycle to Call Me by Your Name, from Romeo and Juliet to Love Island. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Stewart Wood and Tom Clark: How Labour could win | 02 Aug 2022 | 00:37:31 | |
What progressive policies could Keir Starmer adopt that would actually win him an election? For the latest issue of Prospect, contributing editor Tom Clark went on the hunt for twelve tried-and-tested ideas from around the world that could help the Labour Party win. He joins deputy editor Ellen Halliday and Labour peer and former No.10 advisor Stewart Wood to discuss whether these ideas—which include a wealth tax, an independent regulator for public probity and an earlier retirement age for manual worker—would be workable in Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The World's Top Thinkers 2022 | 26 Jul 2022 | 00:19:48 | |
From politicians to scientists, from rappers to tech entrepreneurs, the Prospect team has selected its 50 Top Thinkers for a turbulent world. Alex Dean and Sarah Collins join deputy editor Ellen Halliday to discuss the thinkers and their ideas, the nomination process and the purpose of the exercise in 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Rule of Law: Adam Wagner | 21 Jul 2022 | 00:44:50 | |
Leading human rights barrister Adam Wagner joins Richard Hermer, Murray Hunt and Helen Mountfield to dissect the rule of law under Boris Johnson. How has the law fared, what have been the points of concern and what should the new leader do to restore any damage done? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Election kick-off! Sunak, Starmer—and South Africa’s historic vote | 29 May 2024 | 00:29:13 | |
On today’s podcast, Ellen Halliday is joined by legendary British pollster Peter Kellner to discuss Sunak’s soggy start and Labour’s “no mistakes” tactics. And calling in from Cape Town, Peter Fabricius, a leading political journalist for the Daily Maverick, explains why the ruling ANC could lose its majority for the first time since 1994—and what the outcome could mean for the South Africa in the world. Read Kellner's column and Fabricius’s feature here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Dominic Grieve and Sam Freedman: The Tory leadership contest | 19 Jul 2022 | 00:35:16 | |
Former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve and political writer Sam Freedman join the podcast to discuss the hopefuls vying for the position of conservative leader—and the implications of the contest for the party and the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Peter Kellner and Alice Lily: Has the constitution survived Boris? | 12 Jul 2022 | 00:34:03 | |
What does an eventful week in Westminster mean for our democracy? And will Johnson survive until September? Political journalist and pollster Peter Kellner joins Dr Alice Lily, senior researcher at the Institute for Government to discuss the end of Johnson's premiership, the Tory leadership contest and what the government will do next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Darren McGarvey: Why don't we talk about class? | 05 Jul 2022 | 00:34:00 | |
Why do we still have such difficulty in grappling with the social force that shapes us most? Rapper and Orwell Prize-winning writer Darren McGarvey joins the Tom Clark to discuss his new state-of-the-nation book The Social Distance Between Us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Alex Dean: Stuffing the ballot box | 28 Jun 2022 | 00:20:42 | |
Is the government trying to stuff the ballot box? Is the recently passed Elections Act a threat to democracy? Senior Editor and award-winning journalist Alex Dean joins the podcast to argue that the independence of the electoral commission is in jeopardy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tilly Lawless and Jessica Abrahams: Sex work and society | 22 Jun 2022 | 00:40:00 | |
To subscribe to the new Prospect Lives channel, click here: https://podfollow.com/prospect-lives Content note: This episode contains strong language and sexual references Does the criminalisation or liberalisation of the sex industry best protect the women who work in it? And what are the consequences of sex work for women as a whole? Sex worker and writer Tilly Lawless and journalist and editor Jessica Abrahams join Alan Rusbridger to discuss the essays they wrote for the most recent issue of the magazine. Lawless argues in defence of her clients at the suburban brothel in Australia where she works, while Abrahams reports from Bristol where a proposal for a ban on strip clubs has divided opinion amongst feminist campaigners and dancers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The rule of law: Roe v Wade | 15 Jun 2022 | 00:46:44 | |
Is this the end for Roe v Wade? And what are the implications both for women's rights and for the role of the US Supreme Court? Helen Mountfield and Richard Hermer from Matrix Chambers are joined by Melissa Murray, a professor of constitutional law and one of the leading academics in the US on reproductive rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Tom Clark: The cost of leaving | 14 Jun 2022 | 00:28:40 | |
Are we beginning to get a sense of the cost of Brexit? Former Prospect Editor Tom Clark joins Alan Rusbridger to discuss what we know so far about how leaving the EU has affected trade, services and business investment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| John Goetz: Tracking down a torturer | 07 Jun 2022 | 00:43:04 | |
What happened in Guantanamo? Investigative journalist John Goetz tells the story of former Guantanamo prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi and the man who tortured him, Mr X. In a discussion with Alan Rusbridger, Goetz explains how he and his colleague Bastian Berbner tracked down Mr X seventeen years later, and what it taught them about the war on terror. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Priyamvada Gopal: The cult of Churchill | 30 May 2022 | 00:28:39 | |
Was Winston Churchill racist? Should any historical figure be above criticism? And what does it really mean to judge someone by the standards of their time? Leading academic and author Priyamvada Gopal joins Alan Rusbridger to discuss a new book by Tariq Ali Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Ethan Zuckerman: Welcome to the splinternet | 24 May 2022 | 00:25:28 | |
Can Russia really disconnect from the rest of the digital world? What is China's Great Firewall? Leading academic, podcaster and all-round internet expert Ethan Zuckerman joins Alan Rusbridger to discuss how countries are creating, censoring and controlling their own digital spaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Priyamvada Gopal: What do the Gaza student protests mean for universities? | 22 May 2024 | 00:26:19 | |
As a series of encampments have sprung up at universities around the world, what do the Gaza protests tell us about freedom of speech at these often-embattled institutions? Author and Cambridge professor Priyamvada Gopal joins Ellen Halliday to dive beyond the headlines on this divisive story. Read Priymavada's piece here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Prospect Lives: Pets, Pinter and learning to let go | 18 May 2022 | 00:50:48 | |
This month, psychiatrist Rebecca Lawrence celebrates the soothing power of pets, while former England cricket captain Mike Brearley enjoys a play by Shomit Dutta about Beckett, Pinter and cricket. Both actor Sheila Hancock and Anglican priest Alice Goodman confront their fears about death, while Jason Thomas-Fournillier, an expert by experience in the asylum system, questions the morality of the government's recent Rwanda policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Can Europe keep the lights on without Russia? | 18 May 2022 | 01:03:38 | |
For a recent Prospect event, Vicky Pryce, former joint head of the UK Government Economic Service, Andrew Simms, political economist and co-author of the Green New Deal and Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem science at the University of Oxford, discussed European energy security and climate change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Paul Hayward: Cricket's class problem | 10 May 2022 | 00:26:53 | |
Does cricket have a class problem? What do divisions in England's national summer sport reveal about our society? Former Telegraph chief sportswriter Paul Hayward joins Alan Rusbridger on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Peter Kellner: What do the local election results mean? | 06 May 2022 | 00:31:07 | |
In this special episode, former director of YouGov and leading political analyst Peter Kellner discusses the results of the local elections with Sonia Sodha. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Miranda France: Rethinking Picasso | 03 May 2022 | 00:30:00 | |
How did the women in Picasso's life suffer for his art? Should we rethink our canonisation of the painter's works? Writer and translator Miranda France joins deputy editor Sameer Rahim on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Special Episode: The Rules of War | 29 Apr 2022 | 00:50:35 | |
NEW PODCAST: Leading barristers Richard Hermer, Murray Hunt, and Helen Mountfield from Matrix Chambers place the ethical issues of the day under their expert legal microscope. In this episode they are joined by international law expert professor Andrew Clapham to discuss Russia, Ukraine and the rules of war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| George Robertson: What I learnt from negotiating with Putin | 26 Apr 2022 | 00:33:14 | |
How did Putin transform from a seemingly rational man to the tyrant who invaded Ukraine? Former Nato chief and secretary of state for defence from 1997-1999, George Robertson, joins the podcast to discuss his experience negotiating with Putin, as well as the war in Ukraine and the implications for global security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Samuel Moyn: How to stop a new Cold War | 19 Apr 2022 | 00:30:29 | |
Putin's grotesque invasion of Ukraine should not lead us to rehabilitate old, failed ideas about the international order, argues Samuel Moyn in his provocative cover story for Prospect. He joins editor Alan Rusbridger on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Prospect Lives: Grief, joy and Easter | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:40:06 | |
This month, actor and writer Sheila Hancock recovers from “a fall”, while sports journalist Emma John grieves the loss of her mother. Jason Thomas-Fournillier, an expert experience in the asylum system, looks back on the highs and lows of life in Trinidad, while Anglican Priest Alice Goodman prepares her Easter Sermon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Voices from Ukraine | 12 Apr 2022 | 00:34:59 | |
In this special episode of the podcast recorded during our recent Prospect Talks event, we hear from Ukrainians affected by the war from both inside and outside the country. Guests include Olesya Khromeychuk, a writer and historian who is the director of the Ukrainian Institute in London; Sevgil Musaieva, a Ukrainian journalist from Crimea who is editor-in-chief of the independent online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda; and Andrii Zhupanyn, a Ukrainian MP who has been doing some remarkable work bringing much-needed aid into the country. Music was performed on the night by Ukrainian composer and violinist, Natalia Tsupryk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Prospect Lives: A question of identity | 16 May 2024 | 00:33:06 | |
This month, our writers are mulling over questions of identity: Sheila regrets her lifelong habit of judging people by appearances while sex-worker and author Tilly Lawless considers the solidarity that exists between sex-workers and trans-women. OCD sufferer Sarah Collins feels destabilised by her recent birthday, while Anglican Priest Alice Goodman is forced into a new role by her health: that of a hospital patient. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Andrew Simms: How to save a burning planet | 05 Apr 2022 | 00:25:25 | |
Many of us made rapid changes to our behaviour during the pandemic, so why—when facing a crisis as existential as climate change—are we dragging our heels? Economist, author and activist Andrew Simms joins Alan Rusbridger to discuss how fast transitions could save the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Ruth Deyermond: Why Putin has already lost | 29 Mar 2022 | 00:36:45 | |
Ruth Deyermond, senior lecturer at the Department of War Studies at King's College London and the military analyst on Prospect’s Ukraine panel joins Sameer Rahim to explain why she thinks Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Sameer Rahim: The secrets of Stonehenge | 23 Mar 2022 | 00:26:28 | |
Is Stonehenge a giant's ring conjured by Merlin? Or a temple for Druid priests? Or a prehistoric spa? Prospect's managing editor Sameer Rahim joins Sarah Collins to discuss the many interpretations of this iconic monument over the centuries—and the secrets revealed by a new exhibition at the British Museum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||