The Prospect Interview

More of the Epstein files have been released—but why now, and what do they really tell us? This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan, editor of the Democracy for Sale newsletter, to unpack what the documents reveal about power, money and impunity.Peter discusses the ways powerful figures protect themselves, and the latest political fallout in Britain—from renewed scrutiny of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.He discusses what shocked him despite his experience investigating corruption, how this story goes to the heart of the British constitution, and why the truth seems stranger than fiction.Peter also explains what this flood of documents means for journalism and truth, as unvetted claims spread rapidly online. And the three discuss the stakes for democracy—and what needs to change. Could this moment finally lead to justice for survivors of abuse? And what else is happening that we don’t know about?This episode contains discussions of exploitation and abuse.

Britain needs new infrastructure and housing—and devolution could be a help or a hindrance.Will giving a greater say to local communities through devolution increase the legitimacy of infrastructure and housing plans and accelerate their delivery? Or does it add complexity and aid the ‘blockers’ not the builders? This podcast explores the issues, explains how to address the risks and charts an optimistic way forward.Picking up themes from a roundtable on this topic held by Prospect and sponsored by Mott MacDonald at the 2025 Labour party conference, Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, along with industry experts from United Utilities, SSE and Mott MacDonald, draw on their vast experience to discuss how to harness local knowledge to make sure devolution supports the creation of the 21st century infrastructure and housing that the UK needs.

Politics in Britain was once dominated by two big parties with predictable voter bases. But times have changed—and for the first time, new parties are on the rise.This week, Ellen and Imaan are joined by Prospect’s new editor Philip Collins, to discuss the breakdown of British politics as we know it. Philip argues that we have entered a new political era—one where the traditional giants of British politics, Labour and the Conservatives, have become hollowed-out “zombies”, ill-equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century.He traces the origins of the party system, the decline of the old tribal loyalties and the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform. How different will politics look in this new world?Plus, inspired by a new section in the magazine, Philip discusses his own cultural “Hinterland”—from his first ever gig to the most overrated artist—and discusses his vision for the new magazine.To read Philip’s cover essay ‘For Labour and the Conservatives, the party is over’, head to prospectmagazine.co.uk or pick up a copy of our new issue, on shelves today.

A crackdown by the Iranian government has quietened protests that swept across the country in recent weeks, but tensions remain high. This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, a Middle East analyst at Control Risks, who dials in from Abu Dhabi to explain how these protests differ from previous rounds of unrest in the country—from the scale of grievances to new geopolitical conditions. Aniseh also discusses Trump’s threat of military intervention from the United States.Plus, if the regime falls, what would Iran’s future look like? Ellen and Alona explore four possible outcomes and talk about the apparent trend of impunity on an international scale.To read more from our website, head to prospectmagazine.co.uk

This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Isabel Hilton—former Latin America editor, expert in Arctic security and Prospect contributing editor—to discuss how American foreign policy has evolved under the Trump administration, particularly after the US abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.How different was this from the US’s history of coups and previous military interventions in South America, from Guatemala to Panama? Isabel discusses the region’s history and future, as well as the geopolitical ramifications of US threats to annex Greenland.Why is Greenland so important to the administration? And, with the UK in a vulnerable economic and strategic position, how should it respond to the actions of its closest ally?To read Isabel’s writing for Prospect, click here.

What hope is there for the future? Global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and right-wing populists rage against net zero. But, according to the UK’s climate minister and a leading American environmentalist, though, the economics of electrification will make the future brighter than it first appears. Ed Miliband, secretary of state for energy security and net zero, and Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and author, joined Wolfgang Blau, Prospect editorial board member and cofounder of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, to discuss political strategies, positive tipping points and the fight that’s still to come.To read an edited transcript of this conversation, which featured on the cover of Prospect’s winter double issue, click here.