The Prospect Interview

As Halloween approaches, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss his plunge into the world of conspiracy theories, QAnon and the extreme fringes of US politics.What have witches in the dark ages got to do with American democracy? How has the internet destabilised state power? And what does that mean for this November’s election?Conspiracy theories about satanic cabals took off in America after the 2020 election—and 41 per cent of Americans now believe that the politicians they elect aren’t actually the people governing the country. To many, the truth seems increasingly murky.Gabriel’s reporting has taken him deep into the rabbit hole of this strange and eerie world. On the podcast, he shares the stories that went into his most recent book, The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine, based on his BBC Radio 4 series of the same name.Listen to this spooky episode—or watch on YouTube—to find out about America’s old ghosts, new superstitions, burgeoning evil and unravelling reality.The Coming Storm is available here.

This week, Ellen and Alona look ahead to COP29, the annual climate summit, hosted this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.They are joined by Isabel Hilton, Prospect’s contributing editor who shares her experiences at COP, and Sam Alvis, a policy advisor and director of energy and environment at Public First.25 out of the 35 key “planetary vital signs” are out of bounds, and biodiversity is rapidly dwindling. At the same time, a growing culture war means consensus about action is increasingly contested in the political space. Last year, a government minister left the conference early to vote on the Rwanda scheme—now, is Labour doing any better? Isabel and Sam discuss the government’s climate plans and rank its performance out of ten. But why do leaders struggle to make progress? And, amid growing climate-related anxiety, how can we avoid a sense of paralysis?

This week, Ellen and Alona talk to investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan. Peter is the former editor-in-chief of the award-winning website openDemocracy and is the author of Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics.Public faith in democracy has been undermined by hidden influence and undisclosed donations—but how susceptible is the new government to this?In an entertaining conversation, spanning from Mongolian wrestling to Keir Starmer’s glasses, Peter shares his journey doing investigative work, the corrosive impact of what he calls “dark money”, and what Labour is getting wrong.To watch this interview and others—including with Baroness Warsi and Jon Sopel—search for ‘Prospect Magazine’ on YouTube.

This month, our columnists are busy with new difficult tasks. Sarah Collins, our Mindful life columnist, boards the emotional rollercoaster that comes with preparing to live abroad, while Anglican Priest Alice Goodman composes her first carol. Farmer Tom tries to rescue seven baby pheasants, while Alice Garnett is moving out of her shared house and navigating London’s rental hellscape. 

Baroness Warsi, former Conservative cabinet minister and lawyer, joins Ellen and Alona to talk about her new book Muslims Don’t Matter, about “the silencing, stereotyping and stigmatising of Muslims by the British press and political parties.”Politicians, media outlets, think tanks and even the entertainment industry have poisoned public discourse about Muslims, culminating in this summer’s riots. She describes how Islamophobia, which she calls “Britain's bigotry blind spot”, not only passes the “dinner table test”, but has been enacted into policy.In a moving conversation about her journey in the public eye, she talks about her lifelong effort to challenge racism and why she’s finally resigned the whip.Muslims Don’t Matter is out now: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/sayeeda-warsi/muslims-dont-matter/9780349136486/Her podcast with David Baddiel ‘A Muslim and a Jew go there’ is available to stream: https://shows.acast.com/a-muslim-a-jew-go-there

This week, Prospect’s commissioning editor Emily Lawford joins Ellen and Alona to discuss a dark side of the internet: the “manosphere”.Emily spent months reporting “The incel trap” for this month’s issue of the magazine, meeting with self-proclaimed misogynists in real life. On the podcast, Emily shares what she learned about why young men are radicalised—including the role of mental health—and how online hatred is connected to violence against women in the "real world".Plus, silent discos and maternity pay gaffes—is the Tory party conference a “banger” or a “dud”?To read Emily's piece, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/philosophy/gender/67935/the-incel-trap

Jon Sopel, co-host of the News Agents podcast and a former BBC North America editor, joins Ellen Halliday and Alona Ferber to discuss his new book, Strangeland: How Britain Stopped Making Sense. He reflects on his time covering the Trump administration—including what he saw unfold on 6th January—and on the upcoming US election.Jon also shares his view on the problems with Robbie Gibb and how editorial standards are overseen at the BBC. Some at the BBC think Robbie Gibb’s stewardship of editorial standards at the broadcaster is “absolutely monstrous”, he says. “It really doesn't bear scrutiny, and then it still going on, strikes me as unbelievable”.Plus, Alona dials in from rainy Liverpool to decide whether the Labour conference has been a “banger” or a “dud” for Starmer’s party.

This week, journalist and author Oliver Burkeman joins Prospect’s Ellen Halliday and Mindful life columnist Sarah Collins to talk mental health and building a meaningful life—and why his new book, Meditations for Mortals, really isn’t self-help. Plus, freelance political journalist Jonn Elledge dials in from the Lib Dem conference in Brighton to help us decide whether Ed Davey's party is a “banger” or a “dud”.