Share

Daily Politics from the New Statesman
Booker prize winner Samantha Harvey: "political choices are sculpting the surface of the earth"
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".
š READ
Nicholas Harris's write up of this conversation
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2024/11/samantha-harvey-booker-prize-2024-winner-interview-orbital
šāāļø ASK
We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit yours at www.newstatesman.com/youaskus
š§ FREE
Get our daily politics email
https://morningcall.substack.com
š· SAVE
Give a loved one a year's subscription to the New Statesman for just £49 https://www.newstatesman.com/pod24
SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:
āļø Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just Ā£2
LISTEN AD-FREE:
š±Download the New Statesman app
MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:
ā Ask a question ā we answer them every Friday
ā° Get our daily politics newsletter every morning
āļø Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday
More episodes
View all episodes

Student loans have screwed over a generation
32:12|Cast your mind back to 2010ā¦Ā Apple launched the ipad, a volcano erupted in Iceland and David Cameron and Nick Clegg passed a bill that would screw over a generation of young people.This was, of course, the decision to triple university tuition fees in England to Ā£9,000 per yearOli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe to discuss how this has radicalised graduates.
Trump escalates Greenland threats
45:55|āConsidering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.āĀ This is what Donald Trump wrote in a letter to Norwayās prime minister Jonas Gahr StĆøre this weekend.And true to his word, peace is not on the US Presidentās mind.Oli Dugmore speaks to the New Statesman's editor Tom McTague about Starmer's options, and in the second half of the episode, senior editor Katie Stallard interviewsĀ Rasmus Jarlov, chair of the Danish defence committee.
Is London a crime-ridden cesspit?
36:18|Claims from politicians both at home and abroad paint an increasingly decrepit picture of the nation's capital. But just how much crime and chaos is there really in London? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn to discuss her reporting on the issue, as well as a rundown of the big and brazen ongoings in political Britain this week.
Should breaking manifesto pledges be illegal?
28:13|A frustrated listener calls for consequences over broken Labour promises. Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe answer listener questions about UK politics. In the mailbag this week:Should parliament impose legislation to force governments to honour manifesto pledges?Is it time to reform council tax?The Scottish independence referendum settled the question for "a generation". But what counts as a generation?How would politics be different if the House of Commons was a different physical shape?Send in your questions at newstatesman.com/youaskusListen next: Why Starmer u-turned on Digital ID
Jenrick defects to Reform
29:32|Robert Jenrick has become the latest Tory to defect to Reform. This morning he was fired by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, after she discovered his plan.The announcement followed former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defecting to Reform earlier this week.Tories broke Britain, say Tories.What does it mean? How did it happen?Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and Ethan Croft.
Why Keir Starmer U-turned on digital ID
28:58|How many U-turns before you admit you donāt know where youāre going?As little as four months ago, Keir Starmer said: "You will not be able to work in the UK if you don't have a digital ID, it's as simple as that."Ā Now, heās done yet another 180.Ā Oli Dugmore is joined by Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea.
Keir Starmer: Grok imagery ādisgracefulā
33:50|Keir Starmer is challenging Elon Musk and x.com over AI generated non-consensual intimate images.A proliferation of these images, generated by x.comās AI chatbot Grok, has flooded the platform. Users have been instructing Grok to create these images of high profile figures and even of children.The British government have announced they will introduce legislation to prevent these images. This debate has raised issues of free speech, big tech, power and transatlantic relations.Oli Dugmore unpacks it all with Tom McTague and Ailbhe Rea.š READ: Why Keir Starmer has gone to war with Elon Musk - George Eatonhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/01/why-keir-starmer-has-gone-to-war-with-elon-musk
Nadhim Zahawi defects from the Tories to Reform
14:30|"Britain needs Nigel Farage as prime ministerā said the former chancellor.Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and Ailbhe Rea.
An interview with Salman Rushdie
30:55|Weāre launching our new culture and society podcast here at the New Statesman: The New Society.Tanjil Rashid, the New Statesman's culture editor, discusses his interview with Salman Rushdie, Rushdie's latest work as a reflection of his life, and also what listeners can expect to hear on future episodes of this new podcast.You can find the full interview via the links below.Follow The New Society on SpotifyFollow The New Society on Apple PodcastsWatch The New Society on YouTube