Share
The Politics Show
How Britain became a dangerous place to have a baby
What are the roots of today’s maternity crisis? Recent research by the Care Quality Commission has found a “concerning decline” in England, with over half of maternity wards rated substandard. Donna Ockenden’s review of Shrewsbury and Telford maternity trust found that, between 2001 and 2019, 201 babies and nine mothers had died avoidable deaths.
In this week’s audio long read, the editor of the New Statesman’s Spotlight magazine Alona Ferber traces the origins of this decline – from the advent of woman-centred care in the 1980s to today’s more frayed and divided landscape. Are austerity and political indifference the key factors, and does an ideological split over ‘natural’ and ‘medical’ birth play a part? “Thirty years ago,” Ferber writes, “when power moved from the institution to the individual, that shift was radical, progressive and revolutionary. It was about women’s rights and politics, as much as it was about health. But today the system is so stretched that the nexus of power is nowhere. It is not with clinical staff, nor with families. Instead, we muddle through.” Drawing on interviews with practitioners and her own birth experiences, she pieces together the elements of an ongoing crisis.
Written and read by Alona Ferber.
This article was originally published on 30 September 2023 and you can read the text version here.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Sophie McBain on The ADHD decade: what’s behind the boom in adult diagnoses
LISTEN AD-FREE:
📱Download the New Statesman app
MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:
❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday
⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning
✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday
More episodes
View all episodes
US midterms: Democrats flip the House and Senate
26:44|America has delivered its verdict on Donald Trump’s second term, and it is a resounding one. Democrats won sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections and will take control of the House and Senate next year.Trump has congratulated the Democrats, while insisting he doesn’t see the results as a rejection of his leadership. So who voted, why, and what does this mean for US politics?Freddie Hayward is joined by Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University, the New Statesman’s senior data journalist, Ben Walker.
Shabana Mahmood’s new immigration rules
26:15|The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is unveiling sweeping new rules to Britain’s immigration system, which would force some migrants to wait as long as ten to 15 years for the right to settle in the UK.While she has made a concession on care workers currently working in the UK, the proposals remain controversial for retrospectively applying to many people already on the path to settlement here.What does this mean for the politics of the Labour Party, and for the country Britain will become?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea to discuss
Andy Burnham’s first 100 days in power
27:39|The Goggleboxification of British politics, Liz Truss’s bonkers new book and Andy Burnham’s pickle over gherkin prices.Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Oli Dugmore to discuss the stories of the week.READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/10/andy-burnham-must-resist-gogglebox-politics https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/polling/2026/10/britain-is-giving-andy-burnham-a-chance :
Budget 2026: Cautious or radical?
55:50|John Healey has delivered his first Budget as Chancellor, promising "breathing space" for households and businesses as the war in the Middle East drives up energy and borrowing costs.Anoosh Chakelian is joined first by journalist and economist Duncan Weldon, to discuss the economics, and second by political editor Ailbhe Rea to discuss the politics.
US midterms: Is this a referendum on Trump?
22:42|On 3 November, Americans will head to the polls for the midterms. We will be publishing an episode for the next two Wednesdays, analysing the results.In this second episode, we ask: will voters use the midterms to punish Donald Trump? His net approval rating is at an all time low and there’s growing discontent over the Iran War and the cost of living.US correspondent Freddie Hayward is joined by political scientist Julia Azari, New York Times’ White House reporter Shawn McCreesh and the president of the Progressive Policy Institute, Will Marshall.
Should we scrap the Budget?
26:39|We are in the middle of the usual annual tradition of pre-Budget speculation. Westminster tries to guess what the Chancellor will announce, while the Treasury attempts to make clever briefings to roll the pitch for its plans.But is there a fundamental problem with the whole ritual?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn to discuss.
Martin Lewis is "on speed dial to Number 10"
42:00|Martin Lewis's direct line to the government, Burnham's parking fine crackdown, and do the British public prefer picky bits or holly bobs?Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn round up the stories of the week.READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2026/10/martin-lewis-i-get-criticised-that-im-a-sticking-plasterhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/the-sketch/2026/10/in-space-no-one-can-hear-britain-scream
Labour split over Jackdaw
20:53|The government has approved drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. It is a decision that has split the Labour Party.It may only be the beginning - the far more controversial decision on the Rosebank gas field is still to come.Anoosh Chakelian is joined today by Megan Kenyon to discuss.
US midterms: Where are the key battlegrounds?
20:42|On 3 November, Americans will head to the polls for the midterm elections.We will be publishing one episode a week for the next three weeks, every Wednesday, taking in the lead up and results.In this first episode, we ask: Where are the key battlegrounds these elections will be fought?US correspondent Freddie Hayward is joined by the NS’s senior data journalist, Ben Walker, political scientist Lisa Bryant and New York Times White House reporter Shawn McCreesh.