Share
The New Statesman | UK politics and culture
Armando Iannucci: Is it time to reform parliament's arcane rules and rituals? | Westminster Reimagined
The legendary writer, satirist and broadcaster Armando Iannucci returns to the New Statesman podcast to co-host five more special episodes. In these shows, Iannucci explores parts of British public life he believes to be broken, and is joined by guests from both inside and outside Westminster to discuss how politics could be better.
In this episode, Armando and Ailbhe Rea examine the place we make laws: parliament. Is it an old boys’ club, designed to exclude normal people from being able to make sense of it?
They are joined by special guests Anum Qaisar, the SNP’s newest Westminster MP, who won the Airdrie and Shotts by-election in 2021, and Emma Crewe, a professor of anthropology at SOAS who has studied the workings of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
They talk about how parliament can be hard to navigate, what’s prevented it from evolving into a modern, 21st-century legislature and why it’s still a tough place for MPs from non-traditional backgrounds.
Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.
More episodes
View all episodes
What Musk's money could do for Reform UK
19:21|It's the last listener questions episode of 2024! Hannah Barnes is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to discuss Elon Musk's support and intentions for Reform UK. The team also consider how Children Not In School register could help increase children's safety and wellbeing, especially considering up to 300,000 children may have been missing from education entirely in 2023.-The podcast will be taking a break over Christmas but we'll be back on Monday to review the year in UK politics.
Emily Thornberry: I won't be on the welcome committee for Trump
27:45|The team discuss two big political stories of the week; WASPI women and Prince Andrew's friendship with the alleged Chinese spy. And the New Statesman's policy correspondent Harry Clarke-Ezzidio sits down with Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us
Torsten Bell: Is Britain's decline reversible?
34:40|This conversation was recorded at the Cambridge Literary Festival. To watch an extended version or to find out more about Cambridge Literary Festival please head to cambridgeliteraryfestival.com-The New Statesman’s business editor Will Dunn sat down with Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, and former chief executive of the Resolution Foundation - a think tank which aims to improve the standard of living of low-to-middle income families. Torsten Bell also worked as Labour’s Director of Policy under Ed Milliband’s leadership. His first book Great Britain?: How We Get Our Future Back, was published earlier this year.
How Paddington became the spokesbear for Britain
29:30|First conceived in 1956 by Michael Bond, the marmalade-loving immigrant from Peru has become an iconic British cultural figure – treasured for his chaotic nature, impeccable manners, and proximity to royalty. So, how did Paddington become the spokesbear for Britain, crossing political divides in the country, and one of the most commercially successful characters in the world?Tom Gatti is joined by New Statesman contributor Amelia Tait, and Paddington screenwriter Jon Foster.Read: The triumph of Paddington Inc
France's centre has collapsed, is the UK's next?
16:30|The team answer listener questions on the appointment of Heidi Alexander to transport secretary and whether the UK's mainstream centrist politics are at risk from the far-right.Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and George Eaton.
Will Starmer engage with HTS?
17:03|Will his history as a human rights lawyer play a part? Will Shamima Begum be able to return? And why have all Syrian asylum claims been suspended?Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and George Eaton to discuss Britain's reaction to the collapse of the Syrian regime and also Britain's trade talks with the EU.
What happens when a tyrant flees
31:47|On Sunday Morning the sound of gunfire filled the air in Damascus. The noise, not of fighting, but celebrations. President Bashar al-Assad and his family had fled to Russia. A family which ruled for more than 50 years, brought down by a rebel offensive which had begun less than two weeks earlier. Kate Lamble is joined by Rajan Menon, Marcel Dirsus, and John Jenkins to discuss what's next for Syria, Assad, and the wider region.Read: The fall of Assad represents a revolution in the Middle East, by Rajan Menon; Bashar al-Assad will find no peace in Moscow, by Marcel Dirsus; The Syrian crucible, by John Jenkins
The politics of faith: Britain's changing relationship with Christianity
35:26|Is the Church experiencing an existential crisis? And what is the role of Christianity in modern Britain? Tom Gatti is joined by Pippa Bailey, David Sexton, and Madeleine Davies. Read: Conclave: this papal power struggle is high entertainment Read: The race for Lambeth Palace Read: The rise of cultural Christianity
Hunter Biden and South Korea: What's going on in the world?
29:42|Hannah Barnes is joined by Will Dunn and Katie Stallard to answer your economics questions AND try to make sense of some big world events this week.