Daily Politics from the New Statesman

Yesterday, Keir Starmer met Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a new defense partnership.The Ukrainian President said he faced a missile shortage due to the war in Iran and Keir Starmer resolved to remain focused on the fight against Russia. But is the war in Eastern Europe only the first act of a much wider conflict?Oli Dugmore is joined by Will Lloyd, who visited Ukraine last month. Read: https://www.newstatesman.com/international-content/2026/03/the-new-world-war

The Treasury Select Committee has announced an inquiry into Student Loans.It comes after Rachel Reeves announced a freeze on repayment thresholds meaning more graduates will start repaying once they earn just over the living wage.It's an issue that doesn't just affect today's students and graduates but is increasingly becoming a political issue the government cannot ignore.Tom McTague is joined by Rachel Cunliffe to discuss what the inquiry might achieve - and what the student loans issue means for graduates, the economy and Britain's future.

Oil prices have spiked following the outbreak of war in Iran, with crude oil jumping to over £75 a barrel.This is having a huge impact around the world, and is set to get worse.Megan Gibson is joined by Rory Johnston, oil market researcher and author of the Commodity Context newsletter, who argues that this scenario could lead to a global depression.

After a massive 17 years reporting on politics for the New Statesman, George Eaton joins Anoosh Chakelian the podcast for a farewell episode.Anoosh and George discuss his highlights from covering the past 17 years in British politics, from the post-crash austerity years, through Labour civil war and ultimately Keir Starmer's Labour election victory in 2024. They reflect on the lessons learned, what's changed... and what's stayed the same.

Hereditary peers scrapped, tech overlord villainy, Tory hypocrisy and camel pageant botox cheating.It’s another weekly round up from Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn.

Keir Starmer apologised for appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Is it enough?After a vote by MPs forced its hand, the government has released the first batch of files relating to Mandelson’s appointment. They revealed that the Prime Minister was told the Labour peer posed a “reputational risk” because of his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and that his national security adviser raised concerns about the appointment.The so-called “Mandelson files” also exposed a number of facts about the vetting process that were already reported by the New Statesman in February and have angered Labour MPs all over again, and prompted further calls for Keir Starmer’s resignation.Will the Prime Minister go?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Cunliffe - who has read through every word of the files - do discuss what they contain, what they reveal, and what Keir Starmer must do now.📚 READ Starmer, Mandelson and the missing puzzle piece

Is the UK going through the “fourth great disruption” to its geopolitical position?In this unprecedented moment, we take a look at how history can shed light on the current conflict, and which politician is best placed to handle the crisis. Editor-in-chief Tom McTague is joined by John Bew, professor of history at King’s College London and former foreign policy adviser to four different British governments, and our political editor Ailbhe Rea. 

Were the strikes on Iran illegal? What's next for the controversial courts bill? Are Labour leaders aware of the existential crisis within their party?On this week's episode of The Exchange, we speak with Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy.To listen more episodes of The Exchange find us on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.