The New Statesman | UK politics and culture

In the short period which has elapsed since Donald Trump took office (again) in January, he has slashed public health funding, gone after education, attacked media freedom, and challenged the authority of the legal system of the courts.Some of this seems outright reckless, but some of the actions taken by this Trump administration mirror the political trajectories of countries like Hungary, el Salvador, Turkey, and Russia. Countries where democracy has crumbled and autocracy has taken hold.Katie Stallard is joined by Kim Lane Scheppele, a scholar of law and politics at Princeton University and Lucan Way, distinguished professor of democracy at the University of Toronto.

The politics team answers listener questions on council tax, the voters ignored by Labour and the Tories, and the true value of billionaires.Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr and Rachel Cunliffe.Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us

After the purported 'Easter truce' fighting has resumed in Ukraine and Russia, meanwhile peace talks in the West have broken down with the US speaking to Russia separately.Hannah Barnes is joined by Andrew Marr to discuss this week in UK politics, and later in the episode by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to look at Reform UK's surging popularity ahead of the local elections.Read: Can Reform grow up?, Steve Reed: “Reform is a symptom of broken trust”

China's modern history is also a story about trade. So how will the echoes of the past 200 years shape the trade war that Donald Trump has waged on the world's second largest economy?Katie Stallard is joined by Rana Mitter and Kevin Xu.Read: What will China look like in 20 yearsRead: Interconnected

Former senior civil servant Jill Rutter joins the podcast to answer listener questions on the inner workings of government.This episode is hosted by the New Statesman's associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe.Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us

How did a joke gone awry in 1967 forever changed the nation’s relationship with the truth?Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Phil Tinline, a regular writer for the New Statesman and author of the new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain: The Hoax that Duped America and its Sinister Legacy.

Major pharmaceutical companies - or Big Pharma - research, develop and distribute medicines and treatments that we rely upon. However, their pursuit of commercial interests has often led to accusations of prioritising profits over the healthcare of patients both in the UK and beyond. Katie Stallard is joined by doctor and medical commentator Dr Phil Whitaker, and author/campaigner Nick Dearden.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new 50-point AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to drive national growth and transform public services. In this episode host Jon Bernstein talks to AWS Director of Technology for the UK Public Sector Holly Ellis, and Director of Government Innovation Policy at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Alexander losad about the plan and what it could mean for businesses, policymakers and the wider economy. The conversation covers AI’s role in reshaping government operations, challenges in implementation, and the UK's potential as a global AI innovation hub. This New Statesman podcast episode is sponsored by AWS.USEFUL LINKSRegister for the AWS Summit London 2025 | AI innovation on AWS | Using generative AI to improve inclusivity – Swindon Borough Council case study | UK Ministry of Justice accelerates critical decisions with AWS analytics and machine learning

The first of May is set to be a big day for local government with council elections, mayoral races, and even a by-election taking place.Rachel Cunliffe is joined by senior data journalist Ben Walker to discuss what's being contested and where the polls stand at the moment.Read more from Ben hereSign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us