Share
Daily Politics from the New Statesman
What does it mean to be Jewish and on the left today?
Earlier this month we published a magazine with the cover ‘Being Jewish Now’. At this time of crisis in the Middle East, with divisions over the Gaza war and rising anti-Semitism, we asked a group of writers, thinkers, and activists to reflect on the question of what it means to be Jewish and on the left today.
In this episode of the podcast senior editor Alona Ferber speaks to five of the writers who contributed to this essay collection, delving deeper into the themes explored in the magazine.
Fania Oz-Salzberger: This generation will never see Gazans and Israelis become fellow citizens
Sam Adler-Bell: Jews in the diaspora must resist the inhumanity being done by Israel in our name
Omer Bartov: Both Netanyahu’s cabinet and Hamas see this crisis as an opportunity
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: Lessons of growing up black and Jewish
Howard Jacobson: The founding of Israel wasn’t a colonial act – a refugee isn’t a colonist
Being Jewish Now: https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2023/11/what-it-means-to-be-jewish-now
Download the app:
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/new-statesman-magazine/id610498525
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.progressivemediagroup.newstatesman&hl=en_GB&gl=US
SAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:
⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2
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
A look ahead to politics in 2026
52:39|It’s New Year’s celebrations, part 2!Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ben Walker to discuss the political climate of 2026. From the 10 year anniversary of Brexit and the UK’s relationship with the US, to our ageing population and SEND Reforms, here’s what to expect from next year. If you missed part one of our “Look ahead”, where we discussed the May elections and what’s in store for our political parties, you can find that in the previous episode on your feed.
The May elections will define UK politics in 2026
46:53|Happy New Year from the New Statesman podcast!What will 2026 have in store? Will Labour flop in the May elections? Will the Greens make gains? And will Reform overtake the ailing Conservatives?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ben Walker to make their political predictions.
The biggest stories of 2025
01:03:25|As 2025 draws to a close Anoosh Chakelian joined by the New Statesman's associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe, and editor in chief Tom McTague to discuss the biggest domestic and international stories of the year.Daily Politics will return on 1 January 2026.
Merry Quizmas!
38:58|How did Trump's tariffs affect the price of Labubus? Which bear was voiced by Volodymyr Zelensky? And what, crucially, did Katy Perry describe California girls as?Join the New Statesman team for our quiz of the year!
The greatest aviation disaster that didn't happen
30:17|Months before 9/11, a passenger seized control of a Boeing 747 and nearly crashed it into the Sahara.Everyone survived - including a curious ensemble of famous passengers - but no one quite recovered.Kate Mossman tells the story of Flight 2069 to Oli Dugmore.READ: The strange fate of Flight 2069
Predictions for the year ahead
40:09|Is the New Statesman too soft on Wes Streeting? Are the Lib Dems an unserious party?Plus our journalists make their predictions for what will happen in 2026, and listen back to their guesses from last year…Oli Dugmore is joined by Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe.
Misogyny is a "national emergency"
23:06|After being pushed back not once, not twice, but three times, the government's long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls has been revealed.Measures include training teachers to spot signs of misogyny in the classroom and police forces introducing specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams.But do they go far enough?Rachel Cunliffe joins Luke O'Reilly.
Jimmy Lai’s Hong Kong show trial
27:25|Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s most famous media tycoon and a British citizen, could be sentenced to life in prison.What does his case say about the political climate in Hong Kong, and how might it affect relations between the East and West?Oli Dugmore is joined by Katie Stallard.
Can Andy Burnham be the next Prime Minister?
20:00|Speculation surrounding a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer is rife.Andy Burnham, Manchester Mayor, is in the mix as a challenger. But can he find the necessary seat in parliament, and what hurdles does he face?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ethan Croft and George Eaton to discuss.