The New Statesman: politics, ideas and interviews

On the 7th October Sharone Lifschitz's parents were taken as hostages by Hamas. One year later her father, along with almost 100 other hostages, have not returned and the entire region stands at a crossroads.Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced by the ensuing conflict as Israel have conducted air strikes, first on Gaza, currently on Lebanon and Yemen.How did this conflict escalate so drastically? On this episode of the podcast Sharone Lifschitz and Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, join from London, and speaking from Beirut we hear from journalist Hanna Davis and Yalda Hakim, lead world news presenter at Sky News.This episode was recorded prior to Iran's missile attack on Israel on the 1st October.

In a 2022 poll, a majority of Americans said they believe their government was corrupt and rigged, and more than a quarter believed it might soon be necessary to take up arms against it.Conspiracy theories have ripped across America’s political landscape for decades, but in the last 10 years the divide between fact and fiction has become almost indistinguishable at times. So how did we get here?Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined by journalist and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse. 

"A very dark speech, very serious, very closely argued, but there was passion there, but the passion was anger" - Andrew Marr reacts after Keir Starmer's speech at Labour party conference, the first Labour prime minister to do so in 15 years.We also hear from David Blunkett, Wes Streeting MP, Baroness Taylor, and Henry Tufnell MP, on the key takeaways from the party's time in Liverpool.

We're coming to you from Liverpool where Rachel Reeves has just delivered her keynote speech at this year's Labour Party Conference. There were lots of smiles in the Chancellor's speech as well as the commitment to the tough economic decisions that she has to make, but has she managed to turn the page on Labour's rough beginning in government?Hannah Barnes hears from Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, and Andy Burnham, and after the break she speaks to the New Statesman's Nicholas Harris about his trip to the very first Reform conference in Birmingham.

Labour Party Conference is just around the corner and the party needs to tell a story about the bigger picture for their time in government, but could this get lost amongst the smaller stories cropping up around free clothes and the chief of staff's pay?Hannah Barnes, associate editor, is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and George Eaton, senior editor.Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us

Conference season is underway and Ed Davey sat down with the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe to set out his party's ambitions to become the party of opposition.We also hear from Wes Streeting and the political battle for NHS reform.Hannah Barnes is joined in the studio by Andrew Marr, political editor, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor.Ed Davey: “The Conservatives are in our sights”Wes Streeting: “I don’t want to be the fun police”

Will Dunn meets the political pranksters who sent Liz Truss fleeing in rage.**Follow on your podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they're released**From films detailing Conservative hypocrisy projected on Parliament buildings, to remote-controlled lettuce banners unfurling over the head of the former Prime Minister, Led By Donkeys have been a regular fixture of political activism over the past decade.Now with a Labour government in place after 14 years of Tory rule, will the group - with their predominantly progressive politics - change their approach?The New Statesman's Will Dunn meets Led By Donkeys in this extended interview.Led By Donkeys: Adventures in Art, Activism and Accountability is published by Thames & Hudson and available now.

Freddie Hayward rejoins the podcast in his new role as US correspondent to answer listener questions on the weird world of US politics. **Hit 'follow' on your podcast app to get new episodes first**He speaks to Hannah Barnes and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss how Keir Starmer’s commitment to “tough choices” compares with the Kamala Harris campaign, and how US election campaigns use the vast amounts of money they receive in donations.–Read more: Robert F Kennedy Jr and the end of the partyhttps://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/08/robert-f-kennedy-tulsi-gabbardKamala Harris wants to make America nice againhttps://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2024/08/cnn-interview-kamala-harris–Submit a question:We answer listener questions every Friday. Submit your by commenting on this episode on Spotify, or at www.newstatesman.com/youaskusBecome a New Statesman subscriber:Get access to all our reporting at newstatesman.com and receive your copy of our weekly magazine. Podcast listeners can get the first two months for just £2 at https://www.newstatesman.com/saveSign up for our daily politics emailReceive a daily dose of politics coverage straight to your inbox every morning in our newsletter, Morning Call. Sign up for free here: https://morningcall.substack.comWatch the New Statesman podcastFind all episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@newstatesman