253 | Britain Wrestles with its Past

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We talk with the writer and political commentator Fintan O'Toole about how British politics can and should deal with its imperial past in the age of Brexit.  From battles over statues to fights over nationalism we explore whether history has become the new democratic divide.  Why does Churchill loom so large over our politics?  Can Labour reclaim the mantle of patriotism?  Will the Union survive the history wars?  Plus we ask whether there has been a generational shift in attitudes to race and identity.  With Helen Thompson.

251 | Police State USA

We talk to Adom Getachew, Jasson Perez and Gary Gerstle about the politics of protest and the politics of policing in America.  What does 'Defund the Police' mean in practice?  Is the current crisis likely to empower or curtail the surveillance state?  How are the current protests different from ones we've seen in the past?  And where Minneapolis leads, will the world follow?  Plus we talk about the implications of the protests for the November elections.

249 | Matt Forde

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David talks to comedian and host of the Political Party podcast Matt Forde about his lockdown experiences and about his life with the Labour party: before, during and after the Corbyn years.  Plus we discuss the ways in which political allegiances are (and aren't) like supporting a football team.

245 | Europe Blows Up

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How does a judgement of the German constitutional court threaten to explode the European project?  David talk to Helen Thompson, Adam Tooze and Shahin Vallee about what the court's decision might mean for
the Euro, for the response to the pandemic, for Franco-German relations and for the future of central banks.  Can the great European fudge continue?  And what happens if it can't?

Plus a bonus chat with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd from the ‘Reasons to be Cheerful Podcast’ https://www.cheerfulpodcast.com/

243 | Ebola, COVID and the WHO

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David and Helen talk this week with Amy Maxmen, senior reporter at Nature. Amy has covered the Ebola epidemic in Western Africa and now COVID-19 in the US.  Does she see comparisons between the two?  What explains the failures of the US response?  Can the WHO still make a difference?  Plus we explore the implications of the growing politicisation of science.  When did data become so divisive?

242 | David Miliband on the Crisis

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We talk with David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, about the impact of the pandemic on the world's poorest countries.  What happens in places where social distancing is not possible?  Plus we discuss the long-term implications of the crisis for the future global co-operation and global conflict.  Is this the moment for social democracy?  More details of the work of the IRC can be found here:  https://www.rescue-uk.org/