41 | The Who, The What, The How

We recorded this week in the aftermath of the Manchester terror attack, with the election campaign temporarily suspended.  We take a step back to review some of the broad themes of the campaign so far and talk about how the main parties have been presenting themselves and what they are trying to achieve.  We reflect on the importance of leadership style - what makes Theresa May different from Tony Blair? - and we ask why so little of the election has been about Brexit.  With Helen Thompson, Glen Rangwala and Chris Brooke.
 

39 | The Meaning of UKIP

After UKIP’s dreadful performance in the local elections we ask about the historic legacy of Nigel Farage’s party.  How big was its role in taking the UK out of the EU?  Will UKIP turn out to be the gateway drug for turning Labour supporters into Conservatives?  How do its fortunes compare with the Front National in France?  Plus we catch up on the latest development across the Channel and discuss the prospects for Macron’s presidency.  Can he find a solution to the perennial problem that hangs over French politics: Germany?  With Helen Thompson, Hugo Drochon, Chris Bickerton and Chris Brooke.

24 | Mary Beard

Ahead of her LRB lecture at the British Museum, we talk to Mary Beard about women in power. Why are powerful women so often called phonies? What can we learn about women and power from the ancient world? We discuss what's wrong with the idea of glass ceilings, and what Hillary Clinton's treatment at the hands of Trump and his supporters really says about political misogyny. Plus Mary tells us what she thinks has gone wrong with the Labour party. On that note, we also have Helen and Chris looking ahead to this week's by-elections: who has most to lose, Corbyn or UKIP?