323 | Covid-Union-Labour-Brexit-Climate

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This week David and Helen take stock of the state of British politics, looking at how the big themes of the last year fit together. They try to join the dots between the pandemic and the fraying of the Union, the weakness of the Labour party and the fraught politics of climate change, along with the lingering impact of Brexit on everything. We are also looking for your questions on these topics too – please let us know what you would like David and Helen to discuss next!

288 | War: What Is it Good For?

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We talk to the historian Margaret MacMillan about the changing character of war, from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. Do we still understand the risks? Where are the conflicts of the future likely to break out? And how can we reconcile the terrible destructiveness of war with its capacity to bring about positive change? Plus we talk about why war produces so much great art.

272 | Has Covid Rescued Europe?

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This week we look at the big changes in European politics during the crisis and ask who has managed to turn it around.  Is Italy now a model for crisis management?  Has there been a reorientation in German politics under Merkel?  Can the EU rescue fund really rescue the European project?  Plus we discuss the long-term implications of big state politics for the future of Europe.  With Helen Thompson, Lucia Rubinelli and Hans Kundnani.

240 | Lockdownonomics

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David and Helen talk to the economist Diane Coyle about the long-term consequences of lock-down, for the economy, for society and for our well-being.  How can we measure the costs?  Who are likely to be the
biggest losers?  And what will it mean for how we structure our economies in future?  Plus we discuss what will happen if we pull back from global supply chain and we ask whether inflation is on its way.

239 | Adam Tooze/Shockwave

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David and Helen talk to Adam Tooze about what we know about the crisis that we didn't know a month ago, and what we still don't have much of a clue about. From fights inside the French government to the fate of the planet, from shale gas to corona bonds, we try to join up the dots. Plus a small update, recorded after news of the oil price-drop… | Read 'Shockwave' by Adam Tooze in the LRB 

237 | British Politics: The Big Reset?

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We discuss whether British politics is about to undergo a fundamental shift.  Are we seeing a new role for the state?  Have the lines between the parties started to blur?  What will be the long-term consequences of the economic decisions taken in the last few weeks? Plus we explore whether the crisis points in the direction of more democracy, less democracy or a different kind of democracy.  With Helen Thompson and Tom McTague of the Atlantic.