The New Statesman Podcast, Subscriber Only Edition

The fallout from Reform's latest scandal, John Healey's first major speech as Chancellor and Ukraine's plan to tax porn stars. Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn discuss the stories of the week. Read: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2026/09/the-gospel-according-to-nigel-paul-farage

Terror has sought Salman Rushdie out time and time again for the past 40 years, ever since the controversial publication of his novel The Satanic Verses and the furious response to it from much of the Muslim world.   He believed that his life of extreme measures and isolation was a closed chapter in 1998, after Iran stepped back from the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini. But four summers ago, in a quiet lake town in New York, death came knocking again. Rushdie was about to give a public lecture when a man ran on stage and attacked him with a knife.   He first revisited this attempt on his life in his 2024 book Knife. Now, with his wife, the poet and visual artist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, and director Alex Gibney, Rushdie has retold this life-changing moment through film.    He spoke with Tanjil Rashid on the eve of the 25th anniversary of  9/11, with which he feels a "line of connection" - between the attack on himself and the attack on his adopted home in New York, and reflected on what it means to live in this age of terror.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has unveiled the biggest reset in UK relations with Israel for decades, and, in typical fashion, is putting his stamp on his new role.   Meanwhile, the scandal surrounding Reform and their finances continues, with the Met Police announcing they are launching a criminal investigation.   Pippa Bailey is joined by Ailbhe Rea, and guest Ben Judah, to discuss.

Fuchsia Dunlop has dedicated much of her life to eating Chinese food. If you're interested in Chinese cuisine and culture, you may have come across her through television programmes, heard her on the radio, or cooked one of her recipes. And if you haven't, stick around and you'll be tempted to dive a little deeper into this extraordinary world. Fuchsia joined Oli Dugmore on the day her latest book, Five Tastes, was published, to talk about the flavours that define Chinese food, what they reveal about an ancient culture, and the political and economic factors changing Chinese cuisine - both in China and in the West.

Labour's missing money metaphor, the millionaires still getting benefits and Dyson's £420 toothbrush.  Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn to round up the stories of the week. READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/bursting-the-bubble/2026/09/andy-burnham-cant-explain-the-economy https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2026/09/britain-must-stop-paying-benefits-to-millionaires 

Historical fantasy, campus satire, industry exposé; five books in, and no one's quite worked out what a "RF Kuang novel" is supposed to look like. That's rather the point.   This September she publishes her sixth: Taipei Story, a semi-autobiographical account of a summer spent learning Mandarin in Taiwan - her most personal book yet.   She joins Tanjil Rashid in this episode of the podcast.

This week was Andy Burnham's first in the Commons as Prime Minister, facing his inaugural head to head with Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.   As for the Tories, they have undergone a major reshuffle.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Tom McTague.

From the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the current escalation of the war between Israel, Palestine and their neighbouring countries, the Middle East has been besieged by almost constant conflict.   Is it history? Politics? Resources? Or religion driving these tensions?   Tanjil Rashid is joined by historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore, whose new book The Cauldron tells the story of the making of the modern Middle East.

Alexei Sayle has never much cared for a conventional view of the world.   Born in 1950s Liverpool to committed communist parents, he was named after Maxim Gorky - real name Alexei Maximovich Peshkov. Dyed-in-the-wool Marxism, in other words, was baked in from birth, and he's Jewish on his mother's side.    His first two memoirs, Stalin Ate My Homework and Thatcher Stole My Trousers, told the story of that red upbringing. Now Sayle is back with volume three: How I've Tried to Change the World, exploring a lifetime of protests, marches, and what decades on the picket line have taught him about being a Marxist today.

The investigation into Nigel's "Farage Fest" election party, Andy Burnham's Ukrainian jam session and Pope Leo XIV making it onto Vanity Fair's best dressed list. Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn round up the stories of the week.  

It's nearly a year since Zack Polanski took the reins of the Green party.    In many ways the party has never been so successful – with five MPs, leading six local authorities and a leader who cuts through with the public.    But now the Greens have to contend with a new – and relatively popular – Prime Minister, and internal factions within the party threaten to make life difficult for Polanski as he heads towards the summer conference.   How is the Green leader faring one year on?   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Megan Kenyon   Produced by Chris Stone  

One of the first big decisions of Andy Burnham's premiership is looming: whether to drill for North Sea oil and gas.  Labour made a manifesto promise not to grant new licences for oil and gas exploration, but the question of whether to go ahead and drill at the Rosebank and Jackdaw sites - offshore oil and gas fields that have pre-existing licences - remains. After a summer of wildfires and heatwaves, but with our energy security and cost-of-living precarious, the new Prime Minister faces a political dilemma. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political editor Ailbhe Rea.

What constitutes a wealthy society, Richard Tice saying we should "enjoy" climate change and the clamour around Harry and Meghan's return to the UK.  Anoosh Chakelian and Oli Dugmore discuss the stories of the week.  

Charlotte Higgins has spent most of her career interviewing and critiquing artists, authors and poets as the Guardian's chief culture writer. It was unlikely that her work would ever take her to a warzone.   But following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she found herself drawn to this country under siege. She wanted to ask, what happens to art under war? And could Ukrainian culture not just survive, but flourish?

On the one hand, Burnham may never be as popular as he is now. On the other, the PM could lose an election if he calls it soon, bringing his long-held dream of being prime minister to a horribly premature end.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political editor Ailbhe Rea.

In 2011, Luke Harding was ordered to leave Russia - the first Western journalist to be exiled since the fall of the Soviet Union. As the Guardian's senior correspondent, he continued to watch Russia from afar, covering WikiLeaks, Edward Snowden, and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. But in recent years he crept back closer to Moscow, reporting from the front lines of the war in Ukraine.   His new book, Betrayal, follows the many contours of this conflict and what they tell us about the new age of global power: What kind of control does Russia have over Donald Trump? How did North Korean soldiers end up in Ukraine? Why did a Reform leader undertake work for the Russian state for 40k?   Luke Harding joins Oli Dugmore in this episode of The Exchange, a podcast from the New Statesman.

After its victory in Clacton, Reform has announced plans to slash the welfare state. Over the weekend, Robert Jenrick claimed a Reform government would cut £50 billion from the welfare bill, excluding foreign nationals from most benefits. Meanwhile, a parliamentary investigation into Nigel Farage's finances has resumed, after he was found to have accepted a £5 million gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political editor Ailbhe Rea.  

Labour overtaking Reform in opinion polls for the first time in over a year, travel chaos for government ministers and the controversial grave of Dobby the house-elf.  Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Oli Dugmore to discuss the stories of the week.  

Sorry about all the bangs, things got a little crazy at Clacton Leisure Centre.   After a long and fairly ridiculous night, Nigel Farage has been reinstated as MP for Clacton. What happens now? Could it be another by-election?   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by senior data journailst and Labour councillor, Ben Walker.

Clacton is heading for a by-election on Thursday, triggered by Nigel Farage, amidst the Reform leader's financial scandals.   Anoosh Chakelian spends the day in Clacton, getting the perspective of locals.

Andy Burnham's vision – to reground the Labour party in a sense of place, tradition and belonging – began over a decade ago, rising from the rubble of the Blair and Brown years.  Off the back of the party's 2010 defeat, figures now key to his government argued that Labour had become too centralised; too detached from working class voters. Now, Burnham wants to revive "community" as both a value and a means of reforming the UK. Is this the era of "Woke Blue Labour"? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by editor-in-chief Tom McTague. Read: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2026/08/are-we-living-under-woke-blue-labour  

Is supporting North Sea drilling an extremist position? Does Jeremy Clarkson have the right to ask benefit claimants for a thank you note? And should you grass on naughty neighbours breaking the hosepipe ban? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Oli Dugmore to discuss some of the biggest questions of the week. 📚 READ Supporting North Sea drilling is an extremist position https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2026/07/north-sea-drilling-is-an-extremist-position The road to Nowhereville https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2026/07/the-road-to-nowhereville

In the summer of 2024, riots tore through British towns, and since then old questions have continued to resurface about who belongs in the country.   Taj Ali has spent years digging into a history that's rarely told in full: the long tradition of South Asian political activism in Britain.   His debut book, Come What May, We're Here to Stay, traces that tradition and asks what it means for Britain now.   Taj Ali joins Tanjil Rashid.

Why did Kemi Badenoch allow a man with a neo-Nazi past to stand as a council candidate? Is Andy Burnham running into his first bump in the road as Prime Minister over his pausing of the early release of prisoners scheme? And could Reform and Restore set aside their differences and form a pact?   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political correspondent Ethan Croft.

For ten years Gianni Infantino has run FIFA more or less unchallenged - cosying up to Putin, the Saudis, and above all Trump, and turning the World Cup into the most commercially aggressive tournament the sport has ever seen.    Then a few weeks ago, it emerged he'd been secretly negotiating to sell a fifth of FIFA's business to outside investors for $20 billion. The plan collapsed within days, under a revolt from football associations around the world.  

For some time, Zack Polanski's tenure as Green Party leader had been largely characterised as a success.    But he's been having a turbulent time in recent weeks. He was accused of inciting violence with an Instagram post, failed to steal the Manchester mayoralty from Labour, and the party is becoming increasingly divided on the subject of defence of spending.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political correspondent Megan Kenyon to discuss.

The best day of Andy Burnham's life, Chris Philp goes gonzo in the Channel, and more climate change denial in a burning country.   Anoosh Chakelian and Will Dunn round up some stories you might have missed this week.  

Every year, more libraries across Britain close their doors.   As councils have their funding slashed, these are often the first spaces to go.   What do we lose when we stop reading and collecting? What is a library to a community, beyond its books?   Tanjil Rashid is joined by the University of Oxford's Bodley's Librarian, Richard Ovenden.

Andy Burnham's policy and comms blitz powers on - he is setting out his intentions early, and with a very different style than his predecessor.   Meanwhile, on his second week, his government is fully appointed, but the fallout is still rumbling away in the background.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Tom McTague to discuss.

For decades, hell, even centuries, there's only been one show in town for the British right - the Conservative Party.   But now, as the British electoral system complains and convulses and shudders and shrieks, a right-wing party has been at the top of the polls; it's just not the Tories.   Broadcaster, author and political commentator Iain Dale joins Oli Dugmore to discuss Reform, Restore, and the potential revitalisation of the Conservative Party.

Anoosh and Will are back for their weekly politics round up, this week includes: the tired spectacle of a new prime minister, Wes Streeting's hot mic moment, Gary Lineker's plea for higher taxes, and the ongoing saga of Stella Creasy's parakeet misidentification.

It's day 4 of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's premiership.   His cabinet is now appointed - With some notable appointments to the top jobs, plenty of reshuffling, and some loyal Starmer-ites out.   The PM has also begun to announce his measures to tackle the cost of living, from bus fares to energy bills, and a big clear target from the off: end rough sleeping.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Tom McTague to discuss.

Keir Starmer is no longer prime minister, Andy Burnham is.    What just happened? Why did it happen? And what now?    Oli Dugmore is joined by the New Statesman's editor-in-chief Tom McTague for a Starmer retrospective.

Today, Keir Starmer made his way from No 10 to Buckingham Palace to officially resign as Prime Minister.   He was closely followed by his replacement, Andy Burnham, who is currently in his first few hours in the job.   Anoosh Chakelian is in Westminster with Ailbhe Rea to discuss.

Throughout history, art, and artists, have caused moral outrage.   For a long time we had the liberal notion that we could separate great art from bad artists, but we do seem to live in a time of heightened moralisation around works of art and their creators. Why is that?   Tanjil Rashid is joined by Daisy Dixon, who has written the book Depraved: The Story of Dangerous Art.

Keir Starmer has bowed out of his role as Prime Minister. At his final PMQs, an unusually convivial tone was struck.   As Starmer's political career draws to a close, Will Dunn and Tom McTague discuss his tenure, his final week, and ponder his unpopularity.

Gary Stevenson, economic campaigner and YouTuber, is using this change in government to lobby for a wealth tax. Without one, he predicts, "society will collapse".   He joins Oli Dugmore on this episode of The Exchange.

Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of Homer's epic poem is one of the most anticipated films in recent cinema history.   But what is it about this story, first told maybe 3000 years ago, that so fascinates us?   Who really wrote it and why does it represent, with Homer's other great work The Iliad, the foundation of western literature?   Tanjil Rashid is joined by The Odyssey's latest translator, classical scholar and literary critic Daniel Mendelsohn

Nigel Farage, pollings' current front runner to win the next general election, has resigned as an MP.   However, he plans to stand as a candidate in the by-election this move will trigger. Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories have labelled this a "stunt" and won't stand in the contest.   Meanwhile, Andy Burnham is continuing to prepare for power…   Tom McTague is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Ethan Croft to discuss.

Over 1000 of Epstein's victims of sexual abuse and trafficking have now been identified; some have chosen to come forward publicly, and among them there was one voice which was the loudest. Virginia Roberts Giuffre.   In 2021, she decided she wanted to tell her own story, in its entirety. Joining forces with the ghostwriter Amy Wallace, she began working on Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice   But in 2025, before publication, Giuffre was found dead in her home in Australia. She'd let it be known that should anything happen to her, she wanted her story to be told.   Amy Wallace joins Oli Dugmore to continue telling that story.   --   Statement from Sky Roberts as printed in Nobody's Girl:   "Just to straighten this out, I never abused my daughter and didn't know that Forrest —- did that either. If I had known about that, I would have been very angry and taken care of the situation. I gave my daughter every single thing she ever wanted and never ever touched her sexually, I never even knew what was going on with Epstein until I read about it online and getting calls from news agencies. There is so much they are getting wrong, even her middle name, it is Virginia Lee Roberts and not Virginia Louise. I am a moral person and believe that men who take advantage of young children should be prosecuted and then castrated. It really pisses me off that someone would write that I would ever abuse my children. As a father, I only tried to give my children a good life."   Statement from Giuffre vs Prince Andrew court case, 2022:   "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over the years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."

Nigel Farage loses his cool as he's grilled on his £5 million "gift", the "anti-woke" Davos and the elephant seal that's terrorising Tasmania.  Will and Anoosh round up the stories of the week. READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2026/07/is-nigel-farage-losing-momentum

Hot dogs, fireworks, old glory, it's the 4th July. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the USA's Declaration of Independence.   What led up to these crucial events in 1776? Was the revolution truly American? And what does this anniversary represent today?   Tanjil Rashid is joined by Sarah Pearsall, historian and author of Freedom Round the Globe: How the World Made the American Revolution.

Some had dubbed Starmer as "the Trump whisperer", so how has this change in leader come across in the US? Do they even care?   Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo, joins us on The Exchange to discuss the view from across the pond and how Britain became a punching bag for the American right.

Then social media came along. This is one of the reasons social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes whole heartedly in the social media ban for under 16s, which has been rolled out in Australia, and will be brought into effect in the UK early next year.   But is the ban really working in Australia? Is banning a solution? And is there a way to let young people benefit from the opportunities of the internet safely?

This morning Andy Burnham delivered a speech criticising "Whitehall culture" and promising to rebalance resources between national and local governments.  On course to enter Downing Street in as little as three weeks, the former Greater Manchester Mayor laid out his vision for a "Number 10 North", promising "growth in every postcode". But how will that work in practice? And how different is it from what's been before? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political editor Ailbhe Rea.  

Keir Starmer's turn at the resignation lectern, Peter Murrell's £400,000 shopping spree and Will Dunn's attempt at a "Man v Horse" race.  Will and Anoosh discuss the stories of the week. READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/this-england/2026/06/one-small-step-for-man-much-further-for-a-horse

Tayari Jones is one of America's most celebrated novelists, twice chosen by Oprah, shortlisted for prizes on both sides of the Atlantic, and read by presidents.   Her newest book was meant to be a tale of gentrification in the American South, she found herself an entirely different story. Kin follows two motherless girls coming of age in 1950s Louisiana, the Jim Crow South.It's a novel about female friendship, class, race, and motherhood.   Jones discusses her latest book, about growing up "bourgeois and segregated" in Atlanta as the daughter of civil rights activists, and what it's like to watch America try to turn the clock back on progress as it approaches its 250th birthday.

From a by-election victory in Wigan, to the resignation of Keir Starmer, to an Avanti West Coast train bound for London, tracked by news helicopters - Andy Burnham's return to Westminster has been a remarkable spectacle.   Whilst Burnham's coup has overcome multiple challenges to get to this point, in many ways, the hard part is about to begin.   Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Ailbhe Rea and Tom McTague to discuss.

Yesterday morning Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum. Britain will soon welcome its seventh prime minister in a decade. Are the two events connected? Or is country's instability rooted further back in history? Editor-in-chief Tom McTague joins Oli Dugmore.

This morning, Keir Starmer stood outside No 10 Downing Street and announced his resignation as Prime Minister - the sixth to leave office since the EU referendum, which was ten years ago this week. He will remain in office until Labour selects a new leader.  The Prime Minister's likely successor Andy Burnham is sworn in as an MP today after his decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election last week. Burnham has already announced his intention to stand as a leadership contender. How did the Prime Minister come to this momentous decision, and what happens next? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by political editor Ailbhe Rea and editor-in-chief Tom McTague.