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The Political Dispatch
by Be the Change Media Network, Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare
Welcome to The Political Dispatch, the podcast that explores the world's headlines and traces their roots through the past to make sense of the present. Fed up with doom scrolling, the endless division, and all that noise? Join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare for thoughtful and engaging discussions on the issues that matter most.
Episodes
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India's Gen Z Protests: The Cockroach Janta Party and the Future of Indian Democracy
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, we turn our attention to India, the world’s largest democracy, where a student-led protest movement has grown into a major political story. Rather than interviewing a guest, Tom and Lily put Sidd in the hot seat. As someone from India who closely follows...
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Lessons in US Civil Rights
Chad Mott returns! In this sequel to Lessons in Democracy (the show's most downloaded episode), Lily, Sidd and Tom sit down with Chad, a history and government teacher at Evergreen High School in Colorado, (and Lily's Dad), to talk about the history of civil rights in the USA. July 4th marked the...
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How Brexit Happened Part 3: Six Prime Ministers Later
In the third and final part of their Brexit trilogy, Tom is joined by Associate Professor Dr. Monika Brusenbauch Meislová to ask ten years on from the EU referendum, where are we now? You can listen to How Brexit Happened Parts One and Two, wherever you get your podcasts from. Monika traces how...
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Andy Burnham: Britain's PM-in-Waiting
British politics used to be boring. Not any more. Over the course of a long weekend, Andy Burnham won a crucial by-election in Makerfield, forced Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister, and became the frontrunner to replace him. Tom and Sidd set out the key moments that brought down Keir…
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How Brexit Happened Part 2: A Tale of Two Campaigns
In part two of our three-part series marking ten years since the Brexit referendum, Tom and Sidd return to their old stomping ground, Cardiff's School of Journalism, Media and Culture, to interview their former lecturer Dr Mike Berry, Director of the MA in Political Communication. Mike traces why...
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How Brexit Happened Part 1: The Road to Vote Leave
In the first of a three-part series marking ten years since the Brexit referendum, Tom, Lily and Sidd sit down with Dr Nicholas Startin, Associate Professor of International Relations at John Cabot University in Rome, to trace the long history of British Euroscepticism. Nick takes the story back…
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All the Presidents Men at 50
To celebrate fifty years of All the President's Men, Tom sits down with Professor Jon Lewis, University Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at Oregon State University, who has been teaching and writing about Hollywood for over forty years. Jon traces Alan Pakula's Paranoia Trilogy from Klute...
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UK Election Special: Plaid Make History, the SNP Hold Steady and Reform Storm Across the Nations
Sidd and Tom analyse Parliamentary elections in Wales and Scotland, and local elections in England. Plaid Cymru (The Party of Wales) have become the largest party in Wales, followed by Reform in second place and Welsh Labour a distant third. The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) have won a 5th...
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Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reform
Over a million children in England have an Education, Health and Care Plan. Councils are projected to hold £6 billion in SEND deficits by the end of this year. And a system designed to protect the most vulnerable children has become, for many families, an exhausting legal battle just to access...
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Iran and the Cost of Living
A war in the Middle East. A closed shipping lane. And a chain of consequences that stretches from Irish petrol stations to South Korean chip makers, and from British supermarket shelves to the price of your next laptop. In this episode, Tom, Sidd and Lily trace the true cost of the war with Iran…
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All Change in Wales
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Sidd and Lily turn their attention to Wales, ahead of what many are calling the most consequential Senedd election since devolution began in 1999. For listeners joining from outside the UK, the team starts from the beginning — where Wales is, what...
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Iran's Reckoning: Counter Revolution
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Sidd and Lily dive into what may be the most significant moment in Iranian politics since 1979, the nationwide protests that erupted in late December 2025 and the brutal crackdown that followed. From the closure of Tehran's Grand Bazaar to…
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The Politics of Music
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd begin with two recent events from the world’s biggest stages and trace them to a much older story about music and politics. From Billie Eilish’s speech at the Grammys to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, the team explores how...
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If We're Not at the Table, We're on the Menu
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom and Sidd explore a pivotal moment in global politics: the unraveling of the post-Cold War international order. Drawing on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s powerful speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he invoked Czech dissident...
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Another Year in Review
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Sidd, and Lily come together to reflect on the moments that defined 2025. The team looks back on a year marked by upheaval and uncertainty and discuss: The ongoing civil war in Sudan and its humanitarian toll The UK Supreme Court’s ruling on sex and...
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Lessons in Conflict and Peace - Part 2
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd turn to two regions whose histories of division continue to shape global politics today: Ireland and the Indian subcontinent. From the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan to the Northern Ireland peace process that culminated in the...
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Mamdani and the Democrats Win Big
In today’s episode, Tom flies solo as he assesses the impact of Zohran Mamdani’s electoral victory for New York Mayor, as well as highlighting Democratic wins in New Jersey, Virginia and California. Tom starts the show with a retrospective, to a year ago, on election night November 5th 2024…
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Lessons in Conflict and Peace - Part 1
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd examine the past, present, and potential future of the Israel-Palestine conflict. From the origins of partition to the ongoing humanitarian and political crises in Gaza, the team explores the roots of division, the challenges of…
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Trouble in France and Britain's Far Right March
In today's episode, Tom covers the French Prime Minister's resignation after losing a vote of confidence in Parliament, the far-right rally in London, and also previews an interview Lily has conducted with her Dad about a school shooting in their home town of Evergreen, Colorado. To help discuss...
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The UK Dispatch: Flags, Reform, and Rayner Resigns
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Sidd, Tom, and Lily take a look at the sudden appearance of St George flags popping up across England, Reform UK’s recent party conference in Birmingham, the recent resignation of Angela Rayner (followed by a cabinet reshuffle), and the sacking of the…
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The UK Dispatch: Votes at 16
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom and Lily take a deep dive into one of the most significant democratic reforms in recent UK history: lowering the voting age to 16 years-old. From the role of education and political literacy to questions about maturity, motivation, and turnout, Tom…
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Trump and the Media
In this episode, Tom, Lily, and Sidd discuss the evolving and often contentious relationship between Donald Trump and the media. The Political Dispatch team explores recent shifts in the U.S. media landscape, from the cancellation of a top-rated late-night show to the defunding of public radio…
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Asia in Crisis: A News Bulletin on 2025's Major Conflicts
In this episode, Tom, Lily, and Sidd examine a year of unprecedented conflict across Asia. Join the hosts for a sweeping international news bulletin, from the nuclear standoff between India and Pakistan to the escalating war in Gaza, the renewed civil conflict in Myanmar, and a dangerous...
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The Politics of Higher Education
In this episode, Tom, Lily, and Sidd reflect on the UK’s higher education system at a pivotal moment, as over 800,000 students, including the three of them, graduate from universities across the country. Join the hosts for a deep dive into the financial crisis facing UK universities, as well as a...
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From Episode 1 to 26: A Political Year in Review
In this special anniversary episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd reflect on one year of podcasting, one year of international politics, and one year of conversations that tried to make sense of it all. From elections and education to Gaza, AI, Star Wars, and everything in…
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Lessons in Democracy
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd sit down with Chad Mott, a history and government teacher from Evergreen, Colorado, to talk about the state of public education in the US and what it’s like to teach the next generation of voters in 2025. From students' attitudes on...
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Gaza Starves
Over 2,000 miles from the UK, Gaza is starving, cut off by an Israeli blockade. In this episode of the Political Dispatch, Tom speaks to Zoe Daniels from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), to discuss the situation on the ground in Gaza. Everyone at the Political Dispatch echoes what the…
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In the Name of Love: 10 Years of Equal Marriage in Ireland
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom, Lily, and Sidd mark 10 years since Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote. They explore how a conservative, Catholic nation transformed so rapidly, examining the role of activists, the decline of Church...
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The Life and Legacy of Pope Francis
In this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom interviews Fr Damian Howard, the Senior Catholic Chaplain at Oxford University, to talk about the life and legacy of Pope Francis. Tom and Fr Howard discuss the impact of the Jesuit order on Pope Francis’s early life, his early career in Argentina…
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The Politics of Star Wars
To celebrate May 4th, Sidd, Lily and Tom travel to a galaxy far, far away to explore the politics of Star Wars. The franchise’s creator, George Lucas, didn’t just draw on the mythology of Joseph Campbell or the cinematic style of Akira Kurosawa. He also held up a mirror to the politics…
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AI's Growing Role in Global Elections
Join Sidd, Lily, and Tom for a deep dive into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in global elections. From deepfakes to ballot scanning, The Political Dispatch team breaks down how AI is shaping elections. With examples from South Korea, India, the United States, and beyond, they…
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The Global Dispatch: Serbia, Canada, and Turkey
Join Sidd, Lily, and Tom for political news from around the world. In this episode, The Political Dispatch team focuses on Serbia, Turkey, and Canada. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! To get connected with Sidd, Tom, or Lily, please find them on Instagram: @sparetom,...
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Living in Trump's America - Part 2
Join Sidd, Lily, and Tom for Part 2 of a special two-part series exploring what life is like in the United States now that Donald Trump has returned to office. This episode features Amelia Southern Uribe and Bryson Austin, who are two new members of Be the Change. Media Network and the hosts of…
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Living in Trump's America - Part 1
Join Sidd, Lily, and Tom for Part 1 of a special two-part series exploring what life is like in the United States now that Donald Trump has returned to office. This episode features Amelia Southern Uribe and Bryson Austin, who are two new members of Be the Change. Media Network and the hosts of…
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Generation Z: The Magpies of Truth
Join Sidd, Lily, and Tom as they dive into Channel 4’s Gen Z Trends, Truth and Trust report, exploring the key themes shaping the views of young people in the UK. From a fragmented media landscape and declining trust in institutions to gender divides and shifting political ideologies, the team...
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Trump’s Second Act
Join Tom Spare for a solo deep-dive into Donald Trump’s inaugural address as the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump is now the second president in US history to serve two non-consecutive terms. President Trump now holds another distinction: at 78 years and 220 days old, he’s the...
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Meta, Musk, and the Politics of Social Media
Join Sidd, Lily and Tom as they delve into some of the most pressing current events shaping the digital and political landscape, including Meta’s controversial decision to remove third-party fact-checkers, Elon Musk’s growing influence in global democracies, and the wider implications of online...
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The Life and Legacy of Jimmy Carter
At the end of December, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, passed away at the age of 100. In this episode, Sidd, Lily and Tom discuss the life, political career, and legacy of the peanut farmer’s son who became President and redefined the post-presidency career. Please leave a...
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The End of Democracy?
2024 was heralded as the year of the election, however many democracies around the world find themselves in political crisis. France, Germany, South Korea, the United States of America and the United Kingdom have seen huge political changes over the last twelve months. In this episode, The...
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The Climate Dispatch: The COP Out
On this episode of The Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they take a deep dive into COP29, held in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11-22, 2024. To learn more about the heat pumps mentioned in the episode, visit: https://www.getaheatpump.org.uk/. Please leave a...
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The American Political Dispatch: Trump's Triumph
This episode is the second in a two-part series focused on the 2024 presidential election in the United States of America. Join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they reflect on the election results and discuss the implications for the future of the US. This episode was recorded on...
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The American Political Dispatch: 2024 Presidential Election Preview
This episode is the first in a two-part series focused on the 2024 presidential election in the United States of America. Join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they record from Cardiff, London, and Atlanta, Georgia and share their thoughts on the presidential race ahead of Election Day…
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Ireland, Brexit, and UK Relations
On this episode of The Political Dispatch, Tom Spare interviews Dr Kathryn Simpson, who is an associate professor in the politics and economics of the European Union and the Director of Research at Keele Business School. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! To get connected with...
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Politics in Review
On this episode of The Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they discuss recent political updates from around the world. This episode features a review of events that occurred between early August and late September 2024. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and...
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The Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence
On this week's episode of The Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they discuss the political, economic, military, civic, and environmental implications of artificial intelligence. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! To get connected with Sidd…
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The American Political Dispatch: 54 Days that Transformed the US Presidential Race
On this week's episode of The Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they discuss the tumultuous and historic 54 days in the USA between Donald Trump's conviction and the nomination of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Please leave a rating, share a...
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The French Political Dispatch: Macron, Foucault and the Far Right - Part 2
In part two of The French Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they dive into the recently concluded elections in France with Dr. Charles Devellennes, a senior lecturer in political and social thought at the University of Kent. To get connected with Dr. Devellennes,...
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The French Political Dispatch: Macron, Foucault and the Far Right - Part 1
In part one of The French Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they dive into the recently concluded elections in France with Dr. Charles Devellennes, a senior lecturer in political and social thought at the University of Kent. To get connected with Dr. Devellennes,...
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The UK Political Dispatch: The Results Are In
On this week's episode of The Political Dispatch, join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare as they discuss the results of the 2024 UK General Election. Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe! To get connected with Sidd, Tom, or Lily, please find them on Instagram: @sparetom,...
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The UK Political Dispatch: UK General Election Preview
Welcome to The Political Dispatch! On this podcast, Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare explore the world of politics and policy through conversation. In today's fast-paced news cycle, it's easy to get lost in the details. Our goal is to step back and look at the broader trends shaping our...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to The Political Dispatch, the podcast that explores the world's headlines and traces their roots through the past to make sense of the present.
Fed up with doom scrolling, the endless division, and all that noise? Join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare for thoughtful and engaging discussions on the issues that matter most.
HOSTED BY
Be the Change Media Network, Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Political Dispatch have?
The Political Dispatch currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Political Dispatch about?
Welcome to The Political Dispatch, the podcast that explores the world's headlines and traces their roots through the past to make sense of the present. Fed up with doom scrolling, the endless division, and all that noise? Join Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare for thoughtful and engaging...
How often does The Political Dispatch release new episodes?
The Political Dispatch has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Political Dispatch?
You can listen to The Political Dispatch on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Political Dispatch?
The Political Dispatch is created and hosted by Be the Change Media Network, Sidd Kurapati, Lily Mott, and Tom Spare.
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