TALKING POLITICS

Summer's over: politics is back! This week we return to the mystery inside the enigma that is Brexit to ask where Labour now stands.  What is the big divide in the Labour movement: Is it MPs vs leader?  Members vs voters? Young vs old? And what could a second referendum achieve anyway? Plus we try to make sense of the fraught fight over the definition of anti-Semitism.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Waseem Yaqoob.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Crashed - Helen and David talk to historian Adam Tooze about his epic new book Crashed: How A Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World. Why did the crash of 2008 take so many people by surprise? How did it spread from the US around the world? Why was Europe so vulnerable? And how do the answers to these questions help explain Brexit, Trump and what's now going on in places from Hungary to China? Plus, as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the event that triggered the crisis, we explore what might have happened if Lehman Brothers had been saved.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Ayse Zarakol about how Erdogan accumulated so much power and what lessons his story provides for democracy in other places  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Aaron Rapport about the most destructive weapons of all and how they continue to shape international politics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Jennifer Cobbe about whether machines can think for themselves and what this means for politics.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Chris Brooke about the history of ideas of justice and the long-standing political battles over who gets what.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a special live edition recorded at the Wilderness Festival, David talks to BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon and best-selling food writer Jack Monroe about austerity, Brexit and the politics of how people eat. What is gained and what is lost when politician talk about food as a matter of personal choice? Just how powerful are the big food corporations? And is it really possible for Britain to take back control of its food supply? With some lively questions from the audience.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Chris Bickerton about what technocracy means and whether we should be afraid of it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Andrew Preston about how America sees its place in the world and what has changed recently.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Regular Talking Politics contributors tell us about the books they’ve most enjoyed reading, and what they are looking forward to reading next.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David talks to Helen Thompson about the decade that helps explain a lot about the political world we live in today.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the summer, Talking Politics will be publishing a special series of slightly shorter episodes: guides to the subjects we frequently reference, but never stop and explain. These eight podcasts are designed to keep you busy over the next few months - whether you enjoy them in one indulgent sitting, or spread out your listening throughout the summer.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After another extraordinary week, we try to make sense of what Trump has been up to on his European travels. From Chequers to Brussels to Helsinki, what was he doing and why was he doing it? Is he really Putin's puppet? Has he helped or hurt May's chances of survival? Plus we catch up with the other side of the Trump presidency: the remaking of the US Supreme Court. How will the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh impact on some of the most contentious issues in American politics, above all the deep divisive question of abortion? With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle, Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With more Brexit chaos on us, we cut through some of the noise to talk about a new report on the future of referendums. How can we run them better in future? When is it appropriate to have a second referendum? What else can we do to reconnect democratic politics with the voters? With Gisela Stuart, former Labour MP and Chair of Vote Leave; Jenny Watson, former Chair of the Electoral Commission; and Alan Renwick of the Constitution Unit at UCL. Plus at the end some thoughts from David on where we are now. You can read the full report here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/electionsandreferendums/icreferendums  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the World Cup approaches its climax we talk politics and football, on the morning after England's dramatic penalty shootout win over Colombia. What happened to the warnings that this World Cup would be like the 1936 Berlin Olympics? Can we learn anything about German politics from the failure of the German football team? What does England's progress mean for Brexit? Plus much more, from Saudi Arabia to Croatia to West Ham. With Helen Thompson and Mike Kenny.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.