PoliticsJOE Podcast

Andy Twelves caused a bit of a stir on GB News last week, clashing with host Nana Akua in a viral clip. But what was the context? Andy takes us behind the scenes, revealing what it's like to be talking head, as well as the perils of being a left-wing commentator on right-wing channels. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump’s second presidency has been marked by a striking lack of resistance. While figures inside his first administration regularly challenged his decisions, Trump 2.0 has seen politicians, business leaders, media organisations and institutions fall into line. So why has America’s political establishment become so reluctant to stand up to him? In this interview, Jacob Weisberg, journalist, formerly of Slate and author of Profiles in Cowardice, explains how Donald Trump has consolidated his power, and why so many of the people who once opposed him have since capitulated. With the US midterm elections approaching, Weisberg explains why a Democratic victory in the House of Representatives could fundamentally change the political landscape, opening the door to investigations into Trump's administration, corruption and abuse of power. Buy Profiles in Cowardice here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/818503/profiles-in-cowardice-by-jacob-weisberg/ Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skip to 9:20 if you want straight economy chat. Andy Burnham's Chancellor John Healey gave his first budget, and the first of Andy Burnham's reign as Prime Minister. Ava and Seán headed into the content dungeon to chew the fat. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin Wigglesworth, Financial Times journalist and author of The Fabulous Debt, joins us to explain how government borrowing works, why rising gilt yields matter, and how Labour's first Budget under Andy Burnham could take Britain out of a doom cycle of reliance on the market. Robin also explains why government debt isn't necessarily a bad thing, how Britain historically used borrowing to industrialise and build its economy, and why countries such as Canada and Sweden offer lessons in tackling difficult public-finance problems. Buy A Fabulous Debt here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461949/a-fabulous-debt-by-wigglesworth-robin/9780241705674 Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham’s position on Brexit has been murky since the 2016 referendum, and he's recently called for a debate about Britain’s future with the EU. So what exactly is going on? Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Feinstein is one of the most versatile people in British politics today. Formerly a member of the South African Parliament for Nelson Mandela's ANC, he has gained notoriety in the UK in recent years, most notably for running against Keir Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras in the 2024 General Election. Today, he sits down with Ava to talk about the recent by-election in the seat, the failure of politicians across the globe to represent the most urgent needs of the people they represent, and the war machine propping up horror across the globe. Buy Making a Killing: How the West Profits From Slaughter in Gaza and Yemen here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3335-making-a-killing?srsltid=AYCX9vJ2PRrYS4wMlDqt1QHEUb9JFB9dkyeE8iusDTI9bY-NgEGTxxDh Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Andy Burnham's government decided to approve new gas licences for the Jackdaw field in the North Sea. Ava and Seán jumped into the studio to chew over the plan. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In France, protests over education cuts have grown into a movement involving unions, farmers, environmental campaigners and pensioners. Anger over declining public services, stagnant wages, and the cost of living has mobilised people across society. But isn't Britain facing the same issues? Seán and Ava dive deep on a generation that's grown up entirely under austerity. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tariq Ali is one of Britain's foremost figures on the left of politics, and following a busy recess for Andy Burnham, he came in to the studio to react to the Prime Minister's speech to Labour conference, his first few months in charge, and how Britain should position itself in a world in complete flux. Get Tariq Ali and Rashid Khalidi's new book The Neck and The Sword here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3648-the-sword-and-the-neck Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helena is a Green Party member and the streamer NoJusticeMTG. As someone who was in the room during the Green Party's Zionism is Racism motion that passed at their annual conference, she came by the PolJOE dungeon to break down the motion for us, and delve deeper into what it means for Green voters and the wider British left. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor are fighting for the living world. Their new book charts an alliance between Silicon Valley billionaires, Donald Trump, and the far right, who they suggest are working against humanity in the name of profit and power. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zack Polanski did not win the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. But is there a world where he could have? Ava and Seán breakdown the result, what it means for the Greens, and why it went Labour's way. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could Zack Polanski's leadership represent something much bigger than a change of direction for the Green Party? Ava was joined live by Green Party leader Zack Polanski and author Russell Warfield on the launch of Russell's book "The Green Socialist: Zack Polanski and the Battle for Britain’s Future" to discuss the rise of the Greens, the crisis facing British politics and the political ideas behind Polanski's rapid rise. Is the Green Party's rise a temporary reaction to Labour, or part of a much bigger transformation of British politics? Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Corbyn has been no stranger to international solidarity in his long career as a politician. He sat down with Ava to discuss his campaigning for the blockade to be lifted on Cuba, after a summer of campaigning which led him to travel to the Caribbean island to show his support for its people. Corbyn also breaks down his assessment of Andy Burnham's time as Labour leader to this point, and how the former Manchester mayor can solidify Labour's recent spike in the polls. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava and Seán take to the studio to chat through Ava's appearance on the beeb last week, on the topic of immigration. Having had a couple of chances to speak on a crammed show, she and Seán get into the meat of the arguments started on the telly. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daron Acemoglu is a Nobel Prize-winning economist and author of What Happened to Liberal Democracy. He joined Ava to explain why liberal democracy is facing one of its biggest crises in generations — and what needs to change to save it. Acemoglu argues that the problems facing democracies go much deeper than individual politicians. Across the UK, US and Europe, trust in political institutions has eroded as economic growth has become less widely shared, communities have weakened and the relationship between political elites and working-class voters has fractured. Buy Daron's book here: https://profilebooks.com/work/what-happened-to-liberal-democracy/ Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Jones makes his PolJOE debut to talk all things Western decline, chatting to Ava about where everything went wrong. His new book, The Fall of the West, recaptures the narrative of our present economic, military, and moral crises. From Western support for Israel to Trump's creeping authoritarianism, to the legacy of Iraq and deindustrialisation, Owen exposes the hypocrisy and danger of concentrated wealth. Find Owen's book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468587/the-fall-of-the-west-by-jones-owen/9780241740644 Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ava is once again joined by friend of the podcast Scott Lucas to break down the latest in the world of Donald Trump. He had a busy couple of days in New York where he met Andy Burnham face-to-face, but another of the big stories at the UN was the long-awaited "deal" on Greenland. Scott breaks down what actually happened in the US/Denmark/Greenland trilat. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour over the artist's pro-Palestine platform. He played his last gig alone, after all of his supporting artists (and his backing band) dropped out in solidarity. Ava and Seán break down what on earth happened, and react to Sheeran's apology. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arthur Downing is an energy expert. His new book, Power and the People, charts the history of British energy, and, critically, how things got so bad. Subscribe to How to Rebuild Britain now: https://linktr.ee/howtorebuildbritain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.