66 | Brexit and the Universities

After some Tory politicians have started asking for details of what lecturers are saying about Brexit, we're joined this week by regular panellist Chris Bickerton to talk about what it's like being a pro-Brexit academic in an anti-Brexit university.  Plus we catch up with Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke on where they think the Brexit negotiations have reached and what chance they see of a successful outcome.  We also revisit Catalonia to discuss the latest developments there.  Is Madrid winning, and what might that mean for the EU?

65 | John Gray

David talks to writer and philosopher John Gray about pretty much everything, from the Corbyn cult to the craziness of cryogenics.  John tells us how to make the connections between technology, populism and religion and he explains why the worst may be still to come.  Plus we ask whether democracy is really finished.  A conversation about the big stuff, recorded in the stationery cupboard at the London Review of Books.

63 | Catalonia

As the face-off between Madrid and Barcelona continues, we explore how this happened and where it might end.  Marc Weller, chair of the independent commission on Catalan independence, explains the legal background and historian Brendan Simms sets out what is at stake for European politics.  Could this be the crisis that brings the whole thing crashing down?  With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.

62 | Where is the Centre?

Jeremy Corbyn claims that Labour now represents the political mainstream.  Is that really true?  Where does it leave the Tories?  What can Theresa May do about it?  We trawl the data to try to find the elusive centre ground of British politics.  Plus we ask whether mainstream regional politicians like Ruth Davidson and Sadiq Khan can speak for the whole of the UK.  If they can't, who on earth can?  With Mike Kenny, Professor of Public Policy at Cambridge, and Helen Thompson.
 

61 | Live Special

This week's episode is a recording of a live Talking Politics event as part of the Cambridge Alumni Festival, with questions from the audience.  We talk about normalising Trump, neglecting Turkey and kicking Brexit down the road.  Plus we ask what counts as a coup and whatever happened to cabinet government.  With Gary Gerstle, Ayse Zarakol, Aaron Rapport and Chris Brooke.  Recorded on Saturday 23rd September.

60 | The Mystery of Germany

 We talk with historian Chris Clark and Helen Thompson about whether German politics is as stable as it seems.  With the federal election coming up in a few days, and Angela Merkel seemingly on course for another comfortable victory, we ask what could happen next.  Why would a Jamaican coalition be bad for France?  What's going on in Bavaria?  And is East vs West still the central division in German politics?  Plus we catch up with the other general election taking place this weekend - in New Zealand.