104 Trump Blows Through

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.

100 | Andrew O'Hagan on Grenfell

David talks to Andrew O'Hagan about his epic essay in the LRB on the causes, consequences and fall-out of the terrible Grenfell Tower fire that happened a year ago. We discuss what the Grenfell community was like before the fire, what went wrong on the night, and how politics has intruded into everything that has happened since. Plus we talk about the angry push-back to Andrew's account. It can all be read here: https://www.lrb.co.uk/v40/n11/andrew-ohagan/the-tower

99 | Trump Abroad

From the G7 to the Singapore summit, it's Trump's world: we just live in it.  This week we try to get some perspective on these spectacular events.  Is Trump's behaviour really unprecedented for an American president?  What is the point of the G7?  Where is his relationship with Kim heading?  Plus we compare with summits past: Nixon in China, Reagan & Gorbachev, or something new?  With Helen Thompson and Andrew Preston, who gives a Canadian view.  Next week: Grenfell.

72 | Deal or No deal

This week we try to work out who's up and who's down in the great game of European politics.  Has May won anything significant in the Brexit deal?  Is Merkel any nearer to forming a government?  Is Macron the big winner from recent events?  Plus we ask what prospect of Martin Schulz getting his United States of Europe, and what chance now of Jeremy Corbyn making it to No 10.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton.

 

43 | The Corbyn Surge?

With a week to go, and the polls tightening, we ask what Corbyn is doing right and what May is doing wrong.  Is Corbyn riding a wave like the one that got Bernie Sanders close to the White House?  Or are May's troubles more about Tory weaknesses?  Plus we discuss the missing international dimension to the campaign.  After Merkel declared that Europe could no longer rely on a Trump-led United States, why is our Brexit election still so focussed on domestic issues?  With Aaron Rapport, Maha Rafi Atal and Chris Bickerton.