118 | Brexit Choices

Back to Brexit: as decision-day approaches we try to work out what might happen next.  Did Labour patch up its differences? Can anyone really start the negotiations again?  And what would it take to get the EU to deviate from its script? Plus we explore some of the ideological roots of Tory opposition to Chequers and we ask what happened to the good old British by-election. With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Wassem Yaqoob.

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116 | Dan Snow

We talk with the host of Dan Snow's History Hit, the no. 1 history podcast, about some of our favourite subjects.  Does history help us understand the present state of politics, and which history?  Are we closer to the 1890s, the 1930s, or the 1980s? How should we commemorate the aftermath of WWI? Plus we talk about whether Chinese politicians are really able to take the long view. With Helen Thompson. 

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113 | 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 the triggered the crisis, we explore what might have happened if Lehman Brothers had been saved.

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103 | The Next Referendum?

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
 

103 | The Next Referendum?
Talking Politics Podcast

102 World Cup Politics

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.
 

102 | World Cup Politics
Talking Politics Podcast

101 | Populism, Migration and Merkel

 In a special live edition recorded at the Guardian's King's Place Politics Festival - David, Helen and Chris Bickerton discuss whether the migration crisis has opened up a new dividing line in European politics.  Is Viktor Orban right that Europe is now split between the countries that will accept immigrants and the countries that won't?  What does that mean for Merkel's survival prospects?  Where does Macron stand in this fight?  Plus we take questions from the audience about what populism really means and what, if anything, we can do about the current state of politics.
 

101 | Populism, Migration and Merkel
Talking Politics Podcast