Ns Podcasts

Mehdi Hasan joins The Exchange to discuss how Keir Starmer’s leadership is perceived in the United States, whether Americans care about Britain, and why the UK has become a target for the American right.

Social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt joins host Oli Dugmore to discuss whether banning social media is the best way to improve childhoods. The episode considers Australia's social media ban and the UK's subsequent move toward similar restrictions, weighing regulation against broader approaches to children’s wellbeing in the digital age.

The episode examines Britain’s political instability after Keir Starmer’s resignation, noting that the country is expected to welcome its seventh prime minister within a decade. It explores whether this instability is connected to the 2016 Brexit referendum or rooted in deeper historical developments.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses how childhood is changing in Britain after visiting schools, prisons and asylum hotels over two years. He addresses the NEETs crisis, furniture poverty and children’s anxiety about summer holidays, arguing that society has stopped adequately caring for its youngest citizens and that reading with children is a meaningful form of support.

Economist Mariana Mazzucato discusses how progressive ideas could reshape political and economic systems. Her influence is linked to the United States CHIPS Act and the World Bank’s Mission 300 initiative, which reflects ideas from her book Mission Economy. Oli Dugmore interviews her about the prospects for reform in the United States, sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Journalist Karen Hao discusses whether AI companies resemble new empires, arguing that the sector depends on vast quantities of land, minerals, water, data and human-generated content. The conversation also examines the exploitation and trauma experienced by content moderators in the Global South and the concentration of power around companies such as OpenAI and leaders including Sam Altman.

Labour economist Guy Standing discusses how big finance has influenced, corrupted and privatised education. The episode focuses on themes from his book Human Capital, including unstable employment, rising debt and chronic insecurity.

Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser joins Oli Dugmore to discuss his 25-year examination of the fast food industry, including its low-paid workforce, dangerous working conditions and reliance on migrant labour. The conversation explores McDonald's and fast food's role in American culture and the economy, as well as Britain's efforts to replicate the model.

The podcast examines Gianni Infantino’s largely unchallenged decade leading FIFA, including his relationships with Vladimir Putin, Saudi interests and Donald Trump, and his transformation of the World Cup into an intensely commercial event. It focuses on a failed secret plan to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA’s business to outside investors for $20 billion, which collapsed after football associations worldwide revolted.

The episode examines the Conservative Party’s weakening position as the traditional dominant force on the British right. It argues that electoral shifts and the rise of another right-wing party are challenging the Conservatives’ longstanding political supremacy.

A podcast episode considers how history may remember Keir Starmer after he leaves office and Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, asking what caused the change and what may happen next.

Economic campaigner and YouTuber Gary Stevenson joins Oli Dugmore to discuss lobbying Andy Burnham and the new government in support of a wealth tax. Stevenson argues that without such a measure, society risks collapsing.

The podcast focuses on Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent publicly identified survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse and trafficking network. It discusses her decision in 2021 to tell her full story and her collaboration with ghostwriter Amy Wallace on the memoir Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice.

Norway has achieved Europe’s most successful heat-pump rollout, with systems installed in roughly 60 per cent of homes. The discussion examines what the UK can learn from Norway as the British government offers grants for 90,000 household installations, while critics argue that substantially more support is needed. Former Norwegian energy minister Tony C Tiller also warns that Norway could face the UK’s high energy costs.