The Prospect Podcast

This week, Ellen is joined by journalist David Aaronovitch, who warns about the extreme wealth and unaccountable power of America’s new elite.

From John D Rockefeller to Jeff Bezos, David explores the parallels between the “robber barons” of the late 19th century and today’s tech titans. He argues that the US is experiencing a second Gilded Age, in which the elite enjoy lavish lifestyles—as well as unchecked power and influence.

David also discusses Jeff Bezos’s wedding, the Amazon-produced Melania film, and Donald Trump’s relationship with tech CEOs.

In a post-Epstein era, are there means to check this power? And what happens if we can’t?

To read David Aaronovitch’s cover essay of the latest magazine, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Alona is joined by contributing editor Tom Clark and political columnist Ben Ansell to discuss what’s at stake in the upcoming Manchester byelection.

With the polls showing a three-way-race between the Greens, Labour and Reform, the area has become a microcosm for wider political trends, with the position of the establishment parties more uncertain than ever.

Tom shares the mood in the constituency and what voters are saying on the ground. Ben, Alona and Tom also discuss the possible outcomes, and why many voters have lost faith in the traditional parties.

They also analyse the tactical decision to not have Zack Polanski run in the seat, and why losing here could speed up Starmer’s departure. What happens if the Labour stronghold tips?

To read Tom’s piece ‘In Gorton and Denton, Labour the Greens blame each other’, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ellen and Alona are joined by researcher Maksimas Milta. Maksimas is the Ukraine Country Director at The Reckoning Project, which trains journalists to document war crimes and human rights violations.

He talks about the mood in Ukraine as the civilian casualty rate surges—as well as the difficult process of seeking justice: from collecting testimonies from Russian prisoners of war, to working with the media.

And as the third round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks take place in Geneva, brokered by the United States, what are Ukrainians hoping for? What does Europe need to do? And will anything change?

To read more “What makes a traitor?”, Jen Stout’s piece on The Reckoning Project in Ukraine, click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ellen and Alona are joined again by Prospect editor and former Labour speechwriter Philip Collins to unpack the government’s ongoing crisis.

With Peter Mandelson currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, Starmer’s premiership came close to collapse. He appears to have clung on for now—but how long can he survive as prime minister? And why, in his moment of peril, did no other contenders for PM come to the fore?

Philip discusses what surprised him about Wes Streeting’s WhatsApp messages to Mandelson, and whether the departure of Morgan McSweeney from 10 Downing Street will have any impact on the government’s direction. He also analyses the implications of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s call for Starmer to resign. Will it harm his chances in the upcoming Holyrood elections?

Plus, beyond Mandelson, they explore whether political culture is now too close to money—and if politicians, in general, are too vulnerable to the wealthy.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, Anglican priest Alice Goodman observes that Jesus would not be considered manly enough by today's far-right, while actor and writer Sheila Hancock ditches The Traitors in favour of a programme about Irish dancing. Sarah Collins, who lives with OCD, faces a collapse in her emotional geography after a year of travel, while Kiran Sidhu swaps The News at Ten for Postman Pat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.