The Prospect Podcast

Citizenship has been described as “the right to have rights”. But, in recent years, the UK government has increasingly stripped people of their citizenship— effectively leaving many stateless.

This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist and author Samira Shackle, who tracks the rapid expansion of citizenship deprivation laws in Britain.

She explains how citizenship can be stripped at the will of the home secretary, without judicial oversight or any criminal conviction required. They discuss the case of Shamima Begum, and how the “war on terror” altered the state and the public’s conceptions of what citizenship is.

Samira argues that a two-tier system has been created—in practice, making citizenship contingent for many people of mixed ethnicity. With far-right political rhetoric supporting “remigration” and even broader use of deprivation powers, what will be effect on individuals and society if this policy remains unchecked?

Is citizenship an inalienable right? And with some polls showing public support for the policy, is it ever moral to strip citizenship, or should individuals face punishment through the criminal justice system?

To read Samira’s piece, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/uk/74074/britain-stripped-citizenship-syria-islamic-state-shamima-begum

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The UK’s young adults are ready to be taken seriously—so why aren’t they?

This week, Alona and Imaan are joined by journalist and author Marie Le Conte to discuss why a whole generation seems stuck in an extended adolescence, priced out of housing and routinely ignored by politicians.

In an intergenerational conversation, they discuss whether the social mobility experiment has failed, the reality of “delayed adulthood”, and claims that young people are being actively infantilised as traditional milestones become further out of reach.

Marie challenges the idea that young people are politically disengaged and explains why high political awareness doesn’t translate neatly into votes.

With a new prime minister now in Downing Street, how might Andy Burnham help turn things around? And should voting be compulsory for 18-year-olds?

Plus, they discuss the merits of Australia-style “democracy sausages” versus Gregg’s sausage rolls, and the lessons to be learned from the happiest place in the world for young people.

To read Marie’s essay, ‘Britain’s next generation is all grown up’, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/74118/britains-next-generation-is-all-grown-up
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As Nigel Farage continues to face scrutiny over his finances and undeclared donations, is big money hurting our democracy?

This week, Alona and Imaan are joined by Peter Geoghegan, investigative journalist and founder of Democracy for Sale. Peter unpacks the scandal and introduces a cast of Reform backers, from “Posh George” to Thailand-based billionaire Christopher Harborne.

He also discusses the police investigation into a political donation to Robert Jenrick, and criticises the Labour government for its approach to electoral reform. And, he shares his findings into the “black hole” in Reform’s accounts.

Is Farage an outlier, or does his case expose deeper flaws in Britain’s political funding rules? If he wins the byelection, will the scrutiny disappear? And with proposals for donation limits on the table, what else needs to change?

To read Peter Geoghegan’s writing for Prospect, click here.
His newsletter Democracy for Sale is published on Substack.
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Humans have collected data for thousands of years—but now we’re doing it on a whole new level.

This week, Ellen and Alona and joined by Roopika Risam, professor of Digital Humanities and Social Engagement at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, whose new book Data Empire explores the ancient roots of data-gathering and the rise of the “data state”.

Drawing on examples from the East India Company to Palantir, she explains why advances in technology—and our means to collect, sort and deploy data—have almost always been captured by colonial powers or companies for profit, rather than for public good.

She reveals how data is used to monitor and control, and how AI is rapidly accelerating the capacity of states and private companies to surveil populations, including against the Uyghur people of Xinjiang. Roopika also explains the disturbing reason she had to rewrite one section of the book three times

Has the “Data Empire” effectively moved beyond the reach of the democratic social contract? And will the future be dystopian—or is there another way?

Roopika Risam’s book “Data Empire: How information shaped human history” is published by Torva. To read to more on this topic, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/technology
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Lying, lobbying, and luxury donor gifts—has UK politics gone crooked?

This week, Ellen and Imaan are joined by Robert Barrington, professor of anti-corruption practice at Sussex University’s Centre for the Study of Corruption. He argues that corruption is more widespread than assumed in Britain, from politicians to prisons, the monarchy to the Met.

Robert discusses the Boris Johnson era misconduct, the “good chap theory”, and his four-part test for corruption. He also analyses corporate scandals from Grenfell to Thames Water sewage.

Do conspiracy theorists have a point? What’s at stake if things continue as they are? And, with a new prime minister on the cards, what can be done to tackle the problem?

‘Corrupted Kingdom: Britain's Disappearing Integrity–And How We Can Get It Back’ will be published by Profile Books on 16th July.

To read more from our website, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics.
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