How Paddington became the spokesbear for Brit...

The spectre of the Makerfield by-election on June 18th is hanging over British politics.If Andy Burnham wins, he’s in prime position to challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership. However, a Burnham victory in Makerfield is far from certain. Reform and their candidate Robert Kenyon are ...  Show more

While Westminster looks inward, the world is moving fast. Keir Starmer's government needs to focus on the urgent changes affecting all of our lives.Tom McTague joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss his latest essay for the New Statesman, and answer listeners questions. This week, lis ...  Show more

For 90 years, the British Council has been creating connections between the UK and the rest of the world. Although much has changed over the decades, its central aim of bringing people together to support peace and prosperity remains crucial.

In the final ep ...

Jane Ellen Harrison was Britain’s first female career academic, a maverick public intellectual burdened with the label ‘the cleverest woman in England’. Her quips and quirks became legendary, but many of those anecdotes were promulgated by Harrison herself. Mary Beard joins Tom t ...  Show more

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller. She has recently stepped down as Britain's top spy-master - or more correctly, the Director-General of MI5. She took the helm in the months after the attacks of 11th September 2001 in America and steered the servi ...  Show more

AJ Tracey is one of the most influential artists in the UK music scene today but his life could have taken a very different direction had he not made some serious changes. AJ is known for his groundbreaking contributions to grime, drill and UK garage. Last year he celebrated 1 bi ...  Show more