Petty crime is emerging as a central battleground of the next election. The Prime Minister has announced headline-grabbing plans to ban laughing gas (nitrous oxide), which the Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, has described as an “increasing scourge”. This swiftly followed a big speech on law and order from the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, which unveiled ambitions to reverse rising crime rates.Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Wearmouth and Zoë Grünewald discuss Rishi Sunak’s big idea of “immediate justice” and whether this would win immediate votes in the local elections – or is even possible at all.They also analyse Labour’s ambitious “tough on crime” agenda, the damning findings of the Casey report into the Met’s toxic culture, and why tackling crime is easier than tackling austerity.In You Ask Us, they chat about Jeremy Corbyn’s future in answer to a question from a listener: should the Labour Party be a broad church?If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusSubscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has winning the Brexit vote made the Conservative Party ungovernable? That’s the question political scientist Tim Bale is tackling in his new book The Conservative Party After Brexit. He speaks to Anoosh Chakelian about how the party has changed, why its coalition of right-wing populism and free-market fundamentalism is inherently unstable and why the damage could continue well beyond the next election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humza Yousaf is the new leader of the SNP after beating his closest rival, Kate Forbes, by 52 per cent to 48 per cent in the final round of the party’s leadership election.He’s the continuity candidate, but is continuity enough to keep the SNP in power in Holyrood and dominant in Scottish Westminster seats as it continues to push for independence?Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Chris Deerin, Scotland editor, to discuss the result, the bruising campaign and why Labour might be the happiest party north of the border right now.If you have a question for You Ask Us go to newstatesman.com/youaskus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During a grumpy four-hour hearing with the Commons Privileges Committee, Boris Johnson appeared to lack the deft political touches that got him into No 10. The team discuss how his performance didn’t help him, why he was unable to lead a dramatic revolt against Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal, and if this is good or bad for the current prime minister. Then in You Ask Us, they answer a listener’s question on whether the UK could ever have a more humane immigration policy.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to Newstatesman.com/youaskus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Jeremy Hunt announced an extension of free childcare provision to children older than nine months in the Budget this week, some parents groups are celebrating – but is this really a victory?Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Zoë Grünewald and Alona Ferber to discuss what was announced, whether it leaves Labour in a difficult position, and if the new policy will actually deliver what it promises.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app Podcast listeners can subscribe to the NewStatesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our specialoffer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Hunt presented his first Budget on Wednesday (15 March) as forecasts said that Britain faces a record fall in living standards over the next two years.Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman’s political editor, Andrew Marr, and business editor, Will Dunn, to take us through the key measures. They discuss the huge stealth tax rises the Chancellor snuck into his “boring” Budget and, with half a million workers on strike as he delivered it, the missed opportunities to rescue public services.Then, the New Statesman’s deputy political editor Rachel Wearmouth joins the podcast to discuss Labour’s response: has its emphasis on childcare been overshadowed by the Tories, and are the two main parties moving closer together on policy?If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusSubscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman appPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The local elections in May will be the first time that voters in England must show a form of photo ID to cast their vote. The government has said we need these tough restrictions to combat election fraud but pilots suggest one million voters could be put off voting, with police told to prepare for polling station chaos.Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Cunliffe and Ben Walker discuss the reality of voter fraud, why Rishi Sunak is pressing ahead with this policy now and who might be denied their right to vote. Plus, the many ways this law might degrade trust in the electoral process rather than bolster it.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusSubscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women have turned away from the Conservative Party over the past few decades, who since 2010 have been more likely to vote for Labour. The Conservatives’ failure to support women – who are bearing the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis – has not helped things.Anoosh Chakelian, Zoë Grünewald and Rachel Wearmouth discuss why the Tories have failed to win over female voters, the rise of newly politicised mums, and how gender equality has been weaponised to fuel the culture wars.Then in You Ask Us a listener asks why Labour has never elected a female leader.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusThis week we’ve been celebrating our women writers from around the world. Read more here.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive among the countries of the OECD. The lack of affordable and accessible childcare is costing the nation £27bn a year – equivalent to 1 per cent of GDP – according to report by Centre for Progressive Policy. In this bonus episode of the New Statesman podcast, brought to you by the Spotlight team, Alona Ferber, editor of the Spotlight policy section and supplement, speaks to Stella Creasy. The Labour MP for Walthamstow has long been outspoken on the need to reform Britain’s dysfunctional childcare system, which the party promises to “completely reimagine” if it wins the next election. They discuss why childcare is becoming an increasingly political issue and the hostility Creasy has experienced campaigning around issues related to work and motherhood. She discusses her recent victory on whether childcare should be considered part of economic infrastructure, the crisis in the sector and which voices are sorely missing from the debate.This interview will be appearing in the next edition of the Spotlight supplement.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman appPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new report from economics think tank the Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) reveals the UK is losing 1 per cent of GDP through a lack of suitable childcare. Rachel Cunliffe, Alona Ferber and Zoë Grünewald discuss the cost of Britain’s broken childcare system as the pressure increases for action. We hear from Labour MP Stella Creasy, who with shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson wants to make childcare a dividing line in the next election. The team discuss what Labour’s childcare policy would look like, the Australian Labor Party’s election success following the promise of a radical childcare policy with subsidies of up to 90 per cent, and Rishi Sunak’s offer – a “letter-writing campaign” to persuade stay-at-home mums to return to work – after scrapping Liz Truss's childcare reforms. They also cover what’s often missing in the debate, including why childcare should be seen as economic infrastructure, the quality of care, and why workers are often underpaid, overworked and undervalued.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman appIf you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rishi Sunak has agreed a deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol. He has hailed this as a “new chapter” in relations, but will he reap the rewards? Anoosh Chakelian, Freddie Hayward and Rachel Wearmouth discuss the “Windsor framework”, as the deal is known, and what the DUP and hardline Tory Brexiteers will do now. They also debate whether Labour will be forced to drop its “Make Brexit Work” slogan. Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks what is behind Keir Starmer’s missions, which are outlined in his cover essay for this week’s New Statesman magazine.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman appPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anoosh Chakelian and Zoë Grünewald are joined by two parliamentary researchers to delve into the working conditions, power imbalances and abuses that take place within Westminster. Jenny Symmons and Holly Brazier Tope are senior researchers for Labour MPs and representatives of parliamentary staff for the GMB union. They open up about the problems at their workplace, ranging from diseased drinking water, fires and asbestos to bullying, outrageous assignments and sexual misconduct.  The team discuss the dangers of being employed by an individual MP, including poor pay and being fired at will, why parliamentary staffers are considering strike action, and whether a more inclusive and less toxic workplace is possible.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman appPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a hot moment Kate Forbes was favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister. But revealing her socially conservative views in a series of interviews, including being against equal marriage, gender self-identification and sex outside of marriage, has dismayed her supporters and jeopardised her campaign. Anoosh Chakelian and Ben Walker discuss the SNP’s socially liberal base and the parallels between Forbes and Tim Farron, who resigned as Liberal Democrat leader in 2017 after he was repeatedly challenged about his views on gay sex. Anoosh then speaks to Farron himself about how he rates Forbes’ prospects given his own experience, her brutally honest strategy, and whether a leader with her views is compatible with the SNP’s progressive agenda. Then in You Ask US, Ben answers listeners’ polling questions on where Britain stands on strikes, apathy towards Brexit, and the significance of the West Lancashire by-election result, as forecast by Britain Predicts, the New Statesman’s new polling model.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Widespread use of autonomous cars is on the horizon. Self-driving vehicles are already out on our roads. And autonomy will change our relationship with our vehicles. But what will the new immersive world inside a vehicle be like? In the third episode of a three-part special series partnered with Wejo, the smart mobility tech company, a panel of expert guests discuss how legislation and policy are enabling self-driving vehicles – and how AVs will change our lives. Will our children do their homework in the car on their way to school? Will we watch films on long journeys on the motorway?Alona Ferber, editor of the New Statesman’s Spotlight policy channel, is joined by Richard Barlow, founder and chief executive of Wejo, Larry Burns, the former corporate vice president of Research and Development for General Motors who championed self-driving and electric vehicles – and now sits on Wejo’s board – Alex Kendall, CEO of AV2.0 start-up Wayve, and Amanda Stretton, the former racing driver, broadcaster, and automotive expert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the criminal justice system under immense strain, from huge case backlogs to crumbling court buildings and staff shortages, Labour has seized the opportunity to attack the Tories’ record on crime. In a speech on Thursday 16 February the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, declared that “only Labour is the party of law and order”. Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Rachel Wearmouth discuss Keir Starmer’s strategy, evoking Tony Blair, and whether this could be the deciding issue at the next election.  They also talk about the government’s attempt to cling on to its “tough on crime” credentials, which has been overtaken by Rishi Sunak’s “relentless” commitment to stop migrants in small boats arriving on Britain’s shores.Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus Podcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 After surprising the country by announcing her resignation as First Minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon leaves a vacuum in UK politics. The New Statesman’s Scotland editor, Chris Deerin, joins the podcast to discuss what's behind her decision and what it means for the Union, independence and the prospects of Scottish opposition parties. Then in You Ask Us, we try to work out who could replace her. Subscribers can get an ad free version of the NS Podcast on the New Statesman app Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the publication of his new book, Life in the Balance: A Doctor’s Stories of Intensive Care, Dr Jim Down speaks to Anoosh Chakelian about the struggles the NHS is facing, why privitisation isn’t the answer, and the toll the job is taking on the mental health of many doctors.Jim’s book is published on 23 February.Subscribe to the Morning Call newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rishi Sunak is struggling to restore order over a divided and unruly Conservative party. His latest attempt, this week, takes the form of a cabinet reshuffle and a restructuring of Whitehall that created four new government departments. Anoosh Chakelian, Rachel Wearmouth and Freddie Hayward break down the main changes and talk about what this disruptive and expensive move tells us about Sunak’s grip on his party. They also discuss the appointment of the controversial “red wall rottweiler” Lee Anderson as deputy Conservative Party chairman and whether the new departments promise a new political direction. Then in You Ask Us a listener asks: what is the cost of strikes compared with the cost of giving workers pay rises?If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week the government faced multiple defeats in the House of Lords on its wide-ranging Public Order Bill, which have peers warned would have a chilling effect on the right to protest.As the government continues to try to push its legislation through, Jodie Beck, head of policy and campaigns at the human rights organisation Liberty, talks to Rachel Cunliffe about why this bill is so controversial, how it will criminalise perfectly normal acts, and whether anything can be done to stop the assault on civil liberties.Watch our video on the Crime and Policing ActIf you have a question for You Ask Us, go to https://newstatesman.com/youaskus  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rishi Sunak is marking 100 days in office just after Britain was hit by the biggest day of industrial action in a decade and the IMF predicted that the UK will be the only major economy to shrink in 2023. With the Tory party engulfed in sleaze and sackings, Sunak is feeling the pressure. Andrew Marr joins Anoosh Chakelian and Freddie Hayward to discuss whether the Prime Minister is simply too inexperienced to weather this perfect storm, the clamour for tax cuts among the Tory ranks, and the key question buzzing around Westminster – is Boris Johnson about to make a comeback? In You Ask Us, a listener wonders if Brexit is behind the UK's gloomy economic outlook.If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskusPodcast listeners can subscribe to the New Statesman for just £1 a week for 12 weeks using our special offer. Just visit newstatesman.com/podcastoffer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.