Best Nhs Reform Podcasts (2025)

1
From City Council to Reform Leader: Vijay Luthra on UK Politics, NHS Change & Public Service 35:15

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9d ago35:15

35:15

In this episode of Meyerside Chats, I sit down with Vijay Luthra—a UK-based public service reformist, ex-councilmember, and management consultant—to explore the future of government, the crisis in public trust, and why systems must evolve to meet 21st-century challenges. We dive into small “p” vs. big “P” politics, the transformation of the NHS, tr…

51
Reform or Die? The NHS 10 Year Plan 44:26

11d ago44:26

44:26

Can the government’s new ten year plan save the NHS? Today the government published it’s plan to reform the NHS. The government says it will focus on three main changes, shifting from treatment to preventative care, switching to digital health services, and moving to more community care. Adam speaks to minister of state for care Stephen Kinnock abo…

1
What Went Wrong With The BBC Gaza Documentary? 39:58

30m ago39:58

39:58

Today, we discuss the findings of a BBC report which found that the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone had breached editorial guidelines. The BBC previously pulled the documentary from iPlayer after it was uncovered that the 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The report says the production company Hoyo Films bears most of…

1
🚨 How to defeat Reform - Exclusive with political polling analyst Steve Akehurst 22:21

10m ago22:21

22:21

Nigel Farage and Reform UK are a real threat to Labour and the Conservatives alike. We've heard a lot about the strengths of the challenger party - who would be likely to form the next government if an election was held tomorrow. But one political polling analyst has been exploring where the Reform brand is most vulnerable to attack - and he reveal…

1
Have tax rises become inevitable? 20:57

43m ago20:57

20:57

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at how Rachel Reeves will try to reassure her party and the country about the state of the economy in a major speech this week. Also, how does the government plan to convince the public – and other MPs – to embrace net zero measures? Plus, as details of Donald Trump’s second state visit are confirmed, why won’t he…

1
Will The Plan To Keep Kids Safe Online Work? 28:05

1d ago28:05

28:05

Today, the chief executive of Ofcom, Dame Melanie Henrietta Dawes sat down with Laura to discuss the Online Safety Act. In just under two weeks time, specific child safety measures, including changes to algorithms to filter out harmful content, will be enforced for a number of different tech platforms and companies. And we find out about the latest…

1
Exclusive Green Party leadership debate 49:56

1d ago49:56

49:56

In a New Statesman exclusive, two of the Green Party's leadership candidates, Zack Polanski and Adrian Ramsey, present their visions for the party to host Anoosh Chakelian. READ Can the Green Party ever work with Jeremy Corbyn? - Megan Kenyon Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva…

1
Labour v The Unions 28:10

2d ago28:10

28:10

Today, the leader of the Unite union says Labour is not defending working people and they are turning away from the party "in droves". Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was yesterday suspended by the union - and Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham says Labour should be ‘seriously concerned’ after the union voted to potentially rethink its rel…

1
How can the UK take the lead in the skills revolution? | Sponsored 23:34

2d ago23:34

23:34

As the UK faces economic and technological change, building a skilled workforce is critical - but what should that workforce look like? And how can employers, educators and policymakers align to prepare people for what’s next? Host Zoë Grünewald is joined by Pearson’s UK Lead Sharon Hague and Vice Chair of Skills England Sir David Bell, to explore …

1
What are doctors demanding? | New BMA Chair, Tom Dolphin 34:35

3d ago34:35

34:35

Rebecca Coombes interviews Dr. Tom Dolphin, consultant anaesthetist and newly elected chair of the BMA Council. Watch this interview on our YouTube.By The BMJ

1
How is Sultana's new party ever going to work? - Listeners questions episode 24:36

3d ago24:36

24:36

Our listeners ask: How will Zarah Sultana's new party on the left ever be able to square wildly different views among those involved? Also in the show, listeners ask how well, or badly, have Labour been dealing with the media and whether Reform will now pull their support for voting reform. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and Megan Ke…

1
Why Is It So Hot? 31:33

3d ago31:33

31:33

Today, as the UK faces the third heatwave already of the summer - is this the kind of summer we should expect in future? Adam is joined by Jordan Dunbar, one of the hosts of the Climate Question podcast and Sarah Keith-Lucas lead weather presenter for the BBC. They discuss when hot weather becomes a heatwave, how prepared the UK is and whether trav…

1
Resetting Franco-British relations: the cross-channel contract 28:23

3d ago28:23

28:23

Emmanuel Macron made his state visit to the UK this week – the first EU leader to do so since Brexit. It heralded a reset between France and Britain, dubbed the ‘entente amicale’ by King Charles. Macron and Starmer announced a joint crackdown on migration with a ‘one-in one-out policy’ for asylum seekers and closer cooperation on defence. But it wa…

1
Another Plan To Stop The Boats 34:00

4d ago34:00

34:00

Today, the UK and France have unveiled a new “one in, one out” plan to reduce small boat Channel crossings. Announcing the deal at the end of Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the UK, Keir Starmer said migrants arriving on small boats will be returned to France, in exchange for asylum seekers who have not tried to enter the UK illegally. Adam and Ch…

1
Large parts of the State a 'complete car crash' 28:01

4d ago28:01

28:01

With resident doctors set to strike yet again, the courts log jammed and the OBR sounding the alarm over Britain's financial trajectory, what can and should be done to arrest the decline? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by colleagues George Eaton, Rachel Cunliffe and Will Dunn to unpack the latest symptoms of the British State's interminable malaise. RE…

1
The Trump hokey cokey is back - what happens to world trade now? 28:41

4d ago28:41

28:41

The Trump hokey-kokey is back. Tariffs on, tariffs reduced - now they’re heading back up again. It really got going on April 2nd- President Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” - when he announced a swathe of punitive tariffs on trading partners across the world. The markets tanked and then there was a pause. Countries had 90 days to strike a trade d…

1
What Can The Government Actually Afford? 41:19

5d ago41:19

41:19

Can the government afford everything it wants to do? Adam is joined by BBC economics editor Faisal Islam and BBC health editor Hugh Pym to discuss the news that resident doctors, who used to be called junior doctors, have announced strike dates for later this summer. The government says it won’t reopen negotiations with the British Medical Associat…

1
Robert Jenrick: Genuine PM potential or just foreshadowing Farage? 31:36

5d ago31:36

31:36

'Some of his views are pretty extreme... I found it pretty sinister' - Harry Lambert, contributing writer to the New Statesman, talks to Anoosh Chakelian and Will Lloyd about his cover story profiling the Conservative MP and leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick. Can he really become PM, why is he so popular online and how did his politics get so radic…

1
More headaches for Labour: Send, strikes and small boats 32:07

5d ago32:07

32:07

Only a week after the government was forced to retreat on benefits reform, there’s now controversy over its plans for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). John Harris speaks to Kate Cox, a parent of two children with special needs, about why there’s such concern about the plans. Plus, with NHS doctors going on strike aga…

1
Are Oasis in fact the greatest Irish band ever? 18:35

6d ago18:35

18:35

With the biggest reunion tour in years kicking off in Cardiff last weekend, the culture show asks if Oasis were just too Irish to be the best Britpop band in the first place? The New Statesman's commissioning editor Finn McRedmond sits down with colleagues George Eaton, Nick Harris and Faye Curran to discuss the Gallagher brothers real allegiances.…

1
National Emergency Alert Test: Newscast In COBR 42:44

6d ago42:44

42:44

As the government announces a new test of the emergency alert system, Newscast is invited to COBR. Adam and Chris become the first people ever to broadcast from COBR as they interview Pat McFadden the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster. They discuss a new test of the emergency alert system, what it’s really like during meetings of national secur…

51
Flash Floods Devastate Texas 26:00

7d ago26:00

26:00

Today we look at the continued fall out of flash floods in Texas where at least 91 people have died. Search efforts continue for a fourth day for dozens of people still missing, authorities say. Camp Mystic, a girls' summer camp in the county, confirmed that at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead Adam speaks to chief North America correspo…

1
SEND: Labour's next backbench battle 18:53

7d ago18:53

18:53

After the bruising passage of the government's welfare reform bill, attention on the backbenches is now turning to another lightning rod issue - the potential overhaul of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. Anoosh Chakelian discusses the battles looming with colleagues Hannah Barnes, Will Dunn and Pippa Bailey. READ Starme…

1
Is Send the next battleground for Labour? – Politics Weekly UK 27:01

7d ago27:01

27:01

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss why backbenchers and campaigners are already gearing up for another fight, this time over children’s special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support. And, could a new party on the left be a threat to Labour?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod…

1
One year of Labour - Politics Weekly live at Crossed Wires festival 42:14

8d ago42:14

42:14

One year on from Keir Starmer’s election victory and Labour are well behind Reform in the polls, while the government is already having to bend to the will of its backbenchers. So how can Starmer recover? Kiran Stacey talks to Jonathan Ashworth, the chief executive of Labour Together and former MP for Leicester South, and Marie Tidball, the Labour …

51
One Year of Labour: What Do Voters Think? 28:17

8d ago28:17

28:17

On recent episodes we’ve looked back at Labour’s first 12 year in government, and we’ve looked ahead at what Labour could do next. Today, Newscast finds out how voters feel things are going. Laura and Paddy chat with Luke Tryl, director of More in Common, political research group, to find out what new polling suggests about what the public really t…

1
Jake Richards MP on the welfare bill and ECHR reform 21:21

9d ago21:21

21:21

Labour MP Jake Richards sits down with Anoosh Chakelian to discuss the drama over the government's welfare reform bill and why he thinks the European Convention on Human Rights needs a desperate overhaul. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politics newsletter: Morning Call Submit a question for a future episode: You Ask Us Hosted on Acast. See ac…

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One Year of Labour: What’s Next? 30:51

9d ago30:51

30:51

Today, Laura and Paddy look ahead and discuss what's next for the government after a tumultuous first year in power. Can we expect Keir Starmer to make changes to policy, politics and personnel? or will the Prime Minister dig in and defy the critics, some of whom are already predicting his resignation before the next election. You can join our News…

51
One Year of Labour: What Happened? (Newscast Live) 1:01:39

10d ago1:01:39

1:01:39

One year after Keir Starmer became the first Labour Prime Minister for 14 years, have his first 12 months been a success? Adam, Chris and Henry are at Crossed Wires festival to discuss in front of an audience of Newscasters! You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It work…

1
Was exorcising "the ghost of Jeremy Corbyn" a fatal mistake for Labour? - Listeners questions episode 22:28

10d ago22:28

22:28

Our listeners ask: Can we really argue that Keir Starmer has a plan after yet another disaster over the welfare reform bill? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Tom McTague and Rachel Cunliffe. This episode was recorded before MP Zarah Sultana announced she is launching a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn. Sign up to the New Statesman's daily politi…

1
A year of Keir 37:29

10d ago37:29

37:29

This week marks a year of Keir Starmer’s government. But if Labour was expecting to celebrate the anniversary – it didn't pan out that way. Despite claiming a narrow victory with the contentious welfare bill, the government appeared to have one of its roughest weeks on record. Host George Parker is joined by Stephen Bush, Miranda Green and Robert S…

1
One year of Labour rule: Can things still only get better? 40:38

11d ago40:38

40:38

'We've not been here since the 70s' As the government marks one year in office, Anoosh Chakelian sits down with Andrew Marr, Tom McTague and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss Keir Starmer's highs, lows and the many, many challenges that lie ahead. READ We must prepare for Prime Minister Farage - Andrew Marr LISTEN JUST RAISE TAX Sign up to the New Statesm…

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Why is there a row about disability benefits? 28:30

11d ago28:30

28:30

The Government was forced into a humiliating climbdown over its controversial benefits bill this week, and any savings the Treasury had hoped to make were wiped out. The politics of this is a subject on its own, but the underlying problem the government was trying to solve, however, remains. David Aaronovitch asks his guests why the cost of disabil…

51
Reeves’ Tears at PMQs 31:06

12d ago31:06

31:06

Today, Rachel Reeves was visibly upset at Prime Minister’s Questions. Her team say it was a personal matter, and there are also reports of an argument with the speaker. Adam and Chris look at what’s been going on amidst mounting criticism of the chancellor’s handling of the welfare cuts. Plus, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been found not guilty of rackete…

51
Unhappy birthday? Labour in turmoil after one year in government – Politics Weekly UK 38:20

12d ago38:20

38:20

This week marks one year since Keir Starmer came to power after a landslide election victory. But with questions over the Chancellor’s future, historically low popularity and a series of U-turns, Labour has not had the honeymoon period some might have wished for. So how did we get here? John Harris is joined by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey to talk…

1
JUST RAISE TAX 34:03

12d ago34:03

34:03

'You walk around the country and you know something's off' - After a bruising passage of the government's heavily altered welfare reform bill, for the sake of just a few billion pounds, many are left wondering where does the government and the country go now? In this episode, Anoosh Chakelian is joined by colleagues Tom McTague, Will Dunn and Megan…

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Welfare Bill Passes, But At What Cost? 32:16

13d ago32:16

32:16

Today, MPs have narrowly voted in favour of the government’s welfare bill. The controversial legislation passed after a series of last minute concessions by the government, but 49 Labour MPs still rebelled. Adam and Chris discuss what changes were made, how the government failed to manage the rebellion, and the political blow the prime minister has…

1
Time to rethink GP's advice on weightloss, and ticagrelor data doubts 33:38

13d ago33:38

33:38

Last December, The BMJ published an investigation into the 2009 PLATO trial - exposing serious problems with that study’s data analysis and reporting. Our follow up investigation has shown that those data problems extend to other key supporting evidence in AstraZeneca’s initial application to regulators. Peter Doshi, senior editor in the BMJ’s Inve…

1
Glastonbury's political hangover rages on 34:18

13d ago34:18

34:18

With some calling for the Director-General of the BBC to resign, Somerset police launching a criminal investigation and the US Deputy Secretary of State revoking visas, the political fireworks at this year's Glastonbury were even more sensational than the pyramid stage's. But what was it like on the ground? In this edition of the New Statesman cult…

1
Police Investigate Bob Vylan and Kneecap Glastonbury Sets 41:39

14d ago41:39

41:39

Today, Avon and Somerset police launched a criminal investigation into sets by bands Bob Vylan and Kneecap at Glastonbury festival on Saturday. Adam is joined by BBC media and culture editor Katie Razzall, who reported from the festival over the weekend, to discuss the investigation and the BBC’s apology for not cutting the livestream of Bob Vylan’…

1
Welfare warfare just the start of Starmer's problems 34:08

14d ago34:08

34:08

With yet another U-turn from the government, the fate of the welfare bill is left in the hands of the backbenchers. In this episode, Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Editor-in-Chief Tom McTague and business editor Will Dunn to discuss the potential consequences of defeat in Tuesday night's vote, Rachel Reeves‘ precarious position and how we got here in…

1
How the welfare bill went wrong – Politics Weekly Westminster 26:01

14d ago26:01

26:01

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how the government was forced into backtracking on its plans to cut disability payments. Will changes to the welfare bill be enough to win over rebels? And how damaging is another U-turn for Keir Starmer and his team?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod…

1
Music and Politics At Glastonbury 31:47

15d ago31:47

31:47

Today, we look at the reaction from politicians, Glastonbury, and the BBC to comments from Bob Vylan, a duo that performed at the music festival on Saturday. Rapper Bobby Vylan led chants of "death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]". A BBC spokesperson said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive. During thi…

1
Iain Dale on debunking the myths around Margaret Thatcher 32:47

16d ago32:47

32:47

Was Margaret Thatcher really some 'evil dictator' who's legacy still looms large over Britain? Or was she something else entirely? Broadcaster and author Iain Dale talks to Rachel Cunliffe about his new book, Margaret Thatcher, and why he wanted to dispel some of the myths and mistruths about the Iron Lady. READ Inside the false economy of Rachel R…

1
Was The Welfare Rebellion Starmer's Most Damaging Moment? 28:53

16d ago28:53

28:53

Today, we look at where the welfare U-turn leaves Keir Starmer’s government, and the PM himself. Paddy and Henry Zeffman go through the PM’s first year in office and put it into context by look at where he’s got things right and wrong. Henry’s been talking to Labour insiders and officials for a documentary: Starmer’s Stormy Year You can find it her…

1
Addressing the dementia diagnosis waiting game | Sponsored 24:23

17d ago24:23

24:23

Too many people in the UK are stuck anxiously waiting up to a year for a dementia diagnosis — and even longer in more deprived areas. In this episode, we explore why early and accurate diagnosis matters, and what must change to fix the system. Host Sarah Dawood is joined by Samantha Benham-Hermetz, Executive Director at Alzheimer’s Research UK; Chr…

1
"Why won't Keir Starmer stand up to Israel?" - Listener questions episode 25:49

17d ago25:49

25:49

Our listeners ask: How long will the government continue to support Israel after its actions in Gaza? Also in the show, one listener asks why longstanding issues like council tax reform are perennially ignored, another whether there could ever be a true 'red tory' faction in the Conservative party. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Tom McTague and Rach…

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Starmer’s welfare woes 35:10

17d ago35:10

35:10

Sir Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion from within his own party this week after scores of MPs opposed changes to make it tougher to collect some disability benefits. This episode — recorded just before the prime minister’s concessions on welfare reform — unpacks why the rebellion took place, what it says about Starmer’s leadership and where next …

1
The Week: A Welfare U-Turn, Nato Summit, and Daddy Issues 36:21

17d ago36:21

36:21

Today, the government has confirmed it will make major concessions to Labour rebels over its planned benefits reforms. Adam and Chris were back in the Newscast studio on Friday morning to run through how news of the U-turn broke late on Thursday night. And, they're joined by Alex and Faisal to unpack the week's political news - including key takeaw…

1
Can Keir Starmer Stop A Labour Rebellion? 40:23

18d ago40:23

40:23

Today, can Keir Starmer stop a rebellion from his own party over proposed welfare cuts? Adam is joined by Luke Sullivan, Keir Starmer’s former political director, to discuss the leadership strategy and the current political challenge. Also, columnist and author Sarah Vine speaks to Adam ahead of the release of her new book How Not to Be a Political…