Best Rob Booker Podcasts (2025)

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England's most deprived areas revealed 23:53

Play Pause

12h ago23:53

23:53

Which are the most deprived neighbourhoods in England and how might this map onto voter intent? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by senior data journalist Ben Walker, to discuss what we can learn from the English Indices of Deprivation. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Fr…

1
Abolish the rotten monarchy 46:40

1d ago46:40

46:40

Another bad week for Prince Andrew. You could say the man hasn’t had a good week since 2011. Although, actually, he does live in a 30-bedroom mansion in Windsor and enjoyed a million quid a year from his mum. In this week's cover story Will Lloyd makes the case for abolishing the monarchy, and that the Windsors have always been more involved with B…

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Can Labour afford to raise taxes? 24:50

3d ago24:50

24:50

With the Autumn budget looming, the government has some tough decisions to make. Rachel Reeves has to find a predicted £30bn in extra revenue to meet her self-imposed fiscal rules. But as part of its manifesto pledges, Labour promised not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT. And after a crushing defeat in Wales last week, what can the go…

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Should Labour sack Starmer to beat Reform? 25:58

4d ago25:58

25:58

The Caerphilly by-election proves Reform can be beaten. But is Keir Starmer the man to do it? Last week voters in Caerphilly confounded pundits by electing their first Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd (MS). Reform UK had expected to be the party to overturn Labour's 100 year dominance in the Welsh seat - but they were wrong. The loss was a disaster…

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Interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger; Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy; CNN’s Abby Phillip 42:26

5d ago42:26

42:26

On CNN’s State of the Union, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joins Jake to discuss his opposition to California’s redistricting push. Then, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy joins Jake to respond to Trump’s new Canada tariffs and the ongoing stalemate over the government shutdown. Next, CNN Senior Political Commentator Adam Kinzinger and CN…

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Two decades later, Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai returns 45:45

6d ago45:45

45:45

With only her second novel The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai won the 2006 Booker Prize, the leading literary prize in the global Anglosphere, becoming - at the time - the youngest person ever to do so. She was thirty-five. Then: silence. 19 years of it, before another novel emerged - this year. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It, too, has bee…

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The death of Welsh Labour 29:15

7d ago29:15

29:15

Is Welsh Labour dead? Plaid Cymru won a historic victory in the by-election, trouncing Labour who had been dominant for over 100 years. The "middle child" as Plaid's new MS describes them, also beat Reform, who pollsters expected to win the seat. In this episode, Harry Clarke-Ezzidio reports from Caerphilly to analyse the results of the election. H…

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Labour loses Caerphilly for first time in over 100 years 16:37

7d ago16:37

16:37

After 14 attempts, Lindsay Whittle has won the Caerphilly seat in South Wales for Plaid Cymru. Reform came in second with over a third of the vote, and Labour trailed in third with 11%. A devastating loss for the party. Harry Clarke-Ezzidio is joined by Ben Walker in Caerphilly Leisure Centre. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FR…

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Andrew Marr: Keir Starmer is failing Britain 45:34

8d ago45:34

45:34

Andrew Marr says he thought Labour would fix everything, but: "I was wrong". -- Andrew Marr is stepping down as political editor of the New Statesman. In this, his last regular podcast appearance (he'll be back, don't worry!) he reflects on the last three years in politics - and where we're heading next. He admits committing "the journalistic sin" …

1
Why the Trump-Putin summit fell apart 31:58

9d ago31:58

31:58

Donald Trump's planned summit with Vladimir Putin is cancelled. Here's why. -- Less than a week after Donald Trump offered to meet Vladimir Putin in Budapest, the proposed summit has already fallen apart. Officially, "there's no need" for the two presidents to meet, since their respective foreign ministers are conducting conversations. But what's r…

1
Your Party and the UK's left crisis 53:11

10d ago53:11

53:11

James Schneider, the former director of strategic communications for Jeremy Corbyn, was involved in the founding of Your Party earlier this year. He has since stepped back from the project. In this episode he joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss the growing gap on the left of UK politics and who could fill it. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesm…

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Andrew, duke no more 26:21

11d ago26:21

26:21

Andrew had already stepped down as a working royal, after that disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, but he’s now gone a step further and agreed to relinquish the “title or the honours which have been conferred upon” him. Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Lloyd and Rachel Cunliffe to discuss what these latest decisions, announced on the eve of t…

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Interviews with Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan; Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly; Former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan 43:44

12d ago43:44

43:44

On CNN’s State of the Union, Dana Bash presses House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan over President Trump pressure on the Justice Department to go after his political opponents. They also discuss ICE’s aggressive tactics and Trump firing federal workers en masse. Next, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly sits down with Dana to discuss Democrat’…

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100 years of Thatcher, with Charles Moore 45:15

13d ago45:15

45:15

A century on from the her birth, Tanjil Rashid sits down with the Iron Lady's official biographer, Charles Moore. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday JOIN…

1
Is liberalism dead? with John Gray 1:21:08

14d ago1:21:08

1:21:08

For over 30 years, John Gray has written for the New Statesman on everything from Artificial Intelligence to Friedrich Nietzsche. He joins deputy editor Will Lloyd to discuss the state of the nation. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics n…

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Unlock the triple lock 26:54

15d ago26:54

26:54

Andrew Marr joins Rachel Cunliffe to discuss his column in this week's magazine, Tax the old. They also discuss the latest developments in the China spy case. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best…

1
Emperor Trump and his British courtiers 20:44

16d ago20:44

20:44

"All I've done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen…” President Trump announced at a celebratory peace-deal signing attended by dozens of nations in Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this week. But who were the powers behind Trump? Behind this deal? Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Freddie Hayward who has written this week’s cover story …

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The UK needs a China reset 32:01

17d ago32:01

32:01

Did Keir Starmer's government quash an espionage case to curry favour with China? -- There's fury in Westminster over the case of two alleged China spies which collapsed last month. Kemi Badenoch has accused the Labour government of deliberately quashing the prosecution to appease China, blaming National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell. The govern…

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Trump wins peace in the Middle East 33:37

18d ago33:37

33:37

All 20 remaining, living hostages have returned to Israel after 2 years in captivity, following the October the 7th Hamas attacks. The remains of the 28 deceased hostages are yet to be returned. Meanwhile, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza today. To discuss this historic day in the Middle East and…

1
Is Labour just mild-mannered Faragism? 25:53

20d ago25:53

25:53

Is Labour reading from the Reform handbook? And what is the government doing to address rising child poverty? Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe to answer listener questions. Got a question? Ask us here! LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily …

1
On the ground in the new Calais Jungle 33:00

21d ago33:00

33:00

Almost 10 years ago the Calais 'Jungle' was demolished by the French authorities, structures were burned to the ground and the migrants were forced to flee, once again. Small-boats crossings are on the rise, and for those waiting for their chance, a new 'Jungle' has become home. Oli Dugmore is joined by Miles Ellingham and Jack Jeffrey who reported…

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Labour's deja vu problem 30:15

22d ago30:15

30:15

Andrew Marr joins Tom McTague to discuss the ascension of Shabana Mahmood, and the Blairites haunting Keir Starmer's government. LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email ever…

1
Tory conference through the eyes of the NS ... and GB News 26:32

23d ago26:32

26:32

You might have missed it, many people did, but this week the Conservatives met for their annual party conference in Manchester. Rachel Cunliffe is joined by Ethan Croft, who's just stepped out of the conference hall listening to Badenoch's speech, and later in the episode by Will Dunn - who's been watching the whole affair on GB News. LISTEN AD-FRE…

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Abolish landlords? 40:57

24d ago40:57

40:57

1
October 7th changed the West forever 58:20

25d ago58:20

58:20

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Interviews with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker; National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett; Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego; Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Republican Congressman Buddy Carter ... 42:42

26d ago42:42

42:42

On CNN’s State of the Union, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joins Jake Tapper to respond to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Chicago and plans to deploy National Guard troops there against his will. Then, top Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett joins Jake to discuss Trump’s handling of the shutdown and his threats to fire federal wor…