Best Steve Discont Podcasts (2025)

1
Lib Dem conference lowdown 35:32

Play Pause

4d ago35:32

35:32

This week the focus is on the Liberal Democrats after the party held their annual conference in Bournemouth. Which despite still giving off a celebratory mood at becoming the third-largest party in the Commons last year, was beset by questions over whether Ed Davey’s stunt-based leadership style is wearing a little thin. And a discussion whether th…

1
Unmasking the 'dark arts' of political whipping 46:48

11d ago46:48

46:48

This week the so-called ‘dark arts’ of politics are being demystified, with a look inside the system known as whipping, where MPs are corralled by fair means or foul into voting with their party’s leadership in Parliament. But in the modern era have things moved more from threats of punishment to pastoral care? And have the days of the 'little blac…

1
Is Keir committed to cleaning up politics? 46:24

18d ago46:24

46:24

This week is a look under the bonnet of British politics, and shining a light into the dark corners of how Westminster’s finances operates, and seeing if the endless pledges to close loopholes and tighten regulations after every scandal have actually led to a crackdown on illegal lobbying and undue influence on democracy. Or whether the UK remains …

1
Thomas Chatterton Williams' "Summer of Our Discontent" 1:31:42

19d ago1:31:42

1:31:42

Peter and Michael discuss a book that's light on facts and long on sentences. Where to find us: Our Patreon Our merch! Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Book Review: ‘Summer of Our Discontent,’ by Thomas Chatterton Williams Police shootings database 2015-2024 From the archive, 22 March 19…

1
Labour's Autumn of discontent 48:58

25d ago48:58

48:58

As MPs returned to Westminster after the summer recess, this week we’re looking ahead to a crucial autumn for this government, packed full of potential pitfalls as they hope year two in office is an upgrade from a tricky first 12 months. But after a clunky internal Downing Street reset and distracting revelations about Angela Rayner’s tax affairs, …

1
Helen Miller on Labour's economic record 37:42

1M ago37:42

37:42

This week is the sixth and final episode in our series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office in some of the big policy areas, and the biggest has been saved until last; the economy. Fixing the country’s finances was their number one priority when Keir Starmer came…

1
Paul Nowak on Labour's workers' rights record 36:01

1M ago36:01

36:01

In the latest episode in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week the focus is on the world of work, from employment rights, public sector pay, and the government’s relationship with trade unions. Host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Paul Nowak, general s…

1
Labour's bill of health one year in 55:12

2M ago55:12

55:12

In the fourth episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, host Alain Tolhurst is joined by not one but two brilliant guests to discuss probably the single most important policy area outside of the economy for this government; health. Labour has long…

1
171: Media, Monopolies, and the Fairness Doctrine 23:37

2M ago23:37

23:37

This week I talk about who owns the media and why that matters. I get into the consolidation of media outlets from local owners a century ago to mostly multinational super-rich corporations today, and I unpack some of the ways that change has shaped the media we consume, which in turn shapes us. I talk about the Fairness Doctrine, the war on drugs,…

1
Chris Skidmore on Labour's green record 36:00

2M ago36:00

36:00

The latest in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this episode features Chris Skidmore, the former Conservative MP, who as Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, signed the UK's Net Zero pledge into law in 2019. Later asked to chair a review of the government's net-ze…

1
170: Polybius and the End of Democracy 18:00

2M ago18:00

18:00

This week I kick off a new section of the show by talking about the cycle of democracy, which philosopher Polybius outlined more than 2000 years ago. I cover aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, anarchy, monarchy and tyranny, explaining the seemingly-unavoidable cycle that links them all together into a loop...one we appear to be nearing the end/begi…

1
Sarah Owen on Labour's equalities record 38:31

2M ago38:31

38:31

In the second episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week's guest on The Rundown is Sarah Owen, Labour MP for Luton North and the chair of the Commons select committee on women and equalities. Speaking to host Alain Tolhurst, she discusses how this government is d…

1
He's Just Not That Into You 1:00:09

2M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

How one comedian's offhand advice launched a decent TV episode, a mediocre book and a terrible movie. Where to find us: Our Patreon Our merch! Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Susan Faludi's "Backlash" For Women Who Count on Men to Be Jerks Bridget Jones’s Legacy Single Women in Popular …

1
Justine Greening on Labour's social mobility record 44:04

2M ago44:04

44:04

With Parliament now into its summer recess, The Rundown is going to spend the next few weeks assessing how the Labour government is performing after a year in office in a number of key areas, with the help of some top experts and those with experience of having facing the same problems staring back at Keir Starmer and his Cabinet. Starting this wee…

1
What Can Starmer Learn From May? 53:23

2M ago53:23

53:23

This week marks nine years since Theresa May entered Downing Street, after David Cameron’s resignation the morning after the EU referendum, but while Brexit was the reason she became Prime Minister, ultimately it was the thing that ended her premiership too, after she was unable to get a deal through Parliament. Consequently most look back on her t…

1
Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" 57:44

3M ago57:44

57:44

Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good? Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book that is mostly cute scientific anecdotes but also indirectly resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted on fraud…

1
Macron and Starmer Revive ‘Entente Cordiale' 36:26

3M ago36:26

36:26

With this week’s state visit to Britain by Emmanuel Macron, we’re looking at the state of UK-Franco relations, and how important a new ‘entente cordiale’ is to Keir Starmer as he deals with political problems both home and abroad. Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss why the French president is open to a rapprochement after a pretty frosty few ye…

1
Nightmare end to Keir's first year 31:44

3M ago31:44

31:44

This weekend marks 12 months since last year’s General Election, when Labour were swept to power with an enormous landslide victory ending 14 long years in opposition, but it seems unlikely they will be hanging the bunting outside Number 10 after a very tough first year in office for Keir Starmer. To discuss just how bad things have got, and how La…

51
The Supreme Court Goes Full TERF [TEASER] 1:01:53

3M ago1:01:53

1:01:53

This is most of the episode but if you want to hear the last 20 minutes, support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

1
Sarah Vine on political spouses 33:18

3M ago33:18

33:18

This week we’re taking a look at what life is like not for politicians themselves, but for their spouses, asking what does a life in the Westminster spotlight do to relationships, what their role is, and the often unfair way they are portrayed in the public eye. Someone who knows more about this than most is the journalist Sarah Vine, who for many …

1
Green Party At A Crossroads 37:18

3M ago37:18

37:18

This week host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Zack Polanski, Green Party deputy leader, as the podcast takes a look at the forgotten winners of last year’s general election, as despite unprecedented success in winning 1.8 million votes and quadrupling their number of MPs to 4, the Greens finds themselves at something of a crossroads. They are joined b…

51
"In Covid's Wake" Part 2: Wrong About The Right 1:10:19

3M ago1:10:19

1:10:19

Last episode we met two Princeton political scientists who are bad at virology. Today we learn that they are also bad at political science. Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Lawrence Wright’s “The Plague Year” Jonathan Howard’s “We Want Them Infected” How the Pandemic De…

51
"In Covid's Wake" Part 1: Lying About Lockdowns 57:47

4M ago57:47

57:47

Two political scientists look back at a deadly pandemic and ask, "could we have done even less?" Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Lawrence Wright’s “The Plague Year” The 2019 WHO report 30‐day mortality following COVID‐19 COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pha…

1
Can this Government deliver? 39:51

4M ago39:51

39:51

While this week Rachel Reeves set out her plans on how and where Labour is set to spend money for much of the rest of this Parliament, the question now is do they have a plan for how they’re going to deliver on their priorities, and succeed in completing Keir Starmer’s missions for government? Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss the vexed issue …

1
How do Spending Reviews work? 52:47

4M ago52:47

52:47

With Rachel Reeves still finalising her comprehensive spending review next Wednesday, this week we’re looking at how the process works, going inside the battles between the Treasury and Whitehall departments on spending plans for the coming years, with John Glen, conservative MP and a former Treasury minister, Sonia Khan, a special adviser to Phili…

51
Bonus: The Lab Leak Goes Mainstream 1:21:09

4M ago1:21:09

1:21:09

By popular demand we are releasing last month's Patreon bonus episode on the main feed! We chart the transformation of the lab leak from an unfounded theory promoted by right-wing cranks to an unfounded theory promoted by liberal journalists. Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Tha…

1
Inside Labour's New Tribes 40:29

4M ago40:29

40:29

As disquiet brews within Labour over cuts to welfare, and a perceived failure to pursue a progressive enough agenda, this week host Alain Tolhurst looks inside the governing party as a host of new caucuses and organised campaign groups have sprung up, and asking - who are the new tribes within Labour Who is behind them, what are their aims, and how…

1
What can we learn from the Coalition? 43:33

4M ago43:33

43:33

With this month marking 15 years since the signing of the historic Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition agreement, and given the fractured five-party politics of 2025, what can be learned from five chaotic days in 2010, that led to five years of surprisingly stable government? To discuss how it all came together, and what stopped it from falli…

1
The Social Care Crunch 46:18

5M ago46:18

46:18

This week the podcast looks at another of those knotty, seemingly intractable issues sat on Labour’s in-tray when they entered government last year; namely social care. To look at how successive administrations have failed to grasp the nettle and deal with the rising costs of a sector that has ballooned in size to deal with our ageing population, h…

1
Fixing The Broken Rental Market 42:47

5M ago42:47

42:47

This week the podcast takes a look at the government's plans to try and fix the UK’s rental market, with soaring rents, terrifying competition, no fault evictions, poorly maintained properties and huge supply pressures trapping an increasingly large cohort of tenants in a system that means they may never own their own homes. To discuss the Renters …

1
169: Freud on Drugs, Religion, Guilt, Shame and Civilization (Civilization and its Discontents) 27:55

5M ago27:55

27:55

This week I dive into some of the work Freud wrote later in his life, particularly a book called Civilization and its Discontents published in 1930. Freud believed that the evolutionary process we can use to trace the changes humans have gone through over the centuries can also explain why culture itself has evolved as it has. He basically thinks w…

1
How To Defuse The Pension Time Bomb 47:48

5M ago47:48

47:48

This week the panel is discussing whether the government can avoid a pensions crisis? As most analysts think the UK’s retirement industry is at a tipping point, needing bold and meaningful - if politically unpopular - reforms, Guy Opperman, the former Tory MP who was the UK’s longest-serving pensions minister from 2017 to 2022, joins host Alain Tol…

1
168: Cocaine with Freud 15:28

5M ago15:28

15:28

This week I talk about Freud's love of cocaine, the historical legacy of Freud's cocaine use, and the cultural changes that have occurred since then in relation to cocaine. The stories we tell about drugs impact the experience we have when we consume them, but Freud wasn't dealing with a century of propaganda. He was, in many ways, creating some of…

1
What Can We Learn From These Local Elections? 36:02

5M ago36:02

36:02

With much of England set to go to the polls next week we’re previewing a crucial set of local elections, with more than 1,600 council seats up for grabs, as well as six mayoral contests and a high-profile Parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby. On the panel is Jonathan Ashworth, chief executive of the think tank Labour Together and a forme…

51
The Let Them Theory 53:44

5M ago53:44

53:44

Peter and Michael discuss The Let Them Theory, a self-help guide to seeking bliss through unmitigated complacency. Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: How to stop screwing yourself over Mel Robbins and Plagiarism Let her? Army wife claims Mel Robbins stole her idea for blo…

1
Last orders for Britain's pubs? 34:52

6M ago34:52

34:52

With the Commons in recess the pod heads down the pub for another episode looking at the UK’s hospitality industry and the struggles it continues to face - with a host of global headwinds and domestic policy contributing to a bleak outlook for the sector in 2025. Joining host Alain Tolhurst for a pint in The Westminster Arms, a stones throw from Pa…

1
Can Starmer navigate Trump's tariff turmoil? 57:34

6M ago57:34

57:34

Senior Labour MP Liam Bryne, who chairs the Commons business and trade committee, joins host Alain Tolhurst to discuss how Keir Starmer navigates the post-tariff world, and whether the market turmoil could be an opportunity for Britain. Later in the episode a panel of experts discuss the small matter of what on earth is happening to the global econ…

1
Mark Field on the end of the Tory era 36:12

6M ago36:12

36:12

Former Conservative MP and minister Mark Field speaks to host Alain Tolhurst about his new memoir The End Of An Era, which as the title suggests charts both his own time in politics as well as the waning fortunes of his party over the past 25 years. They discuss his reflections five years on from stepping down from the Commons, what the Tories got …

1
167: Duct Taping Drugs to Bad Behavior 23:40

6M ago23:40

23:40

This week I dive into some of Trump's recent comments about "Venezuelan gang members" and the USA's legacy of dehumanizing people based on their drug use. I discuss Rodney King, Joaquín Guzman aka "El Chapo," George Floyd, dehumanization, Hannah Arendt's Banality of Evil, the art of shilling for Trump (aka "minionism"), and lots more. You can find …

51
Josh Hawley's "Manhood" [TEASER] 53:11

6M ago53:11

53:11

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

51
Steve Harvey's "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" 58:53

6M ago58:53

58:53

Are you a single lady struggling to find love with a man? Don't fret! A twice-divorced game show host who thinks conversation is for women is here to help. Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

1
Rachel Reeves turns into the 'concrete Chancellor' 44:47

6M ago44:47

44:47

To discuss the fallout from this week’s Spring Statement, after Rachel Reeves confirmed a host of cuts to benefit payments and a squeeze on public spending to offset a downgrade in the country’s growth forecast, John Glen, Tory MP and a former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Helen Barnard, Director of Policy at the Trussell charity, Greg Thwaites,…

1
166: A Conversation with One of My Students about Drugs, Addiction and Neoliberalism (Maddy Grace/Levin) 44:53

6M ago44:53

44:53

This week I share a conversation with one of my students, Madeline Grace/Levin, who is creating a podcast of her own called Dependence. I will update this episode description with a link to her podcast when it's live, but in the mean time I thought I'd share a cool conversation we had last week. We talk about religion, drugs, addiction, Michel de C…

1
Can Starmer re-wire the state? 36:13

6M ago36:13

36:13

Last week Keir Starmer scrapped NHS England as he signalled the government's aim to fundamentally reshape and rewire how the state operates, so the panel is discussing what this means for civil service staff numbers, what impact this will have on the delivery of public services, and how briefings about a so-called ‘project chainsaw’ have gone down …

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Are the wheels coming off Reform? 37:14

7M ago37:14

37:14

After winning five MPs last year and continuing to surge in the polls - are the wheels starting to come off for Reform UK after this week's damaging but wholly predictable internal row involving MP Rupert Lowe and party leader Nigel Farage? Gawain Towler, the party's former director of communications and a long-time spokesman for Nigel Farage, as w…

1
165: Beers with my Dad (Steve Boyce) 1:04:55

7M ago1:04:55

1:04:55

This week I sat down to record a conversation with my dad, Steve Boyce. We talk about my childhood, his first marriage to my bio-mom, addiction and drug use in his life, what I was like as a kid, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, and religion (plus more). Support the showBy Ben Boyce

1
Can Starmer lead the West? 40:55

7M ago40:55

40:55

As the future of Europe dominates the headlines, Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire MP, former Tory ministers James Heappey and Greg Hands, and More in Common’s Luke Tryl join host Adam Payne to discuss a seismic week in world affairs as Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to bring peace to Ukraine. With the tectonic plates of geopolitics shi…

1
Of Boys And Men 1:22:42

7M ago1:22:42

1:22:42

Who's to blame for the crisis of American masculinity? On the right, politicians tell men that they being oppressed by feminists and must reassert their manhood by supporting an authoritarian regime. And on the left, users of social media are often very irritating to people who write airport books. Where to find us: Peter's newsletter Peter's other…

1
164: The Kratom Wars 25:18

7M ago25:18

25:18

This week I talk about the kratom wars: the argument over whether kratom is a deadly drug or a miracle cure (or somewhere in between). While some states are currently trying to ban kratom, others are working to make it easier and safer to get. Meanwhile, the federal government has been a bit all over the place on it, and with Trump 2.0 gathering ea…

1
Will the 'special relationship' stay special? 39:01

7M ago39:01

39:01

With the Prime Minister in Washington this week the Labour MPs Steve Yemm and Chris Evans, as well as Professor Sam Edwards from Loughborough University, and Lord John Alderdice, Liberal Democrat peer, join host Alain Tolhurst to look at the so-called ‘special relationship’. From its history, to why the close bilateral partnership between the UK an…