Episodes
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On this episode, Reaction’s political reporter Max Mitchell speaks to historian Henry Hemming about his new book Four Shots in the Night: A True Story of Stakeknife, Murder and Justice in Northern Ireland. They talk about the importance of intelligence during the Troubles, the evolution of the IRA and its eventual involvement in the democratic process, Margaret Thatcher’s lack of interest and inept diplomacy in Northern Ireland and Operation Kenova’s case against the agent known as Stakenife.
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Ahead of the London Defence Conference, host Iain Martin speaks to Sir Michael Fallon, former defence secretary, about establishing Western deterrence in a new age of geopolitical uncertainty. They touch on AUKUS, Britain’s relationship with its European allies, a potential national service and why deterrence saves lives and money in the long term.
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On this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to John Rentoul about the consequences of the local elections, the Tory defections, Labour’s readiness for government and what Keir Starmer believes in.
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On this episode of the Reaction Podcast, host Iain Martin is joined by Tim Shipman, chief political commentator at The Sunday Times, to talk about his new book, No Way Out: Brexit: From the Backstop to Boris. They discuss the political gambles, successes and failures that led Brexit Britain to where it is today, the legacy of Theresa May’s premiership, what the Brexit moment tells us about historical revolutionary times, the dishonesty of both Brexiteers and Remainers and the future of Britain outside the EU.
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On this episode, Max Mitchell (standing in for Iain Martin) speaks to author and journalist Kapil Komireddi about the upcoming Indian elections. They discuss the domineering figure of Narendra Modi, the rise of Hindu nationalism, the tumultuous history of modern India and Kapil’s book, Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India, which has just been released in a new and revised paperback edition.
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In this conversation hosted by Reaction, Political Reporter and Podcast Editor Max Mitchell speaks to author and journalist James Kaplan about his new book 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool. They discuss the genius of Miles Davis, how these musicians came together to create the best-selling jazz album of all time, the economic and social conditions that affected mid-20th century jazz and Kind of Blue’s lasting power.
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On this episode, Reaction’s Executive Editor Maggie Pagano sits in for Iain Martin and is joined by commentator and founder of ConservativeHome Tim Montgomerie. They discuss whether Rishi Sunak will survive till the next election, who might take over the party, why Labour is courting the corporate world and what it means for a potential Labour government, the state of the economy and why DEI has gone too far.
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On this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to historian and author Jade McGlynn about the Russian myths and propaganda powering the war in Ukraine. Calling in from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, Jade talks about her two important books on modern Russia, Russia’s War and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia. The discussion also touches on Ukrainian morale, the ethical catastrophe engulfing an ever more chaotic Russia, European military capacity and what might happen in the war’s third year.
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In this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to geopolitical expert and Reaction columnist Tim Marshall about the state of global conflict. They touch on the recent developments in the Israel-Hamas war, the future of the Middle East, how the growing Axis of Resistance is enabling Putin’s war in Ukraine, European rearmament and deterrence with or without the US and the end of the end of history.
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On this episode, host Iain Martin talks to Merryn Somerset Webb, Bloomberg columnist and author, about her prescient book Share Power. The discussion touches on the origins of ESG, how huge amounts of money poured into sustainability funds, its vague and subjective definitions, how ESG could only exist in a low interest rate environment, what Jeremy Hunt will do in the Spring Budget and the failure of central banks.
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On this week’s podcast, host Iain Martin speaks to Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at Atlantic Council and author of the new book Goodbye Globalisation.
Since the end of the Cold War, many saw the adoption of market economies by previously communist countries as a sign that a liberal democratic system of government had prevailed definitively over authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Those who argued for globalisation said that if goods, services and dollars crossed borders, then soldiers would not. But the world is changing again. War has returned to Europe with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US and China are at loggerheads over Taiwan and there's the Middle East once again in crisis. There are concerns about supply chains and the viability of the global trading system. All themes addressed in Goodbye Globalisation.
Iain and Elisabeth discuss the development of globalisation, the philosophy underpinning it, the huge financial and cultural successes, its increasing volatility, whether it will last and what financial system might replace it. -
Host Iain Martin talks to Ed Conway about his book Material World. From the extraction processes to treatment, through the supply chains and on to the consumer, Ed’s new book follows the stories of the key substances that have built the modern world: sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. We are heavily reliant on these substances but often ignorant of where they come from, how they are made and how civilisation would crumble without them. In this episode, Iain and Ed discuss how climate change, the energy crisis and the threat of new global conflict will affect our relationship to the material world.
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This week, host Iain Martin talks to Francis Hoar, barrister and legal commentator, about the disaster of political decision-making during the pandemic. The discussion ranges from the fallacy of zero Covid to the embarrassment of politicians standing in the way of an honest reckoning with the mistakes made. Francis argues that society has to reassess its relationship with risk, health and liberty.
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On this episode, host Iain Martin interviews Lord Arbuthnot, Post Office scandal campaigner, about the heroic role he played, helping to pave the way for justice. They discuss the history of the scandal, the groupthink of Post Office and Fujitsu employees, the fallacy of blind faith in machines, the scandal's similarities to the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash and potential governmental and judicial reforms.
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On the first episode of the new year, host Iain Martin sits down with Tim Montgomerie to look at the year ahead in politics. With almost two billion people in 60 countries heading to the polls in 2024, it is sure to be a year of geopolitical shifts. Iain and Tim discuss what the Tory party can do to salvage the election, the rise of the Labour party and its potential style of governance, the seeming inevitability of Donald Trump's return, the consequences of the EU elections for European security and whether 2024 will see further escalations in Ukraine, Israel and other conflicts.
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Host Iain Martin speaks to Gerry Baker, editor-at-large of the Wall Street Journal, about his new book American Breakdown: Why We No Longer Trust Our Leaders and Institutions and How We Can Rebuild Confidence. They talk about the loss of legitimacy in American politics, hyperpartisanship, inequality, how American democracy can be saved, what next year's presidential election means for global politics and Henry Kissinger.
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Host Iain Martin and guest Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, discuss the crisis facing Rishi Sunak and long-term Tory problems.
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Host Iain Martin and guest Tim Montgomerie on the Autumn Statement, immigration numbers and the rise of Reform, the party that with Nigel Farage could turn Conservative defeat into a rout.
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This week, Iain Martin speaks to Helen Thompson about the geopolitics of energy. They touch on why the Ukraine war hasn’t sparked a European awakening on energy security, the energy picture around Israel and the Middle East, why Trump 2.0 could be bad news for European security and her book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century which is now out in paperback.
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On this episode, Iain Martin talks to Maggie Pagano, executive editor of Reaction, about the Suella Braverman debacle, the state of the economy ahead of the Autumn Statement, the potential of electoral reform, the influence of social justice activism on businesses, the coming year of elections and a potential Biden-Trump re-run.
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