Parhaat Michael Walker Podcastit (2024)

1
Will Labour Deliver for Renters? (w/ Generation Rent) 44:24

2M ago44:24

44:24

Most of my episodes on renting have been somewhat depressing. This conversation with Ben Twomey wasn't. That's because Labour have introduced a Renters Rights Bill which - though far from perfect - could do a lot to limit the insecurity currently experienced by private renters in Britain. Ben explained what's in the bill, what's missing, and what c…

1
Will the Riots Break Britain's Prisons (w/ Ian Acheson) 23:40

2M ago23:40

23:40

Britain's prisons were already dangerously full before the summer far-right riots. Will jailing hundreds of those rioters push the prison system over the edge? To answer that question I spoke to a fascinating guest. Ian Acheson is a former prison governor and author of the new book "Screwed: Britain's Prisons Crisis and How To Escape It" To listen …

1
Racism and Anti-Racism in Britain (w/ Asad Rehman) 1:08:47

3M ago1:08:47

1:08:47

How do the racist riots that have terrorised Britain these past two weeks fit in to a broader history of racism in Britain? In this fascinating episode I spoke to Asad Rehman, who grew up amid racist violence from the National Front in Burnley in the 1970s and 1980s, and who has spent his life since then campaigning against racism. Hosted on Acast.…

1
Labour's One Neat Trick To Get Britain Growing (w/ Jonn Elledge) 49:04

4M ago49:04

49:04

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have promised that economic growth will be their number one priority. But - unwilling to spend any money - they're betting they can make this happening with costless reforms. Can planning reform deliver the goods and get Britain growing? Guest: Jonn Elledge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Britain's Prisons Crisis (w/ Cassia Rowland) 1:05:19

4M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

With a new government in power I'm moving from a focus on politics to one on policy, and the first topic I'm choosing for a deep is prisons. What's the extent of the crisis Labour have inherited, and how might they go about resolving it? Guest: Cassia Rowland, Institute for Government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
The French Election (w/ David Broder) 45:20

4M ago45:20

45:20

Elections in France on Sunday threw up a surprising result. Against all expectations the far-right were pushed into third place, and the left-wing New Popular Front finished with the largest number of seats. But what future faces France remains unclear. Guest: David Broder, Europe Editor at Jacobin. Editor: Liam Thorne Hosted on Acast. See acast.co…

1
UK Election: The View From the Right (w/ Freddy Gray) 42:56

5M ago42:56

42:56

The collapse of the Tory vote and the rise of Reform means this election could prove to be historic in terms of Britain's right. To find out how Britain's conservative establishment are viewing this moment I spoke to Freddy Gray, Deputy Editor of The Spectator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
From Labour Left to New Labour (w/ Chris Mullin) 35:43

5M ago35:43

35:43

My episode last week with Jeremy Gilbert got a very positive response - so I thought I’d do another episode on Labour Party history. Chris Mullin was a key figure on the Labour left in the 1980s, but by 1994 he backed Tony Blair as Labour leader - and ended up taking a role as a junior minister in his governments. In this episode I ask Chris about …

1
Labour's Last Landslide (w/ Jeremy Gilbert) 38:17

5M ago38:17

38:17

If you believe the polls, Starmer's Labour are heading for a landslide even bigger than Blair's in 1997. But that landslide, if it comes, will not be caused by any overwhelming positivity about either Starmer or Labour. Does that make the election of 2024 fundamentally different to the election of 1997? And, what consequences will that have for Sta…

1
The Collapse of Tory Britain (w/ Phil Burton-Cartledge) 33:27

6M ago33:27

33:27

**This is a free preview of a members-only episode. You can sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod*** When most commentators discuss the Tory collapse at this election they point to three things: Boris Johnson's partygate, Liz Truss's mini-budget, and Rishi Sunak's political ineptitude. My guest on this episode has a longer term explanation for Tory…

1
India's Election: Has Modi Supercharged Indian Growth? (w/ Arjun Ramani) 1:05:07

6M ago1:05:07

1:05:07

I'll soon be moving to focus on the UK general election, but first this is a final look at a much bigger democratic contest: India's. In episode 1 and 2 of my mini-series on India's election I looked at Modi's hindu nationalism and his approach to democracy. In this third and final episode I’m taking a look at India’s economy. It's hard to overstat…

1
A Conversation With A Conservative (w/ Albie Amankona) 33:14

6M ago33:14

33:14

I've been wanting to get more ideological diversity and productive disagreement on Crash Course, and so I was pleased when Albie Amankona agreed to come on for an interview. Albie is a regular commentator on GB News, and vice chair of LGBT Conservatives. We discussed the council election results, how he became a conservative, the legacy of austerit…

1
What is Starmerism? (w/ George Eaton) 29:55

7M ago29:55

29:55

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To sign up visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Given the local and mayoral elections in England and Wales I've taken a break from my India series to look at politics closer to home. In this episode I speak to George Eaton from the New Statesman about the nature of "Starmerism" and what Labour would …

1
India's Election: A Democracy Without Freedom? (w/ Alpa Shah) 29:09

7M ago29:09

29:09

India's elections are the world's largest. But in a context in which Modi's political opponents are subject to arbitrary arrest, can we really call the country a democracy? LSE Anthropologist Alpa Shah thinks we shouldn't, and in her new book 'The Incarcerations' she explains how the arrest of 16 intellectuals and activists symbolises India's slide…

1
India's Election: How Modi Became Unbeatable (w/ Pratinav Anil) 35:11

7M ago35:11

35:11

To mark India's general election, I'll be doing a few episodes on the politics and economics of the world's most populous nation. In this first interview, I speak to the Oxford historian Pratinav Anil about Modi's Hindu Nationalism, and how it came to dominate politics in India. **This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full inte…

1
Things Can Always Get Worse (Vincent Bevins Part 2) 35:04

7M ago35:04

35:04

In the second part of my conversation with Vincent Bevins we discussed the arab spring and the fall of the Soviet Union. The conversation includes Vincent giving a really useful explanation of the rise and fall of the Egyptian revolution, and me making a tentative case for small-c conservatism. **This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen …

1
You Say You Want a Revolution (w/ Vincent Bevins) 41:48

7M ago41:48

41:48

Vincent Bevins is one of my favourite authors - and a good friend of mine - so I knew when I got him sat down in a room our conversation good go on for a long time. I wasn't wrong. This is the first part of a three hour conversation where we discuss his latest book "If We Burn: The Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution" . In this episode I tell…

1
Does Britain Need More Houses? A debate with Nick Bano 1:05:43

8M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

In my first crossover episode with Novara FM I spoke to Nick Bano about his new book "Against Landlords". Nick also wrote a recent piece in the Guardian which caused controversy due to Nick's unusual claim that Britain doesn't need to build more houses. I fundamentally disagree with Nick on that point, hence this became a bit of a debate! You can r…

1
Britain's Muslim Moral Panic (w/ Peter Oborne) 34:21

8M ago34:21

34:21

**This is free preview of a members only episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** As Israel bombards Gaza, the Tory Party have used anti-war protests as an excuse to whip up a moral panic about British muslims. To discuss the long history of Tory animosity towards muslims - and the broader ideology that sees …

1
Who gets to ignore international law? (w/ Alonso Gurmendi) 51:56

9M ago51:56

51:56

** This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full interview sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod ** Events since October 7th have shown the strengths and weaknesses of international law. On the one hand, differing attitudes to Russia and Israel have shown the West's commitment to international law to be paper thin. On the other, c…

1
Lock 'em Up, Get Elected: Bukele's El Salvador 39:02

9M ago39:02

39:02

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To listen to the full show visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod** I've taken a break from the Palestine series on this episode to interview an expert on another topic that has fascinated me this month: The election of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. Bukele has been criticised by human rights groups for lo…

1
Britain's Israel Lobby (w/ Hil Aked) 36:12

10M ago36:12

36:12

** This is a free preview of a longer paid episode, to access the whole interview visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod ** Is the West's unconditional support for Israel thanks to the existence of a powerful Israel lobby? I spoke to Hil Aked about Britain's Israel lobby, and its activity during the war on Gaza. Hil Aked is author of "Friends of Israel: …

1
Yemen and the Houthis (w/ Séamus Malekafzali) 52:35

10M ago52:35

52:35

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. You can access the full show at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East. The Houthis were a Yemeni group of rebel outsiders. Yet they now have the entire West on the ropes with their blockade of the Red Sea. I spoke to Beirut-based writer Séamus Malekafzali for …

1
Israel, Iran and "the Axis of Resistance" (w/ Trita Parsi) 29:50

10M ago29:50

29:50

***This is a free preview of a paid episode. To listen to the full hour subscribe at patreon.com/crashcoursepod*** Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen are all part of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" which poses the biggest challenge to Israel in the Middle East. I spoke to Trita Parsi about the surprising history of Israe…

1
Immigration Nation? (w/ Jonathan Portes) 1:03:15

11M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Earlier in the year I started a series on Migration which I put on hold to focus on the Gaza War. This was going to be episode 2 of that series. It's with Jonathan Portes, who was a very senior civil servant in the New Labour years and is now a Professor of Political Economy at Kings College London. We discussed the history and economics of immigra…

1
Apartheid South Africa Vs Israeli Apartheid (w/ Andrew Feinstein) 48:59

11M ago48:59

48:59

**This is a free preview of a longer paid episode. To subscribe, visit patreon.com/crashcoursepod** Andrew Feinstein is a campaigner and author who grew up in apartheid South Africa and became an MP for the ANC. Andrew is also jewish, and has spent extensive time in Israel-Palestine, so I couldn't have found a better placed guest to discuss the con…

1
The Labour Party, Israel and the Gaza War (w/ Jon Lansman) 37:41

12M ago37:41

37:41

**This is a free preview of a paid episode - to listen to the full conversation sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod** For my sixth episode on the Gaza War I interviewed Jon Lansman on the Labour Party and Israel-Palestine. Jon is a long-time stalwart of the Labour left who ran both of Jeremy Corbyn’s successful leadership campaign, and I've known…

1
How the White House sees the Gaza War (w/ Ben Judah) 37:28

12M ago37:28

37:28

I spoke to Ben Judah from the Atlantic Council about how the U.S. sees the Gaza War. This is a free version of a longer episode. To listen in full sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Why Britain Backs Israel (w/ David Wearing) 57:03

1y ago57:03

57:03

From Balfour to Braverman, Britain has consistently backed Israel in its war on Palestine. To discuss why, I was joined by David Wearing Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Sussex. This is a free version of a longer episode - to listen to the full show subscribe at patreon.com/crashcoursepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva…

1
Palestine's Neighbours: Egypt & Jordan (w/ Abdel Razzaq Takriti) 55:50

1y ago55:50

55:50

Since 1948, the relationship between Israel and its arab neighbours has gone from open hostility, to accommodation and collaboration. I spoke to Abdel Razzaq Takriti, Chair in Modern Arab History at the University of Houston, about Egypt and Jordan's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and how that can inform our understanding of the current Gaz…

1
Two Gaza Endgames: Greater Israel Vs Oslo (w/ Gilbert Achcar) 40:12

1y ago40:12

40:12

For my second episode on the Gaza War I spoke to Gilbert Achcar about his recent article outlining two possible endgames for Israel in its war on Gaza. One of his scenarios is based on annexing Gaza, and the other involves a return to the peace process. Gilbert Achcar is a Lebanese socialist academic and writer. He is a Professor of Development Stu…

1
The Origins of the Gaza War (w/ Andrew Kadi & Ben White) 1:08:59

1y ago1:08:59

1:08:59

I've taken a break from the migration series to do an emergency episode on the war in Gaza. I was joined by author Ben White and human rights advocate Andrew Kadi to discuss the longer-term origins of the Gaza War, and how that might inform what happens next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
The Dire State of Britain's Asylum System (w/ Lou Calvey) 1:17:21

1y ago1:17:21

1:17:21

For the first episode of my series on migration I spoke to immigration and asylum specialist Lou Calvey. We discussed the rise of small boat crossings, how the asylum backlog got so large, and why the home office isn't fit for purpose. Lou brings a wealth of experience both from the policy world, and from practically supporting asylum seekers, whic…

1
Why don't you protest President Xi? (w/ Sam Geall) 1:14:32

1y ago1:14:32

1:14:32

Hello Crash Course listeners! First of all, a big apology from me. This feed has been way too quiet over the summer, but I will make sure its much more active over the coming months. I'm lining up a full series on immigration, both to debunk Tory scare-mongering and to explore what a genuinely human migration system might look like. In the meantime…

1
How Covid Supercharged Inequality w/ Gary Stevenson 52:12

1+ y ago52:12

52:12

At the height of the pandemic, I hoped the experience would lead us to build a more equal society when the covid crisis had subsided. I had World War 2 as an analogy. Gary Stevenson made a different prediction. He believed that the government response to the pandemic - and in particular - the decision to print billions of pounds, would lead to high…

1
Is The Pandemic Really Over? w/ Bill Hanage 1:08:46

1+ y ago1:08:46

1:08:46

Dr. Bill Hanage is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Since the outbreak of covid-19, there's been no-one I've trusted more to give me a balanced and objective account of the course of the pandemic. In this conversation we discuss whet…

1
Did Covid-19 Change The World? w/ Ash Sarkar & James Butler 1:02:59

1+ y ago1:02:59

1:02:59

As the UK launches its inquiry into the handling of Covid-19, at Crash Course we're asking a slightly different question: Did Covid-19 change the world? In this series I'll be speaking to scientists, economists and international experts to assess if and how covid-19 transformed society, for better or worse. In this first introductory episode I spea…

1
Sudan Crisis Part 2: The Current Crisis, Explained (w/ Joshua Craze) 1:00:49

1+ y ago1:00:49

1:00:49

In part two of my conversation with Joshua Craze we discuss the rise of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (widely known as Hemedti). He explained how the two generals have used threats of violence as a means to undermine democracy, and how their falling out has placed Sudan on the brink of civil war. To support the podcast and access…

1
Sudan Crisis Part 1: A History of Political Conflict (w/ Joshua Craze) 43:15

1+ y ago43:15

43:15

If you’ve watched the news over the past four weeks you’ll probably know there’s a crisis in Sudan. You’ll likely also know that the UK and other Western nations have been struggling to evacuate their citizens, and you might have been told the conflict is a power struggle between two leading generals. However, if you’ve been relying on mainstream n…

1
Aaron Bastani & Gary Stevenson On Rent Controls, Landlords, & God 40:14

1+ y ago40:14

40:14

*** This is the first part of a 1hr40min episode. To listen to the whole thing sign up at patreon.com/crashcoursepod *** To wrap up the first series on rent I sat down with Aaron Bastani and Gary Stevenson. This was an incredibly enjoyable and very broad conversation, and over more than 90 minutes we touched on many of the themes raised throughout …

1
Building Council Homes w/ Aydin Dikerdem 1:08:37

1+ y ago1:08:37

1:08:37

Throughout this series we've been clear that to solve our rental crisis we'll need a lot more council homes. But what's it like to be responsible for building them, and how can councils build more homes in a time of austerity. To answer that question I spoke to my good friend Councillor Aydin Dikerdem, who is the cabinet member for housing in the L…

1
Two Housing Tribes: Georgists & YIMBYs w/ Shreya Nanda 21:29

1+ y ago21:29

21:29

Continuing on the theme of solutions to the housing crisis I interviewed economist Shreya Nanda about the Georgists and the YIMBYs. Georgists follow the ideas of the 19th century thinker and reformer Henry George and support a land value tax. YIMBYs (which stands for Yes In My Backyard) think the way to get out of the housing crisis is to build, bu…

1
Supply, Demand & Michael Gove w/ Duncan Weldon 26:59

1+ y ago26:59

26:59

Duncan Weldon is an economist, author, and all round excellent communicator. He appeared on an earlier episode about London's crazy post-pandemic rents, but I also sat him down for a conversation about the politics and economics of the housing market more generally. We discussed how house prices got so high, whether more supply would solve the rent…

1
Vienna's Rental Utopia w / Kirsty Lang [Preview] 10:22

1+ y ago10:22

10:22

Vienna is consistently ranked as the city with the highest standard of living in the world and - not coincidentally - 60% of the Viennese live in social housing. To discover the secret of Vienna's housing success I spoke to the broadcaster Kirsty Lang who wrote a brilliant piece on Vienna in the FT last December. To listen to the full episode - and…

1
How We Let Grenfell Happen w/ Peter Apps 1:00:15

2y ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen", Peter Apps explains in precise detail the decisions - made both by businesses and government - that allowed it to happen. I felt very privileged to interview Peter on what is a really well researched and thought provoking book which, as well as being absolutely damning of our political class, gives a moving acco…

1
Landlord Debate! [Preview] 10:57

2y ago10:57

10:57

Do private landlords play any useful social function? Should they be able to do whatever they want with their properties? And is it morally okay for a landlord without any increased costs to hike their tenants' rent? Greg Tsuman is President of the National Association of Residential Letting Agents and a landlord of three properties. We didn't agre…

1
Are All Landlords Bastards? 32:39

2y ago32:39

32:39

The rental crisis means tenants are paying ever higher proportions of their incomes to landlords, and I for one am not too pleased about paying for someone else's mortgage just because I can't afford a home of my own. So what is the moral status of landlordism? And how bad are landlords in Britain? I spoke to a landlord, and two people who's job it…

1
How Property Investors Screw Us All w/ Anna Minton [Preview] 18:56

2y ago18:56

18:56

In her excellent book "Big Capital", Anna Minton explains how the influence of international finance has intensified the housing crisis in London, including by setting the scene for the displacement of thousands of families via estate demolitions. I was lucky enough to sit down with her for a discussion of the ideas in that book, and I think this b…

1
Why Renting In London Is Hell Right Now 36:40

2y ago36:40

36:40

For decades renters in London have been forced to pay extortionate prices for insecure homes. But in 2022 the situation got dramatically worse. In this episode you'll hear from a flat hunter about the current nightmare that is looking for a place in live in the capital, and to an estate agent and an economist who explain how we got here. Featuring:…

1
The Rise and Fall of Council Housing w/ John Boughton [Preview] 4:57

2y ago4:57

4:57

John Boughton is the author of Municipal Dreams: The Rise and Fall of Council Housing. In this interview we were able to go into much more detail than we managed to fit into the first episode of Crash Course. Themes included... The development of council housing before WW2 The shift from council housing being aspirational to being demonised The ori…

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