The Prospect Podcast

Mar 25 2025 407 ep. 33 mins 1.8k

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The brightest minds discussing the ideas that matter most in politics, society and culture.
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Killer dust: asbestos and corporate coverups

Mar 25 2025 39 mins

Asbestos might seem like a problem of the past, but it is still killing thousands every year. In the March issue of Prospect, Charlotte wrote about how her father’s death from mesothelioma—a cancer caused by asbestos—led her into years of research, uncovering a shocking history of corporate negligence and government inaction.This week, Charlotte joins the Prospect podcas

Big oil and the real story of Kyoto

Mar 18 2025 46 mins

This week, the Prospect podcast meets Kyoto, the new West End play dramatising the high-stakes negotiations behind the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, the play brings to life the power struggles, disruptors, and unexpected alliances that shaped the first major international climate treaty.Prospect’s Isabel Hilton sits down with the playwrights a

Prospect Lives: My best sex work clients are married men

Mar 13 2025 36 mins

This month’s episode features journalist Kiran Sidhu on the power of communal dance, and actor and writer Sheila Hancock on the need for more women in global politics. Gen Z-er Alice Garnett imagines a world without TikTok, and journalist and host Sarah Collins grapples with the news that her therapist is retiring. Plus, Anglican priest Alice Goodman delves into doubt in the Chur

Donald Trump and the new world order

Mar 11 2025 37 mins

Has the United States switched sides, acting in Russia’s interests and abandoning its European allies? Or is the transatlantic alliance still intact—albeit under strain?Prospect’s contributing editor Isabel Hilton joins this week’s podcast to untangle increasingly urgent questions of European defence and security. From Trump cutting intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, to&nbs

Keon West: Racism, science and alternative facts

Mar 04 2025 39 mins

How do we measure racism? In such politically charged terrain, the need for objective data is clear.By some surveys, half of Brits don’t believe that racism exists. Keon West, social psychologist and visiting professor at LSE, joins the podcast to discuss this phenomenon.Keon explains what data can tell us, and delves into the surprising ways that the UK compares to the US. He un

Prospect Lives: Stop telling me to ‘take it easy’ at 91!

Feb 27 2025 32 mins

In this episode of Prospect Lives, journalist Kiran Sidhu mourns her lost cat, while actor and writer Sheila Hancock grapples with ageism at 91. Gen Z-er Alice Garnett attains “regular status” at a London chicken shop, while host and journalist Sarah Collins discusses the end of her honeymoon phase with Athens. Plus, Tilly Lawless explores the two sides of Paris with two d

China: The greatest threat to human rights

Feb 25 2025 43 mins

What is the biggest threat to the international human rights system today? And, in such an unstable world, what hope is there for the future of human rights?This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Kenneth Roth, who served as the executive director of Human Rights Watch, the NGO, for almost 30 years. During his tenure, Human Rights Watch uncovered abuses across 100 countries and pr

Bonus episode: Why Australia is better than Britain

Feb 21 2025 47 mins

Australia is often referred to as “the lucky country”, a place where good fortune has delivered greater wealth, longer lives and better healthcare. But, as Andrew Low argues in We Should Be So Lucky, Australia’s achievements are not merely a matter of luck—they stem from a distinctive blend of political, social and economic institutions and values.Andrew sat down with

Sudan’s ‘war of opportunity’, with Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Feb 18 2025 46 mins

Sudanese-born writer and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied joins Ellen and Alona on this week’s episode of the Prospect podcast.Sudan’s war has been called the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world”. And yet, media coverage is staggeringly low. But is the war really “forgotten”? Or is it being made invisible?Yassmin breaks down the situation for newcomers. She shares h

Mehdi Hasan: “The media doesn’t want to hear certain people”

Feb 11 2025 41 mins

Mehdi Hasan joins the Prospect podcast this week, talking to Prospect’s Ben Clark about Trump, tech bros, cancel culture and…“Gish galloping”.He opens up about his departure from MSNBC after the network cancelled The Mehdi Hasan Show and discusses his move from mainstream to alternative media, almost a year since founding Zeteo on Substack. Zeteo’s contributors now i