Political scientists agree that we are now living in a "multipolar" world, with power contested by multiple states and blocs. But how we arrived at this formation, and whether the newly powerful actors on the global stage are inherently problematic, remain areas of disagreement. Someone with has a distinct perspective on this new world order is Ann…

Does knowing your attachment style make life easier? Moya and Ash tackle a mystery question about our newfound fluency in the language of therapy. Plus: advice for a listener who’s becoming estranged from his sister.Only two weeks to go until our live show at the London Podcast Festival! Join Moya, Ash and special guest Yomi Adegoke, author of The …

Motherhood was once at the centre of the feminist movement's demands, from campaigns for reproductive rights and Wages For Housework, to the mobilisation of anti-nuclear mums at Greenham Common. But in the 21st century, the politicisation of mothering seems to have shrunk in its ambition. In her new book Mother State: A Political History of Motherh…

Moya is on the brink of change – but can she trust her gut on the biggest decision of her adult life? Plus, advice for a listener confused about their lifelong lack of sex. You've only got a few weeks to grab your ticket for our live show at the London Podcast Festival on 15th September, with a very special guest... available from kingsplace.co.uk.…

Everybody hates a tourist, as Jarvis Cocker once pointed out, and the ACFM gang are no exception in this ACFM Trip exploring the allure of holidays. Keir, Jem and Nadia consider all the different ways we avoid work, from holy days and vay-cays to grand tours and gap yahs. Does travel make fools of us all, or is there a smarter, more ethical way to …

In 2019, mines expelled 100 billion tonnes of solid waste.Vast and destructive almost beyond imagination, mining is nevertheless essential to the green transition: without the minerals that we pull from the earth, we cannot wean ourselves off fossil fuels.Thea Riofrancos is associate professor of political science at Providence College and an exper…

Ash and Moya dedicate the whole show to answering your dilemmas! Featuring a woman questioning her age-gap relationship, an infuriating parent who won’t budge on politics, a ghosted lover plotting her revenge, a loner who wants to start socialising, and a low-earner who resents her rich friends.There's still a few weeks to grab your ticket for our …

People walk around San Francisco in Make America Great Again hats. Major CEOs endorse Trump. JD Vance is a hit among the crypto whales. So what?It's part, perhaps, of a cultural change in Silicon Valley: a swing decisively to the right in a state famed for its contributions to radical politics, from the Black Panthers to the counterculture.There's …

Moya has a big theory for Ash – but the script goes out the window when they start talking about the far-right violence engulfing the UK and unpacking their own emotional reactions to English racism. After that: playing matchmaker with the first batch of Missed Connections.Content note: This episode includes discussion of racist language and violen…

The Green Party of England and Wales now has four MPs in Parliament, and even more impressively has doubled its vote share to 7%, coming second in 39 other seats. So what happens now? How will the Greens exercise their new agency in government, and how can they navigate a biased media landscape and increase their influence?Aaron is joined by Carla …

With the general election leaving plenty of Labour voters feeling sidelined, the ACFM crew explore the role of humility – and humiliation – in politics.Should we cultivate humility to cope with political weakness? Is fear of humiliation a product of patriarchy? Can humility help us be better political thinkers and organisers? And who's the humblest…

Moya and Ash butt heads over the lure of individualism and finding their purpose in life. Plus: Moya enters her busy-body era with a new segment, Missed Connections. Tell us about the brief encounters you just can’t shake, and we will hunt them down and make them bae.Email us your missed connections with as much detail as you can recall, and send t…

Moya and Ash debate the power of astrology and explain how they survived their ‘Saturn return’ era. Plus: Ash's best anti-procrastination techniques.Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from Kings Place now.Got a problem? Tell us: ifispeak@novaramedia.comMusic by Matt Huxley.…

It's part of the national myth: the English invented football and to England it will return (next time!).But if football is part of what makes England England, it's equally part of how Europe became Europe.In this Pro Revolution Soccer season finale, Tom Williams and Juliet Jacques tell this story of oddballs, war, oligarchs, dodgy deals and footba…

Ash and Moya are joined by podcast entrepreneur and single mum Renay Richardson to talk about the realities of solo parenting, from being blocked from adopting to the shortage of Black sperm donors. Plus: a harrowing faux pas.Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from KingsPlace.co.ukGot a pr…

Jeremy Corbyn was a Labour MP for almost four decades – and led the party at two general elections. This year however, and despite still being a party member, Corbyn was blocked from standing again in his seat of Islington North. As soon as Rishi Sunak declared a snap general election, and the Labour leadership chose a different candidate, Corbyn a…

The French left have played a blinder. Or, at least, the centre-right chaos agent and French President Emmanuel Macron has played it for them.Macron called snap elections, hoping to crush both the left and right. He failed. Instead, the far right briefly surged, coming top in the first round before a newly cohesive French left took the largest shar…

Tom and Juliet expose the surprisingly rich history of football as a wing of political resistance, from Algeria to Palestine to the growing power of the grassroots game in Britain.They also process England's shock win against Switzerland, TV pundits' criticism of Southgate, and the silence around Cristiano Ronaldo.Music by Matt Huxley.Help us build…

The ACFM crew offer their first reactions to Labour's landslide election win. Can Starmer's government rescue the public sector? Where will the money come from? And can they make it to a second term?Produced and edited by Matt Huxley and Chal Ravens. PRS licence number: LE-0016481Por Novara Media

Ash has a theory of cool that involves nonchalance, style and timing – but Moya’s not so sure. Plus, advice for one listener who wants respect in their situationship, and someone dealing with a newcomer to the family. Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from kingsplace.co.uk now.Got a probl…

The United States’ impact on British culture and foreign policy is obvious. But its influence on our domestic politics, business, and daily lives warrants closer examination.To discuss this, Aaron is joined by Angus Hanton, author of ‘Vassal State: How America Runs Britain’.Por Novara Media

Asked in a recent poll to summarise Britain in a word, 'broken' was the people's top choice. This brokenness is concrete stuff: crumbling bridges, sewage-filled rivers, failing computer systems, abandoned rail projects. But it's also bundled with the collective stories we tell about what it means to be a nation, and who belongs in it.To find out wh…

This week on Pro Revolution Soccer, Tom and Juliet are joined by Keir Milburn to take the long view on the Premier League. Juliet explains how '80s hooliganism and stadium disasters led to the formation of a new top flight, boosted by Rupert Murdoch's TV empire and resulting in the iron grip of the Big Five clubs today. Are we stuck like this?Plus,…

The return of low rise jeans was a harbinger of something worse: being seriously thin is back in fashion. But why now? Moya and Ash have a Big Theory. Plus: the brown girl moisturising protocol.CW: weight, dieting, eating disorders, cosmetic procedures. Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available f…

If you want to understand how power works in our society, you can’t just examine what journalists say – you have to pay attention to what they’re silent about.To discuss the world of corporate media, secret intelligence services and the problem with liberal think tanks, Ash is joined by Matt Kennard, head of investigations for Declassified UK and a…

This time next week, Keir Starmer will likely be settling into No 10 with a thumping majority. Yet Labour has largely avoided the question of what they're going to do with all that power once they get it, and the political media has barely posed the question. Meanwhile the Conservative party as we know it has shattered into pieces, and the far-righ…

This week Tom and Juliet are joined by David Goldblatt, author of The Ball Is Round, to answer a seemingly simple question: who runs football? David explains why billionaires and foreign investors love sinking their money into football, and what accusations of "sportswashing" leave out.Plus, we talk about what’s going on with Southgate’s strategy. …

Former chief political correspondent for The Daily Telegraph and self proclaimed conservative speaks to Aaron Bastani about the collapse of the conservative party.Por Novara Media

Mick Lynch is the General Secretary of the RMT.He joined Ash Sarkar to discuss leveraging Starmer, the importance of council housing and why it’s vital that people vote for the Labour Party.Por Novara Media

It's easy to think that the Labour left is gone for good. But it's not so certain.From the 80s to the 10s, the Labour left endured almost three decades of isolation and exile.The difference this time is that their ideas are still popular.Will they be back once more, or have they now truly been left for dead? To find out, Eleanor spoke to Andy Becke…

Moya has a big theory about why everyone’s on such a short fuse these days and Ash responds to a listener with a debilitating crush. Plus: science or magic?We're going to Glastonbury! Moya will be joined by Shon Faye and a legendary special guest for a Radical Connections session and a live recording of the show. Find us on the Nomad stage in Shang…

Was the Iraq War the exception or the rule?Throughout the twentieth century, Labour governments have been involved in some of Britain's most disastrous colonial acts: the partition of India, the counter-insurgency in Malaya, and the Nakba.So, what can we expect this time?Eleanor Penny asks David Wearing, author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matte…

Novara Media's football podcast returns for another crack at the silverware! Every Wednesday until the Euro 2024 final, Juliet Jacques and Tom Williams provide political and tactical analysis of the tournament in an episode of two halves. This week: the strange spectacle of politicians pretending to like football, the changing status of women and L…

As Euro 2024 gets underway, election results show a surge of support for the far-right across Europe. Can football help us make sense of it? This week on Pro Revolution Soccer, Juliet Jacques and Tom Williams look at the connections between football and fascism, and explain how the same forces that allowed a tiny elite to take over the game are now…

Ash presents a big theory about disposability and social shame prompted by a wardrobe clearout, and Moya responds to a dilemma about dating while living with parents. Plus: spot remedies.Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from kingsplace.co.uk now.Got a problem? Tell us: ifispeak@novaramed…

Moya and Ash talk to Nicola Dinan, author of Bellies, about why we crave external validation yet hate to be perceived. Plus: advice for a listener who got engaged while drunk.Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from kingsplace.co.uk now.Got a problem? Tell us: ifispeak@novaramedia.comMusic …

Ash and Moya talk to Evenings And Weekends author Oisín McKenna about living authentically, intense female friendships, and how financial precarity limits our self-exploration. Plus: compulsory heterosexuality and suspicious new boyfriends.Got a problem? Tell us: ifispeak@novaramedia.comMusic by Matt Huxley…

Does the body keep the score? Ash and Moya explore the border between grief and trauma and how to embrace being emotionally messy when disaster strikes. Plus: an “accidental incel” writes in.Got a problem? Tell us: ifispeak@novaramedia.comMusic by Matt HuxleyPor Novara Media

Moya and Ash talk to Chimene Suleyman, author of The Chain, about uncovering her ex-boyfriend's secrets and why society lets abusive men get away with it again and again. Plus: a listener needs help with their sexless relationship.Come and see If I Speak live at the London Podcast Festival on 15 September! Tickets available from kingsplace.co.uk no…

What's it like to be left-wing in an aspiring ethnostate?Israel has swung hard to the right in the last few decades, with self-described fascists now in government. But a left remains, calling not just for a ceasefire in the war on Gaza, but for the end to the apartheid regime as a whole. What power do they have?Comedian and activist Noam Shuster-E…

What exactly is cool? Well, if it was that easy to describe, it obviously wouldn't be cool. In this Trip, Keir, Jem and Nadia wonder if cool can ever be politically useful, and what happens when cool is used as a disciplining force.With ideas from Pierre Bourdieu, Norman Mailer and Paul Gilroy, and music from OutKast, Gwen Stefani and Miles Davis, …

The right have ditched climate denial and found something worse.They're doubling down on the exhaustion of people and planet alike, making us run ever-faster just to stay in place.Can we turn our collective exhaustion into a climate politics of rest and recuperation?That's the urgent question Ajay Singh Chaudhary asks in The Exhausted of the Earth:…

What exactly is cool? Well, if it was that easy to describe, it wouldn't be cool at all. In this Trip, Keir, Jem and Nadia wonder if cool comes from within, if cool can ever be politically useful, and what happens when cool is used as a disciplining force.With ideas from Pierre Bourdieu, Norman Mailer and Paul Gilroy, and music from OutKast, Gwen S…

The difference between sex and gender is fundamental to how we talk about trans people.But what if it actually obscures the richness of life outside of gender norms?There is so much more to gender non-conforming people than this academic, middle-class, distinction. So says Jules Gill-Peterson, author of A Short History of Trans Misogyny.A historian…

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