The Exchange | Long-form interviews from the New Statesman
Oli Dugmore and New Statesman journalists conduct extended one-on-one interviews with influential voices of our time, offering in-depth conversations on current affairs, politics, and culture.
Episodes
This is how the porn industry rewired the world
We live in a world where as many people have instantaneous access to porn as to clean water. At peak times, close to a tenth of internet traffic is devoted to streaming adult content. But while porn has quietly taken over the world, it seems that this industry is no longer just about sex. It's about clicks, attention, data. And while the ubiquitous and instantaneous access to pornographic cont
Are we living through end times fascism?
Since the publication of No Logo in 1999 - a critique of big brands and consumer culture - Naomi Klein has been one of the most influential voices in leftist politics in the world. In the past 3 decades, she’s explored the intersection of capitalism, war, climate, and conspiracies.Now in her latest work, and first written collaboration, she turns to fascism. As she sees it, we’ve entered “End Time
Is it insane to drill the Jackdaw gas field?
The summer just passed was the hottest on record. Next year, the scientists predict, will be even hotter.And what will happen between these two infernos? Respite? Wrong. More extreme weather.Storms, droughts, and floods will sweep the world in coming months.George Monbiot, environmental activist and author, joins Oli Dugmore to discuss our new climate reality, how prepared (or rather unprepared) w
A wave of childlessness is sweeping the whole world
In Japan, couples can rent a grandchild in order to make them feel less bereft on special occasions. In South Korea, dog stroller sales have overtaken pram sales. And in France, deaths outnumbered births for the first time since the Second World War in 2025. So what's actually going on? Award winning journalist Camilla Cavendish joins Oli Dugmore to discuss her new book, Generation Maybe: Why
Owen Jones: Hubris haunts the West
Owen Jones burst onto the scene in 2011 with his bestselling book Chavs: the demonisation of the working class. Since then his activism and journalism has followed the ebbs and flows of the left in UK politics, his own push and pull relationship with the Labour Party - which he ultimately left in 2024. Now he wants to cast his analysis beyond Britain. He joins Oli Dugmore in this episode to discus
China's history is on the table
Fuchsia Dunlop has dedicated much of her life to eating Chinese food.If you’re interested in Chinese cuisine and culture, you may have come across her through television programmes, heard her on the radio, or cooked one of her recipes.And if you haven’t, stick around and you’ll be tempted to dive a little deeper into this extraordinary world.Fuchsia joined Oli Dugmore on the day her latest book, F
Life as a leftist has been a complete failure
Alexei Sayle has never much cared for a conventional view of the world.Born in 1950s Liverpool to committed communist parents, he was named after Maxim Gorky - real name Alexei Maximovich Peshkov. Dyed-in-the-wool Marxism, in other words, was baked in from birth, and he’s Jewish on his mother's side. His first two memoirs, Stalin Ate My Homework and Thatcher Stole My Trousers, told the story
Is Trump a Russian asset?
In 2011, Luke Harding was ordered to leave Russia - the first Western journalist to be exiled since the fall of the Soviet Union. As the Guardian's senior correspondent, he continued to watch Russia from afar, covering WikiLeaks, Edward Snowden, and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. But in recent years he crept back closer to Moscow, reporting from the front lines of the war in Ukraine.His ne
Is Britain a liberal country?
Most people would say that Britain is, by and large, a liberal country. Individuals have the freedom to express their individual beliefs, others are expected to accept this difference in opinion with a certain level of tolerance. Our government is decided by free and fair elections, we have a high level of personal freedom and protected rights.But Adrian Wooldridge, author and Bloomberg
The man who sold the World Cup
For ten years Gianni Infantino has run FIFA more or less unchallenged - cosying up to Putin, the Saudis, and above all Trump, and turning the World Cup into the most commercially aggressive tournament the sport has ever seen. Then a few weeks ago, it emerged he'd been secretly negotiating to sell a fifth of FIFA's business to outside investors for $20 billion. The plan collapsed within days,
What the hell is going on on the British right?
For decades, hell, even centuries, there’s only been one show in town for the British right - the Conservative Party. But now, as the British electoral system complains and convulses and shudders and shrieks, a right-wing party has been at the top of the polls; it’s just not the Tories.Broadcaster, author and political commentator Iain Dale joins Oli Dugmore to discuss Reform, Restore, and the pot
How will history remember Keir Starmer?
Keir Starmer is no longer prime minister, Andy Burnham is. What just happened? Why did it happen? And what now? Oli Dugmore is joined by the New Statesman's editor-in-chief Tom McTague for a Starmer retrospective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gary Stevenson is lobbying Andy Burnham
Gary Stevenson, economic campaigner and YouTuber, is using this change in government to lobby for a wealth tax. Without one, he predicts, "society will collapse". He joins Oli Dugmore on this episode of The Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jeffrey Epstein was not the only monster
Over 1000 of Epstein's victims of sexual abuse and trafficking have now been identified; some have chosen to come forward publicly, and among them there was one voice which was the loudest. Virginia Roberts Giuffre. In 2021, she decided she wanted to tell her own story, in its entirety. Joining forces with the ghostwriter Amy Wallace, she began working on Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse
"Trump wouldn't know Burnham if he slapped him"
Some had dubbed Starmer as "the Trump whisperer", so how has this change in leader come across in the US? Do they even care?Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo, joins us on The Exchange to discuss the view from across the pond and how Britain became a punching bag for the American right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jonathan Haidt supports a social media ban for teenagers. I don't.
Then social media came along. This is one of the reasons social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes whole heartedly in the social media ban for under 16s, which has been rolled out in Australia, and will be brought into effect in the UK early next year.But is the ban really working in Australia? Is banning a solution? And is there a way to let young people benefit from the opportunities of the in
7 prime ministers in 10 years
Yesterday morning Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum. Britain will soon welcome its seventh prime minister in a decade.Are the two events connected? Or is country's instability rooted further back in history?Editor-in-chief Tom McTague joins Oli Dugmore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Has Britain lost its childhood?
Children's laureate, screenwriter, author of Millions, architect of the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, and father of seven, Frank Cottrell-Boyce joins Oli Dugmore to discuss what childhood means in Britain today.Over two years visiting schools, prisons and asylum hotels, he found a country that has quietly stopped looking after its youngest citizens. He talks about the NEETs crisis, furniture pove
Mariana Mazzucato wants economists to rethink everything
Mariana Mazzucato is one of the most influential economists of modern times. An avowed progressive, her ideas impact the lives of millions of people, from the United States to sub-Saharan Africa. She was directly consulted in the creation of Biden’s CHIPS Act, which is worth $280 billion. The World Bank’s Mission 300, is straight out of her book Mission Economy.Oli Dugmore sits down with her
No Mr Blair, AI will not save us | Karen Hao
Are AI companies the new empires?Journalist Karen Hao says the parallels are striking. This disruptive sector requires vast amounts of land, minerals and water – not to mention data and content from individuals. Hao interviews subjects ranging from those close to Open AI CEO Sam Altman to workers in the Global South who’ve been traumatised by their jobs in AI content moderation.She joins Oli
Guy Standing on big finance infiltrating education
Guy Standing is a British labour economist best known for coining the term "precariat" to describe the growing global class of people living with unstable employment, mounting debt, and chronic insecurity.Standing’s latest book, Human Capital, explores how the education system has been corrupted and privatised.He joins Oli Dugmore to discuss this, as well as how his concept of the “precariat” diff
In defence of Europe - from Charleston Festival
Charleston Festival is running until May 25. Find out more here.Ten years on from the referendum that redirected the course of British politics, the New Statesman's editor Tom McTague is joined by Caroline Lucas, Anand Menon and Marina Wheeler to consider how we should think about our relationship with Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Eric Schlosser's 25 year fight against the fast food industry
Eric Schlosser is one of America’s foremost investigative journalists, writing about everything from the prison system to nuclear weapons, exploring the hidden systems underpinning modern life. 25 years ago, he set out to investigate the economic model behind one of America’s most recognisable industries: a system built on low-paid workers, dangerous conditions and the exploitation of migrant labo
Mary Beard on the weaponisation of classics
Rather than a relic of the past, Mary Beard sees the classical world as a powerful tool for understanding the present.It's an idea she has explored in over twenty books on ancient history and numerous documentaries on the BBC and elsewhere, all of which have made her Britain’s best known classicist.She joins culture editor Tanjil Rashid in the studio.-Mary Beard's new book Talking Classics: The Sh
Ben Lerner on the breakdown of American speech
In 2011, Ben Lerner stormed onto the scene with his debut novel, Leaving the Atocha Station, a winning blend of low comedy and high art. He has since firmly established himself as one of America’s most acclaimed novelists and is a leading voice in so-called autofiction. Now he returns with his fourth novel, and it may be his most profound yet. In Transcription, Lerner turns his min
Anthony Seldon found hope in Auschwitz
Anthony Seldon, historian, educator and one of Britain's leading political biographers, has been for a long walk.His new book, The Path of Light, recounts his extraordinary 1300 kilometre passage to Auschwitz.Tracing stories of courage, resistance and moral clarity across a continent once consumed by darkness - it's a journey that speaks not only to the past, but powerfully to the world we're livi
Fatima Bhutto feels lucky, even after watching her father's assassination
Fatima Bhutto was born into exile - and into one of the most powerful political dynasties in South Asia. Her life has been shaped by both privilege and profound personal tragedy. Born in Afghanistan, she spent her early years displaced, after her grandfather, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was executed under General Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime. Her childhood was marked
George Saunders has no faith in Christian nationalism
For decades, George Saunders was known for his short stories. In 2013, in a Time Magazine 100 most influential people listing, he was described as “the best short-story writer in English".In 2017, he released his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, a reimagining of President Abraham Lincoln’s grief in the aftermath of his son Willie’s death. It’s a genre-defying piece of literature, narrated by no
Yanis Varoufakis's authoritarian dark side
Last week Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister and darling of the European left, turned 65.He celebrated his birthday on stage in London, gathering figures from across the left together. Zack Polanski was there, so was Jeremy Corbyn.Varoufakis' mission? To explore what resistance means today across the left.In this episode of The Exchange Oli Dugmore sits down with Varoufakis to spe
Rory Stewart sees fundamental evil in Trump
Since leaving politics, Rory Stewart has become one of the most influential voices on the matter in Britain.In this episode, the former diplomat and cabinet minister reflects on his upbringing and his unconventional path into politics. He also discusses the Middle East, arguing that Western countries continue to misunderstand the region’s history and dynamics.The conversation then turns to Britain
Amia Srinivasan is the modern philosopher
When Amia Srinivasan published The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century in 2021, it sparked widespread debate about the politics of desire, consent, and sexual justice.In this episode of The Exchange, the Oxford academic joins Tanjil Rashid to discuss how philosophy can illuminate some of the most contentious questions in contemporary culture: from incels and pornography to whether o
David Lammy thinks his seat is safe from the Greens
Were the strikes on Iran illegal? What's next for the controversial courts bill? Are Labour leaders aware of the existential crisis within their party? On this week's episode of The Exchange, we speak with Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy. To watch more episodes of The Exchange find us on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i
Masha Alyokhina is on the run from Putin
Pussy Riot's 2012 "Punk Prayer" was a global flashpoint - a defining test of free expression in Putin’s Russia.When co-founding member Masha Alyokhina was arrested, she told her son she would be back the next day. She was gone for two years.In 2022, she fled the motherland, but continues to fight Putin from afar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ai Weiwei returns to China
This winter, Ai Weiwei returned to Beijing after a decade in exile. He found himself airbrushed from public memory. An international icon everywhere else. At home, a ghost.The artist joined Michael Prodger soon after that trip to discuss the cost of personal freedom, in both China and in the West.The Exchange is a new series from the New Statesman. Look out for new interviews every Wednesday. Host
Rutger Bregman thinks happiness is overrated
In his 30s, Rutger Bregman, the Dutch historian, had what he described as “an early midlife crisis”.After a decade spent as a pundit, commenting on the global state of politics and economics, as well as publishing optimistic titles such as Utopia for Realists and Humankind: A Hopeful History - Bregman felt stuck. Something had to change.And if he wanted to see that change in the world, he needed t
The Exchange - trailer
The Exchange: long form, in-depth interviews from the New Statesman.Featuring guests including Salman Rushdie, Ai Weiwei, Masha Alyokhina (Pussy Riot) and more.Hosted by Oli Dugmore and New Statesman journalists.Hit follow in Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.Find full video episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSfumUEfFlcI6Ikce00MGPSvU5fu-MCWu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri
