It's Bloody Complicated - A Compass Podcast

Compass

Hear from the widest range of voices in the progressive movement. Every week, host Neal Lawson, speaks with progressive thinkers, writers and politicians from the UK and beyond about current affairs and how to build the Good Society. Visit compassonline.org.uk to learn more about Compass. 

  1. 3d ago

    What are the Progressive Answers on Immigration? With Beth Gardiner-Smith & Tobias Phibbs

    Immigration has become one of the political buzzwords of the 21st Century – which is a sad indictment of where our politics is at. The nationalist right have exploited the issue to stoke fears and division of a country whose essential services have been gutted, all while not being honest with people about the necessity of it from an economic perspective. Often, progressives can find themselves losing the argument on migration despite being the only ones not approaching it from a bad faith perspective. So what are the progressive answers on the immigration debate and how do we take it to the populist-right? Joining our Deputy Director Lena Swedlow on this are: Beth Gardiner-Smith (Associate Director for Democracy and Politics, IPPR)Tobias Phibbs (Future of the Left).Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

  2. Oct 18

    The Fair Necessities: Why We Need A Fairer Britain and How to Make It Happen with Will Snell

    For this week’s episode, our Deputy Director Lena is joined by the Chief Executive of the Fairness Foundation, Will Snell. The title for the episode is that of Will’s new book which is out now, and this conversation gets into the weeds of the book’s argument and how it can help up bring about the good society. As Will writes, ‘This book aims to change people’s minds about fairness, to convince people that building a fairer society is not only a moral imperative but an urgent priority that is in everyone’s interests, and that it can be achieved with enough political and collective willpower. If you’re already on board, great – please use the arguments in it to persuade others. If you’re not, even better – hopefully you’ll find the arguments persuasive.‘ Use code TFN25 for 25% off 'The Fair Necessities' until end of 2026 (at https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/the-fair-necessities). For more info on the book: https://fairnessfoundation.com/the-fair-necessities  Fairness Foundation: https://fairnessfoundation.com/ Fairness Foundation Substack: https://www.faircomment.co.uk Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

    The Fair Necessities: Why We Need A Fairer Britain and How to Make It Happen with Will Snell

  3. Oct 12 ·  Bonus

    Holborn & St. Pancras By-Election Reaction with Damian Lyons Lowe and Faye Brown

    In a year of historic by-elections, October has brought us another. After Makerfield in May led directly to Andy Burnham returning to Parliament and becoming Prime Minister, so ousted PM Keir Starmer resigns his seat and gives the new Labour leader his first electoral test in the constituency of Holborn & St. Pancras. This central-north London seat had its Labour vote hold up fairly strongly back in May’s local elections when Starmer’s premiership – and Labour’s favourability with it – hit its nadir. Yet, despite this, Green Party leader Zack Polanski made the decision to stand as their candidate to once again make this anything but a regular by-election. It’s a head-to-head between Labour and the Greens. Amid a good turnaround for Labour in the polls, Burnham delivering a monumental leader’s speech at their Conference last week, and the Greens’ suffering as a consequence, the election is on a knife edge. Joining our executive team in Neal Lawson and Lena Swedlow to discuss all the fallout is: - Damian Lyons Lowe, Chief Executive of Survation - Faye Brown, Political Reporter at Sky News Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

    Holborn & St. Pancras By-Election Reaction with Damian Lyons Lowe and Faye Brown

  4. Oct 2

    Red Herring or Red Line?: The Politics of the Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil and Gas Field Decisions

    In 2024, Labour's manifesto explicitly ruled out any new licenses being granted for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Since then, Donald Trump's war in Iran has brought about the biggest energy crisis seen in Britain since 1979. As a result, conversations have renewed about our ability to drill in the North Sea, produce our own energy resources and bring down one of the most significant drivers of the cost-of-living crisis. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has, so far, been non-committal on this - but with decisions due on renewing operations in the Rosebank oil and gas field, and the Jackdaw gas field, respectively, the issue has once again reared its head. Joining our Deputy Director, Lena Swedlow, to discuss the politics of this is: - Dr. Ewan Gibbs, Senior Lecturer in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow - Rosie Hampton, Principal Policy Advisor at Uplift. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

    Red Herring or Red Line?: The Politics of the Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil and Gas Field Decisions

  5. Sep 24

    155. Labour Conference 2026 Preview: Under New Management

    Last year’s Labour Party Conference felt like a moment in time. A Government that was already reaching historically unpopular levels just a year after entering office, a Prime Minister trying to solidify his position, and a certain Mayor of Greater Manchester being all the rage as he went between the fringe events and drinks receptions. Cut to a year later and, well, some things have changed. The Labour Party finds itself under new management and in a better position: regularly back on top of opinion polls, wresting the argument back from Reform and about to enter an autumn that will set the tone for the entire next political cycle. With the most highly anticipated return to Parliament, leader’s speech, Budget and beyond for quite a while now, Compass Director Neal Lawson is joined by Paula Barker, Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree, and GUEST TBA, to discuss it. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

    155. Labour Conference 2026 Preview: Under New Management

  6. Sep 11

    154. Liberalism Alive: How Does Britain Flourish Again?

    After their best ever election results in 2024, the Liberal Democrats found themselves on a precipice; a decade on from the end of the coalition, voters beginning to trust them again and a Labour government much more amenable to a liberal vision than the increasingly rightwards-tacking Tories. Two years after, and they regularly find themselves polling fifth – in what used to be a three-horse race. It is clear that not just the Liberal Democrats as a party but that Liberalism itself, as an ideology, needs some work. When populism on both ends of the political spectrum is appealing to an increasingly-polarised and crisis-ridden country, how does Liberalism show people it has the answers? This is what Roz Savage, Member of Parliament for the South Cotswolds and Chair of the Lib Dem Parliamentary Party, tackles in her new publication for Compass, ‘Liberalism Alive: A Liberal Vision for a Flourishing Britain’. And on this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated she sits down with Compass Director Neal Lawson to discuss it. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

    154. Liberalism Alive: How Does Britain Flourish Again?

  7. Aug 17 ·  Bonus

    The Young and the Damned: Are Young People Ready to be Involved in Politics?

    The involvement of young people in politics has always been a contentious issue - are they ready? do they know enough? are we educating them properly? Often, young people's voices are erased from the conversation by those who think they know better. Here, our Media and Communications Officer Sam Mandi-Ghomi sits down with the Co-Presidents of Warwick Think Tank, a student society at the University of Warwick, to discuss youth engagement in politics. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

  8. Aug 5 ·  Bonus

    The Burnham Bounce: Can You End 40 Years of Neoliberalism? with Clive Lewis MP, Sue Goss, Professor Alan Finlayson and Professor Jeremy Gilbert

    Andy Burnham's elevation to the office of Prime Minister came thick and fast on the back of a Labour Party desperate not to waste its first chance in government in 15 years. The promise, in order to not waste it, is Burnham's pledge to 'end 40 years of neoliberalism'. But what actually is that and how can it be done? Joining Compass Director Neal Lawson to figure that out is Clive Lewis (Member of Parliament for Norwich South), Sue Goss (coach, strategic advisor and facilitator to leadership teams in local government, the civil service and the health service), Alan Finlayson (Professor of Political and Social Theory, University of East Anglia), and Jeremy Gilbert (Professor of Cultural and Political Theory, University of East London). Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

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Hear from the widest range of voices in the progressive movement. Every week, host Neal Lawson, speaks with progressive thinkers, writers and politicians from the UK and beyond about current affairs and how to build the Good Society. Visit compassonline.org.uk to learn more about Compass. 

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