The Lowdown from Nick Cohen

Nick Cohen
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Get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen as he investigates a world that seems to get ever more crazy, with leading commentators, columnists and politicians. Each week, leading commentator Nick Cohen talks to the country's leading movers and shakers - to cut the through much of the noise and commentary that passes for so much political discourse these days. Nick - a long-term columnist for The Observer and The Spectator - teams up with other commentators, journalists, authors and politicians to make sense of our ever stranger and troubling world. Nick aims to help keep you sane! So please get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen and subscribe to his Substack column - Writing from London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    The great U.S. betrayal of Ukraine

    TRUMP IS SELLING OUT UKRAINE TO BUDDY TYRANT VLADIMIR PUTIN - & ALL FOR A QUICK BUCK! In this week's Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen interviews Sir Bill Browder, where they discuss Browder's experiences with Russian corruption and Putin's regime. Browder shared how he ran a successful investment fund in Russia in the 1990s exposing corporate corruption, but faced expulsion in 2005 and later the murder of his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 after investigating a $230 million tax fraud. Sir Bill described the challenges of pursuing justice for Magnitsky, including being sentenced to 18 years in prison in absentia, facing multiple libel lawsuits that cost him over £600,000, and being targeted by Russian authorities through Interpol notices. Sir Bill and Nick discuss how Britain's approach toward Russia changed dramatically after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Browder noting the UK's evolution from being reluctant to act on Russian corruption to becoming a leader in sanctions against Russia. They also discuss Trump's lifting of sanctions on Russian diesel and Browder's analysis that this was part of a deal where Trump pressured Ukraine to stop attacking Russian oil refineries in exchange for the diesel deal. Sir Bill says Ukraine was well on the way to obliterating Russia's diesel refining capacity until a desperate Putin essentially begged Trump to intercede on his behalf. The recently announced disgraceful - and illegal under U.S. law - diesel deal between the U.S. and Russia will do nothing to lower pump prices for American but makes it tricky for Ukraine to continue targeting refineries. As far as Trump is concerned, Sir Bill says the venal U.S. president simply sees Ukraine and Russia as providing further grifting opportunities for him and his greedy family. Sir Bill Browder expresses optimism about the U.S. surviving Trump, and as a democracy, ultimately addressing the current rampant corruption in government, comparing the current situation to a "fever" that would eventually break and lead to justice, while acknowledging that more Ukrainian suffering would likely occur in the meantime. Read all about it! Sir Bill Browder KCMG, campaigner, author & businessman @billbrowder CEO Hermitage Capital, Head of Global Magnitsky Justice campaign, and Author of best-sellers Red Notice & Freezing Order Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. You can also watch The Lowdown on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 3d ago

    An epitaph on Trump the tyrant

    AN EPITAPH ON 2 TYRANTS - VLADIMIR PUTIN & DONALD TRUMP In his latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks about what happens when power passes from autocrats, using Donald Trump as a primary example. The great British-American poet W.H Auden would have recognised the deeply sinister but darkly ridiculous figures of Trump and Putin in his 1939 poem Epitaph on a Tyrant [*see below] and the lines: "When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter, And when he cried the little children died in the streets." Today, Trump trips the light fantastic, apparently all-powerful as he casually betrays allies, grifts billions of dollars for himself and his ghastly family and babbles incoherent nonsense before rallies and TV cameras. Nick concludes that as people now watch old movies reels of Adolf Hitler and wonder how such an obvious weirdo could achieve such power, so future generations will be baffled at how any American could possibly have taken Trump seriously enough to have considered voting for him. Nick discusses how Trump's recent actions regarding Ukraine and Russia appear to be driven by personal grievances rather than strategic interests, comparing Trump's behaviour to the tyrant described in W.H. Auden's poetry. Nick argues that while American politicians and media continue to accommodate Trump's demands out of fear of retribution, his influence will likely diminish following the midterm elections on November 3rd, particularly if polls indicating Democratic gains prove accurate. Donald Trump is 80, morbidly obese and deteriorating rapidly both mentally and physically. He cannot long delay his appointment with the Grim Reaper! Nick concludes by suggesting that future generations will view Trump as a ridiculous figure rather than a threatening one, drawing a parallel to how young people today find historical footage of Hitler amusing rather than terrifying. *W.H. Auden's Epitaph for a tyrant: Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after, And the poetry he invented was easy to understand; He knew human folly like the back of his hand, And was greatly interested in armies and fleets; When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter, And when he cried the little children died in the streets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Oct 19

    Two Party politics could be back!

    The UK's Labour Tory Punch and Judy show could be back with a vengeance! In his latest podcast interview, Nick Cohen talks to doyen pollster Peter Kellner, founder of YouGov, to discuss the current state of British politics and the potential return to a two-party system dominated by Labour and the Conservatives. Peter and Nick talk about how Reform Party support has declined from around 30% to the low 20s due to controversies over racism and financial issues, while Labour has gained under new leader Andy Burnham, reaching 26-28% in polls. They discuss how the first-past-the-post electoral system creates challenges for multi-party politics, with tactical voting often determining outcomes rather than voters' true preferences. The discussion also examines the Greens' position under Zak Polanski, noting their potential to split the Labour vote despite limited electoral success, and explored whether a pro-European stance could help unite the centre-left and challenge the Conservative Party, which has struggled to recover from its 2024 defeat despite positive media coverage. Peter Kellner explains how the smell of government failures and scandals linger in the noses of voters and that defeated parties typically take about 10 years to recover. Peter says the next Conservative leader likely isn't currently in Parliament, suggesting the party needs to address its internal divisions before returning to power. Read all about it! Legendary pollster @PeterKellner1 is a founder of the leading polling company, YouGov. Peter's Substack column, The Politics Counter, is a must-read on UK politics and free to access Substack column on the state of UK politics. Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. You can also watch The Lowdown on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 18

    The new Brexit! Leaving the ECHR!

    TORY OBSESSION WITH LEAVING ECHR COMPOUNDS THE EXTRAORDINARY FOLLY OF BREXIT Nick Cohen argues that the Conservative Party's latest obsession with leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is stupid, wrong headed, is deeply damaging to the UK, destroys the basis of our human rights and and replicates the Tories' enduring stupidity in dragging the country out of the European Union, a move which has led to international isolation and is causing huge damage to the economy. Nick argues against the UK leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and compares this proposal to Brexit and describes it as a nationalist act of folly with severe consequences. Nick says Brexit had already damaged economic growth, GDP, and public services, while isolating Britain from the EU, USA, and China. He argues that leaving the Convention would break cooperation agreements on crime and immigration, potentially jeopardise trade deals, and undermine the devolution settlements in Scotland and Wales. He emphasises that the Convention is central to the Good Friday Agreement that ended a terrible sectarian 30 year-long civil war in Northern Ireland, and notes that the US had previously warned that leaving it could affect intelligence-sharing. He also criticises the right wing for authoritarian tendencies, citing Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's stance that Conservative MPs must support leaving the Convention. Finally, Nick calls on journalists to ask harder questions about the impact he Tories' latest idiocy would have on human rights and the rule of law. THE LOWDOWN INTERVIEWS POLLSTER PETER KELLNER ON THE RETURN OF TWO-PARTY POLiTICS From Monday, October 19th, you can watch or listen to Nick's interview with leading pollster Peter Kellner, who says we may be witnessing the return of traditional two party Labour-Tory politics in the UK. Will support for the Greens and Reform UK continue to slide, leading to the return of the long-running Tory-Labour Punch and Judy show? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 12

    The old UK-U.S. relationship is dead

    THE UK MUST NOT WASTE PRECIOUS TIME MOURNING THE DEATH OF THE OLD U.S. In the latest episode of The Lowdown, Nick Cohen talks to David Frum, the former George W. Bush speechwriter turned leading “Never Trump” conservative and Atlantic writer, for a wide-ranging discussion on Trump, the deteriorating UK-U.S. relationship, America’s place in the world, and the crisis facing the democratic right. David Frum begins by challenging easy assumptions about the withdrawal of U.S. heavy bombers from RAF Fairford. Was it another sign of Donald Trump administration’s hostility to Europe and Britain under Labour? Or did it reflect something equally alarming: that drones have changed warfare so dramatically that American bases and aircraft are now far more vulnerable than planners admit? Drawing on the lessons of Ukraine and Iran, Frum argues that the US military may be struggling to adapt to a new age of cheap, effective drone warfare. The conversation then turns to the future of the US-UK alliance. David Frum warns that Britain can no longer assume America will return to normal once Trump leaves office. After two Trump victories, and with figures such as JD Vance waiting in the wings, European governments must prepare for the possibility that the old Atlantic alliance is gone for good. His advice to Britain is stark: stop living on nostalgia and start building serious European security arrangements. Cohen and Frum also discuss the coming American midterms, the limits of polling, and why even a Republican defeat may not break Trumpism’s hold over the right. Frum reflects on why conservatism has moved away from markets, fiscal discipline and internationalism towards nationalism, grievance and protectionism. Economic shocks, mass migration, ageing electorates and pension politics, he argues, have all helped destabilise the old Reagan-Thatcher settlement. The interview ranges from Trump’s war with Iran to Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, where authoritarianism works less by openly persecuting the innocent than by protecting the guilty. Frum sees echoes of that model in Trump’s America, but also signs that impunity may be starting to crack. It is a sobering but gripping conversation with one of America’s sharpest conservative critics of Trumpism — and a warning that Britain and Europe must stop waiting for the past to return. Read all about it! David Frum @davidfrum Writer, http://TheAtlantic.com; Host, The David Frum Show. Contact via https://davidfrum.com/page/contact or Producer@TheDavidFrumShow.com Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Read Nick's latest column, Can Europe resist Trump's gangsterism? Does it have the willpower to try? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Oct 9

    Disaster for the Greens in Holborn

    The Holborn by-election result is a disaster for the Greens Nick Cohen delivers his thoughts on the recent Holborn and St Pancras by-election results, where Labour comprehensively defeated the Green Party candidate, and its leader, Zack Polanski. Cohen criticises Polanski's leadership, particularly his absence during the controversial Green Party conference where motions on Israel and Palestine were debated, and highlighted how Jewish members' amendments were rejected. Nick talks about the broader implications for the Green Party's direction, comparing Polanski's approach to different "Islamist-leftist" political movements across Europe and North America, and warned about the potential for the Green Party to abandon environmental issues in favour of radical politics that could exploit fear and racism similar to right-wing parties. Nick concludes that the by-election result was beneficial for Labour's Andy Burnham, who can now present himself as the voice of sensible radical left politics while dismissing the Green Party as an irrelevance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Oct 5

    Climate change will change everything

    CLIMATE CHANGE - COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU! In his latest The Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to author & former diplomat Arthur Snell about the growing climate crisis and its global impacts. Aftera summer of 2026 & that will be remembered for its relentless record-breaking heatwaves, Arthur, the author of Elemental, his latest book, describes the grim s tate of climate change response, noting missed targets and the persistence of fossil fuel reliance despite the affordability of renewables. Arthur and Nick discuss the role of China in driving down renewable costs and the geopolitical shifts this causes, contrasting it with America's doubling down on fossil fuels. The conversation covered the link between climate change and conflict, particularly in Africa's Sahel region, and the challenges of adaptation, including infrastructure investment and political opposition. Arthur Snell explains the limitations of geo-engineering as a solution and expressed cautious optimism, stating that humanity will probably continue to adapt to a more erratic climate and mitigate its effects, though extreme weather will become more common. Arthur says: "I think we're in the odd position where, the, the people who we need to rely on to sort of save us are the authoritarians of the Chinese Communist Party, which is, is an uncomfortable, situation to be in. And, and the reason I say that is arguably, I think a lot of this comes down to pure kind of strategic calculation. Of course, China is, very dependent on energy imports and has been for decades. , So for China, the argument to push for, massive renewable energy expansion is a no brainer. And, and I'm not actually denying that the Chinese, unlike Donald Trump, probably do care a bit about the climate crisis for all kinds of logical reasons, just as our own leaders do." Arthur also says of the populists taking advantage of climate change: "I think part of this is, is playing, playing the man and not the ball... the populists will respond to these events by attacking the government's response. And you know, whenever there's a disaster, there's always something that you can have a go at. So you can say that because of, you know, wasting time on woke policies.... think the other thing that, that populists do is they, they weaponise fear and they, they talk about the economic aspects of it. And so they say, well, these people are going to bankrupt us, and what we need to be doing is investing in our emergency responses, and instead they're going to bankrupt us by insisting that we, we have expensive renewable energy or things like that." Read all about it Arthur Snell's @SnellArthur @snellarthur.bsky.social substack column is Not all doom & his regular inciteful podcast is Behind the Lines. Arthur's latest book tackles the growing climate crisis and is called Elemental - The new geography of climate change and how we survive it. Arthur's first not fiction book was How Britain Broke the World: War, Greed and Blunders from Kosovo to Afghanistan, 1997-2022 . Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Read Nick's latest column, Can Europe resist Trump's gangsterism? Does it have the willpower to try? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Oct 1

    Farage & his Fairford fantasies

    Nigel Farage & the radical right have tried to use the strange events at RAF Fairford to feed the politics of hate In his latest Lowdown podcast short, Nick Cohen discusses Nigel Farage's extraordinary and irresponsible attempts to make political capital from the strange events at RAF Fairford this week, including allegations of an alleged Iranian-linked terrorism. Without any evidence, and before anyone was even charged, Farage rushed headlong onto social media and heavily suggested this was an Iranian plot, using terrorists who got into the UK on one of the small boats! Nick says that while the story initially appeared serious, the five arrested men were released on bail, no weapons were found, and one suspect had actually called the police. Nick argues that Farage used the event to falsely link the incident to asylum seekers and small boats, despite the suspects being British citizens. He claims Farage then aligned himself with the extreme right by comparing the situation to that of Danny "Tommo", a leader of a group that menaces ports. Nick describes a "media political complex" involving Farage, Rupert Lowe, and GB News that pressures the police and undermines contempt of court laws. Nick concludes by quoting a psychological profile of Adolf Hitler to suggest that Farage and his allies use similar tactics of repetition and blame to maintain supporter dependency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

Get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen as he investigates a world that seems to get ever more crazy, with leading commentators, columnists and politicians. Each week, leading commentator Nick Cohen talks to the country's leading movers and shakers - to cut the through much of the noise and commentary that passes for so much political discourse these days. Nick - a long-term columnist for The Observer and The Spectator - teams up with other commentators, journalists, authors and politicians to make sense of our ever stranger and troubling world. Nick aims to help keep you sane! So please get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen and subscribe to his Substack column - Writing from London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Nick Cohen
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 The Lowdown from Nick Cohen
  • Show Website
    The Lowdown from Nick Cohen

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