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. Can Labour build a way out of Britain’s housing crisis? with Cllr Aydin Dikerdem and Dr Beth Stratford | ep 134

    OCT 20

    Can Labour build a way out of Britain’s housing crisis? with Cllr Aydin Dikerdem and Dr Beth Stratford | ep 134

    Where and how we live has always been political – but with the right to buy, the explosion of the private-rented sector, and ever-increasingly demand for affordable, social, and council housing, it’s rarely felt this existential. With the Renters’ Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament, the mammoth English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill set to extend planning powers to new mayors and councils, and the budget expected on 26th November, it feels like a timely moment to unpick this huge, crucial issue – and how Labour is handling it. To dig into this, we were joined by two brilliant guests: Cllr Aydin Dikerdem is the Cabinet Member for Housing at Wandsworth Council. His background is in organising and campaigning, having worked as a community organiser for both the Labour Party and then the New Economics Foundation, where he focused on supporting renters unions and the retrofit agenda.Dr Beth Stratford is an economist, currently an Honorary Research Fellow at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, and founder member of the London Renters Union. She was a lead author of Land For The Many for the Labour Party, and is co-leading the Homes that Don’t Cost the Earth project alongside colleagues from UCL, Arup, Dark Matter Labs and Rising Tide.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.

    1h 20m
  2. SEP 22 · BONUS

    The Starmer Symptom with Mark Perryman

    It's clear that this Labour Government are in a bit of trouble. Already floundering in the polls off the back of a year in which their promise of 'change' in 2024 hasn't lived up to expectations, they have now been rocked by a series of scandals and resignations - Angela Rayner, Peter Mandelson, Paul Ovenden - that are undermining Sir Keir Starmer's Premiership. With a Deputy Leadership contest now being seen as an internal referendum on the leadership, the 2025 Party Conference is set to be one to keep your eye on. To that end, the release of Mark Perryman's new book, 'The Starmer Symptom', couldn't have come at a more opportune time. The Starmer Symptom brings together leading political writers to navigate the complex terrain of this seismic shift in British politics. This unique collection analyses voter data, and looks at the break-up of the two-party system with the rise of a populist right in Reform UK and a new independent left. Will Keir Starmer’s government be able to successfully combine the pragmatic and social democratic to produce radical change? And if not, who is waiting in the wings? Perryman sits down with Compass Director Neal Lawson, who contributed a chapter to the book. Other contributors include Clive Lewis, Danny Dorling, Emma Burnell, Gargi Bhattacharyya, James Meadway, Hilary Wainwright, Jeremy Gilbert, Phil Burton-Cartledge, and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Special Offer for Compass Members and Supporters: ‘The Starmer Symptom’ for JUST £11.89 (usual price £16.99). Use coupon code ‘STARMER30’ at Pluto Press here. 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.

    35 min

About

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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