The Prospect Podcast

This week, writer and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands joins Ellen and Alona to discuss the ‘age of impunity'. Are international systems crumbling, or will they stand the test of time?Philippe reflects on the process of writing his most recent book38 Londres Street, and the relationship between storytelling and the law. He also discusses representing Palestine at the ICJ and his thoughts on the utility of genocide as a legal term. And with the arrests and deportations in the US, Philippe discusses

Historian and broadcaster David Olusoga joins Ellen and Alona to discuss political attacks on American history, the challenges facing academia in the UK—and how future generations will view England’s colonial history.Our newsfeeds are dominated by towering figures like Trump and Elon Musk—but does the “great man” theory still hold? Is history really made by millions of ordinary people? How will historians look back at this moment?And with UK universities under pressure, he discusses why the

Asbestos might seem like a problem of the past, but it is still killing thousands every year. In the March issue ofProspect, Charlotte wrote about how her father’s death from mesothelioma—a cancer caused by asbestos—led her into years of research, uncovering a shocking history of corporate negligence and government inaction.This week, Charlotte joins the Prospect podcast to share her findings. How long have we known asbestos is deadly? How have companies actively covered up the dangers? And why is

How do we measure racism? In such politically charged terrain, the need for objective data is clear.By some surveys, half of Brits don’t believe that racism exists. Keon West, social psychologist and visiting professor at LSE, joins the podcast to discuss this phenomenon.Keon explains what data can tell us, and delves into the surprising ways that the UK compares to the US. He unpacks the ingenious studies that reveal how racism really works, and why he thinks the Sewell report commissioned by Boris

In this episode ofProspect Lives, journalist Kiran Sidhu mourns her lost cat, while actor and writer Sheila Hancock grapples with ageism at 91. Gen Z-er Alice Garnett attains “regular status” at a London chicken shop, while host and journalist Sarah Collins discusses the end of her honeymoon phase with Athens. Plus, Tilly Lawless explores the two sides of Paris with two different clients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would a young Starmer join the Labour party today? Ellen and Alona are joined by Tom Clark, contributing editor at Prospect, who thinks not.From defending misfit environmentalists to denouncing them in the Daily Mail, Starmer’s evolution might dismay some on the left of the party. Once he was a young human rights lawyer and now he is a prime minister punishing MPs for rebelling on child poverty or arming Israel.Tom’s column received some criticism on Bluesky from those who see this as pragmatism