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The Lowdown from Nick Cohen

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

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All Episodes

47:46

The love Labour's lost!

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/02/09

Mandelson crisis engulfs an already embattled Starmer Nick Cohen talks to John McTernan about the Labour Party's deep political crisis in the wake of the struggles, leadership challenges, and ideological direction. They explore athe implications of the Peter Mandelson scandal, the factionalism within the Labour Party, and the broader context of the collapse of Christian democracy, which has created opportunities and challenges for the centre-left. John McTernan emphasise the need for Labour to

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51:16

A lonely UK's defence dilemma

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/02/02

Nick Cohen talks to Mark Urban about the UK's deep defence crisisNick Cohen & Mark Urban discuss changing dynamics of the American-British alliance and its huge implications for British defence strategy.Mark Urban and Nick discuss how recent actions by Donald Trump have created uncertainty about America's role as a traditional ally, particularly regarding NATO and European security. They explored how Brexit has weakened Britain's position in Europe at a time when European cooperation is needed

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49:36

Trump's madness threatens us all

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/01/26

Donald Trump is increasingly insane - period!Nick Cohen talks with U.S commentator and author Claire Berlinski about the increasingly dangerous and insane presidency of Donald Trump which Claire sees as a pattern of national sabotage rather than mere incompetence, impulsiveness, or corruption, highlighting the destructive impact of his policies on US global power and alliances.The last week has shocked the U.S's one-time allies with his reckless threats against Denmark and Greenland, his abandonment

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41:33

Comparing Trump & Putin

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/01/19

Trump & Putin - the despots at war with our worldIn this week's Lowdown, Nick Cohen talks to Professor Sam Greene - the Director of the Russia Institute at King's College London about Vladamir Putin and Donald Trump, and how about how much longer Russia can endure the continuing carnage and humiliation of its seemingly never ending aggression against Ukraine.What Putin intended to be a few days of Blitzkrieg in February 2022 will soon enter its fifth gruesome year and has already lasted longer

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43:19

America's Dark Revolution

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/01/12

Nick Cohen talks to influential leading US commentator Charlie Sykes who has a grim warning for the West about Trump and the far-right revolutionaries now in charge of the White HouseAmerica's dark revolution threatens the world"We're not dealing with something that's going to be fixed by a midterm election. We are dealing with a fundamentally revolutionary time - a revolutionary age in which America has gone from being a reliable ally and a role model to being a genuine threat to being a genuine

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50:45

The Tories ain't dead yet!

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2026/01/05

Charlotte Leslie, a former Conservative MP, discusses the rise of the radical right in politics and the potential for a Reform-led government in the UK, emphasising the need to take the group seriously despite their challenges. She and Nick Cohen explore the underlying divisions in British society that led to Brexit, using her experience as an MP for Bristol Northwest as an example, and discussed Farage's political strategies and leadership style. The conversation concluded with discussions on

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36:12

Christmas Special - Was Jane Austen too woke?!

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/12/29

Nick Cohen and Dr Bharat Tandon, academic, novelist & Booker Prize judge, discuss Jane Austen's astonishing legacy before delving into a detailed analysis of her enduring popularity and literary significance. They explored themes of claustrophobia in Austen's works, particularly how her novels depict the constraints of patriarchal structures and economic relations for women, while also examining the misinterpretation of her writing by modern figures like Milo Yiannopoulos. The discussion

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37:15

Christmas special with Rev Richard Coles

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/12/22

A Lowdown Christmas special with Rev. Richard ColesRichard Coles is a man of many parts and many talents - a former rock star turned vicar, who inspired the BBC TV series "Rev" and continues to be a prominent figure in religious and media circles, presenting radio shows and writing thrillers. With Lowdown host Nick Cohen, Richard explores the declining role of Christianity in Britain, with discussions about the changing nature of religious practice and the tension between moderate and more

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36:23

We're now in Trump's cross-hairs

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/12/15

Trump and MAGA see European values and societies as the real enemiesNick Cohen talks to the leading US commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of the highly controversial US National Security Strategy 2025 which has overturned 80 years of post-war security strategy and threatens the very social and political fabric of Europe, as well as its security.Incredibly, in this document, the US says it will support nationalist far right parties in overturning European governments and says it will do all

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38:18

Guilty as charged! Labour's threat to juries

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/12/08

Labour's threat to the ancient right of Trial by JuryNick Cohen and Francis FitzGibbon KC - a prominent barrister and former chair of the Criminal Bar Association - discuss the proposal by Labour politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, to restrict the right to trial by jury, which Nick finds astonishing given Starmer's previous advocacy for human rights and anti-racism. Francis argues against the proposed changes, which Nck thinks could expose ethnic minority

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40:19

Exploding the myths of immigration

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/12/01

SummaryNick Cohen and Professor Alan Manning - economist and one of the country's leading experts on immigration - discuss the impact of immigration on Western democracies, including its role in recent and upcoming elections, as well as the resurgence of right-wing movements driven by immigration-related fears. Alan Manning, a professor at the London School of Economics, explains the complexities of immigration policy and the challenges of balancing migration capacity with global inequality. Nick

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55:23

Starmer's failure may drag us into the abyss

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/11/24

Center-Left's Struggle Against Radical RightNick Cohen talks to The Guardian's chief political correspondent Rafael Behr discuss the failure of the Western centre-left to effectively counter the rise of the radical right, using examples from the United States and Britain. They highlighted the Democrats' inability to stop Trump's return to power and Labour's struggles under Keir Starmer despite a significant majority. The discussion touched on the fragmentation of the centre-left vote into Greens and

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48:45

"None dare call it treason!"

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/11/17

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE - FROM EUROPE'S RADICAL RIGHT, AND EX-BREXIT PARTY MEP NATHAN GILL!Nick Cohen and Arthur Snell - the author and ex-diplomat - discuss political corruption and treason - following the sentencing of Nathan Gill, the former Brexit Party MEP and ex-leader of UKIP in Wales. They discuss the deply disturbing case of Gill- convicted of eight counts of bribery, after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing uncovered how he received payment in return for making statements which

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43:46

The Centre can and must hold

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/11/10

Nick Cohen and Robert Saunders, the author and academic, discuss historical political party splits in Britain, particularly in the 1920s when the Liberals split and Labour formed, contrasting with the current situation where both left and right-wing votes are fragmented. Nick and Robert analyse the current political landscape, noting that while the right-wing vote is divided with Nigel Farage being popular, the centre-left could dominate British politics if it remains united. The discussion

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39:44

Gay rights are under threat

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/11/03

Nick Cohen talks to and Ronan McCrea about the current state and future challenges of the gay rights movement. Ronan expressed concerns about the potential reversal of LGBTQ+ gains due to weakening secular and liberal forces, arguing that the movement's expansion beyond gay rights has become counterproductive and risks alienating straight allies. The discussion concluded with Ronan emphasising the need for continued vigilance and moderate strategies to maintain long-term gay rights gains, while

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36:51

Can France be saved from the Far Right?

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/10/26

Can the Centre hold in France?Nick Cohen discusses the dire state of French politics with journalist, author & academic Agnès Poirier. They discuss the current chaos of politics in France in recent months which has seen 4 prime ministers come and go in barely a year. Extremists on the far right and far left are becoming ever more dominant - their voices ever more shrill.In 2017, Emmanuelle Macron became the youngest man since Napoloeon to head the French state and become President, voted in off

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35:16

Is it already too late to save US democracy?

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/10/20

Is is already too late to save US democracy?In this week's The Lowdown, Nick Cohen asks Edward Luce - the Washing-based editor & columnist of the Financial Times - is it already too late to save the US? Trump is already trying to gerrymander the critical 2026 mid-term elections by demanding re-districting of states like Texas to produce more Republican states. Also, he repeatedly threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act to further threaten freedom, and sends ICE agents and troops into peaceful

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45:50

The UK won't survive Tory far right lunge

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/10/13

Nick Cohen and historian and author James Hawes explore the rise of far-right sentiment in Britain and the Conservative Party's transformation, including their evolving definition of English identity and embrace of discriminatory immigration policies. Historical parallels were drawn between contemporary political events and pre-World War I era, with particular focus on the party's strategic shifts and potential mergers with right-wing factions. The conversation concluded with analysis of current

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44:13

A warning from Trump's kingdom of fear

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/10/06

Nick Cohen talks to leading US political commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of Donald Trump's presidency on American politics and conservative institutions, with Charlie sharing his perspective as one of the first "Never Trump" conservatives and discussing the erosion of traditional conservative values and principles. They examine how Trump's rise was connected to broader trends in right-wing politics, including the appeal to "own the libs" and the normalisation of previously unacceptable

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40:15

Will Farage's Trump worship backfire?

The Lowdown from Nick Cohen ·

2025/09/29

Can Farage be stopped, and if so, by who?Nick Cohen talks to Ed Hodgson from the More in Common think-tank about growing concerns over the potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics by Nigel Reform & his latest insurgent party Reform and the implications for British society and the political landscape. Ed Hodgson explores divisions in British society and the rise of the Reform, while examining public sentiment towards immigration policies and the challenges facing Labour under Keir

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