It's Bloody Complicated - A Compass Podcast
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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.
Available episodes
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Jun 19, 2022
Trialling a 4-Day Week | Ep. 66
What would your life look like with less time spent at work?
Across the UK, thousands at workers at 70 companies are taking part in the biggest-ever trial of a four-day working week.
Joining It’s Bloody Complicated to discuss the trial and a potential future of reduced working hours are representatives from digital marketing firm *Literal Humans* and brewery *Pressure Drop*, both of which are participating in the pilot.
And we’ll also hear from *Will Stronge*, co-author of Overtime: Why We Need a Shorter Working Week and Head of Research at future-of-work think tank Autonomy, which is helping coordinate the pilots, and *Kate Bell*, Head of Rights, International, Social and Economics at the TUC.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show
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Jun 4, 2022
Fixing Westminster | Ep. 65
From fines for the prime minister to shocking allegations of harassment, bullying and sexism in the workplace, Parliament has been bedevilled by scandal once again.
We’re joined by Dr Hannah White, Jennifer Nadel and Darren Hughes to explore What about the structure and culture of our politics results in such awful behaviour – and how we build a new politics.
Hannah White is Deputy Director of the Institute for Government and author of Held in Contempt: What’s Wrong with the House of Commons? (https://www.waterstones.com/book/held-in-contempt/hannah-white//978152615669 3)
Jennifer Nadel is Co-Director of Compassion in Politics and an award-winning journalist.
Darren Hughes is Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society and a former government minister in New Zealand.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a
Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests:
https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
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May 31, 2022
Local Elections Special | Ep. 64
It’s Bloody Complicated brings you a special episode on a fascinating set of elections across the UK. Joining us is elections guru Professor Rob Ford.
What were the progressive triumphs and tragedies – where did progressive alliances win out, and where could they have helped score wins?
Rob Ford is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. He is the author, with Maria Sobolewska, of the award-winning Brexitland and, with Tim Bale, Will Jennings and Paul Surridge, of The British General Election of 2019.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show
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May 24, 2022
The Future We Want #5: Poetry, Protest and and Performance with Tishani Doshi
Orwell Youth Fellows Jamie See and Noah Robinson meet poet Tishani Doshi to explore protest, poetry and performance.
Tishani Doshi is an award-winning poet, novelist, dancer and journalist.
The episode begins with Jamie and Noah reading their poems.
Read 'A Love Symphony to the World' by Jamie See (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/runners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/jamiesee/)
Read 'Here There Are No People' by Noah Robinson (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/runners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/noahrobinson/)
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing.
The Orwell Youth Prize is an annual programme for students aged 12–18 culminating in a writing prize. The prize and programme introduce young people to the power of political language, and provoke them to think critically about the world around them.
Compass' regular podcast, It's Bloody Complicated, is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show
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Apr 19, 2022
Democrats in Power: What's Been Won and What's Up Next | Ep.61
After a year-plus on the job, having inherited a deeply divided country, Joe Biden and the Democrats are still facing multiple interlocking crises – from the war in Ukraine, to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, to climate catastrophe. But amidst all this, can we count some wins – on infrastructure, Covid and a once-in-a-generation Supreme Court nomination?
Top Democratic organisers Sky Gallegos and Joe Sudbay join It's Bloody Complicated to help make sense of it all.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Apr 5, 2022
Making Democracy Work with Polly Mackenzie
Chief Executive of Demos Polly Mackenzie joins It’s Bloody Complicated to look at what's gone wrong with our democracy and how we can fix it.
Polly builds on the insights from her series of papers for Demos – Making Democracy Work.
Polly Makenzie was Director of Policy to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg from 2010–15, helping to write the 2010 Coalition Agreement. After leaving Government, Polly established the operations of the Women’s Equality Party and founded the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.
Read the Making Democracy Work papers (https://demos.co.uk/making-democracy-work/).
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Mar 24, 2022
The Future We Want #5: Communities and Public Services with Professor Donna Hall
Orwell Youth Fellow Jessica Tunks joins Professor Donna Hall to discuss family, community, reimagining public services and her scorching essay 'Knifepoint'.
Donna Hall is Chair of New Local and of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.
The episode begins with Jessica reading her essay 'Knifepoint'.
Read 'Knifepoint' by Jessica Tunks (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/winners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/jessica-tunks/).
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing.
The Orwell Youth Prize is an annual programme for students aged 12–18 culminating in a writing prize. The prize and programme introduce young people to the power of political language, and provoke them to think critically about the world around them.
Compass' regular podcast, It's Bloody Complicated, is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Mar 17, 2022
The Future We Want #4: Hopes and Failures of Social Housing with John Harris
Orwell Youth Fellow Rosaleen Tite Ahern joins Guardian journalist John Harris to discuss place; the successes, failures and hopes of social housing; and her brilliantly evocative essay 'Streets in the Sky' on Manchester's Hulme Crescents.
John Harris is a columnist at the Guardian and host of the podcast Politics Weekly UK. (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/johnharris).
The episode begins with Rosaleen reading her essay 'Streets in the Sky'.
Read 'Streets in the Sky' by Rosaleen Tite Ahern (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/winners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/rosaleen-tite-ahern/).
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing.
The Orwell Youth Prize is an annual programme for students aged 12–18 culminating in a writing prize. The prize and programme introduce young people to the power of political language, and provoke them to think critically about the world around them.
Compass' regular podcast, It's Bloody Complicated, is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Mar 13, 2022
In Coversation with Tommy Sheppard MP
Tommy Sheppard MP joins It’s Bloody Complicated to discuss the future of the Scottish independence movement, the prospects of the SNP supporting a Labour government and his remarkable political life.
Tommy Sheppard is the Scottish National Party MP for Edinburgh and the SNP’s Spokesperson for Constitutional Affairs.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Mar 10, 2022
The War in Ukraine with Luke Cooper and Citizens not Consumers with Jon Alexander and Sue Goss
Jon Alexander, author of the new book Citizens, joins the podcast to tell us how can we start to think and act like Citizens, not Consumers. Joining Jon is conversation is author and political scientist Sue Goss.
But first we hear from Luke Cooper of Another Europe is Possible for an update on the terrible events in Ukraine. Luke helps us think through what we can be doing about this awful war.
Citizens: Why the Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us (https://www.jonalexander.net/)
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Feb 1, 2022
Lessons from '97, in association with Social Liberal Forum | Ep.57
Frances Foley goes behind the scenes of Labour–Liberal Democrat cooperation in the 1997 General Election with former Lib Dem Policy Director Duncan Brack, political commentator Peter Kellner, and Compass Director and 1997 Labour electoral negotiator Neal Lawson .
In ’97 an informal arrangement between Labour and the Lib Dems helped drive tactical voting – and a landslide election victory for Labour, ending 18 years of Conservative rule.
What are the lessons from 1997 today? What has changed in the intervening years? And after four election defeats in a row, how might progressive parties work better, and smarter, together?
*Duncan Brack* is Editor of the Journal of Liberal History, and was Liberal Democrat Policy Director from 1988–94 and special adviser during the coalition government in 2010–12.
*Peter Kellner* is a political commentator, election analyst and former President of YouGov.
This episode is presented in partnership with the Social Liberal Forum.
There are s…
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Jan 29, 2022
Preparing for Minority Government, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung | Ep.56
We take a look at coalition governments – what they are, how they are formed, lessons from the new 'traffic light' coalition in Germany and why the UK’s progressive parties need to be thinking about them right now.
Joining the podcast are *Henning Meyer*, Publisher of Social Europe, Fellow at the German Ministry of Finance and member of the SPD's Basic Values Commission, and *George Peretz* QC, legal expert, member of the Society of Labour Lawyers and author of the recent article Wargaming a Minority Labour Government in Prospect (https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/wargaming-a-minority-labour-government-next-election-starmer).
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support t…
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Jan 1, 2022
The Big Fat Pod of the Year
Political commentators and Guardian journalists John Harris and Zoe Williams join us to break down the political year that was and look ahead to 2022.
From tackling the climate catastrophe to the state of the current Conservative party and challenges facing a progressive alliance – as well as some political reasons to be cheerful in 2022.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Dec 6, 2021
In Conversation with Ece Temelkuran, in association with Social Liberal Forum | Ep.53
Author, journalist and political commentator Ece Temelkuran joins the podcast to talk about her new book Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now, faith vs. hope, the parallels between the UK's slide towards authoritarianism and her experience in Turkey, and the power of young women.
Ece was in conversation with special guest host Jon Alexander of the Social Liberal Forum.
* Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now (https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/together-a-manifesto-against-the-heartless-world-ece-temelkuran-2)
* How to Lose a Country: The Seven Steps From Democracy to Dictatorship (https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/how-to-lose-a-country-the-7-steps-from-democracy-to-dictatorship-ece-temelkuran?variant=32558325629006)
This episode is brought to you by Compass and the Social Liberal Forum.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action…
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Nov 14, 2021
BONUS: In Conversation with First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford
On a special bonus episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, the Compass podcast, we welcome First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford MS.
Mark spoke to Compass Director Neal Lawson about progressive alliances, his support for proportional representation, basic income and why he's vowed to stand down after five years.
Under Mark Drakeford’s leadership, Labour in Wales bucked the party’s national trend in 2021, winning a working majority of 30 seats in the Senedd.
Welsh Labour is currently in talks with Plaid Cymru about a cooperation agreement. And the party has previously worked with the Liberal Democrats.
The Welsh Government this year also approved a basic income (UBI) trial for Wales.
The Basic Income Conversation, powered by Compass, recently published a report (https://autonomy.work/portfolio/ubi-in-wales/) with Autonomy on principles, precedents and feasibility of piloting a basic income in Wales.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the mont…
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Nov 5, 2021
What Now for Labour and PR? | Ep.52
83% of Labour members backed proportional representation*.* So did 80% of the membership’s representatives on the conference floor. But the Labour machine didn’t, and the motion to make PR party policy fell at last month’s party conference.
We welcome leading Labour for a New Democracy campaigners Laura Parker and Caroline Osborne to the podcast to get the inside track on the campaign for Labour to back fair votes.
Why didn’t the leadership back PR? How can those unions who didn’t support PR be convinced to do so? And, with a groundswell of support among members and voters, what’s next for the UK’s largest progressive party and democratic reform?
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.u…
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Oct 30, 2021
Germany at the Traffic Lights with John Kampfner and Michèle Auga | Ep.51
The election in Germany has seen progressives surge and conservatives suffer at the polls.
*John Kampfner* and *Michèle Auga *join It's Bloody Complicated to make sense of the SPD and Olaf Scholz's (relative) surge, the CDU's collapse, and the 'traffic light' (red/yellow/green) coalition talks.
Will Scholz’s late embrace of the climate agenda be born out in practice? And what can we in Britain learn from German progressive electoral successes – and the alliance-building challenges to come?
*John Kampfner *is a journalist and the author of Why Germans Do It Better: Notes from A Grown-Up Country (https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/why-the-germans-do-it-better/).
*Michèle Auga *is head of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in London (https://www.fes-london.org/).
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support…
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Oct 28, 2021
The Future We Want #3: The Future of Work with Jon Cruddas
Orwell Youth Fellow Tom Finlayson joins Labour MP Jon Cruddas to discuss impending environmental disaster, automation, AI and the future of work – themes brought vividly to life in Tom's dystopian short story 'Not So Welcome Break'.
Jon Cruddas is the Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham and a leading thinker on the meaning of work. His book, The Dignity of Labour, is out now from Polity Books (https://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509540785&subject_id=89).
The episode begins with Tom Reading his short story, 'Not So Welcome Break'.
Read 'Not So Welcome Break' by Tom Finlayson (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/winners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/tom-finlayson/)
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing.
The Orwell Youth Prize is an annual programme for students aged 12–18 culminating in a wri…
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Oct 22, 2021
Tomorrow's Communities | Ep.50
In the face of global crises, how can communities attain better social, economic and environmental outcomes?
Joining It's Bloody Complicated are Henry Tam, editor of the new book Tomorrow’s Communities: Lessons for community-based transformation in the age of global crises, and contributors to the book Marjorie Mayo and Diane Warburton.
Henry Tam is a political writer whose books include Time to Save Democracy and Whose Government is it?. He was Head of Civil Renewal under the last Labour government.
Marjorie Mayo is Professor of Community Development at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her recent publications include Community-based learning and social movements and Changing Communities: stories of migration, displacement and solidarities.
Diane Warburton is a founding Trustee of Involve. Her published works include Community and Sustainable Development and From Here to Sustainability.
Tomorrow's Communities by Henry Tam (ed.), Policy Press (https://policy.bristoluniversitypre…
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Oct 5, 2021
The Future We Want #2: The Climate Crisis with Andrew Simms
In the second episode of The Future We Want, a new series from Compass and the Orwell Youth Prize, Orwell Youth Fellows Lauren DeBruin and Hugh Ludford join Andrew Simms to discuss climate, dystopia – and how we encourage each other to want a better future.
Andrew Simms is the co-director of the New Weather Institute, coordinator of the Rapid Transition Alliance and co-author of the original Green New Deal.
The episode begins with Lauren and Hugh reading their pieces, 'What We Lost' and 'You Are What You Eat'.
Read 'What We Lost' by Lauren Debruin (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/?s=Lauren+Debruin)
Read 'You Are What You Eat' by Hugh Ludford (https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-youth-prize/2018-youth-prize/winners-orwell-youth-prize-2020/hugh-ludford/)
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing.
The Orwell Youth Prize is an an…
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Oct 3, 2021
Progressive Alliance: Will Labour Accept Sharing Power to Win? Live from Labour Conference | Ep.49
This episode of It's Bloody Complicated is brought to you from Labour Party Conference. At this year's conference, the Labour machine rejected the overwhelming wishes of party members, and the motion for the party to adopt proportional representation fell.
We were joined by Labour MP *Clive Lewis*, Green MP *Caroline Lucas*, Labour for a New Democracy campaign head *Laura Parker *and Best for Britain CEO *Naomi Smith* to look at the necessity and strategy of a progressive alliance following Labour's latest rejection of PR.
How do we build a cross-party progressive movement that can not only win an election but change our broken political system?
*Read: *'Keir Starmer made a huge mistake in not backing PR' – Neal Lawson | Guardian
Caroline Lucas's speech in full
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Su…
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Sep 10, 2021
The Future We Want: The Poverty Pandemic with Dawn Butler
Compass and the Orwell Youth Prize have teamed up to bring you a special new series, The Future We Want.
In this first episode, Orwell Youth Fellow Manal Nadeem joins Dawn Butler MP for a discussion of race, power and the pandemic. The episode begins with Manal reading her piece, 'The Poverty Pandemic'.
Read 'The Poverty Pandemic' by Manal Nadeem
The Orwell Youth Prize is an annual programme for students aged 12–18 culminating in a writing prize. The prize and programme introduce young people to the power of political language, and provoke them to think critically about the world around them.
The Future We Want is a new podcast series from the Orwell Youth Prize and Compass. We've matched the Orwell Youth Fellows from 2020 with figures from politics, media and political writing
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.or…
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Sep 2, 2021
BONUS: How to Stop Fascism with Paul Mason
We welcome writer, journalist and film-maker Paul Mason to the podcast to discuss his new book, How to Stop Fascism (Allen Lane).
Paul spoke about how the rise of right-wing populism and authoritarianism has not acted as a 'firewall' against fascism, the online tactics of the new networked fascism and the lessons of the French Popular Front for a Progressive Alliance movement today.
How to Stop Fascism: History, Ideology, Resistance is available now.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Aug 20, 2021
The Future of the Greens with Jonathan Bartley | Ep.48
Recently departed Green Party Co-Leader Jonathan Bartley joins It’s Bloody Complicated.
Jonathan stepped down as Green co-leader in July. He is now focusing his energy on helping to build a progressive alliance, saying to the Guardian that ‘there is a progressive majority in this country but we will have Conservative governments as far as we can see because of first past the post’.
He spoke about why we need a progressive alliance – and why there must be something in it for the Greens – as well where the Greens' next seat in Parliament might come from, defending the right to protest and his unusual journey to the leadership of a political party.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/pod…
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Aug 1, 2021
From the Soft Left to Left Patriotism with John Denham | Ep.47
John Denham joined It's Bloody Complicated to talk nation, identity and patriotism.
Is there such a thing as ‘progressive patriotism’? And against the backdrop of Brexit and a potential second Scottish independence referendum, is it finally time for progressives to talk about England?
John Denham is Professor and Director of the Centre for English Identity and Politics at the University of Southampton, and co-founder of the English Labour Network. He was the Labour MP for Southampton Itchen, and served as a minister for ten years in the 1997–2010 Labour government.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jul 26, 2021
BONUS: Decision Time for Deutschland, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
This episode was recorded immediately following the initial devastating flooding across western Germany. Our thoughts and solidarity are with all those affected.
Compass has teamed up with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung to bring you *a German election special.*
Germany is poised to pick its next leader. After 16 years at the helm, Angela Merkel is stepping aside – and what comes next is anyone’s guess.
Will Germans elect Armin Laschet, her successor in the CDU, after he pledged to continue what Merkel started? Or could they choose change in the form of the Greens’ first ever candidate – young and dynamic Annalena Baerbock? How might the Social Democratic Party respond to these changes?
And what does this decision mean for the country at the heart of Europe – for action on climate change, the future of the EU and prospects for progressives across the continent?
*Ulrike Herrmann* is a journalist based in Berlin and a staff member of the left-alternative daily “die tageszei…
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Jul 19, 2021
Big Ideas Before Their Time with Anna Coote | Ep.46
Policy innovator Anna Coote joined It’s Bloody Complicated to talk about a life at the cutting edge of policy thinking – from citizens' juries to a four-day week and universal basic services.
We took a closer look at the idea of universal basic services (UBS) – and any tensions that may exist with universal basic income (UBI).
And we surveyed the present state of progressive politics – and how we can advocate and implement transformative policies for a good society.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jul 3, 2021
Brexit: Five Years Later | Ep.45
On 23rd June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU by a majority of 52% to 48%.
The ensuing half-decade has seen rolling political turmoil, unprecedented realignments and questions over the future of the UK itself.
To help make sense of these historic times, we welcome Labour MP *Jon Trickett*, Guardian journalist *Zoe Williams*, Zoe's dog Romeo, and writer *Anthony Barnett* to the show.
Jon Trickett is the Labour MP for Hemsworth and a former shadow minister under the leaderships of Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband.
Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist and the co-host of the Another Europe Podcast.
Anthony Barnett is co-founder of openDemocracy and the author of The Lure of Greatness: England’s Brexit and America’s Trump.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.co…
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Jun 12, 2021
Johnson and Gramsci: Tackling the Tories Today | Ep.44
What are the strategy, ideology and aims of the modern Conservative Party? To beat them, we have to understand them – and maybe even learn from them.
Professor Ken Spours applies the thinking of Antonio Gramsci to help us get to grips with today’s shapeshifting Tories.
Ken has provided some additional notes to accompany the show. Find them here: https://bit.ly/3xj0OnA.
Discussed on the show:
Antonio Gramsci – Prison Notebooks
Stuart Hall – 'New Labour's Double Shuffle'
Ken Spours – Shapeshifters
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show
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May 27, 2021
The Dignity of Labour with Jon Cruddas | Ep.43
Jon Cruddas MP joins It’s Bloody Complicated to mark the launch of his new book, The Dignity of Labour (Polity).
Does work give our lives purpose, meaning and status? Or is it a tedious necessity that will soon be abolished by automation, leaving humans free to enjoy a life of leisure and basic income?
Jon Cruddas is Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham. The Dignity of Labour is available from Polity.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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May 15, 2021
Election Special | Ep.42
Election results across England, Scotland and Wales showed more than ever why progressives need to work together – and what can happen when they do. We're joined by a stellar lineup to survey the aftermath, and work out where we go next:
* *Sir John Curtice*, polling expert, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde and Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Social Research
* *Caroline Lucas*, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion
* *Beth Winter*, Labour MP for Cynon Valley
* *Layla Moran*, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon
* *Tommy Sheppard*, Scottish National Party MP for Edinburgh East
* *Clive Lewis*, Labour MP for Norwich South
From Hartlepool to Holyrood, we analyse the outcomes for the different progressive parties, as well as, crucially, what the results mean for the prospect of a *Progressive Alliance* to overturn the Tory majority in Westminster.
Almost 900 people joined the call live.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every…
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May 1, 2021
In Conversation with Mandu Reid | Ep.41
Leader of the Women's Equality Party Mandu Reid joined the podcast to talk about why the pandemic has not been a gender-neutral crisis, how her 'politically polyamorous' party is shaking up the system and why she's working to put herself out of a job.
Mandu Reid is Leader of the Women’s Equality Party, the party’s candidate for Mayor of London and the first Black leader of a national British political party.
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
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Apr 19, 2021
In Conversation with Vince Cable | Ep.40
Former leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable joins It’s Bloody Complicated to share the lessons of his long and varied political life and tell us about his new book, Money and Power.
In uncertain times for progressives of all stripes, not least the Lib Dems, it was great to get Vince's unique perspective.
Vince Cable was MP for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019, and as leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2017–19. He served in the Conservative–Lib Dem coalition government as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010 to 2015, and as deputy leader of the Lib Dems from 2006 to 2010.
Vince Cable – Money and Power: The World Leaders Who Changed Economics (Atlantic)
Vince Cable – The Chinese Conundrum: Engagement or Economic War (coming September 2021, Bloomsbury)
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to…
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Apr 6, 2021
Starmer's First Year with Paul Mason | Ep.39
It’s a year since Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour Party – a year that has seen the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic, internal divisions within the party and vocal debates about the best way forward.
We welcome writer, journalist and film-maker Paul Mason to It’s Bloody Complicated to discuss Keir Starmer one year on, the prospects for a Progressive Alliance, strategies for the left and his fascinating political life.
Paul Mason is the author of six books, the most recent of which is Clear Bright Future. His next book, How to Stop Fascism, will be published in Spring 2021.
How to Stop Fascism by Paul Mason
'A Year of Keir: The Road Less Travelled' – statement by Compass
It's Bloody Complicated is recorded every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Become a Compass member to join our live recordings and put your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast
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Mar 22, 2021
Out of the Ordinary with Marc Stears, Jon Cruddas, Sue Goss and John Harris | Ep.38
Special guest host John Harris is joined by Marc Stears to discuss Marc's new book, Out of the Ordinary: How Everyday Life Inspired a Nation and How It Can Again.
Joining John and Marc are Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, and Sue Goss, author of Open Tribe and the Compass report Garden Mind.
In Out of the Ordinary, Stears describes how, in a period of intense political turmoil from the 1920s–50s, a group of British writers and artists showed a way forward by shining a light on the strength and creativity of ordinary people going about their lives. Now, the book argues, the ordinary might once again provide a unifying path out of crisis.
Marc Stears was a senior advisor and chief speechwriter to former Labour leader Ed Miliband, and directs the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney. John Harris is a columnist for the Guardian.
Discussed in the show:
Out of the Ordinary by Marc Stears
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas
Our Country (dir. John Eldridge)
English J…
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Mar 4, 2021
Belonging, Place and the Nation with Clive Lewis, Francesca Klug and Stuart White | Ep.37
On this very special edition of It’s Bloody Complicated, we're joined by Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South; academic and advocate for human rights Francesca Klug; and political theorist Stuart White to celebrate the launch of Belonging, Place and the Nation, Compass’s new report into nationalism and patriotism.
Should we try to confront the Right with our own, more progressive, patriotism and nationalism? Or should we abandon these terms and instead try to build something else?
In Belonging, Place and the Nation, Clive and Francesca explore what it means to belong, in a wide-ranging conversation with Frances Foley on race, identity and the telling of British history, while Stuart considers the possibility of a democratic English patriotism in the republican political tradition. They touch on all this and more in a wide-ranging conversation that doesn't shy away from the difficult questions.
Discussed in the show:
Belonging, Place and the Nation
Radical Republicanism by Bruno Lei…
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Feb 19, 2021
Progressive Alliance: The Reunion | Ep.36
On this edition of It’s Bloody Complicated , we're celebrating a very special reunion. Neal Lawson is joined by 2017 Progressive Alliance veterans Andrée Frieze, Barry Langford, Stephen Clark, Remco van der Stoep, Jana Mills, Steve Williams and Frances Foley to look back on the successes and lessons of that election, and look forward to how we can build a formidable Progressive Alliance next time.
Results analysis suggests that, in 2017, the Progressive Alliance made a difference in dozens of seats, contributing to the Conservatives losing their majority in Parliament. It’s time to get the band back together.
*On the next episode** **of It's Bloody Complicated, we're launching Compass's new report **Belonging, Place and the Nation **with Clive Lewis MP, Francesca Klug and Stuart White. **The live recording is open to all – just sign up here.*
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Jan 30, 2021
Re-imagining Democracy with Peter MacFadyen and Indra Adnan | Ep.35
On this episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Frances Foley is joined by another great double bill – this time Peter MacFadyen who has inspired the Flatpack Democracy movement and Indra Adnan one of the co-founders of the new politics champions The Alternative UK.
Flatpack Democracy is an independent movement which started in Frome, inspired by frustration with missed opportunitities the way local government usually works. Since then, the group has taken control of the local council and inspired similar groups in other towns across the UK.
The Alternative UK is a political platform based in the United Kingdom. Through curation, editorial, public events, commissioning and research, it aims to transform the language and practice of politics on these islands. Inspired by and associated with Alternativet in Denmark, it is trying to bring about “a friendly revolution”.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is moving now to fortnightly calls, and will be recorded every other Tuesday at 6pm GMT. B…
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Jan 15, 2021
The Year Ahead with Yasmin Khan and Tom Clark | Ep.34
We’re diving straight into 2021 with a conversation about what the next year might hold for us and what it all means for progressive politics.
Our guests, Tom Clark (Editor of Prospect Magazine) and Yasmin Khan (human rights campaigner), were on hand to help us chart a course through what is likely to be an extraordinarily challenging year for us all.
We covered the pandemic, the economy, the Tories, Labour, Scotland, Biden, and more. And as ever, we took questions live on the call from Compass members.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded fortnightly on Tuesdays at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
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Dec 17, 2020
The future of the Left in Europe with Yanis Varoufakis | Ep.33
For the final podcast of 2020, we had an extra special Christmas treat for our members. Writer, economist, politician, and former academic Yanis Varoufakis joined us live on Zoom for an hour of hard-headed economic analysis, a few home truths for the European Left, and plenty of laughter too.
A former academic, Yanis is perhaps best known for his tenure as Greek finance minister and his role in the country’s high stakes negotiations with the EU. But he is also a prolific author and political commentator, known for his thoughtful and engaging approach to complex topics, and his approachable and accessible style.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded fortnightly on Tuesdays at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Dec 7, 2020
Feminism and Refugee Women with Natasha Walter | Ep.32
This week, we spoke to Natasha Walter: feminist writer, founder and director of Women for Refugee Women and author of Living Dolls and A Quiet Life.
We talked to Natasha about what motivated her to write Living Dolls, and how she moved out of journalism to found the charity Women for Refugee Women. After 14 years at WFRW, Natasha had plenty of stories to share with us and wasn’t afraid to dig into the frictions and frustrations of her work.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
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Nov 17, 2020
Inequality with Danny Dorling | Ep.31
We’re delighted to welcome academic, author, social commentator, and human cartographer Danny Dorling to the podcast this week.
The conversation roamed over many topics, from Biden and Covid, to Finland and Extinction Rebellion. We discussed in particular Danny's three latest books: Rule Britannia (written with Sally Tomlinson) , Slowdown, and Finntopia (written with Annika Koljonen).
Some key points from the discussion:
* Reflections on Biden's victory in the US election from the point of view of British and European progressives. (It's more relief than happiness).
* Just as the aftermath of wars tend to see reductions in inequality, there's a chance that the Covid-19 pandemic could force some non progressive players into backing progressive policies.
* Why is geography such a brilliant subject, and why has it produced so many interesting progressive thinkers?
* We're in the middle of a global slowdown in terms of economic growth, population growth, and innovation. Why is…
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Nov 13, 2020
Build Back Better: HOW? 4 Big Ideas | Ep.30
This week’s live podcast formed part of Build Back Better: How?, a 10 day series of conferences about how we can make the good society after Covid-19 a reality.
Universal Basic Services, a guaranteed income floor, the 4 day week, and reform of the banking system: we discussed some of the biggest, most exciting ideas around for rethinking our approach to work, money, and how we use our time.
It’s clear that current financial models are serving fewer and fewer people than ever, as society discovers itself on a treadmill that drives vast fortunes for a small few, and economic instability, environmental destruction, and burnout for the rest. The most important work is widely acknowledged to be the lowest paid, and in the case of care work it is often not paid at all. A threadbare and incomplete welfare state leaves many living in an exhausting state of permanent precarity. Our banking system isn’t working for most people, and is complicit in rising inequality, and environmental deg…
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Nov 7, 2020
American democracy: Where do we go from here? Election special
On 5th November 2020, we hosted this very special transatlantic edition of It’s Bloody Complicated – outside of our usual fortnightly schedule – to talk to three people with direct experience in building capacity and infrastructure that demonstrates a different kind of doing politics.
* *Roge Karma* is a researcher and reporter at Vox, where he produces The Ezra Klein Show podcast and writes about policing, political polarization, and democracy reform.
* *Manu Meel* is passionate about empowering young people and advocating for civic engagement. He serves as the CEO of BridgeUSA, a national organization that is investing in the future of democracy. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other media platforms.
* *Joan Blades* is a co-founder of Living Room Conversations, an open source effort to rebuild respectful discourse across ideological, cultural and party lines while embracing our shared values. She is the co-author of The Custom-F…
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Oct 16, 2020
What’s next for the Scottish Labour Party? With Gerry Hassan | Ep.29
The Scottish Labour Party’s decline has been severe. How – if at all – can it claw back something like the support it once enjoyed? With 51% of Labour voters now backing independence, how should Scottish Labour respond?
Join us as we discuss Scottish Labour, Independence, the SNP and the possible break-up of the UK with Scottish commentator and political author Gerry Hassan. Gerry is a regular contributor to Compass, and in his most recent blog for Compass suggests the formation of a new Labour Party in Scotland as a solution to these problems.
Listen to this week’s episode to delve into all things Scotland, Labour, and so much more.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is moving now to fortnightly calls, and will be recorded every other Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.com…
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Oct 5, 2020
What we need to do differently with Ed Miliband | Ep.28
This week we were joined by Ed Miliband.
Ed is best known as leader of the Labour Party but his political career goes way beyond that. In his podcast "Reasons to be Cheerful" he uses the wealth of his experience to discuss the big ideas that we need to transform society.
In this fascinating and far-reaching conversation we dig into those ideas. We dissect everything from the lessons learned from the 2015 election defeat to the Green New Deal and his views on Universal Basic Income.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Sep 25, 2020
Towards a new politics of Care | Ep.27
Long before Covid hit, it was evident to many that the UK was hurtling towards a crisis of Care. Now we simply cannot deny that the way we think about the way we care for our most vulnerable – who does it and how we value it – is deeply flawed. We urgently need a new politics of Care.
This week on the podcast we were joined by three authorities on the state of Care right now: Madeleine Bunting author of Labours of Love, Jo Littler author of The Care Manifesto and Alex Fox (CEO of Shared Lives)
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Sep 18, 2020
The Why, What and How of Proportional Representation | Ep.26
Could proportional representation renew our democracy?
On this week’s episode we’ll be focussing on electoral reform, and exploring what it could mean to have a different voting system in the UK. With a panel of guests from the heart of the struggle to get PR on the agenda again, including Klina Jordan from Make Votes Matter, we’ll be digging into the what, why and, most importantly, how of all things PR.*
*"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Sep 11, 2020
Building a progressive future with Matthew Taylor | Ep.25
This week we were joined by Matthew Taylor, writer, broadcaster, and CEO of the RSA. Matthew was one of a cabal of four back in the early 2000s who helped invent Compass.
In a wide ranging discussion, we cover the origins of Compass, his time as head of Tony Blair’s Policy Unit, what’s going on at the RSA and what the future holds for all Progressives.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Sep 4, 2020
Lessons from Corbyn | Ep.24
It’s safe to say that Corbyn’s leadership divided opinion within the Labour Party, and the aftershocks of those divisions are still keenly felt today.
It’s also clear that Labour has much to learn from the experience of Corbynism – both good and bad – and attempts to scrap everything and move on could end up fracturing the party even more.
This week we spoke to Laura Parker (former Momentum national co-ordinator), Jeremy Gilbert (writer and researcher), and Bea Campbell (Green writer and activist) about lessons from the Corbyn era that Labour needs to learn.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Aug 28, 2020
Basic Income - How do we get it? With Ronnie Cowan SNP MP | Ep.23
In May, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in no uncertain terms that universal basic income is an "idea whose time has come".
The SNP have come out in full force for this policy.
That's why this week we've invited *Ronnie Cowan, *SNP MP for Inverclyde and life-long proponent of the idea, to talk to us about what it'll take to make basic income a reality in the UK. *
*
What alliances do we need to win it? How do we move the Conservative Party – and Labour – to engage?
You'll also hear from Mike Pugh joins us from Basic Income Conversation to share his experiences so far campaigning across the country for BI.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Aug 21, 2020
What is Basic Income? with Cleo Goodman and Jessie Golem | Ep.22
In early 2020, Compass launched the Basic Income Conversation to help a public movement for basic income in the UK. A few months later, the pandemic hit and suddenly everyone was talking about BI.
It’s been an action-packed year so far, so let’s take a moment to breathe and look at where it all began for us. What exactly is a basic income, and why do we at Compass feel so strongly about it?
This week, Cleo Goodman joins us from Basic Income Conversation to break down the idea to its essential parts.
*We also hear from Jessie Golem, who was a basic income recipient during a major pilot in Canada.* Rarely do we get an opportunity to talk about basic income with someone who has experienced it – so naturally we were excited to have Jessie on to share her reflections with us.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support…
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Aug 14, 2020
The future of Green politics in the UK | Ep.21
It’s ten years since the Greens had their first MP elected, and since then so much has changed. The climate crisis is no longer considered a niche issue; Extinction Rebellion has become a global movement; and the major political parties are busy competing over who can produce the “greenest” manifesto.
And yet, the Greens still only have one MP and seem unlikely to achieve a significant electoral breakthrough in the near future.
What are the lessons of the last 10 years? Should success in Westminster really matter for a party with such strong representation in local government? Is a progressive alliance the answer, or the source of the problem?
We discuss all this and more in this week's episode featuring Green party members Adam Ramsay (Open Democracy), Vix Lowthion (2019 Green candidate for the Isle of Wight), and Nannette Youssef (Green Councillor for Norwich) and more.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live…
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Aug 10, 2020
The Scotland problem with Robin McAlpine | Ep.20
This episode we were joined by Director of the Common Weal think tank and Compass Council member, Robin McAlpine.
What’s next for the Scottish Independence movement? How, if at all, can Labour solve its “Scotland problem”? What’s the difference between nationalism and patriotism, and why does it matter?
Robin is a famously thought-provoking and engaging speaker, and is definitely not afraid to tell it like it is.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jul 31, 2020
Race, power and politics in the UK and US, with Clive Lewis, Dawn Butler and Kimberly Jones | Ep.19
Protests, a presidential race and a pandemic. The last few months in the US have thrust questions of racial justice and equality to the fore.
As Kimberly Jones, US activist, writer and one of our guests this week, explains in this eloquent and essential video, the social consequences of centuries of systemic racism are truly devastating.
As the UK reckons with its own history, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on ethnic minorities, our conversations seem to intersect.
What are the parallels between the US and UK contexts? How do we build effective international anti-racism movements which support one another?
We're joined by Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Dawn Butler, and US writer and activist Kimberly Jones for a lively, open and highly topical conversation about where we’re all headed…
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline…
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Jul 23, 2020
A lifetime of activism and LGBTQIA+ politics with Peter Tatchell | Ep.18
This episode we were joined by LGBTQ+ and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell.
Peter first began campaigning against injustice and human rights abuses when he was at school. More than 50 years later, as director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, he shows no signs of slowing down.
From advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, to challenging imperialism and colonial power, Peter’s passion, energy, and unwavering commitment to human rights across the world has made him something of a legend in Progressive circles.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show
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Jul 17, 2020
Garden Mind with Sue Goss | Ep.17
This week we were joined by Sue Goss, long-time friend of Compass and author of Open Tribe.
Sue has been writing and thinking about politics, local government, and democracy for over 30 years and we feel incredibly lucky to have her on the podcast.
Off the back of her new report Garden Mind, we spoke to Sue about how we should think about society through the framework of gardening, and how this approach should inform our decision making and actions.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jul 10, 2020
North-South Inequality - with Andy Burnham | Ep.16
This episode we're joined by former cabinet minister and now Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
Andy knows Westminster politics from the perspectives of both government and opposition, but he also knows what’s it’s like to operate outside that bubble as the mayor of one of Britain’s largest cities.
As a staunch supporter of devolution and advocate for the North, we talk to Andy about how a decade of austerity has left communities in the north much more exposed and vulnerable to effects of Covid-19 on health, society, and the economy than many of their southern counterparts.
How can we reverse the ever widening inequality in the north-south divide? What are the big ideas and policies which can bring about meaningful change for those who’ve been the hardest hit by the crisis? And, in an increasingly disorienting political landscape, what is the role of the Labour party in all this?
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member…
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Jul 2, 2020
#BuildBackBetter: what does it mean? - with NEF Chief Exec Miatta Fahnbulleh | Ep. 15
This week we were joined by writer, political scientist and commentator *Miatta Fahnbulleh.*
Miatta Fahnbulleh is a* *British economist and Chief Executive at the New Economics Foundation. She is also a key partner in our 350-strong coalition of civil society leaders demanding the Government to #BuildBackBetter, from unions to faith groups to NGOs.
Our society can't afford for #BuildBackBetter to be a hollow proposition. With Miatta we dig into what a new social and economic settlement could look like and how we win it - a debate that’s sure to dominate our politics for years to come.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jun 26, 2020
Epochal change - with openDemocracy co-founder Anthony Barnett | Ep. 14
This week we talk to the distinguished writer and campaigner for democracy, Anthony Barnett. Anthony is co-founder of Open Democracy, a website for political writing which tirelessly challenges power and encourages democratic debate. He is also author of The Lure of Greatness, an unflinching analysis of the devastating loss of trust in political institutions that cleared the way for Trump and Brexit.
Anthony has just published a must-read analysis of how Covid-19 has already changed the world in the space of a few months. In it, he charts the history of globalisation over the past 50 years, and shows how we have created the conditions to replace it.
So, join us on the call as we talk to Anthony about epochal change and the moment of crisis.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.o…
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Jun 18, 2020
A Labour of Learning - with Lisa Nandy Labour MP | Ep.13
Join us in conversation with Labour MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy.
Lisa’s been working tirelessly as an MP for 10 years now, but rose to prominence this year as a contender in the Labour leadership election. Before that, she held a range of shadow cabinet roles, and founded the Centre for Towns.
We discuss community responses to the crisis, being 'porous' and learning from 'the other side', Labour leadership, and hope for the future.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jun 12, 2020
Communities and Councils - with Mike Wilson and Steve Reed Labour MP | Ep.12
Our new Deputy Director Frances Foley talks communities, local government, and 45 Degree change in the time of Covid-19 with Steve Reed MP (Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary) and Mike Wilson, (Executive Director of *Pembroke* *House*). Pembroke House is a centre for social action which has set up a food distribution hub to respond to the crisis.
What have community groups and Local Government learnt about working together, and how can we build on the lessons so far?
It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*
Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Jun 4, 2020
Justice, Leadership & Identity - with David Lammy MP | Ep.11
*This week we’re in conversation with Labour MP for Tottenham, shadow frontbencher, author, and activist David Lammy MP.*
From Windrush to Grenfell, and beyond, David is a notoriously dedicated and tireless campaigner for social justice. Now, as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, David is continuing to hold the government to account over the deep inequalities which run right through our society.
He has recently written a brilliant book, Tribes: How Our Need to Belong Can Make or Break the Society. It’s a fascinating meditation and call-to-arms, thinking deeply about the benefits and dangers of identity and belonging, and what that means for society.
It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm BST. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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May 28, 2020
Universal Basic Income - with Professor Guy Standing | Ep.10
This week we talk to Guy Standing, Professor of Development Studies at SOAS, founding member and honorary co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network and author of Battling Eight Giants: Basic Income Now.
The idea of a universal basic or guaranteed income has been advocated for centuries. Thinkers from Tom Paine in the 1790s to social reformers in the 1890s argued that it was the duty of the state to ensure a minimum income for all citizens.
With inequality, climate change and automation the need for such a policy was evident before the coronavirus crisis, but one effect of the pandemic, which has left huge numbers of people economically insecure, has been that the idea now has political legs. We’ll be chatting to Guy, one of the worlds leading experts in basic income, about the transformative effects of a basic income on individuals and communities, how it can ensure a better future for all and why it must constitute part of a post-coronavirus settlement.
"It's Bloody Complica…
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May 21, 2020
'Left Unity' Book Launch - with Clive Lewis, Paul Mason and Molly Scott Cato | Ep.9
In this episode we co-launch, with Policy Network, Marius Ostrowski’s new book Left Unity: Manifesto for a Progressive Alliance, with Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, Paul Mason, writer and journalist and Molly Scott Cato, former Green MEP.
As Marius wrote in a recent blogpost for Compass, “Being on the Left means aspiring to a society built on cooperation, solidarity, and the common good. Yet when it campaigns for this society, the Left movement can be strangely reluctant to practice what it preaches.” The book outlines how progressives – from all parties and none – can better work together, overcome divisions and start to develop more comprehensive strategies to build a ‘progressive alliance’.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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May 14, 2020
The Challenge of Collaborative Politics - with Layla Moran Lib Dem MP | Ep.8
In Episode 8 we talk to Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and party Spokesperson for Education.
Layla has been an MP since 2017, before which she was a teacher, and is now competing in the upcoming Liberal Democrat leadership election. After a disappointing result at last year’s general election the Liberal Democrats have been reflecting on what went wrong and where the party goes from here. We chat to Layla about what she wants for the party, how we end the very tribal politics between progressives, electoral reform, basic income and what all of this means in the context of the coronavirus crisis. Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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May 7, 2020
Imagining a Bold Future - with Caroline Lucas Green MP | Ep.7
This week we talk to our friend Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion and twice leader of the Greens.
As the coronavirus crisis rumbles on, with huge implications for communities, society and our economy, we chat to Caroline about what we can do now and how we make sure that we build back better. Known all over the world as a staunch advocate for environmental and progressive issues, Caroline has spent the last decade in Parliament as the only Green MP supporting radical and important policy solutions – from a basic income to a Green New Deal – as well as being a big supporter of a progressive alliance.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Apr 30, 2020
Designing a Better Britain - with Hilary Cottam | Ep.6
Hilary Cottam is many things: a designer, progressive thinker, acclaimed author and social entrepreneur to name a few.
Her latest book Radical Help was described by the Guardian as "a publication that would transform Britain". Through it she explores the new forms of thinking, working and organising we need to navigate the twin challenges of climate change and technology driven socio-economic change.
This week, we welcome Hilary to discuss just that.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Apr 23, 2020
What the Crisis says about Britain - with the Guardian's John Harris | Ep.5
*This week we speak to John Harris: Guardian columnist and co-creator of the brilliant "Anywhere but Westminster" series. *
For more than 10 years now, John has been helping tell the stories of people outside the Westminster bubble. In the era of coronavirus, he's continuing this work and his latest films on the impact of lockdown on jobs and home life are essential viewing.
*John joins us to discuss how this crisis is experienced by people from different walks of life, and what it says about Britain in 2020.*
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Apr 16, 2020
Pandemics do discriminate - with Ruth Lister | Ep.4
If this crisis reveals anything, it's the structural depths of inequality that scar our country and the lives of millions of people. Yes, COVID-19 impacts on everyone – but it impacts us differently. *
*This week, our feature guest is Ruth Lister. Ruth has put the fight against inequality at the heart of her political life, from running the Child Poverty Action Group to campaigning for asylum and refugee rights. *
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From her seat in the House of Lords we hear Ruth's take on the present crisis, the state of Labour and our hopes of building a fairer society in the wake of this pandemic.
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If you'd like to take part in a live podcast recording, please join here: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show
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Apr 9, 2020
Labour's new leadership and the (post-pandemic) Good Society - with John Cruddas Labour MP | Ep.3
In what would normally be a front-page news story, on April 4 the Labour Party finally elected a new leader after a protracted campaign. A campaign that started in a bygone age when our biggest crises centred on Brexit and a historic election loss. *
This week, our feature guest is Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham. *Jon joins us to explore what the new leadership of the Labour party will mean for progressive politics in the UK and progressive responses to the fallout of the corona pandemic.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compassonline.org.uk/podcast*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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Apr 2, 2020
The Ethics and Emotions of the Coronavirus Emergency | Ep.2
These are unprecedented times and we need to rise to the new and enormous challenges we now face.
*The crisis isn’t just forcing us to think differently, but behave differently. *On March 31st, we hosted a conversation with Compass members on The Ethics and Emotions of the Coronavirus Emergency.
Tune in to hear our panel and members discuss the big questions: How do we relate to each other socially and politically now? What are the right emotions and tone to adopt?
Our guest speakers this week included:
* *Julia Unwin* has been CEO of the Joseph Rowntree Trust, ran the Civil Societies Future project and recently wrote a short book On Kindness.
* *David Robinson* helped found and run Community Links and now directs The Relationship Project
* *Jennifer Nadel* is co-director of Compassion in Politics.
"It's Bloody Complicated" is recorded every Tuesday at 6pm GMT. Become a Compass Member to join our live recordings and bring your questions to our guests: *https://action.compa…
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Mar 9, 2020
It's Bloody Complicated - with Clive Lewis Labour MP | Ep.1
In our first all-members call of 2020, Clive Lewis (Labour MP for Norwich South) shared his ideas on how Labour can map out a new plan for the future.
Clive’s manifesto for the Labour Party created waves when he launched it and it is packed full of Compass ideas. During the call, Clive will share his analysis on how Labour can chart a road back to power not only for the party, but for the whole progressive movement.
“I’m fed up with the top-down style of politics, where real debate and discussion in our party is stifled because of sectarianism and tribalism. We can’t grow as a party, if we’re afraid of having difficult discussions.” (Clive Lewis, 2020)
You can read Clive’s leadership manifesto here: *Transform to Win [Clive Lewis Manifesto 2019].*Support the show (https://www.compassonline.org.uk/podcast/)
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