Politics has gone crazy, and Talking Politics wants to help make sense of it all. From the twists and turns of the Brexit saga to the threat posed to democracy by social media, this Cambridge-grown podcast tackles the most pressing issues of the day, inviting experts and special guests to have their say.
It’s recorded each week at the office of host David Runciman, Professor of Politics at Cambridge University, and features writers, historians, scientists, comedians and anyone else who can offer knowledge and insight on the political landscape – yes, including the odd politician. It’s been a runaway success: a chart topper that The Telegraph gushed was “the country’s cleverest podcast,” it’s now at almost ten million downloads.
This month, there’s a chance to see an extra special live edition of Talking Politics at Cambridge Junction; beautifully timed for 16 October, aka the immediate run-up to Brexit Day, aka crunch time for British politics. The special guest is Ayesha Hazarika, previously a special advisor to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband, who’s now a political commentator, stand-up comedian and the newly-appointed editor of The Londoner for the Evening Standard. The event is offering ‘pay what you feel’ pricing, where seats start at just £2.50.
“Keeping on top of the relentlessly breaking political news can feel like an impossible task,” comments David Runciman. “What we try to offer is an informative and genuine dialogue, where experts with differing opinions come to explore themes in a collaborative and non-combative way – as opposed to just providing a platform where guests present their views. The result is that you can often hear contributors thinking, changing their minds, or learning from each other in the course of an episode.”
