The Social Review
By The Social Review
The Social ReviewAug 15, 2019
House of Cards
Continuing our series discussing British political dramas of film and TV, host Ciaran is joined by Editors Michael and Sam to discuss House of Cards a 1990 BBC drama centring on the machiavellian rise of Francis Urquhart, the Tory Chief Whip passed over for a promotion to high office after the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. We discuss; what does ethical parliamentary whipping look like? Why has the British House of Cards endured and the American remake aged poorly? And will Sebastian Payne ever win selection for a Tory seat?
Modernisation: What's In A Name? With Colm Murphy
Host Sam is joined by editor-in-chief Ciaran to interview Colm Murphy, Deputy Director of the Mile End Institute and Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London, about his new book Futures of Socialism 'Modernisation', the Labour party, and the British Left 1973-1997.
We talk about the contested meanings of Modernisation, how it came to be thought of synonymously with New Labour, whether New Labour were neoliberals, constitutional reform, and who and what the soft left are.
Futures of Socialism (ISBN: 9781009278812) is out now from Cambridge University Press for £85.00
Sherwood
Host Ciaran is joined by Social Review editor Julia, and freelance trade union journalist Alex Maguire to talk about Sherwood - a BBC drama about two killings in a former mining village in Nottinghamshire. In this episode we cover; the weird Blue Labour politics of one of the killers, how the show deals with the real life elements of the murders it portrays, and how the show covers both the spycops scandal and the politics of former 'red wall' seats.
List of films and TV shows that will be covered in future episodes
*This episode was recorded in June*
Roadkill
Host Ciaran joins Julia and Harry to discuss Roadkill, the 2020 BBC drama starring Hugh Laurie and Helen McCrory. In this episode we examine what the show says about Boris Johnson, the 2019 election, Tory "libertarians", and the genre of TV political thrillers.
List of films and TV shows that will be covered in future episodes
*This episode was recorded before Boris Johnson resigned as an MP*
Bodyguard
Ciaran, Harry, and Michael sit down to discuss the BBC 2018 series Bodyguard for a new series for The Social Review covering British political dramas of television and film. In it we'll examine what they say about the politics of their time and today, as well as why the genre has come to be so dominated by the format of police procedurals.
In this episode we discuss: the snoopers charter, organised crime, and the humourlessness of BBC dramas.
The Guardian long-read mentioned in the podcast
The list of TV and film that will be covered in future episodes
Talking Union News with Alex Maguire
Hosts Sam and Harry speak to freelance industrial relations journalist Alex Maguire about the current state of British trade unionism. Alex talks about, the TUC's upcoming conference, the various upcoming ballots & disputes that will define the autumn & winter, and gives a brief overview of the internal politics of Britain's largest unions.
If you'd like to read more about trade unions, visit our website:
https://www.thesocialreview.co.uk/category/trade-unions/
We need a dead cat, legalise mescaline
Just Sam, Harry and Julia toasting the end of Joris and mulling what and who comes next, as well as how none of us are safe in high crime Britain as Sir Beer Korma continues to walk the streets.
Joris Bohnson goblin mode*
We're joined by Chris Terry (@CJTerry) to digest last week's by-elections and to offer advice to Boris after he tragically lost two more seats to the Progressive Alliance hordes. Some moaning about the state of Labour gets chucked in the mix too.
*Alexander Boris D'Pfeiffel Johnson and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Local Elections Special with Chris Terry
New host Sam joins @Harry_Balden, @ciaranmcgurdy, @michaeljbawden and @BallotWorld's @CJTerry to discuss the recent local elections. They talk: Tower Hamlets, Scotland, Wales, Chris gives a run down of how Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems did, and we discuss Keir Starmer's imminent imprisonment!
Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? Ask us here
Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution Documentary Review
Join Michael, Julia, Tyron and Ciaran as they review the recent New Labour Documentary 'Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution. In this episode they go over all the various ways the 5-episode doc was essentially rubbish for a variety of reasons. Strong language throughout!
The Wilderness Years and Labour Party Conference
Join Michael, Julia, Tyron and Ciaran as they dissect everyone's favourite Labour Party documentary - The Wilderness Years! In this episode they cover, the beef, how bizarre British politics is and was, as well as what can be learned from the documentary. They also rundown some of the events at Labour Party Conference, strong language throughout!
Conference is a-coming
Join Michael, Ciaran and Tyron in this week's episode as they sit down to chat the end of the silly season and the upcoming challenges Labour Party conference presents. Some strong language throughout!
Reflections on the Unite Election with Alex Maguire
This week Michael and Ciaran sit down with Alex Maguire to discuss the recent Unite general secretary election which saw Sharon Graham, once decried as the candidate who would split the left vote, cruise to a shock victory. We talk what this means for Unite going forward, how Steve Turner and Gerard Coyne lost it, what becomes of Howard Beckett, and the Labour party gets a brief mention.
Check out Alex Maguire's reporting on the Unite election for The Social Review here: https://www.thesocialreview.co.uk/author/alexmaguire/
Why Welsh Labour Wins - An Interview with Carwyn Jones (Part Two)
In the second part of this episode, Michael sits down with the former First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones for a wide-ranging discussion on some of the reasons he thinks Welsh Labour continues to win despite changing political weather, what specific lessons can be drawn from his time in office as well as the constitutional future of the UK's Labour Parties.
Why Welsh Labour Wins - An Interview with Carwyn Jones (Part One)
In the first episode of a new series, Michael sits down with the former First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones for a wide-ranging discussion on some of the reasons he thinks Welsh Labour continues to win despite changing political weather, and what the UK Labour Party can learn from it.
An Island Strong and Fair? An Interview with Manx Labour Leader Joney Faragher
This week Wrenna sits down with Leader of the Manx Labour Party Joney Faragher, to discuss Manx politics and the history of the Labour movement on the Isle of Man in the run-up to the 2021 Manx General Election.
What's Next for Open Labour with Alex Sobel MP
This week Michael sits down with Alex Sobel MP to talk all things Open Labour, what's next for the organisation as a whole as they elect their next National Committee, as well as a bit of a rundown of what's going on right now in UK politics.
Asking Us, Asking You
Join Michael, Lines, Ciaran and Julia as they answer questions from our listeners on progressive patriotism and the England football team, war on the boomers (what is it good for?) and what policies Labour should prioritise to start sounding more coherent. Some strong language throughout!
The Boundary Review with The Social Review
Join Julia, Sean, Tyron, Q, and special guest Chris Terry as they go full wonk and take a deep dive into the Boundary Review and what it means for British politics. Some strong language throughout!
Football Came Home
Join Michael, Julia and Tyron this week as they sit down to talk England's heart-breaking Euro 2020 defeat, the Copa America and how national teams inform national identity. As well as this they take a look at the changes to Universal Credit and the Triple Lock coming down the track and how they present more problems for the Tories. Some strong language throughout!
England Unlocks and The Social Review Marches On
Some strong language in this week's episode as Michael, Ciaran, Julia & Tyron talk the tensions around England unlocking, the tantalising prospect of football coming home and what's next for The Social Review.
The Batley and Spen By-Election
Some strong language in this special episode as The Social Review gang rundown their thoughts on the Batley and Spen by-election, how the ground game felt for those knocking doors and how this narrow victory plays into the wider picture for the Labour Party.
Let's talk about drugs baby!
Drugs mentioned throughout in this week's episode as Michael sits down with Ant Lehane from Volteface and the Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform to chat about the current state of drug policy and what's being done on the ground to reduce harm.
Bitcoin is bad, and it should make you feel bad!
Some strong language and discussion of gambling in this week's episode as the gang take a look at the world of Cryptocurrency; Crypto as a subculture and the environmental damage it's already causing.
In the Court of the Sausage King
Strong language throughout as the gang sit down to discuss what went on during last week's G7 conference and the storm clouds forming on the horizon for the government.
The Joker Review
This week the gang sit down to discuss the current dire state of the Labour Leadership and how it makes us all want to become the Joker. Strong language throughout!
From the Vault: Campaign Against the Arms Trade
This week's episode is one from the podcast vault recorded during our hiatus. Wrenna chats with Andrew Smith from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade about the current state of the arms trade and the United Kingdom's role in it.
The Welsh Parliament Election Results
Super Thursday wasn't all doom and gloom! Join The Social Review as we sit down with Matthew Hexter from Hiraeth and Megan Thomas from That's Devolved to chat all things Welsh Politics, Mark Drakeford's glorious victory and what the future holds for the Senedd.
The Gang Take the Keith Pill
Strong language throughout as The Social Review gang look over the weekend from hell for the Labour Leadership, its implications for the Labour Party and UK Politics as a whole.
Super Thursday - But for Who???
Join Julia & friends for a bumper episode as they unpick and unpack the upcoming set of Welsh and Scottish Parliament elections as well as the local elections in England. The gang dissects the current state of play in British Politics and what the picture looks like for the Labour Party. Tyron also does his level best to get banned from Wales forever!
Planet on Fire with Matthew Lawrence and Lauri Laybourn-Langton
We're back! Join The Social Review team for our first episode back off hiatus as Joe interviews Matthew Lawrence and Laurie Laybourn-Langton about their new book Planet on Fire: A Manifesto for the Age of Environmental Breakdown. Together they examine the scope of the challenge facing states when it comes to the prospect of environmental collapse, as well as what can be done to remedy it.
Vernacular Social Democracy and the Politics of Labour
Jewish Labour
Left Out of This Land
Alexander Hamilton - Economic Radical?
Was Hamilton really a free-trading capitalist, or a statist radical?
How do Hamiltonianism and Jeffersonianism continue to influence socio-economic development in the US and internationally?
Why do many on the left perceive decentralisation and localism as inherent goods, and what would Hamilton have said to that?
And what can contemporary politics learn from Hamilton's economic developmentalism?
We're Bringing Brexit Back
The Social Re-Q
MMT Whatcha Say
An A-Grade Disaster
We Can't Consent to This
Weight of the Nation
Not The End of Ideology
Fill in our listeners' consultation! forms.gle/9Qs5uayEt29eHZYj8
Poland at the Polls
Hong Kong Crackdown
School's Out...?
The 1987 Caucus
The View From America
Our new theme was composed by Katrina Toner: soundcloud.com/user-197477190
One Year Later
Posh Boys with Robert Verkaik
Apocalypse Communism
Buy the book from Pluto Press and use the code 'Posadas20' for 20% off! www.plutobooks.com/9780745340777/i-want-to-believe/