It's Bloody Complicated - A Compass Podcast
News & Politics
About
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.
Episodes
- What is the Soft Left? | ep. 148
At this pivotal moment for British politics, Compass has been very proud to release ‘ What is the Soft Left? ‘. Our newest publication – which you can read here – dives into the history of the soft left within the Labour Party. It charts t…
- Local Elections 2026 Reaction with Ethan Croft (New Statesman) and Jake Dibden (MoreinCommon UK)
The 2026 Local Elections have been some of the most seismic in British history. Across England the public took their chance to give Labour a kicking, with Reform winning big and the Greens bringing about their best-ever election night. Add…
- 2026 Local Elections Preview: We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Vote | ep. 147
The 2026 Local Elections are set to be the most seismic the country has faced in a generation. Across all of Britain the old order is being thrown out of the window and the brave new world of six-party fragmentation will be laid bare for a…
- A Holyrood Awakening: What Next for Scotland? | ep. 146
On May 7th 2026, the Scottish people go to the polls to elect a new Scottish Parliament. In and amongst what look like seismic losses for the Labour Government across the English local elections and in the Welsh Senedd, Scotland stands out…
- How to Save the NHS | ep. 145
Aneurin Bevan called it “quite the most ambitious adventure in the care of national health that any country has seen”. Nigel Lawson called it “the closest thing the English have to a religion.” And it’s been called by our guest tonight “an…
- The Poll-tergeist: Our Fragmented Politics and Labour’s ‘Progressive Defectors’ | ep. 144
The world that Compass has long predicted is now becoming self-evident: Britain no longer lives in its two-party system. The Conservative-Labour duality that has dominated British politics since the 20th Century is no longer a given. Our p…
- BONUS EPISODE: Gorton & Denton Reaction with Megan Kenyon and Peter Kellner
In this bonus episode, Neal and Lena are joined by the political commentators Megan Kenyan and Peter Kellner to dissect the result of this week's by-election in Gorton & Denton. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live au…
- Is it Time for PR?: Lifting the Lid on Britain’s Pressure-Cooker Politics with Stuart Donald and Emma Harrison | ep. 143
One of Compass’ evergreen campaigns is that for proportional representation. Doing away with the archaic first-past-the-post voting system is something self-evident to the new politics we here at Compass are trying to build. Ensuring cross…
- A World of Trouble: Is US Hegemony Crumbling? with Mary Kaldor and Nick Dearden | ep. 142
‘We’re living through unprecedented times’ seems to be the slogan of the past decade now, which is a grim reality. But, when facing the international space, it’s difficult to argue. The rampant chaos that has been seen through internationa…
- Starmer's Last Stand: What Next for the Labour Party? with Paula Barker MP, Clive Lewis MP, Kerry Postlewhite and Luke Hurst
This EMERGENCY episode of It's Bloody Complicated was deemed necessary due to the rapidly moving events of the past weekend. Recorded on Monday 9th February 2026, the day after Morgan McSweeney resigned as the Prime Minister's Chief of Sta…
- The Greenwave with Rachel Millward | ep. 141
Even for the most stalwart party member, the meteoric rise of popularity for the Green Party since the 2024 General Election would have caught them off guard. After a record-setting performance at the election – 6.8% vote share and four re…
- Treading Caerphilly: What Does the Future Hold for Wales? with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS | ep. 140
The elections happening for the Welsh Senedd in 2026 are held at the same time as the English local elections and the vote for the Scottish Parliament – but there’s an argument to be made that they’re by far the most important ones happeni…
- Political Predictions for 2026 with Dawn Butler MP | ep. 139
The New Year is, understandably, a time for both self-reflection and for figuring out the future. With January comes confronting what you might want to happen in your life. But in politics, what you want to happen and what you think is goi…
- A Political Round-Up of 2025 with Emma Burnell and Gaby Hinsliff | ep. 138
The launch of Mainstream, the election of Zack Polanski as Green Party leader, Angela Rayner’s resignation and Peter Mandelson’s sacking – just some of the headline events of another chaotic year in British politics. 2025 may not have had…
- What Next For Your Party? with Sienna Rodgers and Joe Todd
Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's new political party - now officially named Your Party - had its founding conference at the end of November. In fashion that is seemingly becoming typical with the organisation, the conference wasn't withou…
- 2025 Budget – Will They Fudge It? With Clive Lewis MP, Erin Mansell and Michael Jacobs | ep. 137
The 2025 Budget was set up to be the most important since at least the Truss-Kwarteng mega-failure of 2022. It’s Labour’s first attempt to set a full, multi-year spanning agenda since 2007. In the build-up to it every possible financial le…
- Political Fragmentation with Jamie Driscoll | ep. 136
Jamie Driscoll was the Mayor of the North of Tyne between 2019-2024 and a true champion of progressive ideas throughout his political career. In 2023, he was denied the ability to run as Labour’s candidate for the North East Mayoral Electi…
- Labour's Factions: How Did Things Get Hyperfactional? with Jeremy Gilbert and Alan Finlayson
In the second instalment in this miniseries, Compass Director Neal Lawson sits down to chat to long-time Compass intellectual contributors - and hosts of their own podcast Culture, Power and Politics - Professor Jeremy Gilbert and Professo…
- The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy with Paul Holden
Paul Holden's new book, 'The Fraud', has made waves since its publication last month as it lays bare the intrigues, stratagems, and deceits that made Keir Starmer Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. Paul Holden shows how Starmer…
- In Conversation with Nish Kumar | ep. 135
Named one of The Guardian and The Telegraph’s Top 50 Comedians of the 21st Century, Nish Kumar has come to stand out from the stand-up crowd. With his politically-charged brand of funny, he has sought out and established his own space in t…
- Can Labour build a way out of Britain’s housing crisis? with Cllr Aydin Dikerdem and Dr Beth Stratford | ep 134
Where and how we live has always been political – but with the right to buy, the explosion of the private-rented sector, and ever-increasingly demand for affordable, social, and council housing, it’s rarely felt this existential. With the…
- Labour's Autumn of Discontent | ep. 133
The Labour Government find themselves in a difficult moment. On the eve of their 2025 Conference, they are faced with the knowledge that their ‘decade of national renewal’ currently seems stuck in first gear. A series of events have rocked…
- The Starmer Symptom with Mark Perryman
It's clear that this Labour Government are in a bit of trouble. Already floundering in the polls off the back of a year in which their promise of 'change' in 2024 hasn't lived up to expectations, they have now been rocked by a series of sc…
- In Conversation with George Monbiot | ep. 132
Investigative journalist, author, commentator and activist – George Monbiot has come to define the intellectual left in many of his own ways over the past three decades. From the rights of indigenous peoples the world over to climate activ…
- The Green’s New Deal: Reaction to Zack Polanski’s Victory in the Green Party Leadership Election with Jonathan Bartley
Zack Polanski’s victory in the Green Party leadership election has hailed in a a new political moment and couldn’t have arrived at a more turbulent time. With Reform surging in the polls, the Labour government struggling to gain any tracti…
- Will You Come to My Party: Can the Corbyn-Sultana Party Succeed? with James Meadway, Alan Finlayson and Laura Parker
The launch of a new left party by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn is all anyone is talking about in the political world right now. An out-and-out left-wing party hasn't existed in Britain for quite some time, let alone seen any Parliamenta…
- In Conversation with Mark Drakeford | ep. 131
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, worked with Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, and pushed genuinely innovative, excitin…
- Through Love or Fear: How Should Labour Govern the PLP and the Country? with John McTernan and Baroness Ruth Lister
In this special BONUS episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Compass Director Neal Lawson is joined by John McTernan - former Director of Political Operations to Tony Blair - and Compass Board Member, Baroness Ruth Lister. Following the extra…
- In Conversation with Caroline Lucas | ep 130
Caroline Lucas spent 10 years at the helm of the Green Party between 2003-2006, 2007-2012 and 2016-2018, as well as being the party’s first and only solely-elected MP for 14 years between 2010-2024. In that time, she became the face of gre…
- The Future of the Lib Dems with Roz Savage MP and Cllr Carl Cashman
From their leader’s bungee-jumping stunts, their best general election result ever, and leading the fight for social care, the Lib Dems have had a good year. But in the political narrative, their place as the ‘third party’ outside the Labo…
- In Conversation with Hilary Cottam | ep 128
Hilary Cottam is a world-renowned author, innovator and change maker across a whole range of policy profiles. Between international humanitarianism, education policy, social architecture, welfare and prison reform – amongst many other thin…
- Child Poverty, with Baroness Ruth Lister | ep. 127
The government’s child poverty taskforce is set to release its findings imminently. But with a country that needs widespread reform at-large, what are the necessary steps in tackling child poverty? A new report by Baroness Ruth Lister, and…
- A Decade of Radical Renewal | ep. 126
On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated , listeners will get a sneak peek of the debate and discussion set to take place at Compass’ upcoming national conference, CHANGE: HOW? A Decade of Radical Renewal , on Saturday 31st May. Last sum…
- Renewal | ep. 125
Since its launch in 1992 Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy has consistently advanced and examined the conditions for a radical and emancipatory vision of social democracy. And now, with its historic ties to Compass Director Neal Lawso…
- Maybe I'm Amazed - John Harris | ep. 124
In a recent substack post, John Harris said that ‘the itch to write’ his new book Maybe I’m Amazed ‘arrived not long after the General Election of 2019’: I’d chewed over writing a book about the turns Britain had taken since the Brexit ref…
- How do we pay for it? With Erin Mansell and Stewart Lansley | ep. 123
On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, ahead of the upcoming spring statement from the Treasury, we asked the perennial question: how could we pay for it? A lot of our vision of a good society rests on changing the narrative around fi…
- Has Labour outgrown net-zero? | ep 122
We were delighted to be joined by Will McCallum, co-executive director of Greenpeace and Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift. Last year was the first calendar year to globally reach more than 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial leve…
- German Election Special | ep. 121
It’s been said that German elections are usually dull affairs. Well, whether that’s been true in the past, it’s certainly not true this time – it’s bloody complicated. The result Sunday 23rd, brought success for the CDU/CSU conservatives,…
- The French New Popular Front | ep. 120
In July 2024 the New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties, came out on top in a snap general election in France, winning 193 seats in the National Assembly. The centrist bloc supporting President Emmanuel Macron got 166 se…
- 119. A New Settlement for Water
Britain’s infrastructure is struggling. We’ve seen stories of concrete falling down in schools, unreliable public transport, and an NHS at breaking point after chronic neglect and the Covid-19 pandemic. But little has captured people’s att…
- Electoral jenga, sandcastle majorities, and polling on thin ice w/ Rob Ford | ep. 118
For our first podcast of 2025, Neal and Lena were be joined by Rob Ford to discuss electoral chaos, First Past the Post and political instability, his recent work, and our recent publication Thin Ice . Rob Ford is a Professor of Political…
- BONUS: Practical Hope
Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member ! You ca…
- 117. The Year of Elections – 2024 Round-Up (with Anushka Asthana)
Political commentator, journalist, and author Anushka Asthana joined us to break down the political year that was, and look ahead to 2025. Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want…
- In Conversation: Ellie Chowns MP | ep. 116
Ellie Chowns has been involved with politics for less than a decade. Yet, in that time has represented the West Midlands in the European Parliament, led the Green Group on the Tory-controlled Herefordshire Council, and in 2024 was elected…
- US Election Special | ep. 115
Last week, Donald Trump won a historic second term as US president. This victory in the face of the chaos, the lies and the courts should be a wake up call for progressives across the world. So what do progressives need to do to turn the d…
- The impact of wealth inequality | ep 114
The UK is remarkably unequal. The richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 % of us combined . Wealth inequality is gendered, racialised, and extremely regional. Men have an average private pension wealth of £83,879 more than women, a…
- In Conversation with Sam Freedman | ep. 113
In his recent book, Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It, Sam Freedman lays out why people matter, but systems matter more. Having a run of incompetent, corrupt leaders is a problem. But our problems run deeper – and we will g…
- Live from Labour Conference | ep. 112
The 2024 general election result brought a welcome relief to British politics after 14 wasted years of Tory misrule. At last, some better people and ideas are at the helm. But, just a few months in, the challenges facing this new governmen…
- A New Settlement for a Better Society | ep. 111
The 2024 general election result brings a welcome relief to UK politics. But now, we find ourselves at a crossroads: things are either going to get very much worse or very much better. There is no middle way. Neither the state, nor busines…
- Power to the People w/ Danny Sriskandarajah | ep. 110
Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member ! You ca…