In his latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen interviews Roland Smith, one of the few Brexit supporters who has publicly admitted the Brexit project was a mistake. Roland discusses how British right-wing politics has descended into a purity spiral since 2016, with no senior conservative politicians acknowledging failures in Brexit or austerity policies. He explains that right-wing figures genuinely believe they haven't gone far enough with their policies rather than admitting mistakes, and that the entire movement has been radicalised into extreme positions through an echo chamber effect. Roland and Nick discuss how journalists like Boris Johnson and Michael Gove led Brexit rather than proper politicians, how the Conservative Party has been pulled ever rightwards, and how no one can operate within right-wing circles and admit Brexit was wrong without losing their entire social network. They discuss how this radicalisation has cost the Conservatives traditional support in former strongholds, with seats like Chesham and Amersham switching to Liberal Democrats, yet the party continues moving in an extreme direction under leaders like Kemi Badenoch.

Roland Smith @rolandmcs is a Fellow of the Adam Smith Institute and author of "The Liberal Case for Leave", made the case for the EEA [European Economic Area] - a so-called "soft Brexit" which would have left the UK in the Single Market back in 2016. He has since publicly opposed the hard Brexit agreed by Boris Johnson's government. Roland also has his own regular Substack column, Soft Landing, that regularly explores the UK's troubled relationship with the EU

Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 regular Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond is another must read

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In this week's Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to the journalist Jo-Ann Mort about Israel, Jews, and anti-Semitism in left-wing politics. Jo-Ann Mort,who is also former founder of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), discussed how the DSA has shifted dramatically from its original anti-communist, anti-totalitarian stance to a position that is increasingly critical of Israel and supportive of BDS movements. Jo-Ann and Nick discuss how Israel has become a wedge issue in American politics, with left-wing candidates opposing pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC, while also addressing concerns about rising anti-Semitism in the left-wing movement. Jo-Ann criticises performative activism around Israel, arguing that targeted sanctions and engagement with Palestinian leaders like Marwan Barghouthi would be more effective than symbolic gestures like BDS. She also discusses the upcoming Israeli elections and potential leadership changes that could impact the peace process, as well as concerns about anti-Semitism affecting Jewish communities in both America and Britain.

Jo-Ann Mort is a journalist, poet, analyst, advisor-specialty Israel/Palestine and social Democracy, A PRECISE CHAOS, poetry 4thcoming from @Arrowsmithpress

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 regular Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond is another must-read.

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In his latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to Sally Gimson, editor of Index on Censorship, discussing her report on censorship and the lack of political drama in the British arts scene. Sally explains that despite a strong left-wing political passion in the arts, there is a dearth of political theatre, with institutions playing it safe to avoid controversy. She describes how plays are now heavily workshopped and censored by committees, leading to bland and inoffensive productions. Sally highlights specific examples, such as the canceled production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, which was deemed too political. Nick and Sally also discuss the chilling effect of funding dependencies, such as deals with China, and political pressures, particularly in Scotland where the SNP's dominance has stifled satire. Sally concludes with a critique of the self-censorship and institutional timidity that is rendering the arts irrelevant and apolitical.

@SallyGimson is editor of @IndexCensorship, aTrustee of Abortion Talk. Sally's Fabian pamphlet Building Bridges in the wake of the Labour Party's 2019 defeat on what it needed to enhance its futjure election chances https://fabians.org.uk/publication/building-bridges/ was published in 2020.

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 regular Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond is another must-read.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.