The Exchange | Long-form interviews from the New Statesman

Episodet

• Mariana Mazzucato wants economists to rethink everything 10.06.2026 58min

  Mariana Mazzucato is one of the most influential economists of modern times. An avowed progressive, her ideas impact the lives of millions of people, from the United States to sub-Saharan Africa. She was directly consulted in the creation of Biden’s CHIPS Act, which is worth $280 billion. The World Bank’s Mission 300, is straight out of her book Mission Economy.Oli Dugmore sits down with her to discuss the hope for progressive change in our political and economic systems.The Common Good Economy: A New Compass by Mariana Mazzucato is out now (Allen Lane). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• No Mr Blair, AI will not save us | Karen Hao 03.06.2026 51min

  Are AI companies the new empires?Journalist Karen Hao says the parallels are striking. This disruptive sector  requires vast amounts of land, minerals and water – not to mention data and content from individuals. Hao interviews subjects ranging from those close to Open AI CEO Sam Altman to workers in the Global South who’ve been traumatised by their jobs in AI content moderation.She joins Oli Dugmore on The Exchange.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Guy Standing on big finance infiltrating education 27.05.2026 59min

  Guy Standing is a British labour economist best known for coining the term "precariat" to describe the growing global class of people living with unstable employment, mounting debt, and chronic insecurity.Standing’s latest book, Human Capital, explores how the education system has been corrupted and privatised.He joins Oli Dugmore to discuss this, as well as how his concept of the “precariat” differs from Marx’s “proletariat”, and how a bold, progressive politics must flourish to combat the rise of authoritarianism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• In defence of Europe - from Charleston Festival 20.05.2026 1h

  Charleston Festival is running until May 25. Find out more here.Ten years on from the referendum that redirected the course of British politics, the New Statesman's editor Tom McTague is joined by Caroline Lucas, Anand Menon and Marina Wheeler to consider how we should think about our relationship with Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Eric Schlosser's 25 year fight against the fast food industry 13.05.2026 43min

  Eric Schlosser is one of America’s foremost investigative journalists, writing about everything from the prison system to nuclear weapons, exploring the hidden systems underpinning modern life. 25 years ago, he set out to investigate the economic model behind one of America’s most recognisable industries: a system built on low-paid workers, dangerous conditions and the exploitation of migrant labour.He joins Oli Dugmore to discuss America’s complicated relationship with McDonald's, the rise of fast food as both a cultural symbol and an economic system, and how Britain seeks to replicate this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Mary Beard on the weaponisation of classics 06.05.2026 40min

  Rather than a relic of the past, Mary Beard sees the classical world as a powerful tool for understanding the present.It's an idea she has explored in over twenty books on ancient history and numerous documentaries on the BBC and elsewhere, all of which have made her Britain’s best known classicist.She joins culture editor Tanjil Rashid in the studio.-Mary Beard's new book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old is available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Ben Lerner on the breakdown of American speech 29.04.2026 40min

  In 2011, Ben Lerner stormed onto the scene with his debut novel, Leaving the Atocha Station, a winning blend of low comedy and high art. He has since firmly established himself as one of America’s most acclaimed novelists and is a leading voice in so-called autofiction. Now he returns with his fourth novel, and it may be his most profound yet.  In Transcription, Lerner turns his mind to the nature of art, and of ageing. It’s a novel about generations, of growing children, and dying forebears, and the way the secrets and gifts of life and art move from one era to the next.  It’s also a novel about technology, and our increasing reliance on it, the way it shapes our speech, our thoughts, our memories and even our conceptions of ourselves. In this episode, Tanjil Rashid sits down with Ben Lerner to talk about how we record our conversations, why novels may matter even more in the age of AI, and - in his words - the bankruptcy of political speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Anthony Seldon found hope in Auschwitz 22.04.2026 47min

  Anthony Seldon, historian, educator and one of Britain's leading political biographers, has been for a long walk.His new book, The Path of Light, recounts his extraordinary 1300 kilometre passage to Auschwitz.Tracing stories of courage, resistance and moral clarity across a continent once consumed by darkness - it's a journey that speaks not only to the past, but powerfully to the world we're living in today. Anthony joins Tom McTague to discuss his journey, as well as his biographer's perspective on Britain's recent Prime Ministers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Fatima Bhutto feels lucky, even after watching her father's assassination 15.04.2026 1h 1min

  Fatima Bhutto was born into exile - and into one of the most powerful political dynasties in South Asia. Her life has been shaped by both privilege and profound personal tragedy. Born in Afghanistan, she spent her early years displaced, after her grandfather, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was executed under General Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime. Her childhood was marked by instability and violence. Her father, Murtaza Bhutto, became involved in militant activism linked to acts including a political assassination and a plane hijacking. When the family returned to Pakistan, tensions deepened. Though it was his own sister Benazir Bhutto in power, Murtaza was killed in a police encounter - a death that Fatima has long held her aunt responsible for. In 2007, Benazir Bhutto herself was assassinated. Today, the Bhutto name still carries political weight in Pakistan. Her uncle is currently the president. But Fatima Bhutto has chosen a different path, as a writer - exploring her family’s turbulent history as well as the emerging popular culture of the global south, and moving between memoir, fiction, and reportage. Now, she returns with her most personal story yet... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• George Saunders has no faith in Christian nationalism 08.04.2026 39min

  For decades, George Saunders was known for his short stories. In 2013, in a Time Magazine 100 most influential people listing, he was described as “the best short-story writer in English".In 2017, he released his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, a reimagining of President Abraham Lincoln’s grief in the aftermath of his son Willie’s death. It’s a genre-defying piece of literature, narrated by no less than 166 ghosts. The bardo is a concept borrowed from Saunders ’ adopted faith, Buddhism—an "intermediate state" between death and reincarnation.In his latest novel, Vigil, Saunders returns to the in-between - this time through a dying oil barron, grappling with his morality at the 11th hour in a burning world.Tanjil Rashid sat down with George Saunders to discuss faith: in his writing, as a means of optimism, and as a political weapon in today’s world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Yanis Varoufakis's authoritarian dark side 01.04.2026 1h 3min

  Last week Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister and darling of the European left, turned 65.He celebrated his birthday on stage in London, gathering figures from across the left together. Zack Polanski was there, so was Jeremy Corbyn.Varoufakis' mission? To explore what resistance means today across the left.In this episode of The Exchange Oli Dugmore sits down with Varoufakis to speak about resistance, his childhood in a fascist dictatorship, how this shaped him, whether he uses that word to describe the climate today, and the strategic importance of Cyprus for the war in the Middle East - for Britian, the US, Israel, Iran, Greece and Turkey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Rory Stewart sees fundamental evil in Trump 25.03.2026 1h 9min

  Since leaving politics, Rory Stewart has become one of the most influential voices on the matter in Britain.In this episode, the former diplomat and cabinet minister reflects on his upbringing and his unconventional path into politics. He also discusses the Middle East, arguing that Western countries continue to misunderstand the region’s history and dynamics.The conversation then turns to Britain, including the growing intolerance towards Muslims and how that shapes political debate. Finally, Stewart shares his view on why Westminster often feels disconnected from the public and what needs to change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Amia Srinivasan is the modern philosopher 18.03.2026 54min

  When Amia Srinivasan published The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century in 2021, it sparked widespread debate about the politics of desire, consent, and sexual justice.In this episode of The Exchange, the Oxford academic joins Tanjil Rashid to discuss how philosophy can illuminate some of the most contentious questions in contemporary culture: from incels and pornography to whether our desires are shaped by society.Find more from Amia Srinivasan here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• David Lammy thinks his seat is safe from the Greens 11.03.2026 44min

  Were the strikes on Iran illegal? What's next for the controversial courts bill? Are Labour leaders aware of the existential crisis within their party? On this week's episode of The Exchange, we speak with Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy. To watch more episodes of The Exchange find us on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Masha Alyokhina is on the run from Putin 04.03.2026 33min

  Pussy Riot's 2012 "Punk Prayer" was a global flashpoint - a defining test of free expression in Putin’s Russia.When co-founding member Masha Alyokhina was arrested, she told her son she would be back the next day. She was gone for two years.In 2022, she fled the motherland, but continues to fight Putin from afar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Ai Weiwei might never do another show 25.02.2026 50min

  This winter, Ai Weiwei returned to Beijing after a decade in exile. He found himself airbrushed from public memory. An international icon everywhere else. At home, a ghost.The artist joined Michael Prodger soon after that trip to discuss the cost of personal freedom, in both China and in the West.The Exchange is a new series from the New Statesman. Look out for new interviews every Wednesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Rutger Bregman thinks happiness is overrated 18.02.2026 54min

  In his 30s, Rutger Bregman, the Dutch historian, had what he described as “an early midlife crisis”.After a decade spent as a pundit, commenting on the global state of politics and economics, as well as publishing optimistic titles such as Utopia for Realists and Humankind: A Hopeful History - Bregman felt stuck. Something had to change.And if he wanted to see that change in the world, he needed to make that change in himself.In January he joined Oli Dugmore for an extended interview, delving into the prospects of a moral life, how morality has changed history, and how it could serve our current moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The Exchange - trailer 05.10.2025

  The Exchange: long form, in-depth interviews from the New Statesman.Featuring guests including Salman Rushdie, Ai Weiwei, Masha Alyokhina (Pussy Riot) and more.Hosted by Oli Dugmore and New Statesman journalists.Hit follow in Spotify or Apple Podcasts now.Find full video episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSfumUEfFlcI6Ikce00MGPSvU5fu-MCWu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.