362. Paul Bessell

362. Paul Bessell

Author: Global April 15, 2026 Duration: 59:04

Iain Dale interviews author Paul Bessel about his new book FINDING DAD, a memoir-investigation into the life of Paul’s father, Peter Bessel: a Liberal MP (1964-1970), close friend of Jeremy Thorpe, later a key prosecution witness in the 1979 Thorpe conspiracy-to-murder trial. Bessel explains why he delayed writing for decades, what triggered the book, and how fearful he was of uncovering painful truths in his parents’ archives. The conversation traces Peter Bessel’s rise as a respected Cornish MP, his later financial collapse, a dramatic disappearance in 1974 that left his family suddenly impoverished, and the complicated, sometimes clandestine life he led (including secret “work” Bessel suspects may have involved US national security).


Iain Dale has spent decades at the sharp end of British politics and broadcasting, and that depth of experience shapes every conversation in Iain Dale All Talk. This isn't a standard interview format; it's a series of substantive, often surprising dialogues that go beyond the day's headlines. Each episode features a prominent figure from the political arena or the media landscape, met with Dale's well-known incisive questioning and a genuine curiosity about their motivations and perspectives. Listeners are brought directly into a thoughtful exchange that unpacks the forces shaping current affairs, from policy debates to the personalities driving them. You'll hear the kind of nuanced discussion that only happens when an interviewer knows the terrain intimately and isn't afraid to challenge his guests. The result is a consistently engaging podcast that offers clarity and context in a crowded news environment, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of the stories that matter. It’s political conversation with substance, where the focus is on the ideas and the individuals behind the public personas. For anyone looking to move past soundbites and into more meaningful analysis, this series delivers week after week.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Iain Dale All Talk
Podcast Episodes
299. Hannah Lewis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:32
On Holocaust Memorial Day, and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Iain Dale interviews Holocaust survivor Hannah Lewis, who was forcibly marched to a labour camp in a village called Adampol as…
298. Jo Coburn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:31
Iain Dale interviews broadcaster Jo Coburn about the challenges of chairing a debate programme, how much production goes into her interviews - and the differences between being a correspondent and being a presenter.
297. Lord Daniel Finkelstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:59
Iain Dale interviews Times columnist and Conservative peer Lord Finkelstein. They discuss the life of an opinion writer - what works and what doesn't, the extraordinary story of his parents living through the Holocaust -…
296. Katie Perrior [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:30
Iain Dale interviews communications expert and Number 10 adviser Katie Perrior. Katie tells some fantastic stories about the various politicians she's worked with, explains how crucial comms is in politics - and the impo…
295. Paul Staines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:18
Iain Dale interviews blogger and journalist Paul Staines, who until recently ran the Guido Fawkes website. Never one to dodge a controversial story, Paul is a fascinating character. They talk all things politics, gossip…
294. The Best of 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:26:54
Some of the best bits from Iain's All Talk interviews of 2024- featuring some of the finest broadcasters, politicians and journalists, as well as some of Iain's friends. It's all here - just sit back and enjoy.
293. Glen Oglaza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:43
Iain Dale interviews political journalist Glen Oglaza about his career in TV covering Hillsborough, Dunblane and the fall of the Berlin Wall among much else - it's all contained in his memoirs WHEN I STORIES and MORE WHE…
292. Jonathan Ashworth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:19
Iain Dale interviews former Labour MP and shadow cabinet figure Jonathan Ashworth, who's now the boss of the influential Labour Together think tank. They talk about life after losing an election, how the government is ge…
291. Nadine Dorries [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:06
Iain Dale interviews former culture secretary Nadine Dorries about her latest book DOWNFALL: THE SELF-DESTRUCTION OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY. They discuss what's going wrong for the Tories - and the toxic culture Nadine t…
290. Sir Richard Evans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:28
Iain Dale speaks on his LBC show to historian and author Sir Richard Evans - who used to teach Iain at uni! They discuss his book HITLER'S PEOPLE, all about those men and women who created and served the Third Reich - an…