Is Britain’s benefits system broken? w/ Caroline Selman and John Pring

Is Britain’s benefits system broken? w/ Caroline Selman and John Pring

Author: Pod Save the UK October 3, 2024 Duration: 49:15
The new Labour government has promised bold action to fix Britain’s benefit system. Last week, Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on benefit fraud and said people on long-term sickness benefits should look for work. But is this the answer? To chew over the Government’s plans, Coco and Nish are joined by Caroline Selman, senior research fellow at the Public Law Project, and John Pring, the founder and editor of Disability News Service and author of “The Department: How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence”. With some help from our listeners, they tell us how broken the benefit system is and how we can fix it. Then, to mark the Conservative party conference, we have the return of the section we like to call WTF. Some absolute shockers from the Tory leadership hopefuls remind us why they are no longer in power. Useful Links:  For advice on benefits  https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/how-deal-universal-credit-overpayment Contacting your MP https://www....

The political landscape in Britain is often dissected from within the Westminster bubble, but Pod Save the UK offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast cuts through the noise of the daily headlines with a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration, asking the bigger questions about power, policy, and what it all means for people across the country. The hosts, seasoned in activism and political commentary, break down the week’s events without relying on insider jargon or dry parliamentary procedure. You’ll hear discussions that connect government decisions to everyday life, exploring the real-world impact of legislation and the forces shaping national debates. It’s a space for understanding the mechanics of British politics while challenging the status quo, always with an eye on how to build a more equitable future. For anyone feeling adrift in the constant churn of news cycles, this series provides clarity and a sense of shared perspective, making complex issues accessible and engaging. Tune in for a candid, often witty, and consistently insightful take on the state of the nation, where the focus is on substance over spin and holding power to account.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Pod Save the UK
Podcast Episodes
Adventures in the Culture War w/ Ash Sarkar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:50
The government has spent the week trying to out-Reform Reform by stirring up yet another moral panic about immigration. The Home Office has been boasting about its crackdown on “foreign criminals and illegal immigrants”…
Trump’s Gaza madness ft Lewis Goodall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:28
Donald Trump has left the world reeling with a plan to turn Gaza into *checks notes* “the Riviera of the Middle East”. He vowed that the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza strip, effectively endorsing the ethnic clea…
Trump 2.0: Fear and Loathing in DC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:51
A trigger warning for progressives: this episode contains explicit Trump content. Nish and Coco’s nightmare begins with inauguration Trump meme coins, grinning tech bros and disputed Nazi salutes. Then comes the blizzard…
Facts versus F-wits: how to fight the Alt Reich [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:09
Artificial intelligence will be “mainlined into the veins” of the nation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared, with a multibillion-pound investment and huge public rollout. Amid bond market chaos and a falling pound…
Billionaire BS: How can Britain Stop Musk’s Disinformation? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:10
Happy New Year - is 2025 going to be the year of disinformation? Elon Musk started in attack mode with a flood of vitriolic and false tweets about UK grooming gangs. In Musk’s crosshairs: Keir Starmer and safeguarding mi…
Just Stop Politics - 2024 Wrapped! w/ Desiree Burch and Liz Bates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:41
What a year! While Rishi Sunak held true to his January commitment to hold the election in the second half of the year - the spectacle that followed couldn't have been predicted as 2024 dawned. Nish and Coco are joined b…
FIFA World Cup: Trade Deals 1, Human Rights Nil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:49
In the same week FIFA decided an appalling human rights record is no obstacle to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, Keir Starmer was schmoozing the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What lengths will our…
Who gets to decide how we die? w/ Rosena Allin-Khan MP [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:39
This Friday, MPs are challenged with an enormous question of conscience - should we allow people with six months left to live the right to die at a time of their choosing? Joining Nish and Coco is Rosena Allin-Khan, Labo…