'We're appeasing the tech bros': Beeban Kidron, from film-maker to lawmaker

'We're appeasing the tech bros': Beeban Kidron, from film-maker to lawmaker

Author: BBC Radio 4 February 20, 2026 Duration: 47:50

What links Bridget Jones to social media regulation?

The answer: Baroness Beeban Kidron. In 2004 she directed the Bridget Jones sequal. 20 years later, she became one of the most vocal campaigners for regulation of social media and tech in the UK.

She joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to tell her story, from joining Marxist dinner parties in her childhood home, to filming and living with the protesters of Greenham Common in the 1980s.

Today, she has strong words for Keir Starmer's government, and is pushing for law-changes from her seat in the House of Lords.

Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards


Behind the headlines and soundbites, what really forms the convictions of those in power? On Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, the veteran BBC broadcaster sits down for a different kind of political dialogue. This isn't about rapid-fire questioning or chasing the day's news cycle. Instead, each episode offers an extended, thoughtful conversation with a single influential figure. You'll hear from prime ministers and protest leaders, cabinet members and campaigners, alongside voices from business, unions, and international politics. They all join Nick in the studio to explore a more personal question: what experiences, ideas, and beliefs actually shaped their political thinking? The result is a series of revealing portraits that go beyond policy to understand the person behind the public role. Produced by BBC Radio 4, this podcast provides a rare space for depth and reflection, allowing listeners to grasp the human motivations driving our political landscape. Tune in for conversations that are both relaxed and profoundly insightful, shedding light on how our world is shaped one perspective at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
Podcast Episodes
From Sky boss to Number 10: Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:57
Andrew Griffith on why government sometimes has to say 'no' and why Rupert Murdoch was the "best boss".The Shadow Business Secretary was once the youngest Chief Financial Officer of any major British company, when he wor…
'This is Iran's Berlin Wall moment': Omid Djalili, comedian and actor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:39
The British-Iranian comic on revolutions, Kensington, 9/11 jokes, King Charles and Iran's future.Omid Djalili has become one of the loudest voices in the Iranian diaspora calling for the overthrow of the regime in Tehran…
How to tell England’s story: James Graham, playwright [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:29
James Graham joined Nick in the political thinking studio in late January, ahead of a this year's TV adaptation of his play Dear England.What did Gareth Southgate get right about national identity?What advice does the pl…
Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv: From boxing to politics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:43
How did the world heavyweight champion end up running a city of 3 million people in wartime?Vitali Klitschko joins Nick from the Ukrainian capital in the midst of a Russian campaign to descimate the city's energy infrast…
David Lammy: The old world order isn't coming back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:39
What happens when US Vice President Vance goes drinking with Angela Rayner & David Lammy?The Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary knows America better than probably anyone else around the cabinet table. And in thi…
The union leader who agrees with the Tory leader: Daniel Kebede [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:53
The National Education Union's general secretary on banning social media, strikes and raceDaniel Kebede says he is "completely aligned" with Kemi Badenoch on social media policy but warns that the Labour government is on…
John Swinney: Trump, Independence and Scottish Troops in Ukraine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:09
What is the Scottish First Minister's secret for getting Donald Trump's attention?Nick is in Edinburgh to sit down with John Swinney, at the start of a year of big elections across the UK, including for the Scottish Parl…