Get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen as he investigates a world that seems to get ever more crazy, with leading commentators, columnists and politicians.
Each week, leading commentator Nick Cohen talks to the country's leading movers and shakers - to cut the through much of the noise and commentary that passes for so much political discourse these days. Nick - a long-term columnist for The Observer and The Spectator - teams up with other commentators, journalists, authors and politicians to make sense of our ever stranger and troubling world. Nick aims to help keep you sane! So please get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen and subscribe to his Substack column - Writing from London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen as he investigates a world that seems to get ever more crazy, with leading commentators, columnists and politicians.
Each week, leading commentator Nick Cohen talks to the country's leading movers and shakers - to cut the through much of the noise and commentary that passes for so much political discourse these days. Nick - a long-term columnist for The Observer and The Spectator - teams up with other commentators, journalists, authors and politicians to make sense of our ever stranger and troubling world. Nick aims to help keep you sane! So please get The Lowdown from Nick Cohen and subscribe to his Substack column - Writing from London.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nick Cohen talks to Ed Hodgson from the More in Common think-tank about growing concerns over the potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics by Nigel Reform & his latest insurgent party Reform and the implications for British society and the political landscape. Ed Hodgson explores divisions in British society and the rise of the Reform, while examining public sentiment towards immigration policies and the challenges facing Labour under Keir Starmer's leadership. The conversation concluded with an analysis of the current political dynamics, including the complexities of the British electoral system and the challenges of polling and predicting future elections.
Farage's Right-Wing Political Shift
Nick and Ed discuss Reform's potential shift towards extreme right-wing politics, citing Farage's recent proposals to abolish indefinite leave to remain and his embrace of pseudoscientific claims. He argues that Farage's rhetoric is being influenced by Trump and that the British media and political class have not adequately recognised this shift. Ed and Nick discuss ways in which mainstream parties can counter the toxic messaging from the extreme right and & its apparently unstoppable rise. these divisions in British society and the need to address extremism.
Farage Trump worship could backfire
Ed says Farage's craven worship of Donald Trump and his copying out of the worst of MAGA excesses - particularly on prurient and untrue allegations again migrants - could backfire among Brits who increasingly see the US as a hositle power, adding, "...people who say America is an ally in Britain has fallen to less than half. Right. In America, More than 80% of Americans think that Britain is an ally. So there's this weird sort of one way relationship going on, at least in a public opinion perspective, where Americans still feel very close to Britain and Britain's in many way do feel quite close to America."
More in Common is a think-tank that seeks to understand polarisation and to work on initiatives to tackle division in our society. The innovative and extensive research we have carried out in the UK forms the basis of our efforts to tackle division.
Ed Hodgson @edhodgsoned is deputy director for More in Common in 2022 @Moreincommon. Ed manages More in Common UK's polling function on a day-to-day basis, and has led More in Common's in-depth research into topics such as assisted dying, Progressive Activists, the Israel-Gaza war, and tackling climate change.
Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.
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