Best The Backbench Podcasts (2025)

1
We're in the Fight of Our Lives 13:23

Play Pause

14d ago13:23

13:23

Canadaland covers Canada, period. If there was ever a time to support Canadian news, it’s now. Go to canadaland.com/join and become a supporter today. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor & Technical Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Does the OBR really run Britain? 45:39

4d ago45:39

45:39

With the Autumn Budget looming, this week The Rundown takes a look at one of the key players in shaping the government’s fiscal policy, but one that we know little about. The forecast on the future health of the British economy delivered to Rachel Reeves by the Office for Budget Responsibility will have more impact on shaping what the Chancellor an…

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Ep 073 "Modern Antifa: Communist Insurgency in the US Part Two" 54:17

8d ago54:17

54:17

I examine the domestic communist and terrorist insurgency that is Antifa and its affiliated organizations both governmental and non-government. In this second episode, we examine the history that brought the US to the brink of civil war it is at now. America is in a Civil War with a major political party and its blacked-shirted paramilitary arm goi…

1
Is the NHS sleepwalking into another winter crisis? 27:47

11d ago27:47

27:47

As the storms roll in and all memories of summer recede, for the health service this only means one thing; the start of the annual winter pressures faced by the NHS. After record waits in A&E last year, sharp increases in corridor care and waiting lists spiralling further beyond long-missed targets, this week host Alain Tolhurst looks at what the g…

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190: Maccabi Tel Aviv's sorrowful ban from Aston Villa plunges football into darkness 38:33

11d ago38:33

38:33

Find Jonny's writing and other podcasts on his Substack. Buy him a coffee here. A chunk of my background, both personal and professional, has been washed away. I didn’t think football was supposed to hurt like this. Banning a mere thousand or less Israeli football fans from Villa Park for a Europa League tie is a cause for deep sorrow. But not just…

1
Can the government solve its China problem? 46:07

18d ago46:07

46:07

After the collapse of the Chinese spying case, host Alain Tolhurst looks at the state of the Anglo-Sino relationship, how it has evolved over the years, where UK-China relations are now under this current government, and what should be done to improve them. On the panel are Tony Vaughan, Labour MP for Folkestone and Hythe, and chair of the all-part…

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Ep 072 "Modern Antifa: Communist Insurgency in the US Part One" 55:54

22d ago55:54

55:54

I examine the domestic communist and terrorist insurgency that is Antifa and its affiliated organizations both governmental and non-governments;. In this first episode, we shall examine origins, terminology and some expositions on methodology. America is in a Civil War with a major political party and its blacked-shirted paramilitary arm going from…

1
New podcast - All British Comedy Explained 59:38

24d ago59:38

59:38

All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky Listen now: https://podfollow.com/all-british-comedy-explained/ 1.1: Monty Python’s Flying Circus The seminal comedy show which ran for 45 episodes between 1969 and 1974 on BBC1 (first three series) and BBC2 (final series). It made stars of writer-performers Graham Chapman, John C…

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Despatch from Manchester and Conservative Party Conference 1:00:45

25d ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Something a little bit different again this week, as host Alain Tolhurst and the PolHome team head up to Manchester for the Conservative Party’s annual conference, and return with a despatch from the four-day event, finding out what the mood is like among the Tories as they settle into the slog of opposition. Featuring MPs, pollsters and academics,…

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BONUS EPISODE: Yom Kippur tragedy in Manchester 18:43

1M ago18:43

18:43

Find my writing and podcasts on Substack. The anger we feel as British Jews has reached a head as we mourn the two congregants from Heaton Park, who were killed on Yom Kippur inside the synagogue. This episode also includes the regrettable appearance of David Lammy, the deputy prime minister in front of a furious community in north Manchester. Lear…

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The inside story from Labour Party conference 50:27

1M ago50:27

50:27

This week's episode is a little different, as listeners are taken deep within Labour’s annual party conference, giving you the inside track on how things unfolded in Liverpool over the past few days, from Andy Burnham's leadership challenge, Cabinet ministers taking on Nigel Farage, as well as the less serious moments such as a charity rugby league…

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BONUS EPISODE: Netanyahu at the UN blasts "weak-kneed" leaders backing Palestine as Trump team presents Gaza peace plan 46:21

1M ago46:21

46:21

Help Jonny and buy him a coffee here. Benjamin Netanyahu has called the recognition of a Palestinian state led by western nations 'sheer madness' - it shows 'murdering Jews pays off.' he added in defiant disgust. All this as the United Nations General Assembly disgraced itself again as scores of so-called diplomats walked out en masse jeering, soun…

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Lib Dem conference lowdown 35:32

1M ago35:32

35:32

This week the focus is on the Liberal Democrats after the party held their annual conference in Bournemouth. Which despite still giving off a celebratory mood at becoming the third-largest party in the Commons last year, was beset by questions over whether Ed Davey’s stunt-based leadership style is wearing a little thin. And a discussion whether th…

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Ep 071 "The Devil's Thermostat: Turning Up the Heat on American Civil War" 1:00:43

1M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

This episode examines civil war manifesting itself in the US and the world over the next few years and makes a forecast on how close we are on the doomsday clock of civil war on American soil. The probability and possibility of civil kinetic conflict in the US is closer than in decades.. My Storming America Series covers the gamut of what a spontan…

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BONUS EPISODE: Starmer declares for Palestine 19:35

1M ago19:35

19:35

Subscribe to Jonny's writing and podcasts on his Substack As Jews prepared for Rosh Hashanah around the world, the leaders of the UK, Canada and Australia declared for Palestine. Rounding up the reaction from London and Jerusalem on a day millions feared would come, here's a bonus episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi…

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Unmasking the 'dark arts' of political whipping 46:48

2M ago46:48

46:48

This week the so-called ‘dark arts’ of politics are being demystified, with a look inside the system known as whipping, where MPs are corralled by fair means or foul into voting with their party’s leadership in Parliament. But in the modern era have things moved more from threats of punishment to pastoral care? And have the days of the 'little blac…

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Is Keir committed to cleaning up politics? 46:24

2M ago46:24

46:24

This week is a look under the bonnet of British politics, and shining a light into the dark corners of how Westminster’s finances operates, and seeing if the endless pledges to close loopholes and tighten regulations after every scandal have actually led to a crackdown on illegal lobbying and undue influence on democracy. Or whether the UK remains …

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Ep 070 "Bolivar's Revenge: The Venezuelan Tar Pit and American Ambition" 1:02:11

2M ago1:02:11

1:02:11

We examine the emerging Venezuelan kerfuffle. There are many currents and undercurrents in the latest incipient war debacle in America history. This will be a disaster for America if it clacks off and; expect the American government to make this a preamble to go kinetic on the drug war generally and the following catastrophes. I covered this in det…

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Labour's Autumn of discontent 48:58

2M ago48:58

48:58

As MPs returned to Westminster after the summer recess, this week we’re looking ahead to a crucial autumn for this government, packed full of potential pitfalls as they hope year two in office is an upgrade from a tricky first 12 months. But after a clunky internal Downing Street reset and distracting revelations about Angela Rayner’s tax affairs, …

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Helen Miller on Labour's economic record 37:42

2M ago37:42

37:42

This week is the sixth and final episode in our series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office in some of the big policy areas, and the biggest has been saved until last; the economy. Fixing the country’s finances was their number one priority when Keir Starmer came…

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189: Tanya Gold: "Shameless: Exploiting the Holocaust". How the brutality of the Shoah is being whitewashed 39:26

2M ago39:26

39:26

Follow Jonny's podcasts and writings on his Substack. Tanya Gold’s provocative article, Shameless: Exploiting the Holocaust is in the Autumn 2025 edition of the Jewish Quarterly, the magazine of stories, ideas, and debates shaping Jewish culture and history. Tanya takes aim at the state of Holocaust fiction — think Schindler’s List, The Boy in the …

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Paul Nowak on Labour's workers' rights record 36:01

2M ago36:01

36:01

In the latest episode in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week the focus is on the world of work, from employment rights, public sector pay, and the government’s relationship with trade unions. Host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Paul Nowak, general s…

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Labour's bill of health one year in 55:12

3M ago55:12

55:12

In the fourth episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, host Alain Tolhurst is joined by not one but two brilliant guests to discuss probably the single most important policy area outside of the economy for this government; health. Labour has long…

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188: Sharon Hodgson MP and Joani Reid MP: There IS decency on Labour's backbenches. Let's meet two women of valour 43:01

3M ago43:01

43:01

Sign up to Jonny's substack. The Labour government has a super majority in Britain’s House of Commons, the sixth biggest of all time, similar to Tony Blair’s in 1997 - but that makes it prone to backbench rebellion. Even within its first year of government. As we’ve seen. And as Sir Keir Starmer failed to win support to get his original welfare bil…

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Chris Skidmore on Labour's green record 36:00

3M ago36:00

36:00

The latest in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this episode features Chris Skidmore, the former Conservative MP, who as Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, signed the UK's Net Zero pledge into law in 2019. Later asked to chair a review of the government's net-ze…

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Ep 069 "The CG Mailbag: Question Time and the Backbenchers Lament" 1:04:06

3M ago1:04:06

1:04:06

It's been quite some time since I have responded to "mail" so I have curated five questions to address:. What are your personal weapons of choice: rifle or pistol? How do you fix the defense acquisition system? Is the American military really in terminal collapse? Storming America; is it still coming to the US? Is America headed to civil war? I'll …

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Sarah Owen on Labour's equalities record 38:31

3M ago38:31

38:31

In the second episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week's guest on The Rundown is Sarah Owen, Labour MP for Luton North and the chair of the Commons select committee on women and equalities. Speaking to host Alain Tolhurst, she discusses how this government is d…

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Justine Greening on Labour's social mobility record 44:04

3M ago44:04

44:04

With Parliament now into its summer recess, The Rundown is going to spend the next few weeks assessing how the Labour government is performing after a year in office in a number of key areas, with the help of some top experts and those with experience of having facing the same problems staring back at Keir Starmer and his Cabinet. Starting this wee…

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187: 🎗️Keith and Aviva Siegel, Hamas hostage survivors: "This is the worst thing that can happen to a human being". 42:44

4M ago42:44

42:44

Jonny's podcasts rely entirely on your generous support. Buy Jonny a coffee, so he can keep making them. Thank you. Today, we’re honoured to share the agonising recollections of Keith and Aviva Siegel, survivors of Hamas captivity in Gaza. They came to London and addressed the media at the Israeli Embassy in Kensington. Abducted from their Kibbutz …

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What Can Starmer Learn From May? 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

This week marks nine years since Theresa May entered Downing Street, after David Cameron’s resignation the morning after the EU referendum, but while Brexit was the reason she became Prime Minister, ultimately it was the thing that ended her premiership too, after she was unable to get a deal through Parliament. Consequently most look back on her t…

1
What Are You Still Doing Here?! 2:16

4M ago2:16

2:16

The Backbench has moved! Episodes of The Backbench have been available on the Canadaland feed for a few months now, alongside lots of other great content — from original reporting to media criticism to our brand-new support-only show. Starting now, The Backbench feed (this one!) will no longer be publishing new episodes, but the show lives on! You …

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186: Mandy Yachad: I played international cricket wearing tzitzis and a yarmulke 32:23

4M ago32:23

32:23

Find all of Jonny's podcasts, recorded since 2018 and his writing by following his Substack. You can help support him with a coffee here! It's the third year of Jonny Gould's Jewish State Schools Podcaster of the Year, presented with Dangoor Education. Our winner from Year 6 is 10-year-old Meira Masher from Independent Jewish Day School in Hendon, …

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Macron and Starmer Revive ‘Entente Cordiale' 36:26

4M ago36:26

36:26

With this week’s state visit to Britain by Emmanuel Macron, we’re looking at the state of UK-Franco relations, and how important a new ‘entente cordiale’ is to Keir Starmer as he deals with political problems both home and abroad. Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss why the French president is open to a rapprochement after a pretty frosty few ye…

1
Looking for The Backbench? We’ve moved! 2:58

4M ago2:58

2:58

Since the end of last year, episodes of The Backbench have been available on the Canadaland feed, alongside lots of other great content — oftentimes featuring voices you may be familiar with from The Backbench. Starting in July 2025, The Backbench feed (this one!) will no longer be publishing new episodes, but you can still find new episodes of thi…

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Ep 068 "The Military Drone Revolution: Make All Flesh Forfeit" 59:44

4M ago59:44

59:44

Despite what you are told by the mainstream news sources in the media, the drone war is here to stay and it will be the most significant war modality for the next generation. It has literally exposed all ground troops and the exquisite platforms the West relies upon in war-making for detailed neutralization and destruction. In concert with the demo…

1
Nightmare end to Keir's first year 31:44

4M ago31:44

31:44

This weekend marks 12 months since last year’s General Election, when Labour were swept to power with an enormous landslide victory ending 14 long years in opposition, but it seems unlikely they will be hanging the bunting outside Number 10 after a very tough first year in office for Keir Starmer. To discuss just how bad things have got, and how La…

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Sarah Vine on political spouses 33:18

4M ago33:18

33:18

This week we’re taking a look at what life is like not for politicians themselves, but for their spouses, asking what does a life in the Westminster spotlight do to relationships, what their role is, and the often unfair way they are portrayed in the public eye. Someone who knows more about this than most is the journalist Sarah Vine, who for many …

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Meet the Liberal MP Who Went Against Carney (and Who Might Take Out Doug Ford) 6:14

4M ago6:14

6:14

Mark Carney promised one Canadian economy. Now, his signature bill is one step closer to law as Bill C-5 rocketed through parliament with some amendments. The changes haven't quelled concerns from Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who broke ranks in the final vote. Host Noor sits down with MP Erskine-Smith to talk about why he voted no, and what he re…

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Ep 067 "The Mountains of Madness: Military Defeat and Terrain Part II" 54:44

4M ago54:44

54:44

This will be the first CG episode to get the complete audio upgrade and revision to achieve the cleanest sound ever for the podcast series. The WarNotes episode catalog has been completely re-fabbed using the new technology at Chris Williams' Podsworth. Let me know what you think. We discuss the latest missteps by the West in Iran. The recent Ameri…

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BONUS EPISODE: Trump attacks Iran's nuclear sites. How it started. How it finished. 25:15

4M ago25:15

25:15

Follow Jonny's writing and podcasts on his Substack. Buy him a coffee in support here. The United States struck three Iranian nuclear sites - with President Donald Trump hailing it a 'spectacular military success'. In this episode, listen to announcements by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a momentous night of aerial…

1
Green Party At A Crossroads 37:18

5M ago37:18

37:18

This week host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Zack Polanski, Green Party deputy leader, as the podcast takes a look at the forgotten winners of last year’s general election, as despite unprecedented success in winning 1.8 million votes and quadrupling their number of MPs to 4, the Greens finds themselves at something of a crossroads. They are joined b…

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BONUS EPISODE: As Israel pounds Iran, what's Israel's aid to Gaza REALLY like? How will the Foreign Office get stranded Brits home? 12:02

5M ago12:02

12:02

Find all of Jonny's podcasts and writing at his Substack, where you can also support his efforts. Iran's reckless retaliation against Israel's highly targeted attacks on military targets is throwing up new challenges for Israel, the US and other western countries who SHOULD be rallying around the Jewish State. In this episode, listen to the incredu…