The Prospect Podcast

Predictions: the biggest stories of 2025

Cyborgs, a Gregg Wallace public enquiry...the Popeye slasher movie? In our end of year special, the Prospect family—editors, writers and producers—share their predictions for the year ahead.From politics to technology and cultu…

Assad’s fall: What the west gets wrong

After more than 50 years of repressive dynastic rule, Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria.Ellen and Alona are joined by Syria expert Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS and associate fellow at Chatham House. While many…

Is democracy in crisis?

This week, political scientist Cas Mudde joins the Prospect podcast to analyse the “year of elections”.In 2024, around 70 countries with a combined population of 3.4bn went to the polls. In many of those elections—in the EU, India and t…

Rachel Shabi: The truth about antisemitism

Are Jews white? Is criticism of Israel antisemitic? Why is the “Judeo-Christian” grouping a myth?To unpack these big questions, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist Rachel Shabi, whose new book Off-White: The Truth About An…

Weightlifting, snogging and the power of nature

This month we introduce a new Lives columnist, Kiran Sidhu, who writes about the rural Welsh village where she lives. Kiran celebrates the power of nature, as does actor and writer Sheila Hancock, who welcomes a robin to her roof garden. Ali…

Temporary accommodation: a national scandal

Families are spending years living in hotels, households are being moved miles across the country, and government is spending billions on a system that harms those it is designed to protect. What can be done?This week, Ellen and Alona a…

The online gender wars

Why do some women like tradwife videos? And why does it even matter?This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by writer Sarah Manavis to discuss the small but significant group of women who promote anti-feminist values online—and why so man…

Is assisted dying moral? Rowan Williams and Brenda Hale in conversation

Would legalising assisted dying end unnecessary suffering? Or would it instead enable the abuse of some of society’s most vulnerable people?As parliament discusses assisted dying once again, Prospect invited two of ou…

Q&A US election special, with Jill Abramson

For the first time, Ellen and Alona host a special Q&A episode, recorded with a live audience. They’re joined by Jill Abramson, former executive editor of the New York Times, who has been has been covering the presidential electi…

Witches, conspiracies and the US election

As Halloween approaches, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss his plunge into the world of conspiracy theories, QAnon and the extreme fringes of US politics.What have witches in the dark ages got to do w…