Why UK politics has failed for 20 years

Why UK politics has failed for 20 years

From The Politics Show by The New Statesman

June 1, 2026 · 27 min

About this episode

Tom McTague joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss the failures of UK politics over the past 20 years and the need for reform.

While Westminster looks inward, the world is moving fast. Keir Starmer's government needs to focus on the urgent changes affecting all of our lives. Tom McTague joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss his latest essay for the New Statesman, and answer listeners questions. This week, listeners ask: "Why have British politicians been so useless for the past 20 years?" and "is it finally time for voting reform?" LISTEN AD-FREE: 📱 Download the New Statesman app MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN: ❓ Ask a question – we answer them every Friday ⏰ Get our daily politics newsletter every morning ✍️ Enjoy the best of our writing via email every Saturday Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Anoosh Chakelian

Guest: Tom McTague

Topics covered

  • UK politics
  • voting reform
  • Westminster
  • government
  • political failure

Keywords

  • UK politics
  • Keir Starmer
  • voting reform
  • political failure
  • Westminster

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Statesman

Places: UK

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