With the 4 July parliamentary election now coming closer, there are growing indications of a political shock that could reshape the United Kingdom. Over the past few weeks Scotland has emerged as a key electoral battleground, where a Scottish National Party that has governed Scotland's devolved institutions for seventeen years risks losing many of its seats in the UK parliament to a resurgent Labour Party. To help us explore the impact political turmoil and social change in Scotland will have on this pivotal election we've been joined by David Leask. Through a long career in journalism, David ..read more

With elections looming on 4 July, the UK faces a turning point in its relationships with Europe and the wider world. Though there are three weeks of campaigning to go, all signs point to a substantial victory for the opposition Labour Party and a total collapse for the governing Conservative - or Tory - Party. To help us explore the impact this election will have on the UK's foreign and defence policy we've been joined by Ben Jones, whose fascinating research explores the impact of military cooperation on state sovereignty. As a lecturer in European foreign policy here at King's College Londo ..read more

During the 2010s the Russian state under Vladimir Putin and a Turkish government led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan deepened a geopolitical relationship involving cooperation as well as armed conflict. Both leaders faced domestic political challenges while pursuing their own visions of great power status. Over the past two decades, Dimitar Bechev has written extensively about these complex interactions between Turkey and Russia in studies that are rich in fascinating insights. This week he will help us explore how an interaction between domestic protest and escalating conflict reshaped the politics ..read more

In the final years of the 2000s the UK and EU were rocked by seemingly endless turmoil on global financial markets. A sense of crisis over the future of the banking system and the Euro converged with a surge of support for eurosceptic populism to fundamentally disrupt British political life. To discuss the turmoil that enveloped the UK in the early 2010s we've been joined by Annette Dittert, who as London correspondent for German public broadcaster ARD has witnessed the ups and downs of British politics up close since 2008. With her extensive knowledge of the British political scene as well a ..read more

As the Crisis of the 2010s unfolded after the near collapse of the global financial system in 2008, relations between Russia and the West shifted from cautious cooperation to profound hostility. Yet even in the wake of the Russian military assault on Georgia in 2008, governments in the US and EU continued to hope for a reset of relations despite every escalatory step taken by Vladimir Putin's authoritarian regime. In this episode we have been joined by Ruth Deyermond, who as Senior Lecturer in Post-Soviet Security at King's College London can help us explore key factors that led to the breakd ..read more

In the wake of the near collapse of the global financial system in 2008 the post-Cold War order was upended by a convergence of crises in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Beginning our series exploring this Crisis of the 2010s, we have been joined by Clingendael Institute Research Fellow Andrew Lebovich to explore the turmoil that engulfed communities across the Sahel and West Africa during this tumultuous period. The near collapse of the Malian state in the face of an insurgent offensive in January 2013 triggered a French-led European military intervention as well as wider regional instab ..read more

In this week's episode, we have been joined by Glen O'Hara to explore the escalating crisis facing the UK's public services. Over the past 18 months among public services from universities to healthcare the British state has been shaken by waves of strikes and infrastructure breakdowns whose effects have come to be acutely felt in everyday life. With his extensive research background on the history of British state institutions, Glen O'Hara helps us explore the wider social, economic and political dynamics that have brought Britain's public services close to breaking point. As Professor of Mo ..read more

This week we've been joined by Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte to explore the impact the changing social position of LGBT voters has had on British politics. As discrimination from state institutions has eased and wider social acceptance has grown, people with LGBT backgrounds have gained more space to play an open and prominent role in British politics. With his research focus on how LGBT communities have influenced electoral politics across Europe, Stuart provides some fascinating insights into key social and political dynamics in contemporary British society. As an Assistant Professor in Quantitat ..read more

This week we've been joined by Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte to explore the impact the changing social position of LGBT voters has had on British politics. As discrimination from state institutions has eased and wider social acceptance has grown, people with LGBT backgrounds have gained more space to play an open and prominent role in British politics. With his research focus on how LGBT communities have influenced electoral politics across Europe, Stuart provides some fascinating insights into key social and political dynamics in contemporary British society. As an Assistant Professor in Quantitat ..read more

This week on the Breaking Britain podcast, we examine the economic dilemmas the UK faces in an increasingly competitive global landscape. Joining us is John Mills, who as a senior figure in the world of business and author exploring the global economy who has written extensively to make the case for Brexit as a potentially transformative economic project. John Mills is founder and Chairman of JML, a consumer goods distribution company, which exports to more than 70 countries around the world. He is also an economist and author, noted for his writing on Brexit, the Labour Party and exchange ra ..read more