Irish Times Inside Politics

Fintan O'Toole pops in to review the incredible week that has unfolded in Westminster and what we can expect from the election that seems inevitable now. Will it be the dirtiest political campaign we've ever seen? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a day of drama and political upheaval in Westminster, Hugh is joined by our own Pat Leahy and Denis Staunton, and by Katy Balls, deputy political editor with The Spectator magazine, to ask:- What have we learned from the past 24 hours?- For how long will Jeremy Corbyn withhold his support for an election?- What impact will the dramatic expulsion of Tory rebels from their party have on UK politics?- Does Boris Johnson have a plan?- Is a possible post-election path to an alternative deal emerging? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brendan O'Leary, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, has written a three-book treatise on the entity we call Northern Ireland that is both accessible and erudite. He talks to Hugh about the past, present and uncertain future of Northern Ireland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The dust is beginning to settle after British prime minister Boris Johnson’s surprise announcement on Wednesday, that he is to prorogue parliament for five weeks in order to bring forward his Government’s new legislative agenda. The move has been attacked as anti-democratic, but what happens next? Is a general election now more likely to be called before the October 31st Brexit date that Johnson has long since promised to honour? Or, can opposition MPs manage to coalesce around an alternative PM to form a government of national unity and halt Johnson in his tracks? Hugh is joined by The Guardian’s Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll and Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy to discuss how this could all play out in the weeks ahead. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is it possible to run a capitalist economy and also address climate change? Or, is the greed-driven system destined to destroy itself? Hugh is joined by Green Party leader Eamon Ryan and People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett to discuss what role socialism and left-wing green politics can play in helping to bring about real democratic change to fight climate change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd is the undisputed queen of the Washington commentariat. President George W Bush called her 'the Cobra' and in 1999 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for a series of columns on the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Clinton administration. In today's podcast, she tells Hugh that journalists in Washington are in a strange position because while Donald Trump's presidency is "the most incredible thing that’s ever happened in politics", it has seen journalism thrive. She also talks about the Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the party's prospects in 2020 and why President Obama must shoulder some of the blame for Trump's election.Maureen Dowd will take part in a public conversation at the Kennedy Summer School on Saturday, September 7th. kennedysummerschool.ie. Her column appears every Monday in The Irish Times See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Almost a month after becoming British prime minister, Boris Johnson has restated his opposition to the backstop in a four-page letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, in which he failed to put forward a single idea for replacing it. As the Brexit stalemate continues, there is a sense that we have reached the phoney war phase, with apathy growing among many EU nations who just want to bring the matter to a close, whatever that might mean. Is Johnson serious about finding a solution to the backstop? What happens when the House of Commons returns from its summer break? What role can Jeremy Corbyn play in preventing a 'no-deal' crash out on October 31st? And, where do the negotiations between the EU and Britain go from here?Guests: Professor of Constitutional and European law at University College London, Ronan McCrea, and Irish Times political editor, Pat Leahy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's podcast we look at issues around radicalisation, disinformation and the amplification, sometimes unwittingly, of extremism online. What role do the big tech companies play and what, if anything, can be done about it all?Guests: Director of FuJo and the PROVENANCE project at DCU, Jane Suiter, and Liz Carolan of Transparent Referendum and Digital Action. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do independent politicians get their fair share of coverage in the Irish media? Independent TD and Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, talks to Hugh and Fiach about the place of independents in Irish politics, why he thinks they are ignored by the media and what impact Brexit is going to have on the government's budgetary decisions over the next few months.He also brought his guitar into studio, so listen right to the end to hear why. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is it time for the state to build much more social housing? Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin feels that it is and he has written a book about how that can be achieved. But first Eoin debates with Fintan O'Toole about Fintan's controversial column. In the column Fintan argued that Sinn Féin should give up its Westminster seats and allow for the election anti-Brexit replacements in time to thwart Boris Johnson's drive towards No Deal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Best known as a unique musician with a political edge in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and The Clash, Billy Bragg is a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn and an outspoken opponent of Brexit. He's written a book about how to fix the problems he sees in modern democracy, called "The Three Dimensions of Freedom". He talks to Hugh about Labour's approach to Brexit, Corbyn's leasdership, the diminished role of music in politics today, and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Britain’s MPs are now on holidays but Boris Johnson and his cabinet are working away on their preparations for a No Deal Brexit in October. Will this have an effect on the political calculations in Dublin, in Brussels and across Europe, where EU member states' own domestic politics may soon add further complications into the mix? And if it does, will it be enough to force any workable compromise? To discuss this Hugh is joined by professor of political economy at the University of Cambridge Helen Thompson, London editor Denis Staunton and deputy political editor Fiach Kelly. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With Brexit tensions hitting new highs, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar answers Pat Leahy's questions about how he views Prime Minister Boris Johnson's hardline approach, what No Deal could mean for Northern Ireland and what measures are being taken to protect the domestic economy. The interview was recorded live at the MacGill Summer School. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Buckle up: it's going to be a bumpy ride between now and the end of October. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet purge and appointment of hard Brexiteers to key positions looks to be setting the UK up for a no-deal Brexit. To understand yesterday's unprecedented events in Westminster and what they mean for Ireland, Hugh talks to London editor Denis Staunton, The Guardian's Brexit correspondent Lisa O'Carroll in London and here in Dublin by Deputy Political Editor Fiach Kelly. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The front pages are dominated by two stories today: Boris Johnson’s Tory leadership and Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey’s punishment for her claim against Dublin’s Dean Hotel for falling off a swing. Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray to discuss what the mood is like around Dublin as Boris Johnson prepares to assume the role of British prime minister and whether the Taoiseach bottled it by not removing the party whip from Bailey. Also in today’s show, the team run the rule over the highs and lows of the Dáil term, as Cabinet meets for the last time at Glenties on Thursday. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Both contenders for the Tory leadership, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, mades news on the hustings the other day by stating that even a time-limit to the backstop would not be enough: the backstop simply must go. Assuming Boris Johnson becomes the next PM, as seems likely, how does he plan to get any kind of deal with the EU with such a hardline approach? What, in short, is his game? To find out, Hugh and Pat talk to political editor of The Spectator magazine, James Forsyth. Later on, Una Mullally is here to look back on the life, achievements and allyship of the late Noel Whelan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Everyone at Inside Politics was shocked and saddened to learn of the death this week of our colleague and friend, Noel Whelan. Our condolences to his wife Sinéad, his son Séamus and the rest of his family at this difficult time. Inside Politics will pay tribute to Noel next week.Today's podcast is an interview with Ailbhe Smyth, recorded live at the Body and Soul music festival in Westmeath last month.Ailbhe was co-director of the Together for Yes campaign that helped secure the repeal of constitutional abortion restrictions in Ireland last year, talks to Hugh Linehan about her life, her politics and the origins of her activism."It is that way for so many women. Something happens in your life, it can be big or it can be small... the first thing is, this is hurting me, this is damaging me, and then there is that realisation: if this is hurting me, it's hurting others. That's the first step into the political arena". See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is a no-deal Brexit inevitable? What will happen at the border if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal? And how will our own political system deal with such a crisis? To discuss, Pat Leahy is joined by Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fail Brexit spokesperson, columnist Fintan O'Toole, Katy Hayward of Queens University Belfast and our own Fiach Kelly. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Dáil term nears a close, the government is creaking a bit under the pressure of a growing number of fronts: agriculture, broadband, Brexit and hard budgetary choices to come. Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Gerard Howlin add up the problems and wonder if this government's race is run. Who is Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen and why is she the new EU Commission president? Her appointment is a natural expression of the power struggle at the heart of the European Union, while her skill set will come in handy for challenges to come, explains Derek Scally. Fianna Fáil MEP-in-waiting Barry Andrews says there is life in the Spitzencandidate approach yet, and criticises EU centre-right political group EPP (of which Fine Gael is a member) for allowing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban be kingmaker in the allocation of top jobs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After several years of turmoil in the UK over Brexit, there is a feeling that the union is under strain like never before. But are we really any closer to a united Ireland? To talk about this, Hugh was joined by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, unionist writer Sophie Long and Simon Carswell from The Irish Times for a special live recording of the podcast at the Body & Soul festival last week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.