The Reaction Podcast

The Reaction Podcast

About

Reaction is an online magazine dedicated to commentary and analysis on politics, geopolitics, economics and culture.

The Reaction Podcast, hosted by Iain Martin, will feature some of the world's leading writers and thinkers about a variety of subjects ranging from politics and philosophy to economics and culture.

Become a Reaction subscriber (https://reaction.life/subscribe/) to receive Iain Martin's weekly newsletter, the Reaction Daily Briefing, columns from Tim Marshall, Adam Boulton and Maggie Pagano, and much more.

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131 episodes

Maggie Pagano and Tim Montgomerie on the future of the Conservative party

* On this episode, Reaction’s Executive Editor Maggie Pagano sits in for Iain Martin and is joined by commentator and founder of ConservativeHome Tim Montgomerie. They discuss whether Rishi Sunak will survive till the next election, who might take over the party, why Labour is courting the corporate world and what it means for a potential Labour government, the state of the economy and why DEI has gone too far. 

26m
Mar 28
Jade McGlynn on Putin’s mythmaking

* On this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to historian and author Jade McGlynn about the Russian myths and propaganda powering the war in Ukraine. Calling in from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, Jade talks about her two important books on modern Russia, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russias-War-Jade-McGlynn/dp/1509556761 and https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/memory-makers-9781350280762/. The discussion also touches on Ukrainian morale, the ethical catastrophe engulfing an ever more chaotic Russia, European military capacity and what might happen in the war’s third year.

34m
Mar 20
A global conflict update with Tim Marshall

* In this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to geopolitical expert and Reaction columnist Tim Marshall about the state of global conflict. They touch on the recent developments in the Israel-Hamas war, the future of the Middle East, how the growing Axis of Resistance is enabling Putin’s war in Ukraine, European rearmament and deterrence with or without the US and the end of the end of history.

40m
Mar 13
Merryn Somerset Webb on the rise and fall of ESG

* On this episode, host Iain Martin talks to Merryn Somerset Webb, Bloomberg columnist and author, about her prescient book . The discussion touches on the origins of ESG, how huge amounts of money poured into sustainability funds, its vague and subjective definitions, how ESG could only exist in a low interest rate environment, what Jeremy Hunt will do in the Spring Budget and the failure of central banks.

40m
Feb 28
Goodbye Globalisation with Elisabeth Braw

* On this week’s podcast, host Iain Martin speaks to Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at Atlantic Council and author of the new book . Since the end of the Cold War, many saw the adoption of market economies by previously communist countries as a sign that a liberal democratic system of government had prevailed definitively over authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Those who argued for globalisation said that if goods, services and dollars crossed borders, then soldiers would not. But the world is changing again. War has returned to Europe with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US and China are at loggerheads over Taiwan and there's the Middle East once again in crisis. There are concerns about supply chains and the viability of the global trading system. All themes addressed in . Iain and Elisabeth discuss the development of globalisation, the philosophy underpinning it, the huge financial and cultural successes, its increasing volatility, whether it will last and what financial system might replace it.

53m
Feb 09
Ed Conway on the Material World

* Host Iain Martin talks to Ed Conway about his book Material World. From the extraction processes to treatment, through the supply chains and on to the consumer, Ed’s new book follows the stories of the key substances that have built the modern world: sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. We are heavily reliant on these substances but often ignorant of where they come from, how they are made and how civilisation would crumble without them. In this episode, Iain and Ed discuss how climate change, the energy crisis and the threat of new global conflict will affect our relationship to the material world.

1h 9m
Jan 31
Francis Hoar on the Covid disaster

* This week, host Iain Martin talks to Francis Hoar, barrister and legal commentator, about the disaster of political decision-making during the pandemic. The discussion ranges from the fallacy of zero Covid to the embarrassment of politicians standing in the way of an honest reckoning with the mistakes made. Francis argues that society has to reassess its relationship with risk, health and liberty.

53m
Jan 26
Lord Arbuthnot on the Post Office scandal

* On this episode, host Iain Martin interviews Lord Arbuthnot, Post Office scandal campaigner, about the heroic role he played, helping to pave the way for justice. They discuss the history of the scandal, the groupthink of Post Office and Fujitsu employees, the fallacy of blind faith in machines, the scandal's similarities to the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash and potential governmental and judicial reforms.

35m
Jan 17
2024: the year in politics

* On the first episode of the new year, host Iain Martin sits down with Tim Montgomerie to look at the year ahead in politics. With almost two billion people in 60 countries heading to the polls in 2024, it is sure to be a year of geopolitical shifts. Iain and Tim discuss what the Tory party can do to salvage the election, the rise of the Labour party and its potential style of governance, the seeming inevitability of Donald Trump's return, the consequences of the EU elections for European security and whether 2024 will see further escalations in Ukraine, Israel and other conflicts.

55m
Jan 12
Gerry Baker on the breakdown of American politics

* Host Iain Martin speaks to Gerry Baker, editor-at-large of the Wall Street Journal, about his new book . They talk about the loss of legitimacy in American politics, hyperpartisanship, inequality, how American democracy can be saved, what next year's presidential election means for global politics and Henry Kissinger.

53m
Dec 13, 2023
Can it get any worse for the Tories?

* Host Iain Martin and guest Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, discuss the crisis facing Rishi Sunak and long-term Tory problems.

43m
Dec 08, 2023
How bad is it for the Tories?

* Host Iain Martin and guest Tim Montgomerie on the Autumn Statement, immigration numbers and the rise of Reform, the party that with Nigel Farage could turn Conservative defeat into a rout.

40m
Nov 24, 2023
Helen Thompson on the geopolitics of energy

* This week, Iain Martin speaks to Helen Thompson about the geopolitics of energy. They touch on why the Ukraine war hasn’t sparked a European awakening on energy security, the energy picture around Israel and the Middle East, why Trump 2.0 could be bad news for European security and her book which is now out in paperback.  

50m
Nov 14, 2023
The Braverman debacle, the Autumn Statement and the upheaval of the coming election year

* On this episode, Iain Martin talks to Maggie Pagano, executive editor of Reaction, about the Suella Braverman debacle, the state of the economy ahead of the Autumn Statement, the potential of electoral reform, the influence of social justice activism on businesses, the coming year of elections and a potential Biden-Trump re-run.

41m
Nov 10, 2023
David Petraeus on a new age of conflict

* This week, Iain Martin speaks to David Petraeus, retired four star US Army general and former director of the CIA, about a new age of global conflict. They discuss his book Conflict, co-authored with Andrew Roberts, the danger of the Gaza ground invasion, what the Middle East looks like post-war, his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, China's geopolitical goals and the war in Ukraine.

36m
Nov 03, 2023
Robert Dingwall on the Covid inquiry

* What's going wrong at the Covid inquiry? This week on the Reaction Podcast, host Iain Martin is joined by  Robert Dingwall, emeritus professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University and Alastair Benn, deputy editor of Engelsberg Ideas. They discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, the revelations from the inquiry and whether we have learned any lessons for next time round.

52m
Oct 26, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Maggie Pagano on the Middle East crisis, the death of corporate Britain and the Covid inquiry

* This week on the Reaction Podcast, Iain Martin is joined by Maggie Pagano, executive editor and columnist at Reaction, to discuss the Middle East crisis, the death of corporate Britain and the Covid inquiry. They touch on the geopolitical consequences of escalation in the Middle East and what it means for US-Iran relations, how the pro-Palestinian protests have turned sour across the West, why Britain's pensions and capital markets are in such a mess, how Britain can stimulate growth and the recent revelations of the Covid inquiry.

47m
Oct 19, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Tim Marshall on Israel, Hamas and the Middle East crisis

* This week on the Reaction Podcast, Iain Martin is joined by Tim Marshall, leading geopolitical expert, best-selling author and Reaction columnist to discuss the Middle East crisis. They discuss the geopolitical consequences of the Hamas attack on Israel, how Israel was caught off-guard, the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the geographical complications of Israel’s potential war on several fronts and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future as his nation's leader.

40m
Oct 12, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Mick Ryan on the future of war

* This week on the Reaction Podcast, Iain Martin https://reaction.life/author/iain-martin/ is joined by Mick Ryan, leading strategist and retired major general from the Australian Army. They discuss the prospects for the war in Ukraine, the geopolitical threat of China, his own experiences in the field and as a military adviser and what we can learn from military history.  

48m
Oct 04, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: why did HS2 go off the rails?

* On this week's edition, Iain Martin is joined by George Trefgarne, CEO and Founder at Boscobel & Partners, to discuss the disastrous HS2 project and Max Mitchell from Reaction's Young Journalist's Programme talking party conferences and the second Republican debate. 

32m
Sep 29, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Walter Russell Mead

* On the latest Reaction podcast Iain Martin talks to Walter Russell Mead, WSJ columnist and leading geopolitical commentator. They discuss the US election, China-US tensions, Taiwan, Europe's declining status, the rise of Asia, and Britain post-Brexit.

48m
Sep 22, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Tim Montgomerie

* Iain Martin is joined by political commentator Tim Montgomerie. They discuss the state of British politics, Rishi Sunak's prospects, the next Tory leadership contest, the transformation of the Labour party and what the future of British politics looks like.

29m
Sep 07, 2023
The Reaction Podcast: Daniel Finkelstein interview

* The Reaction Podcast is back. Host Iain Martin sits down with his friend and Times colleague Daniel Finkelstein to talk about his new book, .

52m
Aug 31, 2023
S3 Ep14: Reaction Podcast: Special

* Maggie Pagano, editor of Reaction, talks to Joe Murphy, doyen of Westminster hacks and former political editor of the Evening Standard, and Mark Fox, deputy chairman of Reaction, about Liz Truss's departure, who might take over and what it means for the future of the party. And whether the Tories can still win the next election with a new "unifying" leader. 

30m
Oct 20, 2022
S3 Ep13: Reaction Podcast: By-election special - Tim Montgomerie and Iain Martin

* Can Boris Johnson survive the twin by-election defeats? Why has Dowden resigned? What on earth are the Tories playing at?

25m
Jun 24, 2022
S3 Ep12: Will Boris survive inflation?

* In this episode, Iain Martin is joined by Tim Montgomerie. They discuss the Tory leadership, inflation and central banks, and divides in the West over Ukraine.

42m
Jun 17, 2022
S3 Ep12: Reaction Podcast: Will Boris survive inflation?

* In this episode Iain Martin is joined by Tim Montgomerie. They discuss the Tory leadership, inflation and central banks, and divides in the West over Ukraine.

42m
Jun 17, 2022
S3 Ep11: Reaction Podcast: Partygate fallout and Rishi to the rescue - can he save Britain from recession?

* In this week’s podcast, Iain Martin, Maggie Pagano and Alastair Benn discuss Britain's energy crisis and the Chancellor's package to help Britons with the cost of living. Plus, what will be the legacy of Partygate for Boris Johnson's leadership?

34m
May 27, 2022
S3 Ep10: Reaction Podcast: NI Protocol in trouble, Putin's battle for the Donbas and WFH - is it here to stay?

* n this week’s podcast, Iain Martin, Maggie Pagano and Alastair Benn discuss a possible trade war between the EU and the UK, whether Putin is making progress in the Donbas, and the pros and cons of WFH.

57m
May 13, 2022
S3 Ep9: Reaction Podcast: Macron's victory, Parliament in meltdown and the West's changing strategy in Ukraine

* In this week’s podcast, Iain Martin, Maggie Pagano and Alastair Benn discuss the results of the French Presidential Election, Covid fines and the cost of living, and shifting war aims in Ukraine.

44m
Apr 29, 2022