It's Bloody Complicated - A Compass Podcast

Local Elections 2026 Reaction with Ethan Croft (New Statesman) and Jake Dibden (MoreinCommon UK)

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The 2026 Local Elections have been some of the most seismic in British history. Across England the public took their chance to give Labour a kicking, ...

2026 Local Elections Preview: We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Vote | ep. 147

02 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The 2026 Local Elections are set to be the most seismic the country has faced in a generation. Across all of Britain the old order is being thrown out...

A Holyrood Awakening: What Next for Scotland? | ep. 146

18 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On May 7th 2026, the Scottish people go to the polls to elect a new Scottish Parliament. In and amongst what look like seismic losses for the Labour G...

How to Save the NHS | ep. 145

29 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Aneurin Bevan called it “quite the most ambitious adventure in the care of national health that any country has seen”. Nigel Lawson called it “t...

The Poll-tergeist: Our Fragmented Politics and Labour’s ‘Progressive Defectors’ | ep. 144

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The world that Compass has long predicted is now becoming self-evident: Britain no longer lives in its two-party system. The Conservative-Labour duali...

BONUS EPISODE: Gorton & Denton Reaction with Megan Kenyon and Peter Kellner

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode, Neal and Lena are joined by the political commentators Megan Kenyan and  Peter Kellner to dissect the result of this week&apos...

Is it Time for PR?: Lifting the Lid on Britain’s Pressure-Cooker Politics with Stuart Donald and Emma Harrison | ep. 143

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of Compass’ evergreen campaigns is that for proportional representation. Doing away with the archaic first-past-the-post voting system is someth...

A World of Trouble: Is US Hegemony Crumbling? with Mary Kaldor and Nick Dearden | ep. 142

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

‘We’re living through unprecedented times’ seems to be the slogan of the past decade now, which is a grim reality. But, when facing the internat...

Starmer's Last Stand: What Next for the Labour Party? with Paula Barker MP, Clive Lewis MP, Kerry Postlewhite and Luke Hurst

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This EMERGENCY episode of It's Bloody Complicated was deemed necessary due to the rapidly moving events of the past weekend. Recorded on Monday 9...

The Greenwave with Rachel Millward | ep. 141

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Even for the most stalwart party member, the meteoric rise of popularity for the Green Party since the 2024 General Election would have caught them of...

It’s Bloody Complicated – Treading Caerphilly: What Does the Future Hold for Wales? with Rhun ap Iorwerth MS | ep. 140

24 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The elections happening for the Welsh Senedd in 2026 are held at the same time as the English local elections and the vote for the Scottish Parliament...

Political Predictions for 2026 with Dawn Butler MP | ep. 139

17 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The New Year is, understandably, a time for both self-reflection and for figuring out the future. With January comes confronting what you might want t...

A Political Round-Up of 2025 with Emma Burnell and Gaby Hinsliff | ep. 138

14 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The launch of Mainstream, the election of Zack Polanski as Green Party leader, Angela Rayner’s resignation and Peter Mandelson’s sacking – just ...

What Next For Your Party? with Sienna Rodgers and Joe Todd

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's new political party - now officially named Your Party - had its founding conference at the end of November.In f...

2025 Budget – Will They Fudge It? With Clive Lewis MP, Erin Mansell and Michael Jacobs | ep. 137

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The 2025 Budget was set up to be the most important since at least the Truss-Kwarteng mega-failure of 2022. It’s Labour’s first attempt to set a f...

Political Fragmentation with Jamie Driscoll | ep. 136

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jamie Driscoll was the Mayor of the North of Tyne between 2019-2024 and a true champion of progressive ideas throughout his political career. In 2023,...

Labour's Factions: How Did Things Get Hyperfactional? with Jeremy Gilbert and Alan Finlayson

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the second instalment in this miniseries, Compass Director Neal Lawson sits down to chat to long-time Compass intellectual contributors - and hosts...

The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy with Paul Holden

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Paul Holden's new book, 'The Fraud', has made waves since its publication last month as it lays bare the intrigues, stratagems, and dec...

In Conversation with Nish Kumar | ep. 135

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Named one of The Guardian and The Telegraph’s Top 50 Comedians of the 21st Century, Nish Kumar has come to stand out from the stand-up crowd. With h...

Can Labour build a way out of Britain’s housing crisis? with Cllr Aydin Dikerdem and Dr Beth Stratford | ep 134

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where and how we live has always been political – but with the right to buy, the explosion of the private-rented sector, and ever-increasingly deman...

Labour's Autumn of Discontent | ep. 133

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Labour Government find themselves in a difficult moment. On the eve of their 2025 Conference, they are faced with the knowledge that their ‘deca...

The Starmer Symptom with Mark Perryman

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's clear that this Labour Government are in a bit of trouble. Already floundering in the polls off the back of a year in which their promise of...

In Conversation with George Monbiot | ep. 132

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Investigative journalist, author, commentator and activist – George Monbiot has come to define the intellectual left in many of his own ways over th...

The Green’s New Deal: Reaction to Zack Polanski’s Victory in the Green Party Leadership Election with Jonathan Bartley

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Zack Polanski’s victory in the Green Party leadership election has hailed in a a new political moment and couldn’t have arrived at a more turbulen...

Will You Come to My Party: Can the Corbyn-Sultana Party Succeed? with James Meadway, Alan Finlayson and Laura Parker

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The launch of a new left party by Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn is all anyone is talking about in the political world right now. An out-and-out left...

In Conversation with Mark Drakeford | ep. 131

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Under Mark Drakeford’s leadership, Labour in Wales bucked the party’s national trend in 2021, winning a working majority of 30 seats in the Senedd...

Through Love or Fear: How Should Labour Govern the PLP and the Country? with John McTernan and Baroness Ruth Lister

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special BONUS episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Compass Director Neal Lawson is joined by John McTernan - former Director of Political ...

In Conversation with Caroline Lucas | ep 130

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Caroline Lucas spent 10 years at the helm of the Green Party between 2003-2006, 2007-2012 and 2016-2018, as well as being the party’s first and only...

The Future of the Lib Dems with Roz Savage MP and Cllr Carl Cashman

28 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From their leader’s bungee-jumping stunts, their best general election result ever, and leading the fight for social care, the Lib Dems have had a g...

In Conversation with Hilary Cottam | ep 128

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hilary Cottam is a world-renowned author, innovator and change maker across a whole range of policy profiles. Between international humanitarianism, e...

Child Poverty, with Baroness Ruth Lister | ep. 127

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The government’s child poverty taskforce is set to release its findings imminently. But with a country that needs widespread reform at-large, what a...

A Decade of Radical Renewal | ep. 126

17 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, listeners will get a sneak peek of the debate and discussion set to take place at Compass’ upcoming na...

Renewal | ep. 125

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since its launch in 1992 Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy has consistently advanced and examined the conditions for a radical and emancipatory v...

Maybe I'm Amazed - John Harris | ep. 124

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent substack post, John Harris said that ‘the itch to write’ his new book Maybe I’m Amazed ‘arrived not long after the General Electio...

How do we pay for it? With Erin Mansell and Stewart Lansley | ep. 123

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, ahead of the upcoming spring statement from the Treasury, we asked the perennial question: how could we ...

Has Labour outgrown net-zero? | ep 122

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We were delighted to be joined by Will McCallum, co-executive director of Greenpeace and Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift.Last year was the fi...

German Election Special | ep. 121

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been said that German elections are usually dull affairs. Well, whether that’s been true in the past, it’s certainly not true this time –...

The French New Popular Front | ep. 120

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2024 the New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties, came out on top in a snap general election in France, winning 193 seats in...

119. A New Settlement for Water

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s infrastructure is struggling. We’ve seen stories of concrete falling down in schools, unreliable public transport, and an NHS at breakin...

Electoral jenga, sandcastle majorities, and polling on thin ice w/ Rob Ford | ep. 118

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For our first podcast of 2025, Neal and Lena were be joined by Rob Ford to discuss electoral chaos, First Past the Post and political instability, his...

BONUS: Practical Hope

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Support the showEnjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the pan...

117. The Year of Elections – 2024 Round-Up (with Anushka Asthana)

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Political commentator, journalist, and author Anushka Asthana joined us to break down the political year that was, and look ahead to 2025.Support the ...

In Conversation: Ellie Chowns MP | ep. 116

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ellie Chowns has been involved with politics for less than a decade. Yet, in that time has represented the West Midlands in the European Parliament, l...

US Election Special | ep. 115

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Donald Trump won a historic second term as US president. This victory in the face of the chaos, the lies and the courts should be a wake up...

The impact of wealth inequality | ep 114

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The UK is remarkably unequal.The richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 % of us combined.Wealth inequality is gendered, racialised, and extrem...

In Conversation with Sam Freedman | ep. 113

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In his recent book, Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It, Sam Freedman lays out why people matter, but systems matter more. Having a run ...

Live from Labour Conference | ep. 112

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 general election result brought a welcome relief to British politics after 14 wasted years of Tory misrule. At last, some better people and i...

A New Settlement for a Better Society | ep. 111

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 general election result brings a welcome relief to UK politics. But now, we find ourselves at a crossroads: things are either going to get ve...

Power to the People w/ Danny Sriskandarajah | ep. 110

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Support the showEnjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the pan...

Election Results Special w/ John Harris and Laura Parker | ep. 109

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On the 4th July people across the country went to the polls for a long overdue, and bloody complicated, General Election. Labour ended up with a mammo...

How will populism shape the next parliament w/ Jon Bloomfield | ep. 108

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With Labour far ahead in the polls our attention turns to where the opposition from the Left will come from.We need to look no further than Nigel Fara...

General Election Special | ep. 107

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this special general Election issue of Its Bloody Complicated we are delighted tobe joined by Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty. We’ve admi...

Local Elections w/ Ben Walker and Alison Lowe | ep. 106

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, 14th May we were joined by Ben Walker and Alison Lowe to analyse the campaigns and the results of the 2024 local elections, and reflect wh...

AI and Democracy | ep 105

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last few years, the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform our society has become increasingly apparent. This comes with incr...

The Trade Union campaign for PR w/ Lynn Henderson and Nancy Platts | ep. 104

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was a watershed moment in October 2022 when the Labour Party conference overwhelmingly voted to include in its manifesto a commitment to change the...

The role and opportunities for a democratic movement in Scotland | ep. 103

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Support for Scottish independence is still strong but the SNP are clearly in a weaker position, institutionally, reputationally, and ideologically. Th...

Citizens' Assemblies | ep. 102

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Citizens’ assemblies represent an alternative way of doing politics: a randomly selected group of citizens are convened to reason collectively, to c...

Small Parties, Big Ideas | ep. 101

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

First Past the Post might block smaller parties from gaining representation at Westminster, but on this episode of It’s Bloody Complicated, we discu...

Radical Pragmatism | ep. 100

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Progressives face a dilemma; we want a change of government but know the country needs a big change of direction. In an essay published for the journa...

Fighting fracking, factionalism, and Jeremy Hunt | ep. 99

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, South West Surrey Compass organised and slashed Jeremy Hunt’s majority taking it from the 7th safest Tory-held seat to the 121st. In 2019, ...

New Media | ep.98

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The mainstream press in Britain has been in a state of managed decline for much of the 21st century. Once massive news outlets have suffered massive s...

The Big Fat Podcast of the Year 2023 with Ayesha Hazarika and Andrew Grice | ep. 97

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As another year comes to a close, we were excited to welcome Ayesha Hazarika and Andrew Grice to It’s Bloody Complicated to round up another year in...

Land Ownership and the Commons | ep. 96

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Right to Roam campaign, 92% of the UK’s countryside and 97% of its rivers are not available to the vast majority of the public. For...

In Conversation with Areeba Hamid, co-Director of Greenpeace UK

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Climate chaos is looming. The question of how to protect and preserve our planet for future generations is a conversation that’s not just timely, bu...

In Conversation: Clare Short | ep. 94

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After Labour came to power in 1997, Clare Short served as the UK’s first cabinet-level Secretary of State for International Development, a post she ...

Live from Labour Conference 2023 | ep. 92

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Labour faces a huge challenge at the next election: first to win power, then to use it to change our country for the better. The polls suggest it will...

New Zealand: The Route to PR | ep. 91

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1993, New Zealanders voted to replace First Past the Post with a proportional voting system. 30 years on, we discussed how this all-important elect...

The Threat of the Far Right | ep. 90

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, we brought together an expert panel to discuss the threat of the far-right to democracy and how progressives are fighting for change....

In Conversation with Oliver Burkeman | ep. 90

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. If you live to be 80, you’ll have had about 4,000 weeks. But, to Oliver Burkeman, that’...

In Conversation: Daniel Chandler | ep. 89

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What would a Fair Society actually look like? What are the feasible policy building blocks that could help us get there?In Daniel Chandler’s book Fr...

In Conversation: Dr Julia Grace Patterson | ep. 88

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the NHS this year, Julia Grace Patterson is publishing a new book, Critical: Why the NHS is being betrayed and how we...

Coalitions in a Time of Chaos, with Vince Cable | ep. 87

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vince Cable has been a Labour party councillor, a SDP coalition candidate, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, our Secretary of State for Business, E...

Community Power | ep. 86

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Frances Foley, deputy director of Compass hosted two great movers and shakers of the community power movement:Andy Jackson, community...

Local Elections Wash Up | Ep. 85

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the Conservatives publicly announcing that they are expecting of loss of more than 1,000 councillors in the upcoming local elections, it looks to...

3 Years of Starmer | Ep. 84

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the 4th April 2020, Keir Starmer assumed office as the Leader of the Labour Party. He won that leadership election with almost a 30% winning margin...

The Power of Protest | Ep. 83

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On 21st April 2023, Extinction Rebellion are bringing 100,000 to protest peacefully outside the Houses of Parliament to demand an end to the fossil fu...

In Conversation with Zack Polanski | Ep. 82

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zack Polanski has had an incredible year.Last September, he was elected the Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. As a member of the ...

Voting Justice, Social Justice | Ep. 81

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When people can't feed themselves and their families and the planet burns, it's clear democracy is not working. On this episode of It's...

The Definite Left | Ep. 80

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Frances hosted a conversation between Anthony Barnett and one of the symbols of hope for British pro...

Hegemony Now | Ep.79

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Significant power is vested in Wall Street and Silicon Valley. How did we come to live in a world dominated by big tech and finance, where they hold c...

Universal Worker Dignity | Ep. 78

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's fair to say that the events of the past few years still encroach on the everyday lives of people. Whether it’s the Covid pandemic, Brexit,...

Changing the Voting System | Ep. 77

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the historic vote on the Labour Conference floor for a manifesto commitment at the next general election to implement proportional representatio...

Win As One | Ep. 76

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Politics isn’t working. To do the big things, to transform our society and planet we have to transform the way we do politics. On this special epis...

BONUS: All In with Lisa Nandy

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Join Frances in conversation with long time friend of Compass, Lisa Nandy MP about her new book "All In: How we build a country that works"....

Live with Local Groups, Cumbria | Ep. 75

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As part of Win As One, we’re going round the country holding podcasts in key regions to talk to local activists about the issues they’re facing, a...

BONUS: The Scavenger Mindset with Clare Richmond

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We need a leadership revolution if we are to reach our collective potential and address our complex challenges. Through her work as an activist and g...

BONUS: The US midterms elections special

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tuesday 8th November marked a decisive day in the US political calendar - the midterms elections - which set the scene for the rest of Biden's pr...

Climate, climate, climate: with George Monbiot and Hannah Martin | Ep.74

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps the biggest reason we need to Win As One is the urgency and scale of the climate emergency, which impacts every one of us and demands a collec...

Tackling the Cost of Living in Buckinghamshire | Ep.73

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Roger hosts this special episode in conversation with activists fighting the cost of living crisis whilst working for a pluralist, progressive politic...

The cost of living is costing our democracy | Ep. 72

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our economy is in crisis.  Ordinary people can’t afford even the basics – heating, eating and transport, mortgages are going up and pensions goin...

BONUS: Lessons from the Teal Independents

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 The Teal Independents are marking waves in Australian politics, finding electoral success by putting community and climate first.They're bringi...

Live from Labour Conference: Win as One - Changing Politics to Change Society | Ep.71

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Labour faces a huge challenge, not just to win power but to use it to transform the country. The old politics that allows the domination of elites and...

BONUS: Is Socialism Possible in Britain? - In Conversation with Andrew Murray

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this special edition of the podcast Neal talks to Andrew Murray, former advisor to Jeremy Corbyn, about the lessons of the Corbyn era and what that...

The new Prime Minister - In conversation with Ken Spours and Gaby Hinsliff | Ep.70

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast makes reference to slides presented by Ken Spours. To view these, watch the podcast video on our CompassTV youtube channel The right is s...

BONUS: “What’s the point of this, Miss?” What’s gone wrong with education and how we can fix it

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Original recording of this special episode was on video, references to slides are mentioned throughout the recording.This episode is part 1 of 2 of a ...

In Conversation with Stella Creasy | Ep.69

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stella Creasy is one of the most dynamic back-benchers in Parliament. She campaigns nationally on issues such as abortion rights, making Westminster a...

Another World is Possible with Geoff Mulgan | Ep.68

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Another world is possible. A professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London, Geoff Mulgan is ...

The Welsh Basic Income pilot - The What, How and Why with Jonathan Williams | Ep.67

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Basic income is a regular payment everyone receives. Forever.Now, the Welsh and Irish governments have followed the examples of the United States and ...

Trialling a 4-Day Week | Ep. 66

19 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What would your life look like with less time spent at work?Across the UK, thousands at workers at 70 companies are taking part in the biggest-ever tr...

Fixing Westminster | Ep. 65

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From fines for the prime minister to shocking allegations of harassment, bullying and sexism in the workplace, Parliament has been bedevilled by scand...