The Econoclasts
Episodes
These Times - The War for Ukraine: How History Came Roaring Back
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Putin's fast and loose interview with Tucker Carlson, Tom and Helen turn to the history of Ukrainian independence, and ask what it mean...
These Times - Biden Resumes America’s Forever War in Iraq
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of recent US/UK led bombings of Iraq and Syria, Tom McTague and Helen Thompson ask why America continues to embroil itself in the Iraq qua...
These Times - Trump, the Borderlands, and a Global Crisis
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom and Helen turn to the current border crisis unfolding in Texas, and explore how a set of global and domestic crises, from ...
These Times - Iran Lashes Out, with Ali Ansari
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom and Helen talk to Ali Ansari, director of Iranian Studies at St Andrews University, about the history of Iranian power - f...
These Times - The War for Taiwan
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the new anti-Chinese President elected in Taiwan, Tom and Helen turn to the most important body of water in the world: the Western Pacific, and e...
These Times - The War for the Red Sea
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Helen and Tom explore the geopolitical history of the Red Sea, from the erection of the Suez Canal, to the waring Houthi Rebels patrolling ...
These Times - New Year, New World
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tom McTague and HelenH Helen Thompson look back at the major events that took place in 2023, from Ukraine's stalled counter-offensive and the Israel H...
These Times - Europe’s Lost World: The Radetzky March and The Leopard
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this Christmas Special, Tom and Helen discuss two of their all time favourite novels that share the same themes of empire, nationalism and loss - ...
These Times - Europe’s Civilisational Turn?
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Tom and Helen sit down with Hans Kundnani to discuss the domestic politics of European countries and the reshaping of Europe's collective f...
These Times - Ukraine's Dark Winter Ahead
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom and Helen sit down with Shashank Joshi to ask why supporting Ukraine has been so politically difficult in many Western countries, and what are the...
These Times - Europe's Bet on Net Zero
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As world leaders meet in Dubai for COP 28, Tom and Helen turn to one of the most important political issues of our age - Net Zero, and ask where Europ...
These Times - Can British Growth Ever Recover?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom McTague and Helen Thompson dissect the sorry state of Britain's economy with policy-expert Torsten Bell - and ask whether ...
These Times - David Cameron's Failed Foreign Policy
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the day that David Cameron is sworn into the House of Lords, Tom and Helen explore the history of his foreign policy, and look ahead at what kind o...
These Times - Decision 2024: What’s at stake for Israel, Ukraine, and the world next year
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Tom and Helen sit down to discuss the next U.S election and what's at stake for Israel, Ukraine, and the world. Hosted on Acast. See a...
These Times - Britain's Israel-Palestine Dilemma
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen discuss the history of Britain's relationship with the Israel-Palestine question; from Lloyd George and Winston Churchi...
These Times - Israel Invades: The Gazan Trap, with Shashank Joshi
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen chat to the The Economist's defence editor, Shashank Joshi, about the logistical challenges of a ground-war, what Israe...
These Times - Israel vs Iran: The Deadliest Foes
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom and Helen explore the long and fraught history of Iranian-Israeli relations, and ask how Israel vs Iran became the most da...
These Times - The Israel-Hamas War
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode Tom and Helen discuss the history of Israel and the geopolitical fault-lines running through the Middle East Hosted on Acast. S...
These Times - Jamie Carragher: My History of Liverpool
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom travels to Liverpool to meet on of the city's favourite sons: Jamie Carragher. They talk about Liverpool's sectarian past, Brexit...
These Times - Keir Starmer's Europe Problem
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Tom and Helen explore Labour's uneasy relationship with the Europe question - and the potential chall...
These Times - Rishi Sunak's Challenge
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the Conservative Conference currently taking place in Manchester, Tom and Helen discuss the upcoming challenges facing the Prime Minister. Hosted...
These Times - 2. YOUR QUESTIONS: Charles De Gaulle, Brexit and Britain's History within the European Community
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In another Q&A episode, Tom and Helen turn to your questions on Brexit and Britain's relationship with the wider European Community. Hosted on Ac...
These Times - The Race for the Arctic
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Helen and Tom chat to one of the world's great geopolitical thinkers, Pippa Malmgren, about how the big player's on the world stage are jostling for p...
These Times - 1. YOUR QUESTIONS: Will Northern Ireland ever truly be British; Blair’s missed opportunity; missing England; most surprising general elections.
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom and Helen answer the your questions on British politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
These Times - How George Osborne’s All-In Bet On China Went Wrong
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of revelations about Chinese spy activity in Westminster, Tom and Helen explore the recent history of British-Chinese relations, from Hong...
These Times - Rory Stewart's Divided Soul: An Interview with the Man Who Still Wants to be PM
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Tom McTague sits down with Rory Stewart to chat about populism and spycraft, John le Carré and Lawrence of Arabia, and his p...
These Times - How Worried Should We Be About Saudi Arabia?
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen explore Saudi Arabia - a place at once futuristic and authoritarian. From Aramco Oil to Cristiano Ronaldo, we discuss t...
These Times - Africa's Coup Belt
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen explore the African Coup's, from Gabon to Niger, and discuss what the turmoil across the Sahel reveals about today's wo...
These Times - The Strange Legacy of Tony Blair
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we turn to Britain's abiding political presence - Tony Blair. From his early beginnings in British politics, to The Tony Blair Instit...
These Times - Thatcher’s Legacy: An Interview with Charles Moore
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom sits down with former editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, and Margaret Thatcher's biographer to talk about the roman...
These Times - From Bruges to Brexit
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom and Helen journey back 35 years to explore the forces surrounding Margaret Thatcher's speech in Bruges and how it set the ...
These Times - The 1970s Strike Back with Dominic Sandbrook
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen sit down with Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the 1970s - from energy shocks to Stars Wars' new age spirituality and bin-b...
These Times - Special Report: Inside Tony Blair Inc.
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Tom is interviewed by UnHerd's editor Freddie Sayers to explore Tom's new report into the inner workings of the Tony Blair In...
These Times - American Power in the Age of Biden
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Tom and Helen discuss the politics of US foreign policy, from Vietnam to Ukraine and what that reveals about the future. Hoste...
These Times - The Times of Joe Biden
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode Tom and Helen discuss the US president’s long (and controversial) political record and ask what it reveals about the state ...
These Times - Cancelled by Keir: An Interview with Jamie Driscoll
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Jamie Driscoll, the incumbent mayor blocked from standing to be Labour's candidate for the new north-east super mayoralty, now crowdfunding to s...
These Times - Europe's Right Turn?
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After the elections in Spain, and a shock announcement in Germany, Tom and Helen discuss the underlying causes of Europe’s tilt to the right. Hosted...
These Times - Keir's Blairite Ultra: An interview with Pat McFadden
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom McTague chats to Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Pat McFadden—the man tasked with making Starmer’s sums add up—on t...
These Times - Inside NATO's Summit
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen discuss how last week's meeting in Vilnius revealed fault lines in the organisation which can be traced all the way bac...
These Times - Come on Arlene: An Interview with Arlene Foster
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Come on Arlene: An interview with Arlene Foster. In this episode, we discuss the history of Northern Ireland through the lens of Arlene Foster's own t...
These Times - France on fire
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Tom and Helen are joined by John Lichfield — one of Britain’s most respected journalists based in France — to talk about the history ...
These Times - Chaos in Russia
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After last week’s march on Moscow, Tom and Helen discuss the Wagner group and the history of wars not going to plan and destabilising the political ...
These Times - What would Thatcher do?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Charles Powell, Mrs Thatcher’s long time foreign policy adviser, covering everything from the war in Ukraine, the risks ...
These Times - The Politics of Inflation
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With inflation remaining stubbornly high and interest rates at their highest in 15 years, this week’s episode looks at the causes and poli...
These Times - Britain's Place in the New World Order - Part 2
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom and Helen discuss Britain's changing role overseas in the second instalment of our series on 'The New World Order'. They discuss Boris Johnson's A...
These Times - A New World Order? - Part 1
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week Tom and Helen debate whether America's global supremacy is coming to an end, replaced by a new multipolar world — and, if so, what that me...
These Times - Is Boris Johnson History?
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Tom and Helen discuss the tumultuous history of Boris Johnson and ask whether the ups and downs of his political career owe more to h...
These Times - How "Made in China 2025" Changed the World
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015, Xi Jinping unveiled his central policy objective: to transform China into the world’s most powerful advanced economy which would no longer ...
These Times - The History of Immigration
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Official figures released last week showed net migration into the UK had topped 600,000, a new record. But the politics of migration has a long histor...
These Times - When Labour Wins
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Keir Starmer seemingly on course for victory at the next election, Tom and Helen look back at the only other Labour leaders to have won a majorit...
These Times - National Conservatism: New or Old?
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the Tories struggling in the polls and the first “National Conservative” convention meeting in the UK this week, Tom and Helen take a look at...
These Times - Axis of Evil: An Interview with David Frum
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this one-off special, Tom McTague interviews the conservative commentator, activist and former White House speechwriter David Frum — the man who ...
These Times - Ukraine and the world order
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Tom and Helen discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and to what extent it has changed the world order. Tom and Helen look at the security situ...
These Times - Coronation and The Union - Part 2
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of our two-part opening special on the Coronation of King Charles III, Tom and Helen discuss what the ceremony reveals about the state o...
These Times - Coronation and power - Part 1
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Coronation of King Charles III marks a momentous day not only in the life of the new monarch, but also for the British monarchy and the country as...
These Times from UnHerd - Coming Soon
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it me...