Tom McTague

UK government needs to get a grip of the public finances. It's all looking a bit Truss-like

(magnitudes smaller, but these are UK-specific moves)

Read our cover story today, from the great @willdunn.bsky.social.

Reeves is painfully aware that reforming the tax system will require a major political battle. But she’s already being battered by endless squabbles as it is. This is the fight she needs to have.

newstatesman.com/politics/econo…

New Statesman cover this week. Online tomorrow. On newsstands Thursday.

State of Emergency Keir Starmer's Labour Party can't survive another crisis.

Cover story here: www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

🚨 🚨 🚨 This week’s @NewStatesman online now! @AndrewMarr9 on a set of crises this government — and perhaps British social democracy itself — can no longer afford. The sirens are beginning to sound🚨 🚨 🚨

@robertsaunders.bsky.social hi Robert. Do you have a second to chat?

What Keir Starmer can’t say The Prime Minister believes he will heal Britain – but can he find the words?

www.newstatesman.com/politics/202... 💥 EXC: For my first edition of the New Statesman as editor, I went on the road with Keir Starmer, discovering a man far more emotional than I expected, struggling to articulate his deepest feelings — and those of the country he leads👇

These Times Politics Podcast · 129 Episodes · Every two weeks

I know I'm repeating myself nearly every week, but can I just say once again that this show - These Times with @tommctague.bsky.social and Helen Thompson - has become completely necessary to understand and gain perspective on what is going on at the moment. podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/t...

Trump’s Economic Revolution These Times · Episode

Ever heard of the #MaraLagoAccord? When you stop hyperventilating, here’s a great conversation between Prof Helen Thompson and @TomMcTague.bsky.social… on Trump’s plan to bring trade and security into a single foreign policy space in order to restructure US debt.

open.spotify.com/episode/3R14...

EU members are squabbling over whose defence industry should benefit from new funds

on.ft.com/43xIlHl

Me: trade policy is nuanced and we shouldn’t rely on national stereotypes to predict wha-

The French: BONJOUR

Crisis: Trump, Zelensky and a moment of truth for Starmer Podcast Episode · These Times · 04/03/2025 · 1h 13m

Trying to stay sane amid the madness. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Are we all Gaullists now?

Strategic sovereignty for Europe (as France has long demanded, and Germany suddenly seems to want) makes plenty of sense ... until you ask the questions: Who's the sovereign? What is "Europe"? And what are their interests? Good piece from @tommctague.bsky.social: unherd.com/2025/02/are-...

These Times UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the gr...

🚨 Early Ep Release! "The German Election: Friedrich Merz, “Independence” from America, and the Rise of the Far Right" 🇩🇪

Helen Thompson and I discuss the implications of Germany's seismic election.

Listen now! 🎧
pod.link/1685475850

Trump's Tariff War Podcast Episode · These Times · 11/02/2025 · 1h 5m

In this week’s episode of These Times, Helen Thompson and I look at the history of American protectionism to try to understand Trump’s tariff war
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Can Europe Survive Trump? Podcast Episode · These Times · 04/02/2025 · 52m

On Trump, tariffs and Europe’s extraordinary dependence podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Europe’s Trump Shock Podcast Episode · These Times · 28/01/2025 · 1h 3m

Thoroughly enjoyed this week’s episode looking at Trump shock now being felt by Europe👇 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Listening to the latest These Times podcast from @tommctague.bsky.social and Helen Thompson. It lets you see Trump’s approach to Europe as a continuation of longstanding US ambitions interrupted by the Cold War. Equally, Europe’s ambitions for itself were interrupted in the same way. 1/n

Who is Elon Musk? Podcast Episode · These Times · 07/01/2025 · 1h 8m

Who is Elon Musk — and what does he want? Myself and Helen Thompson dig into the man shaping the future of humanity👇 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

🇫🇷 France: 37g CO2/kWh 🟢
⚛️ 71% Nuclear
🌊 10% Hydro
💨 9% Wind

🇬🇧 Britain: 160g CO2/kWh 🟡
💨 36% Wind
🔥 26% Gas
⚛️ 16% Nuclear

Data: Electricity Maps (11:00 UTC)

The Year of War, Donald Trumpand an Ascendant Turkey These Times · Episode

Geopolitical chaos of 2024 - good episode @tommctague.bsky.social & Helen Thompson but I am missing the role of the natural resources and energy dimension in their thorough analysis of the geopolitical year
open.spotify.com/episode/4xnX...

The car industry by @tommctague.bsky.social & Helen Thompson via @ianleslie.bsky.social www.ian-leslie.com/p/maybe-your...

This is vg by @tommctague.bsky.social on Starmer’s prosaic ambitions unherd.com/2024/12/keir...

Keir Starmer has no dream

This was written by @tommctague.bsky.social before Starmer delivered his "Plan for Change" speech this morning but captures precisely how I felt whilst watching it... unherd.com/2024/12/keir...

Blair as the key mediator between Starmer and Trump... via Musk of course

Very good. This chap hitting levels I didn’t think possible. vm.tiktok.com/ZGdjcnuRh/

Elon Musk exposes the fragility of the British state There’s the coming “Trump shock” to British politics, which is well documented (if not well understood). But then there’s the “Musk shock” which is more opaque, though potentially even more seismic in...

On Elon Musk, Tony Blair and the fragility of the British state unherd.com/newsroom/elo...

Important to note that new elections cannot be held until July. So even if the no-confidence vote passes and the government falls, the current parliament stays. Perma-crisis for another eight months, at least

Exit poll drops in Ireland… and looks very very similar to last election