These Times

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 great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, the United States, Europe or beyond. It’s a politics podcast for those who want a deeper, historical understanding of the news, to understand what has really shaped our world and why. We hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to rate, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — and, of course, to get in touch with all your questions and comments so we can respond in future episodes. Email us at thesetimes@unherd.com or tweet us at @thesetimespod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

Trump: the Multipolar President?

March 31, 2025 • 53 mins

This week, Tom and Helen follow on from the previous episode by analysing Donald Trump's response to the multipolar world and its implications, especially for Europe. They dive into Trump's clear actions towards Russia, the complications with China, the broader strategic shifts, European interests, NATO's current state, and rising geopolitical tensions involving Turkey.

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The rise of the multipolar world order

March 24, 2025 • 59 mins

In this week's episode, Tom and Helen zoom out to look at the wider geopolitical world order coming into being in the midst of Donald Trump's second term, and whether American acceptance of a multipolar world is the key thread in Trump's geopolitical ambitions.

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Trump’s Economic Revolution

March 17, 2025 • 68 mins

This week, Tom and Helen discuss the growing American debt crisis and whether Donald Trump's bold political moves can be understood as a response to this escalating financial challenge.

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Trump versus Zelensky and the Wars for Ukraine’s Resources

March 10, 2025 • 55 mins

This week, Tom and Helen discuss the growing focus on the US-Ukraine minerals deal and its potential impact on intelligence sharing and arms supplies. They also explore whether the war in Ukraine has evolved into a battle over resources amid rising global geopolitical tensions.

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Crisis: Trump, Zelensky and a moment of truth for Starmer

March 3, 2025 • 72 mins

This week, Tom and Helen discuss the recent whirlwind of political events: Keir Starmer's meeting with Donald Trump after announcing a boost in British defense spending, Volodymyr Zelensky’s fiery Oval Office press conference, and European leaders’ efforts to draft a peace plan for presentation to the U.S.

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The German Election: Friedrich Merz, “Independence” from America, and the Rise of the Far Right.

February 24, 2025 • 68 mins

This week, Tom and Helen discuss the aftermath of Germany's election, where the Christian Democrats won but with their second-lowest vote tally ever. They explore what these results mean for the future of European politics and the shifting dynamics of Europe’s relationship with the United States.

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Trump, Putin and Europe’s Historic Crisis

February 17, 2025 • 65 mins

This week Tom and Helen discuss the impact that peace talks with Russia might have on the United States security commitment to Europe.

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Trump's Tariff War

February 10, 2025 • 64 mins

In this episode of These Times, Tom and Helen discuss the deep history behind Trump's latest round of tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada; how the US has used tariffs throughout history, how protectionism shifted between the Democratic and Republican parties, and what it all means for global politics.

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Can Europe Survive Trump?

February 3, 2025 • 52 mins

Following on from the previous episode, this week, Tom and Helen expand even further on the topic of Europe and its dependance on the United States.

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Europe’s Trump Shock

January 27, 2025 • 62 mins

This week, Tom and Helen discuss what Donald Trump's presidency means for Europe, historically, after his revealing first week in office.

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Why The Oligarchs Now Back Trump

January 20, 2025 • 61 mins

This week, Tom and Helen delve into Joe Biden's farewell address, why he warned of a new tech oligarchy and the possible new epoch in American politics.

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Why Trump Wants Greenland (and more)

January 13, 2025 • 72 mins

This week, Tom and Helen delve into Donald Trump's open attempt to annex Greenland, retake the Panama Canal, and seduce Canada into joining the United States.

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Who is Elon Musk?

January 6, 2025 • 67 mins

For the first episode of 2025, Tom and Helen take a deep dive into the life and worldview of the world's richest man; who is Elon Musk, what does he believe - and what does he want?

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The Year of War, Donald Trump and an Ascendant Turkey

December 30, 2024 • 56 mins

On the final episode of the year, Tom and Helen reflect on the events of 2024 and how they may effect the geopolitical future.

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The Year British Politics Hollowed Out

December 23, 2024 • 55 mins

For our Christmas special episode Tom and Helen take a look back at the state of British politics this year and ask the question - Is British politics unravelling?

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Can Syria Survive?

December 16, 2024 • 64 mins

This week Tom and Helen return to the extraordinary situation in Syria and question whether it's really possible to have a unified Syrian state.

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Europe’s Franco-German Crisis: Macron and Scholz Stare Into The Abyss

December 10, 2024 • 44 mins

Following the collapse of the French government, Tom and Helen discuss the Franco-German crisis in the new age of Trump.

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Revolution in Syria

December 9, 2024 • 47 mins

The Economist's Defence Editor Shashank Joshi joins Tom and Helen for an early episode this week to discuss how the Assad regime fell so rapidly and what this means for Syria and the world.

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Starmer adrift: What future for British politics?

December 2, 2024 • 63 mins

This week on the podcast Helen and Tom explore why Keir Starmer's government has come so far adrift so quickly and what this means for the future of British politics.

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Putin escalates: The threat of World War Three

November 25, 2024 • 59 mins

In this week's episode Tom and Helen explore the recent military escalation over Ukraine and what this might mean for the current geopolitical world.

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