New Times,
New Thinking.

Are conspiracy theories getting worse, with Jonn Elledge

People have believed in secret conspiracies throughout history

After Boris Johnson talked of a “deep state” undermining his ability to govern, have we entered an era of conspiracy theories? Jonn Elledge, one of the authors of a new book, Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories and How Not To Fall For Them, talks to Rachel Cunliffe about how conspiracy theories are nothing new.

They discuss QAnon, whether a few hundred years of European history were just made up – and why Britney Spears shows that sometimes obscure internet theories can be true.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

How to listen to the New Statesman Podcast

1. In your browser

You can use the player above to listen in your browser right now. The subscriber edition of the New Statesman Podcast is published here every Monday and Thursday. Why not bookmark this page? You can come back for new episodes twice a week.

2. In a podcast app

The public feed of the New Statesman Podcast is available on all major podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Google Podcasts, and more. It publishes a day later than this subscriber edition. Search “New Statesman Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

3. On your smart speaker

If you have an Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple HomePod smart speaker, ask it to “play the latest episode of the New Statesman Podcast“. This will play the latest episode in the public feed. The same command also works with virtual assistants on mobile devices.

Content from our partners
The Circular Economy: Green growth, jobs and resilience
Water security: is it a government priority?
Defend, deter, protect: the critical capabilities we rely on