New Times,
New Thinking.

Armando Iannucci on Boris Johnson, The Thick of It and the rule of six

The satirist, writer and film director joins Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea on the New Statesman podcast.

In his recent column for the New Statesman, Armando Iannucci argues that the 300-year-old role of prime minister is no longer fit for purpose – especially when occupied by an “oaf”. 

Iannucci joins Ailbhe Rea and Anoosh Chakelian in this episode of the New Statesman podcast, to discuss whether the British parliamentary system is due an overhaul. They also explore the unexpected real-world legacy of Iannucci’s acclaimed TV satire The Thick of It, and how he’s been celebrating the return of the rule of six

Further reading

Read Armando’s column on the role of British prime minister.

Ailbhe has been examining the findings of the Race Commission and reports on insider claims that the published results left out “inconvenient evidence” on Covid-19 deaths.

Anoosh writes on the hidden gap in Boris Johnson’s pandemic response: the rules around office work.

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 New Statesman podcast publishes twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays. All episodes are published to newstatesman.com/podcasts on the day of release. Subscribers to the New Statesman can access episodes a day early, in our subscriber edition.

2. In a podcast app

The New Statesman podcast is available on all major podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Google Podcasts, and more. Search ‘New Statesman podcast’ in your favourite podcast app, and subscribe or follow to make sure you receive episodes as soon as they publish. While you’re there, please leave a review for the podcast – it helps others find the show, which in turn makes it possible for us to keep making it.

Give a gift subscription to the New Statesman this Christmas from just £49

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”. The same command also works with virtual assistants on mobile devices.

Content from our partners
Building Britain’s water security
How to solve the teaching crisis
Pitching in to support grassroots football

Topics in this article :