The Brink

In this episode of The Brink, we sit down with Michael Gove, former Cabinet minister and one of the most influential figures in modern British politics, for a wide-ranging and unusually frank conversation about power, ideology, and the state of the country.Michael reflects on the dramatic realignment of British politics, from high-profile defections to Reform UK and the collapse of the old centrist consensus, to the internal struggles facing both the Conservative Party and Labour. He shares his thoughts on leadership, loyalty, ambition, and what political life is really like behind closed doors.Michael also reflects on his appearance on The Rest is Politics…where Jake brings up some of the most heated moments…The conversation explores immigration, Islamism, free speech, and the failure of successive governments to confront extremism with honesty and confidence. We discuss the rise of moral relativism, the role of the media, and why difficult conversations about culture, security, and national identity are so often shut down rather than addressed.This is a thoughtful and revealing conversation about politics after the age of certainties, and what Britain must confront if it is to recover confidence in itself and its institutions.Watch the full uncut interview HERE: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebrinkpodcast/p/must-watch-michael-gove-slams-centrist?r=63dafp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueALSO, don't forget to claim your free one-month trial here: https://thebrinkpodcast.substack.com/newyeartrialCheck out our merch store: https://www.thebrinkmerch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Brink, Iranian researcher and analyst Kasra Aarabi joins us. He has extensive networks within Iran’s protest movement and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, offering a sobering and urgent account of the situation on the ground.Drawing on documents obtained from inside IRGC headquarters and direct contact with protest leaders, our guest explains how the regime’s vast infrastructure of repression operates at every level of Iranian society. We discuss the use of military-grade weapons against unarmed civilians, the scale of arrests and executions, and why the death toll is likely far higher than officially reported.The conversation explores how Iran’s violence is no longer contained within its borders. From regime-sponsored attacks on British soil to the radicalisation of children in the UK, we examine why what happens in Iran directly threatens Britain’s national security. We also confront the failure of Western governments to proscribe the IRGC, the silence of political leaders, and the dangerous double standards applied by the media and international institutions.Finally, we look ahead to what comes next. We discuss the prospects for regime collapse, the role of external pressure, the risks of insurgency, and what a post-Islamic Republic Iran could realistically look like. From a secular republic to a constitutional monarchy, we ask what the Iranian people actually want and what the West should do if it truly believes in freedom and human rights.This is a powerful and unsettling conversation about tyranny, courage, and why Iran’s struggle matters far beyond its borders.Watch the full uncut interview HERE: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebrinkpodcast/p/the-real-death-toll-in-iran-and-why?r=63dafp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueDon't forget to check out our merch store: https://www.thebrinkmerch.com/Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 02:30 – Death Tolls, Internet Blackouts & Brutal Crackdowns04:50 – Kasra’s Background & Inside Access to the Regime06:28 – Understanding the IRGC From the Inside08:17 – Regime Threats on British Soil11:10 – Why What Happens in Iran Affects the UK12:15 – Why Britain Refuses to Proscribe the IRGC15:30 – Iran’s Infrastructure of Radicalisation in Britain18:14 – Indoctrination, Antisemitism & Islamist Ideology20:38 – The Silence of the Western Left on Iran Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Brink, we sit down with Kwasi Kwarteng, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, for a wide-ranging and unusually candid conversation about power, politics, and the realities of governing Britain.Kwasi reflects on his dramatic rise and fall in office, the chaos surrounding the mini-budget, and what it was really like to be at the centre of one of the most turbulent moments in modern British politics. He explains what went wrong, what he would do differently, and why he believes the political system struggles to tell the truth about economic trade-offs.We also explore his life beyond frontline politics, from his media work to his interest in business and Bitcoin, as well as his background, education, and journey into Parliament. The conversation ranges across identity politics, meritocracy, the decline of public trust, and why Britain’s institutions feel increasingly disconnected from the people they serve.Finally, we look at the current state of British politics. Kwasi gives his assessment of Labour’s economic direction, the rise of Reform, the breakdown of the two-party system, and what the next election could mean for the country’s future.This is a thoughtful and revealing conversation about ambition, failure, loyalty, and the long-term challenges facing Britain as it once again finds itself on the brink.Enjoy a 30-day free trial of The Brink’s Substack: https://thebrinkpodcast.substack.com/newyeartrialWatch the full uncut interview HERE: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebrinkpodcast/p/kwasi-kwarteng-id-do-a-better-job?r=63dafp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueDon't forget to check out our merch store: https://www.thebrinkmerch.com/00:00 – Introduction 03:11 – From Power to Private Life06:08 – The Mini-Budget Fallout08:44 – Labour, Tax Rises & Public Disillusion12:06 – Britain’s Fractured Party System14:50 – Family Background, Education & Identity18:55 – Rejecting Identity Politics23:56 – Entering Politics & Street-Level Campaigning28:11 – Inside Parliament & Political Institutions33:00 – Becoming a Minister38:16 – Backing Liz Truss & Becoming Chancellor40:31 – The Mini-Budget: Pace, Panic & Mistakes44:46 – Markets, the Bank of England & What Went Wrong48:16 – Deep State vs Political Responsibility51:01 – Public Spending, Welfare & Growth55:00 – Labour’s Economic Direction58:43 – Immigration, Culture & Political Realignment1:03:03 – Reform, Conservatives & the Future of the Right1:06:59 – Loyalty, Power & Stopping the Left1:07:18 – Final Reflections on Britain’s Political Future Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special end of year episode of The Brink, Andrew and Jake look back on 2025, reflecting on the moments, conversations, and events that defined the year and shaped the world we are heading into in 2026.We revisit some of the standout interviews from the past twelve months, including conversations with Yoav Gallant, Yossi Cohen, Bari Weiss, Tom Holland, Neil Ferguson, and Nick Timothy. From Israeli intelligence and the war in Gaza to extremism in Britain, media failure, and the collapse of Western confidence, we discuss what these guests revealed about the moment we are living through.The conversation ranges across the year’s biggest themes, including leadership, war, antisemitism, media bias, protest movements, and the growing instability in the Middle East and the West. We also give our picks for moments of the year, figures of the year, and the decisions that left us shaking our heads.Finally, we look ahead to 2026. We discuss what gives us hope, what worries us most, and whether the West still has the moral and cultural foundations to recover from the crises it faces.This is a wide ranging and honest reflection on a turbulent year, and a look at what may lie ahead as the world stands once again on the brink.Don't forget to check out our merch store: https://www.thebrinkmerch.com/Chapters 00:00 – Looking Back on 202504:28 – Israel, War Leadership & October 706:07 – Extremism in Britain & Political Failure09:47 – Immigration, Social Media & Cultural Fragmentation11:57 – Gaza Protests & Progressive Radicalism15:06 – Media, Antisemitism & the Trust Crisis19:43 – Sh*t of the Year25:17 – Man of the Year31:13 – Woman of the Year 36:06 – Moment of the Year39:27 – WTF of the Year: Strategic Blunders44:04 – Laughter in a Dark Year45:23 – Hopes, Fears & the World Heading into 202652:28 – Final Reflections & What Comes Next Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Brink, we’re joined by French philosopher, writer, and public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy for a wide ranging conversation about the fate of the West, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and the values now under threat across liberal democracies.Bernard explains why Ukraine and Israel are fighting the same battle against the same enemies, and why Russia, Iran, Hamas, and radical Islam belong to a single ideological axis. Drawing on years spent on the battlefield and reporting from war zones, he reflects on courage, sacrifice, and what it means for a nation to defend itself when its very existence is at stake.The discussion turns to the West itself, its Judeo Christian foundations, the crisis of patriotism, and the loss of historical memory that has left many societies unwilling to defend their own values. We explore the rise of radical Islam, the failures of multiculturalism, the dangers of moral relativism, and why Jews are often the first victims when civilisations lose confidence in themselves.Bernard also reflects on Donald Trump, the fragmentation of the West, and whether American and European values can survive the political turbulence of the coming years.This is a profound and searching conversation about history, faith, war, and the moral courage required to defend civilisation before it is too late.Watch the full uncut interview HERE: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebrinkpodcast/p/trump-is-splitting-the-west-and-the?r=63dafp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueDon't forget to check out our merch store: https://www.thebrinkmerch.com/Chapters 00:00 Introduction 08:24 Trump's Support for Israel and Russia's Aggression11:03 The West's Values and Trump's Impact15:33 The Role of the West in Countering Radicalism19:30 The West's Military Challenge and Israel's Resilience25:04 The Struggle Against Radical Islam in France38:23 The Role of Ideas and the Importance of Universal Values Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.