The Lowdown from Nick Cohen

• We're now in Trump's cross-hairs

  Trump and MAGA see European values and societies as the real enemiesNick Cohen talks to the leading US commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of the highly controversial US National Security Strategy 2025 which has overturned 80 years of post-war security strategy and threatens the very social and political fabric of Europe, as well as its security.Incredibly, in this document, the US says it will support nationalist far right parties in overturning European governments and says it will do all it can to destroy the European Union. The document - described as "obscene" by one former US ambassador to the EU - also strikes a dagger to the heart of NATO, clearly marking out its former security partners in the Alliance as the real enemies while failing to criticise the brazen illegality and aggression of Putin's Russia.The US has "switched sides" to stand shoulder to shoulder with our enemiesCharlie's stark conclusion: "This is what they're saying to the entire world. And again, the loathing for the democracies of Western Europe, the loathing for the allies who have been with us since World War II really can't be overstated. It is deep and, quite frankly, there has to come a moment when I think the rest of the world has to say that the United States has switched sides."Discussion summaryCharlie and Nick discuss the implications of the new strategy for American foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with Russia and Europe. The discussion explores how the strategy aligns with Moscow's vision and promotes radical right-wing parties, while contrasting conservative reactions between the US and UK. The conversation concluded with an examination of Trump's presidency and its potential dangers, including immigration policies, weaponisation of justice departments, and the broader implications for American democracy and political norms.Read all about it!Charlie Sykes @SykesCharlie is a leading highly respected United States conservative political commentator who was formerly editor-in-chief and founder of the highly influential website The Bulwark. Charlie has been a leading Never Trump Conservative since Trump stood for the presidency in 2015. Charlie's Substack - To the contrary is a must read, and his regular podcast - also called To the contrary - a must listen. He has also been a columnist and author for the progressive channel MSNBC.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Guilty as charged! Labour's threat to juries

  Labour's threat to the ancient right of Trial by JuryNick Cohen and Francis FitzGibbon KC - a prominent barrister and former chair of the Criminal Bar Association - discuss the proposal by Labour politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, to restrict the right to trial by jury, which Nick finds astonishing given Starmer's previous advocacy for human rights and anti-racism. Francis argues against the proposed changes, which Nck thinks could expose ethnic minority defendants to unchecked racism. Francis argues that once the politicians have removed the right to trial by jury - it will be gone for ever.Throwing out the baby with the bathwater! Attacking jury trials to deal with deepening courts crisisThe discussion focuses on the legal system's backlog crisis, with Francis describing it as a disaster with 80,000 cases and delays extending to 2030. Nick and Francis discuss the report by former Appeal Court judge Sir Brian Leveson which Francis criticises for recommending strict curtailment of jury trials, a proposal he viewed as unnecessary and ineffective. Nick raises concerns about the independence of judges reviewing jury trials, suggesting that judges might be inclined to support removing juries from complex cases. Francis argues that judges are no better than juries in investigating human behaviour and coming to the right verdict.Juries, Francis FiztGibbon KCargues, are not just vital for the administration of justice - they give ordinary members of the public a stake in the system of rules and laws by which they are governed.Read all about it! Francis FitzGibbon KC was chair of the Criminal Bar Association (2016-2017) and has a wide-ranging and diverse trial practice covering all types of serious crime (prosecuting and defending). High profile cases include R. v Marten (gross-negligence manslaughter of a baby), R. Mohammadi (the Colindale allotment murder) and R v Alemi (fraud by successfully working as a psychiatrist with forged educational certificates). Francis has been recognised as a leading barrister in Crime for many years (Tier 2 Silk), and is ranked in the Legal 500, as ‘a highly intelligent Silk’. Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Exploding the myths of immigration

  SummaryNick Cohen and Professor Alan Manning - economist and one of the country's leading experts on immigration - discuss the impact of immigration on Western democracies, including its role in recent and upcoming elections, as well as the resurgence of right-wing movements driven by immigration-related fears. Alan Manning, a professor at the London School of Economics, explains the complexities of immigration policy and the challenges of balancing migration capacity with global inequality. Nick and Alan discuss various policy approaches, including temporary protection measures and the need for international cooperation, while criticising overly simplistic solutions and highlighting the importance of realistic immigration policies.Political charlatans such as Nigel Farage mis-sold Brexit claiming it would help the uK "take back control" of its borders. Ironically, they may helped helped create huge increases in net immigration in recent years, as well as encourage the small boats bringing asylum seekers across the Channel from France. Now the same political grifters are relentlessly campaigning on the issue of immigration to get votes and win power. It's time to explain the issues driving immigration and explode the myths of immigration, rather than exploit them.Read all about it!Professor Alan Manning - @alanmanning4 formerly Chairman of UK's Migration Advisory Committee has been investigating the issue for his new book, Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better is published by PolityNick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Starmer's failure may drag us into the abyss

  Center-Left's Struggle Against Radical RightNick Cohen talks to The Guardian's chief political correspondent Rafael Behr discuss the failure of the Western centre-left to effectively counter the rise of the radical right, using examples from the United States and Britain. They highlighted the Democrats' inability to stop Trump's return to power and Labour's struggles under Keir Starmer despite a significant majority. The discussion touched on the fragmentation of the centre-left vote into Greens and socialists, which has weakened their ability to present a unified front against their opponents.Rafael's chilling warning of the UK's political directionRafael is very pessimistic about the future as a result of Labour's ability to fight the Radical Right: "it is increasingly my view that the evidence that we need - historically - to track the trajectory of where a lot of the salient politics that we're in at the moment leads is into the abyss, right? Although we don't know exactly what is in that abyss, we know that, you know, nationalism that is on this sort of self-reinforcing, spinning outward ever into, increasingly extreme versions of itself leads to really, really dark places..."Rafael adds, "the best arguments we have against extreme nationalism are, for fuck's sake, read some history! Look at who these people are! Just, you know, pay attention to who, what these people are, what they're saying, who their friends are. What a bunch of nasty, angry, racist, thieving, kleptocratic, psycho self-serving, venal bastards they actually are! Look at that. Just look at them in the face! Look in the face of the Gorgon! Be petrified and don't vote for it. Right. And that argument, which I feel is, should be incredibly compelling, isn't working."Read all about it!Rafael's recent book Politics: A Survivor's Guide: How to stay engaged without getting enraged is published by W.F.Howes Ltd and available at Amazon and in all good bookshops.Support the show You can also read his wonderful columns in the Guardian. His X handle is @rafaelbehrNick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• "None dare call it treason!"

  TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE - FROM EUROPE'S RADICAL RIGHT, AND EX-BREXIT PARTY MEP NATHAN GILL!Nick Cohen and Arthur Snell - the author and ex-diplomat - discuss political corruption and treason - following the sentencing of Nathan Gill, the former Brexit Party MEP and ex-leader of UKIP in Wales. They discuss the deply disturbing case of Gill- convicted of eight counts of bribery, after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing uncovered how he received payment in return for making statements which supported the presence of pro-Russian media outlets in Ukraine.Arthur explains the enduring love affair between Putin's Russia and Europe's Radical Right politicians. Gill and others have collaborated with pro-Kremlin politicians to spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Nick and Arthur explore the unique aspects of corruption across different countries and highlighted an upcoming trial involving charges of bribery related to pro-Kremlin propaganda activities. The discussion concluded with an examination of the complex relationship between the radical right in Western countries and Russian President Vladimir Putin.Russian Influence in European PoliticsArthur explains the widespread pro-Russian sentiment among far-right European politicians, noting examples like Farage's admiration for Putin and Tice's connection to a Russian financier. He emphasises that while Nathan Gill's influence was limited, his propaganda echoed broader Russian efforts to insert pro-Russian narratives into mainstream media Nick highlights how Russian disinformation, amplified through social media and media outlets, can shape public opinion, referencing instances like Nigel Farage's paid appearances on Russia Today, the Putin propaganda channel now banned from UK airwaves. Both Arthur and Nick agree about the reluctance of British authorities to investigate Russian interference, particularly in the context of Brexit, due to political sensitivities.Read all about itArthur Snell's substack column is Not all doom & his regular inciteful podcast is Behind the Lines. Arthur's first not fiction book is How Britain Broke the World: War, Greed and Blunders from Kosovo to Afghanistan, 1997-2022 .Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Read Nick's latest column, Can Europe resist Trump's gangsterism? Does it have the willpower to try? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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