logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
27m 13s

The Bumpy Road From Reagan-Thatcher To J...

Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

What it means to be a conservative has changed dramatically in the decades since Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Bloomberg Opinion’s Global Business Columnist Adrian Wooldridge argues not all of that change has been for the better. He joins this episode to talk about why he believes conservatism in the US and UK has lost sight of its roots—and what conservatives can do to find their way back.

Read more: Conservatism Is In Crisis — But Can Be Rescued

Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK 

Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
The AI Deals Raising Fears of a New Tech Bubble
OpenAI and AMD. OpenAI and Nvidia. Oracle and OpenAI. Nvidia and Oracle. There is so much AI-on-AI dealmaking happening in the industry right now, it can be hard to keep track of who has a deal with who — and increasingly, it seems everyone has a deal with everyone else. Today on ... Show More
15m 41s
Oct 7
The Rise of Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ and Its Political Shift to the Right
For the first time in history, Japan’s ruling party has elected a woman as its leader. Sanae Takaichi, 64, is an unconventional figure — and now she’s on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister. On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s ... Show More
19m 24s
Oct 6
Pay Up Or Move Out: The Americans Losing Their Homes to ‘Zombie’ Mortgages
They’re called “zombie” mortgages: old second loans from the subprime era that many homeowners had good reason to believe were canceled or forgotten. Now, years later, debt collectors are coming after the money. And they’re ready to foreclose if people can’t pay. It sounds like a ... Show More
20m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2024
Why Britain Just Ended 14 Years of Conservative Rule
For more than a decade, Britain has been governed by the Conservative Party, which pushed its politics to the right, embracing smaller government and Brexit. Last week, that era officially came to an end.Mark Landler, the London bureau chief for The Times, explains why British vo ... Show More
30m 6s
Oct 3
The rise of a worker friendly Republican Party
In the United States, the political right is undergoing a significant transformation. Once dominated by Reagan economics—characterised by free trade and deregulation—the movement has increasingly adopted policies focusing on the working class, opposing globalisation, pursuing pro ... Show More
33m 28s
Jul 2024
Will Labour raise taxes?
Rachel Reeves' first statement as the new Chancellor has kicked off a huge political row. She accused her predecessor Jeremy Hunt of lying about the 'true state' of the UK's finances - and he hit back calling her ‘shameless’. So was there actually a ‘cover up’ by the previous gov ... Show More
29m 22s
Apr 2024
86 | Right-Wing Political Thought w/ Dr. Matt McManus
In this episode, we are joined by Matt McManus to discuss his research into the history and philosophy of right-wing politics in his book The Political Right and Equality. We discuss the nature of conservatism as an irrationalist reaction to modernist ideas about human egalitaria ... Show More
59 m
Mar 2025
Ep105. Neoliberalism: The Ultimate Disorderer? With George Monbiot
Forget Christianity, Judaism, New Age Spirituality, and Buddhism, a new type of religion drives 21st century Western thought. It goes by the shadowy name of Neoliberalism: the commodification of everything; Markets and the private sector ascendent; The deliberate attempt to reduc ... Show More
55m 40s
Jan 2023
1: Michael Heseltine: From Thatcher to Sunak
In the first ever episode of ‘Leading’, Alastair and Rory are joined by former Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine. One of the biggest names in the last half-century of British politics, Lord Heseltine discusses everything from his crucial role in the rise and fall of Margar ... Show More
53m 52s
Jul 2024
The global rise of right-wing populism (rerun)
It’s been a few months since our deep dive on populism, but following the annoucement of JD Vance as Trump’s VP pick, the term is back in the headlines. Today, we’re revisiting that episode because it’s important to know what populism is and isn’t, and why a specific brand of pop ... Show More
31m 17s
Apr 2025
The Conservative Activist Pushing Trump to Attack U.S. Colleges
This week, we interviewed two people with leading roles in the rapidly escalating conflict between the Trump administration and American higher education.Today, we speak with Christopher Rufo, who led the conservative critique of, and assault on, critical race theory and diversit ... Show More
43m 49s
Jun 2024
Neoliberalism: The Invisible Ideology, with George Monbiot
We live under an invisible ideology. It tells us that we are not citizens but consumers. That intervening in the free market compromises our freedom. That we are all millionaires-in-waiting - and if we are struggling to make ends meet, then we only have ourselves to blame. This i ... Show More
55m 7s
Aug 21
Stake and chips: will America take 10% of Intel?
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural ... Show More
21m 2s