logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
1h 3m

419. Britain in 1974: Countdown to a Cou...

Goalhanger
About this episode
Following a tumultuous election in February 1974, Labour’s Harold Wilson has been re-elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wilson, an unpretentious, kind man, has inherited a nation in crisis: train strikes in Norfolk, students fighting in Oxford, inflation, an ongoing oil crisis, a terrible cost of living crisis, striking miners, and weekly IRA terr ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
692. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Massacre in Paris (Part 2)
What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 26
691. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Queen’s Spymaster (Part 1)
How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 22
690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2)
What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17 year old girl? And, why did the Austrian royal family try to er ... Show More
1h 19m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Is It 1974 All Over Again?
<p>A Conservative prime minister, soaring inflation, strikes bringing the country to a standstill - and Britain hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. Welcome to 1974.</p><br><p>Matt looks at what happened when Ted Heath asked 'who governs Britain', and considers whether Rishi Suna ... Show More
44m 41s
Dec 2023
1970s Britain: everything you wanted to know
1970s Britain has gained a reputation for being fairly bleak, filled with strikes and economic turbulence. But was it really so terrible? From the uniting power of television to his grandfather's safari suit, Alwyn Turner takes Lauren Good on a journey through this decade of chan ... Show More
30m 43s
Aug 2022
100 Years of British Political Nightmares
<p>Over Britain’s first century of mass democracy, from the Great Depression to the pandemic, politics has lurched from crisis to crisis. How does this history of political agony illuminate our current age of upheaval?</p><br><p>Phil Tinline is a leading producer and presenter of ... Show More
29m 19s
Sep 2022
What Could Labour Learn From Harold Wilson?
<p>In the week of the Labour Party when polls indicate that the party is likely to form the next government, it seems an opportune moment to examine what lessons they might be able to draw from their own history. But why Harold Wilson?</p><br><p>Harold Wilson won four general ele ... Show More
23m 43s
Oct 2022
What caused the turmoil in British politics?
After the resignation of Liz Truss the UK will soon have its third prime minister this year. Britain has long been considered a politically stable nation. So has something changed? The governing Conservative Party is divided on many issues, including the country’s future directio ... Show More
49m 11s
Jun 2024
The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it would bring to an end 14 years of Tory rule. It’s been a turbulent period; the twin catastrophes of Brexit and Covid, set to ... Show More
50m 33s
Oct 2022
60. Fear and Loathing in Birmingham
Are we on the brink of Tory civil war? Has Truss painted herself into a corner with her conference speech? What on earth is an 'anti-growth coalition'? Rory has scrambled Alastair for an emergency podcast to discuss growing unrest in Tory circles. Plus Labour's next moves, wheth ... Show More
48m 22s
May 2024
The Intelligence: Rishi Sunak’s report card
Ahead of a general election in July, we reflect on 14 years of Conservative rule. It’s not a great record, but will the prime minister be able to spin it on the campaign trail? Latin America is still being torn apart by some of the world’s worst gang violence. Why aren’t counterm ... Show More
27m 48s
May 2024
The Intelligence: Rishi Sunak’s report card
<p>Ahead of a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/05/22/rishi-sunaks-election-call-makes-no-sense-but-is-good-news?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.l ... Show More
27m 48s