Radical with Amol Rajan
BBC Radio 4
Conversations about tomorrow, from Today.Every week Today programme presenter Amol Rajan talks to radicals, pioneers and innovators from all over the world. From populism and climate change, to economics and AI... How can their radical ideas help you win the future?As well as presenting Today on BBC Radio 4, Amol is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that he was the BBC's media editor and editor of The Independent.Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are published on Thursdays on BBC Sounds. You can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajanRadical with Amol Rajan is a Today podcast. If you enjoy this (and you've read this far so hopefully you do), then we think you’ll also like another podcast from Today. It’s called Political Thinking with Nick Robinson and you can listen to Nick’s interviews here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p04z203l
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 2, 2026 • 55min
Rethinking Democracy: Would Citizens Do a Better Job than Politicians? (Hélène Landemore)
Hélène Landemore, Yale political theorist and author advocating citizen-led governance, argues for lottery-selected citizen assemblies to broaden representation. She discusses why elections favor elites. Short scenes cover how assemblies work in practice, real-world examples like Ireland and France, and practical challenges of scaling, inclusion and legitimacy.
Mar 30, 2026 • 22min
Who Is Responsible For Over-Medicalisation? (Your Radical Questions with Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan)
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan, neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis, brings decades of clinical experience. She explores when anxiety becomes a medical disorder. She examines costs of overmedicalising and how underdiagnosis can coexist with diagnostic inflation. She discusses impacts on women, neurodivergence in prisons, and who drives medicalisation.
13 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 1h 4min
Over-Diagnosis: Are Too Many People Being Given Medical Labels? (Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan)
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan, consultant neurologist and author of The Age of Diagnosis, questions whether modern screening and labels sometimes harm more than help. She discusses overdetection from imaging and genetics, the nocebo effect, screening trade-offs, rising neurodiversity labels, and how diagnoses can reshape identity and life choices.
9 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 24min
Should Former Colonial Powers Pay Reparations? (Your Radical Questions with Simukai Chigudu)
Simukai Chigudu, Associate Professor of African Politics at Oxford and author of Chasing Freedom, explains debates over statues, decolonising curricula and reparative justice. He discusses relocating contested monuments, rethinking visual culture and curriculum ethos. The conversation also explores distinctions between concrete reparations and broader cultural restitution.
9 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 57min
The Legacy of Empire: How to Reckon with the Past (Simukai Chigudu)
Simukai Chigudu, an Oxford associate professor and memoirist who helped start Rhodes Must Fall, reflects on colonial legacies. He discusses confronting Rhodes's symbols, the push to decolonise curricula, campaigns to remove statues, lived experiences of racism, and arguments for reparations. Short, personal reflections meet institutional critique in a lively conversation.
Mar 16, 2026 • 27min
Do Polls Influence Public Opinion? (Your Radical Questions with James Kanagasooriam)
James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at Focaldata and honorary professor, explains his idea of agency in politics and social mobility. Short takes explore how income, mentoring and social capital shape opportunity. They debate political promises versus hard trade-offs. Finally, he discusses whether opinion polls sway voters and how journalists should report them.
11 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 55min
Taking Back Control: Why ‘Agency’ Could Be The Next Big Idea In Politics (James Kanagasooriam)
James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at Focal Data and renowned pollster who coined the term 'the Red Wall', discusses how a widespread sense of powerlessness reshapes politics. He explores agency as a new political axis, cultural loss and declining social capital, the attention economy’s effects on persuasion, COVID’s long political impact, and concrete ways to rebuild everyday control.
Mar 9, 2026 • 26min
Does Marriage Need Modernising? (Your Radical Questions with Ed Davies)
Ed Davies, research director at the Centre for Social Justice, studies family life, poverty and social policy. He explores how economic pressures and shifting norms reshape marriage rates. He discusses young men falling behind in work and education. He talks about new family forms like platonic co-parenting and the role of commitment, community and technology in modern relationships.
Mar 5, 2026 • 1h 7min
The Decline of Marriage: Why We Need to Prioritise Family Life (Ed Davies)
Ed Davies, research director at the Centre for Social Justice who studies family stability, explains why marriage rates have collapsed and how that links to delayed adulthood, rising individualism and class differences. He discusses the social and welfare consequences, debates whether marriage can be modernised, and proposes policy and cultural fixes to rebuild family stability.
9 snips
Mar 2, 2026 • 24min
How Can Families Limit the Ultra‑Processed Foods Their Kids Eat? (Your Radical Questions with Thomasina Miers)
Thomasina Miers, MasterChef winner and founder of Wahaca, campaigns on food education and policy. She debates taxing ultra‑processed foods and using funds to help low‑income families. She argues for cooking in schools, practical hospitality careers and fun family cooking tips. She also discusses making kids’ menus healthier and even the curious charm of worm salt and insect-based flavors.
