Is removing statues and decolonising the curriculum the answer?

A member of the first generation born after the end of colonial rule in Zimbabwe, Simukai Chigudu came to the UK as a teenager and later became one of the founding members of a campaign to try to get the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes moved from Oriel College in Oxford.

Now an associate professor of African politics at the University of Oxford, he’s written a memoir called Chasing Freedom: Coming of Age at the End of Empire.

In this episode he discusses the legacy of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign and whether countries like Britain should pay reparations for slavery.

TIMECODES:

(00:03:00) The history of colonialism in Zimbabwe

(00:05:10) Cecil Rhodes’ role in Zimbabwe and the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign

(00:09:35) Attitudes to England

(00:16:37) Decolonising the curriculum

(00:18:47) Statues

(00:34:53) Experiencing racism

(00:44:40) The case for reparations

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd and Cordelia Hemming. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Philip Bull. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Leading pollster James Kanagasooriam answers your questions about how his idea of agency could advance social mobility, how it might be used by politicians and whether there are any reasons to be cheerful at a time of global instability.

He also explains how voters might be influenced by the reporting of opinion polls.

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dave O'Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

On this week’s episode, leading pollster James Kanagasooriam explains how a sense of powerlessness amongst voters is shaping politics.

His research suggests that people who feel like they have control over their lives are more likely to vote for traditional parties whereas those who don’t tend to vote for populists promising to change the status quo.

So what can we learn from this and how could the idea of ‘agency’ help solve some of Britain’s problems?

TIMECODES

(00:04:12) Why James thinks agency is the next big idea in politics

(00:11:34) What does agency say about politics today?

(00:16:30) Degradation of civic institutions and cultural loss

(00:29:29) Cultural pessimism

(00:34:41) The attention economy

(00:40:17) Trade-offs

(00:45:19) The impact of Covid

(00:48:29) James’ radical solutions

(00:52:06) Amol’s reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis and Jem Westgate. Technical production was by Dave O'Neill. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Ed Davies, research director at the right-leaning anti-poverty think tank Centre for Social Justice, answers your questions about modern family life and relationships.

He also discusses why young men are falling behind in work and education, how economic pressures are reshaping marriage rates, and why he argues that we need to re-prioritise social connection and community.

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Tom Smithard, Anna Budd and Lewis Vickers. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Dafydd Evans. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Marriage rates in the UK have fallen to historic lows, but what are the consequences?

Ed Davies, research director at right‑leaning anti‑poverty think tank the Centre for Social Justice, explains what has led to this shift and argues that it has caused a decline in family stability with profound consequences for society.

To deal with it he says we need to modernise marriage and adopt a range of policies that promote family life.

TIMECODES

(00:04:29) The decline of marriage in the UK

(00:06:33) Why is the marriage decline happening?

(00:19:10) Delayed adulthood and rise in autonomy

(00:21:52) Are there benefits to the decline in marriage?

(00:24:49) The consequences of the decline in marriage and family stability

(00:32:37) Can marriage be modernised?

(00:34:57) Feminism and motherhood

(00:47:04) How this affects the UK’s welfare bill

(00:53:37) The impact of Andrew Tate on young boys

(00:58:57) Ed’s radical ideas

(01:03:57) Amol’s Reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Tom Smithard, Anna Budd and Lewis Vickers. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davies. Technical production was by Dafydd Evans. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

MasterChef winner and founder of Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca, Thomasina Miers, answers your questions about the quality of kids’ meals in restaurants, how to make hospitality an attractive career and whether cooking should be made a compulsory part of the curriculum in schools.

She also tells Amol about the virtues of worm salt!

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

The UK is one of the world’s largest consumers of ultra-processed foods, so Wahaca restaurants founder Thomasina Miers thinks the government should cut the taxes of businesses that serve healthy alternatives.

In fact, she challenges the idea that ultra‑processed products should be called ‘food’ at all.

From social canteens that teach people to cook simple meals to zero percent business rates for greengrocers, the MasterChef winner tells Amol how she would reform Britain’s food system.

And she warns that the hospitality sector is facing a “bloodbath” after Chancellor Rachel Reeves increased employer national insurance contributions.

A government spokesperson said: “We're backing hospitality with a £4.3bn support package to limit business rate bill rises, alongside capping Corporation Tax at 25%, cutting red tape and investing £1.5 billion to create 50,000 more apprentices and foundation apprenticeships.”

“The fair and necessary decisions we made at this Budget and the last mean we can deliver on the country’s priorities – cutting waiting lists, cutting debt and borrowing and cutting the cost of living.”

TIMECODES

(00:03:35) Why Thomasina believes ultra‑processed food shouldn’t be considered “real” food

(00:08:27) The role of supermarkets

(00:17:14) School meals

(00:21:37) The state of the UK hospitality sector

(00:31:24) Why every high street needs a greengrocer

(00:35:38) Cutting VAT for restaurants

(00:39:37) Valuing well‑grown, high‑quality produce

(00:41:45) Weight‑loss drugs

(00:44:02) Tackling food waste

(00:48:08) Amol’s reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Founder of the tech driven social enterprise Zero Gravity, Joe Seddon answers your radical questions about boosting social mobility in the UK and helping talented young people from low opportunity areas realise their potential. Amol and Joe explore how volunteering can become a powerful engine for skill building, discuss the rise in youth unemployment, and unpack Joe’s prediction that the next 15 years could bring a “blue collar rebellion” as AI reshapes white collar work. GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent. Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Joe Seddon, founder of Zero Gravity, thinks “geography is destiny in the UK” which is why he has built a tech platform to do something about it.

In this week’s episode, Amol and Joe dig into the barriers facing young people across the country, from stalled social mobility to uneven access to opportunity.

Growing up in a single‑parent household in Morley, West Yorkshire, he went on to study at the University of Oxford, but he thinks those opportunities are still too rare for people from a similar background. That’s why his platform connects people from low-opportunity areas with top universities and employers.

But Joe argues that there needs to be “radical transparency” in how university degrees are advertised so people know the value of the course they’re applying to.

And in a blunt message to ambitious people from disadvantaged backgrounds, he admits that the economic reality means that “you should think seriously about leaving your hometown.”

TIMECODES

(00:03:46) Social mobility in the UK

(00:11:24) The impact of AI on social mobility

(00:16:49) Can government policy improve social mobility?

(00:18:14) The broken social contract for Gen Z

(00:21:00) Student loan repayments

(00:27:24) Are too many people going to university?

(00:30:49) Joe’s RADICAL ideas

(00:36:19) Joe’s journey from West Yorkshire to Oxford University

(00:40:37) Accent bias

(00:46:55) Why “geography is destiny” in the UK

(00:54:36) What is Zero Gravity?

(01:36:44) Amol’s reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by James Piper. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Tech entrepreneur and founder of tailoring and repair company SOJO Josephine Philips answers your questions on fast fashion, manufacturing and scaling the repair economy.

She also discusses how big retailers are beginning to invest in repairs, the craft of making a garment and why we need to invest more in manufacturing clothing in the UK.

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

The fashion industry is the world’s second‑largest contributor to carbon emissions, surpassed only by agriculture. With such a significant impact on the climate, the question is: what can we actually do about it? Tech entrepreneur and founder of SOJO, Josephine Philips, wants you to stop throwing clothes away and think about what you’re buying.

In her conversation with Amol, they explore the wider issues tied to fast fashion, including exploitative labour practices, overflowing landfills, and the relentless pace of production.

They also look at the rise of second‑hand shopping, from charity shops to online resale platforms, and how this shift is reshaping consumer habits. She says legislation can play a major role in holding large companies accountable for their product life cycle and Josephine shares practical, everyday steps we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment.

TIMECODES

(00:02:17) What is SOJO?

(00:06:22) How the fashion industry impacts people and communities globally

(00:11:03) Corporate responsibility and legislation

(00:13:38) The environmental impact of the fashion industry

(00:21:45) Josephine’s RADICAL solutions

(00:23:38) The growth of second-hand fashion

(00:26:55) Learning to repair our clothes instead of throwing them away

(00:32:20) The downside of overconsumption

(00:35:30) Affordability in sustainable fashion

(00:38:38) Practical advice to help you consume less

(00:50:41) Learning from past generations

(00:54:24) Amol’s Reflections

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: [email protected] Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday and you can also watch them on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002f1d0/radical-with-amol-rajan Amol Rajan is a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also the host of University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC and editor at The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Lewis Vickers with Anna Budd. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davis. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.