Our guest today is no stranger to the show. Back in 2020, Neil spoke with Helen Godwin when she was a Bristol City Councillor. A lot has changed since then. Not only has the Bristol mayoral role been abolished, but a new Labour government is in power, and Helen Godwin now holds one of the West Country's most important political positions: the Mayor…

Neil scored a conversation with Bristol's homegrown boxing legend, Lee Haskins. You might know him as a former world champion, but today, ten years on from that victory, the two catch up to talk shop about Lee's ongoing legacy. He now runs his own family gym, Round One Boxing, where he trains and teaches alongside a roster of other professional fig…

So, this is a bit of a break from the usual, but we figured the lessons we can learn from radicals 200 years ago are every bit as relevant as those from today. Isaac is back out exploring, and this time he's in a Hotwells building that was once ground zero for radical science and politics in England: The Pneumatic Institute. This place was a hotbed…

Warning: Contains discussions about grooming gangs in the second half This week it’s another episode of Bristol Unpacked. Islam is back in the firing line of the culture wars, with a new legal definition being drafted by Labour, and the grooming gang scandal very much overlapping with far-right narratives about the religion. We wanted to hone in on…

[TRIGGER WARNING: Communism] This episode comes from our last live show where we had international super comrade, professor Jodi Dean, blessing us with a discussion focussed on Communism in the modern age. As an outwardly left wing academic residing in the U.S.A, Jodi is often at the sharp end of the discourse, and she eloquently describes the impo…

Join Neil Maggs alongside councillor for Hartcliffe and Withywood Kirsty Tate, to talk about class & climate justice in her community. Kirsty is the Climate Action Manager at Heart of BS13, and is a co-author of The Just Transition Declaration which is all about ensuring climate policies are fair for everyone especially those most negatively impact…

Number one Potter fanboy (joking please no more libel) Ethan Shone gives us a whistle stop tour of the sketchy world of The Dark Arts, aka secretive political lobbying. How is Bristol MP Darren Jones connected to a globally influential organisation set up by MI6 operatives? Why has Starmer's Labour party been described by former Scottish Labour lea…

We're going up north – or actually, the north is coming down south to Bristol. You've probably clocked by now that there's been a massive Northern Soul revival in the city, so we thought we'd unpack what it's all about. This week, Neil talks to Levanna McLean and her mum, Eve Arslett. It started when Levanna began doing Northern Soul dances during …

Annie McGann aka The People's Lobbyist, graced us with her presence at the last PJDS live event to talk about her favourite topic, night-life. Her campaign group Save Bristol Nightlife has been pivotal in supporting the city's night-time economy, acting as a resource hub as well as a go-between for industry workers, Bristol City Council representat…

This week we’ve got the next instalment of Bristol Unpacked for you. Neil managed to get a chat in with our new High Sheriff, Kalpna Woolf. Its one of those mysterious, archaic titles that somehow has stood the test of time, but as Kalpna details, is a world away from its original purpose of enforcing the monarch’s will and collecting taxes… Kalpna…

"Tommy Robinson's worst nightmare" is how Taj Ali described his experience at Uni. He came to town for PJDS live to talk about the past, present, and future of trade unionism and activism in the UK. Drawing from his time as an industrial correspondent and his upcoming book on British South Asian resistance, Taj connects the dots between working-cla…

One year into his leadership of Bristol City Council, Green party councillor for Southville Tony Dyer sits down with Neil to talk about it. They touch on the Green Party's internal dynamics, financial hurdles, and the significant political changes occurring within the city, such as the appointment of the new West of England mayor, Labour's Helen Go…

The queue for the women's toilet was tiny at the Reform UK rally according to Sian Norris, our guest this week. She's a journalist who has used undercover reporting to lift the lid on on the rise of right-wing populism and misogyny, particularly in relation to reproductive rights. She's a Senior Reporter at openDemocracy and has written several boo…

With faith in democracy – and in particular in traditional political parties – at a low ebb, in the UK and elsewhere, this week Unpacked wrestles with whether citizens’ assemblies offer a chance to rekindle the public’s affection. Neil is joined by David Jubb, co-founder and co-director of Citizens In Power, which as its name suggests aims to enabl…

We sent Isaac to Cribbs Causeway to meet the organisers of a local iteration of the international protest movement dubbed Tesla Takedown. The movement has been calling for Tesla owners to sell up and boycott the company in response to owner Elon Musk's involvement in Donald Trump's extremist government. This week, Tesla announced record losses with…

In this instalment of Bristol Unpacked, Neil is joined by BBC Politics West editor Pete Simson to unpack the upcoming West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Mayoral election. Simson, a veteran political journalist, offers his expertise and breaks down key aspects of the election, discussing the major candidates, voter engagement strategies, and …

Content warning: descriptions of violence and war "The belief in one's rights is more important than anything else. If I am confident about my rights, nothing will make me despair...When you resist an Israeli soldier by peaceful means, their weapons become irrelevant." - Iyad Burnat Iyad Burnat is a Palestinian activist involved in non-violent resi…

This week, we’re diving into Bristol’s vibrant nightlife. Neil talks with legendary Bristol photographer Colin Moody who has has been wide awake, capturing the city after dark in his latest project. Colin is no stranger to documenting Bristol’s characters; his previous photography books have brought the streets of Montpelier and Gloucester Road to …

Priyanka sits down to talk with Dr. Amelia Cussans from health justice campaign group Medact. The group recently released a report in collaboration with ACORN the union describing the evacuation of Barton House in 2023 as a mass traumatising event. Amelia and Priyanka discuss this report, its implications and some of the moving testimonies from res…

This week we’re bringing you another episode from the Bristol Unpacked Archives; its Green party MP Carla Denyer who was interviewed by Neil in October 2021, just after her election as co-chair of The Green party and 3 years before her election to parliament as the MP for Bristol Central in 2024. How has she measured up against early commitments ex…

Adam Quarshie, the latest addition to The Bristol Cable's core reporter team, takes the lead in conversation with Sean Morrison about his latest investigation into the trial of the so called Filton 18; a group of activists who broke into an arms factory in Bristol last year (2024). Sean's article: Filton 18: ‘The more you oppress people, the more t…

From the archive April 2022 "As the slap reverberates around the world we talk all things comedy with Jayde Adams - who went from working in Asda Bedminster to her own Amazon Prime Special. She just starred in a new BBC documentary following her move back to Bristol. Going deep about how the death of her sister made her so driven, are there red lin…

Producer George is having a week off and the team is busy planning the next batch of guests and an exciting development for the series... Mystery buttonโดย The Bristol Cable

Lucy Reed is a barrister in the family courts, where separating couples hammer out child custody arrangements and where, in one of the most severe decisions the state can take, orders are made to take children into care, separating them from their families. On 27 January, journalists were for the first time allowed, with some restrictions, to repor…

As pro-Palestine marches began ‘shrinking’ last year, St Paul’s residents Matt and Sasha drew on their experiences community organising with the ACORN union to try a different way of influencing public opinion. Inspired by their neighbourhood’s history of mobilising against South African apartheid, they hit the streets to knock on doors and chat to…

From the archives - an update Today we bring you an episode from the archives with Dr Patrick Hart. Patrick took action in August 2022 to demand an end to new licences and consents for oil and gas projects in the UK, something which has subsequently become government policy. He disabled petrol pumps at an Esso garage on the M25 on the 24th August 2…

Crypto is everywhere just now, after reinstalled President Trump’s recent pronouncements on the subject – including launching his own meme coin, which has soared in value. That’s great, because it gives PJDS a rare aura of being bang on the news agenda, as we sit down with Joshua Dávila, author of Blockchain Radicals, How Capitalism Ruined Crypto A…

It’s the coldest time of the year, and Bristol’s homelessness crisis is as bleak as ever. How does it feel to be out on the streets? This week, Neil puts the question to Paul Goggin, ex-Lord Mayor of Bristol, who went through a period of sleeping rough after a relationship breakdown. Goggin has also been open about his mental health struggles – doe…

Gen Z listeners, do you actually know what a strike is? If not, we’ve got just the episode for you. PJDS this week features Bristol teacher Nik, National Education Union rep and co-host of the Requires Improvement podcast, who joins Isaac with his feet still freezing cold from standing on a picket line in January. So how does one go about organisin…

“I’m definitely not an activist,” says Jake Hanrahan at the start of this week’s episode, pushing back hard on People Just Do Something’s tagline of being about people who might identify as one. Either way, Jake, who founded grassroots conflict media organisation Popular Front, is a fascinating character. What led him in his twenties to decide to b…

Bristol is famous for being a maritime city, and its harbour – a vast area of water and historic docklands regenerated from dereliction since the 1990s – draws tourists from all over the world. But who are the people living on the many vessels moored there? What has led them to choose a boat-dwelling life? And why are they protesting against how th…

Content warning: This episode tackles issues to do with sexual violence. Burned out and disillusioned by their experience of working in mainstream charities for women who have survived sexual violence, Megan and Bryony took some time out before deciding they could do better. So they set up SLEEC (Survivors Leading Essential Education & Change), a r…

When authorities make plans that affect people’s lives, what do they get wrong – and how can they do better at working with communities? What are the lessons here for the council in Bristol, as it continues to face blowback over traffic restrictions in east Bristol? And why is it more important than ever for young people to have access to safe spac…

In 2018, four friends in a Stoke Newington pub, frustrated by post-Brexit chaos, had an idea. Weeks later, they were plastering a giant tweet on a billboard. The stunt went viral, and Led By Donkeys was born. Known for bold, satirical interventions, they’ve taken on hypocrisy with billboards, projections, pranks, and daring campaigns. Join Priyanka…

A year on from the Barton House tower block evacuation, and six months after the Green Party became the largest party on Bristol City Council, what has changed as Bristol continues to grapple with a brutal housing crisis? How are the Greens finding being the party of leadership rather than opposition? And if they seized power at a national level, w…

This week Alex Turner sits down with Priyanka Raval to talk about her print piece, Barton House, One Year On, The Enduring Trauma and Search for Justice. Priyanka spoke to Barton House residents and discovered how the emergency evacuation last year continues to impact them. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to T…

This week, Priyanka sits down with Sean Morrisson to discuss an Avon and Somerset police report leaked to the Cable. The report demonstrates that the police messaging around the impact of stop and search powers is misaligned with the public messaging around this. Topics include discussions around strip searching which could be distressing. Bristol …

Has the council stuck to a commitment it made in 2019 to work more ethically with people who owe it money? What can we expect on this issue from the new Green Party led administration? And why is it so important to stick with stories like this over the long term? Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol …

Cable reporter Sean Morrison takes us inside our new campaign to say no to section 60 - special powers being used to to crack down on knife crime that are disproportionately targeting people of colour and leaving them traumatised. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podca…

The Cable’s Priyanka Raval interviews freelance reporter Adam Quarshie about trade unions’ response to recent far-right unrest in Bristol, how they can do more for migrant workers, and whether their past relationship with racism needs to be reckoned with. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to People Just Do Somet…

Join Cable journalists Priyanka and Sean as they reflect on what’s driving the far right violence across the country, and Bristol's incredible show of solidarity as thousands took to the streets to say no to hatred. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your podcasts.…

Climate activist and author Mikaela Loach spoke at a packed out Cable Live event in June about how she processed her climate guilt, the impact of the climate crisis that is already happening and how we can fight for a more just future. Head to www.thebristolcable.org/join to become a member, and subscribe to The Bristol Cable wherever you get your …

What happens when a notoriously hard to prove crime, meets a failing criminal justice system and a society still mired in misogyny? This Cable investigation, originally published in August 2023, led us down a road exploring this exact question, revealing the full, complex story of how the Bristol police force deals with sexual violence. Hosted on A…

This is the third in a series of talks recorded at the Bristol Transformed 2024, a grassroots festival of radical politics, arts and culture for which The Bristol Cable was a media partner. Throughout this series, you’ll hear from a range of voices, including Cable journalists, talking on topics with a focus on political organising. In this event, …

Join Matty Edwards and Priyanka Raval for a special, slightly delirious general election results debrief; A total Tory wipeout, a Labour landslide and a groundbreaking gain for the Green party, our journalists have been up all night at counts across the city, getting up close and personal with the winners, losers and inbetweeners of the general ele…

This is a live recording of the housing general election hustings hosted by Shelter at the Malcolm X Centre in St Paul’s in Bristol on Wednesday 26 June 2024. In this event organised by housing charity Shelter, Conservative, Green and Lib Dem general election candidates for the Bristol Central seat – plus a Labour councillor, standing in for their …

The general election is almost upon us – and across the Bristol area people are deciding how they will cast their votes on 4 July. Many will be doing so in newly mapped constituencies, which have been affected by boundary changes. These changes could have a real impact on the elections’ outcome. Today our Area in Focus is North East Somerset and Ha…

This is the second of a short series of talks recorded at the Bristol Transformed festival 2024, a grassroots and volunteer led festival of radical politics, arts and culture for which The Bristol Cable was a media partner. Throughout this series, you’ll hear from a range of voices, including Cable journalists, talking on topics with a focus on pol…

This is the first of a short series of talks recorded at the Bristol Transformed festival 2024; a grassroots and volunteer led festival of radical politics, arts and culture for which The Bristol Cable was a media partner. Throughout this series, you’ll hear from a range of voices, including Cable journalists, talking on topics with a focus on poli…

This is a live recording of An evening with Owen Jones, recorded at Strange Brew on May 28th. In this event, cable journalist Priyanka Raval sat down with Owen Jones to discuss the general election, why he quit the Labour party, Carol Vorderman, the crisis in Palestine and what he thinks makes Bristol so unique. Subscribe to The Bristol Cable on Sp…