Co-hosts Claire Brown and Alex Evans welcome former Green Party leader and MP Caroline Lucas. They discuss the evolution of green politics in Britain, and can help shape a better future.

Key Topics:

- Caroline Lucas’s Journey. Her path to becoming the UK Green Party’s first MP.

- Green Party Now. The party’s growth under new leader Zack Polanski.

- Progressive Alliances & Electoral Reform. Proportional representation and how can progressive parties collaborate more effectively?

- English Identity Post-Brexit. Caroline discusses her new book, “Another England”. What does Englishness mean today?

- History, Empire & Education. Unpacking Britain’s colonial past.

- Religion & Politics. The risks of ceding these "mythic" spaces to the hard right.

- Democracy & Local Power. Radical devolution, participatory democracy, and grassroots innovation.

- Climate Action for All. Why “inclusive adaptation” matters.

People:

Caroline Lucas was the UK’s first Green Party Member of Parliament (between 2010 and 2024), and before that served as a Member of the European Parliament for 10 years. She has also served as Leader and Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

She is passionate about the role of education and the arts in mobilising action on the climate and nature emergencies. Caroline is Professor of Practice in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Sussex and Co-President of the European Movement. Her latest book is Another England: How to Reclaim our National Story.

Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.

Claire Brown

Claire has spent most of her career living and working in and with communities that have been disadvantaged by inequality. This includes time spent as a journalist reporting on the issues impacting former coal mining towns in Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire; helping to design and find funding for programmes tackling problems like youth crime, homelessness and health inequality; and making it fun and easy for locals to cook and eat with refugees who are new to their area. Communication and proactive community engagement has always been at the core of her work, spanning journalism, education, charity and the arts.

Further Reading:

The Myth Gap by Alex Evans

Another England by Caroline Lucas

Host Alex Evans is joined by David Steven, a senior fellow at the UN Foundation, senior fellow at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation, and Managing Director of River Path Associates. Longtime collaborators, Alex and David reflect on the "Long Crisis Scenarios" they developed during the pandemic and discuss how those ideas have fared five years on.

Key Topics:

- David’s path to international work
- Four key global risks: acute shocks, long-term stresses, deliberate disruption and folly, ignorance, neglect.
- Layers of crisis unfolding at different speeds
- The Four Long Crisis Scenarios Revisited: “Rise of the Oligarchs”, “Big Mother, “Fragile, Resilient”, “Winning Ugly”
- Reflections on risk, governance and international institutions
- The United Nations and the future of multilateralism
- Reasons to be hopeful

People:

David Steven is a seasoned analyst and consultant specialising in global governance, crisis management, and international cooperation. With experience advising the UN, World Bank, governments and more, David brings insight from decades working on global issues, policy papers, and scenario planning alongside Alex.

Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.

Resources and Further Reading:

The Long Crisis Scenarios, Local Trust
Confronting the Long Crisis of Globalisation, Brookings Institution
Shooting the rapids: multilateralism and global risks, The Global Dashboard

Alex Evans speaks to Miriam Juan-Torres González, a leading expert on polarisation, democracy and belonging. They discuss the evolution of political polarisation since 2016, the rise of authoritarian populism and strategies for building bridges and defending democracy in turbulent times. Miriam shares insights from her research and real-world examples of successful civic campaigns, offering practical advice for anyone passionate about positive change.

Key Topics:

- Issue-based vs affective polarisation and the global landscape.
- The role of the political right and left in driving polarisation. When it can be a necessary strategy for justice.
- The importance of focusing on authoritarianism and democracy.
- The pitfalls of mainstream parties adopting far-right rhetoric. Alternative strategies for centrist governments.
- Relational organising, deep canvassing, and bridge-building.
- Do labels like “fascism” and “radical right” describe current political trends?
- The importance of electoral and grassroots strategies in defending democracy.
- A new vision of democracy.
- Integrating bridge-building with justice.

People:

Míriam Juan-Torres González is an expert on authoritarian populism, polarisation and human rights. She is Head of Research at OBI's Democracy & Belonging Forum at UC Berkeley, and formerly acted as advisor to Our Common Home and taught at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She is the co-author of “Hidden Tribes: A Study of America’s Polarized Landscape” and the lead author of “Britain’s Choice: Common Ground and Division in 2020s Britain". She is also co-chair of the Board of the Belong Network.

Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.

Resources & Further Reading:

Chris Armitage’s blog on racism.
Corrine Fowler’s interview on the Larger Us podcast
Alex Evan's article on Radical Love and Depolarisation
Hidden Tribes (US) report
Britain’s Choice (UK) report
Research by Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth on nonviolent resistance
The Othering and Belonging Institute’s work on targeted universalism

Subscribe for more conversations on navigating turbulent times and building a brighter future. Music by Fogheart, with permis