Life of the Party

23: Immigration: Is the Left Getting It Right?

In this week's episode, Joe raises doubts about the Green Party's choice of candidate in the Manchester mayoralty - spurring wider questions about leadership on the left. After discussing the Green Party's proposals for internal democratic reform, your hosts zoom out to discuss politics' most significant wedge issue: immigration. Shanice opens by critiquing the left's go to arguments, proposing an alternative lens for viewing the critical yet divisive immigration debate. READINGS Joshua Virasami - A World Without Racism: Building Antiracist Futures [https://www.plutobooks.com/product/a-world-without-racism/]The Productive State - A Framework for Manchesterism [https://www.mainstreamlabour.org/updates/new-publication-the-productive-state] Margaret Kennedy - The Feast [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3409731-the-feast] Resonance FM - English Stitch [https://www.resonancefm.com/programmes/69d794db50000b3c06000001] Please subscribe, comment and leave a review! Hosted by Shanice McBean, Jonas Marvin and Joe Todd. Edited by Marcus Berdaut for Ampersounds Productions [https://www.ampersounds.productions]. Become a supporter: lifeoftheparty.uk [https://www.lifeoftheparty.uk] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/life.ofthepartypodcast]. This is an Ampersounds production.

22: Burnham Wins Makerfield: Is It Time For a Progressive Alliance?

Jonas runs through Burnham’s big win in Makerfield and what it might mean for the Labour Party and the country, while Joe gives a deep cut on progressive alliances, assessing their history, viability and whether the Greens should sign up. Live show London 3rd July - Get Your Tickets [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lifeoftheparty/2251612] Readings All in: A Revolutionary Theory to Stop Climate Collapse [https://all-in.now/] Bitch: A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal [https://dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/bitch-what-does-it-mean-to-be-female/⁠] The Secret History Donna Tartt [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History⁠] Please subscribe, comment and leave a review! Hosted by Shanice McBean, Jonas Marvin and Joe Todd. Edited by Marcus Berdaut for Ampersounds Productions [https://www.ampersounds.productions⁠]. Become a supporter: lifeoftheparty.uk [http://lifeoftheparty.uk]

21: The First 6 Months of Mayor Mamdani

Shanice opens up the episode probing why the left’s response to the killing of Henry Nowak has been so lukewarm, whilst Joe gives us a deep dive into six months of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoralty, assessing what’s gone well and what challenges might arise for the young democratic socialist politician. Live show: London 3rd July - Get your tickets! [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lifeoftheparty/2251612 ] Readings Patrick Radden Keefe - London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238226991-london-falling]City and a Family's Search for Truth [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238226991-london-falling] H. V. Morton - In Search of England [https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/in-search-of-england/author/h-v-morton/] Asad Haider - Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump [https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/blogs/news/4029-mistaken-identity-race-and-class-in-the-age-of-trump?srsltid=AfmBOooFD9muMiab5XODi8mncXGZVWfH3Zfr0FDJkcgd6eS6xzODBw7m] Please subscribe, comment and leave a review! Hosted by Shanice McBean, Jonas Marvin and Joe Todd. Edited by Marcus Berdaut for Ampersounds Productions [https://www.ampersounds.productions]. Become a supporter: lifeoftheparty.uk [https://www.lifeoftheparty.uk/support] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/life.ofthepartypodcast]. This is an Ampersounds production.

20: LIVE SHOW! Andy Burnham and British Politics After the Local Elections (Norwich Transformed)

Who is Andy Burnham? What is Manchesterism? Should the Greens be afraid of Labour's so-called soft left? Jonas, Joe and Shanice dissect the state of British politics after the local elections, and ask where next for the Left in a rapidly disintegrating two-party system. This episode was recorded live at Norwich Transformed 2026. Please subscribe, comment and leave a review! Hosted by Shanice McBean, Jonas Marvin and Joe Todd. Edited by Marcus Berdaut for Ampersounds Productions. Become a supporter: lifeoftheparty.uk [https://www.lifeoftheparty.uk] Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/life.ofthepartypodcast]. This is an Ampersounds production.

19: Antisemitism, Local Elections and the End of Two Party Duopoly

In this week’s episode, Joe takes us on a tour through the recent local elections as we contemplate the end of the two-party system and the brewing Green insurgency. Then Shanice discusses two of this disintegrating system’s morbid symptoms: the rise of both antisemitism and moral panics about antisemitism, asking how the left fights both racism towards Jews and the instrumentalisation of Jewish identity by bad faith actors defending a broken political settlement. Readings Abram Leon - The Jewish Question [https://www.marxists.org/subject/jewish/leon/] Hackney Green Party Manifesto [https://www.hackneygreens.org.uk/manifesto] Callum Cant and Matthew Lee - The Future in our Past: The General Strike [https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3483-the-future-in-our-past?srsltid=AfmBOop6jax17BcrYa5mxkDFSiemxvYtjy2hF1aYXjhXptS9K0E2O7RT] Please subscribe, comment and leave a review! Hosted by Shanice McBean, Jonas Marvin and Joe Todd. Edited by Marcus Berdaut for ⁠⁠⁠Ampersounds Productions.⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.ampersounds.productions/] Become a supporter: ⁠⁠⁠https://lifeoftheparty.uk/ ⁠⁠⁠ [https://lifeoftheparty.uk/] Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/life.ofthepartypodcast/]. This is an Ampersounds production.