In this special live recording of the popular Past Present Future podcast, host David Runciman talks to Professor Robert Ford of Manchester University about the possibility of Nigel Farage as PM.

Are there any historical parallels for such a political outsider reaching the heart of government? What would have to happen between now and the next election to make it possible? What is the appeal of Reform to the young? What would a Farage premiership actually look like? How would it change British politics?

David Runciman in Honorary Professor of Politics at Cambridge University and the author of many books, including Political Hypocrisy, How Democracy Ends and The History of Ideas. This summer he hosted the 20-part BBC Radio 4 series Postwar, about the 1945 general election and its historical legacy.

Robert Ford is Professor of Political Science at Manchester University. His books include Revolt on the Right, Sex, Lies & Politics and Brexitland. He writes regularly for The Guardian

As 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane's birth, Lucy considers what home meant to Jane Austen. She tells her story through the rooms, spaces and possesions which mattered to her. Dispelling the myth of the cynical lonely spinster, instead offering the audience a witty, passionate woman of her time – who refuses to settle for anything less than Mr Darcy!

About Lucy Worsley

Dr Lucy Worsley OBE is passionate about making history engaging to the widest possible audience.

Her many films have spanned the genres of History and Arts, and have included A Very British Murder, A Very British Romance, Blitz Spirit, History’s Biggest Fibs, Killing Sherlock and most recently a second series of Lucy Worsley Investigates, where she re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British History.

Lucy has written numerous well-received non-fiction books including Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow, Jane Austen at Home, Cavalier: A Tale of Passion, Chivalry and Great Houses, Courtiers: A Secret History of Kensington Palace and If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of Your Home which accompanied the TV Series (BBC 4). She has written two novels for children and was recently announced as Agatha Christie’s official biographer.

Lucy Worsley’s podcast Lady Killers (BBC Sounds) was named one of the BBC’s most downloaded podcasts of 2022 and again in 2024. Lucy is passionate about making history engaging to the widest possible audience and balanced her career as a writer and broadcaster with her previous role at Historic Royal Palaces, which she recently stepped down from after 21 years of work. She was appointed an OBE in 2018 for services to history and heritage.

In this lecture, Mike will explore how we can better equip young people with the essential life skills needed to help prevent young suicide. He will discuss the vital role that education plays in promoting mental health awareness and emotional resilience from an early age, and examine how schools, families, and communities can work together to support young people. Mike will also address the powerful influence of social media, both its risks and its potential as a tool for connection and support, and how we can guide young people to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. Drawing on personal experience and his work in suicide prevention advocacy, Mike will highlight practical approaches to creating a culture where it’s safe to talk, seek help, and support one another.

About Mike Palmer

Mike Palmer is a father bereaved by suicide. His beloved daughter, Beth, took her own life in 2020 at the age of just 17. Mike is co-author of Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hope. The book is a powerful and deeply moving memoir that follows the 300-mile journey undertaken by Mike Palmer, Tim Owen, and Andy Airey, three fathers united by the tragic loss of their daughters – Sophie, Beth, and Emily – to suicide. Told through personal diary entries and reflections, the book captures their raw grief, moments of unexpected joy, and the compassion they encountered along the way, as they walked from the Lake District to the fens of East Anglia.

The three dads use their journey to raise awareness of suicide prevention, advocate for change, and bring hope to others, having already raised over £1million for the charity PAPYRUS and campaigned for suicide prevention education in schools.

"Is Obesity a Choice?"

In this lecture, Professor Yeo explores the underlying causes of obesity, explaining that while the basic principle is simple, obesity results from consuming more energy than is burned. The reasons behind why some people eat more than others are far more complex. He highlights the role of genetic differences, which can cause certain individuals to feel hungrier more often, leading them to consume more food. Challenging the widespread belief that obesity is a matter of personal choice or lack of willpower, Professor Yeo emphasises that people living with obesity are not lazy or morally flawed;instead, they are contending with powerful biological forces beyond their control.

About Professor Yeo

Professor Giles Yeo, MBE, got his PhD in molecular genetics from the University of Cambridge in 1998, after which he joined the lab of Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, working on the genetics of severe human obesity. Giles Yeo is now a Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology and programme leader at the MRCMetabolic Diseases Unit in Cambridge and his research currently focusses on the influence of genes on feeding behaviour and body-weight. In addition, he is a fellow of Wolfson College, and Honorary President of the British Dietetic Association. Giles is also a broadcaster and author, presenting science documentaries for the BBC, and hosts a podcast called ‘Dr Giles Yeo Chews The Fat’. His first book ‘Gene Eating’ was published in December 2018, and his second book ‘Why Calories Don’t Count’ came out in June 2021. Giles was appointed an MBE in the Queen’s 2020 birthday honours for services to ‘Research, Communication and Engagement’. He won the Society for Endocrinology Medal in 2022.

"A Conversation with Susie Dent"

This lecture with Susie, covers a wide range of topics about language and its evolution, including pronunciation and punctuation as well as vocabulary. Susie will talk about recent changes to the language, the absence of rules in English, the trickiness of its spelling, and the impact of new technology on its development.

About Susie Dent

Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She has spent over 30 years as a co-presenter and the resident word expert on C4's Countdown, and also appears on the show's comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Susie comments regularly on TV and radio on words in the news, and has regular columns in the Radio Times, The Week Junior, and the i paper. She is the author of several non-fiction books on words and language, and her first novel, Guilty By Definition, was published in 2025.