Nineteen Eighty-Four: Big Brother, Surveillance, and Fear (The Book Club)

  • The Rest Is Politics

  • 30 March 2026

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 0

Why is 1984 as relevant today as when it was published? Who is Big Brother, and why is he so powerful? What was George Orwell's intention when creating the world of 1984, and what does it tell us about politics today?


Alastair Campbell is joined by Dominic Sandbrook to delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of 1984, the world it was born of, and the novel itself.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 minute(s) read

Recent Podcasts

568. MAGA’s Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland’s ‘Brexit’ Moment

3 September 2026

567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?

2 September 2026

204. Will a Wealth Tax Actually Fix Britain? (Dan Neidle)

31 August 2026

Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn

27 August 2026

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

568. MAGA’s Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland’s ‘Brexit’ Moment

Did Iceland's rejection of EU membership talks repeat the same mistakes as Britain's Remain campaign, and does it hand a dangerous propaganda win to Farage, Putin, and the wider anti-European right? A... Continue

3 September 2026

The Rest Is Politics

Posted by Alastair Campbell

567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?

Why is the backlash against data centres becoming one of the most combustible issues in US politics? What does an AI system's attempt to cheat, cover its tracks, and break into another company’s web... Continue

2 September 2026

The Rest Is Politics

Posted by Alastair Campbell

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Trump says Europe is broken. My nine-country journey showed how idiotic he is

Football, lakes, trees, plus plenty of work – that’s my idea of a great holiday... Continue

2 September 2026

The New European

Posted by Alastair Campbell

204. Will a Wealth Tax Actually Fix Britain? (Dan Neidle)

Why does tax expert Dan Neidle take Gabriel Zucman seriously as a thinker on inequality, but dismiss Gary Stevenson's warnings as populism? What did he uncover in Peter Mandelson's emails, and how did... Continue

31 August 2026

Leading

Posted by Alastair Campbell

Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn

Who are the political figures that shaped Andy Burnham? How far will the new PM go to be liked? And what impact did losing to Jeremy Corbyn's popularity 'tsunami' have on his career - and confidence? ... Continue

27 August 2026

The Rest Is Politics

Posted by Alastair Campbell

566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs

Why is Mark Carney choosing economic pain over a deal on tariffs with Trump? As Palestinians prepare to vote for the first time in 20 years, why has Mahmoud Abbas decided that now is finally the momen... Continue

27 August 2026

The Rest Is Politics

Posted by Alastair Campbell

565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany?

Why did Andy Burnham choose Kyiv, not Washington or Brussels, for his first foreign trip as Prime Minister? Is the tide at home turning against President Zelenskyy, and do fresh corruption scandals po... Continue

26 August 2026

The Rest Is Politics

Posted by Alastair Campbell

203. The Man Taking On Infantino: UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin

How did UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin lead the revolt that tore apart Gianni Infantino's plan to privatise the World Cup? Is Infantino finished as FIFA President after alienating the European fed... Continue

24 August 2026

Leading

Posted by Alastair Campbell