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Editor-in-chief Jason Cowley Head of Digital Tom Young Deputy Editor Tom Gatti International Editor Jeremy Cliffe Political Editor Stephen Bush US Editor Emily Tamkin Creative Editor Gerry Brakus Business Editor Will Dunn Associate Editor Michael Prodger Senior Online Editor George Eaton Online Editor, International India Bourke Deputy Online Editor Rachel Cunliffe Culture Editor Anna Leszkiewicz Special Projects Editor Alona Ferber Britain Editor Anoosh Chakelian Commissioning Editors Gavin Jacobson Lola Seaton Special Correspondents Harry Lambert Sophie McBain Political Correspondent Ailbhe Rea International Correspondent Ido Vock Head of Production Peter Williams Chief Sub-Editor Pippa Bailey Sub-Editors Christiana Bishop Katherine Cowles Social Media Editor Eleanor Peake Senior Writers Sarah Manavis Kate Mossman Assistant Culture Editor Ellen Peirson-Hagger Editorial Assistant Emily Bootle Contributing Writers John Bew Philip Collins Chris Deerin Edward Docx Matthew Engel Martin Fletcher John Gray Helen Lewis Shiraz Maher Paul Mason Adrian Pabst Louise Perry David Reynolds Leo Robson Brendan Simms Ed Smith Amelia Tait Johanna Thomas-Corr Helen Thompson Erica Wagner Phil Whitaker Rowan Williams Contents Free thinking since 1913 Make or break: Chris Deerin speaks to Nicola Sturgeon 22 Days past: Sophie McBain on lockdown nostalgia 26 Up Front 3 Leader 10 Correspondence Columns 7 Philip Collins on how Labour is becoming a zombie party 9 Jeremy Cliffe on why foreign policy is tilting towards realism over idealism 19 Alan Duncan writes this week’s Diary 21 Helen Thompson asks how an independent Scotland would work as an EU member state 36 Louise Perry on why hyper-sexualisation ruined our love lives Observations 12 In the Picture 13 Comment: David Gauke on how the British economy is already paying for Brexit 14 Commons Confidential: Kevin Maguire This week’s pick of the best gossip from Westminster 16 Encounter: George Eaton speaks to the progressive thinker Mathew Lawrence about how ecosocialism can save the planet 17 First Thoughts: Ailbhe Rea on the voters of Hartlepool and Boris Johnson’s money woes The Critics: Books 38 Ross Douthat wonders where all the great thinkers have gone 42 Johanna Thomas-Corr on how Rachel Cusk turned midlife crisis into an art 44 The NS Poem “from uncivil” by Andrew McMillan 45 Reviewed in Short A selection of notable new titles 46 Simon Kuper on The Bomber Mafia, Malcolm Gladwell’s history of the men who reinvented warfare Articles 22 Chris Deerin speaks to Nicola Sturgeon and asks if now is the time for Scottish independence 26 Sophie McBain on the curious condition of lockdown nostalgia 28 John Simpson on 100 years of the Chinese Communist Party 32 Leo Robson on Blake Bailey, Philip Roth and whether the work should be judged by the standards of the life New Statesman Vol 150, No 5618 ISSN 1364-7431 USPS 382260 Please note that all submissions to the letters page, our competitions and reader offers are accepted solely subject to our terms and conditions: details available on request or on our website. Subscription Rates: (institutional rates in brackets): UK £120, Airmail Europe: €150; Rest of world Airmail: USA $192. Subscribers paying by direct debit will, after any initial offer, be debited at the standard rate. Syndication/Permissions/Archive: Email: Permissions@newstatesman.co.uk. Printed by Walstead Peterborough Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1733 555 567 . Distribution by Marketforce. New Statesman (ISSN 1364-7431) is published weekly by New Statesman Ltd, 12-13 Essex Street, London WC2R 3AA, UK. Registered as a newspaper in the UK and USA Standard House, 12-13 Essex Street, London WC2R 3AA. Tel 020 7936 6400 4 | NEW STATESMAN | 7-13 MAY 2021
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Cover art direction Erica Weathers Cover image Selman Hoşgör/Studio PI Arid land: Ross Douthat on the fall of the intellectual 38 Master storyteller: Simon Kuper on Malcolm Gladwell 46 The Critics: Arts 50 Ellen Peirson-Hagger speaks to the folk pioneer Peggy Seeger about misogyny in music, ageing and her new solo record 52 Michael Prodger on the richly illustrated manuscripts of Gaston Fébus’s Le Livre de la Chasse 54 Film: Ryan Gilbey is startled by the absurd slapstick and silly accents in Wild Mountain Thyme 55 Television: Rachel Cooke finds a strange joy in Johnny Vegas: Carry on Glamping 55 Radio: Anna Leszkiewicz on Life Changing, the new series from former Woman’s Hour host Jane Garvey “We keep books for the ghosts of our selves contained within” Tracey Thorn, page 59 Back Pages 57 Food Felicity Cloake 58 Down and Out Nicholas Lezard 59 Off the Record Tracey Thorn 60 Health Matters Phil Whitaker 61 Crossword, Subscriber of the Week and NS Word Games 62 The NS Q&A Rukmini Iyer Artwork Cartoons, photographs and illustrations by Becky Barnicoat, André Bergamin, André Carrilho, Kieran Dodds, Anthony Gerace, Grizelda, Ben Jennings, George Leigh, Ian McGowan, Max Miechowski, Samuel Skoronski, Ralph Steadman and Alice Zoo Graphics by Dan Murrell +What’s happening on newstatesman.com Biden’s next 100 days The US president faces tougher challenges, says Emily Tamkin The European view of the SNP Ido Vock on the EU and Scottish independence The struggle behind “Britcoin” James Meadway on central bank digital currencies The NS Podcast Stephen Bush, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss the week in Westminster and beyond, and (try to) answer listeners’ questions. Digital subscribers get early, ad-free episodes. newstatesman.com/podcast World Review Jeremy Cliffe and Emily Tamkin are joined by special guests to explore the forces shaping global affairs. newstatesman.com/ world-review-podcast Subscribe Save 50% Subscribe to the New Statesman for just £4.75 £2.31 a week. Turn to page 63 for more about the offer, or go to: newstatesman.com/ subscribe Just £120 for a one-year print subscription – even cheaper for students! Subscription inquiries: digital.subscriptions@ newstatesman.co.uk 0808 284 9422 Head of Marketing Charlotte Mullock 0808 284 9422 Marketing Manager Alfred Jahn Commercial Director Dominic Rae 020 7406 6758 The paper in this magazine originates from timber that is sourced from sustainable forests, responsibly managed to strict environmental, social and economic standards. The manufacturing mills have both FSC and PEFC certification and also ISO9001 and ISO14001 accreditation. 7-13 MAY 2021 | NEW STATESMAN | 5

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Editor-in-chief Jason Cowley Head of Digital Tom Young Deputy Editor Tom Gatti International Editor Jeremy Cliffe Political Editor Stephen Bush US Editor Emily Tamkin Creative Editor Gerry Brakus Business Editor Will Dunn Associate Editor Michael Prodger Senior Online Editor George Eaton Online Editor, International India Bourke Deputy Online Editor Rachel Cunliffe Culture Editor Anna Leszkiewicz Special Projects Editor Alona Ferber Britain Editor Anoosh Chakelian Commissioning Editors Gavin Jacobson Lola Seaton Special Correspondents Harry Lambert Sophie McBain Political Correspondent Ailbhe Rea International Correspondent Ido Vock Head of Production Peter Williams Chief Sub-Editor Pippa Bailey Sub-Editors Christiana Bishop Katherine Cowles Social Media Editor Eleanor Peake Senior Writers Sarah Manavis Kate Mossman Assistant Culture Editor Ellen Peirson-Hagger Editorial Assistant Emily Bootle Contributing Writers John Bew Philip Collins Chris Deerin Edward Docx Matthew Engel Martin Fletcher John Gray Helen Lewis Shiraz Maher Paul Mason Adrian Pabst Louise Perry David Reynolds Leo Robson Brendan Simms Ed Smith Amelia Tait Johanna Thomas-Corr Helen Thompson Erica Wagner Phil Whitaker Rowan Williams

Contents Free thinking since 1913

Make or break: Chris Deerin speaks to Nicola Sturgeon 22 Days past: Sophie McBain on lockdown nostalgia 26

Up Front

3 Leader 10 Correspondence

Columns

7 Philip Collins on how Labour is becoming a zombie party 9 Jeremy Cliffe on why foreign policy is tilting towards realism over idealism 19 Alan Duncan writes this week’s Diary 21 Helen Thompson asks how an independent Scotland would work as an EU member state 36 Louise Perry on why hyper-sexualisation ruined our love lives

Observations

12 In the Picture 13 Comment: David Gauke on how the British economy is already paying for Brexit 14 Commons Confidential: Kevin Maguire This week’s pick of the best gossip from Westminster 16 Encounter: George Eaton speaks to the progressive thinker Mathew Lawrence about how ecosocialism can save the planet 17 First Thoughts: Ailbhe Rea on the voters of Hartlepool and Boris Johnson’s money woes

The Critics: Books 38 Ross Douthat wonders where all the great thinkers have gone 42 Johanna Thomas-Corr on how Rachel Cusk turned midlife crisis into an art 44 The NS Poem “from uncivil” by Andrew McMillan 45 Reviewed in Short A selection of notable new titles 46 Simon Kuper on The Bomber Mafia, Malcolm Gladwell’s history of the men who reinvented warfare

Articles

22 Chris Deerin speaks to Nicola Sturgeon and asks if now is the time for Scottish independence 26 Sophie McBain on the curious condition of lockdown nostalgia 28 John Simpson on 100 years of the Chinese Communist Party 32 Leo Robson on Blake Bailey, Philip Roth and whether the work should be judged by the standards of the life

New Statesman Vol 150, No 5618 ISSN 1364-7431 USPS 382260

Please note that all submissions to the letters page, our competitions and reader offers are accepted solely subject to our terms and conditions: details available on request or on our website. Subscription Rates: (institutional rates in brackets): UK £120, Airmail Europe: €150; Rest of world Airmail: USA $192. Subscribers paying by direct debit will, after any initial offer, be debited at the standard rate. Syndication/Permissions/Archive: Email: Permissions@newstatesman.co.uk. Printed by Walstead Peterborough Ltd, tel: +44 (0)1733 555 567 . Distribution by Marketforce. New Statesman (ISSN 1364-7431) is published weekly by New Statesman Ltd, 12-13 Essex Street, London WC2R 3AA, UK. Registered as a newspaper in the UK and USA

Standard House, 12-13 Essex Street, London WC2R 3AA. Tel 020 7936 6400

4 | NEW STATESMAN | 7-13 MAY 2021

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