Unveiling the Crossroads: Abortion Rights, Ballot Defeats, and Political Landscape Shifts in US and UK

Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics

In this episode of "Mid Atlantic," host Roifield Brown welcomes Emma Burnell, a UK journalist in London; Logan Phillips, a political pollster in Washington, D.C. and Corey Bernard, a political pundit in Manchester. The discussion revolves around a pivotal political moment in the United States. The main topic is a Republican proposed constitutional amendment, Issue One, which faced a resounding defeat in a recent special election. The amendment aimed to raise the threshold for future constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%. The defeat was seen as an attempt to hinder an upcoming referendum and garnered national attention due to its implications for abortion rights.

The conversation delves into the impact of the defeat on abortion rights supporters and the connection between the proposed amendment and women's health care decisions. The panelists discuss the polling data and the landslide nature of the defeat, with little middle ground between the predictions. They highlight similar instances in other states like Kansas and Michigan, where efforts to restrict women's rights through ballot initiatives also faced significant defeats.

On to the UK, Greenpeace has criticised the UK government for its perceived failure to address the climate crisis while simultaneously engaging in divisive culture wars. This critique follows a surprising Tory victory in the Uxbridge by-election, attributed to opposition against the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Greenpeace argues that the government's neglect of climate concerns contrasts with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. The podcast panelists discuss how the ULEZ issue influenced the by-election and the Tory government's subsequent reaction to the organisation's protests, including directing officials to cease engagement with Greenpeace. This raises questions about whether the Tory government is engaging in a culture war against climate change advocates.

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