Independent Thinking

King Charles III's state visit to the US won acclaim as the monarch charmed President Donald Trump. But can it really rescue US-UK relations from their current dire state? The 'special relationship' – a term first voiced by Chatham House before becoming widely popularized by Winston Churchill – now seems not so special.
Our experts discuss what Britain and Europe should do now that the US wants to bear less of the burden of European defence, whether Prime Minister Starmer is right to stand up to President Trump on Iran, and where all of this leaves the NATO alliance.
On this week's panel, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme at Chatham House. And by General Sir Richard Barrons, a former Commander Joint Forces Command who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was one of the leaders of the UK's Strategic Defence Review 2025. He is now a senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme.
Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell.
Read Chatham House's latest:
AI export controls are not the best bargaining chip
Mali attacks show security cannot be delivered by military means alone
Norway can teach the UK about energy security – but the lesson is not more North Sea drilling
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EU expansion, energy shocks, and uneasy alliances: will the conflict in the Gulf – and other crises – force a more unified European strategy?
 
This week's episode comes from the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, where host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Grégoire Roos, director of our Europe, Russia and Eurasia programmes.
 
As the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran ripples through global markets, Europe finds itself under renewed pressure.
 
Recorded on location amid the activity and discussions of the forum, they explore how Europe is responding to an increasingly unpredictable United States, reconsidering its own economic and security priorities, and navigating its relationship with Russia. Is this a moment of fragmentation – or the beginning of a more coherent European stance?
Produced by Stephen Farrell.
 
Chatham House's latest:
Comment | A Taiwan crisis would cause far more global economic damage than Strait of Hormuz disruption
News release | Lord Robertson: UK's 'naïve belief' the US 'will always be there' has diminished its defence capabilities
Comment | Israel's accelerating de facto annexation of the West Bank has dangerous implications
Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today
Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧
Audio | Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧
Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts.

From Hormuz to Hungary and the Vatican to the Federal Reserve, it has been an unusually contentious week for the White House, even by the standards of President Trump's second administration.
This week's podcast comes from the US, where our analysts assess the political and economic state of the US as it begins gearing up for the midterm elections.
 
From New York, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Director of the US and North America Programme, Laurel Rapp, are joined by David Lubin, Senior Research Fellow in the Global Economy and Finance Programme, who is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's annual Spring Meetings to discuss the global economy and financial markets.
 
The panel discuss the Iran ceasefire, nuclear negotiations, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, the health of the global economy, a setback for one Trump ally in Budapest and domestic criticism for President Trump over tensions between the White House and Pope Leo.
For further reading, see David Lubin's commentary 'Dollar dominance is surviving the Iran war - just about'  
Produced by Stephen Farrell.
 
Chatham House's latest:
Comment | How to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the long term
Comment | Lebanon–Israel talks must be given a chance
Comment | Hungary election: Orbán has been defeated – but will Orbánism survive?
Magazine issue | Spring issue of The World Today
Audio | The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧
Audio | Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧
Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts.

China prepared in advance for a US attack on Iran. But many of its Asian neighbours have been hit hard because their economies were heavily reliant on energy imports from the Gulf. 
 
In the short-term, the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered rationing, and shortages of diesel, gas and fertiliser. Does that set a negative precedent for other choke points across the world? 
 
In the longer-term the war may force Asian nations into deeper reckonings: to reassess supply chains, economic strategies and whether the US can be trusted as a stable ally. 
 
Why hasn't China supported Iran more? Will the standoff over Hormuz tempt Beijing to flex its muscles over the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea? How will Pakistan leverage its status as negotiator? Will the countries of southeast Asia follow through on calls for more regional integration of energy supplies? 
 
To discuss these issues, and more, Ben Bland, Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme, hosts this week's Independent Thinking podcast, standing in for Bronwen Maddox. He is joined by two of his Chatham House colleagues: Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow for China; and Chietigj Bajpaee, Senior Research Fellow for South Asia.
Read our latest:
News release | Syrian President al-Sharaa on Iran war: 'Syria will remain outside this conflict'
Comment | The Iran war risks triggering a new wave of nuclear proliferation
Comment | Spectator, beneficiary, player: Russia's strategy in the Iran war, from oil to drones
Comment | Iraqi civilians are paying the price of the Iran war
 Produced by Stephen Farrell.
 Read the Spring issue of The World Today
Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧 
Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧
Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.

An earlier than usual episode of the Independent Thinking podcast, ahead of the Easter break.

In a one-on-one conversation, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox discusses energy with Sir Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford, who has been advising governments and writing on energy, water and the environment for decades.
They examine how energy policies of different governments over decades led to the UK's energy costs being so high. And what the government should do if it wants to guarantee security of supply – and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Are those concerned about climate change right to push for net zero? Are current policies driving industry from the UK? Should there be more nuclear power stations, or more drilling in the North Sea?
Read our latest:
The Iran war risks triggering a new wave of nuclear proliferation
Any Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon will work to Hezbollah's advantage
Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space
Presented by Bronwen Maddox. Produced by Stephen Farrell.
Read the Spring issue of The World Today 
Listen to The Climate Briefing podcast 🎧 
Listen to Africa Aware podcast 🎧
Subscribe to Independent Thinking wherever you find your podcasts - please listen, review, and subscribe.