Origin Story

By: Podmasters
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  • Summary

  • What are the real stories behind the most misunderstood and abused ideas in politics? From Conspiracy Theory to Woke to Centrism and beyond, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey dig into the astonishing secret histories of concepts you thought you knew. Want to support us in making future seasons? There are now two ways you can help out: • Patreon – Get early episodes, live Zooms, merchandise and more from just £5 per month. • Apple Podcasts – Want everything in one place with one easy payment? Subscribe to our premium feed on Apple Podcasts for ad-free shows early and bonus editions too. From Podmasters, the makers of Oh God, What Now?, American Friction and The Bunker.
    Podmasters / Ian Dunt & Dorian Lynskey 2022
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Politics & Government Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • Thatcherism – Part Two – Imperial phase

    Thatcherism – Part Two – Imperial phase
    Apr 9 2025
    In part two of Thatcherism, Margaret Thatcher has survived a grim first term and her political and economic bets have paid off. She’s ready to wage war on everything she considers socialism: trade unions, local councils, nationalised industries, the BBC, you name it. The Britain she leads is wealthier and more dynamic yet more divided and unequal — a land bisected into winners and losers, where her beloved free-market economics rips through the families and communities she claims to value. Success has turned Thatcher into a harsh, unbending autocrat, hated by half the country and increasingly alienated from her own ministers. Her stubborn belief in her own instincts leads to catastrophic hubris over Europe and the poll tax, turning allies into assassins. On 22 November 1990, she is forced to resign as prime minister. We wrap up by discussing Thatcher’s record and legacy, both of which are far messier than her acolytes claim. Where did Thatcher succeed and fail in fundamentally changing Britain? Why did her strengths become fatal flaws? How did she sow the seeds of Brexit and Tory civil war? And what were Thatcherism’s unacknowledged contradictions? Is it just another world for neoliberalism or a far more eccentric bundle of beliefs, prejudices and mannerisms? Are her disciples in today’s Tory Party learning all the wrong lessons? Join us as we explode some myths and tell the real story of Thatcherism. • Support Origin Story on Patreon • Get the Origin Story books on Fascism, Centrism and Conspiracy Theory Reading list • Andy Beckett, Pinochet in Piccadilly: Britain and Chile’s Hidden History (2002) • Andy Beckett, When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the Seventies (2009) • Andy Beckett, Promised You a Miracle: Why 1980-82 Made Modern Britain (2015) • Brian and Maggie, written by James Graham and directed by Stephen Frears (2025) • Ronald Butt, Interview with Margaret Thatcher, Sunday Times (1981) • Conservative Central Office, ‘The Right Approach’ (1976) • Iain Dale (ed.), Memories of Margaret Thatcher (2013) • Patrick Dunleavy, ‘The lasting achievement of Thatcherism as a political project is that Britain now has three political parties of the right, instead of one’, LSE (2013) • Ian Gilmour, Dancing with Dogma: Britain Under Thatcherism (1992) • Ipsos polling on the Falklands War, Ipsos (1982) • John Harris, ‘Spare a thought for the late unlamented one nation Tory’, The Guardian (2013) • John Hoskyns and Norman Strauss, ‘Stepping Stones’ (1977) • Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech (1990) • Geoffrey Howe, Conflict of Loyalty (1994) • The Iron Lady, written by Abi Morgan and directed by Phyllida Lloyd (2011) • Sir Keith Joseph, ‘Notes Towards the Definition of Policy’, Conservative Research Department (1975) • Kwasi Kwarteng et al, Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Posterity (2012) • Kenneth Minogue and Michael Biddiss (eds.), Thatcherism: Personality and Politics (1987) • Charles Moore, Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography: Volume One (2013) • Mollie Panter-Downes, ‘Letter from London’, New Yorker (1982) • Robert Saunders, Yes! To Europe: The 1975 Referendum and Seventies Britain (2018) • Margaret Thatcher, ‘Speech to Conservative Party Conference’ (1975) • Margaret Thatcher, ‘Speech to Conservative Rally in Bolton’ (1979) • Margaret Thatcher, The Downing Street Years (1993) • Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power (1995) • Phil Tinline, The Death of Consensus: 100 Years of Political Nightmares (2022) • D.R. Valentine, ‘Margaret Thatcher on History, Economics & Political Consensus’, University of Oxford (2013) • Brian Walden, Interview with Margaret Thatcher after Nigel Lawson’s resignation (1989) ... reading list continues on Patreon Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • Thatcherism – Part One – Birth of a Notion

    Thatcherism – Part One – Birth of a Notion
    Apr 2 2025
    Hello and welcome to season seven of Origin Story, where Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey continue to explore the misunderstood ideas and people that shape our politics today. We hope you’ve enjoyed all the bonus episodes. We’re starting with a topic that’s been on our shortlist since the very beginning, and it’s a big one: Thatcherism. By that we mean Margaret Thatcher herself, born 100 years ago, and the evolution of the rather nebulous idea that bears her name. Is it a coherent ideology or the expression of a very unusual personality? In part one we follow Thatcher from her birth in Grantham in 1925 to her triumph in the Falklands War 57 years later. We investigate the influence of her father, the Methodist grocer and local celebrity Arthur Roberts; her entry into the reformist wing of the Conservative Party at Oxford University; and her journey to becoming MP for Finchley in 1959. It’s only in the 1970s that Thatcherism really takes shape. Scarred by her vilification as the “Milk Snatcher”, and repelled by Ted Heath and the post-war consensus, she follows the likes of Enoch Powell and Keith Joseph to the right, finding intellectual ideas to match her instinctive beliefs. The Thatcher who becomes Tory leader in 1975 and prime minister in 1979 is more “Cautious Margaret” than “Iron Lady”, not yet allergic to advice and compromise. She even has nice things to say about Europe. But before long, she’s the most unpopular prime minister since polling began. As her radical monetarist experiment leads to recession, mass unemployment and civil unrest, she appears doomed but once she’s defeated both the Tory “wets” and Argentina’s General Galtieri, Thatcherism is unchained. What were Thatcher’s formative influences? How did she grow to hate consensus politics and see herself as the antidote? Who were the other architects of Thatcherism? How close did she come to disaster and was it really the Falklands that saved her? And can Keir Starmer learn anything from her chaotic and unpopular first term? Next week the story continues with the 1983 election, the miners’ strike and the Thatcherite revolution, before it all goes horribly wrong for Maggie. If you’re a Patreon, you don’t have to wait: you can hear it right now. • Support Origin Story on Patreon • Get the Origin Story books on Fascism, Centrism and Conspiracy Theory Reading list • Andy Beckett, Pinochet in Piccadilly: Britain and Chile’s Hidden History (2002) • Andy Beckett, When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the Seventies (2009) • Andy Beckett, Promised You a Miracle: Why 1980-82 Made Modern Britain (2015) • Brian and Maggie, written by James Graham and directed by Stephen Frears (2025) • Ronald Butt, Interview with Margaret Thatcher, Sunday Times (1981) • Conservative Central Office, ‘The Right Approach’ (1976) • Iain Dale (ed.), Memories of Margaret Thatcher (2013) • Patrick Dunleavy, ‘The lasting achievement of Thatcherism as a political project is that Britain now has three political parties of the right, instead of one’, LSE (2013) • Ian Gilmour, Dancing with Dogma: Britain Under Thatcherism (1992) • Ipsos polling on the Falklands War, Ipsos (1982) • John Harris, ‘Spare a thought for the late unlamented one nation Tory’, The Guardian (2013) • John Hoskyns and Norman Strauss, ‘Stepping Stones’ (1977) • Geoffrey Howe’s resignation speech (1990) • Geoffrey Howe, Conflict of Loyalty (1994) • The Iron Lady, written by Abi Morgan and directed by Phyllida Lloyd (2011) • Sir Keith Joseph, ‘Notes Towards the Definition of Policy’, Conservative Research Department (1975) • Kwasi Kwarteng et al, Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Posterity (2012) ... reading list continues on Patreon Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • Kemi Badenoch – Identity crisis

    Kemi Badenoch – Identity crisis
    Mar 19 2025
    Season seven is almost upon us and we’ll be starting with an epic two-parter on Thatcherism, so consider this bonus episode a warm-up. We’re unravelling the unusual story of Kemi Badenoch and what her vexed leadership says about the state of the Conservative Party. As soon as Badenoch became an MP in 2017, she was tipped for big things: a black woman with a compelling backstory, a Thatcherite heart and a strong stomach for culture wars. But the messiness of her victory in last year’s leadership race illuminated MPs’ growing ambivalence about her, and her subsequent performance has only amplified those doubts. Even her allies admit that her weaknesses are more visible than her strengths. As she fights to win back right-wing voters from Reform while disdaining the moderates lost to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, are her days numbered? We start by examining Badenoch’s upbringing under military dictatorship in Nigeria, and the confusing stories she tells about it. She moves to London at the age of 16 and, after a rocky start, becomes a computer engineer. At 25, she joins the Conservative Party. At 30, she’s fighting her first election (unsuccessfully). We follow her through Coutts bank, The Spectator and the London Assembly to Westminster, where she acquires a mixed reputation. Diligent and nuanced in some areas, stubborn and lazy in others. Willing to stand up to the Brexit hardliners yet increasingly radicalised on cultural issues. Some Tory MPs hail her as the future of the right while others mutter that she is arrogant, bullying and unfriendly. And she does say some very odd things. How did Nigeria shape Badenoch’s politics? When did she start talking like a right-wing podcast? Are her prejudices more powerful than her values? Can she really revive the Tory Party or simply drive it further down a hard right cul-de-sac? Why did Michael Gove lose faith in his protégé? And if Badenoch is trying to follow Margaret Thatcher’s playbook, does her copy have half the pages missing? The story is stranger than you think. • Origin Story is live at Soho21 on the 16th of April. Tickets here • Support Origin Story on Patreon • Get the Origin Story books on Fascism, Centrism and Conspiracy Theory Reading list Articles • Aubrey Allegretti and Nicola Woolcock, ‘Kemi Badenoch: “epidemic” of children being told they’re trans’ (2023) • Richard Assheton, ‘Nigeria roots for Kemi Badenoch’s fighting spirit’ (2022) • Kemi Badenoch, maiden speech in the House of Commons (2017) • Kemi Badenoch, ‘I want to set us free by telling people the truth’, The Times (2022) • Kemi Badenoch, ‘Gagging of the brave has let gender ideologues seize control’, Sunday Times (2024) • Katy Balls and Michael Gove, ‘“I will die protecting this country’: Kemi Badenoch on where she plans to take the Tories’, The Spectator (2024) • Conservative Home, ‘Speech of the year: Kemi Badenoch on critical race theory’, Conservative Home (2020) • Rachel Cunliffe, ‘How Kemi Badenoch became the Tory front runner’, The New Statesman (2024) • Annabelle Dickson, ‘Kemi Badenoch: The Conservative Party’s next leader but one?’, Politico (2022) • Joe Murphy, ‘Kemi Badenoch: New vice chairman of the Conservatives talks about her fight to recruit a more diverse range of MPs’, Evening Standard (2018) • Parliament Square, ‘Questioning “Kemi”’s Comments’, The Critic (2024) Radio and podcasts • Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Radio 4 (2020) • Kemi Badenoch’s Commons speech on Critical Race Theory (2020) • Profile, Radio 4 (2022) • Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Radio 4 (2024) • Honestly with Bari Weiss: Is Kemi Badenoch the Next Margaret Thatcher? (2024) • Triggernometry with Kemi Badenoch (2025) Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins

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