Rephonic
Artwork for Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking

Chatham House
China
Cybercrime
Ukraine
United Nations
COP28
Russia
Hamas
United States
Climate Change
Taiwan
International Security Programme
Israel
Hezbollah
Loss and Damage Fund
Microsoft
India
Iraq
Indonesia
Paris Agreement
UAE

Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox hosts conversations with leading policymakers, journalists and Chatham House experts to provide insight into the latest international political issues. Independent Thinking gives listeners the opportunity to engage with the high level conversations hosted by Chatham House.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes132Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
News CommentaryNewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Independent Thinking

Latest Episodes

The US Supreme Court ruled against President Donald Trump on his first justification for tariffs, but he says he will push them through by other means.

On this week's Independent Thinking podcast, our experts analyse why Trump is wedded to tariffs ... more

Negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war do not appear to have made significant progress. In the meantime, the focus of US President Donald Trump's 'lighthouse diplomacy' appears to have switched to Iran.

Chatham House analysts discuss the state ... more

YouTube

In a special edition of Chatham House's Independent Thinking podcast recorded at the Munich Security Conference 2026 over the weekend, Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox and Grégoire Roos, Director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes, ... more

YouTube

As Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer ploughs through crisis after crisis, his Labour Party faces multiple threats in upcoming local elections. Our Chatham House analysts examine whether having six prime ministers in a decade is a sign that Britai... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Rachman Review
The Rachman ReviewFinancial Times
The Foreign Affairs Interview
The Foreign Affairs InterviewForeign Affairs Magazine
Political Fix
Political FixFinancial Times
In Moscow's Shadows
In Moscow's ShadowsMark Galeotti
The Economics Show
The Economics ShowFinancial Times

Recent Guests

Juno Berthelsen
MP from the opposition party Naleraq, advocating for Greenland's independence.
Episode: Greenland in the cross hairs of Trump's bid for hemispheric dominance
Olivia O'Sullivan
Heads up the UK and the World Programme
Chatham House
Episode: Britain's budget – a recipe for growth or decline?
Sébastien Maillard
Associate fellow with the Europe Programme
Chatham House
Episode: Britain's budget – a recipe for growth or decline?
James Kynge
Senior research fellow with the China team
Chatham House
Episode: Britain's budget – a recipe for growth or decline?
Bruce Stokes
Associate Fellow at Chatham House, former director of Global Economic Attitudes at the Pew Research Center
Chatham House
Episode: Mamdani won in New York. For Trump, was it a setback or backlash?
Steve Farrell
Head of News and Comment team, previously reported on New York's mayoral elections for The New York Times
Chatham House
Episode: Mamdani won in New York. For Trump, was it a setback or backlash?
Karien van Gennip
Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and a member of the Christian Democratic Party Appeal
Christian Democratic Party Appeal
Episode: Europe after the Dutch elections. Goodbye far right? Not so fast.
Laurel Rapp
Director of the US and North America Programme, previously with the State Department.
Chatham House
Episode: Trump's UK state visit sealed deals, but at what cost?
Dr. Julie Norman
Expert from University College London who has written extensively on Gaza.
University College London
Episode: What's the future for Gaza?

Host

Bronwen Maddox
Host of discussions, serving as director and bringing insightful expertise to the conversations.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 183 ratings
  • Different and thoughtful review of budget.

    An interesting review of the budget from both economic and political perspectives.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    CliveP2
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Excellent

    In the latest Sudan episode the Senior Research Fellow said that 90% of the gold under areas controlled by the Sudanese army and government is exported to the UAE whereas a UAE Ministry of Energy directive dated 7 August 2025 banned maritime interactions with Port Sudan, saying this was to protect the “strategic interest of the UAE”. A Reuters article dated October 21, 2025 states that there is a de facto UAE flight ban on Port Sudan and there are no direct commercial flights between the two and... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Pyankhy
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Quality

    Level-headed, informative & insightful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MickOrd
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • Insightful

    Insightful views on geopolitical issues every week, well worth following

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jontycrane
    New Zealand9 months ago
  • Poor audio mixing

    The overall audio level is sometimes very low, and there are significant differences in volume level and clarity between speakers in the same podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Christopher Mexico
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The expert guests often lead to engaging, high-quality discussions that delve into timely matters.
Listeners appreciate the insightful and level-headed approach to complex geopolitical issues.
Some mention audio mixing issues, suggesting a need for improvement, particularly in sound clarity during episodes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#93
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#197
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#104
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#228
Germany/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#80
Chile/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#83
Ukraine/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

As Ukraine peace talks stall, can Europe step up in its defence? Independent Thinking podcast
Q: Can Ukraine defend itself effectively with European help?
Ukraine is attempting to strengthen its defenses while maintaining support from the US and mobilizing Europe.
As Ukraine peace talks stall, can Europe step up in its defence? Independent Thinking podcast
Q: What is the state of play in the peace talks?
The peace talks seem to be more of a diversion for Russia while leveraging its position without any real concessions.
As the UK lurches from crisis to crisis, is it becoming ungovernable?
Q: Do you think Britain will manage to address these difficult decisions?
Currently, it seems unlikely under the existing government, but a change in leadership might provide an opportunity for more decisive action.
As the UK lurches from crisis to crisis, is it becoming ungovernable?
Q: Is Britain ungovernable?
While it may seem ungovernable from certain perspectives, others argue it remains governable, though difficult, particularly in the context of Brexit and other modern challenges.
As the UK lurches from crisis to crisis, is it becoming ungovernable?
Q: Do you think pressure for a change in the voting system will grow?
Given the current dynamics of political representation and dissatisfaction with the results of the first past the post system, such pressure may indeed increase.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Independent Thinking

What is Independent Thinking about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Expert discussions on pressing global issues form the core of this podcast, characterized by insights from policymakers, journalists, and adept analysts. Through a series of insightful conversations, listeners are invited to engage with topics such as international relations, economic policies, humanitarian crises, and the evolving political landscapes across various nations. Special emphasis is placed on significant geopolitical dynamics including the impact of U.S. foreign policies, European political trends, and the intricate socio-economic challenges facing countries like Ukraine and Sudan.

Noteworthy for its high-level dialogues, the content garners attention for both its informative depth and the caliber of guests invited, providing ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Independent Thinking?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Independent Thinking. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Independent Thinking and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Independent Thinking get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Independent Thinking, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Independent Thinking?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Independent Thinking, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Independent Thinking have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Independent Thinking has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Independent Thinking?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Independent Thinking:

1. The Rachman Review
2. The Foreign Affairs Interview
3. Political Fix
4. In Moscow's Shadows
5. The Economics Show

How many episodes of Independent Thinking are there?

Independent Thinking launched 6 years ago and published 132 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Independent Thinking?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Independent Thinking?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Independent Thinking from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Independent Thinking?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Independent Thinking. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Independent Thinking?

Recent guests on Independent Thinking include:

1. Juno Berthelsen
2. Olivia O'Sullivan
3. Sébastien Maillard
4. James Kynge
5. Bruce Stokes
6. Steve Farrell
7. Karien van Gennip
8. Laurel Rapp

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days