Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd

Hello! Private school pupils are 7x as likely to get a place at Oxford or Cambridge as those from state comprehensives. But why does access to the UK’s top universities matter and what can we do to widen it? This week Vee Kativhu tells us her story of (finally) applying to Oxford’s Lady Margaret Hall on their new foundation year scheme. Then academics Vikki Boliver and Lee Elliot Major talk us through solutions to overhaul university admissions - from radical contextual offers to a lottery system to ‘comprehensive universities’. AND Comedian Steve N Allen joins us to advocate for status symbol taxes, banning handles on push doors, and tries to save science education before it gets taken

Hello! How can we all campaign on issues that we care about and make change happen? This week we hear from inspiring campaigners who have done just that. We talk to Gina Martin who successfully campaigned to make upskirting illegal and Matt Zarb-Cousin from ‘Stop the FOBTs’, who won a reduction in the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals. Gina and Matt share the stories of how they got involved in their campaigns and lessons from their recent victories. Then executive director of Citizens UK Matthew Bolton explains the theory behind running successful campaigns, before persuading Ed and Geoff to try one of their key techniques. Don’t miss our live show at the Underbelly Festival in London this Sunday afternoon (19th May). Book tickets here: 

Hello! Unfortunately, Geoff can’t be here this week so Ed’s got a special guest international guest to help him on the intro... In the episode we’re talking about a gaping democratic deficit in British politics: there are still too few black and minority ethnic MPs and councillors, and huge disparities in voter registration. We hear from Simon Woolley, founder and director of Operation Black Vote, who has been campaigning on BME political representation for more than two decades. Simon talks to us about what has been achieved and the huge task still ahead. Then we speak to Mayor of Barking and Dagenham Sanchia Alasia about the barriers facing BME politicians and her experience with OBV. AND Comedian and podcaster Benjamin Partridge pitches a forfeit for Br*x*t delays, limiting hand-driers noise, free theatre, trouser washing research, delaying Christmas, discounted good from Gregs based on their temperature

Hello! What if we told you there was something that could improve people's health, make our cities nicer places to live AND save the planet? This week’s guests argue that cycling can do just that. We discuss the benefits of cycling and what needs to be done to encourage it with transport expert Dr Rachel Aldred and The Guardian’s Peter Walker (author of Bike Nation: How Cycling Can Save the World). And we hear from Manuel Calvo - designer of Seville’s ambitious cycle network, which has revolutionised how people travel around the city. AND Comedian Laura Lexx calls for pedestrian tests, realistic eyebrows in castaway movies, policy tests when voting and realistic models for beauty products

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