National Secular Society Podcast

National Secular Society Podcast


Latest Episodes

Ep 24: The history of the NSS – Interview with Bob Forder
April 30, 2020

How did the secularist movement begin in Britain? And why should modern supporters of secularism care about its history? - In this week’s episode, Emma Park speaks to Bob Forder, a member of the NSS council and former history teacher,

Ep 23: The NSS at the UN: interview with Josephine Macintosh
April 16, 2020

In this week’s episode, Emma Park speaks to Josephine Macintosh, a solicitor and vice president of the National Secular Society, about her work representing the NSS at the United Nations. - Earlier this year,

Ep 22: Bishops in the House of Lords – Dick Taverne interview
January 27, 2020

Is it time to remove Church of England bishops' automatic right to sit in the House of Lords? Liberal Democrat peer Dick Taverne is introducing a private members’ bill – drafted with the NSS’s assistance – to do just that. -

Ep 21: Integrated education in Northern Ireland – interview with the Integrated Education Fund
January 13, 2020

In this episode, Emma Park speaks with Maddy Bridgman and Sam Fitzsimmons of the Integrated Education Fund, a charity that supports inclusive, integrated education (not segregated into de facto Protestant and Catholic schools) in Northern Ireland. -

Ep 20: Lee and Lizanne Harris – compulsory worship
December 16, 2019

In this episode, Emma Park speaks with Lee and Lizanne Harris about their experience of the collective worship requirement in schools. - The Harrises recently initiated judicial review proceedings against the primary school attended by their children....

Ep 19: General election special
November 25, 2019

This week, Emma Park is joined by Stephen Evans and Chris Sloggett for a general election special. During the campaign the NSS is calling on parties to adopt 11 secularist pledges on subjects such as education and free speech.

Ep 18: Remembrance Day | Clerical Abuse
November 11, 2019

In this week’s episode, Emma Park is joined by the NSS’s Megan Manson and Chris Sloggett to discuss the Church of England’s privileged role in Remembrance Sunday. Is it right that the church should lead the service of remembrance at the Cenotaph?

Ep 17: Thought for the Day | RE in Wales
October 28, 2019

In this week’s episode, Emma Park is joined by Chris Sloggett and Helen Nicholls to discuss whether BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day should still be exclusively for “speakers from the world’s major faiths”. John Humphrys,

Ep 16: Operation Christmas Child | Faith schools
October 14, 2019

In this week’s episode, Emma Park speaks to Megan Manson about Operation Christmas Child, a programme that encourages schoolchildren and youth groups around the UK to send Christmas shoeboxes to children in developing countries.

Ep 15: ‘Islamophobia’ definition | Criticising infant circumcision
September 30, 2019

Emma Park speaks to Stephen Evans, CEO of the NSS and Chris Sloggett, communications officer, about the NSS's opposition to a definition of 'Islamophobia' which was proposed by a parliamentary group in November 2018.