‘The Political Animal – a breed apart?’ with Rafael Behr and Emma Crewe

Politics on the Couch is a series of podcasts that look at the way our minds respond to politics and the way politicians mess with our minds. In each episode award-winning political columnist Rafael Behr is joined by a distinguished expert drawn from the world of politics, psychology or philosophy. The show will appeal to any listener interested in taking a deep dive into how psychology drives everyone’s political thought and behaviour.

In this episode Rafael Behr speaks to social anthropologist Emma Crewe about parliament; what makes MPs tick, the psychological mechanisms they need to function in one of the country’s weirdest workplaces – and their relationship with journalists. She is the only anthropologist to have been based inside the Palace of Westminster, having spent years embedded in both the Lords and the Commons, enjoying uniquely privileged access to the inner workings of the legislature.