On the Record: The Putney Debates – April 2026.

In 1647, inside St Mary’s Church in Putney, army generals sat alongside ordinary soldiers to debate nothing less than the future of the nation. Should political power remain in the hands of property owners, as it always had? Or could it be a birthright – something every man possessed simply by being born?

Listen to the latest episode of the podcast On the Record, focusing on The Putney Debates, where soldiers, radicals, and reformers wrestled with bold, world shaping ideas about rights, representation, and how society should be governed.

This is part two of People and Power, the miniseries exploring how people across British history have challenged authority and fought for their voices to be heard. The guests are Dr Neil Johnston, historian at The National Archives, and Dr Erica Canela, a public historian.