Westminster Insider

Host Jack Blanchard takes a deep dive into the momentous U.K. general election of July 2024, which saw Labour sweep back into power after 14 years in opposition. Lifting the lid on a historic campaign are journalists Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, whose new book — "Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election" — offers the most detailed account so far of a moment of generational change in British politics. Ross and Wearmouth take us inside the rival campaign teams and explain how all the crucial decisions were taken, from Rishi Sunak's fateful choice to leave a D-Day commemoration service early to Keir Starmer's famous "Ming vase" strategy that would ultimately secure Labour's victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the House of Commons agonizes over legalizing assisted dying, host Sascha O'Sullivan looks back at previous votes of conscience to find out what happens when MPs don't have the party whip guiding them. Alun Michael, one of the architects of Tony Blair's ban on fox hunting, explains how it took years to get to the point of a vote in parliament, and how his personal safety — and that of his family — was put in jeopardy. Former Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone recalls the same sex marriage vote and the internal politics between the Lib Dems and Conservatives during the coalition government — leading to David Cameron "stealing" the announcement from her. John Bercow, former Commons speaker, tells Sascha about moments in the Commons chamber when MPs went against the party grain during votes of conscience. Ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries describes how, as a backbencher in 2008, she led one of the biggest challenges to the 1967 Abortion Act. And Sascha also looks at decisions over war and peace, when MPs must wrestle with a profoundly moral choice and make one of the weightiest calls possible for a parliament, as former Defense Secretary Grant Shapps says the decision not to intervene in Syria in 2013 contributed to the global instability we all now face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jack Blanchard speaks to some of the most powerful Downing Street spin doctors of the past decade — and asks whether they're really as angry as the 'Malcolm Tucker' stereotype suggests. James Slack, the prime minister's official spokesman between 2017 and 2021, gives a rare insight into the brutal experience of chairing the Downing Street Lobby briefing — going head to head with dozens of hostile political journalists every day. Lee Cain recalls the "insane" experience trying to spin for a newspaper-obsessed Boris Johnson — during a global pandemic — and explains why the No. 10 director of communications job is too big for any one person. Another former No. 10 director of comms, Katie Perrior, recalls her own challenges trying to spin for a media-shy Theresa May, and explains why it's so important that communications is given top billing by any prime minister. And Craig Oliver, who held the No. 10 director of comms job longer than anyone else, recalls the triumphs and the failures of trying to set the media narrative for David Cameron's government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan lifts on the curtain on the best political lunches — who to invite, where to go, and what to talk about. She speaks to Vivek Singh, owner of the Cinnamon Club, a SW1 culinary institution, about the two decades of drama and intrigue he's witnessed over his famous lamb shanks. Singh tells Sascha about the best tables — where you can see everyone but no one can see you — and how Gordon Brown was partial to a spot of grouse. Former Labour MP and member of Tony Blair's government Siôn Simon explains why the classic lobby lunch between journalists and politicians is actually "underlyingly stressful" and Sun on Sunday Political Editor Kate Ferguson tells Sascha how to warm up an MP to get them to spill the beans. Sascha speaks with Freddie Sayers, CEO of Unherd, which owns the Old Queen Street Cafe — a new favorite haunt of politicos of all stripes. Former political correspondent turned restaurant critic Charlotte Ivers tells Sascha why politicians have terrible taste in food. And the FT's Henry Mance recalls settling in for a port or three after lunch with Nigel Farage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster Insider heads to Washington to capture a historic election night that changed America — and the world. Host Emilio Casalicchio takes us on a wild ride across the political epicenter of the U.S. as the votes began flooding in and the crucial swing states fell to Donald Trump.  He spoke to hopeful Democratic campaigners in a plush club in downtown D.C. and excitable Trump fans packed into a dive bar on the less-polished eastern side of the city. As the results became clear, Emilio headed to the streets outside Howard University, where Kamala Harris no-showed her own election night event, leaving dejected Democrats to begin the unhappy trudge home. He stumbled upon POLITICO D.C. Playbook writer Eugene Daniels, who was in the room as the mood soured through the night before it was announced there would be no victory speech. And as Trump's historic win solidified, Emilio found ecstatic MAGA enthusiasts spilling out of their watch event after closing time. In fitting fashion, he ended the night outside the White House itself, reflecting on the seismic result — and what it means for all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Reeves' first budget was a historic moment — for her, for the Labour Party ... and for the nation's tax burden. So this week Westminster Insider host Sascha O'Sullivan goes back in history to find out what makes a budget truly memorable. Historian Robert Saunders revisits William Gladstone's bumper 19th Century budget speeches, which sometimes lasted four or five hours. And he discusses the archaic traditions, begun under Gladstone, which U.K. chancellors still follow to this day. Fellow historian David Lough explains how Winston Churchill's biggest budget decision, to rejoin the gold standard in 1925, overshadowed the future PM's ill-fated stint as chancellor — and how Churchill's own precarious finances impacted on his work at the Treasury. Veteran journalist Andrew Marr discusses the postwar budgets of Labour Chancellor Stafford Cripps and the famous 1980s budgets of Tory grandees Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson, still venerated by Tory MPs to this day. Carolyn Quinn, BBC journalist and presenter for 36 years, takes Sascha inside the New Labour years — with a little help from Ed Balls — as well as the "omnishambles" George Osborne budget of 2012. And outgoing Institute for Fiscal Studies boss Paul Johnson explains how the IFS became such a central part of Westminster's budget day tradition — and how his economists work through the night to keep us informed of what the chancellor has planned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alistair Campbell famously once proclaimed of Tony Blair's government: "we don't do God." Two decades on, this week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan goes to the politicians' church St Bartholomew the `Great to find out if that's still true. She speaks to some of parliament's most prominent Christians about the influence of religion on politics. Liberal Democrat Tim Farron tells Sascha about stepping step down from the leadership of his party after being confronted with a choice between "being a good leader and a good Christian." Tory MP and evangelical Christian Danny Kruger shares with Sascha how his religion informs his values as a politician and drives the policies he has helped lobby for with Conservative colleagues. Sascha speaks to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, nicknamed "the rev" because of his faith, about how his support for gay marriage legislation in 2012, led to him being "condemned by the local priest three Sundays in a row." And how, he says, he feels the need to make the case for Christian politics on the left as a louder religious voice emerges in Conservative politics. POLITICO Playbook reporter Bethany Dawson takes Sascha inside the Alliance for Responsible Citizens conference, where British and American politicians openly called for a return to our "Judeo-Christian foundations." And Bishop Alan Smith of St Albans makes the case for bishops in the House of Lords, while Lib Dem peer Lorely Burt and journalist Tali Fraser argue that Christian traditions still present in parliament can prove alienating for non believers and people of other faiths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jack Blanchard goes for a long lunch with Sir Graham Brady, the former chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs — and the man who helped bring down multiple Tory prime ministers. Over a meal of rare roast beef and Argentine malbec, Sir Graham picks through his 14 years at the helm of the 1922 committee, and his run-ins with the five different prime ministers who occupied Downing Street through his period in office. Sir Graham recalls the topics which really made David Cameron angry; Theresa May's rage at being betrayed by her own MPs; Boris Johnson's time-wasting tricks and Liz Truss' final words to him before she stepped out of No. 10 Downing Street to resign. And he reflects on an archaic Westminster system by which Tory prime ministers' power ultimately relies upon the size of a pile of secret letters locked in a safe in the parliamentary office of one backbench MP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s Conservative Party conference will be a beauty pageant for would-be leaders, with each one setting out their stall as to why they’re the right person to head up the party. So this week Westminster Insider host Sascha O’Sullivan dives into what it’s really like to be a contender in a Tory leadership campaign — and how candidates can appeal to both MPs and party members alike.  Andrea Leadsom, who made it through to the final two leadership candidates in 2016 before dramatically dropping out at the 11th hour, recalls the intense pressure on her at the time — and tells Sascha why she really decided to pull out of the race and concede to Theresa May.   Sascha also speaks to the Tories' former deputy leader, Peter Lilley, about his own failed run for the leadership back in 1997, and to former party leader Michael Howard about why Tory members were given more of a say at that time over who should be in charge. Tory peer Daniel Finkelstein, a former adviser to William Hague, explains how this new role for the membership led to the election of unpopular leaders like Iain Duncan Smith and Liz Truss.  And former campaign chiefs Tim Loughton, who ran Leadsom’s campaign, and James Starkie, who ran Priti Patel’s recent leadership bid, give a behind-the-scenes view of how candidates battle to win Tory MPs over to their side.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The red half of Westminster will shortly decamp to Liverpool for the first Labour conference since the party's general election landslide. Host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at a group which played a key role in that victory — the left-wing think-tank Labour Together. Sascha pieces together the fascinating origin story of Labour Together, speaking to ITV Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana, author of a new book, which details the group's influence, and Keir Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin. Andrew Cooper, political pollster and member of Labour Together advisory board, tells Sascha how Josh Simons, former director of the think tank, built on the work of Morgan McSweeney by using deep voter analysis to help Labour HQ. Sascha speaks to the group's new chief executive, Jonathan Ashworth, about Labour Together's role in shaping the thinking of the new government. He addresses some of the cronyism accusations surrounding the think tank and is quizzed by Sascha on its purpose now Labour is in power. Henry Newman, former political adviser and author of the Whitehall project, explains the concerns about how Labour Together acted as a middleman for political donations between wealthy individuals and politicians. Labour "mega-donor" Dale Vince tells Sascha why he gave money to the think tank. And think tank stalwarts Harry Quilter-Pinner of the Institute of Public Policy Research, Ryan Wain of the Tony Blair Institute and Charlotte Pickles explain how Labour Together fits into the world of the wonks and how different it is from most policy outfits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days after the drama of the first U.S. presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, host Jack Blanchard asks senior journalists on both sides of the Atlantic — what's it really like to cover an American election? Podcaster and author Jon Sopel reflects on his years covering the White House as the BBC's U.S. editor, recounting famous televised run-ins with Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama. The BBC's Henry Zeffman recalls his own year in the U.S. as a young reporter with the Times, touring the country ahead of the 2020 election. And POLITICO legends Jonathan Martin, Rosa Prince and Eli Stokols consider how political reporting in the U.S. has changed over recent years as the country's politics have transformed dramatically before our eyes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 300,000 people in Britain — from individuals to whole families — do not have a safe and secure home. Some live on the streets. Others are sleeping in sheds or garages or spending the night in their cars. And many, including more than 145,000 children, live in temporary accommodation, which often means a family sharing a single room.  But things don’t need to be this way. Lloyds Banking Group and Crisis, the U.K. homelessness charity, are calling for the U.K. to build 1 million more homes at social rent by 2033, an endeavor that will require strong partnership between the government and the private sector.  POLITICO Studio host David Baker speaks to Francesca Albanese, executive director of policy and social change at Crisis, Rose-Anna Hallam, who is drawing on her experience of growing up in social housing as a student of real estate and planning at Manchester University, and Chris Yau, a director in Lloyds' National Housing Team, about the causes of homelessness, the effect it has on all of us and how we can finally end homelessness in the U.K. for good.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the new Labour government introduces its landmark legislation to nationalize the railways, host Emilio Casalicchio asks: How do we get the trains to run on time? He travels to Japan, where privatized high speed trains whiz passengers between cities at 300 mph and delays are measured in seconds not minutes. And he examines the nationalized rail system in Switzerland, home to a joined up transport network with passenger experience at the heart of the business. Former Transport Secretary George Young tells Emilio about the process of taking British Rail out of public hands and into the private sector — and says he still believes it was the right move for the U.K.'s railways. Rail boffins Chris Hopkins, Gareth Dennis and Christian Wolmar analyze the Japanese, Swiss and British systems — and weigh up the pros and cons of private verses public. And the experts also assess Labour Transport Secretary Louise Haigh's prospects for getting the U.K. train network back on track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Westminster heads back to work after the summer recess, host Jack Blanchard talks to six political experts about what’s coming up in the months ahead. The FT’s Stephen Bush and the Spectator’s Katy Balls discuss the challenges facing new Prime Minister Keir Starmer this autumn, and consider the Tory leadership contest is likely to play out. Ben Zaranko of the Institute for Fiscal Studies runs the runes over the U.K. economy, with one eye on the all-important budget of October 30. POLITICO’s own Eli Stokols and Shawn Pogatchnik discuss the looming general elections in the U.S. and Ireland, and how they might impact upon Britain. And geopolitical analyst Sophia Gaston considers how wider global issues such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East could yet blow Starmer off course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Sascha O'Sullivan meets a few of the new parliamentarians slowly figuring out their way through Westminster. New Labour MPs — and soon-to-be office buddies — Jake Richards and Chris Curtis give Sascha rundown of their whirlwind first few days in SW1 and a taste of their plans to make a difference in parliament. Lola McEvoy, newly elected Labour MP for Darlington, re-lives the nerves of giving her maiden speech directly after Reform Leader Nigel Farage. She explains the challenges of very quickly having to get on top of an inbox with thousands of emails from constituents — before she'd even had a chance to hire staff. As if being a new MP wasn't challenging enough, Sascha talks to Sarah Sackman, the representative for Finchley and Golders Green and newly-minted solicitor general, on how to find your way around parliament with a ministerial red box. Another fresh face, Andrew Snowden, Conservative MP for Fylde, tells Sascha about being courted by senior Tories as they jostle for the upper hand in the leadership contest. And new Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean attempts to answer the thorny question of "what's the point of the Liberal Democrats" now they have their highest ever number of seats in parliament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our next season of Westminster Insider is gearing up with new episodes next week. To whet your appetite, we’ve reached into our extensive back catalogue to bring you one of our fan-favorite episodes – whether you’re new to the show or been a listener from the beginning, we hope you enjoy revisiting this historical deep dive into what ex-prime ministers do once the gig is up, hosted by Aggie Chambre.   Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, fired by Truss 38 days into her 45 day premiership, talks of the “emptiness” and “numbness” that comes with leaving Downing Street, and how he felt “let down” by his old friend.    Speaking agency founder Jeremy Lee, recently retired, is gloriously indiscreet as he regales Aggie with stories of his conversations with ex-prime ministers seeking riches down the years.    Political biographer Anthony Seldon takes Aggie through the history of former prime ministers, and how the role has changed since Winston Churchill’s Champagne-fueled heyday.   Unherd journalist Tom McTague explores Tony Blair’s increasingly powerful Institute for Global Change, while POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson tells tales of tracking down Boris Johnson in downtown Dallas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Keir Starmer enters 10 Downing Street on the back of a landslide election victory, host Sascha O'Sullivan takes us inside the night power shifted in the U.K. In the final episode of the season, she brings us an hour by hour account of the most consequential general election for a generation, speaking to political insiders for their take on events as they unfolded. At the moment the 10 p.m. exit poll dropped, Sascha spoke to Tom Lubbock, pollster and co-founder of JL Partners, about the implications for the Labour Party and whether or not the Conservatives could save face. She went on to the New Statesman party to speak to an elated Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, and Rachel Cunliffe, the New Statesman's associate political editor, as major Tory scalps were claimed by Labour candidates. And she spoke to Lucia Hodgson, former Conservative Party adviser and partner at Charlesbye, about how it feels to leave No. 10 for the last time — and what it will be like for a generation of Conservatives tasting general election defeat for the very first time. From the POLITICO election night watch party, Sascha spoke to Playbook author Stefan Boscia and checked in with colleague Bethany Dawson, who was at Clacton-on-Sea as upstart Reform leader Nigel Farage was elected an MP. We also heard behind the scenes as former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn won Islington North as an independent after being booted out out by Starmer. And, in the final push of the evening, as dawn broke Sascha traveled to the secret Labour victory party, where Starmer addressed the party faithful, newly minted MPs and volunteers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the general election reaches its final week, host Sascha O'Sullivan takes us inside the last push of the campaign. She explores how parties use every trick of the trade, from advertising to frantic leafleting, to try to capture every possible vote and travels to the BBC debate in Nottingham where the main party leaders had one final face off. Ayesha Hazarika, broadcaster and former adviser to Ed Miliband, explains how many voters begin tune into an election campaign only once they reach the last 10 days, and warns about the impact of gaffes during the final stretch. Former Conservative Party staffer Cleo Watson tells Sascha a scandalous story from the last week of the Vote Leave campaign which never made it to the press.  Ben Guerin, one of the advertising masterminds of Boris Johnson's 2019 election victory, relates how parties use attack ads in the last few days. And Craig Oliver, Downing Street Director of Communications for David Cameron, gives us tips for winning the "ground war" by focusing relentlessly on the constituencies which matter the most. Sascha also speaks to pollster James Johnson who says that in the last week, many candidates can be overcome with a misguided optimism about their prospects — and tells us what happens campaign HQs get their data wrong.  Also, Jeremy Corbyn's former deputy director of communications and strategy Steve Howell takes us inside Labour’s 2017 campaign, while Sean Kemp, former special adviser to Nick Clegg, gives us a run down on Lib Dem targeting tactics in the final week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we approach the final lap of the 2024 general election, host Sascha O'Sullivan discovers what life is like for the photographers who trail hot on the heels of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. She speaks to PA photographer Stefan Rousseau, who talks about the blunders of this campaign, the photos we'll remember long after votes have been cast, and how special advisers try their hardest to frame their boss's image. Former Labour aide Ayesha Hazarika relives the turmoil of Ed Miliband's bacon sandwich moment, splashed across front pages in the 2015 election campaign, and the photographer who took that iconic picture, Jeremy Selwyn, tells Sascha how it looked from the other side of the lens. Freelance photographer Hollie Adams describes what a gift Boris Johnson was to Westminster's snappers, and Sascha finds out if the rumors really are true: did the former PM mess up his hair before facing the cameras? Andy Parsons, the official Downing Street photographer under several PMs, justifies No. 10 keeping a personal snapper on its staff, while Rousseau claims the practice has closed down access to the press. And former U.S. President Barack Obama's personal photographer describes capturing the famous picture of the White House Situation Room as Osama bin Laden was taken out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Reform teeters close to overtaking the Conservative in the polls, Aggie Chambre goes inside Nigel Farage’s party and asks if he will could actually achieve his takeover of British politics. Starting in January, when Aggie first asks Farage if he’s planning to return to frontline politics, she tracks the party’s journey from small start-up to a shock poll putting it ahead of the Conservatives. In February, she hears from the Wellingborough candidate Ben Habib about the progress he has made on selling Reform on the street. With material spanning months and with help from shunted aside Leader Richard Tice, the party’s only London Assembly member and pollster Alex Wilson and Farage himself, Aggie tells the story of how Farage threw a grenade into the U.K. election, and looks at their electoral chances on July 4. And she spends an entertaining day with Lee Anderson, the only man to ever be a Reform MP. The former deputy chairman tells her his views on female firefighters and global warming, and admits he’d rather Keir Starmer was PM than Rishi Sunak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer prepare to launch their manifestos, host Sascha O’Sullivan takes a look at what goes into the making of the crucial documents that spell out each party’s plan for government. Former Tory adviser Cleo Watson recalls how it all went wrong for Theresa May at the 2017 election when a manifesto pledge on social care blew up. Authors of the 2019 manifesto Rachel Wolf and Rob Colvile explain how the slogan “Get Brexit Done” got the election done for Boris Johnson. Stalwart of the New Labour years Patrick Diamond, who wrote manifestos for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, recalls struggling to pinning ministers down agree on policy, while Torsten Bell, 2015 manifesto author, discusses how to stick to pledges in government. And Sascha also speaks to Andrew Fisher, writer of the Labour Party’s 2017 and 2019 manifestos, who fesses up to historic mistakes and talks about how the leaking of Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 plan ended up being a boon rather than a bust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Days before this general election's first television debate, host Aggie Chambre looks back at the history of debates in this country and asks how politicians go about winning them.  ITV's Julie Etchingham, who will host the first debate Tuesday, recalls being asked to take on the gig, explains what she's thinking during these set piece events and reveals what really happens before and after the debates take place.  Reform's Nigel Farage, who has performed in several TV debates, gives his tips for how to get airtime and why it matters which podium you stand at.  BBC political correspondent Joe Pike reminisces with Aggie about pretending to be politicians in rehearsals, and talks about what candidates do to prepare, including the party leader who hid out in a barn in Kent to undergo a thorough practice. Former Lib Dem spinner Sean Kemp said he believed the debates in 2010 were "the reason why David Cameron didn't win a majority." Former Sky News boss John Ryley talks about the campaign he spearheaded to get American-style debates going in the U.K. and explains why he believes they are so important for election campaigns. But former No. 10 director of Comms Craig Oliver describes the idea that debates have been some great service to democracy as "nonsense." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the Sun win it? After Rishi Sunak called a shock general election, host Aggie Chambre set out to discover just how much influence newspapers will have in this campaign.  Former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock tells her what it was like being attacked in the press in the run up to the 1992 election. Former Sun editor David Yelland reminisces about Rupert Murdoch and Tony Blair's relationship — and said it was like a "love affair." He says getting the backing of Fleet Street can be a "self fulfilling prophecy."  Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby explains how Labour Leader Keir Starmer is going about trying to get a "fair hearing" in the press, and talks about the symbiotic relationship between broadcast and print.  Former News of the World editor and director of comms Andy Coulson explains how you go about securing newspaper endorsements and says everyone underestimates how much they still matter.  And finally, former Downing Street director of comms Lee Cain explains how the way we consume news has changed. And says he believes Brexit still would have won even without the backing of some newspapers.  This episode has been updated to correct the attendees of a 2005 dinner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just how much power do the economists of Threadneedle Street really wield? As the Bank of England grapples with whether to keep interest rates at an all time high, host Sascha O’Sullivan goes on a mission to find out. In this week’s episode, she speaks to those who have been at the very heart of Westminster's relationship with the Bank for the last three decades. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss tells Sascha exactly why she believes Bank of England economists were attempting to pull apart her mini-budget and "take her down." Former shadow chancellor and Gordon Brown adviser Ed Balls explains how the Bank's independence came about in 1997, and suggests some of the people sitting on the Monetary Policy Committee have developed a spot of group think in their decision making. Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation and former adviser to Alistair Darling, talks about how the 2008 global financial crisis changed the powers the Bank could deploy in times of emergency. And Andy Haldane, the former chief economist for the Bank of England for more than 30 years, reveals how close to a political intervention the then-Governor Mark Carney came during the Brexit years and how, after the pandemic, the Bank's economists missed inflation coming down the track. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Tories' drubbing in the local elections and the many, many rumors about efforts to unseat Rishi Sunak, Aggie Chambre talks us through how to prepare a secret Conservative leadership campaign. Former No. 10 head of political comms Adam Jones takes us inside Liz Truss's "fizz with Liz" soirees, explains why she took *that* picture in the tank, and says his former boss got "punch drunk" on love from Tory members.  Former adviser Lucia Hodgson, who ran Andrea Leadsom's 2019 leadership bid, explains the years of work they put into that campaign, and reveals why you need to know everything you can about your opponents.  Aggie speaks to former Tory contender Michael Heseltine about what he did and did not do before his infamous run in 1990 — about his regrets, supporters and missteps.  And former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries claims it’s nigh on impossible to get any work done in government when everyone is so obsessed with who the next leader of the Conservative Party will be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of season 14, host Aggie Chambre tells the inside story of how POLITICO broke the Westminster honey trap story, and goes in search of who is really responsible. She hears from most of the key characters involved in the scandal that rocked SW1.  Two victims tell Aggie about their messages and one of them explains what happened when he organized a meeting with the catfisher.  POLITICO's own Dan Bloom reveals for the first time that he received a message from the mysterious catfisher and talks through his part in breaking the story.  The BBC's Henry Zeffman describes what it was like to be targeted and why he initially smelled a rat.  The Times’ Aubrey Allegretti gives behind the scenes details of his initial phone call with William Wragg, when the MP admitted some involvement in the scandal. And Ciaran Martin, former CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, explains how the scandal shed "a lot of light on the vulnerabilities of our political system." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Sascha O'Sullivan delves into the secrets of the polling industry and asks — if the polls were wrong before, could they be wrong again? David Cameron's former pollster Andrew Cooper tells Sascha how the Conservatives upstaged the polling industry in 2015 and pulled an unexpected election victory out of the bag. Labour polling stalwart Stan Greenberg, who has run the numbers for Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Ed Miliband, explains what the other side of the 2015 campaign was like. Tom Lubbock of JL Partners and Josh Williams of Labour Together explain why voter archetypes — from "Mondeo Man" to "Stevenage Woman" — are so beloved by the media ... and how they're actually useful for politicians seeking to win elections. Sascha also tags along to a series of focus groups — including with More in Common's Luke Tryl — to see how they really work. And the New Statesman's associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe, and pollster Scarlett Maguire explain how communicating polling can be twisted or over-egged — and why we really should be talking about more than just the top line.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Aggie Chambre looks at the art of the leak and asks — why do people do it, and what happens when your political secrets are exposed? Former Deputy Prime Minister Damian Green talks about helping to leak Home Office secrets when Labour was in charge. Aggie hears from journalist and author Isabel Oakeshott about her controversial decision to leak Matt Hancock’s Covid WhatsApps — and why she had to adopt a disguise during the process. POLITICO’s Jack Blanchard and Jeremy Corbyn’s former spinner James Schneider tell Aggie about the infamous 2017 Labour manifesto leak and the consequences for the party’s campaign. And Times political editor Steven Swinford, recipient of a hefty chunk of Westminster’s secrets, talks us through how he got leaked information about the second Covid lockdown and government decisions around Huawei.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New host Sascha O'Sullivan explores Westminster's obsession with all things Australia — and considers the lessons British politics might learn from down under. From the U.K. Tory party's succession of Aussie campaign chiefs to the varying attempts to deploy Australian-style immigration policies, Westminster has held an enduring fascination with its rougher political cousins down under.  Sascha speaks to former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who has long enjoyed links with the U.K. Tory party and who was the first premier to vow to "stop the boats." Rohan Watt, a Queensland native who worked in Liz Truss's No. 10 Downing Street, explains how Australian advisers have long been surfing the coattails of legendary campaign guru Lynton Crosby, and how their blunt style of communication has made them mainstays in British politics.  Australian-British journalist Latika Bourke considers the brutal campaign tactics sometimes deployed down under, while foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston explains how the recently-signed AUKUS security pact will reinforce relations between the two countries. Comms guru John McTernan, who worked for both Tony Blair in Downing Street and Australian PM Julia Gillard in Canberra, explains why Australia can offer a helpful election playbook for British politicos to follow — but why Westminster should be wary of stealing their ideas wholesale.  And Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson tells how she recently undertook a fact-finding trip to Australia to gather advice on childcare policy from the Aussie Labor Party — as well as tips on how to help U.K. Labour win an election.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now, surely everyone in Westminster knows how to get ready for government — but have enough considered how to prepare for opposition? In this week's episode, host Aggie Chambre tackles the conundrum of how to prepare for the one job in politics no one wants.  She speaks to former opposition leader Neil Kinnock about his time in charge, including the advice his children gave Tony Blair's kids.  Conservative peer George Young, who has been around since 1974, talks about all the times his party has gone from government to opposition.  Tories Robert Buckland and Charles Walker consider what their fellow MPs are thinking about life after polling day as they teeter on the edge of opposition. Labour MP Diana Johnson, who has spent the last 14 years on the opposition benches, explains how best to make an impact while you're out of government.  Academic Nigel Fletcher runs through the history of the formalization of opposition — dating all the way back to 1937.  And Cath Haddon from the Institute for Government tells Aggie the hardest thing about going from government to opposition.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, Jack Blanchard returns home to the north of England to hear the stories of the refugees who arrived there in 2022 — and of one small town community which opened its arms to help. Jack meets those who hosted Ukrainian people in their homes, and hears from the Ukrainians themselves about what it's like to arrive so suddenly in a far-off land. Community organisers discuss how they rallied round to help, while former Refugees Minister Richard Harrington explains how the government worked at breakneck speed to get the complex scheme off the ground. Jack's own mum even makes a guest appearance, with a very special family story to tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the people of Wellingborough headed to the polls for a historic vote, hosts Aggie Chambre and Sascha O'Sullivan took a train to the East Midlands to see how by-elections really play out on the ground.  Over the course of a month, they went door-knocking with the candidates, spoke to disenfranchised voters and, finally, stayed up all night to watch the count.  They watched Reform’s Ben Habib drive round in an gigantic, double-decker blue bus and Labour’s Gen Kitchen show off her Taylor Swift friendship bracelets. They listened to the Liberal Democrat’s Ana Savage Gunn regale stories of her former life as a police firearms officer ... and even managed to track down the elusive Tory candidate, Helen Harrison. And the duo consider what this show-stopping by-election result will mean for the upcoming general election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jack Blanchard goes for lunch with the Sunday Times' chief political commentator, Tim Shipman, as the deadline for his new Brexit tome approaches. Over a bottle of claret and (medium) rare steak, Shipman discusses the art of long-form political writing; recalls his best and worst interview experiences, from Donald Trump to Theresa May; considers his favorite moments of the chaotic past decade in British politics and offers tips to aspiring journalists on how to do a "proper" political lunch.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first episode of the year, host Aggie Chambre goes inside right-wing TV channel GB News and investigates the role it might play in shaping the future of the U.K. Conservative Party. And she looks at the scandals, controversy and culture that has surrounded the channel so far.  With the help of the channel's chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos, and former presenters including Simon McCoy and Guto Harri, Aggie tells the story of how the organization went from a chaotic launch to finding its place in the media landscape. GB News host, and founder of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, boasts of the "extraordinary" freedom he enjoys at the organization, while his colleague Lee Anderson, a Tory MP, says GB News has given unrepresented viewers a "safe space" to go.  Former Labour MP and current GB News presenter Gloria De Piero and Conservative Home's Henry Hill look ahead to the election, and discuss the impact the channel could have in the upcoming year. And former BBC Westminster boss Katy Searle, and former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, compare the channel to America's Fox News, and ponder whether regulator Ofcom should be doing more to intervene.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the final episode of the year, host Jack Blanchard and a series of expert guests look ahead to 2024 and what is certain to be an extraordinary year of world politics. The Spectator’s Katy Balls and the Times’ Patrick Maguire survey the election prospects of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer respectively, while More in Common’s Luke Tryl — a polling and focus group expert — assesses Britain’s current electoral landscape. The Resolution Foundation’s David Willetts looks ahead to the Budget in March and considers how the state of the economy will affect the U.K. general election, whenever it is held. Beyond Britain, POLITICO’s Meredith McGraw, Shawn Pogatchnik and Stuart Lau discuss the impact that elections in the U.S., Ireland and Taiwan could have on the Western world. And former U.K. Foreign Office chief Peter Ricketts considers how the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are likely to play out in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Aggie Chambre explores the crisis in Britain's prison system and asks what can be done to fix it.  She goes inside a prison riddled with drugs and violence, and hears from the governor and from long-serving inmates about what's really going on.  Justice Secretary Alex Chalk sets out his plan to overhaul the sector, and why he believes part of the answer is to stop handing out jail terms for less serious crimes.  Former Tory leader Michael Howard relives his famous "prison works" speech of 1993 and considers whether he would make the same speech again today.  Aggie meets Charlie Taylor, Britain's chief inspector of prisons. He tells her of the harrowing scenes he has witnessed in prisons around the U.K. this past year. And the Howard League's Andrea Coomber, a prison reform campaigner, calls for politicians to be brave in explaining to the public that prison does not work the way they think it does.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the week Boris Johnson finally said sorry for the mistakes made by his government during the COVID-19 pandemic, host Aggie Chambre explores the art of the political apology — and asks how politicians can redeem themselves after completely screwing up.  Johnson's former Downing Street aide Cleo Watson analyses her former boss's apology, and why he chose to deploy it this week.  Neil Parish, the former Tory MP who apologized — and quit — after getting caught pornography in the House of Commons chamber, discusses his slow path toward redemption. And former minister Brooks Newmark recalls his bleakest moments after he was embroiled in an infamous sexting scandal in 2014, and why he felt he had no choice but to apologize and resign. Veteran journalist Steve Richards recalls some of the most famous political apologies of our age. And former Lib Dem aide Sean Kemp explains how Westminster's most famous apology of recent times — his old boss Nick Clegg's "sorry" over tuition fees — actually came about.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With opposition parties starting to dream about life in Whitehall as the next election looms, host Aggie Chambre takes a look at how politicians actually prepare for government.  She hears from the key players involved in the 2010 election — the last time opposition parties came to power. The former Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell, then the most senior civil servant in the country, recalls an eyebrow-raising chat with David Cameron when he was leader of the opposition. Former Tory minister Nick Boles reveals some disastrous first meetings between shadow ministers and civil servants during preparatory talks. Another ex civil servant, Una O'Brien, recalls awkward moments when her ministerial bosses spotted her headed to private talks with their opposite numbers. And former Lib Dem Minister David Laws reveals his fear of walking up Downing Street for the first time.   Meanwhile the Institute for Government's Emma Norris, POLITICO's Dan Bloom and former Labour adviser Matt Lavender set out what Keir Starmer's party is doing right now to try to prepare for power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With opinion polls showing Donald Trump beating President Joe Biden in key battleground states a year out from the next U.S. election, podcast host Jack Blanchard asks whether Westminster is even remotely ready for the prospect of a second Trump presidency. Britain's former Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Darroch and ex-Downing Street comms chief Katie Perrior recall their own interactions with Trump during his first tenure as president, while Keir Starmer's former chief of staff Chris Ward considers how the Labour leader might respond to Trump's special brand of diplomacy if he becomes prime minister next year. Polling guru Joe Bedell of Stack Data Strategy sets out just how likely Trump really is to win again in 2024, while POLITICO's own Eugene Daniels — co-author of our Washington D.C. Playbook emails — explains the political factors driving Trump's seemingly unlikely return. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the week U.K Home Secretary Suella Braverman was finally sacked, host Aggie Chambre asks what you actually have to do to get fired from the government — and what the calculations are for the leaders doing the firing.  Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, recalls his "underhand" sacking of two junior ministers, while Cleo Watson, a former deputy chief of staff at Downing Street, reveals the secrets of the reshuffle whiteboard.  Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan tells Aggie what really happened when she was sacked by Theresa May in 2016, and the "awkward" conversation that followed. And May's ex-chief of staff Gavin Barwell lifts the lid on what it's like to sack a minister — in this case Gavin Williamson — embroiled in scandal. Former Chief Whip Wendy Morton talks through her approach to sacking people, while former minister Matt Warman reveals what it was like being sacked by Morton.  And Tory MP Paul Bristow — who was sacked as a government aide last month — explains why he has no regrets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britain's civil service is under fire like never before — criticised as an obstructionist "blob" by ministers and castigated for a "terrifyingly sh*t" response to the COVID-19 pandemic by former Downing Street aide Dominic Cummings. So what do U.K. government officials — normally banned from speaking to the media — actually make of it all? This week in a special 'focus group' episode, five former mid-ranking civil servants sit down with host Aggie Chambre to lift the lid on life inside Whitehall. The panelists, who worked in departments across government — one for as long as 30 years — tell Aggie about the deteriorating relationship between ministers and officials, and about how difficult all that Whitehall bureaucracy makes their jobs. They discuss how rare it is for anyone to actually get fired from the civil service — and even reveal the secret formula for getting promoted which works almost every time.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As war rages in the Middle East, host Jack Blanchard sits down with Alf Dubs, the 91-year-old Labour peer who arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport — which organized the rescue of children from the Nazis — aged just six. Dubs reflects on his experiences as a child refugee in 1939 and on how he forged a new life in the U.K. He explains why he got into politics, and how he has since devoted much of his life to helping other young people in dire need. He calls for more humanitarian support for those affected by the current wars in Israel / Gaza and Ukraine, and would like to see the U.K. government take a new approach toward those seeking asylum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Labour Party leader Keir Starmer dragging his party onto the center ground, host Aggie Chambre asks what remains of the left in Britain — and what the future may hold for this increasingly marginalized group. She hears from three Labour MPs in the left-wing socialist campaign group, all former members of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow Cabinet. Dawn Butler, Clive Lewis and Ian Lavery describe a widespread sense of nervousness at being at odds with the leadership following what Lavery calls a "purge" of the Labour left. Corbyn himself urges left-wing Labour MPs to speak up, telling them that “being silent is never an option." Labour grandees Peter Mandelson and Neil Kinnock insist Starmer was right to marginalize the left of the party, to make Labour electable again. And Novara Media journalist Ash Sarkar insists there may yet be a powerful future for the left, sitting outside the Labour Party if necessary.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year on from Liz Truss’ chaotic premiership, host Ailbhe Rea takes on what remains a controversial topic: the role free-market think tanks really play in our politics.  Ailbhe interviews the co-founder of one of these free-market think tanks, the ASI’s Madsen Pirie, and hears his candid account of how they wield influence across Westminster.   Then we dive inside the funding of these think tanks, with the man who beats the drum against so-called dark money in politics, investigative journalist Peter Geoghegan. And we reveal how close the IEA really was — and still is — to Liz Truss and her whole tax-cutting project, with the help of “Nina,” an anonymous IEA member of staff who witnessed it all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Conservative Party conference about to commence, host Aggie Chambre asks the question on everyone's lips: What the hell is the point of the conference season anyway?  She speaks to former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Hesiltine about what conferences used to be like in years gone by. Sky News' Sam Coates and POLITICO's own Jack Blanchard talk about their importance for journalists, and how and when conference events can shape the narrative. The Spectator's Fraser Nelson tells Aggie about his magazine's legendary conference drinks parties, and how grassroots members are no longer the central focus for conference organizers.  Finally, British Chamber of Commerce director general Shevaun Haviland talks about why businesses go to party conferences ... while former CCHQ chief executive Mark MacGregor explains why they probably shouldn't bother. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea hits the campaign trail in the greater Glasgow constituency of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, where a high-profile by-election battle between Labour and the ruling Scottish National Party looks very much like next year's general election in Scotland in microcosm. Ailbhe meets the leaders of the two parties battling it out here: the SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf, and the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar. She meets their candidates, the SNP's Katy Loudon and Labour's Michael Shanks, and the voters of Ruthergen and Hamilton West. Everyone's favourite pollster, Professor John Curtice, explains what's at stake. And do be sure to check out POLITICO's brand new transatlantic podcast "Power Play," hosted by Anne McElvoy. In this week's inaugural episode, Labour leader Keir Starmer unpacks his vision for U.K. foreign policy should he make it to No. 10 at the next election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week host Aggie Chambre sits down with her old boss Robert Peston, the TV journalist who shot to fame during the last financial crash.  Almost two decades on, ITV's political editor remains one of the best-known faces in U.K. politics. He's also joined a celebrity band with his pal Ed Balls, launched a high-profile podcast, and just published his second novel, a fictional work set in the chaos of the 2007/08 financial meltdown. In a wide-ranging interview Peston discusses the art and the ethics of journalism; opens up about love and grief, plus his battle with obsessive compulsive disorder; explains why he would never want to be a politician, and why he believes the country is in such a mess.  Aggie also goes behind the scenes at Peston's TV chat show — and hears what his team really think of him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the week we marked the first anniversary of Liz Truss taking office — and Boris Johnson leaving Downing Street — host Aggie Chambre explores what former prime ministers do next with their lives. Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, fired by Truss 38 days into her 45 day premiership, talks of the “emptiness” and “numbness” that comes with leaving Downing Street, and how he felt “let down” by his old friend.  Speaking agency founder Jeremy Lee, recently retired, is gloriously indiscreet as he regales Aggie with stories of his conversations with ex-prime ministers seeking riches down the years.  Political biographer Anthony Seldon takes Aggie through the history of former prime ministers, and how the role has changed since Winston Churchill’s Champagne-fueled heyday. Unherd journalist Tom McTague explores Tony Blair’s increasingly powerful Institute for Global Change, while POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson tells tales of tracking down Boris Johnson in downtown Dallas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As MPs return to parliament after the summer break, host Ailbhe Rea and an array of expert guests provide an essential briefing on everything that’s coming up in British politics over the next few months. The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls takes Ailbhe through Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s "not-a-reset" leadership reset, and explains No. 10's thinking around reshuffles, the King's Speech, the party conferences ... and its plan to go "in the gutter" for a fresh wave of attacks on Labour leader Keir Starmer. Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank gives provides a debrief on the U.K.'s economic situation and looks ahead to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement, while the Times’ Scottish political editor Kieran Andrews has everything you need to know about the upcoming Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election. BBC Northern Ireland’s Jayne McCormack ponders whether Stormont might finally get up and running again this autumn, while POLITICO’s very own Eleni Courea has all the gossip on a Labour reshuffle — and explores Rishi Sunak’s hopes for the G20 summit in India. Finally, POLITICO'S Annabelle Dickson lifts the lid on what might yet prove to be the biggest political event of the year — the final Supreme Court judgement on Sunak's controversial plan to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Westminster largely empty during the summer recess, host Aggie Chambre heads out of London to watch MPs in different parts of the country meet the people who really matter — the voters. At constituency surgeries in Glasgow East, Pontypridd and North Norfolk, Aggie watches politicians help desperate constituents who have nowhere else to turn, hearing heartbreaking stories of poverty as well as local rows about overgrown trees and NHS dentists. And on doorstep visits she sees them met by barking dogs, angry voters and even the occasional slammed door. Aided by Tory MP Duncan Baker, Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones and SNP MP David Linden, Aggie explores how the job of an MP has changed — and whether this is really the sort of work they should be carrying out at all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster Insider will be back next Friday! Hosts Aggie Chambre and Ailbhe Rea chat about what to expect from season 11 of the weekly podcast from POLITICO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of the season, host Aggie Chambre explores the clandestine operations, secretive briefing wars and campaign stunts that make up the darker side of politics — and asks if there is still a place for such activities in 2023.  She speaks to crossbench peer John Woodcock, who — in a former life — was a Labour Party researcher and occasional undercover spy. He tells Aggie how one secret mission in 2005 derailed the career of a former deputy Conservative Party chairman.  Former Downing Street comms boss and News of the World editor Andy Coulson tells how, while working for David Cameron in opposition, he took advantage of Gordon Brown's decision not to call an election with a simple but eye-catching PR stunt.  Another former Cameron aide, Giles Kenningham, explains why — with an election looming — political parties will now be building up treasure troves of secret recordings and other destructive data to deploy against their opponents. Former Labour Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong talks about the internal dark arts —underhand techniques used against party colleagues — and why her boss Tony Blair, no great fan of such methods, chose not to take action against a serial rebel on his backbenches called Jeremy Corbyn. Commons public administration committee Chair William Wragg and former Deputy Chief Whip Anne Milton explain why they think the dark arts are best left in the past. And Paul Staines, of the notorious Guido Fawkes blog, reveals some of the underhand tricks he uses to get his biggest scoops — and explains why for him, the very best stories are those that end politicians' careers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second half of a two-part profile, hosts Ailbhe Rea and Aggie Chambre take a closer look at the man hoping to become Britain's next prime minister. This week they take listeners through Starmer's political career so far, from entering parliament as a political novice in 2015, through the difficult days of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, to his own successful leadership bid and beyond. They hear from Starmer's closest political advisers: Ben Nunn, his former head of communications; Chris Ward, formerly his deputy chief of staff; and key ally Jenny Chapman, who casts new light on the infamous pledges Starmer made — and subsequently broke — during the 2020 Labour leadership contest. They also hear from Corbyn’s head of policy, Andrew Fisher, for a very different take on Starmer's rise to power. Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting explains what angers the Labour leader around the shadow Cabinet table. And the podcast travels to Starmer's current neighbourhood in north London, visiting both his favorite pub and an infamous kitchen table.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first part of a major profile of Labour leader Keir Starmer, podcast hosts Ailbhe Rea and Aggie Chambre take a deeper look at the man hoping to become Britain's next prime minister. Starting their journey from the kitchen of the house in Surrey where Starmer grew up, they follow his path through childhood and university toward a stellar legal career, speaking to those who’ve known him along the way. Andrew Cooper, a schoolfriend who would go on to be an adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, reveals the early antics — and politics — of the young Starmer, while John Murray, a university pal, lifts the lid on their laddish student life. The pair then follow Starmer’s journey up the career ladder as a lawyer, a barrister and eventually director pf public prosecutions (DPP). Ken Macdonald, a crossbench peer and Starmer’s predecessor as DPP, recalls Starmer’s approach at the Bar — and his real thoughts on law and order. Denis Bradley, former vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, explains the tricky role Starmer took on as human rights adviser in Northern Ireland following the Good Friday Agreement — and how this role eventually led Starmer to abandon a successful legal career for the murky world of Westminster. The Times’ Tom Witherow evaluates Starmer’s record as DPP, while Scarlett MccGwire, a legendary Labour aide who has worked with four party leaders, reveals how Starmer finally began to make inroads into the world of politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two weeks ago, POLITICO revealed Geraint Davies was accused of sexual harassment by 5 different women. The Labour MP said he did not recognize the allegations but apologized if he inadvertently caused offence to anyone. This week, host Aggie Chambre asks why we keep hearing new allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying in the British parliament, and asks what can be done to make it better. She speaks to her POLITICO colleague Esther Webber, who has broken numerous stories on inappropriate behavior. Esther tells Aggie her theories on what is going wrong and how it can be fixed. Former clerk Jenny McCullough tells Aggie about her experience of being bullied while working in Westminster. Labour MP Jess Phillips talks about what she would do if someone came to her and said they were being bullied, and ponders whether it's something about MPs that makes Westminster susceptible to this sort of behavior. Tory MP Mark Jenkinson questions whether some bullying allegations should really be described as bullying, and says politics is no place for snowflakes. Former special adviser Lucia Hodgson talks about setting up parliament's the independent complaints scheme. And listeners hear again from the focus group of former staffers, who appeared at the beginning of the season. The group talks about how parliament can be an intoxicating place, and they describe what it's really like to work in Westminster.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea explores how and why dealing with migrants crossing the English Channel has shot to the top of the prime minister’s to-do list — and what he’s actually doing about it. Pollster Scarlett Maguire outlines the political headache for Sunak, while disgruntled Tory MP Matt Warman explains how this has now become the top issue of concern for his constituents in Boston and Skegness — hundreds of miles from the Kent coast. Ailbhe also meets an Iranian asylum seeker, Ali, who made that dangerous journey across the Channel himself — and was then left waiting years for a decision on whether he can stay. And we take Sunak’s pledge on its own terms and ask two very different experts — immigration lawyer Colin Yeo, and former head of the UK Border Force, Tony Smith — whether the prime minister really can stop the boats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Aggie Chambre speaks to Westminster spouses from across the political spectrum about the ups and downs of life married to a British MP. Felicity Mercer, wife and constituency aide of Tory MP Johnny, tells of her pride in her husband's work, but also of the political abuse they receive — and what happens when that reaches your front door. Tory MP Mark Fletcher and his charity worker husband Will discuss the struggle of life in such a long-distance relationship, while vet Kate Carmichael, wife of Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair, explains how she copes with being the furthest-flung political spouse of all. Opera singer — and avid tweeter — Nevana Bridgen, wife of former Tory MP Andrew, explains why she feels the need to defend her husband's explosive comments on COVID vaccines, and opens up about extra-marital affairs in Westminster and what it's like watching women hit on your husband. And Labour MP Cat Smith and SNP MP David Linden discuss how they found love in SW1 across party lines, as they walked together hand in hand across Westminster Bridge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO’s Ailbhe Rea takes us inside the art of the political interview. In a rare conversation on the other side of the microphone, Today programme presenter and ex-BBC political editor Nick Robinson opens up about what’s going through his mind in the middle of a high-profile grilling, politicians lying, persuading them to come on the Today programme, and what happened behind the scenes when he notoriously told Boris Johnson to “stop talking.” Rob Burley, who has plotted political interviews with the greats including Andrew Neil, Andrew Marr, Jeremy Paxman, Emily Maitlis and now Beth Rigby at Sky News, takes us through how they game-plan a big interview, the great interviews of political history — and what Paxo was thinking when he asked Michael Howard the same question 12 times. Former Westminster Hour doyenne Carolyn Quinn reveals the complex human relationships between interviewers and politicians, while former Tory comms staffer Laura-Emily Dunn reveals what’s happening on the politician side.  Andrea Leadsom and Rachel Sylvester each — separately — recall Leadsom’s car crash “motherhood” interview during the 2016 Tory leadership campaign, which, of course, prompted her to drop out of the race and left Theresa May as Prime Minister.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode, host Aggie Chambre gathers a group of 20-something politicos who spent years working as aides and researchers for some of Britain's best-known politicians — and hears what working for an MP is really like. They tell stories of drunken sleepovers in parliament, MPs' texts at 4 a.m., and high-pressure casework for distraught constituents which changed their lives forever. And the group explains how in the world of Westminster, your MP is also your "judge, jury, and executioner" — meaning if you work for the wrong person, things can quickly go badly wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special anniversary episode 25 years on from the agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland, host Ailbhe Rea heads home to Belfast to retell the gripping story of how a historic compromise was reached. Former British PM Tony Blair and former Irish premier Bertie Ahern explain why — and how — they decided to pursue a peace deal when they both came to power in 1997, and recall key moments of drama from inside the negotiating room. David Kerr, right-hand man to the late David Trimble — the UUP leader who would go on to win the Nobel Peace prize for his role in the talks — describes the splits and crises within unionism at the time, while chief SDLP negotiator Mark Durkan, later to become deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, explains how his boss John Hume’s thinking infused the entire peace process. Mitchel McLaughlin, spokesperson for Sinn Féin during the negotiations, describes the challenge his party’s leadership faced in trying to take the entire republican movement with them. Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to Blair, explains what it was like to face Sinn Fein across the negotiating table. And Monica McWilliams, co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, shares her memories of those tense final days and hours inside Castle Buildings. Ailbhe also meets Cathy McCann and Betty Speers, two victims of an IRA bomb in 1990 — Cathy was severely injured and Betty’s brother was killed — as they reflect on what the Good Friday Agreement means to them. And Ailbhe ends the episode with Sara Canning, the partner of the late journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed by dissident republicans on the 21st anniversary of the agreement, four years ago. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the week Jeremy Corbyn was blocked from running again as a Labour MP, host Aggie Chambre takes a look at the secretive world of MPs' selections — and learns how insidery cliques, funding and old-school sexism can all be barriers to entry. Aggie takes a road trip with the man who helped select Rishi Sunak for his North Yorkshire seat, and hears more about the prime minister's slick sales pitch to local members. Tory peer Anne Jenkin discusses her efforts to get more women into parliament, while Labour MP Stella Creasy recalls what it's actually like to go through the high-pressure selection process. Aggie also speaks to journalist Michael Crick about his work cataloguing the 2024 election candidates selected so far, and to author Isabel Hardman on why we get the wrong politicians. And former Momentum boss Jon Lansman has his say on Corbyn's de-selection, and explains how he believes selection 'stitch ups' in the Labour Party could lead to the rise of fascism in Britain.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster Insider profiles the woman who could be running Britain alongside Keir Starmer in a year's time. Host Ailbhe Rea sits down with Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves to explore her background, her political instincts, her successes and failures ... and tries her hand at a game of chess against the former child star. Reeves takes us back to the south London of the 1980s where she grew up; the Oxford University of her New Labour years; her career in banking both pre-and post-global financial crisis; and her early experiences as a young female MP — and picks out the moments that made her the politician she is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Aggie Chambre explores the best and worst political U-turns of recent times — and ponders how and why certain politicians get away with abrupt changes of heart. Former Lib Dem Cabinet Minister David Laws recalls the tuition fee furor that sunk his party, while former Downing Street chief of staff Fiona Hill discusses Theresa May's swiftly-abandoned 'Dementia Tax' of 2017. Liz Truss' close allies Simon Clarke and Sarah Ludlow relive the U-turn over her disastrous 'mini-budget' of 2022, while ex-Home Secretary David Blunkett picks over the most significant U-turns of the New Labour years. Former Thatcher aide John Whittingdale discusses what happens when your leader simply refuses to change course despite massive opposition, while Tory peer Daniel Finkelstein argue that U-turns are actually a cause for celebration in a complex world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Aggie Chambre sits down for a rare interview with former Downing Street chief of staff Fiona Hill to talk about her central role in Theresa May's first government, the astonishing highs and disastrous lows of life in No. 10, and the devastating impact of being fired after the failed 2017 general election. Hill reveals the years of secret plotting behind Theresa May's successful bid to become prime minister; the inner workings of May's dysfunctional Downing Street operation; and the surprising politician who helped her when she was floored by her departure from No. 10.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New host Aggie Chambre takes us inside the world of TV News, and asks how the advent of 24-hour rolling coverage has shaped British politics. Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge explains the importance of the Sunday shows to the Westminster news cycle, and reveals the reaction from Downing Street after she asked then-PM Theresa May a question she really didn't want to answer. Her outgoing boss John Ryley, head of Sky News, tells the podcast how his channel transformed 24-hour political coverage, and takes a final swipe at his TV news competitors.  ITV's Rachel Bradley and veteran broadcaster Michael Crick lift the lid on the art of the doorstep interview, while former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale explains the misery of embarking on a round of broadcast interviews. Craig Oliver recalls his time running David Cameron's comms operation and explains how much thought goes into every TV image. And Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, explains what really happened that time he fell over on Brighton beach — and how much damage the endless TV coverage caused him.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea takes you inside the weird and wonderful world of the House of Lords, and explores the increasingly bitter battles over its future. Paralympic gold medallist and crossbench peer Tanni Grey-Thompson lifts the lid on what life in the Lords is really like, and Ailbhe has a rare meeting with an endangered species: a hereditary peer, the Earl of Caithness, in his natural habitat. John McFall, the Lord Speaker, takes us on a guided tour of the grand building itself — and explains how it actually works — while POLITICO's very own Esther Webber explains the joys of covering the second chamber as a journalist. Jess Sargeant from the Institute of Government provides a whistlestop tour of efforts to reform the Lords down the decades — some more successful than others. And we look at the internal debate within the Labour Party over former PM Gordon Brown's recommendation to abolish the House of Lords altogether. Henry Stannard, who worked closely with Brown on his commission, defends the plans, while Labour grandees Neil Kinnock and David Blunkett take radically different points of view.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea tells the inside story of Liz Truss' chaotic, historic 49 days in No. 10 Downing Street, via candid interviews with those in the room where it happened. Speaking publicly for the first time about that turbulent period, Truss' former special adviser Hugh Bennett and ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's former aide Celia McSwaine lift the lid on life inside Truss' Downing Street — and how it all went wrong in six short weeks. They are joined by Truss' former speechwriter Asa Bennett, her biographers Harry Cole and James Heale, and her political opponent, Labour's Pat McFadden. Using their voices alongside multiple off-record-interviews, Ailbhe retells one of the most extraordinary stories in modern British politics — the rise and fall of the 49-day prime minister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the final episode of the year, host Jack Blanchard looks ahead to the biggest political stories coming down the track in 2023. Guests include Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies; former U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon; Katy Balls of the Spectator; Stephen Bush of the Financial Times; Ipsos pollster Keiran Pedley; Tory peer and elections expert Robert Hayward; Jill Rutter and Giles Wilkes of the Institute for Government; and POLITICO's own Jamil Anderlini and Cristina Gallardo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea looks at the world of political punditry with the help of some of Westminster's best-known commentators and producers, and the comedian Joe Lycett. Rob Burley, who spent years running flagship political programmes at the BBC including the Andrew Marr Show and Politics Live, explains why Lycett's infamous appearance on Laura Kuenssberg's show in September enraged him, and discusses whether conflict is ever engineered on his shows. Scarlett Maguire, producer of the Andrew Neil Show, explains how pundits are selected and why they are needed in political broadcasting. Katy Balls and Stephen Bush, a common TV punditry 'couple', and political journalists for the Spectator and the FT respectively, explain what makes a good or a bad pundit. James Schneider, former head of strategic communications for Jeremy Corbyn, bursts the bubble on the cosy pundit chat and explains why he thinks very little of it is worth listening to at all — but also how Team Corbyn still felt the need to use political punditry for its own ends. And finally Joe Lycett himself, the comedian and one-time "terribly right-wing" commentator, gives his take on his brief turn at political punditry.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jack Blanchard speaks to former U.K. energy ministers and policy experts about the chequered history of British energy policy over recent decades — and how the nation was left so vulnerable to Vladimir Putin's energy price war. Guests including former Energy Ministers Charles Hendry and Michael Fallon, and former Whitehall policy chief Adam Bell, explain how what should have been a smooth transition away from fossil fuels has been blotted by a stalled nuclear program and endless rows about wind turbines. And Stag Energy's George Grant and the Financial Times' Nathalie Thomas rue Britain's failure to invest in undersea gas storage sites which might have offered an insurance policy against the current crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea takes a closer look at the shadowy world of the whips — the sinister party enforcers whose job it is to keep MPs in line. Michael Dobbs, the creator of "House of Cards" and one-time chief of staff to Margaret Thatcher, lifts the lid on the murky world of whipping that inspired his novels and the hit TV dramas, while Jacqui Smith, a chief whip to Tony Blair, describes how she did it in the era of Blair/Brown plotting. Playwright James Graham — whose hit play "This House" brought the dark arts of the whips' office to London's West End — discusses the hung parliament of the 1970s, the most legendary period in whipping history, and Wendy Morton discusses her unique experience as chief whip to Liz Truss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jack Blanchard sits down with Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, to discuss life, politics and the Labour Party over a bottle of red wine at an exclusive Westminster restaurant. Streeting, tipped by many as the next Labour leader, discusses his poverty-stricken childhood, his recent battle with cancer and his vision for the future on the eve of his 40th birthday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As U.K. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveils huge spending cuts and tax hikes in his Autumn Statement, host Ailbhe Rea looks back at the economic program still haunting the current debate: the austerity of the early 2010s. David Gauke, one of former Chancellor George Osborne's must trusted lieutenants, opens up about how the big decisions were taken and reflects on how he'd do things differently if he had his time again. Torsten Bell, head of the Resolution Foundation think tank and formerly head of policy for Labour leader Ed Miliband, considers the effects of the spending cuts and the differences between the Labour and the Conservative positions, while Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, talks about what he thinks his party got wrong. Carys Roberts, executive director at the IPPR think tank, discusses the way the public debate played out, while Professor Michael Marmot considers the impact of austerity on life expectancy and health inequalities across the U.K.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following Rishi Sunak's unprecedented 50-day turnaround from defeated leadership candidate to U.K. prime minister, Westminster Insider host Jack Blanchard looks back at some of the great political comebacks of our times. Guests include Peter Mandelson, who shocked Westminster — and himself — with a sensational return to the U.K. Cabinet in 2008 after four years away as an EU Commissioner; and U.S. historian John A. Farrell, who recalls Richard Nixon’s extraordinary rise to the American presidency in 1968, eight years after his crushing defeat to John F. Kennedy. Professor Edith Hall tells the story of the great Roman leader Cincinnatus and his return to power from his humble plow — famously namechecked by Boris Johnson in his farewell speech as prime minister. Professor Nicholas Allen recalls other great British political comebacks of the 20th century; while POLITICO's own Meredith McGraw assesses former U.S. President Donald Trump's prospects of a return to the White House in 2024.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea profiles the U.K.'s new prime minister, with the help of those who know him best. From his early years in Southampton and his lifelong Hindu faith; his elite education at Winchester, Oxford and Stanford; to his rapid rise through the political ranks, his time as U.K. chancellor and his machinations for the top job, we uncover the values, personality traits, priorities and potential pitfalls of the new man in No. 10. At the Hindu temple in Southampton that Rishi Sunak's family have been attending for generations, we learn about what he was like as a young boy and the values instilled in him by his faith. Shabana Mahmood, now his opponent as Labour's national campaign coordinator, recalls Rishi the "library geek" from their days at Oxford together, and Alan Mak, a former Treasury minister and the Conservative MP for Havant, recalls the buzz around this high-flying banker when he arrived in parliament in 2015. Peter Cardwell, now political editor at TalkTV, looks back on being a special adviser working with Sunak in his first junior ministerial role. Cardwell's book is "The Secret Life of Special Advisers." Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates analyzes Rishi Sunak's rise through the ranks at Westminster — his strengths, weaknesses, and the help of Dominic Cummings — while one of the prime minister's former advisers and closest allies, the education minister Claire Coutinho, describes his approach to economics and being vindicated after the leadership contest.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the world grapples with the energy crisis stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy security has climbed to the top of the political agenda. Successive U.K. governments had already laid out strategies to decarbonize all sectors of the economy to meet net-zero targets by 2050. Now, in the sprint towards energy independence, pledges have been made to make the U.K. a net energy exporter by 2040. But is that possible? Spoiler alert: not without renewables. Presenter David Baker speaks to Lord Adair Turner, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, about the U.K.’s potential to harness vast amounts of energy – quite literally – out of thin air. Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive at Energy UK, explains how simplifying the country’s planning system would make it fertile ground for investments in renewables. Finally, Sam Peacock, managing director of Corporate Affairs and Strategy at SSE, says partnerships between government and the private sector will be essential to preserving the U.K.’s leadership in renewables. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Liz Truss considers another humiliating budget U-turn, host Jack Blanchard looks back at the U.K.'s infamous 1972 'Dash for Growth' budget — when another Tory Chancellor announced unfunded tax cuts and sent inflation through the roof — and considers the parallels with Truss' chaotic first month as prime minister. Historians Duncan Needham and Nick Thomas-Symonds explain the backdrop to that 1970s meltdown, while economists Paul Johnson, Gerard Lyons and Soumaya Keynes consider what's gone wrong in the U.K. economy today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea goes behind the scenes at this week's chaotic Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, with newly-installed leader Liz Truss already on the ropes. The conference saw Truss openly criticized by members of her own government and forced to U-turn on a flagship tax cut, just 10 days after it was announced. Ailbhe gives the inside story from the biggest speeches, the fiery fringe meetings and the late-night drinks parties as Tory MPs despair at the new regime.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Ailbhe Rea meets the ultimate Westminster Insider, Laura Kuenssberg, until recently the BBC's political editor and the new host of the BBC's flagship Sunday politics show. In a rare interview, Kuenssberg discusses her early career, life covering the tumult of the past seven years in British politics, and how she managed to survive the relentless pace at the coalface. She discusses the sisterhood in Westminster, how it feels to be at the center of heated rows about bias and impartiality, and reveals what she really thought of British comedian Joe Lycett's controversial appearance on her debut show.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for the weirdest few weeks of the British political calendar: conference season. Host Ailbhe Rea takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the speeches, fringe events, champagne receptions and bad karaoke parties that happen at the annual Conservative and Labour conference, with the help of Emily Thornberry, Labour's shadow attorney general and a conference veteran. Two former advisers to Conservative cabinet ministers, Tim Smith and Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, tell the inside story of some of their party's best and worst speeches and some of their own conference memories. Mikey Smith, the Mirror's Whitehall correspondent, discusses the conference "gaffe" — and how he derailed Labour conference when he recorded the party's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner calling the Tories "scum." What's it all for? Why do insiders love it? And does any of it really matter? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the scenes, the late Queen Elizabeth II was the ultimate Westminster Insider.  Host Ailbhe Rea and POLITICO's Annabelle Dickson uncover how the Queen received a daily dose of gossip from deep inside the heart of government, and speaks to two of the politicians tasked with sending that private missive to Buckingham Palace: former Conservative whip Anne Milton, and former Cabinet minister Julian Smith. Simon Lewis, a former communications secretary to the Queen and later to Gordon Brown in Downing Street, shares the inside track on the red boxes and the "golden triangle" that kept the Queen intimately informed of what was going on in her government, and Dr Michelle Clement, historian at King's College London and researcher in residence at No. 10, discusses the all-important private audiences between the Queen and her 15 prime ministers.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With days to go until Boris Johnson’s replacement is announced, host Ailbhe Rea considers whether the Conservatives are now on their way out of office — or whether this is just one more clever shape-shift from the most successful political party in the world. She meets Johnson’s cheerleaders and his critics, grassroots members and expert advisers, to discuss how Boris Johnson changed the Tory Party — and what on earth it will do when he’s gone. Ailbhe asks Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary and an early Boris believer, about what makes Boris Johnson a winner. David Gauke, the former justice secretary, and ex-minister Margot James recall being ousted from the party during the Brexit wars of 2019, and unpick how the party has changed. Rachel Wolf, the co-author of the Conservative manifesto from 2019, explains how Boris Johnson consciously went after new voters, while pollster James Johnson discusses the huge challenges ahead. At hustings in Norwich, grassroots Conservative members share their thoughts on where the party goes next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson prepares for his final session of Prime Minister's Questions, Ailbhe Rea takes a look inside the weekly showdown at the heart of British politics. Former PM David Cameron explains what it's really like to stand at the despatch box for a noisy session of PMQs, and reveals how he prepared and strategized for the toughest event of his week. Ayesha Hazarika, a former adviser to Ed Miliband, lifts the lid on the different pressures faced by a leader of the opposition, while Theo Bertram, a former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in No. 10, considers why these sessions matter beyond the cut-and-thrust of Westminster. Finally, Quentin Letts, the Times’s sketchwriter extraordinaire, recalls great moments of PMQs from years gone by and pays tribute to a British institution where the human drama of British politics is best explored, and where leaders rise and fall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the jaw-dropping downfall of Boris Johnson plays out on Twitter feeds across Westminster and far beyond, Jack Blanchard looks at how the social media platform has revolutionized the way we watch, write about and conduct British politics. Co-host Ailbhe Rea, Twitter executive Nick Pickles and freelance journalist Marie Le Conte discuss how Twitter has become the main platform through which political junkies now view major events such as the end of a prime minister's premiership, and how it offers the whole world a window into the once-closed world of Westminster. Labour MP Jess Phillips and Tory Michael Fabricant discuss how Twitter has boosted their profiles, and how it offers opportunities to connect with voters which simply did not exist 15 years ago. And Jeremy Corbyn's former strategic comms chief, James Schneider, explains how the platform can be harnessed to affect real political change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Ailbhe Rea sits down with the Labour Party's charismatic former deputy leader Tom Watson to discuss his life in politics and much beyond. Watson recalls his central role at the heart of the Blair/Brown battles of the 2000s, and the showdown with Rupert Murdoch which saw him propelled into the limelight — and trailed by private investigators — in the 2010s. He opens up about his chaotic years as Jeremy Corbyn's deputy, on his life beyond politics as chairman of UK Music — he spent last weekend at Glastonbury festival — and the dramatic change in lifestyle which has seen him shed eight stone in weight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of Thursday's crunch by-election results, Jack Blanchard considers why Britain always seems to turn against even its most popular prime ministers in the end. The Atlantic's Tom McTague and pollster James Johnson discuss the collapse in Boris Johnson's popularity, and whether it's still possible for him to turn things around. And former Downing Street officials Caroline Slocock, Jon Ashworth, Paul Harrison and John McTernan explain how it all went wrong for past leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Theresa May.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack Blanchard sits down for dinner with former Brexit Secretary David Davis to discuss his 35-year career in politics. Over ribeye steak and too much Malbec in an exclusive Westminster restaurant, Davis muses on the Brexit negotiations which will prove his legacy, and his personal relations with David Cameron, Michel Barnier, Theresa May and other key players of the recent past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Jack Blanchard speaks to Jon Ashworth, Labour’s pugnacious shadow work and pensions secretary about his extraordinary childhood and his 20-plus years in Parliament. In the week Boris Johnson faced down an attempted Tory coup, Ashworth recalls the tumultuous years he spent working for former PM Gordon Brown as Labour MPs plotted to bring him down. He discusses the frustrating past decade in opposition, and where Labour has got it wrong since 2010. And he opens up about his remarkable childhood, with an alcoholic father who worked as a croupier in a Manchester casino and a mother who worked as a Bunny Girl waitress in the same venue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Ailbhe Rea takes us on her year-long journey covering the British government’s contentious efforts to find peace and reconciliation within Northern Ireland’s war-torn past. She travels back to her homeland to hear the emotive testimony of the families of some of those murdered during The Troubles, and their anger at Westminster proposals for an effective amnesty for those responsible. But she hears too from Conservative MPs – and former soldiers – like Johnny Mercer and Mark Francois, who say pursuing elderly ex-servicemen for alleged crimes from many decades past is vindictive and wrong. And she speaks to Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, who last week published fresh legislation he claims will finally bring some closure to one of the darkest chapters of modern British and Irish history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New host Ailbhe Rea explores the quirks and the controversies of the pack of journalists who inhabit Westminster, known universally as 'the lobby.' We take a trip down memory lane with the legendary Andrew Marr, former political editor of the BBC, and tour the 'Burma Road,' the historic corridor in the House of Commons where political reporters have their offices. We hear Alan Rusbridger, the former editor-in-chief of the Guardian, air his concerns about the way the lobby goes about its work, and then we head to the famous Red Lion pub for a debrief from the Sun's political editor, Harry Cole. Aletha Adu, political correspondent at the Daily Mirror, talks about the lobby's notorious diversity problem, while Ali Donnelly, the former deputy official spokesperson for Theresa May, describes the view from the other side — and what it's like to suffer a daily grilling from Britain's top political hacks. Finally, Ailbhe and a more familiar voice, POLITICO's own Jack Blanchard, reflect on the pros and cons of this intriguing but imperfect system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO’s weekly narrated story, hosted by Ailbhe Rea, lifts the curtain on how Westminster really works, and looks in-depth at political issues which typically only get broad-brush treatment in the wider media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster Insider is back ... with a twist. In this sneak preview, Jack Blanchard meets the new voice of Westminster Insider, Ailbhe Rea. Together, they give you a teaser of what to expect from the new season of the weekly podcast from POLITICO. Subscribe now — and never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Blanchard speaks to some of the key U.K. players involved in the passage of the Maastricht Treaty and ponders whether this was the moment which set Britain on the path to Brexit. Former British diplomat John Kerr recalls the epic all-night negotiations in Holland, including a session where he hid under a table to offer secret advice to Prime Minister John Major. Treasury Minister Francis Maude tells how he was dispatched to sign the treaty by his then-boss, Chancellor Norman Lamont, who seemingly did not want his own name enshrined upon the document. Rebel MPs Iain Duncan Smith and Bill Cash recall the heated debates in parliament which then followed, with Tory Euroskeptics working hand in glove with opposition Labour MPs led by shadow Europe minister George Robertson, who also appears on the podcast. Former Tory whip Andrew Mitchell recalls the Major government's valiant but ultimately abortive attempts to push the rebel MPs back into line. And Cambridge University's Professor Catherine Barnard explains the wider significance of the Maastricht Treaty and its impact upon Britain, 30 years on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine continues, Jack Blanchard speaks to diplomats, nuclear experts and historians about how we can best hope to avoid the conflict escalating into full-blown nuclear war. Former Foreign Office head Sir Simon Fraser and former NATO Policy Chief Fabrice Pothier analyse Western policy toward Russia since the end of the Cold War, and explain how they believe the current crisis is likely to play out. The Russian Cold War historian Professor Sergey Radchenko provides some historical context, detailing moments during the 20th Century when tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S. almost spilled over into direct conflict — and how disaster was ultimately averted. And the Norwegian academic Dr Kristin Ven Bruusgaard, an expert on Russian nuclear strategy, explains the circumstances in which Russian President Vladimir Putin might actually reach for the nuclear button, and how he might yet be deterred from doing so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack Blanchard heads north to Manchester to talk music, football, history and politics with Mayor Andy Burnham. In his favored city centre bar, Burnham — currently the favorite to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader — talks about his childhood growing up on the outskirts of the city, and how Manchester's legendary music scene inspired him to Cambridge University. He discusses the highs and the lows of his 20-year career in Westminster, and the struggle he faced even as a senior minister to get the Whitehall machine delivering for the North. He also runs the rule over Starmer's performance as Labour leader so far, and admits his own fears for the future as Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine spirals further and further out of control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine plunges Russia's relations with the West into crisis, Jack Blanchard talks to the historian and former U.K. Foreign Secretary David Owen about the turbulent history of the Anglo-Russian relationship. Lord Owen charts the many ups and downs of the 19th and 20th centuries, a period through which Britain and Russia fought side by side in three major wars while also coming close to outright conflict on multiple occasions. He recalls his first visit to Moscow as foreign secretary at the height of the Cold War, and his subsequent run-ins with Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin while working as an EU diplomat and as a businessman. And he offers a damning verdict on Putin's latest act of aggression, with a chilling warning too of what it might mean for the months ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack Blanchard heads to Plymouth to meet Johnny Mercer, the ex-soldier who as a Tory MP has proved one of the government's fiercest critics. They go sight-seeing, take shelter from a winter storm in various pubs and cafes, and even head to the coast for an ill-advised February dip in the sea. Through the course of the day, Johnny discusses his military career, his disenchantment with the Westminster system, and his campaign to improve the lives of Britain's military veterans.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With questions swirling about Boris Johnson's future, Jack Blanchard looks into the murky world of leadership challenges and asks what it's like to topple a prime minister. Former Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull recalls the internal coup which ended his premiership in 2018 — and explains why he'd deposed his own party leader, Tony Abbott, in 2015. Tory backbench rebel Mark Francois and Theresa May's Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell recall the plot which ended her premiership in 2019 and changed the course of Brexit. Margaret Thatcher's Private Secretary Caroline Slocock shares her memories of the plot against Britain's first female leader in 1990, and the atmosphere in Downing Street as it became clear her reign was over. And journalist and author Steve Richards explores other great leadership challenges of recent years, including Gordon Brown's war of attrition against Tony Blair and John Major's epic 1990s battle with the Tory Euroskeptics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson publishes his much-delayed plan to "Level Up" the country, Jack Blanchard explores the long history of the North/South divide in England and the efforts of past governments to narrow the gap. Author and former FT journalist Brian Groom explains how the North/South divide stretches back centuries, and how prime ministers of all parties have been trying to support the North for at least 100 years. Former Deputy PM Michael Heseltine recalls the regeneration schemes he led in the 1980s and 1990s which made him a household name, and the factors he believes made them such a success. John Prescott's former deputy Richard Caborn explains New Labour's radically different approach to the problem, with large public sector bodies set up in 1999 to drive growth in every region. And Nick Clegg's former director of strategy, Polly Mackenzie, sets out why David Cameron's Coalition government tore it all up and started again in 2010. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the "party-gate" controversy rocks Boris Johnson's premiership, Jack Blanchard takes a look at the history and the nature of political scandals. Former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, who was forced to resign over the so-called "Plebgate" affair in 2012, reveals what it's like to be at the centre of a bruising political controversy, and how he got his life back on track afterwards. Top political journalists Pippa Crerar and Christopher Hope — who helped break the Dominic Cummings and MPs' expenses scandals respectively — explain what it's like to uncover a major political story, and their disbelief at learning how senior political figures are sometimes prepared to act. And the author and ex-Washington Post journalist Michael Dobbs analyzes the greatest political scandal of them all — Watergate — with the help of thousands of hours of newly-released audio tapes of President Richard M. Nixon. Andrew Mitchell's memoir "Beyond a Fringe: Tales from a Reformed Establishment Lackey," and Michael Dobbs' new book "King Richard — Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy," are both available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As another eventful year in U.K. politics draws to a close, Jack Blanchard is joined by 10 special guests to predict the big stories we'll be talking about in 2022. Conservative Home's Editor Paul Goodman considers what the year ahead may have in store for Boris Johnson, while the New Statesman's Political Editor Stephen Bush reads the runes for a newly-emboldened Keir Starmer. Resolution Foundation boss Torsten Bell warns of economic problems looming in the spring of 2022, while FT columnist and author Anjana Ahuja predicts how the next stages of the pandemic will play out. Polling expert Robert Hayward and Irish Times columnist Newton Emerson look ahead to the May local elections in Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively, while POLITICO journalists Rym Momtaz and Ryan Lizza preview the French presidential election in May and the U.S. mid-terms in November. Finally, Professor Rana Mitter of Oxford University previews the Chinese Communist Party's 20th party congress, while the Guardian's David Conn considers the political storm raging around the 2022 men's football World Cup in Qatar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Hong Kong goes to the polls for a highly controversial election, Jack Blanchard is joined by politicians, historians and diplomats to reflect on 200 years of U.K.-China relations. Tory peer Chris Patten, the last U.K. governor of Hong Kong, explains the optimism he felt when the city was handed back to China in 1997 — and his anger at Beijing's recent clampdown. Pro-Beijing Hong Kong legislator Regina Ip gives the opposing view, claiming China has every right to quash pro-democracy movements if deemed illegal. Professor Rana Mitter of Oxford University and Professor Steve Tsang of SOAS explain the historical forces that have shaped U.K.-China relations since the early 19th century. While former U.K. diplomat Peter Ricketts sets out how British policy toward China has evolved over recent decades, and Commons foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat explains why his backbench grouping of Tory MPs has been piling pressure on the U.K. government to take a harder line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special anniversary episode, Jack Blanchard looks back at the seminal general election of December 2019, with help from experts and insiders from all the main campaign teams. Tory campaign chief Isaac Levido reveals the secrets behind Boris Johnson's slick election-winning machine, including the all-important "Get Brexit Done" slogan. Jeremy Corbyn's policy supremo Andrew Fisher rues the unforced errors and the impossible circumstances which led the Labour Party to its worst defeat in years. The Brexit Party's Gawain Towler and Lib Dem peer Dorothy Thornhill reveal the wildly contrasting fortunes of the minor parties in 2019. And political scientist Professor Rob Ford of Manchester University explains the findings of his team's major new study of the election — and why Boris Johnson's landslide victory could easily have been far bigger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack Blanchard ventures out of the studio to meet Mayor Sadiq Khan on the streets of south London. Khan takes us back to his old stomping ground of Tooting as he recalls his childhood, one of eight kids in a working-class family of Pakistani origin. Khan visits his old secondary school, where he learned how to study — and how to fight — and then the Islamic Centre where he prays today. They discuss his favorite movies, his favorite sports stars, and the racism he experienced as a young man. And they visit one of his favorite curryhouses for chai masala, pakoras and an in-depth conversation about how cities like London will need to change in a post-pandemic world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster — like much of the world — was caught napping by the deadly new coronavirus which emerged from China in 2019. This week Jack Blanchard speaks to experts from around the world to consider what we can do now to better prepare for the next pandemic, and avoid a similar catastrophe next time round. Professor Julia Gog of Cambridge University explains how different types of virus spread in different ways, and the sorts of intervention we might need in response. Former U.K. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt warns of the dangers of Whitehall groupthink, while Dr Jason Wang of Stanford University sets out the lessons we can learn from east Asian countries like Taiwan and South Korea. Richard Hatchett of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) explains how vaccine deployment and distribution can be sped up, while Professor Kevin Esvelt of MIT and Nicole Stephenson of Metabiota stress the best approach of all is to tackle emerging threats at source. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack explores whether Britain's provincial towns — like the town he grew up in and many places he has lived since — have been "left behind" as the economy has evolved over recent years. Wigan MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy explains why she famously put towns at the heart of her political philosophy, and how she believes places like Wigan can be transformed in the decades to come. Mansfield MP and local council leader Ben Bradley considers the shifting political forces that helped make him Mansfield's first ever Conservative MP in 2017. FT journalist Sebastian Payne discusses his eye-opening road trip through numerous small and medium-sized towns in the north of England last year which resulted in his book, "Broken Heartlands." Academics Professor Henry Overman and Professor Will Jennings mull the demographic and economic changes which have created such disparities between different urban areas, and what we might do to address them. And the Centre for Cities think-tank's Paul Swinney warns Britain's largest metropolitan areas must not be neglected amid the increasing government focus on smaller towns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack picks through the long and turbulent relationship between the government and the BBC, and asks why these two great pillars of British public life can't seem to get along. Veteran BBC Radio 4 presenter and author Edward Stourton and BBC historian Professor Jean Seaton discuss the checkered history of government/BBC relations, from the 1926 General Strike right through to the modern day — via World War II, the Falklands and Iraq. Former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale and Jeremy Corbyn's former aide James Schneider offer critiques from the Right and the Left, each suggesting the Beeb struggles with ideas it sees as outside the mainstream. And the BBC's current Executive Editor for Politics, Katy Searle, offers a firm defense of the corporation's approach — and reveals the angry 6 a.m. phone calls she frequently receives from Downing Street. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the COP26 summit continues in Glasgow, Jack Blanchard looks back at the history of climate change, from the dramatic shifts at the end of the Ice Age to the political rows of the modern era. Anthropologist Professor Brian Fagan takes us back to pre-historic, ancient and medieval periods to assess how past human societies coped with a changing climate. In more recent history, Margaret Thatcher's Political Secretary John Whittingdale explains why the Tory PM was among the first world leaders to campaign for a global deal on cutting greenhouse gases. Former Labour leader — and ex-climate change secretary — Ed Miliband discusses his experiences of pushing Britain's first climate laws through parliament, and of panicking in his underpants at the COP15 summit in Copenhagen. Author Richard Black and Tory MP Steve Baker discuss the thinking behind those opposed to radical action on the climate. And Boris Johnson's COP26 Spokeswoman Allegra Stratton rings in from Glasgow with an update on the progress — or lack of it — so far. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Britain's political parties finish their annual conferences, Jack Blanchard invites a selection of top speechwriters from both sides of the Atlantic to consider what makes a great political speech. Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter, Philip Collins, talks us through the techniques he used when penning Keir Starmer's leader's speech at this year's Labour Party conference. David Cameron's former chief speechwriter, Ameet Gill, recalls several of the ex- PM's greatest hits, including the 2007 "no notes" party conference speech which helped avert a snap general election. Ed Miliband's former speechwriter, stand-up comedian Ayesha Hazarika, explains the importance of humor in political discourse. And U.S. Vice President Al Gore's former speechwriter, Bob Lehrman, offers a trans-Atlantic view of how the greatest political speeches are structured. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jack Blanchard sits down with Lee Cain, who spent three years at Boris Johnson's side as his spin doctor and closest aide. In his first major interview since leaving Downing Street, Cain recalls Johnson's extraordinary journey from U.K. foreign secretary, to backbench rebel, to all-powerful prime minister with a commanding majority in parliament. Cain reveals Johnson's campaign secrets and lifts the lid on the all-important Cabinet resignation in 2018 which helped propel him into power. And he recalls the highs and the lows of the 18 months that followed, from a landslide general election victory to a catastrophic pandemic response which saw 130,000 Britons die — and left Johnson himself fighting for his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Germany goes to the polls for an historic election this weekend, Jack Blanchard looks back at some of the great pre- and post-war German chancellors and the impact they've had on Europe and on Britain. Sir Christopher Clark, emeritus professor of history at Cambridge University, and Anglo-German historian Katja Hoyer discuss Otto von Bismarck and his role in creating a powerful new German nation, as well as his less-celebrated successors who helped lead Europe into catastrophic war. Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European Studies at Oxford University, recalls the great post-war chancellors who rebuilt and eventually reunified Germany, from Konrad Adenauer through to Helmut Kohl. And POLITICO's own Matthew Karnitschnig and former Downing Street aide Daniel Korski discuss Angela Merkel's legacy — and her role in Britain's departure from the EU — as she prepares to step down after almost 16 years as chancellor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Michael Gove is appointed Britain's new housing secretary, Jack Blanchard investigates the crisis gripping the sector and asks why Britain seems forever unable or unwilling to build enough homes. He speaks to three former ministers about their efforts to solve the crisis — including Gove's friend and ex-flatmate Nick Boles, who admits his radical planning reforms of 2013 were a failure. Tony Blair's housing minister Nick Raynsford insists New Labour were right to focus on improving social housing rather than building millions of new properties, but says a mass construction program is now needed. And Theresa May's housing minister — and latterly, chief of staff — Gavin Barwell admits her government became too bogged down in Brexit to push through radical reforms. Meanwhile Dr Gemma Burgess of Cambridge University offers her expert opinion on why homes are so expensive, and the Manchester Evening News' Jennifer Williams offers a view from the North. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special edition to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Jack Blanchard asks the most senior officials in Tony Blair's government to reflect on one of the seismic events of our age. Blair's former Cabinet secretary Richard Wilson recalls the chaos in Whitehall as Britain scrambled to protect itself from possible copycat attacks. Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell recalls the tense phone calls with President George W. Bush amid fears of an instant U.S. military response. Blair's ex-foreign policy adviser David Manning describes how he was in a plane flying into New York as the terrorists struck and watched the smoke billowing from the twin towers. Blair's former Ambassador to Washington Christopher Meyer relives his own horror as the terrorists struck the Pentagon, just a few miles from his home. And Sky News presenter Kay Burley tells what it's like to be live on air as one of the news events of the century unfolds before your eyes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Blanchard explores the thorny topic of political lying, and considers whether dishonesty is really getting worse in the so-called 'post-truth' era. Labour MP Dawn Butler and maverick journalist Peter Oborne explain why they believe Boris Johnson to be more dishonest than any prime minister in recent history, while Johnson's former campaign aide Richard Holden defends the PM against all charges. The former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Aitken explains why he felt compelled to tell one of the most famous political lies of recent times, landing himself in jail for perjury as a result. From across the pond, former White House director of comms Anthony Scaramucci reveals what it's like to work for a "congenital liar" in President Donald J. Trump. And the author and professional fact-checker Tom Phillips considers whether politicians really do lie more than the rest of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack abandons Westminster politics for a week to hear about the struggles families in Sheffield face to get the support their children need. Sheffield Heeley MP and shadow Cabinet minister Louise Haigh says helping parents whose children have special educational needs has become a massive part of her weekly casework, with demand for services rocketing and councils facing a huge funding shortfall. And mother-of-three Rachael Crolla talks about her daily battle to access the basic services which her autistic son and desperately unwell daughter so urgently need. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the chaos unfolds in Afghanistan, Jack Blanchard speaks to three politicians who devoted many months of their lives to trying to secure and rebuild the war-torn nation. Former U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Rory Stewart reflects on the three years he spent trying to help people out of poverty in Kabul. Commons foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat discusses his former role as a senior adviser to the fledgling Afghan government, and how his hopes of establishing a democratic regime in Afghanistan were dashed. South Yorkshire Mayor and MP Dan Jarvis opens up about the months he spent as an Army major leading dangerous missions in Helmand Province, and ponders whether the effort and the sacrifice have been for nothing. And Times journalist Larisa Brown discusses her long-running campaign to secure visas for Afghan interpreters who worked with the British Army, and why it's so important a route is now found to get them to the U.K. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode marking the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, Jack Blanchard interviews the two men behind the crucial spin campaigns for Leave and Remain. In a rare interview, Paul Stephenson, director of communications for Vote Leave, reflects on the often-controversial tactics pioneered with his friend Dominic Cummings, which convinced millions of Brits to vote to leave the EU. On the opposing side, Craig Oliver — who served as David Cameron's communications chief — considers why it all went so wrong for Remain, and whether a radically different approach might have secured a different result. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the G7 summit gets underway in Cornwall, Jack Blanchard speaks to Tony Blair and a host of former senior government officials about what it's like to attend these surreal events — and whether they're really still relevant in the modern age. Blair reminisces about his first big summit — a Bill Clinton-hosted G8 in Colorado in 1997 — and the most memorable, the G8 in Gleneagles in 2005. Former diplomat Peter Ricketts explains the months of unseen work ahead of each summit, and how informal meetings in the margins can often be more important than the main event. Former Downing Street aides Kate Fall and Paul Harrison lift the lid on David Cameron and Theresa May's differing approaches to diplomacy, while POLITICO's own David Herszenhorn explains what it's like to attend a G7 summit as a lowly political hack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack sits down with the Tory MP and former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, whose wife Rose killed herself last summer. Owen talks about the shock of learning that someone you love has died by their own hand, and the devastating impact it has on all those around them. He shares his favorite memories of his late wife, and reflects on the changing nature of grief. And he explains his campaign for greater suicide awareness, and for more support for those with mental health difficulties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the week of Dominic Cummings' jaw-dropping testimony to Parliament, Jack Blanchard takes a closer look at the role special advisers play within government, and at just how powerful these shadowy figures really are. Theresa May's former chief aide Nick Timothy talks about his all-powerful role inside Downing Street, and what it feels like to become a magnet for unwanted press attention. Two more former Tory advisers, Salma Shah and Peter Cardwell, discuss their close relationships with their ministers, and how the high pressure and long hours can leave you exhausted and burned out. Former Labour adviser Theo Bertram describes what it was like to work as a close adviser to Gordon Brown in No. 10, often delivering the bad news the prime minister didn't want to hear. And the Institute for Government's Tim Durrant, a former civil servant, explains how political advisers and Whitehall officials sometimes — though not always — work hand in glove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As pubs and restaurants finally reopen across Westminster after lockdown, Jack Blanchard takes a closer look at the centuries-old drinking culture that pervades British politics. Former UKIP and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage discusses his favorite liquid lunches, while the journalist and author Isabel Hardman considers why some MPs drink so much. Former Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan explains the concept of "red wine diplomacy," while political columnist Camilla Tominey tells us what it's like to be teetotal in Westminster. And BBC journalist Ben Wright talks us through the greatest drinkers of the past 300 years, from Pitt the Younger's extraordinary port consumption to Winston Churchill's legendary passion for Champagne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a tumultuous week for the U.K. Labour Party, Jack Blanchard sits down with deputy leader Angela Rayner to discuss where the party goes from here. Rayner discusses the challenge the U.K. Labour Party faces in winning back its former heartlands, and explains the appeal of Boris Johnson to voters in the North of England. She also opens up about her relationship with Labour leader Keir Starmer following his decision to remove her as party chair, and attacks the "magnolia politics" which she says turns voters off. And she reflects on how her own troubled childhood has made her the impassioned politician she is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the dust settles after the Hartlepool by-election, Jack Blanchard looks back at some of the great by-election contests of recent years — and ponders whether these quintessentially British political battles are always as significant as they seem. Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney recalls her famous Brexit-fuelled victory over Conservative Zac Goldsmith in Richmond Park in 2016, while Labour campaign chief Andrew Gwynne reveals how he masterminded a difficult win when pundits were predicting a drubbing for then party leader Jeremy Corbyn in a Labour heartland seat. Tory MP Edward Timpson and Labour MP Steve McCabe remember the epic "class war" battle in Crewe & Nantwich in 2008, a by-election which confirmed the Tories were finally on the path back to power. Lib Dem historian Duncan Brack explains his party's reputation as by-election specialists, while veteran political journalist Steve Richards recalls his favorite moments from the campaign trail — including the time SDP founder Roy Jenkins pointed out that his coat was on fire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Scottish parliament election less than a week away, Jack Blanchard looks back at the history of the Scottish nationalist movement and explains how it shifted from a fringe pursuit to perhaps the majority view in Scotland. Former First Ministers Alex Salmond and Jack McConnell — who between them ran the Scottish government for more than 13 years — discuss the collapse of Scottish Labour in the mid 2000s and the extraordinary rise of the SNP. Scottish Cabinet Minister Mike Russell explains what first attracted him to the nationalist movement in the 1970s, while independence campaigner and columnist Lesley Riddoch talks about her own conversion to the cause ahead of the 2014 referendum. Historian Dr. Ben Jackson discusses the movement’s early struggles and the development of nationalist thought, while the Daily Record’s Torcuil Crichton analyzes the cultural and global shifts behind the SNP’s march to power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new season of Jack Blanchard’s weekly podcast on how Westminster really works kicks off on April 30. Subscribe now and never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Blanchard heads back to Westminster on the anniversary of the first coronavirus lockdown to hear how the pandemic has changed British politics for good. Guests in this season's finale include Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg, who discusses the pros and cons of a more digital parliament, and opens up about his home life during lockdown. Lord Speaker Norman Fowler laments the closure of his favorite House of Lords bar; ITV Political Editor Robert Peston muses on the joys — and frustrations — of the coronavirus press conferences; and celebrity chef Vivek Singh explains the challenge of running his legendary Westminster restaurant The Cinnamon Club during the pandemic. And a selection of House of Commons staff — from the clerks who count the votes, to the cleaners who dust the chamber — tell how the pandemic has affected their own lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Blanchard sits down with Rishi Sunak to discuss his whirlwind first year as U.K. Chancellor, and hear more about his Hindu faith, his fears for the future and his love of computer games. In a wide-ranging interview, Sunak reflects on the 13 months in which he was dramatically elevated to the second-biggest job in British politics as Chancellor of the Exchequer — and then immediately plunged into the biggest global crisis since World War II. The 40-year-old Chancellor recalls how he "was barely at home, barely saw my wife and kids" as he struggled to contain the economic fallout, and defends his controversial role in opening up the British economy ahead of the second wave of the pandemic. And he opens up about his Hindu faith, his addiction to Coca-Cola and his lifelong love of Nintendo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack speaks to Richard Wilson, Cabinet secretary under Tony Blair, about his years as Whitehall's top official, and his memories of crises including the 9/11 terror attacks. Suzanne Heywood, widow of the legendary Cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood, reflects on her late husband's long career in government and considers the extent to which unelected officials can end up shaping government policy. The Institute for Government's Catherine Haddon explains the history behind the role of Cabinet secretary and the many different aspects to the job. And we trawl through hours of archive interviews with past Cabinet secretaries to explore how these powerful but mysterious figures at the heart of government guide the ship of state. You can find more background material used for this episode in our bookshop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, finalizes his speech ahead of next week's Budget, Jack Blanchard looks back at the pitfalls and disasters which have plagued Chancellors in years gone by. Former Treasury aide and official Ed Balls recalls his old boss Gordon Brown's 10p tax band fiasco. Philip Hammond's former media adviser Poppy Trowbridge picks over the 2017 U-turn on national insurance. Former Chancellor George Osborne defends the 2012 pasty tax 'omni-shambles,' while former Tory MP Heidi Allen explains what it's like to lead a Budget rebellion. And Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds delves into the history books to tell the tale of a Labour Chancellor forced to resign over an ill-timed Budget leak. Visit our bookshop for more reading recommendations on this topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Blanchard abandons Westminster for a week and explores the hidden costs of lockdown, by delving into the postbags of two MPs in different parts of the U.K. Tory MP Robert Halfon explains the struggles families face in his corner of Essex, and warns of rising domestic abuse during lockdown. And one of his constituents explains how abuse victims are repeatedly failed by Britain's secretive family courts system. In Bristol, Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire talks about the impact lockdown has had on the city's legendary nightlife, and the broader arts scene. And nightclub owner Marti Burgess tells of her fears that some of the city's premier cultural nightspots may never return. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack sits down with Britain's top epidemiologist, Professor Neil Ferguson, to discuss how the next few months of the coronavirus pandemic are likely to pan out — and why things went so badly wrong last year. Professor Neil Ferguson, the man dubbed "Professor Lockdown" explains his "fervent hope" that Britain's astonishing vaccine successes mean life can finally start getting back to something like normal in 2021, but that booster jabs and coronavirus passports may be with us for some time to come. Ferguson also recalls those frantic days in early March 2020 when it became clear Britain had got its initial response so badly wrong. And he discusses the trolls and the conspiracy theorists who attack scientists and deny the virus is even real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson ponders how to woo the newly-elected President Joe Biden, Jack Blanchard looks back at how past prime ministers have tried to charm their counterparts in the White House — with varying degrees of success. Theresa May's former comms chief Katie Perrior reflects on the thankless task of trying to build a relationship with the erratic Donald Trump. Historians Andrew Roberts and Richard Aldous look back at how Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher successfully charmed Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan respectively. Former U.K. Ambassador to Washington Christopher Meyer reflects on the key role diplomats play in oiling the wheels of a new relationship — and on the love-in between Tony Blair and George W. Bush which ended so disastrously for the British PM. And Gordon Brown's former adviser Stewart Wood mulls over the agonies of a less successful relationship with a stand-offish Barack Obama. Be sure to check out our bookshop to find more from our guests and the research for this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack hears from former Chancellor George Osborne about how these morning memos are devoured by senior politicians and newspaper editors alike; and from current and veteran authors including Esther Webber, Paul Waugh and Benedict Brogan about their daily struggle to get the email out on time. Former government special adviser Jamie Njoku-Goodwin discusses their impact inside the corridors of Whitehall; while New York Times media columnist Ben Smith questions whether their impact upon political coverage has really been a healthy one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's striking how few political leaders across the Western world can claim to have handled the coronavirus pandemic especially well. Throughout large parts of Europe and the Americas, politicians have been caught on the hop, reacting slowly and clumsily to the unfolding disaster. In their defense, these leaders have typically blamed what they insist is the unprecedented nature of the Covid catastrophe. But a glance through the history books shows just how little of this crisis is truly new. As Edith Hall, professor of classics at King's College London, tells the podcast, as long ago as 430BC Boris Johnson's great hero Pericles was himself laid low by a deadly epidemic — the disastrous Plague of Athens. This all-powerful leader of ancient Greece was wildly popular with the public and appeared untouchable, she says, until a new and deadly disease arrived at his shores. Johnson, a classics scholar in his youth, must know the tale all too well. He does not appear to have heeded its lessons. In addition to the sparkling Professor Hall, I was delighted to interview Sir Richard Evans, professor emeritus of history at the University of Cambridge, for this episode. In his role as provost of Gresham College, Professor Evans gave a wonderful series of lectures back in 2012 on the history of pandemics, which I listened to during lockdown last year. He tells the podcast how politicians began to fight back against pandemics during the Middle Ages with exactly the sorts of lockdowns and quarantines we've seen this past year — but were frequently undermined by their inability to enforce restrictions, and by an all-too-familiar slowness to react. My final guest is a genuine pandemic superstar. John M. Barry is the author of 'The Great Influenza', the seminal book on America's response to the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak which helped inspire Bill Gates to devote so much time and resource towards pandemic research. Speaking from his home in New Orleans, Barry gives a gripping account of this shockingly brutal disease — and of the political leaders in parts of the U.S. who failed their people by putting profit before public health. If you enjoyed this pilot episode, do please subscribe to Westminster Insider via your usual channel — and leave us a rating and a review if you can. Bibliography / Further reading: These books, articles and lectures were all invaluable resources as I researched this episode of the podcast. The Great Plagues: Epidemics in History from the Middle Ages to the Present Day, Richard J. Evans. Plagues and Peoples, William H. McNeill The History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides Death in Hamburg: Society and Politics in the Cholera Years, Richard J. Evans. Small Oversights that Led to the Great Plague of Marseille (1720–1723), Christian A. Devaux The Black Death, edited and translated by Rosemary Horrox The Diary of Samuel Pepys The Origin of Quarantine, Philip A. Mackowiak Expelling the Plague: The Health Office and Implementation of Quarantine in Dubrovnik 1377-1533, Zlata Blazina Tomic & Vesna Blazina A Journal of the Plague Year, Daniel Defoe The Great Influenza, John M. Barry Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918, Laura Spinney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Westminster Insider is a weekly narrated story which lifts the curtain on how Westminster really works, and looks in-depth at political issues which typically only get broad-brush treatment in the wider media.  In this new podcast, POLITICO’s Jack Blanchard meets with and shines a light on the politicians, experts and advisers who really drive decision-making in U.K. politics and policy. Unafraid to get stuck into detail but with a lightness of touch, Jack's signature voice makes this podcast a lively and engaging listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices