Political Fix
598 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★ - 61 ratingsThe Financial Times takes you into the corridors of power to unwrap, analyse and debate British politics with a regular lineup of FT correspondents and informed commentators. New episodes available every Friday.
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Episodes
Keir Starmer enters his imperial phase
July 09, 2024 14:11 - 35 minutes - 80.6 MBAs Sir Keir Starmer appoints his cabinet and unveils his first raft of policies, host Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s deputy political editor Jim Pickard and columnist Stephen Bush to assess the new prime minister’s in-tray. Top of the list is planning reforms, but crisis looms in public services, from the NHS to prisons. Plus, Lucy and the panel discuss how the Conservative party will fare in opposition. To take part in the audience survey mentioned by Lucy, and to be in with the chance ...
Election special: Starmer moves into Number 10
July 05, 2024 16:41 - 59 minutes - 135 MBAs Sir Keir Starmer steps over the threshold of Number 10, FT experts answer audience questions about what to expect from the new Labour government. Will Keir Starmer’s landslide victory lead to lasting change? The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Stephen Bush, George Parker, Miranda Green and Robert Shrimsley to discuss the Labour landslide and the future of the defeated Tory party Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Robert on @robertshrimsley and George on @GeorgeWParker, Stephen on @s...
Campaign catch-up: election-eve predictions and verdicts
July 03, 2024 14:21 - 36 minutes - 83.9 MBLabour is heading for the biggest “landslide majority” Britain has ever seen. That’s the verdict from Mel Stride, one of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s closest ministerial allies, who has in effect conceded defeat ahead of Thursday’s UK general election. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Robert Shrimsley, political editor George Parker and political correspondent Anna Gross to discuss the campaign strategies of the various parties, and to look ahead to the results. Follow Lucy on X: @LO...
Could the election results still surprise us?
June 28, 2024 15:56 - 36 minutes - 84 MBWith under a week to go until polling day, Lucy Fisher and her panel — the FT’s Miranda Green and Stephen Bush — pull together the threads of the campaign to explore the remaining ‘known unknowns’ in this election. They are joined by FT columnist Simon Kuper whose new book ‘Good Chaps’ looks at the disintegration of public service in our national life and examines how to rid our political system of sleaze. Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher Want more? Free links: Reform UK activist calls for m...
Campaign catch-up: Why this UK election result could be the most distorted ever
June 25, 2024 19:20 - 28 minutes - 65.8 MBThe Conservatives’ embattled campaign suffered yet another setback this week, as the betting scandal escalated and the party finally suspended two candidates ensnared by the row. But when did it first start to go wrong for the Tories? Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch, who charts the beginning of the party’s descent back to 2019. The pair are joined by Political Fix regulars Robert Shrimsley and George Parker to discuss whether Britain’s “first past the ...
Is this the Tory death spiral?
June 21, 2024 11:09 - 41 minutes - 94.3 MBAn election-betting scandal is sending the Tory campaign into freefall. The latest blow to the Conservatives comes as some polls predict a wipeout for the party on July 4. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Stephen Bush and Jim Pickard to discuss this latest blow in a campaign littered with blunders. Plus, the team analyses the effect of the Reform party on the Tory vote and what might happen after the election. Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Jim @Pic...
Campaign catch-up: Labour’s dash for growth
June 18, 2024 11:56 - 31 minutes - 72.7 MBLabour is promising voters not to raise a raft of taxes, not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending and not to return to austerity with major cuts to public services. How will it manage this? Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves insists economic growth will square the circle. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher asks economics editor Sam Fleming, who interviewed Reeves this week, whether her plans to increase UK output stack up. Plus, Helen Miller from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank ...
Labour’s manifesto: where will the money come from?
June 14, 2024 11:28 - 33 minutes - 76.2 MBKeir Starmer has unveiled Labour’s manifesto - declaring that his is the “party of wealth creation”. But while the plans combine sweeping aspirations for growth with modest tax and spending measures, there are a host of questions about how exactly a future Labour government would fix the public finances. The FT’s political editor George Parker is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Rafe Uddin to scrutinise Labour’s pledges. Plus, FT consumer editor Claer Barrett gives her analysis of the ...
Campaign catch-up: the Tories’ ‘kitchen sink’ manifesto
June 11, 2024 17:29 - 33 minutes - 76.2 MBRishi Sunak has pledged more than £17bn in tax cuts as the Tories attempt to revive their stalled election campaign. But will it be enough to override questions about the party’s record in office, or the prime minister’s D-Day disaster? The FT’s Lucy Fisher fillets the Tories’ manifesto promises with colleagues Stephen Bush and Jim Pickard. Plus, what to make of the Lib Dem election pledges and their leader’s attention-grabbing stunts? Clips: BBC, ITN Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Stephen...
Tory morale plunges
June 07, 2024 13:02 - 31 minutes - 71.6 MBMorale within the Conservative campaign is low and was damaged further this week after the party chair became the fifth Tory MP to abandon his seat in the north to fight for a safer seat in the south of England. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher gets round the table with colleagues Robert Shrimsley and Jim Pickard to reflect on the damage done and on those tax claims made by Rishi Sunak during the first leaders’ TV debate. Plus, the FT’s Michael Peel joins to discuss how the rest of the ...
Campaign catch-up: Farage is back!
June 04, 2024 10:47 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBPrime Minister Rishi Sunak’s troubled re-election bid has been dealt a fresh double blow, as Nigel Farage seized the reins of Reform UK and announced he would stand as a candidate, while a new poll showed Labour could win the biggest majority of any party in a century. Lucy Fisher picks over the implications with political editor George Parker and politics correspondent Anna Gross. Plus, they talk about the Liberal Democrats’ campaign and the party’s pledge to offer free personal care to old...
Introducing Untold: Power for Sale
June 03, 2024 04:00 - 2 minutes - 3.33 MBIntroducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from all over Europe investigate what happened in the Qatargate scandal, where EU lawmakers were accused of accepting payments from Qatar to whitewash its image. Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Labour’s messy campaign week
May 31, 2024 14:15 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBAs the gloves come off and the parties swing into full campaign mode, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to consider – with five weeks to go – who’s pushing ahead. Has Labour’s very public row over whether Diane Abbott should be allowed to stand dented its prospects? And Lucy takes a trip west, to test the water in Bristol Central, a seat the Green Party has firmly in its sights. The team asks: can the Greens pose a threat to Labour? Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fis...
Bring it on! Election 2024 kicks off
May 24, 2024 12:34 - 41 minutes - 75.2 MBRishi Sunak shocked Westminster with the decision to hold a snap general election on July 4. As the parties launch their campaigns, Lucy Fisher assembles the Political Fix team to look ahead to the next six weeks. The FT’s Robert Shrimsley, political editor George Parker, columnist Stephen Bush and Political Fix regular Miranda Green have the inside track on how the race to Number 10 might unfold. Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher Want more? Free links: Key moments ahead in the UK election ca...
Election battle lines drawn up
May 17, 2024 13:13 - 42 minutes - 97.1 MBSir Keir Starmer has unveiled his party’s six core pledges ahead of the general election – in the same week that Rishi Sunak claimed the country would be less safe under a Labour government. As both parties kick off their election campaigns, the FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by Jim Pickard and Miranda Green to examine the battle lines being drawn up. Plus, the FT’s public policy editor Peter Foster outlines the dangers facing the UK’s university sector if the government decides...
Live special: Who will win the UK general election?
May 09, 2024 16:00 - 48 minutes - 111 MBAs politicians and commentators digest the disastrous Tory local election results, FT experts answer subscribers’ questions about what this might mean for the forthcoming general election – and beyond. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Stephen Bush, George Parker and Camilla Cavendish for their take on the upcoming general election and the government that will take shape after it. The team tackle your toughest questions during a special FT Political Fix Inside Politics subscriber ...
Election special — local poll results roll in
May 03, 2024 14:08 - 36 minutes - 82.7 MBThe Tories suffered sobering losses in local elections across England in the last big electoral test before a general election. Labour also trounced the Tories in the parliamentary by-election in Blackpool South - with Reform running a close third in that seat. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to comb through the results. Plus, the team is joined by James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at polling firm Focald...
Chinese spying claims in the UK – and beyond
April 26, 2024 11:53 - 34 minutes - 79.5 MB‘In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the cold war, we cannot be complacent,’ Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a news briefing alongside Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg during a visit to Poland this week. The PM mentioned the threat from Russia but also from China and pledged to boost defence spending by £75bn over the next six years. Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues George Parker and Jim Pickard to discuss whether this pledge will lead to deep spen...
Prime ministers’ legacies: Sunak, Truss and Brown
April 19, 2024 14:03 - 40 minutes - 93 MBRishi Sunak has had an eye on his legacy this week with his flagship smoking ban clearing another hurdle in the Commons – though not without a Tory backlash. Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to discuss what Sunak will leave behind if he loses the election. The group also turns its attention to two very different former PMs, as the FT publishes major interviews with both Liz Truss and Gordon Brown this week. Political editor George Parker reveals ...
The great stink of England’s sewage crisis
April 12, 2024 11:19 - 31 minutes - 72.3 MBThe raw sewage being pumped into rivers and seas in England has become a seismic election issue. The musician turned environmentalist Feargal Sharkey joins the FT’s Lucy Fisher, George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to assess how we got here, while the FT’s infrastructure correspondent Gill Plimmer analyses Thames Water’s woes. Plus, the team looks at scandals in Westminster and considers how much William Wragg’s honeytrap debacle and allegations that Angela Rayner failed to pay the right tax o...
Tory ‘red wall’ seats under threat
April 03, 2024 16:00 - 33 minutes - 46.7 MBMany ‘red wall’ constituencies across northern England, the Midlands and north Wales switched from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2019 general election partly thanks to then prime minister Boris Johnson’s energetic pledge to revitalise struggling communities outside the south-east. It was a seismic shock to Britain’s political landscape but can the Tories hold on to these seats in May’s local and mayoral elections and in an upcoming general election? Host Lucy Fisher, the FT’s Whitehall ...
Britain’s China conundrum
March 28, 2024 13:21 - 34 minutes - 63.1 MBThe government is preparing a crackdown on Chinese entities operating in the UK, following malicious cyber campaigns linked to Beijing. But there are tensions among ministers over how to protect the UK’s national interests without heavily damaging trade with China. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to discuss the government’s tricky balancing act. Plus, as the political term draws to a close, it’s time to mark Rishi Sun...
Will the economy save Sunak?
March 22, 2024 13:50 - 34 minutes - 79.9 MBThe prime minister is urging his MPs to unite or face electoral defeat. Rishi Sunak has rallied backbenchers to hold their nerve, as he cleaves to the prospect of an improving economy rescuing the Tory party’s fortunes. But in a week where the government’s flagship Rwanda policy faced more hold-ups, will rumours of plots against Sunak die down? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues Miranda Green, Jim Pickard and Anna Gross to discuss the week’s events in parliament...
Who’s an extremist in the UK?
March 15, 2024 13:35 - 37 minutes - 68 MBThe UK government is redefining extremism. But there are warnings that the new guidance could curb free speech and ensnare legitimate organisations. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Robert Shrimsley and Stephen Bush to discuss the pushback from multiple Tory factions and Labour. They also dissect the row over racist comments allegedly made by the Conservatives’ biggest donor, and how it has prompted questions about Rishi Sunak’s leadership. Plus, Hannah White from the Institute f...
Jeremy Hunt: tax-cutting wizard or fiscal drag queen?
March 08, 2024 10:46 - 26 minutes - 61.8 MBChancellor Jeremy Hunt’s overriding message in his big pre-election Budget was that hard economic choices were paying off in the form of tumbling inflation, improved growth and the promise of more cuts to personal taxes. But his Budget also promises a brutal fiscal reckoning for whoever wins the general election expected later this year. Lucy Fisher discusses the Budget’s implications with FT economics columnist Soumaya Keynes and Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush. Follo...
Labour’s worst nightmare?
March 01, 2024 16:45 - 29 minutes - 67.1 MBVeteran agitator George Galloway is returning to parliament after storming a divisive by-election in Rochdale. He claims his victory puts “scores” of other Labour seats at risk. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Jim Pickard to analyse the by-election result and examine the division and sectarianism stalking British politics. Plus the team looks ahead to what the government has in line for next week’s Budget. Free Links: George Galloway wins divisiv...
Why would anyone want to become an MP?
February 23, 2024 15:23 - 38 minutes - 89 MBThe chaos in parliament over the vote on a Gaza ceasefire motion has segued into a debate on the threats facing MPs – and the lengths deemed appropriate to safeguard against them. A tumultuous week in politics leaves the fate of the Commons Speaker hanging in the balance. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to discuss how we got here and why it matters. Plus veteran broadcaster Michael Crick, the brains behind the ‘Tomorrow’s MPs’ initiative, shares hi...
Tories reel from by-election blows
February 17, 2024 01:05 - 33 minutes - 77 MBThe Conservatives suffer a double blow, losing two safe seats to Labour, amid growing signs that Rishi Sunak’s party is losing votes to the populist Reform UK party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by political editor George Parker and the FT’s Rafe Uddin to discuss the by-election results in detail, along with elections guru Professor Sir John Curtice. Plus, Lucy sits down with the FT’s foreign editor Alec Russell in a week when foreign secretary David Cameron faced sharp criticism from righ...
Will Labour’s green U-turn weaken Starmer?
February 09, 2024 13:28 - 31 minutes - 71.6 MBKeir Starmer dismantles Labour’s flagship pledge, shredding the party’s £28bn green investment plan. The FT’s Jim Pickard joins Miranda Green and chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley to assess the damage to Labour after weeks of confusion over the policy. And in the week when Liz Truss launched the latest Tory ginger group, the team dissects the Tory party’s threats on the right - including from Reform UK. Plus, FT Ireland correspondent Jude Webber discusses whether a Northern Irelan...
Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing
February 05, 2024 17:04 - 1 minute - 2.74 MBIf you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers. Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll go beyond the horse race for the White House and offer a global perspective on the election. You can subscribe to Swamp Notes here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Who still votes Conservative?
February 02, 2024 12:47 - 36 minutes - 84 MBThe Conservatives are languishing in the polls, while Labour is riding high – but beneath the headline figures, how does the voter appeal of the main parties break down by sex, age and other factors? The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to hear from chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch. John also delves into the glaring ideological gap that has opened up between men and women under 30 and the team considers what his findings mean for the ge...
Who’s behind the Tory plots?
January 26, 2024 13:25 - 31 minutes - 71.2 MBThe FT’s Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to lift the veil on the Tory party plots against the prime minister. As rightwingers prepare to launch the new Popular Conservatives (PopCons) group and the demand for a new direction for the party grows, the trio delve into the choices the government faces. Plus, the FT’s William Wallis joins to paint a picture of the crisis in local authority funding. Free links: Rishi Sunak braced for further ...
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
January 22, 2024 05:00 - 1 minute - 2.71 MBIntroducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’...
Destination Rwanda?
January 19, 2024 15:05 - 32 minutes - 74.8 MBThe government’s plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda has overcome a series of hurdles in the House of Commons, but how will it fare in the Lords? FT columnists Miranda Green and Stephen Bush are with Lucy Fisher to debate what could happen next. And the FT’s public policy editor Peter Foster joins them round the table to tell us more about the FT’s scoop on the dire state of finances in UK universities. Free links: Rwanda bill rebellion takes heavy toll on Rishi Sunak Rishi Suna...
The Post Office scandal: who foots the bill?
January 12, 2024 12:49 - 27 minutes - 63.5 MBWho should foot the bill – both financial and political – for the Post Office scandal? Hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of theft and false accounting on the basis of faulty data now face pay-outs and exoneration. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Rafe Uddin, who has been reporting from the Post Office inquiry, to ask who should pay the compensation bill, and who should shoulder the blame for the biggest miscarriage of justice in modern British history. Plus, Political F...
2024: a testing year for democracy
January 05, 2024 16:15 - 36 minutes - 49.9 MBThe next 12 months will be an epic year for democracy. Half the world’s population will have the chance to vote. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s editor Roula Khalaf and chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman to give a global perspective, while Political Fix regular Robert Shrimsley offers sharp analysis on how Britain’s political parties are shaping their offerings to the public at the start of an election year in the UK. Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Po...
Political Fix presents: How to survive the office Christmas party
December 28, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes - 45.3 MBWhile Lucy Fisher and the Political Fix team take a break over the Christmas period, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick. Here’s what it’s about: It's the work Christmas party season: you're out of the office, and the alcohol is flowing. How can you make sure you don't embarrass yourself (or derail your career)? And how can you bounce back if you do go wrong? Isabel Berwick speaks to FT columnist and veteran party-goer Stephen Bush, a...
‘Stop doing stupid things’: Martin Wolf on the UK
December 20, 2023 18:26 - 43 minutes - 99.3 MBAs the year draws to a close, Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush to consider where British politics goes next. What challenges await Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in January, and what ammunition are the Tories and Labour stockpiling to fire at each other in the election campaign? Plus, the FT’s chief economics commentator Martin Wolf sits down for an end of year chat with Lucy to dissect the big economic problems facing the government - and what...
Tory turmoil: Sunak stumbles towards end of year
December 15, 2023 14:02 - 27 minutes - 63.1 MBAs politicians and political hacks limp towards the end of a long year in Westminster, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to assess the turmoil engulfing Sunak’s Tory party. The PM has won an important battle, but faces more strife in the new year. Also, the FT’s climate reporter Kenza Bryan has been in Dubai and sums up what, if anything, the COP28 mega-gathering really achieved and appraises the UK’s performance at the summit. You can raise money for the...
Rwanda plan reignites Tory civil war
December 08, 2023 14:23 - 29 minutes - 67.2 MBInfighting has erupted once again within the Tory ranks over Rishi Sunak’s last-minute treaty with Kigali and emergency legislation to save his Rwanda removals plan. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Jim Pickard to explain what’s happened and discuss the latest drama, including the shock resignation of the PM’s one-time ally, immigration minister Robert Jenrick. Plus, the FT’s Laura Hughes assesses Boris Johnson’s performance at the Covid inquiry. Follow Lucy on...
Rishi Sunak’s big fat Greek row
December 01, 2023 16:02 - 29 minutes - 67.6 MBWas it a huge fit of pique or a genuine desire to protect the Elgin Marbles that prompted Rishi Sunak to cancel his date with the Greek prime minister? Lucy Fisher unpicks the row with the help of the FT’s Robert Shrimsley and Stephen Bush. They also consider, in the wake of record legal net migration figures, whether immigration is tearing the Tories apart. The FT’s Delphine Strauss weighs in to explain the particular plight faced by some migrant workers in the care sector. Plus, the group ...
Autumn Statement Reaction
November 22, 2023 20:18 - 25 minutes - 57.7 MBChancellor Jeremy Hunt put a £20bn tax giveaway at the heart of his Autumn Statement. But will it be enough to win back disenchanted Tory voters? Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s consumer editor Claer Barrett and economics commentator Chris Giles to analyse the package on offer. Plus, Political Fix regular George Parker gives his take on whether voters will be wooed by personal tax cuts. Free links: Jeremy Hunt cuts national insurance but taxes head to postwar high Would...
Rebellions, reshuffles and Cameron’s return
November 17, 2023 14:08 - 30 minutes - 55.5 MBWhat a turbulent week in politics: home secretary Suella Braverman sacked, the government’s flagship Rwanda policy deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court and a major Labour rebellion. Not to mention the return of David Cameron. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s George Parker and Stephen Bush to chew over events. And the FT’s William Wallis goes through the government’s options for revitalising its plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda. Free links: Why the UK Supreme Court ruled against Ri...
What’s Suella Braverman’s game plan?
November 10, 2023 13:39 - 32 minutes - 73.7 MBSuella Braverman’s tirade against the Metropolitan Police’s handling of pro-Palestinan marches has divided opinion among her Tory colleagues. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT columnists Miranda Green and Robert Shrimsley to discuss the fallout from the home secretary’s article in The Times. Plus, did the King’s Speech reveal a government running out of steam? And the FT’s Camilla Cavendish tells Lucy about the desperation some parents and children feel in England’s unreformed family courts. Fr...
The Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk show
November 03, 2023 18:48 - 28 minutes - 52.4 MBRishi Sunak played the part of chat show host with tech leader Elon Musk this week, after hosting an AI summit at Bletchley Park. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Stephen Bush and Anna Gross, who was reporting from the conference, to ask what it achieved. Plus, the FT’s Camilla Cavendish examines what the Covid-19 inquiry has revealed to date about the shortcomings of the British state. Clip: X @RishiSunak Follow Lucy on Twitter @LOS_Fisher Want more? Elon Musk tells Rishi Sunak AI wi...
Labour’s week of woes
October 27, 2023 13:52 - 32 minutes - 74.3 MBAs Rishi Sunak celebrates his first year in office, the FT’s Lucy Fisher asks whether he has succeeded in steadying the Tory ship, while the FT’s Miranda Green and George Parker mark his scorecard. The Political Fix team also examines the tough choices facing Keir Starmer as he braces himself for potential frontbench resignations over his approach to the Israel-Hamas war. Plus, economics columnist Soumaya Keynes joins to outline how she spotted apparent plagiarism in Labour shadow chancellor...
Labour’s historic by-election wins
October 20, 2023 15:59 - 32 minutes - 73.7 MBThe UK's Labour party has pulled off two stunning by-election victories. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green, Jim Pickard and Stephen Bush to discuss whether Keir Starmer’s party is now on track for a 1997-style landslide, and what the Tories’ dismal results mean for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Plus, the group examines the PM’s tour of the Middle East as fears grow that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate. What are the repercussions for UK politics as the conflict deep...
Israel-Hamas war overshadows Labour conference
October 13, 2023 13:01 - 35 minutes - 64.8 MBKeir Starmer eschewed flashy policy vows at Labour’s annual conference, but did his promise of stability and certainty cut through? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Stephen Bush and deputy political editor Jim Pickard to reflect on the opposition party’s gathering in Liverpool, where events were overshadowed by the Hamas attack on Israel. The FT’s chief foreign affairs columnist, Gideon Rachman, joins with his analysis of how the Israel-Hamas conflict could unfold...
Rishi Sunak’s ‘questionable radicalism’
October 05, 2023 21:00 - 31 minutes - 58.4 MBRishi Sunak is pitching himself as the change candidate at the next election with a raft of policy shake-ups - but does the substance match the rhetoric? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Robert Shrimsley and political editor George Parker to discuss what we learned from the Conservatives’ conference about the election campaign the party will run. The trio also look ahead to Labour’s gathering in Liverpool. Plus, the FT’s Jen Williams reviews whether voters in the ...
Sunak and Starmer flip-flop on policies
September 29, 2023 13:09 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBAs the Tories waver over major elements of HS2 and Labour is forced to clarify its policy on private schools, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to assess the political damage. And with the party conference season under way, the FT’s Anna Gross gives her impressions of her “weird” first visit to the Liberal Democrats’ gathering. Plus: what was Suella Braverman seeking to achieve this week with her most hard-nosed rhetoric to date on refugees? Follow Lucy on X: ...