Political Fix

Sir Keir Starmer started the week with not one but two speeches defending his party’s Budget decisions in the wake of claims that chancellor Rachel Reeves had misled the public and fellow MPs about the state of the nation’s finances. Was his sell convincing? The prime minister also brought up Brexit, but as panellist Robert Shrimsley points out, Starmer was characteristically unclear as to whether the Labour party was ultimately leaning into or out of the EU.Plus, host George Parker and the rest of the panel, Miranda Green and Jim Pickard, discuss the FT report that Nigel Farage told Reform UK donors he expects his party to do some sort of deal with the Tories in the run-up to the next general election — potentially helped by the single biggest donation any UK political party has had from a living donor.  Follow George on Bluesky @georgewparker.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social Want more? Free links:     Nigel Farage tells donors he expects Reform UK will do an election deal with the ToriesHead of UK fiscal watchdog quits after Budget leak UK government orders review into rising diagnoses of mental health conditionsJanan Ganesh: The rise of unpopular populism UK envoy to Moscow enters race to be the next ambassador Political Fix will go live next week on Wednesday 10 December at 1.15pm. If you don’t want to wait for it to drop in this feed on Friday, register here. Sign up to Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter. Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer. For details about FLIC, the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, read more about it here or click here and to donate, click here. Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com  

It’s been a rollercoaster week for both UK politics and our personal finances, with chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out tens of billions of pounds of tax rises in the Budget. But how will these new taxes be applied and what could they cost you? In a Money Clinic podcast recorded live at the FT, host and consumer editor Claer Barrett is joined by Dan Neidle, the founder of Tax Policy Associates; Stuart Kirk, the FT’s investment columnist; and Tej Parikh, the FT’s economics leader writer, to field questions from readers and listeners. They cover everything from what the Budget means for people investing in UK markets, the new rules on pensions and salary sacrifice, how to stay under the £100,000 threshold for childcare support and much more.To find out how much the five-year freeze to tax thresholds could cost you, find a free link to the FT’s Budget stealth tax calculator hereClaer’s Budget column: A horrid Budget for ‘Henrys’Salary sacrifice shake-up: what it means for staff and employersFollow Claer on social media @Claerb This episode was made available with thanks to FLIC, the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign.For details about the campaign, read more about it here or click here and to donate, click here.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

After months of speculation, predictions and U-turns, Rachel Reeves finally announced her Budget this week. And, symptomatic of the chaos this Budget has wrought, there was one final twist: the entire Budget appeared on the Office for Budget Responsibility's website 45 minutes before the chancellor was set to give her speech. It sent the media and the markets into a spin…the key takeaway: a historic tax rise achieved without officially breaking the government’s manifesto promise. So what are the crucial implications of this Budget? Who are the winners and losers? And what is the political fallout for Labour?Host George Parker is joined by economics editor Sam Fleming, markets columnist Katie Martin and politics columnist Stephen Bush to break down this long-awaited Budget. Follow George on Bluesky or X: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social‬, @stephenkb; and Katie @katie0martin.ft.comWhat did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com  Want more? Free links: Rachel Reeves’ Budget raises UK taxes to all-time high‘Spend now, pay later’: Rachel Reeves’ Budget delays the fiscal pain  Reeves’ Budget fails her own 3 claimsRachel Reeves’ gambitThe four audiences Reeves’ ‘high-wire’ Budget must satisfyIf you want to find out what the budget means for your personal finance, check out a special episode of the FT's Money Clinic podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.Sign up here for 30 days free of Stephen ‘Inside Politics’ newsletter. You can listen to Katie on Unhedged here, or search ‘Unhedged’ wherever you listen.To sign up for free to the new FT Alphaville newsletter on Substack, go to ftav.substack.comPolitical Fix is presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Investors are spending billions of dollars on novel ways to extend human life through inventive treatments, therapies, and even manipulating our genes. And increasingly, it seems as though anti-ageing efforts have moved from the super rich to a mass market consumer industry. In this series, we’re covering the past, present and future of the longevity movement. We’ll be looking at where the fixation on longevity is coming from, and trying to understand the practical and ethical issues at the heart of this cutting-edge field of research. From Silicon Valley fantasies, to Singaporean health spas, to Colombian genetic clinics and beyond, the FT’s Hannah Kuchler and Michael Peel ask whether breakthroughs in science and technology can really help us live longer, and even stop us aging altogether.Free to read: US ‘wellness’ industry scents opportunity to go mainstreamThe quest to make young blood into a drugThis season of Tech Tonic was produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco. Fact checking by Simon Greaves, Lucy Baldwin and Tara Cromie. Original music by Metaphor Music. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio.The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a tough set of measures overhauling immigration policy this week, in a bid to deter illegal boat crossings and tackle the thorny issue of asylum seekers that dominates the news agenda. But how did the announcement go down with a divided Labour party?And, just days away from the Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves is under huge pressure after a series of U-turns and leaks on taxation policy. Host George Parker discusses whether anything can be done to reverse the fortunes of the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, political columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter Stephen Bush, and Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard. Follow George on Bluesky @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; David @oilsheppard.bsky.social What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com  Want more? Free links:    Labour needs a way out of the infernal circle of immigration policy Why the small boats won’t stopHigh earners to be eligible for UK settlement within 3 years of arrivalUK asylum seekers face seizure of jewellery to pay for accommodationRachel Reeves’ gambit Covid response of ‘toxic’ UK government was ‘too little, too late’, inquiry findsTo sign up for free to the new FT Alphaville newsletter on Substack, go to ftav.substack.comThe FT is hosting a live webinar on November 28 on what the UK Budget will mean for your money. You can put questions to FT journalists Claer Barrett, Stuart Kirk, Tej Parikh and special guest, tax expert Dan Neidle. Get your pass now at ft.com/budgetwebinar.Sign up to Stephen's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer.To sign up for free to the new FT Alphaville newsletter on substack, go to ftav.substack.comPresented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Odinn Inigbergsson. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. Clips from BBCRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

It has been a whirlwind week in Westminster with the BBC in crisis and a supposed challenge to the prime minister’s leadership. So, was there a putative coup from within Keir Starmer’s own cabinet? Is there a “toxic culture” in Downing Street? Plus: the panel’s take on the runners and riders for the top job at the national broadcaster. Host George Parker is joined by Anna Gross, Stephen Bush and Jim Pickard to discuss. This episode was recorded before the FT broke the story about the chancellor scrapping proposals to raise income tax. Read the article here: Starmer and Reeves drop proposal to increase income tax rates in Budget  Plus, stay tuned for our panel discussion next week ahead of the Budget on November 26. Follow George @georgewparker.bsky.social; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social and Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.socialWant more?  Self-inflicted leadership crisis unites factions against Starmer ‘He’s played a blinder’: How Wes Streeting won the weekBrain-dead Labour retreats to its comfort zone: campaigningWho will be the next director-general of the BBC?And sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Plus, the FT is hosting a live webinar on November 28 on what the UK Budget will mean for your money. You can put questions to FT journalists Claer Barrett, Stuart Kirk, Tej Parikh and special guest, tax expert Dan Neidle. Get your pass now at ft.com/budgetwebinar. Our email address is politicalfix@ft.comPolitical Fix was presented by George Parker and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Odinn Ingibergsson. The video engineers are Petros Gioumpasis and Andrew Georgiades. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.Clip from BBCRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

With just three weeks to go until the Budget, Rachel Reeves gave a surprise speech to reset expectations on who she’s planning to hit with more taxes on November 26. This has fuelled further speculation about whether the government's central manifesto pledge to not raise income tax rates is now doomed. Host Miranda Green is joined by FT colleagues Jim Pickard, Sam Fleming and Katie Martin to discuss the chancellor’s options: a pick’n’mix of tax rises or breaking a central pledge to the electorate. What then happens to the Labour government’s credibility, and how are the markets likely to react? Plus: can Reform become fiscally respectable?Follow Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; and Katie @katie0martin.ft.comWant more?   What are Rachel Reeves’ tax options in the Budget? Bond markets are winning the Budget stand-off Robert Shrimsley: The inescapable logic of Labour’s choices Inside Politics: Why Rachel Reeves won’t raise income taxPaywalled: End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled Sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Plus, the FT is hosting a live webinar on November 28 on what the UK Budget will mean for your money. You can put questions to FT journalists Claer Barrett, Stuart Kirk, Tej Parikh and special guest, tax expert Dan Neidle. Get your free pass now at ft.com/budgetwebinar. Our email address is politicalfix@ft.comPolitical Fix was presented by Miranda Green and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The video engineers are Bianca Wakeman and Andrew Georgiades. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.Clip from ITVRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

With a month to go until the Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to find a projected £30bn to balance the books. And the forecasts are not in her favour, with the OBR’s bigger than expected productivity downgrade dealing another blow to the Treasury this week. So where will the chancellor find the money – and if Labour have no choice but to break their manifesto tax pledge, where will that leave them with the electorate? Host George Parker is joined by associate editor and columnist Stephen Bush, chief UK commentator Robert Shrimsley and the FT’s economics editor Sam Fleming.Follow George: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Stephen at @stephenkb and Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social Want more?   Reeves faces £20bn hit to public finances from productivity downgrade  Keir Starmer puts Labour MPs on notice for Budget tax rises Starmer refuses to stand by manifesto tax pledge  Letting agent admits mistake in Reeves’ rental tax rowSign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Plus, the FT is hosting a live webinar on November 28 on what the UK Budget will mean for your money. You can put questions to FT journalists Claer Barrett, Stuart Kirk, Tej Parikh and special guest, tax expert Dan Neidle. Get your free pass now at ft.com/budgetwebinar. Our email address is politicalfix@ft.comPolitical Fix was presented by George Parker and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The video engineers are Bianca Wakeman and Petros Gioumpasis. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.Clip from BBCRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a rare bit of good news from lower inflation statistics this week, which could reduce government borrowing ahead of the November Budget. But the uphill struggle to improve Labour’s standing in the polls continues after a drubbing in Caerphilly, the embarrassing failure of the one-in-one-out migrant policy and the chaotic start to the grooming gang inquiry. Host George Parker is on hand to dissect the week along with deputy political editor Jim Pickard, UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and the FT’s northern England correspondent Jennifer Williams. Plus, is the King getting poor advice from the PM over Prince Andrew in the wake of further damaging revelations about the prince’s links to Jeffrey Epstein?Follow George on Bluesky or X: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Robert: @robertshrimsley or @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Jen on X @JenWilliamsMEN and Jim on X @PickardJEWant more?  Labour suffers seismic by-election defeat to Plaid Cymru in CaerphillyUK borrowing costs fall in boost for Rachel ReevesReeves vows to clear way for BoE rate cuts with cost of living pledgeGrooming gang victims call for minister to resignA defining crisis for Britain’s royalsBritain’s flawed support for Jaguar Land RoverClips from: Sky & Parliament Live TVSign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free.Our email address is politicalfix@ft.comPresented by George Parker. Produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com