Share
How To Win An Election
How To Avoid (Tory) Irrelevance
•
As the Tories prepare for their annual conference, can the UK's oldest political party avoid sliding into irrelevance? And how has Nigel Farage become more popular while support for Brexit has declined?
Hugo, Sally and Polly are joined by Sir Craig Oliver, former Director of Politics and Communications for David Cameron.
Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.
The political masterminds will be recording the show in front of a live audience at the Times & Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on Tuesday 14th October. Tickets available here.
More episodes
View all episodes
How Labour's By-Election Hammering Damages Starmer
38:12|The Green Party crushes Labour at the Gorton and Denton by-election, knocking Keir Starmer's party into third place in one of their safest seats.The political masterminds discuss whether the prime minister can find a new strategy to survive, whether the Green Party can replicate the victory across the country, and what the fracturing of the traditional two-party system means for the next General Election.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow Government Responds To Andrew's Arrest
20:48|As we assembled the How To Win An Election team to talk about Robert Jenrick, Rupert Lowe and Danny's quest for the point of Ed Davey, news broke that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies wrongdoing.Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) look at how the news would have been received in Downing Street, and whether republicanism has a future in British politics.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Survive In The Number 10 Bunker
41:58|Keir Starmer has seen off the threat to his leadership - for now. What happens inside Downing Street when things get really, really bad for a prime minister?We also discuss whether the Labour Party will swing to the left with Morgan McSweeney's departure, and Zack Polanski's singing at Liberal Democrat conference.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukEmergency Episode: McSweeney Resigns
17:26|Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. With Number 10 in survival mode, can the prime minister find a new strategy, and how long will potential leadership challengers wait?Hugo, Danny and Polly respond to the emergency podcast bell and react to the news.How Mandelson's Downfall Threatens Starmer
39:40|The Mandelson-Epstein scandal has left Keir Starmer's authority over his party, perhaps his future as prime minister, dangling by a thread.In this week's episode we discuss the huge impact of the downfall of Peter Mandelson - who says he has not acted criminally in any way or acted for financial gain - and we also have a frank discussion about his time on the How To Win An Election team, his political talents and his weaknesses.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Go To The Polls - If Labour Ditches Starmer
42:20|Danny argues that if Labour wants to ditch Keir Starmer and pick a new leader, his replacement should immediately go to the polls. Have we switched to a presidential system without realising it, and would the party ever actually risk letting Reform into Downing Street?The team also discuss whether No 10's handling of Andy Burnham has parallels with Tony Blair's opposition to Ken Livingstone becoming mayor of London, and Danny's ongoing beef with Reform's Danny Kruger.Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Reshape The Right
34:28|This week we're discussing the shape of the right of British politics - are we witnessing a landmark moment in the journey of Reform UK, and is Kemi Badenoch worried the Conservative Party is now seen as less right wing?The political masterminds also consider whether anyone is making political capital from Donald Trump's diplomatic chaos, and whether Ed Davey is offering his MPs thin gruel.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Sack Robert Jenrick
50:39|Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, saying he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. Hugo and Danny discuss the return of the Tory psychodrama, and what it means for the future of the right in British politics.Also in this week's episode: Sally, Polly and Danny talk about Lynton Crosby's famous commandment to 'scrape the barnacles off the boat', the death of the party political broadcast, and make some strangely prescient comments about Robert Jenrick's social media.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Get Some Swagger (Like Donald Trump)
39:51|Can Keir Starmer learn from Donald Trump and get some swagger? Hugo, Polly and Danny are joined by former Labour strategist Peter Hyman to discuss whether the government can stop looking anxious, and whether the prime minister is right to keep talking about the next election as a straight fight with Reform UK.We also look at whether Nigel Farage is right to say he'd return PMQs to twice-weekly, and has Polly always been known as Policy Mackenzie?Send your questions, voicenotes and comments to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk