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How To Win An Election
How To Defect
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Can Rishi Sunak hold his party together, or is former deputy chairman Lee Anderson's departure a sign of even more Tory unrest ahead?
The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to look at what happens when politicians defect, from the Gang of Four to Change UK. And how did Keir Starmer react to Peter's diet advice?
Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.
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How… The Elections Were Won And Lost: Labour in 1992
01:08:33|We're kicking off a new series on the podcast, looking at how the biggest elections in recent history were won - and lost.We start with the Labour campaign in 1992, an election that has been mythologised and is still influencing political strategy today. From soapboxes to shadow budgets to Sheffield rallies, the political mastermind are joined by then Labour leader Neil Kinnock to get under the skin of the campaign and separate electoral fact from fiction.Send your comments and questions to howtowin@thetimes.co.ukHow To Save A Legacy Party
42:20|The Labour and Tory leaders are getting plenty of advice on how to see off the threat from Reform UK, the Lib Dems and the Green Party. Should they move to the right, the left, or double down on what they're already doing? And does it have anything to do with Greggs?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Win A Canadian Election
38:54|Canada has been to the polls, and the results are extraordinary - a huge swing in the polls helping the Liberals rise from the dead, opposition leaders losing their seats, and established parties reduced to the sidelines.The political masterminds find out exactly what happened, how much of it was really down to Donald Trump, and what the parties here in the UK can learn.And stop the clocks - Keir Starmer told a joke in the Commons that had MPs laughing, do the team think it delivered?How To (Prepare To) Lose An Election
39:16|With local elections in England on the way, the political masterminds are joined by former Tory adviser and Reform UK supporter Tim Montgomerie to discuss what to do when you know you’re heading for defeat.Does Robert Jenrick know how to unite the right of British politics? Why didn’t Steve Hilton share his snacks with Polly when they worked together in Number 10? And what’s the political strategy behind a Papal election?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Turn The Red Wall... Turquoise?
38:44|Nigel Farage is pitching for voters in the North and Midlands, promising to build what he calls a "turquoise wall". Will taking control of British Steel help persuade voters Labour is protecting its former industrial heartlands? Who does Ed Davey have in mind when he appeals to Middle England? And is Reform UK definitely turquoise?Hugo, Sally and Danny are joined by former Lib Dem director of communications Olly Grender.Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Take On The Flabby State (With Michael Gove)
39:49|Danny's away, so Sally, Polly and Hugo are joined by former cabinet minister and politest man in politics, Michael Gove. What did he learn about Donald Trump's 'man cave' when he interviewed him the first time round?And, Keir Starmer wants to tackle what he calls the 'flabby state' - Is that the same as the 'blob', and can you reform Whitehall without going to war with it?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Run Number 10
40:44|10 Downing Street is a rabbit warren of offices in a Georgian townhouse, and the centre of power in Britain. But how much control does it really exert over the rest of government, does it matter who has what job, and should we turn the whole thing into a museum?The political masterminds discuss how number 10 really works, and Polly explains why her husband thinks Canada is worse than North Korea.Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Sell Austerity 2.0
39:50|Rachel Reeves doesn't want to use the word 'austerity', but has she found a narrative to help explain her cuts to welfare and government spending? Why was 'fixing the roof when the sun is shining' such an effective message for David Cameron and George Osborne? And which of Danny's three types of strategy will Labour adopt at the next General Election?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.How To Lose A By-Election (And Sell Your Tesla)
47:49|Which party has the most to lose in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election? The political masterminds make their predictions, and discuss what's at stake for Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.And as Sally reveals she's replaced her Tesla, do boycotts make any difference?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.