Daily Politics from the New Statesman

Four senior Labour politicians are on manoeuvres. Ailbhe Rea reveals who's in the running to replace Keir Starmer.-- Keir Starmer has become desperately unpopular. All eyes now are looking towards the May 2026 local elections. A disappointing performance by Labour could prompt the Prime Minister to resign. And senior Labour figures are already positioning themselves to replace him.Ailbhe Rea and Rachel Cunliffe join Anoosh Chakelian to explore the most likely candidates, and the impact their manoeuvring is having on present relationships at the top of the Labour Party.READ: Angela Rayner is Wes Streeting's biggest obstacle to PMLISTEN NEXT: Keir Starmer is in denial

After months of deliberation it’s been decided, it’s not our party, it’s not their party, it’s Your Party.This weekend, thousands of the new left party’s delegates flooded into a conference centre in Liverpool to try and decide the future life and fate of the movement.But in keeping with the last 5 months of trials and tribulations, in-fighting and spats between the co-founding camps of Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn, things didn’t run smoothly.Is it his party? Or her party? And is this really what the left in Britain want?Oli Dugmore is joined by Megan Kenyon, who spent the weekend in the throes of the socialist spectacle.

In the past three weeks, 12 prisoners have been accidentally released - Justice Secretary David Lammy announced this morning. This is in addition to the 91 who’ve also been mistakenly freed in England and Wales in the last six months. It’s fair to say, the justice system is in a bad way - leaking from the sides. Trying his best to mop this up, Lammy also announced today that jury trials in England and Wales should be scrapped except for in extreme cases. Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe for a New Statesman justice review.

Keir Starmer has backed Rachel Reeves – but the Prime Minister has miscalculated.After weekend front pages accused the Chancellor of lying about the "fiscal black hole" which, Reeves says, necessitated last week's tax-and-spend budget, the PM has given a speech supporting Reeves and saying he's "proud" of the budget.Meanwhile polling reveals a majority believe "the cost of living crisis will never end", and see no hope for improvements in their immediate future.Tom McTague and Rachel Cunliffe join Oli Dugmore to discuss whether the Prime Minister has grasped quite how broken the social contract is, and what's next for the government – and the country – following the budget.

Another bit has fallen off Labour’s car as its MPs flee Westminster and bid a hasty retreat to their constituencies.This time, Labour has been accused of breaking another manifesto promise by pulling a major one eighty on workers rights. Oli Dugmore is joined by Ailbhe Rea.

It’s Black Friday and consumers are hunting for bargains. However, are Brits spending more and more money on goods that are getting worse and worse?Will Dunn joins Anoosh Chakelian to discuss his theory of "crapflation".Will also spent time this week in an enormous pile of trash, dumped by organised criminals in a field in Oxfordshire.

Tax in Britain will rise to an all-time high following Rachel Reeves’ budget.The Chancellor has unveiled her latest budget. She’s promised to remove the two-child benefit cap, freeze income tax brackets and introduce a new mansion tax.Labour deny they are breaking their manifesto pledge to avoid raising income tax, while critics claim the freeze is doing just that.The Office for Budget Responsibility, who disastrously published their assessment before the Chancellor had made her statement to the House of Commons, say the budget will amount to a tax bill of £28 billion by 2029 – a record high.Oli Dugmore is joined by Rachel Cunliffe and George Eaton to discuss what the budget means for Britain, the Chancellor, and Keir Starmer’s government.

The Chancellor has admitted that the economy feels stuck. But will tomorrow’s budget, which promises to “grip the cost of living” and looks likely to freeze income tax thresholds, actually do anything to help? Oli Dugmore is joined by the New Statesman's editor Tom McTague and political editor Ailbhe Rea.