Not Another One

This week Reform’s Danny Kruger set out his plans to modernise the civil service while the current government is supposed to be carrying out its own reforms. But nothing is happening. Virtually every government identifies a need to improve the civil service and then backs away from significant change. Why? Plus, are Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham getting ready to challenge Keir Starmer next year?

In the first of our festive specials Not Another One is live at the Centre for Social Justice for a review of the year. Why is Sir Keir Starmer vulnerable already? Will Reform or the Tories be the main alternative to Labour at the election? Is this the end of two party politics? Plus brilliant questions from the audience.

With news of Reform UK's record £9m donation, our weekend episode finds the team reunited to explore whether money from individuals or organisations implies something in return. Should Britain opt for state funding of political parties? Or is going back to mass membership a better approach and a predictor of success?

Since the Budget the main question in the media and from some of the government’s political opponents has been did Rachel Reeves deliberately mislead? But is the Chancellor’s integrity the right target for her many opponents? Is the substance of the Budget getting less attention than it deserves from supporters and opponents? Plus, is this the end of juries and Your Party?

After all that drama, did the government get away with the Budget? Was Kemi Badenoch’s attack on the Chancellor a criticism too far or a justified direct hit? The NAO team agree that the UK’s lack of growth is the cause of disillusionment with mainstream parties, but how should we secure higher growth? Has the Budget made that even harder? And which party benefits from the emergence of the old dividing line - investment in public services against tax cuts?

As Rachel Reeves prepares for the most talked about budget in decades we discuss a galaxy of previous chancellors often facing epic challenges. Standby for portraits of Healey, Howe, Lamont, Brown and Osborne, and of course the team’s latest reflections of Reeves as she prepares for this Wednesday.

Via a brief pre-Budget detour, the team debates the Home Secretary's major new policy. Will it work? Is it hardline for one set of critics and not tough enough for the rest? Stop the boats was a slogan that sunk the previous government. Will the substance or the positioning be more dangerous to this one?

High drama has dominated as the Chancellor signals a huge u-turn on Budget tax plans, while briefings designed to shore up Keir Starmer backfired on Number 10 in spectacular fashion. In this weekend's episode the team focus on dysfunction, paranoia and rivalry at the very top. How much trouble is the government in?

With the Director General and BBC head of news fired in the wake of a scandal over President Trump and bias, our team ask whether the Beeb is doomed. Or is this yet another confected media row? And how is journalism changing? Plus - what is the latest on Starmer and the looming Budget?