Not Another One

Reunited in the studio to compare notes in the middle of Starmer's leadership crisis, the team ask what has gone wrong in less than two years. Is this story of disenchantment a uniquely Labour one? Is it all about the electoral pressures on the party, Starmer’s mistakes, or has the UK developed an allergy to incumbents? Plus: Gordon Brown's surprise comeback under the spotlight.

With a few reminiscences of past elections thrown in, the team debate a fractured voting public in the run up to May 7th. Are we a UK of "fed-up-niks" and does malaise spring from economics? How intense is the political fervour to left and right? Plus: the hard-to-decipher polling in Scotland.

After Morgan McSweeney’s first public appearance - in front of the Foreign Affairs committee - we explore the dependence of some prime ministers on their chiefs of staff. Why do they make themselves dependent even when the dependency can lead towards their doom? Plus, did McSweeney emerge as a more complex figure than his caricature and where does this all leave Starmer?

After high drama at Westminster, the team debate the low politics that seem to bedevil decision-making at the heart of the government. Has the PM's famous ruthlessness backfired? And how vulnerable is he to a potential challenge after the May 7 elections? Might Scotland provide a twist?

The former NATO Secretary General and Labour peer, George Robertson , has accused Keir Starmer of being complacent in relation to defence, arguing Britain’s national security and safety are in “peril”. Is he right? Plus, Reform and the local elections.Warning: apologies for the sound quality on Iain’s recording. Do not be alarmed. He sounds ill but that is the result of a problem with the microphone. Please enjoy the rest of the episode and normal service resumes next week.

With elections looming in which a dramatically different set of electoral competitions will play out, the team debates whether we are in an age of uber partisanship. When does party loyalty tip into something destructive? And will Tim's rare foray into predictions work out?

With the campaigns well under way for parliament and government in Scotland and Wales, plus local fights across much of England, the team debate how high the stakes might be for both Labour and the Conservatives. Could it prove a terminal catastrophe for Starmer and Badenoch? And will the electoral splintering to the right and left to Reform and the Greens be permanent? Spoiler: we do not agree.

With the international situation so fluid, the team debate government options for help with bills, and furious business complaints. Is it time to say no? Is it the 1970s all over again? Plus: we all confess to being fans of Alan Johnson, and of thrillers.

With the conflict in its third week, the team debates the consequences of the war and assesses where the British and American public are on the military action and the pressure on prices. Yes, the team also dares to debate energy policy and net zero polarisation. Plus: has Ed Davey gone too far?