PoliticsJOE Podcast

He hath risen and so have the PoliticsJOE - to deliver you this Easter special. Ava, Laura, and Séan answer your questions from the Reddit.

Talks to end the Birmingham bin strikes collapsed this week. No deal was reached between Birmingham council and Unite union and the all-out strike entered its fifth week.There’s warnings of a public health emergency. Bin bags line the street, mountains of rubbish pile up in alleys, and an influx of rats is plaguing the city. And, Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham has warned bin strikes could spread to other local authorities as cash strapped councils make further cuts. The dispute began when the effective bankruptcy of Birmingham council triggered their decision to remove Waste Recycling and Collection Officers, a safety role it says does not exist at other authorities.Last month, I went to Birmingham to speak to striking bin workers, and some local residents, whose voices you’re about to hear. 

Reform UK is contesting nearly all the 1,600 council seats up for re-election on the 1st of May.And, with the popularity of Labour dropping in the polls since the general election, and the Conservatives stagnant, could the Green Party position itself as the real opposition to Reform?PoliticsJOE went to Kent to find out.

Today Ava is joined by Charlie Craggs and Conor Clark to break down the Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday that found the term "woman" refers to biological sex.

Today Oli is joined by Labour MP for Makerfield Josh Simons to chat fatherhood, birth rate and how to make the UK work for the people rather than growth for growth's sake.

Laura and Seán hold the fort today with a breakdown of the goings on in Parliament over the weekend, where Jonathan Reynolds seized control of British Steel in a bid to save jobs in Scunthorpe.Laura was in Kent with the Green Party on Saturday, and we take a look at what the party need to do to win votes from a Reform-curious electorate.

Economist Yanis Varoufakis joined Oli to analyse Trump's tariff war - and what the fallout could mean for the rest of the world's economy.

British Steel has been warning for several days that the raw materials needed to keep its plant's two blast furnaces operational are running out.The Chinese-owned company says the business is no longer sustainable, and are willing to let the factory cease operations - at the cost of 2,700 jobs. Labour have 24 hours to buy in new products and make a bid to nationalise the plant. Will they do it?Journalist and Video Edit: Ava Santina EvansVideographer: Oli Johnson

Today we've drafted in Laura to get Ava to talk about Scunthorpe since Oli failed to do so on Wednesday.