PoliticsJOE Podcast

Another week, another PMQs session where Keir Starmer bats away criticism from the Tory benches, takes aim at the Reform benches, and welcomes planted questions from his backbenchers.

Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa joins Laura in the studio to share stories about the dire state of British homes.Kwajo is supporting the recent Health Equals campaign which revealed that 15 million people in the UK - over one in four - are living in homes affected by damp, mould or cold. As a result, lives are being cut short by up to 16 years in parts of the UK.

Former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is the latest Tory to defect to Reform UK. Laura, Ava, and Seán react to the news.

Scott Lucas is an academic and expert in US politics and foreign policy. He joined us to break down the aftermath of Donald Trump's move to kidnap Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.In a wide ranging conversation, Lucas breaks down the new global order that the Trump administration is forcing into place, what the Venezuela coup means, and whether the US is marking the end of their era of global domination.

Andy Twelves is a writer and commentator, and joined Seán to chat about the battle the Labour Party has ahead in winning back support from their traditional base, after bleeding support to Reform UK since their election victory.

Seán and Laura swap hard political analysis for crystal balls as they set out to predict the big stories of 2026; from Trump and the fate of NATO to who could topple Starmer.

Today we're back to the grindstone reacting to another Wednesday in the House of Commons, where today Keir Starmer batted down questions of foreign policy from the leader of the opposition.

Happy New Year. Seán and Laura return to discuss 2026's blistering start, from US strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro to X's Grok and its use to create explicit images of women and children.

We sat down with Children's Minister Josh MacAlister to hear about the government's launch of a new Child Protection Authority. In a wide-ranging conversation, MacAlister tells us about his role, the mess the Labour government inherited from the Conservatives, and how to properly address the needs of victims.