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Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards
The Covid Inquiry and The Fatal Chaos in Johnson's Number 10
Season 1, Ep. 242
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Covid struck the UK at the worst possible time. Johnson was governing amidst casual chaos and yet he was popular and this popularity made him dangerously powerful. Neither his subservient cabinet nor a parliament with a big Tory Majority dared to challenge him. Now we are discovering quite how bad things were.
Plus brilliant questions on Keir Starmer and the Israel Gaza conflict, Brexit, the leadership of Heath compared with Sunak and whether I want to be an MP.
Rock & Roll Politics -the Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 18th when we look back at another wild year and look ahead to 2024, the likely election year. Tickets here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/rock-n-roll-politics-11/
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413. Do the fashionable assumptions about Andy Burnham make sense?
38:44||Season 1, Ep. 413Leaders and potential leaders are often far more interesting than the stereotypes reported by political journalists. Is this the case with Andy Burnham?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comPatreon subscribers can join Steve for an exclusive live stream on Monday June 8th at 7pm. Book your spot here.You can subscribe to Patreon here for the June livestream and more, including bonus episodes and the regular podcast a day early and ad-free. Another date for the diary: an extra Rock & Roll Politics Special is live at Kings Place in London on Monday July 13th - added in light of dramas that will follow the Makerfield by- election. Get your tickets here.Written and presented by Steve Richards.
412. Is this the strangest leadership crisis in modern times?
30:04||Season 1, Ep. 412Keir Starmer continues as Prime Minister. Andy Burnham fights a by-election as a potential future Prime Minister. Is Burnham a by- election candidate and leadership candidate simultaneously? Or can he pull off being the by- election candidate first, before the scrutiny of a leadership challenge? Meanwhile Wes Streeting refers to a leadership contest - even though he is not yet a candidate. Time to delve deep…To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comSubscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
411. Why is the phrase ‘Brexit Wars’ dangerous for Britain?
29:43||Season 1, Ep. 411Wes Streeting says he wants Britain to rejoin the EU at some point. Andy Burnham has noted often that Brexit has been a calamitous seismic shock, and the cabinet and most voters agree. Yet this is a return to the ‘Brexit Wars’ - and not only because of the Makerfield by-election. Can there ever be a grown up debate on Brexit?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comSubscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
410. Can Andy Burnham win the by-election?
40:37||Season 1, Ep. 410After a week of high political drama, some raging questions are answered. Starmer wants to stay, Streeting has resigned, and Burnham has a route to the Commons. But now another question arises - can he win?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comSubscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
409. Who can lead the ‘people’s revolt’?
19:36||Season 1, Ep. 409All leaders and potential leaders agree the urgent need to move on from what Keir Starmer calls vaguely ‘the status quo’. Nigel Farage claims to lead ‘the people’s revolt’ against the status quo. But why should he have the monopoly in leading the people when he was a key figure in creating the current ‘status quo’?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comSubscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
408. Election Special - Who can meet the voters’ hunger for ‘change’?
23:13||Season 1, Ep. 408Labour is slaughtered in spite of promising ‘change’ in a country desperate to move on from the failures of the past. But does Starmer - or potential successors - know what they mean by change? And does Farage?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comYou can get the last few remaining tickets for Rock & Roll Politics -The Election Special at Kings Place in London - this coming Monday May 11th here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
407. How will Reform and the Greens respond to electoral success?
45:00||Season 1, Ep. 407Reform and the Greens are expected to make stunning gains in this week's elections. But will either party be ready to develop coherent and credible policies - in line with their very different values - by the time of the general election? It is the phase in the electoral cycle that is the toughest challenge of the lot.To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comYou can get the last few remaining tickets for Rock & Roll Politics -The Election Special next week at Kings Place in London on Monday May 11th here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
406. Can or should a King change Trump’s view of ’the special relationship'?
43:39||Season 1, Ep. 406King Charles delivered a perfectly pitched speech in Congress, with many barely coded messages. But will Trump, charmed by royalty, change his attitude to the elected government in the UK or to those in the rest of Europe? Plus Morgan McSweeney, Peter Mandelson, and the build up to the 2024 election.To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comYou can get your tickets for Rock & Roll Politics -The Election Special at Kings Place in London on Monday May 11th here. And hurry, there are just a few left.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
405. Is Britain ungovernable?
42:04||Season 1, Ep. 405With another prime minister fighting for his political life, some commentators argue that the job has become impossible. Since 2016 there have been six prime ministers. But is the context suddenly impossibly challenging, or is that an excuse for weak or poor leadership?To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comYou can get your tickets for Rock & Roll Politics – The Election Special at Kings Place in London on Monday May 11th here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards.