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Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards
Is there a danger the government will spend too much on defence?
There is no money, the economy is barely growing, the war in Iran will cost billions in Britain and there are demands on spending across public services. Yet there is a noisy clamour for huge increases in defence spending. Are the calls for defence to be a priority at the expense of all other demands justified? And what will be the legacies of a landslide Labour government if the investment priority is defence?
To join in the never ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.com
The next Rock & Roll Politics live show will be at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Saturday April 25th.
And you 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.
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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.
404. How vulnerable is Keir Starmer?
51:30||Season 1, Ep. 404Are we in the final days of Starmer’s leadership, or is no potential successor ready to make a move? Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Cambridge Literary Festival this Saturday at 8pm. Tickets on the festival website. Rock & Roll Politics -The Election Special is live at Kings Place on Monday May 11th. Tickets here. Written and presented by Steve Richards.
403. Starmer/Mandelson - Does the plot ever really change?
31:52||Season 1, Ep. 403Did Starmer deliberately mislead parliament? No. Did Starmer make a terrible misjudgement in appointing Mandelson with a casual detachment? Yes. This was the plot of the first episode of this dark saga. It is also the plot of the latest eruption in the long running series, with many episodes to come.To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-operative, email steveric14@icloud.comThe next Rock & Roll Politics live show will be at the Cambridge Literary Festival this Saturday, April 25th.And you 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.
401. The fall of Orban - How vulnerable is the populist right?
30:16||Season 1, Ep. 401In Hungary’s general election the seemingly invincible Viktor Orban has suffered a heavy defeat. But are there any significant lessons for exposing the weaknesses of Reform and other right wing parties in Europe?The next Rock & Roll Politics live show will be at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Saturday April 25th.And you 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.