Politics Unpacked

Ed Davey is trying to re-energise the Liberal Democrats at the party’s conference in Brighton - but do his speeches reveal a party struggling to find a clear national message?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Patrick Kidd and Timandra Harkness.

While 'Never-Here-Keir' was accused of spending too much time abroad, Andy Burnham has preferred to host foreign leaders in the UK - and often away from Downing Street.Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Alys Denby and Michael Binyon. 

With the public finances under pressure, the unions meet John Healey and make a series of demands ahead of the Budget. Can Andy Burnham avoid the sense that he's running a 'traditional tax and spend socialist government'?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Sarah Ditum and Andy Silvester.

Open AI boss Sam Altman says people are "right to be afraid" of artificial intelligence but that firms like his can be trusted to "do the right thing" - so should we rely on Silicon Valley to regulate itself?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Jane Mulkerrins and Robert Crampton.

Donald Trump dismisses warnings about AI as a “hoax” by those who want to regulate the industry. But how worried should we be - and what happens if the president doesn’t take the threat seriously?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with James Marriott and Charlotte Ivers.

Reform UK is confident that the £72m in donations it received from two crypto-billionaires are legal, but could the government still change the law to force them to return the money?Hugo unpacks the politics of the day with Seb Payne and Sonia Sodha.

Britons face an expensive winter with rising bills and the prospect of higher taxes. Can Andy Burnham still deliver on his promise to make people feel “hopeful” as the cold sets in?And on the anniversary of 9/11, is Britain safer or more dangerous than it was 25 years ago?Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Alys Denby and Michael Binyon.

A successful party conference could tempt Andy Burnham to call an early general election, but will he take the risk?Hugo unpacks the politics of the day with Matthew Parris and Cindy Yu. 

At PMQs, Andy Burnham says that national security "can't come at the expense of social security". But if he won't cut benefits to fund defence, where will he find the money?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the exchanges with Lara Spirit, Deputy Political Editor of The Sunday Times, and Chris Ward, Labour MP and former aide to Keir Starmer.Picture: House of Commons