Share

cover art for Is the UK doing the minimum in Syria?

Politics Unpacked

Is the UK doing the minimum in Syria?

•
Opinion podcast with David Aaronovitch, Lucy Fisher and Phil Collins. -- Phil Collins: The anonymous man who said, to the attacker at Leytonstone tube station, “you ain’t no Muslim, bruv” has been hailed as speaking for moderate people of all faiths and none. Quite right too. Yet the statement is, alas, not quite true. We cannot attribute murder to faith but we cannot pretend faith is entirely irrelevant either. David Aaronovitch: Oh what a great brouhaha that Syria vote was. 'Momentous' said the BBC. A fabulous debate everyone agreed, with MPs congratulated - on either side - for weighing the issues and their consciences with almost exquisite aesthetic precision. Well, balls frankly. The decision was the minimum possible response a country like ours could have made. Anything else would have been an admission that, short of responding to being invaded, Britain had put its military out to grass. Lucy Fisher: It's received wisdom that Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable & Labour will tank at the 2020 polls...

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Burnham Heads Further North

    28:32|
    Andy Burnham parks his tank on the SNP’s lawn, challenging John swinney to work with him on devolution - but is this an offer of cooperation, or is it mostly political fighting talk?Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Michael Binyon and Alys Denby.
  • Zelensky Rallies His Allies

    34:18|
    The Ukrainian President said he felt 'betrayed' by the US over the loss of access to Starlink. Andy Burnham has pledged to 'heal' the rift - but can he do so without American support? Hugo Rifkind is joined by Sarah Ditum and Andy Silvester to unpack the politics of the day.
  • PMQs: Badenoch Accuses Burnham Of Putting His Foot In It

    53:47|
    PMQs Unpacked is back after recess, as Kemi Badenoch presses Andy Burnham on Brexit and benefits - and asks whether he ever gets tired of putting his foot in his mouth.Hugo Rifkind is joined by Patrick Maguire and Ayesha Hazarika to unpack the exchanges from the Commons, live at The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival.
  • Why Everyone Is Talking About Brexit Again

    29:50|
    Brexit is firmly back on the political agenda, but does anyone really mean it? And did Robert Jenrick really mean what he said about using ‘lethal force’ in the Channel?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Charlotte Ivers and James Marriott.
  • Burnham's Brexit Claim Questioned

    35:52|
    After Andy Burnham says said it's clear Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum, one of his ministers clarifies the Kremlin tried - but failed - to influence the vote. Has the PM been careless?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Libby Purves and Seb Payne
  • Polanski's Battle To Remain Green Leader

    30:11|
    Zack Polanski failed to take Holborn & St Pancras from Labour in the by-election - as criticism of his handling of a controversial Zionism policy continues, is he fighting for his survival?Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Michael Binyon and Alys Denby.
  • The Two-Party Fantasy

    33:19|
    Labour and the Tories are feeling pretty good after party conference season - but is a return to two-party politics really on the cards, or are they kidding themselves?Hugo unpacks the politics of the day with Cindy Yu and Juliet Samuel.
  • Kemi Badenoch’s Speech: What Did We Really Learn?

    14:44|
    Kemi Badenoch has given her big speech at Tory conference, with a promise to scrap inheritance tax on family homes, and a warning that the country is running out of money.Hugo Rifkind unpacks the speech with Anna Mikhailova, Lara Spirit, Josh Glancy and Robert Colville.
  • The Tory Conference Bubble

    29:40|
    The Tories are in an upbeat mood at their party conference, but the polls are flat and plenty of seats are empty. Are they insulated from political reality?