Westminster Insider

POLITICO

POLITICO’s weekly political series lifts the curtain on how Westminster really works, offering in-depth insight into the political issues which typically only get broad-brush treatment in the wider media.

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193 episodes
Updated July 3

Episodes193

Newest first

July 3 · 38 min
Football and politics: How to play the game
With England through to the knockout stages of the World Cup and hopes rising that football might finally be coming home, Westminster is watching nervously — and closely.
June 26 · 32 min
Does being a good mayor make you a good prime minister?
The Greater Manchester mayoralty made Andy Burnham famous. Now he's hoping he can take the approach he developed in the city to the whole country.
June 24 · 32 min
Robert Jenrick's plan to take on 'Reform Slayer' Andy Burnham
Makerfield has proved to be the making of Andy Burnham’s bid for the top job, but could it also be the moment that Nigel Farage’s ambitions for Number 10 took a knock? While Reform UK continues to lead the national polls, it failed to capture the Greater Manchester seat last week and was beaten into third place by the Conservatives, the party it’s seeking to replace, in two Scottish by-elections. Is the wind going off Reform’s sails just as Labour hopes to revive its fortunes under a new prime minister, who is being dubbed the "Reform slayer" after his by-election victory? In this bonus interview edition of Westminster Insider, Anne McElvoy talks to Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury Spokesman, about how Reform will respond to a Burnham-led government. The former Conservative minister and leadership candidate left his party earlier this year, claiming that he wanted to “unite the Right”. Following a dispute with Reform's Zia Yusuf over the party's policy on the deportation of migrants, Jenrick is trying to carve out a distinctive position on economic policy, including a new "big bang" for the City of London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
June 19 · 35 min
Burnham wins: Inside the Makerfield by-election
Andy Burnham is the new Labour MP for Makerfield, heading for parliament and, likely, Number 10.
June 14 · 23 min
Andy Burnham: the man who wants to be PM
In a bonus episode of Westminster Insider, host Sascha O’Sullivan sits down with Jack Blanchard to find out who is the real Andy Burnham.
June 12 · 40 min
What's the point of political protests?
Climate change, Palestine, Brexit, the Iraq War. Westminster has seen it all when it comes to protests, and the inhabitants of Parliament are largely desensitised to the angry cries at the gates. This week on Westminster Insider host Sascha O'Sullivan asks: what's the point of marching on Whitehall?
June 5 · 40 min
The Brexit Referendum: Ten years on
Ten years — and six prime ministers — ago Britain was on the brink of voting to leave the European Union.
May 29 · 37 min
Why the Conservatives are so cheery: inside the Tory reboot
At the local elections, the Conservative Party lost hundreds of councillors and dozens of seats across England, Scotland and Wales, but Kemi Badenoch declared a comeback.
May 22 · 41 min
How to replace a Prime Minister and get away with it
As Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting jostle for influence in the Labour party, host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at what it takes to turn around a party's fortunes mid-term.
May 15 · 33 min
Starmer’s week from hell: Inside the Number 10 bunker
With Keir Starmer fighting for his political life after the most perilous week of his premiership, the prime minister and his inner circle have been engaged in a desperate rearguard effort to shore up his position.
April 17 · 35 min
Defense deals and Thomas Tuchel's chances: inside the new Anglo-German bromance
The Victorians called Britain and Germany “awkward cousins.” These days, Keir Starmer is trying to revive that Anglo-German amity as part of a broader reset with the European Union. The prime minister has wooed Chancellor Friedrich Merz since the Christian Democrat leader took power in Berlin last year, leading to the signing of the Kensington Treaty nine months ago. The treaty was designed to fill the gap in bilateral relations after Brexit and give the Anglo-German relationship more power with an increasingly bellicose Russia. But how much influence do Starmer and Merz have over an erratic American President Donald Trump — and can the E3 (the U.K., Germany and France) really influence Trump’s war with Iran? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Susanne Baumann, Germany’s ambassador to London, in her first interview since she was appointed last September. In a week when the British government received stinging criticism over its defense plans, the ambassador defends Germany's cooperation on long-range missile and other projects. She also rates England's chances at this summer's FIFA World Cup under German coach Thomas Huchel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 2 · 30 min
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Don't panic, my EU reset plan will work
Despite the war in Iran and its economic consequences preoccupying ministers, much work is going on behind closed doors in Whitehall to strike a closer relationship with Brussels. Nearly a decade after Britain voted to leave the EU, Keir Starmer has tasked his ministers with negotiating a post-Brexit reset that aims for closer alignment with the bloc in a bid to bring down prices and cut regulations on businesses. In this interview episode of Westminster Insider, host Anne McElvoy talks to one of the Prime Minister’s closest allies, Nick Thomas-Symonds. The Cabinet Office Minister has been notching up the Eurostar hours back and forth to Brussels in a bid to strike a deal by the summer. Will he and his EU counterparts be able to agree a youth mobility scheme and alignment in key sectors of the economy, or will their differences be too great to overcome? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
March 27 · 37 min
How to fix British politics — with help from around the world
As Westminster rolls into recess, host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at some of the problems which bedevil SW1 from voter disengagement to constant reshuffles to find out if political systems from Australia to Italy might have the solutions.
March 20 · 40 min
ChatG-MP: Inside Westminster's AI revolution
From ChatGPT-written speeches to constituents flooding MPs with AI-generated emails, artificial intelligence has arrived in Westminster.
March 13 · 40 min
The Battle for Labour's oldest stronghold: Wales
On May 7, Labour faces losing some of its oldest heartlands. In Wales, the party has dominated elections for 104 years, but is, according to polls, fighting for third or fourth place against powerful forces on the left and right – Plaid Cymru and Reform.
March 6 · 48 min
Inside the fight to fix Parliament
The Palace of Westminster towers over the River Thames as a symbol of British democracy. But look a little closer and the building is falling apart.
February 27 · 32 min
Gorton and Denton by-election: Labour vs everyone else
The Green Party have won their very first by-election.
February 20 · 46 min
The strange death of the long-term prime minister
Keir Starmer may have survived a political near-death experience last week.
February 13 · 39 min
Is Starmer really "Never Here Keir"?
As Keir Starmer flies to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan finds out if the Prime Minister's time abroad has damaged him here at home – and if it has, if it's been worth it.
February 6 · 39 min
A handy guide to Labour regicide
After the most difficult week of Keir Starmer's premiership, with mounting speculation over how long he can last as Prime Minister, this week on Westminster Insider, host Patrick Baker explores Labour's long and not-too-illustrious history of failed coups and botched insurrections.