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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
  • Dec 12, 2025 · 44 min

    Spin, half-truth or deceit? How political lies really work

    Lying in politics is nothing new, but after the budget, Rachel Reeves' extraordinary pitch-rolling was viewed by some as an outright lie and others as justifiable spin. Inspired by this grey area, host Sascha O'Sullivan tries to find out the difference.

  • Dec 5, 2025 · 39 min

    Russia raises the stakes: how can Starmer shape Ukraine’s endgame?

    The latest round of peace talks in Moscow between the Americans and the Russians has ended without agreement. As President Vladimir Putin talked of being ready to fight a war with Europe, attention in Westminster turned to whether the U.K. has the capability and the will to help protect Ukraine in all scenarios. While Keir Starmer flew to Scotland to announce a joint maritime operation with Norway to ward off prowling Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, defense chiefs and MPs asked why there was so little mention of the spending commitments in the Budget — and what that means for Britain's preparedness. This week, Anne McElvoy talks to John Foreman, who was Britain’s military attaché in Moscow between 2019 and 2022 having previously performed the same role in Kyiv; and with Esther Webber, POLITICO’s Senior Foreign and Defense Correspondent. Both have been keeping a close eye on the talks. Later she's joined by two influential MPs to discuss Starmer's options. James Cartlidge is the Shadow Defence Secretary, and Labour’s Calvin Bailey sits on the influential Defence Select Committee and served in the RAF for 24 years, including in Afghanistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Nov 14, 2025 · 45 min

    Inside No. 10: The creaky house that runs Britain

    After a wild week in No.10 Downing Street, host Patrick Baker takes listeners on a podcast tour of the famous building to find out how the hell a cobbled-together Georgian townhouse is meant to run a modern state.

  • Nov 7, 2025 · 39 min

    Who really cares about Britain's farmers?

    Does anyone care about British farmers? Those ploughing the fields and harvesting crops certainly don't feel Westminster pays attention to them.

  • Oct 31, 2025 · 44 min

    How (not) to start a political party

    With Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party suffering some teething problems, host Patrick Baker delves into the art of starting a new political outfit.

  • Oct 24, 2025 · 41 min

    What Liz Truss wants Britain to learn from Trump

    Liz Truss is never far from the shores of the United States, hobnobbing with the folk seeking to "Make America Great Again." What does she think Britain can learn from the second Trump era? Anne McElvoy travels to Washington to talk to the former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss, who’s on a self-proclaimed “mission” to remake the U.K. in the image of MAGA-land. It’s exactly three years since she left Downing Street after just 49 days in office following a mini-budget that sent the markets into freefall — and has haunted her party ever since. In a wide-ranging interview, Truss tells Anne that the Green Party might end up being the official opposition party after the next general election and argues that voters are sick of "technocratic managerial crap" in politics. She insists that she will foreseeably not be joining Reform UK, despite criticizing her own party’s record in office. Truss also pours scorn on both Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of her old party and the Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whom she blames for an impending economic crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Oct 17, 2025 · 31 min

    Starmer ally: Come clean on relations with China after spy row

    It’s been a week where the politics of the Middle East and Britain’s relations with China have loomed large over Westminster. For all the backslapping and goodwill of Sharm el-Sheikh, will the ceasefire and exchange of hostages and prisoners in Gaza pave the way for a political solution? What part could Britain play? And how will the row over the collapsed Chinese spy case play out at home as the blame game between the government, opposition and prosecutors continues to rumble on? What impact will it have on Keir Starmer's attempts to boost economic relations with China? Anne McElvoy talks to one of Westminster’s most prominent figures on foreign affairs, Emily Thornberry, who chairs the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee of MPs. As one of Labour’s most senior backbenchers and a former shadow attorney general, she’s been unafraid to be a critical friend of Starmer. She's also joined by Tim Ross, POLITICO’s chief political correspondent for Europe and the U.K., who’s been reporting on the reaction to President Trump's Gaza peace plan and gauging the mood in Westminster over the row about Chinese espionage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Oct 10, 2025 · 35 min

    Inside Party Conference: Where next for the Tories?

    With dire poll ratings and Reform UK in the ascendancy, Kemi Badenoch’s well-received speech at party conference provided a rare moment of optimism for the Conservatives. But where are they headed next?

  • Oct 3, 2025 · 38 min

    Postcard from Liverpool: is Starmerism over already?

    Host Sascha O'Sullivan goes behind-the-scenes of Labour Party conference in Liverpool, talking to senior politicians and advisors as she tries to hunt for Keir Starmer's ideology – once dubbed "Starmerism".

  • Sep 26, 2025 · 46 min

    What do Gen Z want?

    Four and a half thousand miles away in Nepal, Gen Z protestors recently brought down their government in just 48 hours, amid roiling anger over corruption and nepotism.

  • Sep 12, 2025 · 33 min

    Secrets of a state visit

    U.S. President Donald Trump is in town next week for an unprecedented second state visit to the U.K. 

  • Sep 5, 2025 · 40 min

    Can Britain have a proper Green Party?

    Zack Polanski, the self-confessed eco-populist, won the leadership of the Green Party in a landslide this week. So Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan finds out why the Green Party have often struggled to be taken seriously in SW1.

  • Aug 29, 2025 · 40 min

    How to reset your government

    With a very busy autumn of politics just around the corner, many in the government are looking at the polls and wondering how they turn their fortunes around.

  • Jul 11, 2025 · 34 min

    Can Tory defections take Reform UK toward power?

    Reform UK has claimed its biggest scalp so far with Sir Jake Berry, close friend and ally of Boris Johnson and former Conservative Cabinet minister, joining its ranks. Can Reform break the mould of British politics and vie for power at the next election? In this week's episode of Westminster Insider: Summer Interviews, Anne McElvoy talks to MP Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform. He led the party before Nigel Farage decided to return to frontline politics at last year's general election. Despite rising in the polls, gaining Tory defectors and emerging victorious in the local elections, Reform has had to contend with several high-profile resignations and personnel disputes. Now in power in 10 councils across England, can it prove that it can be a party of power as well as disrupting the status quo? They discuss French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the U.K., the small boats crisis and Reform's policies on the economy, education and social issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Jul 4, 2025 · 27 min

    Can Keir Starmer survive the next 6 months?

    Keir Starmer's authority is under question following a humiliating series of U-turns and a restless parliamentary Labour Party. In this Westminster Insider interview, host Anne McElvoy talks to Maurice Glasman, the Labour peer, who’s seen as the godfather of "Blue Labour" and an influential voice within the Labour movement — with connections to the Trump administration in the U.S. Glasman argues that Starmer has six months to make "significant changes" to his government following the debacle over the government's welfare bill. They discuss the broader challenges confronting Labour after one year in office, the position of Chancellor Rachel Reeves and whether the prime minister can regain the confidence of his rebellious parliamentary party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices