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

May 24, 2024 · 41 min
The media and the UK election: Can Fleet Street still win it?
After Rishi Sunak called a shock general election, host Aggie Chambre set out to discover just how much influence newspapers will have in this campaign.
May 17, 2024 · 46 min
Is the Bank of England really a secret political player?
As the Bank of England grapples with whether to keep interest rates at an all time high, host Sascha O’Sullivan goes on a mission to find out.
May 10, 2024 · 46 min
How to prepare a secret Tory leadership campaign
Aggie Chambre talks us through how to prepare a secret Conservative leadership campaign.
May 3, 2024 · 54 min
Inside the Westminster honey trap scandal
In the first episode of season 14, host Aggie Chambre tells the inside story of how POLITICO broke the Westminster honey trap story, and goes in search of who is really responsible.
Mar 22, 2024 · 51 min
The secrets of the pollsters
Host Sascha O'Sullivan delves into the secrets of the polling industry and asks — if the polls were wrong before, could they be wrong again?
Mar 15, 2024 · 41 min
Leak inquiry: what happens when Westminster's secrets are spilled
This week, Aggie Chambre looks at the art of the leak and asks — why do people do it, and what happens when your political secrets are exposed?
Mar 8, 2024 · 53 min
How Westminster fell in love with Australian politics
New host Sascha O'Sullivan explores Westminster's obsession with all things Australia — and considers the lessons British politics might learn from down under.
Mar 1, 2024 · 43 min
How to prepare for opposition
In this week's episode, host Aggie Chambre tackles the conundrum of how to prepare for the one job in politics no one wants.
Feb 23, 2024 · 57 min
How a small town in England opened its arms to Ukraine
As the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, Jack Blanchard returns home to the north of England to hear the stories of the refugees who arrived there in 2022 — and of one small town community which opened its arms to help.
Feb 16, 2024 · 39 min
Diary of a by-election
As the people of Wellingborough headed to the polls for a historic vote, hosts Aggie Chambre and Sascha O'Sullivan took a train to the East Midlands to see how by-elections really play out on the ground.
Feb 9, 2024 · 52 min
A boozy lunch with Tim Shipman
Host Jack Blanchard goes for lunch with the Sunday Times' chief political commentator, Tim Shipman, as the deadline for his new Brexit tome approaches.
Feb 2, 2024 · 59 min
Inside GB News
For the first episode of the year, host Aggie Chambre goes inside right-wing TV channel GB News and investigates the role it might play in shaping the future of the U.K. Conservative Party.
Dec 22, 2023 · 57 min
The year ahead in 54 minutes
For the final episode of the year, host Jack Blanchard and a series of expert guests look ahead to 2024 and what is certain to be an extraordinary year of world politics.
Dec 15, 2023 · 43 min
How did Britain's prisons go so wrong?
Host Aggie Chambre explores the crisis in Britain's prison system and asks what can be done to fix it.
Dec 8, 2023 · 47 min
The art of the political apology
In the week Boris Johnson finally said sorry for the mistakes made by his government during the COVID-19 pandemic, host Aggie Chambre explores the art of the political apology — and asks how politicians can redeem themselves after completely screwing up.
Dec 1, 2023 · 43 min
How to get ready for government
With opposition parties starting to dream about life in Whitehall as the next election looms, host Aggie Chambre takes a look at how politicians actually prepare for government.
Nov 24, 2023 · 45 min
Is Westminster ready for the return of Donald Trump?
With opinion polls showing Donald Trump beating President Joe Biden a year out from the next U.S. election, podcast host Jack Blanchard asks whether Westminster is even remotely ready for the prospect of a second Trump presidency.
Nov 17, 2023 · 41 min
How to get sacked from government
In the week U.K Home Secretary Suella Braverman was finally sacked, host Aggie Chambre asks what you actually have to do to get fired from the government — and what the calculations are for the leaders doing the firing.
Nov 10, 2023 · 41 min
Revenge of The Blob
This week in a special 'focus group' episode, five former mid-ranking civil servants sit down with host Aggie Chambre to lift the lid on life inside Whitehall.
Nov 3, 2023 · 42 min
Meet Alf Dubs: The child refugee who became a UK parliament grandee
<p>As war rages in the Middle East, host Jack Blanchard sits down with Alf Dubs, the 91-year-old Labour peer who arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport — which organized the rescue of children from the Nazis — aged just six.</p><p>Dubs reflects on his experiences as a child refugee in 1939 and on how he forged a new life in the U.K. He explains why he got into politics, and how he has since devoted much of his life to helping other young people in dire need. He calls for more humanitarian sup