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 10, 2021 · 1 hr 9 min
Two years on: What the hell happened in the 2019 general election?
In a special anniversary episode, Jack Blanchard looks back at the seminal general election of December 2019, with help from experts and insiders from all the main campaign teams.
Dec 3, 2021 · 45 min
Meet Mayor Sadiq Khan: Boxing, knives and curryhouses on the streets of south London
This week Jack Blanchard ventures out of the studio to meet Mayor Sadiq Khan on the streets of south London.
Nov 26, 2021 · 52 min
The next pandemic
Westminster — like much of the world — was caught napping by the deadly new coronavirus which emerged from China in 2019. This week Jack Blanchard speaks to experts from around the world to consider what we can do now to better prepare for the next pandem
Nov 19, 2021 · 45 min
How British towns got left behind
This week Jack explores whether Britain's provincial towns — like the town he grew up in and many places he has lived since — have been "left behind" as the economy has evolved over recent years.
Nov 12, 2021 · 48 min
The government vs the BBC: A Hundred Year War
This week Jack picks through the long and turbulent relationship between the government and the BBC, and asks why these two great pillars of British public life can't seem to get along.
Nov 5, 2021 · 48 min
The history of climate change — from the Great Ice Age to COP26 and beyond
As the COP26 summit continues in Glasgow, Jack Blanchard looks back at the history of climate change, from the dramatic shifts at the end of the Ice Age to the political rows of the modern era.
Oct 8, 2021 · 47 min
How do you write a great political speech?
As Britain's political parties finish their annual conferences, Jack Blanchard invites a selection of top speechwriters from both sides of the Atlantic to consider what makes a great political speech.
Oct 1, 2021 · 1 hr 4 min
Meet Lee Cain: Three chaotic years as Boris Johnson's closest aide
This week Jack Blanchard sits down with Lee Cain, who spent three years at Boris Johnson's side as his spin doctor and closest aide.
Sep 24, 2021 · 46 min
From Bismarck to Merkel: Why German chancellors always matter more than we expect
As Germany goes to the polls for an historic election this weekend, Jack Blanchard looks back at some of the great pre- and post-war German chancellors and the impact they've had on Europe and on Britain.
Sep 17, 2021 · 45 min
Why doesn't Britain ever build enough homes?
As Michael Gove is appointed Britain's new housing secretary, Jack Blanchard investigates the crisis gripping the sector and asks why Britain seems forever unable or unwilling to build enough homes.
Sep 10, 2021 · 54 min
'Every phone started ringing' — Remembering 9/11
In a special edition to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, Jack Blanchard asks the most senior officials in Tony Blair's government to reflect on one of the seismic events of our age.
Sep 3, 2021 · 39 min
Why do politicians tell so many lies?
Jack Blanchard explores the thorny topic of political lying, and considers whether dishonesty is really getting worse in the so-called 'post-truth' era.
Aug 27, 2021 · 36 min
MPs' postbags: How we're failing the kids who need us most
Jack abandons Westminster politics for a week to hear about the struggles families in Sheffield face to get the support their children need.
Aug 20, 2021 · 39 min
Postcards from Afghanistan
As the chaos unfolds in Afghanistan, Jack Blanchard speaks to three politicians who devoted many months of their lives to trying to secure and rebuild the war-torn nation.
Jun 18, 2021 · 1 hr 4 min
How to spin a referendum: The inside story of the Brexit campaign
In a special episode marking the fifth anniversary of the Brexit referendum, Jack Blanchard interviews the two men behind the crucial spin campaigns for Leave and Remain.
Jun 11, 2021 · 39 min
What's the point of the G7 summit?
As the G7 summit gets underway in Cornwall, Jack Blanchard speaks to Tony Blair and a host of former senior government officials about what it's like to attend these surreal events — and whether they're really still relevant in the modern age.
Jun 4, 2021 · 37 min
One year on — Owen Paterson on life after his wife's suicide
Jack sits down with the Tory MP and former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson, whose wife Rose killed herself last summer.
May 28, 2021 · 39 min
How special advisers took over Westminster
In the week of Dominic Cummings' jaw-dropping testimony to Parliament, Jack Blanchard takes a closer look at the role special advisers play within government, and at just how powerful these shadowy figures really are.
May 21, 2021 · 39 min
The art of political drinking
As pubs and restaurants finally reopen across Westminster after lockdown, Jack Blanchard takes a closer look at the centuries-old drinking culture that pervades British politics.
May 14, 2021 · 38 min
Meet Angela Rayner — Labour's deputy leader on winning back the North
After a tumultuous week for the U.K. Labour Party, Jack Blanchard sits down with deputy leader Angela Rayner to discuss where the party goes from here.