POLITICO

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Channel • 12 Shows

Politics

Politics

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Government

Government

Updated 08/05/2021
Politics

Politics

Updated daily
Politics

Politics

Updated daily
Politics

Politics

Updated weekly
Politics

Politics

Updated 23/04/2021
Daily News

Daily News

Updated daily

20/09/2024

Inside Labour Together: the project behind Keir Starmer

The red half of Westminster will shortly decamp to Liverpool for the first Labour conference since the party's general election landslide. Host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at a group which played a key role in that victory — the left-wing think-tank Labour Together. Sascha pieces together the fascinating origin story of Labour Together, speaking to ITV Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana, author of a new book, which details the group's influence, and Keir Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin. Andrew Cooper, political pollster and member of Labour Together advisory board, tells Sascha how Josh Simons, former director of the think tank, built on the work of Morgan McSweeney by using deep voter analysis to help Labour HQ. Sascha speaks to the group's new chief executive, Jonathan Ashworth, about Labour Together's role in shaping the thinking of the new government. He addresses some of the cronyism accusations surrounding the think tank and is quizzed by Sascha on its purpose now Labour is in power. Henry Newman, former political adviser and author of the Whitehall project, explains the concerns about how Labour Together acted as a middleman for political donations between wealthy individuals and politicians. Labour "mega-donor" Dale Vince tells Sascha why he gave money to the think tank. And think tank stalwarts Harry Quilter-Pinner of the Institute of Public Policy Research, Ryan Wain of the Tony Blair Institute and Charlotte Pickles explain how Labour Together fits into the world of the wonks and how different it is from most policy outfits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20/09/2024

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55 min
28/06/2024

The last 10 days of an election campaign

As the general election reaches its final week, host Sascha O'Sullivan takes us inside the last push of the campaign. She explores how parties use every trick of the trade, from advertising to frantic leafleting, to try to capture every possible vote and travels to the BBC debate in Nottingham where the main party leaders had one final face off. Ayesha Hazarika, broadcaster and former adviser to Ed Miliband, explains how many voters begin tune into an election campaign only once they reach the last 10 days, and warns about the impact of gaffes during the final stretch. Former Conservative Party staffer Cleo Watson tells Sascha a scandalous story from the last week of the Vote Leave campaign which never made it to the press. Ben Guerin, one of the advertising masterminds of Boris Johnson's 2019 election victory, relates how parties use attack ads in the last few days. And Craig Oliver, Downing Street Director of Communications for David Cameron, gives us tips for winning the "ground war" by focusing relentlessly on the constituencies which matter the most. Sascha also speaks to pollster James Johnson who says that in the last week, many candidates can be overcome with a misguided optimism about their prospects — and tells us what happens campaign HQs get their data wrong. Also, Jeremy Corbyn's former deputy director of communications and strategy Steve Howell takes us inside Labour’s 2017 campaign, while Sean Kemp, former special adviser to Nick Clegg, gives us a run down on Lib Dem targeting tactics in the final week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28/06/2024

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44 min
22/03/2024

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? David Cameron's former pollster Andrew Cooper tells Sascha how the Conservatives upstaged the polling industry in 2015 and pulled an unexpected election victory out of the bag. Labour polling stalwart Stan Greenberg, who has run the numbers for Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Ed Miliband, explains what the other side of the 2015 campaign was like. Tom Lubbock of JL Partners and Josh Williams of Labour Together explain why voter archetypes — from "Mondeo Man" to "Stevenage Woman" — are so beloved by the media ... and how they're actually useful for politicians seeking to win elections. Sascha also tags along to a series of focus groups — including with More in Common's Luke Tryl — to see how they really work. And the New Statesman's associate political editor, Rachel Cunliffe, and pollster Scarlett Maguire explain how communicating polling can be twisted or over-egged — and why we really should be talking about more than just the top line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22/03/2024

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52 min
08/03/2024

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. From the U.K. Tory party's succession of Aussie campaign chiefs to the varying attempts to deploy Australian-style immigration policies, Westminster has held an enduring fascination with its rougher political cousins down under. Sascha speaks to former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who has long enjoyed links with the U.K. Tory party and who was the first premier to vow to "stop the boats." Rohan Watt, a Queensland native who worked in Liz Truss's No. 10 Downing Street, explains how Australian advisers have long been surfing the coattails of legendary campaign guru Lynton Crosby, and how their blunt style of communication has made them mainstays in British politics. Australian-British journalist Latika Bourke considers the brutal campaign tactics sometimes deployed down under, while foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston explains how the recently-signed AUKUS security pact will reinforce relations between the two countries. Comms guru John McTernan, who worked for both Tony Blair in Downing Street and Australian PM Julia Gillard in Canberra, explains why Australia can offer a helpful election playbook for British politicos to follow — but why Westminster should be wary of stealing their ideas wholesale. And Labour's Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson tells how she recently undertook a fact-finding trip to Australia to gather advice on childcare policy from the Aussie Labor Party — as well as tips on how to help U.K. Labour win an election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08/03/2024

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54 min
29/09/2023

What's the point of party conferences?

With Conservative Party conference about to commence, host Aggie Chambre asks the question on everyone's lips: What the hell is the point of the conference season anyway? She speaks to former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Hesiltine about what conferences used to be like in years gone by. Sky News' Sam Coates and POLITICO's own Jack Blanchard talk about their importance for journalists, and how and when conference events can shape the narrative. The Spectator's Fraser Nelson tells Aggie about his magazine's legendary conference drinks parties, and how grassroots members are no longer the central focus for conference organizers. Finally, British Chamber of Commerce director general Shevaun Haviland talks about why businesses go to party conferences ... while former CCHQ chief executive Mark MacGregor explains why they probably shouldn't bother. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29/09/2023

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44 min
08/10/2021

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. Tony Blair's former chief speechwriter, Philip Collins, talks us through the techniques he used when penning Keir Starmer's leader's speech at this year's Labour Party conference. David Cameron's former chief speechwriter, Ameet Gill, recalls several of the ex- PM's greatest hits, including the 2007 "no notes" party conference speech which helped avert a snap general election. Ed Miliband's former speechwriter, stand-up comedian Ayesha Hazarika, explains the importance of humor in political discourse. And U.S. Vice President Al Gore's former speechwriter, Bob Lehrman, offers a trans-Atlantic view of how the greatest political speeches are structured. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

08/10/2021

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47 min
07/06/2024

What's the point of a manifesto?

As Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer prepare to launch their manifestos, host Sascha O’Sullivan takes a look at what goes into the making of the crucial documents that spell out each party’s plan for government. Former Tory adviser Cleo Watson recalls how it all went wrong for Theresa May at the 2017 election when a manifesto pledge on social care blew up. Authors of the 2019 manifesto Rachel Wolf and Rob Colvile explain how the slogan “Get Brexit Done” got the election done for Boris Johnson. Stalwart of the New Labour years Patrick Diamond, who wrote manifestos for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, recalls struggling to pinning ministers down agree on policy, while Torsten Bell, 2015 manifesto author, discusses how to stick to pledges in government. And Sascha also speaks to Andrew Fisher, writer of the Labour Party’s 2017 and 2019 manifestos, who fesses up to historic mistakes and talks about how the leaking of Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 plan ended up being a boon rather than a bust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

07/06/2024

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45 min
23/05/2025

How to run your Cabinet: Lessons for Starmer

With tensions simmering in Keir Starmer’s top team over Labour’s approach to the economy, this week host Patrick Baker looks at what the PM might be able to learn about managing your ministers from past Cabinets and examines Starmer's own leadership style. David Owen, former foreign secretary under Jim Callaghan, recounts the IMF crisis in 1976 as an example of Cabinet government at its most effective. Michael Cockerell, the legendary political documentary-maker, describes how Margaret Thatcher and John Major approached their Cabinets and how, despite their contrasting styles, both were undone by their Cabinet ministers in the end. Clare Short, who resigned as Tony Blair’s international development secretary over the war in Iraq, argues Blair sidelined the Cabinet as a decision-making body from the beginning of his premiership, preferring instead to rely on a small coterie of advisers or what became known as ‘sofa government’. Cleo Watson, Boris Johnson’s former deputy chief of staff, takes us through the Cabinet dynamics of the Johnson era and how Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings saw Cabinet as a rubber-stamping exercise, rather than where the real decisions of government would be taken. Sonia Khan, former adviser to ex-Chancellor Sajid Javid, says ministers often had to linger by the toilet or attend social gatherings to have any chance of influencing Boris Johnson. Luke Sullivan, Keir Starmer’s political director while in opposition, says the prime minister likes to let his cabinet ministers get on with their jobs and to solve problems before they reach his desk. And Patrick Maguire, political columnist at The Times and author of ‘Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer’ delves into the curious dynamics of this current Labour Cabinet and explains how Keir Starmer’s leadership style might create a vacuum for others to fill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23/05/2025

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37 min
07/02/2025

How to be a UK Ambassador to the US

Peter Mandelson, the new British ambassador to the United States, has finally taken up the daunting challenge of being the U.K.’s Trump whisperer. And it’s clear the man dubbed the prince of darkness will need to use every trick in his book to ensure the U.K. emerges unscathed – or even, perhaps, benefits - from Trump’s America First agenda. This week on Westminster Insider, Patrick Baker speaks to some of Mandelson’s predecessors and those who know a thing or two about how to master Washington D.C., for their advice on how to make a success of the most prestigious diplomatic gig of all. Britain's former Ambassador to the U.S. under Obama, Peter Westmacott, is a man who knows how to throw a good party. He explains how to use the opulent British ambassador’s residence to bring in the great and the good of American politics and reflects on the personal nature of the relationships he formed. Author Anthony Seldon evokes the historic power of the special relationship and details the British cultural assets diplomats have at their disposal for wooing the Washington elites. Catherine Meyer — the wife of the late Christopher Meyer, who served as ambassador under Tony Blair — explains how she was often deployed to take advantage of the seating plan at glitzy downtown dinners in D.C., trying to coax a secret or two out of the notoriously tight-lipped Vice-President Dick Cheney. Blair’s ambassador during the Iraq war, David Manning, recalls the intensity of being a wartime diplomat — and how he relied on close access to the Bush White House to make sure Britain’s voice was heard. Kim Darroch, who served during the first Trump term before an abrupt leak-induced exit, explains how best to deal with any unexpected, early morning social media outbursts — and says it is vital to ensure you keep in with the billionaires upon whom Trump relies for economic advice. John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, tells Patrick who he thinks has fared best with the US President and why (hint: it has something to do with golf) and says a safer choice might have been a career diplomat. And Jenny Wright — formerly the embassy press adviser to recently-departed ambassador Karen Pierce — reveals how she and her team used a cup of tea to devastating diplomatic effect. CORRECTION: This episode was updated to correct the date of the first UK ambassador to the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

07/02/2025

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47 min
12/09/2025

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. The sacking of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s Ambassador to Washington, following the revelations about the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, could not have provided a more awkward backdrop for the visit. Shorn of his “Trump whisperer,” and badly bruised by recent events, the prime minister needs to make the most of the opportunity after deploying the ultimate diplomatic move. The U.K. is looking to make progress on a whole host of thorny issues, including trade and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. This week on Westminster Insider, host Patrick Baker explores what the British state has up its sleeve when it comes to charming foreign dignitaries into giving the U.K. what it wants. Theresa May’s former Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell explains the jeopardy attached to Trump’s dealings with the press when he’s abroad, and the stress involved in trying to minimize the U.S. president’s exposure to any protests. Esther Webber, POLITICO’s senior foreign and defense correspondent, takes us through what’s at stake with this Trump visit, and reveals how the royal family are set to be deployed to woo a U.S. president known for his love of pomp and pageantry. Robert Hardman, the royal historian and author of “King Charles III: The inside story,” reveals the U.K.’s long and storied history of inviting controversial world leaders on state visits, leveraging the mesmerizing power of the monarchy as the ultimate diplomatic weapon. Grant Harrold, a former royal butler to King Charles, explains the importance of etiquette to the royals, and takes us through what Trump can expect at the glittering state banquet. Former Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell lifts the lid on what it’s like to be entrusted as guardian of the Government’s vast wine cellar, and how the finest claret is served up to heads of state to lubricate potentially difficult political discussions. And Kate Fall, former deputy chief of staff to David Cameron, recounts her former boss taking China’s President Xi for pints at the pub on a 2015 state visit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12/09/2025

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33 min

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