Government

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

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Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government
Question Time

2

Question Time

BBC Sounds
The DSR Network

3

The DSR Network

The DSR Network
Global Security Briefing

4

Global Security Briefing

The Royal United Services Institute
Strict Scrutiny

5

Strict Scrutiny

Strict Scrutiny
5-4

6

5-4

Prologue Projects
The Interview

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The Interview

BBC World Service

19 HR AGO

1

All roads lead to Romeo

Antonia Romeo has been appointed as the new Cabinet Secretary and is the first woman to hold the post. So what can she do to turn the civil service, and perhaps the government, around? Keir Starmer's administration is still reeling from resignations, apologies, suspensions and the latest Peter Mandelson scandal. With questions around ethics and standards back in the news, and both Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor facing Misconduct in Public Office investigations, what does the government need to do to tackle standards in public life and can the PM show his government really is different from the last? Plus: Postponed local elections are now un-postponed and need to be held in just over three months’ time. Just how did the government end up taking such a chaotic approach? Presented by Alex Thomas Featuring Hannah White, Tim Durrant, Rebecca McKee, Matthew Fright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 hr ago

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40 min
1 DAY AGO

2

Ringwood

Fiona Bruce hosts a topical debate from Ringwood. Joining her on the panel are Labour's Heidi Alexander, Conservative Richard Holden, journalist and podcaster Jon Sopel, and Reform UK's Robert Jenrick

1 day ago

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59 min
2 DAYS AGO

3

Is the Trump Administration's 'Donroe' Doctrine Transforming Relations with Latin America?

Following Washington's emphasis on the Western Hemisphere in its 2025 National Security Strategy, this episode examines Cuba, Venezuela and the intensifying US-China competition in Latin America. In this episode, Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University, and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow for Latin American Security at RUSI, to assess how the Trump administration's 'America First' strategy is reshaping security and geopolitics across the Americas, and what the shift means for regional stability and US global priorities. This discussion explores: · The elevation of the Western Hemisphere to the top tier of US national security priorities. · Cuba's re-emergence as a strategic concern, including energy pressure, migration controls and intelligence considerations. · Venezuela's uncertain transition following US intervention and the risks of proxy competition. · The expansion of bilateral security agreements and US military deployments in the Caribbean basin. · The implications of this hemispheric focus for US alliances and global commitments. · Whether Latin America is becoming an arena for US-China strategic rivalry.

2 days ago

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54 min
1 DAY AGO

4

Wales’ £14bn Railway Promise

The Prime Minister travelled to Taff’s Well to throw his weight behind Transport for Wales’ £14 billion proposals to “transform” the nation’s railways. But what would this actually mean for passengers and communities in Wales? James and Fliss unpack the announcement with our Political Correspondent Cemlyn Davies, following his interview with the Prime Minister and First Minister. They’re also joined by transport expert Professor Mark Barry, who breaks down the practical implications of the proposals — and what the politics behind them might reveal.

1 day ago

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37 min
17 HR AGO

5

The Daily Blast: Trump Ramblings on Epstein Take Revealing Turn as MAGA Fury Boils Over

After British police arrested the former Prince Andrew in connection with revelations involving Jeffrey Epstein, a reporter asked Donald Trump directly if anyone will face accountability in the United States. Trump rambled and rambled, insisting he had been “totally exonerated.” That’s not true, but regardless, Trump could not explain why accountability is happening in other countries, but not in ours. He also had nothing whatsoever to say about whether his Justice Department will ever seek accountability for any elites implicated in the scandal. Meanwhile, MAGA figures are raging over the latest Epstein-file revelations and demanding exactly the accountability that is not forthcoming from DOJ. We talked to Nicole Hemmer, author of good books about the conservative movement and about the right wing media. She explains why Trump has not been exonerated, how the latest in this scandal is causing MAGA to crack up, what all this reveals about supposed Trump-MAGA hatred of “elites,” and what the prospects are for genuine accountability. Looking for More from the DSR Network? Click Here: https://linktr.ee/deepstateradio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 hr ago

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26 min
2 DAYS AGO

6

Stormont on tick

Mark Carruthers discusses Stormont's financial challenges and the £400 million advance with John Campbell, Jodie Carson and Andrew Webb.

2 days ago

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36 min
3 DAYS AGO

7

Pulsifer v. United States

What does “and” REALLY mean? If you're not a 5-4 Premium member, you're not hearing every episode! To hear this and other Premium-only episodes, access to our Slack community, and more, join at fivefourpod.com/support. 5-4 is presented by Prologue Projects. This episode was produced by Alli Rodgers. Leon Neyfakh provides editorial support. Our website was designed by Peter Murphy. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY, and our theme song is by Spatial Relations. Transcriptions of each episode are available at fivefourpod.com Follow the show at @fivefourpod on most platforms. On BlueSky, find Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social, Michael @fleerultra.bsky.social, and Rhiannon @aywarhiannon.bsky.social. Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/FIVEFOUR Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

3 days ago

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51 min
20 HR AGO

8

The forgotten pioneer: Who was Margaret Bondfield, Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister?

Why is Britain’s first female cabinet minister almost invisible in our political memory? In this episode we are joined by historian and author Nan Sloane, whose new biography of Margaret Bondfield has just been published, to uncover the remarkable and largely forgotten story of this pioneering figure. Bondfield – a working-class trade unionist – became the first woman to serve in the British Cabinet yet is rarely mentioned alongside figures such as Nancy Astor or Ellen Wilkinson. She did not enter politics through the suffrage movement. Instead, she rose through the male-dominated trade union movement, often as the only woman in the room. Born into a large working-class family in Somerset, she left school at thirteen to work in shops where staff were legally treated as domestic servants and endured punishing conditions. Driven by a fierce commitment to social justice, she became a powerful organiser, accomplished public speaker and a leading national figure within the labour movement. Elected to Parliament in 1923, she made history in 1929 when she was appointed Minister of Labour, becoming the first woman to serve in the Cabinet and the first female Privy Counsellor. But it was, as one colleague put it, the worst job in government. In the grip of a deep economic crisis, unemployment was soaring, the national insurance system was stretched to breaking point, and painful decisions had to be taken. By 1931 the crisis had split the Labour Party and brought down the Government. Bondfield lost her seat and never returned to Parliament. Rather than being remembered as a trailblazer, her legacy was overshadowed by economic crisis and party division. Was she a pioneer, a pragmatist caught in impossible circumstances, or a woman judged more harshly than her male colleagues? In conversation with Nan Sloane, we explore Bondfield’s character, her relationships and international networks, and the political choices that shaped both her career and her reputation. Nan Sloane, Margaret Bondfield: The life and times of Britain’s first Cabinet Minister (Bloomsbury Publishing) 🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode. ❓ Send us your questions about Parliament: ✅ Subscribe to our newsletter. 📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social £ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today. Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox Producer: Richard Townsend Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 hr ago

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1h 11m
12 FEB

9

Resets and resignations: Starmer's worst week yet

Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell joins the podcast to discuss another explosive week at the heart of government. On Sunday afternoon the prime minister’s chief of staff and closest adviser, Morgan McSweeney, handed in his resignation, followed on Monday by Tim Allan, Downing Street’s director of communication – for just five months. The cabinet secretary, Sir Chris Wormald, too will be leaving his post, also after a brief tenure.  But the prime minister remains in office – despite the best attempts of Anas Sarwar, Labour’s leader in Scotland, who arranged a press conference on Monday to call for his resignation. So, what does all this churn at the centre mean for the prime minister, for No.10, and for the cabinet secretary’s brief of ‘rewiring the state’? Can Keir Starmer really reset his government all over again? And what does this all mean for the actual business of government? Presented by Hannah White. With Alex Thomas and Catherine Haddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

12 Feb

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40 min
4 DAYS AGO

10

Is Sam Alito On His Way Out?

The legal news just kept coming this week, and Melissa, Leah, and Kate break it all down. Could Friend of the Pod Sam Alito be retiring? Possibly! Can Pete Hegseth retaliate against Senator and veteran Mark Kelly for free speech? No! Just how wild was Pamela Jo Bondi’s Epstein files testimony in Congress? Pretty flippin’ wild! They also cover the latest out of Minnesota, Democratic representatives tearing the head of ICE a new one, some very bad news for humans who enjoy clean air, the Heritage Foundation’s crusade against birth control, and other legal flotsam and jetsam.Favorite things: Kate: Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show; Universities Are Sending Trump a Dangerous Message, Arne Duncan & David Pressman (Washington Post); The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War, Joanne B. Freeman Leah: We Have to Look Right in the Face of What We Have Become, Jamelle Bouie; What It Means to Be a White ‘Race Traitor’, Nikole Hannah-Jones (NYT) Melissa: MS NOW Presents: Clock It with Symone Sanders Townsend & Eugene Daniels; A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS (WSJ); Jessica Bichler for NC State Senate Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2026! 3/6/26 – San Francisco 3/7/26 – Los Angeles Learn more: http://crooked.com/eventsPreorder Melissa’s book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern ReaderBuy Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad VibesFollow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

4 days ago

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1h 26m

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