The Week in Westminster

BBC Radio 4

4.1 (216)
GOVERNMENT
UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

1 DAY AGO

01/03/2025

George Parker of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster To assess the impact of two completely contrasting Oval Office meetings between President Trump and Sir Keir Starmer and then the US president and President Zelensky this week, George is joined by Peter Ricketts, crossbench peer and Britain's first National Security Adviser. And Labour’s Baroness Cathy Ashton, who was the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, leading its response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea back in 2014. To discuss Sir Keir Starmer's plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by cutting the foreign aid budget, George spoke to the Labour MP for Hartlepool, Jonathan Brash and the Greens’ Ellie Chowns, who represents North Herefordshire, and spent her career before Parliament working in overseas development. David Gauke, who was Justice Secretary in Theresa May’s government and is now leading a review into prisons for Keir Starmer, has been in Texas this week to look at what the UK can learn from prisons there. Rishi Sunak's former chief whip, Simon Hart has just published his diaries spanning his fifteen years in the Commons - in which he saw five prime ministers, four general elections, and plenty of scandals. He discusses this era with The Spectator's Isabel Hardman.

28 min
15 FEB

15/02/2025

Pippa Crerar, the Political Editor of The Guardian, assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following President Trump's announcement of his plans for peace in Ukraine, Pippa brings together Lord West, the former Head of the Navy and Labour peer and Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army and a now crossbench peer to discuss what this means for Ukraine and Europe. This week, the government made numerous announcements on its housing policy, including its plans for the next generation of new towns. To discuss the Prime Minister's promises to build more homes, Pippa was joined by the chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Labour MP Florence Eshalomi and Conservative peer Lord Gavin Barwell, who is a former Housing Minister and was Downing Street Chief of Staff to Theresa May. To discuss the challenges that Reform UK poses for the government and the Conservative Party, Pippa is joined by Gawain Towler, Reform UK's former director of communications and Scarlett Maguire, director of the polling firm JL Partners. And, are political slogans such as 'Take Back Control', 'Fix the NHS' and 'Smash the Gangs' effective in delivering their messages? Pippa asks to political commentator and former Conservative government adviser Salma Shah and Jonathan Ashworth, the former shadow cabinet minister, now chief executive of Labour Together for their take.

28 min
8 FEB

08/02/2025

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster. How should the British government respond to Donald Trump? That question was again asked this week after the American President suggested the US could take over Gaza, removing Palestinian residents in order to redevelop the strip. Earlier in the week the President also threatened tariffs against allies such as Mexico, Canada and the EU. To discuss how the UK should navigate this tricky diplomatic terrain, Sonia speaks to Lord Darroch, former UK ambassador to the US, and Sir David Lidington, a former Conservative Cabinet minister and now chairman of the defence think tank RUSI. Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, gave a major speech on Monday setting out her vision for England's schools. It follows criticism of her Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is currently going through Parliament. To debate the reforms Sonia is joined by Mary Bousted, a former general secretary of the National Education Union and now a Labour peer, and Neil O'Brien, a Conservative MP and former minister. Is the UK becoming less cohesive? Sara Khan, the government's former independent adviser on social cohesion and resilience, explains why she thinks there is a risk to democracy from declining social cohesion. And, as a new book charting Keir Starmer's rise to power sends the Westminster gossip machine into overdrive, Sonia speaks to one of the co-authors, Gabriel Pogrund of The Sunday Times, and Labour peer, Ayesha Hazarika.

28 min
1 FEB

01/02/2025

Caroline Wheeler from The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following Rachel Reeves' speech setting out a series of major announcements on infrastructure projects, including backing plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, Caroline speaks to Labour MP, Josh Simons and crossbench peer, Richard Harrington, who chairs the manufacturers organisation Made UK about how to achieve growth in the UK economy. On the fifth anniversary of the UK’s official departure from the EU, the chair of the Foreign Affairs select committee Emily Thornberry and the former Conservative MP and leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt discuss the state of play in EU-UK relations. The Conservative peer, Charlotte Owen is campaigning to stop the rise of deep fake online pornography and she discusses this with Caroline and "Jodie", a victim of deep fake porn. And, the Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle explains the importance of marking Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in parliament.

28 min

4 Episodes

4.1

out of 5

216 Ratings

Usually excellent but Chris Hope is a terrible presenter

04/07/2020

David 240866

This is usually a must listen summary of the week. But Today’s presenter (4 July) Chris Hope was very stilted and poor.
The week in Westminster 25th February 2024

25/02/2024

mmmme111

I have just turned this off as the presenter, has interrupted every answer that has been given by her quests. This used to be the one political program that was worth listening to but over the last few weeks I have become very disillusioned.
More Steve Richards Please

12/06/2023

Lexie 77

This programme is at its best when presented by Steve Richards. His own podcasts are excellent too.
How few people do they want to listen?

07/11/2022

Wombat Aberdeen

This is very much an insiders clique programme, why are plebs listening? Tax payers not invited, and certainly don’t expect the government to be held to account. Ms. Quinn still hasn’t called them out on the 2010 Tory foundation lie that all the money was gone when they came to power; don’t expect them to be asked why they’ve blown up the economy! It’s strange that for 13 years the presenters have accepted that Gordon Brown was personally responsible for the credit crunch (don’t mention it was global), but all the damage the Tories have done is nothing to do with them. Quick blame anyone else, ooh it’s global, and kick the poor further down whilst showing the Tories maximum deference!