Hidden Wiring: UK Politics Explained

Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how British government actually works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power that most people never see: from cabinet reshuffles and ministerial appointments to Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, and the protocol between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn't commentary on the weekly news stories. It's a clear explanation of how power is actually exercised in Britain, from two people who have operated at the heart of Westminster from both the political and civil service side. NEW: Leadership Succession Series - With the UK experiencing yet another change of Prime Minister, Hidden Wiring launches with a special miniseries explaining what really happens behind closed doors during a leadership transition. From how a new Prime Minister forms their government and picks their cabinet, to what happens inside Downing Street during the handover, the role of the King, and whether a new leader has to follow the old manifesto. If you've ever wondered how a UK Prime Minister actually takes power, this is the series for you.   Get answers to the questions rarely answered by politicians. A true insight into how UK politics works, explained clearly for anyone who wants to understand the British political system. Hidden Wiring is presented by Sir Robert Buckland KC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Dr Alun Evans CBE, a senior civil servant for over twenty years, as they take apart one piece of the British state per episode and explain how it really operates.   Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, as Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019, and as Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. He was the Conservative MP for South Swindon from 2010 to 2024 and is a practising barrister, bringing three decades of experience of how law, ministers and Parliament actually interact, from the inside. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.   Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. Drawing on two complementary perspectives, the hosts examine the dynamics of government through a simple but powerful lens: how politics is designed to work, and how it works in practice. Whether you're politically curious, a student of British politics, or someone who just wants UK politics explained without the shouting, Hidden Wiring is your guide to understanding Westminster.   Episode topics include: Leadership Succession: what actually happens when a UK Prime Minister is replaced, how a new government is formed, and the hidden process behind every transition of power. Political Reshuffles: what really happens when a prime minister rewires their government, who is consulted, and why the timing is never an accident. "No.10 of the North": what moving the centre of government out of London would actually involve, and whether it would change anything. UK Cabinet Explained: how the most famous meeting in British politics works, what gets decided in it, and what gets decided long before it. The Logistics of Government: the cars, the boxes, the private offices and the machinery that keeps ministers functioning day to day. Governmental Appointments: how the people who run Britain's institutions are chosen, and where the patronage still sits. UK Budget and the Treasury: how spending decisions are really made, and why the Treasury usually wins. The Role of the King: what the Palace actually does during a government transiti