Political Fix

4.4 (117)
POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

The Financial Times takes you into the corridors of power to unwrap, analyse and debate British politics with a regular lineup of FT correspondents and informed commentators. New episodes available every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3D AGO

When the ‘special relationship’ isn’t so special

From ‘brilliant ally’ to ‘weak and stupid’ within the same paragraph, it’s hard to know how to handle the impulsive outbursts from America’s 47th President. And yet, this is the position in which the British prime minister found himself this week as he stood firm in the face of Donald Trump’s threats to Greenland. Some back channel diplomacy in Davos helped put US European relations back on an even keel but it’s clear the so-called ‘special relationship’ is under strain. So where does Keir Starmer turn now? Does he stick with the decades-old transatlantic alliance, does he push for more European integration, or does he look further afield to China? To discuss this and more, political editor George Parker is joined by Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher, columnist and writer of the ‘Inside Politics’ newsletter Stephen Bush, and the FT’s foreign editor Alec Russell. Follow: George on X @GeorgeWParker or Bluesky: @georgewparker.bsky.social, Lucy @LOS_Fisher or @lucyfisher.ft.com; Stephen: @stephenkb @stephenkb.bsky.social & Alec Russel on X:https://x.com/alecurussell Want more? UK ‘will not yield’ on Greenland, Keir Starmer warns Donald Trump Trump’s Davos rant should alarm Starmer ‘Thank you Tony’: Blair’s ‘Board of Peace’ role prompts Trump praise and Westminster anger Westminster ‘riding it out’ is not a strategy for UK-US relations Flatter or confront? How world leaders are dealing with Trump And sign up here for Stephen's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis. Get 30 days free Political Fix was presented by George Parker and produced by Clare Williamson. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Breen Turner. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio. Clip from Channel 4 What did you think of this episode? Let us know at: politicalfix@ft.com Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

35 min
JAN 16

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

First he was pushed and then he jumped: high drama at Westminster after Kemi Badenoch sacked her rival for the Tory leadership Robert Jenrick - his crime was plotting a defection to Reform UK. Hours later, Jenrick appeared at Nigel Farage's side, branding his former party "rotten". Did Badenoch’s decisive action help the Tory recovery plan? Which party is left weaker and which stronger in the fight for the right - could this, the most significant defection so far, further fuel Farage’s claim that the Conservative Party’s days are numbered? Deputy opinion editor Miranda Green hosts a discussion about the ‘psychodrama’ that has rocked Westminster this week with the FT’s deputy political editor Jim Pickard, columnist and writer of the ‘Inside Politics’ newsletter Stephen Bush, and FT’s chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley. Follow Miranda, Jim, Stephen & Robert Want more? Betrayal, plots and a mole who derailed Jenrick’s defection to Reform Robert Jenrick joins Reform UK after being sacked from Tory shadow cabinet Jenrick’s sacking is both threat and opportunity for Badenoch Lunch with the FT Robert Jenrick: ‘I’m unashamedly provincial in my attitudes’ Latest U-turn raises renewed questions over Keir Starmer’s judgment And sign up for Stephen's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis. Get 30 days free Political Fix was presented by Miranda Green, and produced by Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Breen Turner. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio. Clips from BBC, X What did you think of this episode? Let us know at: politicalfix@ft.com Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

35 min
JAN 9

Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, he has found himself firefighting on the international front, trying to navigate Donald Trump’s foreign policy frenzy. How will Starmer manage his ‘special relationship’ with the US president in light of recent events? Where do Trump’s latest actions leave Nato, especially with regard to Ukraine? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader’s agenda at home? Host George Parker discusses the balancing act facing the government with the FT’s deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and acting Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard. Follow George, Miranda, Robert & David Want more? Strategic supplication is Europe’s only Trump policy France and UK commit to deploying troops under proposed Ukraine peace deal UK armed forces warn of £28bn defence funding shortfall Greenland’s future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns Trump ‘Not in my name’: Labour’s new towns battle And sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis. Get 30 days free. Political Fix was presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Simon Panayi. Manuela Saragosa is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Clip from UK Parliament Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

34 min
JAN 2

Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

Imagine a graph with one line going up over time. Below it, another line does just the opposite. It kind of looks like the letter K. On the FT's Swamp Notes podcast, Claire Jones and Rob Armstrong break down why people are saying that letter represents the state of the economy and what it means for the White House. Mentioned in this podcast: Does the K-shaped economy theory even make sense? Email Marc with your questions (Marc.Filippino@FT.com) Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here This is a repeat of an episode published on Swamp Notes, a sister podcast of Political Fix, on Nov. 28, 2025. Follow the Swamp Notes podcast to hear more. Swamp Notes is hosted by Marc Filippino, and produced by Henry Larson. This week’s show was mixed by Sam Giovinco. The FT’s acting co- head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson. The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts. CREDIT: Bloomberg, PBS, CNN Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 min
12/19/2025

Quizmas special: Political Fix’s 2025 nerd-out!

Can you name all the Labour frontbenchers who resigned or were sacked during the past year? Why was Peter Mandelson delayed from returning to the UK after being sacked as US ambassador? And who will be crowned Political Fix’s Wonk-in-Chief? Find out as host George Parker puts the entire podcast panel - Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, Robert Shrimsley, Jim Pickard and Anna Gross - through their paces in this big, fat, fiendishly difficult end-of-year quiz. The panellists also highlight their most memorable moment of 2025 and unveil their wildest predictions for the year ahead. Plus, discover who scooped all the chocolate coins in the studio to win the annual Political Fix stockpicks portfolio prize. Political Fix has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award at the Political Podcast Awards. Vote for us here. Follow the panel on Bluesky - George @georgewparker.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social and Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social Political Fix is presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. Our video engineers are Bianca Wakeman and Andrew Georgiades. What did you think of this episode and Political Fix this year? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

50 min
12/12/2025

Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review

It’s been another turbulent year in politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced down rebellions from within his own party, overseen scandals and sackings, and delivered a constant barrage of bad news from health and housing to small boats and the Budget. He’s fared a little better on the world stage – with successful state visits, securing a comparatively competitive trade deal with Trump, as well as a tentative rapprochement with Europe. But with every international success, Starmer’s standing domestically seems to diminish: he ends the year, on some measures, as the most unpopular PM ever. In this special live episode of Political Fix, host George Parker is joined by Anna Gross, Stephen Bush and Chris Giles to analyse how the Labour party got here – and where it goes next. Follow George on @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen on @stephenkb.bsky.social; and Chris on @chrisgiles.ft.com Political Fix has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award at the Political Podcast Awards. Vote for us here. Want more? Free links: Return to EU customs union would ‘unravel’ UK trade deals, Starmer warns Inside Politics: Neither Keir Starmer nor Kemi Badenoch wants to reverse Brexit Nigel Farage rejects allegations of teenage racist abuse Wes Streeting calls for better ‘storytelling’ from Starmer’s ‘technocratic’ government Chris Giles: Why UK borrowing costs are so high George and Anna’s FT scoop on Labour’s tax U-turn Sign up to Stephen's morning newsletter Inside Politics here, and to Chris’ newsletter on Central Banks here. Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. Our broadcast engineers this week were Bianca Wakeman, Petros Gioumpasis and Andrew Georgiades. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38 min
12/05/2025

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Sir Keir Starmer started the week with not one but two speeches defending his party’s Budget decisions in the wake of claims that chancellor Rachel Reeves had misled the public and fellow MPs about the state of the nation’s finances. Was his sell convincing? The prime minister also brought up Brexit, but as panellist Robert Shrimsley points out, Starmer was characteristically unclear as to whether the Labour party was ultimately leaning into or out of the EU. Plus, host George Parker and the rest of the panel, Miranda Green and Jim Pickard, discuss the FT report that Nigel Farage told Reform UK donors he expects his party to do some sort of deal with the Tories in the run-up to the next general election — potentially helped by the single biggest donation any UK political party has had from a living donor. Follow on Bluesky: George, Miranda, Jim, Robert Want more? Free links: Farage tells donors he expects Reform UK will do an election deal with the Tories Head of UK fiscal watchdog quits after Budget leak UK government orders review into rising diagnoses of mental health conditions Janan Ganesh: The rise of unpopular populism UK envoy to Moscow enters race to be next ambassador Political Fix will go live next week on 10 December at 1.15pm. If you don’t want to wait for it to drop in this feed on Friday, register here. Sign up to Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter. Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer. For details about the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, read more about it here or click here and to donate, click here. Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa. What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

40 min
12/01/2025

Bonus: What does the 2025 Budget mean for your money?

It’s been a rollercoaster week for both UK politics and our personal finances, with chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out tens of billions of pounds of tax rises in the Budget. But how will these new taxes be applied and what could they cost you? In a Money Clinic podcast recorded live at the FT, host and consumer editor Claer Barrett is joined by Dan Neidle, the founder of Tax Policy Associates; Stuart Kirk, the FT’s investment columnist; and Tej Parikh, the FT’s economics leader writer, to field questions from readers and listeners. They cover everything from what the Budget means for people investing in UK markets, the new rules on pensions and salary sacrifice, how to stay under the £100,000 threshold for childcare support and much more. To find out how much the five-year freeze to tax thresholds could cost you, find a free link to the FT’s Budget stealth tax calculator here Claer’s Budget column: A horrid Budget for ‘Henrys’ Salary sacrifice shake-up: what it means for staff and employers Follow Claer on social media @Claerb This episode was made available with thanks to FLIC, the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign. For details about the campaign, read more about it here or click here and to donate, click here. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

54 min

See All (572)

Lucy Fisher

Host
Sebastian Payne

Host
Jim Pickard

Guest
Stephen Bush

Guest
Robert Shrimsley

Guest
Sam Fleming

Guest
Katie Martin

Guest
Claer Barrett

Guest
Stuart Kirk

Guest
Tej Parikh

Guest

4.4

out of 5

117 Ratings

More diversity please!

05/16/2021

Stauffhb

Love the insight provided, would love more diverse guests (not just better gender balance, but more commentors from different cultural backgrounds). The host and weekly commentators are almost always middle class white people, and normally at least 75% male. Surely the FT has a deeper and more diverse bench of talent to pull from?
Best of political analysis

07/01/2023

nick van praag

Lucy does a great job of pulling together the weekly wisdom of the FT’s UK politics team. She brings great energy to the anchor’s role.
Interesting

06/24/2023

capecodtad

Great information about British politics. Helps an American understand what is going on in Britain.
Love rebranded show!

03/29/2023

vgrady

The whole vibe on this podcast has improved with a new host that isn’t a young conservative cheerleader.

The Financial Times takes you into the corridors of power to unwrap, analyse and debate British politics with a regular lineup of FT correspondents and informed commentators. New episodes available every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.