The Week in Westminster

08/02/2025


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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.

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