Commons People

Keir Starmer is on the ropes, Wes Streeting has walked out, and Andy Burnham is making his play for the crown. This week on HuffPost UK's Commons People, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson break down the massive stakes of the Makerfield by-election. With Reform UK surging and Labour HQ described as "a morgue on a spaceship hurtling towards destruction," can the King of the North secure his ticket back to Westminster, or is the party heading for a total smash-up?

Timecodes

00:00 – Introduction.

00:35 – Westminster recap: how did we get here and why does the by-election matter?

01:30 – Why did Wes Streeting resign as Health Secretary (and what's his next move)?

03:40 – When will the Makerfield by-election take place?

04:00 – Who is Andy Burnham and what is his political background?

07:46 – How is Reform UK threatening Labour in the local wards?

08:40 – Why has the Brexit debate returned to haunt Andy Burnham?

09:21 – What do the campaign videos reveal about Andy Burnham and Robert Kenyon?

12:40 – Why did Andy Burnham fail in his previous leadership bids?

15:50 – Who is Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon?

16:40 – What did Robert Kenyon's deleted social media history reveal?

19:40 – How did Hannah Spencer influence the focus on trade candidates?

21:44 – What will happen if Andy Burnham wins the by-election?

24:17 – Who are the other potential contenders to replace Keir Starmer?

26:32 – What is the nightmare scenario for Labour if Andy Burnham loses?

27:55 – How is Labour feeling while we wait for the by-election?

32:26 – Bluffer's Guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds and Paula Barker clip sourced from BBC via @treesey/X. Producer: Dayna McAlpine

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Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we analyse what's really going on in Downing Street this week as Keir Starmer's Government – and the Labour party at large – deal with the fallout of last week's elections.

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00:00 – Introduction.

01:40 – What happened to Labour at the 2026 Local Elections?

05:16 – Who wants Starmer to go and how does Labour get rid of its leaders?

13:51 – What's the difference between the Cabinet and other Members of Parliament?

14:20 – Catherine West's “stalking horse” campaign and Keir Starmer's make-or-break speech.

20:50 – Why isn't Starmer going?

23:48 – Wes Streeting's next move.

29:05 – What are Andy Burnham's chances?

33:46 – Will Ed Miliband throw his hat into the ring?

38:12 – A practical explanation of the Labour party spectrum of ideology.

39:40 – What will happen next?

45:13 – Bluffers Guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds and Paula Barker clip sourced from BBC via @treesey/X. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we discuss the probable outcome of the 7 May Local Elections, and whether the predicted devastation for Labour across the country will spell the end of Keir Starmer's leadership.

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00:00 – Introduction and the downfall of Labour under Keir Starmer's rule.

08:20 – How would Keir Starmer be gotten rid off, and who would be replace him?

12:54 – Would Ed Miliband step up again?

15:08 – Is Shabana Mahmood up for being Labour Leader?

15:37 – How about Yvette Cooper or John Healey?

17:57 – Will anybody stand by Starmer?

21:40 – Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner are the frontrunners to replace Starmer.

30:32 – What will happen after the Local Elections results come in?

44:04 – Bluffers Guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we discuss the origin of the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States and whether Donald Trump has essentially killed it off.

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00:00 – Introduction.

01:29 – Where does the term "special relationship" come from?

03:40 – How have Keir Starmer and Trump contributed to changing the special relationship?

11:50 – King Charles state visit latest.

18:32 – Selections from King Charles's Congress speech.

20:28 – How did Trump break royal protocol?

23:42 – UK-US ambassador's comments on America's "special relationship" with Israel.

26:42 – Peter Mandelson scandal latest.

31:14 – What will happen after King Charles state is done?

39:21 – Bluffers guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds and King Charles clips were sourced from Associated Press via YouTube. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we discuss the latest developments in the headline-making Peter Mandelson scandal, and whether Keir Starmer's recent conduct towards the civil service – and his past mistakes – are enough to see his premiership crumble.

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00:00 – Introduction.

01:17 – Who is Peter Mandelson and what's his connection with Jeffrey Epstein?

08:24 – Why did Mandelson get a job if he had failed security vetting?

13:08 – How did Keir Starmer respond?

16:27 – How did senior civil servant Olly Robbins answer to being blamed for getting Mandelson in post?

19:40 – Does former ambassador Karen Pierce not continuing in her role suggest Starmer is running a boys' club?

21:45 – How the Mandelson saga has undermined Keir Starmer's rule-abiding reputation.

23:12 – Why did Starmer take such a gamble on appointing Mandelson?

26:20 – What's next for Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and who would replace him?

36:35 – Morgan McSweeney to give testimony to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

39:00 – Taxpayers will probably fund a large payout for Olly Robbins.

40:00 – How will the Government and the civil service continue working together?

41:30 – Bluffer's Guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. This week, Kevin and Kate discuss why Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are keen to develop closer ties with the EU, and what that means in the context of Brexit.

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00:00 – Introduction

02:29 – Brexit explained (for those who have forgotten!)

04:43 – the King's speech, Trump and why Starmer would want to align more closely with the EU.

09:20 – how do British people feel about the EU?

13:50 – what are the main political parties thinking?

17:14 – British holidaymakers stranded at passport control.

18:17 – MPs are angry at not getting a vote.

21:19 – Steve Reed (Community Secretary) on an EU re-alignment.

23:27 – What will happen next?

28:16 – Bluffer's Guide and end.

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. This week, Kevin and Kate are back together to ask whether Donald Trump’s war in Iran is really over after a two-week ceasefire was agreed to on Tuesday.

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00:00 – Introduction

04:44 – Did Trump meet any of his military objectives?

08:14 – The significance of the Strait of Hormuz

12:52 – Iran's 10-point proposal

18:02 – Trump's strained international relations (including with NATO)

21:56 – Keir Starmer and King Charles's relationship with Trump and Trump's comments on UK armed forces

25:13 – Can Iran build a nuclear bomb?

29:05 – Keir Starmer's visit to the Middle East

32:53 – The economic consequences of the war

37:33 – Bluffer's guide and end

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, Kate is joined by special guest Millie Cooke – political correspondent for The Independent – to discuss whether Parliament is doing enough to tackle misogyny and the rise of the manosphere.

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00:00 – Introduction

05:00 – Sarah Everard and the impact of her death on society

06:54 – Is there a pattern of sexist briefings against female cabinet ministers going on?

09:42 – Is Keir Starmer's Government a "boy's club"?

14:37 – What is it like being a female journalist in politics today.

19:40 – What do "Adolescence" and "Inside The Manosphere" have to do with things?

23:05 – Reform's Matt Goodwin and Danny Kruger's anti-women policies

25:47 – What does the future hold – a female first secretary of state

28:26 – What does the future hold – the male MP response

30:25 – How do we make sure women are heard more?

33:04 – Are female political correspondents outliers in Westminster?

35:06 – Should there be a Minister for Men?

36:59 – Bluffer's Guide and end

You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we're discussing the May local elections and weighing up the chances of all the main parties including Labour, Green, Conservative, Reform and the Lib Dems, as well as the SNP and Plaid Cymru in Scotland and Wales, respectively.

Timecodes

00:00 – Introduction

01:01 – When are the local elections and why are they important?

03:31 – What are Labour's chances in the local elections?

04:48 – How will the Tories fare?

06:09 – Will Reform’s success at the polls be reflected in the elections?

09:17 – Will the Greens continue with their success?

11:22 – How will the Lib Dems affect things?

13:44 – Will wins for the SNP and Plaid Cymru signify the end of United Kingdom?

16:43 – Are we looking at the end of the two-party system in the UK?

19:28 – Will there be a Labour leadership contest after 7 May?

25:33 – What does all the mean for the cost of living crisis?

26:37 – Bluffer’s guide

You can watch full episodes on YouTube @HuffPost-UK and follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. For our returning episode, and our first in four and half years, we're talking about one of the most important subjects in UK politics right now – the Iran war. Join Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson as they dive deep into how the war is having a knock-on effect on the UK’s cost of living already, how it's impacting the UK-US special relationship and whether it's also reshaping other international alliances and existing wars, like Ukraine.

Timecodes

00:00 – Introduction

04:11 – How did we get here?

10:08 – What does the Strait of Hormuz have to do with things?

13:37 – Trump and NATO

17:36 – Will the Gulf countries become more pro-Ukraine?

21:32 – Will the King's state visit go ahead?

23:30 – The knock-on effect on the UK cost of living

26:47 – How long is the war going to last?

30:57 – Will any countries join the war?

35:02 – Bluffer's guide

36:30 – Outro

You can watch full episodes on YouTube @HuffPost-UK. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.