Political Fix

By Financial Times

What's Political Fix about?

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.

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Political Fix episodes:

04.12.2024
The great stink of England’s sewage crisis
The raw sewage being pumped into rivers and seas in England has become a seismic election issue. The musician turned environmentalist Feargal Sharkey joins the FT’s Lucy Fisher, George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to assess how we got here, while...
04.03.2024
Tory ‘red wall’ seats under threat
Many ‘red wall’ constituencies across northern England, the Midlands and north Wales switched from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2019 general election partly thanks to then prime minister Boris Johnson’s energetic pledge to revitalise struggling communities outside the south-east....
03.28.2024
Britain’s China conundrum
The government is preparing a crackdown on Chinese entities operating in the UK, following malicious cyber campaigns linked to Beijing. But there are tensions among ministers over how to protect the UK’s national interests without heavily damaging trade with China....
03.22.2024
Will the economy save Sunak?
The prime minister is urging his MPs to unite or face electoral defeat. Rishi Sunak has rallied backbenchers to hold their nerve, as he cleaves to the prospect of an improving economy rescuing the Tory party’s fortunes. But in a...
03.15.2024
Who’s an extremist in the UK?
The UK government is redefining extremism. But there are warnings that the new guidance could curb free speech and ensnare legitimate organisations. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Robert Shrimsley and Stephen Bush to discuss the pushback from multiple...
03.08.2024
Jeremy Hunt: tax-cutting wizard or fiscal drag queen?
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s overriding message in his big pre-election Budget was that hard economic choices were paying off in the form of tumbling inflation, improved growth and the promise of more cuts to personal taxes. But his Budget also promises...
03.01.2024
Labour’s worst nightmare?
Veteran agitator George Galloway is returning to parliament after storming a divisive by-election in Rochdale. He claims his victory puts “scores” of other Labour seats at risk. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Jim...
02.23.2024
Why would anyone want to become an MP?
The chaos in parliament over the vote on a Gaza ceasefire motion has segued into a debate on the threats facing MPs – and the lengths deemed appropriate to safeguard against them. A tumultuous week in politics leaves the fate of the...
02.17.2024
Tories reel from by-election blows
The Conservatives suffer a double blow, losing two safe seats to Labour, amid growing signs that Rishi Sunak’s party is losing votes to the populist Reform UK party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by political editor George Parker and...
02.09.2024
Will Labour’s green U-turn weaken Starmer?
Keir Starmer dismantles Labour’s flagship pledge, shredding the party’s £28bn green investment plan. The FT’s Jim Pickard joins Miranda Green and chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley to assess the damage to Labour after weeks of confusion over the policy. And...
02.05.2024
Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing
If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers. Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll...
02.02.2024
Who still votes Conservative?
The Conservatives are languishing in the polls, while Labour is riding high – but beneath the headline figures, how does the voter appeal of the main parties break down by sex, age and other factors? The FT’s Lucy Fisher is...
01.26.2024
Who’s behind the Tory plots?
The FT’s Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to lift the veil on the Tory party plots against the prime minister. As rightwingers prepare to launch the new Popular Conservatives (PopCons) group...
01.22.2024
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana....
01.19.2024
Destination Rwanda?
The government’s plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda has overcome a series of hurdles in the House of Commons, but how will it fare in the Lords? FT columnists Miranda Green and Stephen Bush are with Lucy Fisher to...
01.12.2024
The Post Office scandal: who foots the bill?
Who should foot the bill – both financial and political – for the Post Office scandal? Hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of theft and false accounting on the basis of faulty data now face pay-outs and exoneration. Lucy...
01.05.2024
2024: a testing year for democracy
The next 12 months will be an epic year for democracy. Half the world’s population will have the chance to vote. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s editor Roula Khalaf and chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman to give...
12.28.2023
Political Fix presents: How to survive the office Christmas party
While Lucy Fisher and the Political Fix team take a break over the Christmas period, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick. Here’s what it’s about: It's the work Christmas party season: you're...
12.20.2023
‘Stop doing stupid things’: Martin Wolf on the UK
As the year draws to a close, Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush to consider where British politics goes next. What challenges await Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in January, and what...
12.15.2023
Tory turmoil: Sunak stumbles towards end of year
As politicians and political hacks limp towards the end of a long year in Westminster, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to assess the turmoil engulfing Sunak’s Tory party. The PM has won an...
12.08.2023
Rwanda plan reignites Tory civil war
Infighting has erupted once again within the Tory ranks over Rishi Sunak’s last-minute treaty with Kigali and emergency legislation to save his Rwanda removals plan. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Jim Pickard to explain...
12.01.2023
Rishi Sunak’s big fat Greek row
Was it a huge fit of pique or a genuine desire to protect the Elgin Marbles that prompted Rishi Sunak to cancel his date with the Greek prime minister? Lucy Fisher unpicks the row with the help of the FT’s...
11.22.2023
Autumn Statement Reaction
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt put a £20bn tax giveaway at the heart of his Autumn Statement. But will it be enough to win back disenchanted Tory voters? Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s consumer editor Claer Barrett and economics...
11.17.2023
Rebellions, reshuffles and Cameron’s return
What a turbulent week in politics: home secretary Suella Braverman sacked, the government’s flagship Rwanda policy deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court and a major Labour rebellion. Not to mention the return of David Cameron. Lucy Fisher is joined by...
11.10.2023
What’s Suella Braverman’s game plan?
Suella Braverman’s tirade against the Metropolitan Police’s handling of pro-Palestinan marches has divided opinion among her Tory colleagues. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT columnists Miranda Green and Robert Shrimsley to discuss the fallout from the home secretary’s article in...
11.03.2023
The Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk show
Rishi Sunak played the part of chat show host with tech leader Elon Musk this week, after hosting an AI summit at Bletchley Park. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Stephen Bush and Anna Gross, who was reporting from...
10.27.2023
Labour’s week of woes
As Rishi Sunak celebrates his first year in office, the FT’s Lucy Fisher asks whether he has succeeded in steadying the Tory ship, while the FT’s Miranda Green and George Parker mark his scorecard. The Political Fix team also examines...
10.20.2023
Labour’s historic by-election wins
The UK's Labour party has pulled off two stunning by-election victories. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green, Jim Pickard and Stephen Bush to discuss whether Keir Starmer’s party is now on track for a 1997-style landslide,...
10.13.2023
Israel-Hamas war overshadows Labour conference
Keir Starmer eschewed flashy policy vows at Labour’s annual conference, but did his promise of stability and certainty cut through? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Stephen Bush and deputy political editor Jim Pickard to reflect...
10.05.2023
Rishi Sunak’s ‘questionable radicalism’
Rishi Sunak is pitching himself as the change candidate at the next election with a raft of policy shake-ups - but does the substance match the rhetoric? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Robert Shrimsley and...
09.29.2023
Sunak and Starmer flip-flop on policies
As the Tories waver over major elements of HS2 and Labour is forced to clarify its policy on private schools, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to assess the political damage. And with the...
09.22.2023
Is Rishi Sunak’s net zero U-turn a vote-winner?
Rishi Sunak sparked a fierce backlash from eco-minded Tories, as well as fury from industry, over his rowback on net zero policies. But will his gamble pay off with voters? Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Robert Shrimsley and...
09.15.2023
Keir Starmer's small boats gamble
The Labour leader Keir Starmer is attempting to seize the initiative on dealing with clandestine immigration. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to examine his plan to strike a returns deal with the EU....
09.07.2023
The weight of the UK’s concrete crisis
As hundreds of schoolchildren are forced out of their classrooms by unsafe buildings, the FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and columnist Stephen Bush to discuss the government’s handling of the crumbling concrete...
09.05.2023
Political Fix special: Live at the FT Weekend Festival
FT Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher hosts a panel of Michael Gove, secretary of state for levelling up, FT deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and Stephen Bush, FT columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter. They discuss government policy on...
09.01.2023
PM rewards loyalists in mini-shuffle
Rishi Sunak has prepared for the new political term with a mini-shuffle, promoting his closest political ally Claire Coutinho to energy secretary and Grant Shapps to defence secretary. What do the limited changes say about the PM’s grip on his...
08.25.2023
Could a reshuffle revitalise Sunak’s government?
It’s almost time to wave goodbye to the summer, but is Rishi Sunak also poised to bid farewell to some of his ministers? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Stephen Bush and political editor George Parker...
08.18.2023
Britain’s intergenerational unfairness: reality or myth?
It’s been a week of results: economic data that lays the path for a steep rise in the state pension, followed by A-Level results that saw tens of thousands of pupils miss out on top grades. Is it a good...
08.11.2023
The Tories’ battle over asylum seekers
After months of delay and safety concerns, the first asylum seekers were marched up the gangplank of the Bibby Stockholm barge this week. If they don’t like the vessel, they can ‘f*** off back to France’, was the eyebrow-raising verdict of...
08.03.2023
Rishi Sunak’s dash for oil and gas
Rishi Sunak calculates that by portraying himself as “on the side” of motorists and adopting a “pragmatic and proportionate” approach to climate change, he’s aligning himself with the views of middle Britain. Is he right? The FT’s Lucy Fisher weighs...
07.28.2023
The end of the green consensus?
Rishi Sunak has signalled he plans to soften his eco policies to avoid heaping extra “hassle” and expense on the British public. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Robert Shrimsley and deputy political editor Jim Pickard to...
07.21.2023
By-elections special: Tories face double blow, but avoid 3-0 drubbing
The Conservatives faced a rout in both Selby and Somerton, but is their narrow win in Uxbridge enough to lift the party’s mood? Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s political editor George Parker and columnists Miranda Green and Stephen...
07.14.2023
Are the Tories stuck in a 'doom loop'?
Miranda Green is joined by FT columnists Stephen Bush and Robert Shrimsley to ask whether there’s any way out of the economic and political "doom loop" afflicting Rishi Sunak’s government. Plus, the FT’s political editor George Parker discusses UK chancellor...
07.07.2023
Keir Starmer’s bid to smash the class ceiling
As Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer sketches out his vision for education, the FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnists Stephen Bush and Robert Shrimsley to discuss how to boost vocational training. Plus, the NHS reaches 75 -...
06.30.2023
The crisis facing the UK water industry
Pressure is growing on the UK’s water sector, as swelling debt threatens to overwhelm Thames Water and other companies. What is the remedy for the country’s sewage and water woes? Lucy Fisher discusses the options with the FT’s infrastructure correspondent...
06.23.2023
Inflation pain: who will UK voters blame?
Soaring interest rates are alarming mortgage holders and could derail the UK government’s strategy for re-election. This week Lucy Fisher is joined by regular FT panellists Stephen Bush and George Parker to assess the political fallout from the latest rate...
06.16.2023
The damning verdict on Boris Johnson
The blistering report into Boris Johnson’s behaviour by the House of Commons privileges committee casts doubt over his political future. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by FT columnists Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to discuss the committee’s...
06.09.2023
Rishi Sunak and the 'real good' special relationship
Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have agreed a new ‘Atlantic declaration’ to improve UK trade ties with the US. What does it tell us about the bilateral relationship now? Lucy Fisher is joined by FT columnist Miranda Green and UK...
06.02.2023
The Boris Johnson WhatsApp psychodrama
Rishi Sunak’s government is heading to court to challenge the Covid inquiry’s right to demand ministers’ unredacted messages, following a row over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Miranda Green and UK...
05.26.2023
Rishi Sunak’s immigration conundrum
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said net migration is too high following data showing that it hit a record last year, but he insists it’s not out of control. The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher digs into the political debate...

What's Political Fix about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Political Fix episodes:

The great stink of England’s sewage crisis

Tory ‘red wall’ seats under threat

Britain’s China conundrum

Will the economy save Sunak?

Who’s an extremist in the UK?

Jeremy Hunt: tax-cutting wizard or fiscal drag queen?

Labour’s worst nightmare?

Why would anyone want to become an MP?

Tories reel from by-election blows

Will Labour’s green U-turn weaken Starmer?

Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing

Who still votes Conservative?

Who’s behind the Tory plots?

Introducing Untold: The Retreat

Destination Rwanda?

The Post Office scandal: who foots the bill?

2024: a testing year for democracy

Political Fix presents: How to survive the office Christmas party

‘Stop doing stupid things’: Martin Wolf on the UK

Tory turmoil: Sunak stumbles towards end of year

Rwanda plan reignites Tory civil war

Rishi Sunak’s big fat Greek row

Autumn Statement Reaction

Rebellions, reshuffles and Cameron’s return

What’s Suella Braverman’s game plan?

The Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk show

Labour’s week of woes

Labour’s historic by-election wins

Israel-Hamas war overshadows Labour conference

Rishi Sunak’s ‘questionable radicalism’

Sunak and Starmer flip-flop on policies

Is Rishi Sunak’s net zero U-turn a vote-winner?

Keir Starmer's small boats gamble

The weight of the UK’s concrete crisis

Political Fix special: Live at the FT Weekend Festival

PM rewards loyalists in mini-shuffle

Could a reshuffle revitalise Sunak’s government?

Britain’s intergenerational unfairness: reality or myth?

The Tories’ battle over asylum seekers

Rishi Sunak’s dash for oil and gas

The end of the green consensus?

By-elections special: Tories face double blow, but avoid 3-0 drubbing

Are the Tories stuck in a 'doom loop'?

Keir Starmer’s bid to smash the class ceiling

The crisis facing the UK water industry

Inflation pain: who will UK voters blame?

The damning verdict on Boris Johnson

Rishi Sunak and the 'real good' special relationship

The Boris Johnson WhatsApp psychodrama

Rishi Sunak’s immigration conundrum