Danny's away, so Sally, Polly and Hugo are joined by former cabinet minister and politest man in politics, Michael Gove. What did he learn about Donald Trump's 'man cave' when he interviewed him the first time round?

And, Keir Starmer wants to tackle what he calls the 'flabby state' - Is that the same as the 'blob', and can you reform Whitehall without going to war with it?

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10 Downing Street is a rabbit warren of offices in a Georgian townhouse, and the centre of power in Britain. But how much control does it really exert over the rest of government, does it matter who has what job, and should we turn the whole thing into a museum?

The political masterminds discuss how number 10 really works, and Polly explains why her husband thinks Canada is worse than North Korea.

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Rachel Reeves doesn't want to use the word 'austerity', but has she found a narrative to help explain her cuts to welfare and government spending? Why was 'fixing the roof when the sun is shining' such an effective message for David Cameron and George Osborne? And which of Danny's three types of strategy will Labour adopt at the next General Election?

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Which party has the most to lose in the Runcorn & Helsby by-election? The political masterminds make their predictions, and discuss what's at stake for Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.

And as Sally reveals she's replaced her Tesla, do boycotts make any difference?

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As the row between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe threatens the success of Reform UK, how do you stop the big beasts in a political party from falling out? Is it ever just about policy, or always more about personality?

We also discuss giving geography lessons to politicians, and Polly gets cross about more empty words about the welfare state.

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With Keir Starmer focused on diplomacy over Ukraine, the political masterminds ask if the domestic agenda always has to suffer during major world events. When does a foreign conflict turn into a 'Falklands moment', and when does a leader get criticised for spending too much time globe-trotting?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo also ask how to stop a minister resigning - or how to let them do it at an advantageous moment.

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We're welcoming a new political mastermind to the podcast this week - Sally Morgan has been a Labour insider since the days of Neil Kinnock and went on to be Tony Blair's right-hand woman in Downing Street, at his side for some of the biggest moments in recent political history.

She joins Polly, Danny and Hugo to discuss leaders who can tell jokes and those who can't, Liz Truss calling Britain a failed state, and whether anyone knows how to save the transatlantic relationship.

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How To Win An Election is moving to every Thursday, starting this Thursday, February 27th - when we'll be announcing a new political mastermind.

In the meantime, here's an episode from our colleagues at The Story.

Lord Maurice Glasman was the only Labour politician to be invited to Trump’s inauguration after striking up a friendship with JD Vance. So who is he and why is his 'Blue Labour' movement seen by Starmer's inner circle as the medicine to tackle the rise of Reform?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Patrick Maguire, Political Columnist, The Times and author of Get In:The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Further reading: To take on the right, will Labour go blue?

Clips: GB News, NBC, PBS, UnHerd, Together, ABC Australia, The Guardian.

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What's the role of an adviser at the top level of politics, and does it always involve swearing?

John McTernan, who has worked for prime ministers in the UK and Australia, joins the political masterminds to discuss the highs and the lows of the job. And after Kemi Badenoch speaks at a gathering of right-of-centre thinkers in London, what have we learned about her brand of Conservatism?

Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: [email protected]

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Nigel Farage's former adviser Gawain Towler joins the political masterminds to discuss how to be an insurgent force in politics. They look back at how UKIP finally made a break-through at Westminster and forced David Cameron into offering the EU referendum.

If you have a message for Hugo, Polly or Danny send it to [email protected].

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