The political masterminds (and Hugo) say farewell to Peter before he heads to Washington as the UK's ambassador to the United States. Has he packed his wellies, and could there be another comeback around the corner?

Danny, Polly and Hugo also discuss who should replace him, and with local elections in England on the way - who will win the battle for control of the right of politics?

Send your messages to [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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Peter, Polly and Danny are answering your questions this week. When has politics ruined their Christmas - or in Polly's case, a hen do? Will there be a realignment on the left to threaten Keir Starmer? Why did Jo Swinson help Boris Johnson into Downing Street? And should politicians risk a holiday?

Send your messages to the political masterminds (and Hugo) at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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Nigel Farage's Reform UK is on a roll, but can the political masterminds see a time when he breaks the traditional two-party system? How would they advise Labour and the Tories to deal with the threat - and how would they advise Farage?

They also look back to Ed Miliband's decision not to back air strikes against Syria in 2013, and Peter remembers a three-hour meeting with the country's dictator Bashar al-Assad soon after he took power.

Send your messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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The prime minister wants to blame the last government for leaving the economy in a mess, just like David Cameron did in 2010 - but is the strategy working, and for how long?

The political masterminds - and Hugo - discuss the whether voters will reward Starmer for being sensible, whether he should be more like Harold Wilson, and whether any Western government can get to grips with migration.

Send your messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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Peter, Polly and Danny explain what goes on inside 10 Downing Street - and the Leader of the Opposition's office - in the days and hours before Prime Minister's Questions. Why is it often the only way a PM can find out what's going on in their own government, and does Kemi Badenoch have a strategy yet?

How much politics is involved in the free vote on assisted dying, and why doesn't Danny own a pair of Wellington boots?

Send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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How should Keir Starmer cope with criticism from the world's richest man (and Trump adviser) Elon Musk - ignore him, or try to build bridges through mutual friends?

And how worried should the government be as farmers protest over changes to inheritance tax? The political masterminds, and Hugo, look at the parallels with protests during the Blair years.

Send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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When you've lost an election, how do you work out what went wrong - and do you always have to blame the leader? The political masterminds (and Hugo Rifkind) look at what went wrong for Kamala Harris, and bicker (a little bit) over the Brexit referendum.

And, what does Peter have to say about speculation he could be the next UK ambassador to the US?

Send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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The political masterminds are joined by Chatham House's Dr Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss the state of American democracy, the gender gap between US voters, and the chances of violence in the wake of the presidential election.

Does Kemi Badenoch know which voters she'll be pursuing at the next election? And will increasing tuition fees damage Keir Starmer?

You can send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly or Danny at at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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The budget is at last upon us, and political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Hugo Rifkind to discuss how to manage such a crucial political and economic event.

They also discuss the perils of political rallies, where Labour's obsession with 'working people' comes from, and why liberals love Diet Coke.

If you've got a message, voice note or a cover version of the theme tune you can contact the political masterminds (and Hugo) at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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

We're answering your questions on the podcast this week, including - was it easier to manage the news agenda in the Blair and Cameron years? Will some Conservative MPs think about defecting under a new leader? And... whack-a-mole or guacamole, what's it all got to do with mushy peas?

If you've got a message, voice note or a cover version of the theme tune you can contact the political masterminds (and Hugo) at [email protected], or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

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