OffTheCuth

Listen to Rt Hon Mark Francois give the inside scoop regarding Brexit and the ERG, the importance of defending the nation, the Tory/LibDem coalition and what happens when you are a Member of the Whips Office when it's the State Opening of Parliament.

Listen to Tom Greeves, Speech writer to numerous top politicians including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May, Seb Coe and William Hague talk about his experiences of working with the top brass of UK politics.

In this episode, Sharon Hodgson MP, who has respresented Washington and Gateshead South since 2005 talks about her personal experience of working with people dealing with SSR and how this type of secret health battle must be dealt with at the highest level. NB This was recorded before Sharon's appointment as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Health and Social Care on 3 March 2026

Listen to Clark Vasey, Director of Blue Collar Conservatism talk to Fiona Cuthbertson about how the Conservative party can attract blue collar workers to the cause, and whether or not Labour has lost their perceived "right" to their votes

https://www.youtube.com/live/BRrI79iStXU

Retail crime steals more than products—it steals trust, safety, and value by turning everyday shopping into a higher-cost, higher-risk experience for everyone.

Incidents of retail theft have now reached an all-time high of over 20 million, and there are over 400 incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff per day.

And it is not a victimless crime.

It cost retailers £2.2 billion and is reported to be one of the biggest threats to retail businesses.

And for customers it increases prices and reduces store accessibility.

At the forefront of the national response Supt Lisa Maslen from the City of London Police and her focus will be the new Tackling Retail Crime Together strategy following its launch in July 2025.

In this in-depth interview, Supt. Maslen will draw on her decades of frontline and strategic policing experience to discuss his career journey, the evolving nature of business crime, recent legislative changes like the Crime and Policing Bill, and what more needs to be done to protect retailers and disrupt criminal networks.

Listen to Andrew Hawkins explain how crucial it is that polling remains balanced and reporting stays impartial — because once trusted sources like the BBC undermine that balance, public confidence in the entire process begins to collapse.

Another subject specific episode. OffTheCuth talks to the second best teacher in the UK (according to TES) talking about the need for literacy and how he is ensuring that those in Hartlepool, an area of high levels of deprivation, have the opportunities they need to succeed.

Listen to Dr Emmeline Taylor talk about the impact of retail crime, how it's escalated and what solutions are needed to reduce it.

Listen to how Irene Campbell MP is levering her experience as Chair of Women's Aid in North Ayrshire to lobby on the issue of VAWG on trains whilst ensuring that all her constituents get the support they need as the new MP for North Ayrshire and Arran.

Listen to Iain Watson delve behind the scenes of political journalism and how the worlds of politics and journalism come together to provide us with the new stories of the day.