Payne's Politics

By Financial Times

News & Politics

What's Payne's Politics about?

Discussion and analysis of UK politics from the Financial Times' political commentators and correspondents. Presented by Sebastian Payne.

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Tragedy in the English Channel

11.27.2021

Twenty-seven asylum seekers drowned trying to reach Britain, highlighting the growing crisis of small boats. How can the issue be resolved and what does it say about Anglo-French relations? Plus, we discuss another chaotic week for Boris Johnson and whether ...

Payne's Politics episodes:

11.27.2021 Tragedy in the English Channel Twenty-seven asylum seekers drowned trying to reach Britain, highlighting the growing crisis of small boats. How can the issue be resolved and what does it say about Anglo-French relations? Plus, we discuss another chaotic week for Boris Johnson and whether ...
11.20.2021 Is Boris Johnson on the right track? This week we delve into the plan for reshaping the UK’s railways. Is £100bn of investment the biggest change in a generation, or will it prove to be a massive disappointment? Chief political correspondent Jim Pickard discusses this with a ...
11.13.2021 ‘I genuinely believe that the UK is not remotely a corrupt country’ This week we examine the row about outside interests for British MPs. Is it acceptable to be earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on top of their parliamentary work? And do voters care? Chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley ...
11.06.2021 MPs distraught at being asked to offer support for change This week we discuss the chaotic events surrounding the botched reform of the parliamentary standards committee. We look at why No 10 was so eager to save disgraced MP Owen Paterson and where the row goes next. Political editor George ...
10.30.2021 Delivering the autumn Budget This week we examine the philosophy behind this year’s Budget and whether this is a marked change in how the Conservatives look at the economy. Political editor George Parker and chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley discuss. And we look ahead ...
10.27.2021 Budget day special Rishi Sunak delivered his 2021 Budget that pledged to increase spending, cut taxes and burrow away money for saving too. Is it all things to all people and will it help with the cost of living crisis? Political editor George ...
10.23.2021 Will the NHS face pressure over the winter? This week we discuss the return of Covid to the news agenda and ask whether the government will implement its so-called Plan B of measures as infections and hospital admissions rise rapidly. Political editor George Parker will give his analysis, ...
10.16.2021 A testy war of words breaks out in Whitehall This edition of Payne’s Politics was recorded before the news of the death of Conservative MP Sir David Amess who died after being stabbed at his constituency surgery in Essex on Friday. This week we discuss the latest with the ...
10.09.2021 Why every day at Conservative conference is Johnson day This week we analyse this year’s Conservative party conference. First, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech: how credible was it? Can low-skilled immigration be simply replaced without a big inflation risk? Political editor George Parker and chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley ...
10.02.2021 Keir Starmer’s clear break with the Jeremy Corbyn era This week, we’ll be analysing Labour’s annual jamboree and whether Sir Keir Starmer has met expectations. How did he take on the left and what was the core message of his keynote speech? Chief political correspondent Jim Pickard and political ...
09.25.2021 Boris Johnson undertakes his first major overseas trip This week, we analyse Boris Johnson’s trip to America, his address to the UN, his one-to-one with President Joe Biden and the health of the so-called special relationship. Joining to discuss are our political editor George Parker, and political and ...
09.18.2021 Looking in detail at the cabinet reshuffle This week, we dissect prime minister Boris Johnson’s first major reshuffle of this parliament. We’ll be examining who went up, who went sideways, those who were sacked and what this all tells us about where the Johnson government is going ...
09.11.2021 Tearing up the Conservatives’ fiscal orthodoxy This week we analyse prime minister Boris Johnson’s game on social care reform, what the plan involves and whether the Conservative party and its voters will swallow tax rises. Political editor George Parker and economics editor Chris Giles dissect the ...
09.04.2021 Britain’s diplomatic push over Afghanistan This week we examine how the UK got its withdrawal from Afghanistan so badly wrong and the subsequent Whitehall briefing war against the Foreign Office. Robert Shrimsley, our chief political commentator, and Laura Hughes, political and diplomatic correspondent, will analyse ...
08.28.2021 Interview special: Liz Truss In the fifth and final of our summer specials, Sebastian Payne meets Liz Truss, international trade secretary and minister for women and equalities. Truss is the most popular member of Boris Johnson’s government, and a keen advocate of a buccaneering ...
08.21.2021 Interview special: Sir Malcolm Rifkind In the fourth of our summer specials, Sebastian Payne meets Sir Malcolm Rifkind. In a week when the Taliban shocked the West with its rapid advance in Afghanistan, the former Conservative defence and foreign secretary examines where this leaves UK ...
08.14.2021 Interview special: Steve Baker MP In the third of our summer specials, Sebastian Payne speaks to Steve Baker, the Tory MP for Wycombe and one of the Conservative party's most formidable campaigners. Whether it's through the European Research Group, his work as a Brexit minister ...
08.07.2021 Interview special: Professor Neil Ferguson In the second of our summer specials, Sebastian Payne speaks to Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London. Nicknamed Professor Lockdown by some newspapers, the leading epidemiologist and government scientific adviser has emerged as one of the most prominent voices ...
07.31.2021 Interview special: Anas Sarwar In our first summer special, Sebastian Payne speaks to the leader of the Scottish Labour party Anas Sarwar about countering Nicola Sturgeon, how he intends to revive his party’s prospects and leadership in lockdown. They also discuss whether Labour is ...
07.24.2021 Exemptions to isolation and the Northern Ireland protocol In what should have been a big final week of term at Westminster, Boris Johnson had to abandon plans for a big announcement on social care reform. Instead, ministers tried to come up with a series of exemptions to the ...
07.17.2021 Chaos and confusion over masks and levelling up The UK is pressing ahead with the easing of all lockdown measures on July 19, despite coronavirus infections hitting 50,000 a day. How has Downing Street got itself into a mess over masks? Plus we discuss Boris Johnson’s major speech ...
07.10.2021 Freedom day too soon and English patriotism Boris Johnson has announced that all remaining lockdown restrictions will end on July 19 in England, but is he acting too hastily with Covid-19 cases rising so quickly? Plus, we debate whether a new form of English patriotism is emerging ...
07.03.2021 Labour comes home in Batley and Spen Sir Keir Starmer was given a reprieve after Labour clung on at the Batley and Spen by-election this week. What does it mean for his leadership? And was Matt Hancock's breaking of lockdown rules to blame for the Conservative party's ...
06.26.2021 Travel woes and Brexit five years on The UK eased travel to several holiday destinations this week, but will they welcome British tourists? And when are vaccination passports being introduced? Plus we reflect on five years since the Brexit referendum and how it has reshaped the country, ...
06.19.2021 Lockdown continues, a shock in the Chilterns Boris Johnson reluctantly delayed the easing of England’s lockdown for another month due to the spread of the Delta strain of coronavirus. Will the July 19 easing go ahead? Plus, we discuss the Liberal Democrats’ surprise victory in the Chesham ...
06.12.2021 G7 special from Cornwall The leaders of the west descended on Carbis Bay, along with podcasters, for this year's G7 summit. Boris Johnson and Joe Biden appeared to develop a bromance - despite their split on Northern Ireland. We discuss the key themes of ...
06.05.2021 British holidays at home The hopes of international travel this summer were dashed as Portugal was taken off the UK's green list for travel amid a rise in cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus. But will the June 21 easing still go ahead? ...
05.29.2021 Dominic Cummings versus the world Boris Johnson's former chief adviser made an epic seven-hour appearance at a parliamentary hearing this week, claiming the prime minister was unfit for the job and the health secretary a liar. We explore his bombastic claims and the political impact ...
05.22.2021 Tackling the Indian coronavirus variant The UK's easing out of lockdown was put under threat by a new strain of coronavirus that originated in India. Can the race between inoculations and infections be won? Will the June 21 easing go ahead? Plus we discuss the ...
05.15.2021 Labour goes to war (again) The opposition Labour party was consumed by infighting this week after Sir Keir Starmer botched a shadow cabinet reshuffle, leading to questions about whether he can survive as leader. Did Starmer overreact and is Labour facing a civil war? Plus, ...
05.08.2021 The Tories conquer Hartlepool Thursday's local elections resulted in gains for Boris Johnson's Conservatives, including a historic win in the Hartlepool by-election. What does this mean for Labour and Keir Starmer's leadership? Plus, we discuss clashes with the French over Jersey fishing this week ...
05.01.2021 Cash for curtains, curtains for Arlene Foster Boris Johnson is facing three inquiries into the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. Why hasn't the prime minister offered a clear explanation of what happened? Will he face sanctions and will it have an impact on the Conservatives in ...
04.24.2021 'Favours for chums', and the football debacle Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused the prime minister of sleaze after allegations that friends can text him seeking special treatment. Is lobbying worse today? Plus, we discuss the collapse of the plan by big football clubs to form ...
04.17.2021 Greensill, Cameron and Whitehall's revolving door The collapse of Greensill Capital and the involvement of former prime minister David Cameron have raised serious questions about the UK's lobbying regime. We discuss whether any rules were broken and which guidelines need to be reformed. Plus, we remember ...
04.10.2021 Britain's vaccine setback Britain’s vaccination programme suffered a setback this week over the use of the AstraZeneca jab — the workhorse of the UK immunisation effort — among younger people. How will new guidance for under-30s affect the vaccine rollout and the bounce ...
03.27.2021 UK vs EU vaccine tussle Relations between Britain and the rest of Europe thawed this week, after the EU had threatened an export ban on vaccines. Will the UK have enough jabs to complete its second round of doses? And what does it say about ...
03.20.2021 AstraZeneca vaccine tribulations The UK encountered the first bumps in its vaccine roll out programme, as the government warned supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab would drop significantly in April. Why? How will this affect the lockdown easing? What caused this shortfall and how ...
03.13.2021 Harry and Meghan, and the government The explosive TV interview the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gave this week raised major questions about the future of the monarchy, as well as tricky issues for Downing Street on how to handle the accusations of racism. We explore ...
03.06.2021 Sunak's spend now, tax later Budget Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his second Budget this week, tearing up Conservative economic orthodoxy with billions of pounds of spending and tax rises. What state are the UK's public finances in? And will he actually go ahead with planned spending ...
02.27.2021 UK Budget preview and Salmond vs Sturgeon Rishi Sunak will deliver his second Budget next week, where the chancellor will set out a mission to put the UK's public finances on a sounder footing. Will he reveal rises in spending, tax or both? Plus, we discuss Alex ...
02.20.2021 Data, not dates, for easing lockdown Boris Johnson made it clear this week that he will not rush into easing the nationwide lockdown - what will the UK prime minister set out in his road map next week? Will schools return and when will further measures ...
02.13.2021 Held in hotels and is Starmer stalling? Hotel quarantine will finally be introduced to the UK next week, but can the logistics work? Will it stop new variants of the virus spreading - and are enough countries going to be included? Plus, we discuss whether Sir Keir ...
02.06.2021 Vaccine triumphs and the lockdown question This week the UK faced the prospect of the emergence of new coronavirus mutations while surging past 10m vaccinations. Will this progress speed up the relaxation of the lockdown? What timetable is the prime minister working to? Plus, we discuss ...
01.30.2021 A plan for exiting Covid lockdown Boris Johnson set out how England will exit its nationwide lockdown this week, with schools set to reopen in early March but shops and other businesses due to come later. We speak to Mark Harper, chair of the Covid Recovery ...
01.23.2021 Biden, Boris and Brexit Joe Biden was inaugurated as the new US president this week - what does it mean for UK-US relations? Can Boris Johnson forge a rapport with him on shared policy areas? Plus, we examine how the UK-EU Brexit trade deal ...
01.16.2021 Enforcing lockdown as vaccines ramp up The UK's battle against the new strain of Covid-19 has had mixed results this week – deaths continued to be high while infections started to fall. Are enough people following the rules? And is the vaccine rollout going to plan? ...
01.09.2021 Back to national lockdown UK prime minister Boris Johnson put England into its third lockdown this week, as the new strain of coronavirus risked the health service being overwhelmed. How long will it last and why does everything now rely on vaccine roll out? ...
01.01.2021 Brexit has arrived The UK has fully left the EU, ending 47 years of membership. In this Brexit special, we examine the last-minute trade deal that Prime Minister Boris Johnson brokered last week, the new checks and red tape that have been introduced, ...
12.19.2020 Brexit: the moment of truth Talks between the UK and the EU on a trade deal have reached their final days. Can a deal be agreed, or could an accidental no-deal still occur? Plus, we discuss the latest Covid-19 rules, progress on vaccine plans and ...
12.12.2020 Time running out for Brexit trade deal With negotiations on a Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU stalled again, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning of a no-deal outcome, can the process be salvaged? Plus, with the Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland resolved this ...

Older episodes

Payne's Politics

What's Payne's Politics about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Payne's Politics episodes:

Tragedy in the English Channel

Is Boris Johnson on the right track?

‘I genuinely believe that the UK is not remotely a corrupt country’

MPs distraught at being asked to offer support for change

Delivering the autumn Budget

Budget day special

Will the NHS face pressure over the winter?

A testy war of words breaks out in Whitehall

Why every day at Conservative conference is Johnson day

Keir Starmer’s clear break with the Jeremy Corbyn era

Boris Johnson undertakes his first major overseas trip

Looking in detail at the cabinet reshuffle

Tearing up the Conservatives’ fiscal orthodoxy

Britain’s diplomatic push over Afghanistan

Interview special: Liz Truss

Interview special: Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Interview special: Steve Baker MP

Interview special: Professor Neil Ferguson

Interview special: Anas Sarwar

Exemptions to isolation and the Northern Ireland protocol

Chaos and confusion over masks and levelling up

Freedom day too soon and English patriotism

Labour comes home in Batley and Spen

Travel woes and Brexit five years on

Lockdown continues, a shock in the Chilterns

G7 special from Cornwall

British holidays at home

Dominic Cummings versus the world

Tackling the Indian coronavirus variant

Labour goes to war (again)

The Tories conquer Hartlepool

Cash for curtains, curtains for Arlene Foster

'Favours for chums', and the football debacle

Greensill, Cameron and Whitehall's revolving door

Britain's vaccine setback

UK vs EU vaccine tussle

AstraZeneca vaccine tribulations

Harry and Meghan, and the government

Sunak's spend now, tax later Budget

UK Budget preview and Salmond vs Sturgeon

Data, not dates, for easing lockdown

Held in hotels and is Starmer stalling?

Vaccine triumphs and the lockdown question

A plan for exiting Covid lockdown

Biden, Boris and Brexit

Enforcing lockdown as vaccines ramp up

Back to national lockdown

Brexit has arrived

Brexit: the moment of truth

Time running out for Brexit trade deal

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