Political Fix

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 out of the office, and the alcohol is flowing. How can you make sure you don't embarrass yourself (or derail your career)? And how can you bounce back if you do go wrong? Isabel Berwick speaks to FT columnist and veteran party-goer Stephen Bush, author and comedian Viv Groskop and party-shy FT columnist Emma Jacobs to find out. Warning: contains drunken secret Santas, dancefloor embarrassment and toe-curling apologies.

You can raise money for the FT's charity, the Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, by bidding to have lunch with Political Fix regulars Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, George Parker or one of their colleagues at top restaurants that are donating meals for an excellent cause.

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Workers and bosses opt for Christmas payments over parties

The office grinch may have a point — it’s not fun if it’s forced

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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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 ammunition are the Tories and Labour stockpiling to fire at each other in the election campaign? Plus, the FT’s chief economics commentator Martin Wolf sits down for an end of year chat with Lucy to dissect the big economic problems facing the government - and what fixes are available.

You can raise money for the FT's charity, the Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, by bidding to have lunch with Martin Wolf or with Political Fix regulars Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, George Parker or one of their colleagues at top restaurants that are donating meals for an excellent cause. Go to ft.com/appeal to see what's on offer.

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

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Britain desperately needs a growth strategy

Britain won’t rejoin the EU for decades - if ever 

Rishi Sunak rapped over claim that UK debt is falling

Sunak’s ‘five pledges’ strategy doesn’t cut the mustard. What next?

Does Sunak’s maths revival add up?

Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Martin on: @martinwolf_, George on: @GeorgeWParker, Stephen on: @stephenkb,

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline and Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. Broadcast engineer is Rod Fitzgerald. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 important battle, but faces more strife in the new year. Also, the FT’s climate reporter Kenza Bryan has been in Dubai and sums up what, if anything, the COP28 mega-gathering really achieved and appraises the UK’s performance at the summit. 

You can raise money for the FT's charity, the Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, by bidding to have lunch with Political Fix regulars Miranda Green, Stephen Bush, George Parker or one of their colleagues, at top restaurants that are donating meals for an excellent cause. Go to ft.com/appeal to see what's on offer.

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

Free links: 

Sunak’s Rwanda fight is really a battle for control of the Conservatives

Rwanda vote exposes Tory divisions despite Rishi Sunak’s win

Countries reach ‘historic’ COP28 deal to transition from fossil fuels

Ex-Tory MP faces 35-day suspension for giving impression he was ‘for sale’

Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Miranda on: @greenmiranda, Robert on: @robertshrimsley, Kenza on: @KenzaBryan

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. Broadcast engineer is Rod Fitzgerald. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 what’s happened and discuss the latest drama, including the shock resignation of the PM’s one-time ally, immigration minister Robert Jenrick. Plus, the FT’s Laura Hughes assesses Boris Johnson’s performance at the Covid inquiry.

Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Miranda on: @greenmiranda, Jim on: @PickardJE

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UK court battles still lie ahead over revamped Rwanda removal scheme

Tory leadership contest would be ‘insanity’, warns party chair 

Boris Johnson denies considering ‘let it rip’ Covid strategy

Public inquiries are one of Britain’s only growth industries

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 Robert Shrimsley and Stephen Bush. They also consider, in the wake of record legal net migration figures, whether immigration is tearing the Tories apart. The FT’s Delphine Strauss weighs in to explain the particular plight faced by some migrant workers in the care sector. Plus, the group reflects on the legacy of Alistair Darling. 

Follow Lucy on X, formerly Twitter : @LOS_Fisher

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Long hours and large debts: care workers stranded by UK’s migration policy

Sketchy politics: Sunak sets out his stall for the election

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

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

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 commentator Chris Giles to analyse the package on offer. Plus, Political Fix regular George Parker gives his take on whether voters will be wooed by personal tax cuts.

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Jeremy Hunt cuts national insurance but taxes head to postwar high

Would Aussie rules boost UK pensions?

Jeremy Hunt makes early move on tax as Tory poll slump continues

Follow Lucy on X on @LOS_Fisher, George @GeorgeWParker, Claer @ClaerB and Chris @ChrisGiles

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 the FT’s George Parker and Stephen Bush to chew over events. And the FT’s William Wallis goes through the government’s options for revitalising its plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda. 

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Why the UK Supreme Court ruled against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda policy 

Sunak reshuffle shows a government running on empty

Starmer suffers major rebellion over Israel-Hamas war 

How David Cameron tried to make his fortune with cash from China

Follow Lucy, Stephen and George on X @LOS_Fisher, @stephenkb and @GeorgeWParker

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 Best Newsletter award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 The Times. Plus, did the King’s Speech reveal a government running out of steam? And the FT’s Camilla Cavendish tells Lucy about the desperation some parents and children feel in England’s unreformed family courts.  

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Suella Braverman pushes to restrict tents for rough sleepers 

The strategic confusion at the heart of Rishi Sunak’s final push 

Sketchy Politics: mapping the next election 

Law and disorder in the family courts 

Follow Lucy, Miranda and Robert on X @LOS_Fisher @greenmiranda @robertshrimsley

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 the conference, to ask what it achieved. Plus, the FT’s Camilla Cavendish examines what the Covid-19 inquiry has revealed to date about the shortcomings of the British state.

Clip: X @RishiSunak

Follow Lucy on Twitter @LOS_Fisher

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Elon Musk tells Rishi Sunak AI will render all jobs obsolete

Matt Hancock wanted to decide “who should live” if the NHS overwhelmed, Covid inquiry told

Labour dissent on Israel-Gaza grows as latest shadow minister calls for ceasefire

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

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 the tough choices facing Keir Starmer as he braces himself for potential frontbench resignations over his approach to the Israel-Hamas war. Plus, economics columnist Soumaya Keynes joins to outline how she spotted apparent plagiarism in Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves’s newly published book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics.

You can find Lucy, Miranda and George on X, formerly Twitter, @LOS_Fisher and @greenmiranda and @GeorgeWParker

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Rishi Sunak faces intractable problems on first anniversary as prime minister

Muslim Labour MPs urge Keir Starmer to back Gaza ceasefire

The Women Who Made Modern Economics by Rachel Reeves - credit where it’s due?

How Claudia Goldin transformed our understanding of women and work 

Clip: BBC

Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award. 

Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 

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