Political Fix

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 next. Political editor George Parker and political correspondent Laura Hughes will take us through what happened.

And we discuss a new book “Broken Heartlands: A Journey Through Labour’s Lost England”. Author Sebastian Payne has been pootling around England for the past year trying to find out whether the party can win back the parts of the country it lost. He’ll be chatting with our chief political correspondent Jim Pickard.

Audio source: BBC

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineers were Breen Turner and Sean McGarrity.

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne, @Jim Pickard, @George Parker

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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

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 details.

Plus we look at how the UK government hopes to try to avoid another coronavirus lockdown this winter through vaccine passports and booster jabs. 

With cases already running high, are hospitals about to be overwhelmed? Health editor Sarah Neville and science reporter Oliver Barnes will discuss.

Audio source: Institute for Government

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineers were Breen Turner and Sean McGarrity.

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

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 the issues.

We also look at Whitehall’s contingency planning for what will happen to the UK’s nuclear deterrent in the event of Scottish independence. Will the Trident programme move to England,  America, France or stay where it is? 

Our Scotland correspondent Mure Dickie will explore the possibilities, with special guest Chris Brannigan, the prime minister’s former defence aide and a senior fellow at Policy Exchange.

Audio source: BBC

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineers were Breen Turner and Sean McGarrity

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

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 policy of striking free trade deals with everyone and everywhere. We explore the economic worth of such agreements, what’s coming down the tracks and how her agenda may play into her own political future. 

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

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

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 foreign policy. What does it mean for the UK’s so-called special relationship with the US and for the future of foreign interventions?

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

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

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 or simply his campaigning, Baker is one of the people Downing Street fears the most, because when he's taken on policy positions, it's very difficult to combat him.

Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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

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 during the pandemic. Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

Review clips: BBC

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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

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 truly a unionist party and if Sarwar will budge his stance against another independence referendum to win back lost voters. Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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

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 Covid isolation rules. Plus, how a new front has opened in the ongoing war of attrition with the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol.

Presented by George Parker, with Sarah Neville, Peter Foster, Jim Pickard and Lord Gavin Barwell. Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

- Archive: BBC

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne, @George Parker, @Sarah Neville, @Jim Pickard and @Peter Foster

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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

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 on ‘levelling up’ and ask whether anyone is wiser about what it’s all about. Presented by Sebastian Payne, with Sarah Neville, Robert Shrimsley, Peter Foster and Jim Pickard. Produced by Howie Shannon. The sound engineer was Breen Turner. 

-Read the latest on https://www.ft.com/world/uk

-Follow @Seb Payne, @Robert Shrimsley, @Sarah Neville and @Peter Foster and @Jim Pickard

-Subscribe to https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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