Politics: Where Next?

This week, we discuss COVID-19 and ask: how it will change our politics.

Gary chats to Matthew Taylor, former Head of Policy for Number 10 under Tony Blair and now Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, and Danny Finkelstein, columnist for The Times and a Tory peer.

This week we are looking at the negotiations for the new relationship with Europe as we now have the opening positions of both sides.  

As the British document was published on Thursday, Gary Gibbon caught up with Georgina Wright of the Institute for Government and Same Lowe of the Centre for European Reform to wade through the documents and tell us what they say about the chance of a deal and the shape of a deal.

Producer: Rachel Evans

This week, after decades of signing up to the EU policy of free movement of people, Boris Johnson announced Britain will halt low-paid immigration with just a few exceptions at the margins  - and he'll make high-skilled immigration a little easier if you're outside the EU.   The day after the announcement, Gary spoke to Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, which looks at migration and identity issues, and Eric Kaufmann, Professor of politics at Birkbeck College at University of London, and author of the book, 'Whiteshift'.

This week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid resigned.   A few hours after the announcement, Gary sat down with Lord Nick Macpherson, who ran the Treasury as its Permanent Secretary for 11 years under Labour, the Tories and the Coalition.   He was also joined by Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, who was once a Treasury civil servant himself and then special adviser to Alistair Darling when he was Chancellor.   Producer: Rachel Evans

This week Gary sits down with two guests on the eve of the Irish general election.   He speaks to Denis Staunton of the Irish Times and Patrick Maguire of the New Statesman to discuss the Sinn Féin surge and what this election means for Brexit trade talks and for a united Ireland.   Producer: Rachel Evans

With Brexit happening we've spoken to its godfather - Nigel Farage - to ask about the journey that got us here.   We took him to a small viewing cinema in London to show him video clips from the news stories that marked our journey to Brexit and his role in it.

This week we are discussing what happens next on Brexit and what is in store for our new relationship with Europe.   Gary talks to Georgina Wright from The Institute for Government and Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform. 

As the Labour leadership contest gets motoring we look at who is likely to win it and what are the lessons of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.   Gary talks to Sienna Rodgers, editor of the Labour List and Paul Mason, left-wing commentator and author. 

This week, a new year, a new government - what do we make of it so far? Where is Boris Johnson heading? Will this feel like a revolution or nothing of the sort?

Joining Gary to discuss that is Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, who helped write the Tory manifesto for the last general election and Rachel Sylvester, Times columnist and distinguished political commentator. 

Producer: Rachel Evans

The election done, what is next for the politically dispossessed?    This week Gary talks to Pat McFadden, who worked for Tony Blair in Downing street and has been MP for Wolverhampton since 2005.   He is joined by Rory Stewart who was thrown out of the Tory Party by Boris Johnson and is now running for Mayor of London as an Independent.   They discuss their reactions to election result, whether the Labour Party can recover from their defeat and what this means for the question of Scottish independence.