Politics: Where Next?

This week we talk to two MPs elected as Tories at the last election -Phillip Lee and Damian Green. However Phillip Lee is now a Lib Dem.

Last week, he showed his displeasure with the direction of the government by crossing the floor of the house to join the Lib Dems while Boris Johnson was speaking in the Commons.

Damian Green is staying put with the Conservatives but has written to the Prime Minister as the head of the centre ground 'One Nation' group of MPs - objecting to the purge of 21 Tories thrown out of the party last week for voting against a no-deal Brexit. 

We met in a shut down House of Commons in Phillip Lee's parliamentary office.

What is going to happen on Monday? Will there be an election? Are we leaving the EU on the 31st?

This week we talk to John McTernan - the political strategist and a downing street aide to Tony Blair -and Adrian Wooldridge, the political editor of The Economist magazine.

We met just as Boris Johnson's brother Jo announced he couldn’t serve in his brother's government any more - and couldn't be a Conservative MP either.

As Boris Johnson moves into number 10, Francis Elliott (Political Editor, The Times) and Peter Foster (Europe Editor, The Daily Telegraph) thrash out the possibilities for what his Brexit plan might really entail.

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With Boris Johnson looking like the favourite to win the Tory leadership contest and become Prime Minister, political commentators Isabel Hardman (The Spectator) and Rafael Behr (The Guardian) join Gary Gibbon to chat about what a Johnson premiership might look like.

In this week’s podcast we bring together two brothers - Charles Powell and Jonathan Powell.

Charles Powell, Lord Powell, advised Margaret Thatcher on foreign policy from 1983 to the end of her premiership.

Seven years after he'd left Number 10  his younger brother Jonathan Powell moved in, as Chief of Staff to Tony Blair.

Both men still travel the world, Charles Powell for business and Jonathan Powell mediating on conflicts.

Gary sat down with them in the aftermath of the leaked memos home from the British Ambassador in Washington.

For this week's podcast episode, Gary Gibbon talks to Rory Stewart MP, Secretary of State for International Development, on his dynamic Tory leadership campaign, supporting Jeremy Hunt and whether he'll ever trust a word Boris Johnson says.

It's Boris Johnson versus Jeremy Hunt in the race to be Prime Minister. For this week's podcast episode, Gary Gibbon talks to Boris biographers Sonia Purnell and Andrew Gimson about what we should all expect from the bookies' favourite. 

James Kirkup and Professor Tim Bale discuss the Conservative leadership race, Boris Johnson’s political evolution - and whether the Tory’s want to become ‘The Brexit Party’.

What did Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times and Professor John Bew - biographer of Attlee make of the week when President Trump came to town?

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Stephen Bush, political editor of the New Statesman magazine and Paul Goodman, editor of the influential political website, Conservative Home, share their thoughts on what we're in for in the next few months.