One month on from calling for Keir Starmer's resignation, Anas Sarwar – the leader of Scottish Labour – joins Michael Gove to reflect on British politics ahead of the May elections. Does he stand by his call for the Prime Minister to go? And, having spoken to Wes Streeting the weekend before, what advice did his close ally give?

The May local and regional elections promise to be the 'fiercest battle' for Scotland's future. Yet after over two decades in power, what does he make of polling that suggests the SNP will win – again? Is Reform posing a threat to Labour? And how can Scottish Labour offer a realistic alternative?

Plus: which Westminster cabinet minister would he like to see campaign in Scotland – and who are his political heroes?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

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In this week’s Q&A: do the Conservatives need an even bigger kicking? After their worst defeat in generations, they debate whether the party has really changed – or whether voters still see a gap between what it says and what it does.

Also this week: what does Keir Starmer actually mean by acting in the ‘national interest’? As the conflict with Iran escalates, they unpack whether the Prime Minister’s language reflects a clear strategy – or political positioning.

And finally: who are the best-read politicians – and which books should anyone in power be reading?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: the row over political Islam and a bigger question beneath it. After Nick Timothy’s comments on public prayer in Trafalgar Square caused a political firestorm, Michael and Madeline ask whether Britain can still have an honest debate about faith, free speech and the public square. Where is the line between coexistence and an assertion of dominance – and are politicians too afraid to confront it?

Also on the podcast: the future of the Church of England. With Sarah Mullally set to become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, they debate what her leadership might mean for an institution struggling with bureaucracy, declining trust and questions over its moral authority.

And finally: Angela Rayner and the battle for Labour’s future. As tensions grow within the party over migration and economic policy, they ask whether Rayner is already positioning herself as Starmer’s successor – and why her political instincts may prove sharper than the Prime Minister’s.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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In this week’s Q&A: the Green party and the rise of new MP Hannah Spencer. Does a softer, more appealing political style mask something more radical beneath the surface – and is that precisely the secret of the party’s growing success?

Also this week: whatever happened to levelling up? Once the defining mission of British politics, they debate whether regional inequality has quietly slipped down the agenda – and what that says about how both Labour and the Conservative party now see the country.

And finally: what on earth has happened to the Liberal Democrats? With Ed Davey doubling down on stunts and spectacle, is there still a serious liberal project at the heart of the party – or has it become all performance and no substance?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: the stark question of Keir Starmer’s leadership. After a bruising week in Westminster – from fresh revelations about the Mandelson appointment to renewed scrutiny of the Prime Minister’s governing style – they debate whether Starmer’s cautious, process-driven approach is becoming a political liability. Will Labour move to replace him? 

Also on the podcast: the House of Lords, as peers prepare to scrutinise two of the most morally charged issues in politics: assisted dying and proposals to decriminalise abortion up to birth. With the Commons accused of rushing through profound legislative changes with limited debate, they ask whether the Lords is performing an essential constitutional role – or defying democratic authority.

And finally: should Winston Churchill really disappear from Britain’s banknotes? As the Bank of England considers replacing historical figures with images of nature, Michael and Maddie debate whether Britain is retreating from its own history.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.com

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In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie discuss whether Keir Starmer faces a deeper political dilemma: should the Labour party tack left to shore up its base, or move to the centre to win over voters uneasy about the party’s economic direction?

Also this week: are Britain’s closest allies being taken for granted? From Canada and Australia to New Zealand, they consider whether the UK has neglected some of its most dependable international partners while chasing influence elsewhere.

And finally, they turn to culture and ask why institutions like opera and ballet so often struggle to justify their place in modern public life. Are they relics of an elite past, or essential expressions of a deeper cultural tradition?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.com

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This week: Michael and Maddie discuss the escalating crisis in the Middle East and ask a bigger question about Britain’s place in the world – is the UK still a great power, or has the conflict exposed just how limited our influence has become?

They debate whether Britain has any real choice but to follow America in foreign policy, what the war reveals about the country’s diminished military capabilities, and whether Westminster is finally confronting the reality of Britain’s global position.

Also on the podcast, they examine the growing backlash against Ed Miliband’s energy agenda. With war in the Middle East sending shockwaves through global energy markets, has Labour’s push for net zero left Britain dangerously exposed – and is the UK undermining its own economy by shutting down domestic oil and gas while continuing to import it from abroad?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

October 8 is available to buy or rent now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Google. Find out more: https://www.october8film.com

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In this week’s Q&A, Michael and Maddie ask whether Britain is driving its young and ambitious abroad. As more professionals head to places like Dubai in search of opportunity, they debate whether the real problem lies not with those who leave, but with the conditions pushing them out. Why do so many talented Britons feel they cannot build a future at home – and what does that say about the state of the country?

Also this week: should the Equality Act be scrapped altogether? In light of Suella Braverman’s pledge to repeal it, they consider whether the law has drifted far beyond its original purpose.

And finally, they discuss which right-wing leaders around the world they admire. From Latin America to Europe, who offers a compelling model of conservative leadership today – and what lessons, if any, might Britain draw from them?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: Michael and Maddie debate the escalating crisis in Iran and ask whether Donald Trump truly has a strategy – and whether Keir Starmer has one at all.

They examine what Trump’s strikes are meant to achieve, whether regime change in Tehran is the real objective and why parts of the American right are uneasy about Israel’s influence over US foreign policy.

Turning to Westminster, they assess Britain’s response. Has Starmer struck the right balance between caution and credibility – or has the crisis exposed the limits of Britain’s military strength and global influence?

Finally, they review Rachel Reeves’s Spring Statement. With growth forecasts under scrutiny and public spending pressures mounting, is the Labour party sticking to a credible economic plan – or relying on economic crystal balls?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This is the second part of Michael Gove’s conversation with Munira Mirza. After reflecting in part one on multiculturalism and the fractures in modern Britain, this second instalment turns to the question of leadership, and the lessons both Boris and Starmer should learn.

Munira reflects on Boris Johnson’s premiership, describing him as ‘a better man than many of his detractors would admit’ but acknowledging his foibles and lack of decisiveness at critical moments. Was he a good Prime Minister? 

They go on to debate whether the wiring of the British state – from the Human Rights Act to the Equality Act – has made effective government harder, and whether Reform are right to call for repeal of both of these pieces of legislation.

Finally, Munira delivers a stark assessment of Britain’s political class, questioning whether the calibre of MPs is good enough, criticising the culture of risk-aversion in Westminster, and making the case for ‘radical candour’ in politics. 

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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