Robert Jenrick’s defection highlighted the schism on the right, two parties battling it out as Labour and the SDP did in the 1980s. 

But there are significant contrasts between the schism on the left then and the divide on the right now. One of them is surreal - both Reform and the Tories are parties of the populist radical right, so what are they fighting over?

Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on February 11th. Tickets here.

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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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I was not planning another podcast on the theme of U-turn, not least when the schism on the right has been highlighted by the sacking of Robert Jenrick. But I sense there are huge lessons from the sequence that led to the U-turn, and they must be learnt urgently.

Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on February 11th. Tickets here.

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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Since our last podcast on the risks of an unsubtle focus on the cost of living, the Government has carried out another U-turn to protect pubs from increases in business rates. Number 10 says this is a sign of an increasingly nimble government responding quickly to potential problems – but why do the problems arise in the first place? And will there be more U-turns now that Keir Starmer has pledged to put more money in people’s pockets?

• It’s time for the first live show of 2026 at Kings Place, and there's a lot to make sense of! Tickets here.

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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Keir Starmer has proclaimed the government’s entire focus is on the cost of living. But to what degree can he control price rises, and will voters feel better off in the coming months? Should governments intervene to control prices? Plus, brilliant questions on leadership, Britain and the EU and much more.

Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on February 11th. Tickets here.

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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Trump has carried out a coup in Venezuela - how long will he seek to rule over it, and then what?  He is not the first US President who has acted unilaterally without telling the UK, and he is not the first who has removed a leader without a follow up plan. And why did Starmer’s long BBC 1 interview work for him, the interviewer and the viewers? 

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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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David Cameron had promised a Brexit referendum, and to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership. In a sign of what was to follow, it was not enough for two Tory MPs…

• The first show of 2026 is in the main concert hall at Kings Place on the 11th of February. Tickets are available here.

• Subscribe to Patreon here for the main podcast a day early and ad free, bonus podcasts and exclusive live events.

• My biography of Tony Blair is out now, available here. https://amzn.eu/d/4sJJpah

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Shaun Woodward was one of the masterminds behind the Conservatives 1992 election victory and subsequently he became a Tory MP. Soon after Labour’s 1997 landslide he changed sides, and ultimately became a Labour cabinet minister.

• The first show of 2026 is in the main concert hall at Kings Place on the 11th of February. Tickets are available here.

• Subscribe to Patreon here for the main podcast a day early and ad free, bonus podcasts and exclusive live events.

• My biography of Tony Blair is out now, available here.

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Reg Prentice was a Labour cabinet minister after the 1974 elections, but was threatened with deselection by his local Labour party for being on the right. There were rowdy meetings as Prentice’s cabinet allies spoke in his defence and by the time of the 1979 election Prentice had defected to Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative party.

• The first show of 2026 is in the main concert hall at Kings Place on the 11th of February. Tickets are available here.

• Subscribe to Patreon here for the main podcast a day early and ad free, bonus podcasts and exclusive live events.

• My biography of Tony Blair is out now, available here.

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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We know more than we think we know … Sometimes what is in front of our eyes is more interesting than speculating about a hazy future. Here is what we know now about Keir Starmer’s fragility and the even more precarious international crisis. 

• Tickets for my next live show on the 11th of February are available now! Get them here.  

• My biography of Tony Blair is out now, get it here.  

• A subscription to Patreon for the main podcast a day early and ad free, bonus podcasts and exclusive live events. https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPolitics 

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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Keir Starmer has endured a rough opening 18 months, but so did Tony Blair in quite similar ways. So why was Blair miles ahead in the polls in his early phase in power? And why is Starmer breaking all records for low ratings?

The first show of 2026 is in the main concert hall at Kings Place on the 11th of February. Tickets are the perfect Christmas present! Get them here.

Subscribe to Patreon here. The next series of bonus podcasts will be: When prime ministers fall.

My biography of Tony Blair is out now! Get it here.

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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