Whitehall Sources

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We're joined by James Price.

The conversation covers various topics including the investigation into Conservative MP Mark Menzies, standards in public life, and the ongoing debate over the Rwanda deportation bill. The hosts and guests discuss the lack of action by the Conservative Party in response to the allegations against Menzies and the need for better crisis management. They also explore the challenges of maintaining standards in public life and the difficulties in rehabilitating politicians who have made mistakes. The conversation concludes with a brief discussion on the ping pong between the government and the House of Lords over the Rwanda deportation bill. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss the potential outcome of the ping pong between the House of Commons and the House of Lords regarding the controversial Nationality and Borders Bill. They also talk about Liz Truss's new book and whether she is being unfairly mocked for her reflections as a former prime minister. The hosts then shift the discussion to Kemi Badenoch and her recent interventions on various issues, highlighting her ideological consistency and leadership potential.

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

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

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

The centre of government has failed successive prime ministers. That's according to the Institute for Government think tank, which outlines 7 recommendations for "radical reform" to make our government function better. Programme Director Alex Thomas joins Calum and Kirsty to discuss why the Cabinet Office needs to dissolve, and why Number 10 should look next door, to the Treasury, for inspiration.

Another racism row engulfs the Conservatives after a leading donor to the party has claimed that watching MP Diane Abbott makes him want to "hate all black women". And Kirsty reflects on the political career and legacy of Theresa May, as the former Prime Minister has announced she will step down as an MP at the next election.

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Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan and Chris Ward discuss the budget.

Kirsty was a Special Adviser to Theresa May and Chris was an adviser to Sir Keir Starmer, working on several budgets with the Labour leader.

The conversation discusses the recent budget and its implications. It explores the lack of impact and ill feeling within the Conservative Party. The topic of national insurance contributions is also examined, along with the public's perception of the budget. The conversation delves into the technocratic approach and the need for a potential rethink of fiscal rules. It highlights the disappointment in the lack of surprises and the challenges faced by the Labour Party in differentiating itself from the Conservatives. We explore Keir Starmer's response to the budget and how it positions Labour for the election. Chris shares insights into the preparation and logistics of the opposition's budget response. They also discuss the economic challenges that the next government will face and the differences in economic policies between Labour and the Conservatives. The conversation touches on the role of fiscal rules in political decision making and the potential legacy of the budget.

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We're joined by Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute Claire Ainsley, who was policy director to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, to debrief on a chaotic week in Westminster and look ahead to what might come next. Did the last seven days descend into a worst case scenario for the Labour Party, or will they be feeling it could have gone worse? How might the upcoming by-election in Rochdale play out, and what does it mean? And we also take a look ahead to next week's Spring Budget and whether tax cuts are on the horizon, and if we even want them.

The full list of candidates in the Rochdale by-election can be found here: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/elections-voting/statement-persons-nominated-notice-poll

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This conversation covers the Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch's denial that the former Chairman of the Post Office had been instructed to stall payments in order to allow the government to "limp" into the next General Election, the potential for tax cuts being announced at the budget in March and what they mean for us. MPs are also debating a motion in Parliament put forward by the Scottish National Party (SNP) calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and we're joined by former Labour staffer Max Wilson to discuss the extent to which this is an example of political game-playing.

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