Calum and Kirsty are joined by former Special Adviser Peter Cardwell to discuss the Privileges Committee report into Boris Johnson which has found he mislead parliament. They discuss what it means now, how the vote will playout in Parliament on Monday, and what happens to Boris Johnson next.

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

Calum and Kirsty are joined by Stewart Wood, a former adviser to Gordon Brown both at the Treasury and in Number 10; and one of those who helped run Ed Miliband's Labour leadership campaign. We talk about foreign trips - Stewart tells us about arranging trips to the United States including a secret one for Gordon Brown; Kirsty tells us about a trip where everything went wrong for Theresa May when the crucial - and choreographed - photo op was about to happen. Plus, we work hard to dig out the top lines of Sir Keir Starmer's speech to the GMB union.

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

Calum and Kirsty are back together to discuss the issues of the moment. Kirsty remembers being the SpAd on duty when the first Pestminster scandal broke. She discusses her response to it, and why Westminster hasn't solved the problem. We also talk about the war between Boris Johnson, Oliver Dowden, Rishi Sunak and the Cabinet Office around the Covid inquiry and discuss who should have access to what. Kirsty gives us an insight into her political mug memorabilia collection, Calum tells us he's going to the gym. And a Prime Minister abroad - Rishi Sunak is in Moldova for less than a day and is off to the USA next week: what is he hoping to achieve, and will he do it? Email us anytime [email protected].

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

Calum and Kirsty discuss Boris Johnson, Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak. Why doesn't Boris Johnson just go away? Suella Braverman has avoided being fired again. And Rishi Sunak is trying to deliver on his people's pledges. Is he actually make some progress?

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

Calum and Kirsty discuss political pledges, promises and changes-of-heart. How high is your trust in politics? Nigel Farage says Brexit has failed, despite being the main cheerleader for it; Oliver Dowden says Keir Starmer has backtracked on 30 promises; the Conservatives are failing to deliver on pledges set out by Rishi Sunak, with an indication that the next missed target will be on net migration. So, should political parties still be promising things in manifestoes? Kirsty brings expertise; Calum dives into the Salisbury Convention. Nerdery at its finest. Email us anytime: [email protected].

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

As buzz about a coalition government continues, Kirsty analyses the local election results and whether we're getting ahead of ourselves in conversations about what the next govermment may look like. Plus, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refuses to answer whether he'd enter a coalition agreement with the Lib Dems - while ruling out a coalition with the SNP - we're joined by Special Guest (SpGu) Polly Mackenzie, who was Chief Policy Adviser for the Lib Dems when the coalition government was being formed in 2010. She tells us about the sleepless nights, the noble ambition, and the difficulties of getting coalition off the ground. Email your thoughts to [email protected].

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

Kirsty and Frankie are back to join Calum. Kirsty gives us an update, Frankie shares some news and Andrea Bocelli is cancelled. We also discuss the local elections - what do we know so far, and what do the results tell us? We discuss Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer - where they've won and where they've lost. Email us anytime: [email protected]

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

Calum is joined by Special Guests (SpGus) - Chris White, who was a Special Adviser in opposition, then in the coalition government; and Amy Richards who was an adviser to Yvette Cooper last time she was Shadow Home Secretary. This week, we analyse the Illegal Immigration Bill which has passed the Commons. Chris tells us about his experiences of advising the Chief Whip and how the government may have managed to avoid a rebellion. Amy dissects where Labour are positioning themselves on migration, including an interesting revelation around what voters care about most in the immigration discussion. Calum analyses polling that suggests the public are more convinced by Labour's approach. Also, in what condition is the civil service in the aftermath of Dominic Raab's resignation? Has Sue Gray brought the civil service into disrepute as a "blob"? And we look at setting policy direction. Amy tells us about losing elections; Chris tells us about the chaos of the first few days of the coalition government in 2010. Email us with your thoughts: [email protected].

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

Calum is joined by Tom Kelly, who spent nearly a decade in government, first as director of communications at the Northern Ireland Office, and then from 2001 to 2007, as the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson. Tom was there in the build up to the Good Friday Agreement, was there when it was signed and announced, and was there for the aftermath as well. He remembers the people involved, the dedication required, and assesses where the Good Friday Agreement has fallen short.

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

Calum is joined by Asa Bennett who worked with Liz Truss in various departments including at No 10 Downing Street. He reflects on the 40 or so days that they spent in office, and looks back on his time as a writer for her in other government departments. He tells us about his proudest soundbites from speeches he was involved with. Then, Tom Baldwin joins the podcast. Tom worked with Ed Miliband in the run-up to the 2015 General Election. Tom tells us about his diagnosis of politics today, as well as hypothesising about what the UK might have been like if Ed Miliband had won in 2015.

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