Whitehall Sources

Two days after Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget, Calum Macdonald and former No.10 special adviser Kirsty Buchanan break down what really happened — from the OBR leak, to the tax rises, to the political strategy behind one of the most controversial fiscal events in years.

Economist Simon French (Panmure Liberum) joins to assess:

• Why the markets didn’t panic

• Whether this budget really “clobbers working people”

• Why business rates may spike for pubs & hospitality

• Whether inflation could now fall faster

• If the tax pain scheduled for 2027–2029 is even credible

We also examine the biggest brewing storm:

A £6 billion black hole in Special Educational Needs (SEND) funding and the government’s unclear plan to fill it.

✨ Including discussion of welfare spending, Labour strategy, the markets, business rates, and parents’ fury over potential education cuts.

If you enjoy behind-the-scenes Westminster insights and real economic analysis, subscribe to Whitehall Sources.

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Calum and Kirsty are joined by James Chapman, who was an adviser to Chancellor George Osborne; and Karim Palant who was an adviser to Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, to take you behind the scenes of budget day. James tells us how the budget is even decided - including one measure that was kept secret from the Cabinet - they only found out about it when it was announced to the Commons. Plus, he discusses leaks that caused headaches for the government. Karim tells us about the room that opposition aides gather in to assemble messages and memos to run to the floor of the Commons chamber for the opposition response to be updated in real time. Kirsty wears her Number 10 hat - telling us that budget day is pretty relaxed for the Prime Minister - and wears her journalist hat to discuss the media briefing immediately after the budget. All of our guests were recorded independently - and every one of them mentioned the infamous pasty tax. Hear what they have to say about how budgets unravel. Email us anytime: [email protected].

First published 2023

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Join us live from central London for an unmissable deep-dive into Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget — with business leaders, MPs and political strategists unpacking what’s really happening behind the scenes.

Recorded at the Make UK headquarters and sponsored by Rud Pedersen, this Whitehall Sources Live special brings together an expert panel to explore the most turbulent pre-budget period in years.

🔥 What we cover in this episode:

– Why business and consumer confidence is collapsing

– Why over half of UK companies have paused investment

– The £25 billion tax question hanging over Rachel Reeves

– Will Labour target businesses again after last year’s NI and wage rises?

– The three types of political budgets explained (Reforming, Narrative & Survival)

– Is the UK economy stuck in a “doom loop”?

– Public sector productivity, NHS pressures & welfare reform

– What business leaders want from the Budget (consistency, clarity & stability)

🎙 Featuring:

• Chris Curtis MP – Labour MP for Milton Keynes North

• Dame Harriet Baldwin MP – Conservative MP & Shadow Business Minister

• Ruth Sunderland – Award-winning business journalist

• Lord Richard Harrington – Chair of Make UK

The panel debates everything from tax rises to foreign investment, business confidence, national insurance, public spending, and the political realities facing the Chancellor next week.

If you care about the UK economy, manufacturing, tax policy, or the political dynamics defining Britain’s future — this episode is essential viewing.

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Join the Whitehall Sources podcast as we dive deep into Westminster politics. This week, Calum, Kirsty, and Jo, with a special guest appearance from James Nation, ex-Special Advisor to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

We discuss:

The shocking mistaken release of a migrant sex offender and the fallout at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).

David Lammy’s handling of the situation and the questions it raises about accountability in government.

Behind-the-scenes insights from PMQs, including the “Rolls Royce” briefing operation and what might have gone wrong this week.

Labour’s budget strategy, Rachel Reeves’ tax plans, manifesto pledges, and the political impact of potential income tax rises.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Treasury decision-making, and what ministers can and cannot do to influence forecasts.

Unpacking the challenges of fuel duty, public spending, and the UK’s fiscal outlook ahead of the next budget.

Whether you’re a political junkie, policy nerd, or just want insider analysis on Westminster chaos and the upcoming budget, this episode breaks down the biggest political stories of the week.

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This week on Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former No.10 special adviser), and political strategist Jo Tanner dissect an explosive week in Westminster — from the Home Office’s “not fit for purpose” report to Keir Starmer’s looming tax U-turn.

👉 Part 1: The Home Office is back in crisis — migrant release blunders, asylum chaos, and Labour’s struggle to get control of small boats.

👉 Part 2: Labour’s credibility crisis — has Keir Starmer already broken his biggest promise not to raise income tax? Kirsty calls it “political suicide.”

🎧 Expect sharp analysis, insider detail, and genuine frustration at a government struggling to deliver.

📲 Get involved:

Email: [email protected]

WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 (Start your message with Whitehall)

🎥 Watch full episodes + clips on YouTube

🕊️ Follow us on X: @WhitehallSource

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

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This week on Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan, and Jo Tanner unpack the political crisis surrounding the Grooming Gangs Inquiry — after victims resigned and its chair Jim Gamble stepped down. With Jess Phillips under pressure and Baroness Louise Casey drafted in, can the government restore trust?

Then: the rise of the Green Party. New leader Zack Polanski has lifted the Greens to record polling numbers. Pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common explains the data — and Green councillor Hannah Spencer joins to describe how the party is winning over disillusioned voters.

🎧 Subscribe to Whitehall Sources for more UK political analysis every week.

📱 WhatsApp your thoughts: 0333 404 6507 (start with “Whitehall”).

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In this week’s Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald and Kirsty Buchanan are joined by Lord Walney (John Woodcock) — former extremism adviser to the government — for a deep dive into two major stories shaking Westminster.

👉 First, the China spying scandal: Why did the case against alleged spies collapse? Did the government withhold key evidence? And is the UK’s economic relationship with China compromising national security?

👉 Then, a wide-ranging discussion on political extremism, protests, and the rise of populism. Lord Walney explains why Britain feels more divided than ever, what’s wrong with current protest laws, and whether politicians are fuelling dangerous rhetoric.

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🎙️ Whitehall Sources takes you inside Westminster for an unfiltered debrief on the Conservative Party Conference 2025 — and asks: Can Kemi Badenoch save the Tories from collapse?

Calum Macdonald plus Kirsty Buchanan, former adviser to Theresa May, and Jo Tanner, political strategist, unpack:

• Kemi Badenoch’s leadership test after the Manchester conference
• Her new economic pitch — scrapping stamp duty and business rates
• Whether the Tories’ “sound money” strategy can outflank Labour or Reform UK
• Why the Conservatives risk alienating One Nation voters
• The age gap and energy on the conference floor — are the young Tories back?

🗳️ Plus: How both Labour and the Conservatives are trying to solve their Nigel Farage problem, and what this all means for next year’s local elections.

📲 Send your thoughts: WhatsApp us on 0333 404 6507 (start your message with “Whitehall”)

🔔 Subscribe for insider analysis from Westminster every week: @WhitehallSources

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Sir Keir Starmer leaves Labour’s party conference in Liverpool with a bold new strategy: frame the fight as Labour vs Reform UK. But is calling Nigel Farage’s immigration policies “racist” a huge political risk?

On this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former No.10 adviser to Theresa May) and Jo Tanner (political strategist) break down:

• What really happened at Labour conference – and why the media narrative may differ from the inside story.
• The launch of Senedd Sources – completing the “Sources family” across Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont and now the Welsh Senedd.
• Why Wales could deliver the biggest shock of the May 2026 elections if Labour loses power for the first time.
• Starmer’s strategy against Reform UK and Nigel Farage – smart politics or a dangerous gamble?
• Reform UK’s rapid pushback, claiming Labour’s rhetoric endangers Farage’s security.
• How this all shapes up for Labour ahead of the looming Budget and next year’s elections.

👉 Subscribe to the Sources network: Whitehall, Holyrood, Stormont & Senedd Sources – taking you inside politics across the UK.

In association with Electrify Britain.

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