Politics Weekly UK

Episoder

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  Who is Alan Milburn and will he get young people back to work? 19.10.2026 20min

  As young people take to the streets across the world to protest over living standards, Andy Burnham is hoping the former health secretary Alan Milburn has the answers to prevent similar unrest in Britain. The long-awaited Milburn review will recommend investing in jobs and apprenticeships for under-25s by taking money from the welfare budget. It sounds very Blairite, so how does it fit with the prime minister’s overall plans – and will Labour MPs like it?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  ‘Austerity is inevitably painful’: How Michael Gove justifies his politics | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty 17.10.2026 57min

  For more than three decades, Michael Gove has been a leading figure in British Conservatism. As a journalist, government minister and now editor of the Tory bible, the Spectator, he has helped shape the right even as it has moved further rightwards. In the latest episode of Radical Thinking, Gove joins Aditya Chakrabortty to discuss the future of the right, his record on Brexit and austerity, and the Spectator’s position on Islam. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Is Andy Burnham in hot water over Manchester City? 15.10.2026 19min

  Andy Burnham is being accused of a serious misjudgment over his comments about meetings with Manchester City’s owners. Kiran Stacey discusses the controversy after returning from a trade trip to India with the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, and the new Greater Manchester mayor, Bev Craig, during which Stacey discovered that a representative of the football club was also present. The club was recently found guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League rules. What could the fallout mean for Burnham?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Was Burnham right to talk about Russian interference in Brexit? 12.10.2026 24min

  Andy Burnham has started an almighty row by claiming that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He also says he wants the UK to have closer ties to the EU. The row is one of three major headaches for the prime minister ahead of his crucial budget at the end of October, with migration and Donald Trump’s erratic response to Ukraine and Russia being the other two. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  ‘Gaza is a moral tear in the universe’: Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty 10.10.2026 50min

  Are we really living through ‘end times fascism’? Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor think so. In a new series from the Guardian, the pair speak to Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty in an extended interview. From Trump 2.0 and the rise of the tech billionaire to Gaza and the climate emergency, Klein and Taylor argue we are not just lurching from crisis to crisis but are in a new and dangerous moment in history. But they haven’t given up hope of a fightback Radical Thinking will be published every Saturday in the Politics Weekly feed. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Did the Zionism row lose it for Zack Polanski? 09.10.2026 17min

  Zack Polanski has lost the Holborn and St Pancras byelection to Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali. Despite the Greens increasing their vote share from 2024, Polanski had the cloud of the ‘Zionism is racism’ row hanging over his head. Now there are questions over his leadership and whether he can steer the party through the ongoing Zionism row. Will the Greens remain a fringe party?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  M&S Kemi: can the Tory leader win over core vote? 07.10.2026 40min

  Kemi Badenoch has promised to ditch inheritance tax on family homes if elected as prime minister, leading to criticism that she is prioritising the rich over the poor. Plus, the pollster and UK director of More in Common, Luke Tryl, joins Pippa and Kiran to give an overview of how all the parties are doing. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Why Kemi Badenoch embraces being the leader of the ‘nasty party’ 05.10.2026 24min

  Kemi Badenoch is kicking off Conservative party conference with a little bounce in her step and her personal poll ratings improved. But critics will say that as she embraces the nasty party accusations she is at risk of alienating some core Tory voters. Can she bring her party back to being the main opposition to the government?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  'There’s no such thing as democracy': Yanis Varoufakis | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty 03.10.2026 52min

  Who is really in charge – the people or the markets? In the first episode of Radical Thinking, a new series from the Guardian, senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty speaks to the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. What was it like during the eurozone crisis when Varoufakis went head to head with those who wanted to stop his reforms?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Burnham’s triple lock gamble 29.09.2026 14min

  Andy Burnham has delivered a powerful and emotional speech to the Labour conference. He announced policies on pensions, social care and electoral reform. He said he was willing to talk about the things politicians usually avoided. But without a big budget, can he deliver his big dreams for the country?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  ‘They will bow’: energy secretary challenges Reform and Tories 28.09.2026 28min

  Speaking to Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy secretary, said a mark of her success or failure would be whether she could get bills down and said she would do so. She also challenged Reform UK and the Tories on their climate inaction, saying they would eventually ‘bow’ because they were on the ‘wrong side of history’. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Andy Burnham shows his emotional side 28.09.2026 26min

  Andy Burnham will make his first speech at Labour conference as prime minister on Tuesday. Ahead of that, he has been talking to Pippa Crerar about why he is in the job and what changes he wants to make. Pippa and Kiran Stacey discuss his comments and the feeling behind the scenes at this year’s conference. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  What really happened in the room with Burnham and Trump 24.09.2026 26min

  Pippa Crerar had a front row seat for the PM’s first meeting with Donald Trump. What really happened during that 12-minute press conference? And as the Labour conference kicks off this weekend, she and Kiran Stacey discuss the ethics of journalist-politician karaoke. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Can Andy Burnham pull off the ‘Mamdani effect’ on Donald Trump? 21.09.2026 26min

  The UK prime minister will meet the US president for the first time in New York on Tuesday. With Trump at his weakest in the polls, could this be a perfect moment for Burnham to charm the president and avoid a very public political spat? Pippa and Kiran discuss what the two leaders might discuss in policy terms, and some of the potential high-risk issues. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Tax the middle earners! Will the PM do it? 17.09.2026 31min

  Former Bank of England economist Andy Haldane said the markets regarded this government as ‘a pretty traditional tax and spend socialist government with better TikTok videos’. Harsh criticism or truth? As pressure mounts on the chancellor, John Healey, to rule out tax rises, what options do they have left? Plus, what can the government do to tackle AI warnings?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  ‘Party for sale’? Reform’s £72m donation causes backlash 14.09.2026 23min

  There’s been a huge backlash against Reform UK after the party received £72m from two crypto billionaires over the weekend. Paul Nowak, the TUC leader, said the money showed democracy was ‘in crisis’. Labour is pushing for tighter restrictions on political donations which could be retrospective, but Reform is confident this will not affect its new war chest. How much does this money change the political landscape? And with Labour receiving millions from unions, will its new rules backfire?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Labour shifts on Israel, but what difference will it make? 10.09.2026 28min

  It has been a huge week for Labour as Ed Miliband shifted the party’s stance on Israel by announcing sanctions on the illegal settlements in the West Bank and describing what is happening as ethnic cleansing. What is behind this shift, and will it make any difference on the ground?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Is the UK about to see the rise of the far right? 07.09.2026 28min

  Alternative für Deutschland has claimed a historic win in Germany, continuing the pattern of populist far-right parties gaining power across Europe. In the UK, balaclava-clad far-right protesters have marched on Dover, and then Portsmouth, trying to intimidate asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Reform UK’s conference ended with a beleaguered Nigel Farage dealing with protesters and allegations following an undercover investigation into party donors. Will far-right sentiment in Europe and the UK be a boost for Farage or a burden?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Introducing Black Box: The Chatbots 05.09.2026 39min

  New from the Guardian Investigates team: Across the world, hundreds of people have come to believe they have made extraordinary scientific discoveries with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Others say their AI has ‘awakened’, or is leading them to a higher spiritual realm. The Guardian journalist Michael Safi begins investigating a phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’, travelling to the US to meet two people who have been on weird journeys with their chatbots. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>
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  Can Zack Polanski win Keir Starmer’s old seat? 03.09.2026 22min

  The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has confirmed he will stand in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, which was triggered when Keir Starmer announced he was quitting as an MP. It’s going to be a tough race to win, so can he do it? Plus, Reform UK’s conference starts today but it’s been a rough couple of months for the party and Nigel Farage – can he hold it all together?. Help support our independent journalism at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politicspod">theguardian.com/politicspod</a>