Electoral Dysfunction

Rachel Reeves says if Nigel Farage wants to "spend the summer arguing with a bin" then that's up to him. The Reform leader triggered a by-election by resigning this week. He is standing again to fight for the seat. Count Binface is one of those planning to stand against him in Clacton but the main parties won't be there. Beth, Ruth and Harriet dig into whether there are cracks in Farage's plan to...

The New Labour band might be getting back together around Burnham’s cabinet table. Good for nostalgia, but the women have other thoughts if there are set to be two Milibands in the great offices of state and no women. This week, Harriet tells Beth and Ruth this week that trust is broken between female Labour MPs and the top of the party, and now they’re expecting hard proof from Burnham that he se...

Andy Burnham is closing in on Downing Street as Nigel Farage endures a tricky political week. But does Burnham actually have a mandate to be Prime Minister? Or should we have a general election? Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman give their takes on what Burnham's first 100 Days could look like and who might be in his cabinet, including the all-important role of chancellor. Harriet says...

The prime minister has resigned after less than two years in Downing Street. In this extra episode, Beth Rigby and Harriet Harman react to a dramatic morning in Westminster and ask the question now hanging over Labour: has the party failed, or is this the reset it desperately needed? And could Andy Burnham be the answer? Beth takes listeners inside the final hours of Starmer's premiership, from ca...

Andy Burnham is coming back to Westminster – is he about to become prime minister? And could Sir Keir Starmer be in denial? After a stunning victory in the Makerfield by-election, Burnham has gone from mayor of Greater Manchester to Labour MP, instantly kickstarting the speculation about a challenge to Starmer's leadership. So is this the beginning of the end for Starmer and will his MPs turn agai...

Find out how to subscribe to our members' club, Sky News Insider, here: https://skynews.com/electoraldysfunction Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman, Jess Phillips and Ruth Davidson are back early this week with details of the first ever Electoral Dysfunction members’ only episode. To listen to the full podcast, follow the link above for all the information. In her first podcast back with the ED gang since...

As we sat down to get voters’ verdicts on the prime minister in Makerfield, he suffered yet another massive headache – his Defence Secretary, John Healey, resigned. And a few hours later, two more resignations. How weak is Keir Starmer now? And is this a problem for the safety of the UK? Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson, and Harriet Harman hear from locals voting next week - do they think Andy Burnham is...

"Pure cold rage": Will Nigel Farage regret his intervention over the murder of Henry Nowak? Beth, Ruth and Harriet discuss whether Farage is pandering to the far right, or if he has a point about "two-tier policing" in Britain. And, as Nicola Sturgeon attempts to distance herself from her estranged husband Peter Murrell – Ruth asks if her legacy is now forever tarnished. Nicola Sturgeon has said s...

Beth has a punchy exclusive interview with Andy Burnham for this extra episode of Electoral Dysfunction. Saying the quiet bit out loud, Beth asks if Burnham is using this as his path to Number 10 Downing Street or whether he would be loyal as an MP and serve in Keir Starmer’s cabinet? You might want to watch on YouTube to see his response... She also asks how Burnham's ideas for the country are di...

Is the UK on its way to becoming ungovernable? And what does a £5m gift to Nigel Farage from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne tell us about scrutiny and transparency in British politics? Harriet Harman, Beth Rigby and Ruth Davidson discuss in a special live edition of the pod, recorded at the Hay Festival. Plus, Harriet offers advice to Green Party leader Zack Polanski on how to handle his...

Reality show Married At First Sight UK on Channel 4 is facing serious allegations this week, so Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson, and Harriet Harman discuss whether more should be done to make reality TV safer – and if MPs ought to get involved. Plus, with three by-elections coming up, has Andy Burnham’s bid to return to Westminster thrown the constituency of Makerfield into chaos? And why might the Nort...

Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting - the list of potential names to challenge Keir Starmer is growing but the leadership race is not officially on... yet. Jess Phillips, who resigned from the government this week, tells Beth why she's backing Wes Streeting in a future race and why Andy Burnham needs to be careful he doesn't look entitled as he searches for a parliamentary seat. She also gi...

Less than two years into his stint, could it all be over for Keir Starmer? The drama is high after a handful of his government ministers have now resigned, and more than eighty MPs are now calling for the PM to go – so can the Prime Minister continue to hold firm? Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman are back with an extra episode to discuss whether Keir Starmer can keep his job, and who h...

UK politics has been reshaped after a bloodbath for Labour in the May elections, so what’s next for Keir Starmer and his Government? It was a historic night for both Reform UK and the Green Party – but will their gains translate when it comes to a general election? And can Nigel Farage keep up his momentum? Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman break down the results coming out of Scotland,...

If Labour's election losses are as bad as some experts predict, Keir Starmer might need a cabinet reshuffle to try to show some strength of leadership. Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson discuss the risks of that and why it might be counter-productive for the PM. Plus, pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common returns to chat about the Senedd elections in Wales – why has the voting system c...

Sir Keir Starmer says he has "put to bed" the row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador – but it looks set to rumble on for the PM. Starmer's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has now been summoned to give evidence to the Commons, as well as Sir Olly Robbins's predecessor at the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton. Beth explains why Barton's evidence could end up being "box o...

Keir Starmer says that if he'd known Peter Mandelson had failed his vetting, he would never have appointed him US ambassador. The PM told the MPs that civil servants in the Foreign Office had made a "deliberate decision" not to tell him, and that it "beggars belief" that he didn’t know. This is a story full of political process, about whether rules were followed. But for many it may just boil down...

Are voters about to hand Nigel Farage his biggest win yet? Reform are polling in second place in Scotland, and while Farage’s party might not win in May, could the result change politics in the UK as we know it? This podcast was recorded on Thursday morning before the news that Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting. Beth, Ruth and Harriet dive into what’s really driving this moment for Refor...

The world is reeling, thanks (again) to US President Donald Trump -who started his week by threatening to kill a “whole civilisation”... and is ending it by insulting his NATO allies. It’s left Harriet asking just how Trump got to be so out of control - and how did the checks and balances designed to rein him in fail so spectacularly? Ruth and Harriet discuss whether Trump’s chaotic leadership sty...

It's an Easter special - so grab yourself a hot cross bun and listen in as Beth, Ruth and Harriet answer all of your questions. From whether Zack Polanski and Nigel Farage might have more in common than they think, to if Ruth and Harriet are ever tempted to make a return to frontline politics - all are up for discussion. Plus - Ruth and Harriet go head-to-head over why Labour has never had a femal...

Beth is in Helsinki with the Prime Minister for an exclusive interview for the podcast. Keir Starmer has said he "hates the fact" that he made a "mistake" over the appointment of Peter Mandelson. "I dwell on it. I beat myself up about it," he told Beth, who is accompanying him on a visit to Finland, where he is taking part in a leaders' summit. Beth also questions him about his relationship with T...

Angela Rayner has stepped back in the spotlight this week and straight into controversy. Her blunt intervention - warning the government is running out of time, criticising its record on “change” and calling parts of Labour’s immigration policy “un-British” - has sparked a big question: is Rayner simply saying what others are thinking, or going too far? Harriet certainly thinks it’s a bit much. Sh...

Keir Starmer has already admitted appointing Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador was a mistake. But after the first batch of documents was released, Beth, Ruth and Harriet ask the big question: we still don’t know how big that ‘mistake’ it was – could it get worse with what is yet to come out about what the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein? In this episode we br...

President Donald Trump has said he was “very disappointed” in Keir Starmer. Did the Prime Minister fall short of his reputation on the international stage? Or has he put Britain first by standing up to Trump? And will we look back at this moment as a success for him? It’s been a huge week in the Middle East with global repercussions and Beth, Ruth and Harriet are discussing how Keir Starmer has de...

Harriet thinks the Greens delivered a "bruising" defeat to Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, so is Keir Starmer now worried about the local elections in May? The Gorton and Denton by-election result on Friday was a shock for Labour, who Beth says were convinced they would hold on to this once safe seat for the party. And the Greens now have a new MP in Hannah Spencer. Is this a sign of...