Political Currency

Ed Balls and George Osborne are back with more of your questions. Is the minimum wage making life harder for businesses? Which party will our next female Prime Minister hail from? Does Keir Starmer have enough charisma to maintain his leadership? Ed and George also reveal their best ever celebrity meetings - although George’s turns out to be a little too hip for Ed. And if you’ve ever wondered if...

It’s been a week of missteps for Rishi Sunak - an uncomfortable bet struck with Piers Morgan over Rwanda and a jibe gone wrong at PMQs - plus Liz Truss and her PopCon launch can’t have helped. Is this a precursor to the next leadership contest - or just misguided lessons in popularity with one of the least popular PMs of all time? In Labour land, the party’s £28 billion on green spending U-turn is...

On this week's Ex-minister’s Questions, a listeners asks if Matt Hancock has simply been misunderstood? No guesses for which way Ed and George fall on that one. They’re also tackling social care policy, Sunday opening hours, and the real meaning of 'Chatham House rules'. Speaking of which, we've had correspondence from an anonymous source with a revelation about Rishi Sunak and a disappearing vide...

Wednesday marked the four-year anniversary of Brexit. Passed you by? Don’t worry, George admits he deleted the celebratory email from Tory HQ in protest. One old legacy of EU regulation is the bankers’ bonus cap, which Rachel Reeves revealed Labour would not reinstate if it won the election. Ed thinks she might be boxing herself in. He and George debate whether Britain has capitalised on its freed...

Ed and George tackle more Ex-Ministers’ Questions. What are the best nicknames they’ve heard in politics? Is it time to radically rethink the NHS? How can the Israel-Palestine conflict be talked about in a way that’s respectful to both sides? And George reveals one of the strangest rules in the House of Commons... may contain references to snorting - you have been warned! To send in your questions...

Has Rishi Sunak survived his first attempted coup? It might look like Simon Clarke’s amounted to nothing but Ed and George think it might be too soon to tell whether he’s failed yet. They have plenty of insights into plots past, and the many ways they can fizzle, burn, or downright engulf a prime minister. Elsewhere in politics, the UK tax burden has been drifting up to a rate not seen since...

Ed and George are back to answer more of your Ex-Ministers' Questions. Who would lead a crisis during coalition negotiations? How do you prepare for PMQs? George and Ed discuss how they changed how the monarchy is financed. George reveals his double-life as leader of the Labour party. And Ed is grilled about kicking Susanna Reid in the head on live TV… To send in your questions for next week's epi...

Rishi Sunak survived Tory mutiny over the Rwanda policy, but he’s not out of the woods just yet. Ed and George explain why his road to election 2024 still faces huge problems. Meanwhile, George has been in Davos this week. He reveals his celebrity spots - including Sting - as well as the global mood on the economy. But is this more than just a glitzy who’s who? Ed thinks it's a prime opportunity f...

Welcome to our first edition of EMQs - Ex-Ministers' Questions... see what we did there?. Every Monday, our ex-ministers will take your questions. Ed Balls and George Osborne will also hear from some influential and famous voices. In our first episode: did the Lib Dems agree to ditch their pledge on tuition fees during the coalition talks? What is the Barnett formula and is it fair? And why are Sp...

General election fever begins as George shares his insider tip on when the country can expect to go to the polls. But the new year has kicked off with new problems for political leaders. What do they need to get in order first?  How can they tackle a much older issue that’s been dominating politics this week? The ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has captured the public’s imagination and...

After two days of negotiations, the Conservatives had begun to worry a deal was slipping through their fingers. So what shifted to put David Cameron in Number 10? Danny Alexander is back with Ed and George to relive the five tense days in 2010 that led to a coalition government between the Tories and the Lib Dems. In our second instalment, Ed and George grill Nick Clegg’s former Chief of Staff and...

To the shock of the whole country, the 2010 general election delivered a hung parliament. The result kick-started five days of arguments and negotiations as the real race to Number 10 began between Gordon Brown and David Cameron, with Nick Clegg as kingmaker. In this special episode, Ed Balls and George Osborne are joined by Danny Alexander, who was Nick Clegg's Chief of Staff and the Lib Dem lead...

Ed and George answer questions from some very special guests... Jeremy Hunt asks about the power budgets can have on elections, Stephen Fry grills George on the Elgin Marbles, and Susannah Reid wants to know what Ed and George think is the most significant TV interview they’ve seen.  As we head into an election year, they reminisce on their first time as candidates, how they met their big pol...

George comes bearing gifts… the news of a winter election next year. As parliament winds down for Christmas, Ed and George reveal there’s no rest for politicians. The mood in the Tory party is gloomy, but could this be a critical moment for the opposition to strike? Cameron, Starmer and Sunak have all been calling for a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza. But is there such a thing? George throws down...

It’s not just Rishi Sunak’s approval rating which has taken a battering. Keir Starmer has his own popularity problem. Why? The so-called ‘five families’ of the Tory party threaten to “go to the mattresses” over the Rwanda bill, but end up bottling it. Is Mark Francois really the next Don Corleone?  Ukraine’s President Zelensky has embarked on a world tour, pleading for more money for the Ukra...

Another week… another meltdown for the Conservatives. Ed and George ask whether the Tory civil wars have been reignited by the rift over Rwanda and Robert Jenrick’s shock resignation. Is Sunak’s position weaker than ever? Meanwhile former prime ministers haunt party leaders wherever they go. Boris Johnson is giving evidence at the Covid inquiry, painting a picture of chaos during his tenure. Georg...

The Autumn Statement hasn’t delivered the stability and calm that Sunak and Hunt likely hoped for. A rift in the party over immigration, a chaotic Covid inquiry and to top it off, a diplomatic incident with the Greek PM over the Parthenon Sculptures. In a week where Sunak hoped his Global Investment Summit would grab the headlines, why are the Tories failing to land their message? Meanwhile, it's...

The Autumn Statement continues to ripple through Westminster, and a new energy price cap puts the cost of living back into the spotlight. As the Chancellor continues his media rounds and Labour weighs in with their response, Ed and George share their experiences of the political traps set by big budget shakeups.  Meanwhile, immigration is the big topic around the world today, as new migration...

George and Ed react to Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement. Is he really the tax cutting Chancellor he's claiming to be, and are we on course for an early election? And we’ll be back again tomorrow with more detail on the Chancellor’s plans as the picture becomes clearer. Email: questions@persephonica.com Exec producer: Dino Sofos Producer: Rachel Balmer Production Manager: Flick Heath Political Curren...

It’s been a wild week in Westminster and it’s starting to look like the Tories are losing their grip. Ed and George chew over the Supreme Court’s judgment on Rwanda and what it means for Sunak. Could his new Foreign Secretary slam the brakes on some Tories’ hopes to leave the ECHR? Meanwhile, Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion of his MPs over the SNP’s ceasefire amendment. Ed explains why this is...

Rishi Sunak has finally sacked Suella Braverman, and the reshuffle has opened the door for the most unlikely return to politics: David Cameron.  In our first HOT TAKE bonus episode, Ed Balls and George Osborne - his closest political friend - brings us the inside scoop on our new Foreign Secretary. Email questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk Follow us on social media: @polcurrency Exec producers:...

Suella Braverman has attacked the Met Police Chief’s decision to allow the pro-Palestine march this Saturday, putting Rishi Sunak in a tricky position. Ed asks George whether firing her is the only option. Civil servants and ministers are currently scrambling around the Treasury to get everything ready for the upcoming Autumn Statement. All eyes will be on Jeremy Hunt: will he survive his big mome...

It was Dominic Cummings' turn at the Covid inquiry this week and - as George predicted - we heard about the misogynistic language being used in Boris Johnson's Number 10. What does it reveal about the toxic culture operating in Westminster at that time? And why this isn't ancient history for the Tories. Trouble is still brewing for Keir Starmer over his party's response to the Israel-Gaza conflict...

Keir Starmer has shifted his position on Gaza. But he’s still not calling for a ceasefire. Has this incident been a wake up call for the Labour party? George Osborne reveals that we’ll be hearing about some “shocking and disgusting” messages sent by Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings at the Covid inquiry next week. And we’re joined by Matt Clifford, Rishi Sunak’s representative for the AI Safety S...

Keir Starmer’s potentially got his party into hot water this week over his position on Israel’s right to defend herself - what should he do next? And what risk does it pose to Labour support in any upcoming elections? Speaking of elections: As we await results of two by-elections, George and Ed give their predictions and share memories of outgoing Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries.  George h...