How To Win An Election

The political map has been redrawn in America after the Democrats won control of both houses in the midterm elections and left Donald Trump badly weakened. We're discussing what the results mean for British politics - is there a lesson for Andy Burnham about overpromising and underdelivering, and will Nigel Farage and Reform UK be damaged by his close association with the occupant of the White...

With Hugo away, Lara Spirit joins Sally, Polly and Danny to answer the crucial question after John Healey's first budget - will it help Andy Burnham win the next election? Danny warns the chancellor has charted a course for the government that will end up on the rocks, and we ask what happened to a break with 40 years of neoliberalism. We also find out why, despite Burnham's repeated denia...

As Andy Burnham approaches 100 days in office, Sally, Polly and Danny discuss the value of having a leader who is actually interested in politics - unlike Keir Starmer. Will Burnham be able to keep the party united through difficult decisions over energy and immigration, as long as he's ahead in the polls? Danny thinks he has increased the chances of Labour winning the next election with a rhe...

With the Green Party and Reform UK facing claims that they're providing a home for extremists from far left and far right, the political masterminds are looking at how to deal with entryists. Danny argues that the most important decision a political party can make is about who it won't let in, and Sally recalls fighting Labour's long battle against the Militant faction in the 1980s. We...

Kemi Badenoch has made an unashamed pitch for voters in Middle Britain with her conference promise on inheritance tax, trying to frame the next election as a battle between traditional Conservative and traditional Labour ideas. But does a focus on the 'blue wall' mean abandoning any hopes of building a broader coalition, and giving up hopes of winning voters back from Reform UK? Have compa...

Andy Burnham has outlined his vision for the country, and in the process written a good chunk of Labour's next manifesto. But could his ambitious promises cost more than the UK economy can bear? Danny argues the country can't afford his old Labour instincts, and Hugo says the party is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand. Sally thinks he's being mean. Send your comments, questi...

We're at Labour conference, where Andy Burnham is enjoying North Korean-style levels of support from party members. But how long will it last? John Healey has warned there isn't any money left, and is softening the party up for welfare cuts. The political masterminds also discuss Burnham's conference speech - should he be writing it himself, does he still need to introduce himself, and...

The polling company YouGov has released its latest MRP survey, and in a dramatic reversal of last year's findings it now projects a hung parliament, with Labour on top and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK squeezed by the rise of Restore Britain. But is it too soon for Labour and the Tories to break out the champagne, especially given the difficulty of putting together a coalition that could command a...

Does big money win elections? As Reform UK receives record sums from billionaire donors, we look at what it will take to translate the cash into votes. The team recalls the fall-out from the Bernie Ecclestone affair and the cash-for-honours scandal during the Blair years, and both Danny and Sally say they've been approached by people asking for a peerage. Plus: After the 'Gail's' strategy, what do...

Donald Trump faces accusations of bribery after promising every adult $5,000 if they vote Republican - but Danny says he advised Rishi Sunak to present tax cuts to the British public in the same way. The political masterminds also consider whether Andy Burnham made a mistake in saying national security can't come at the expense of social security, whether the British government's sanctions on Isra...

There's a by-election on the way, thanks to Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Green Party leader Zack Polanski wants to stand - just how big a risk is he taking, and could he fall flat on his face? The team have been looking into the likely scenarios. We also talk about Andy Burnham's ongoing efforts to do politics differently, and we try to give Reform advice...

Nigel Farage has seen off along list of novelty candidates to increase his majority in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader says it's a resounding victory, but over whom? And if it was, why wasn't he been out trumpeting the result? The political masterminds (well, most of them) return from their summer break to explain what the outcome means for the general election, and whether the 'Burn...

Andy Burnham’s first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - but can he keep everyone happy and still balance the books? Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny look at the prime minister’s first week in power, from his plans for public services and tax cuts, to the questions over how he will pay for them.  They also discuss John Healey’s appointment as Chancellor, the fallout from the purge...

Andy Burnham will soon be making his first speech from Downing Street as prime minister - how will he introduce himself to the nation? The team discuss striking the right balance between optimism and acknowledging the scale of the challenge, and look back at their role in preparing speeches for Tony Blair, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. And, does the choice of lectern actually matter? We also answe...

This week the political masterminds are answering more of your questions. Does Andy Burnham risk becoming all things to all people, and will that inevitably result in disappointment? What jobs would Sally, Polly and Danny have in No 10 North? Have former military figures seized the agenda over defence spending, and is Labour worrying enough about a possible Tory revival? Send your voicenotes, ques...

Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as an MP, saying he will fight a 'people versus the establishment' by-election in Clacton. Is it a high risk stunt by the Reform UK leader? When have by-elections backfired in the past, and will it make questions about his finances, and his future, go away? Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny analyse Farage's gamble. Send your questions, comments and voicenotes...

What have we learned so far about Andy Burnham's plan for government? Danny has been reading his book, Head North, and thinks he's proposing a clear left turn when it comes to the economy and public services. Does Burnham's vision of a more devolved United Kingdom add up to an electoral strategy, or is that actually coming from Morgan McSweeney's playbook? Plus: We're joined by comedian and host o...

The team bring their years of experience inside Downing Street to the question of how Andy Burnham will construct his cabinet, and who he could pick as chancellor. After the return of James Purnell as chief of staff, is there a risk of having too many veterans of the Blair and Brown years back in power? And - Polly sets out her vision for replacing Chequers with a Mar-a-Lago-style resort in Blackp...

Sally and Danny join Hugo for this extra episode to examine the Keir Starmer legacy - if there is one - and ask whether Andy Burnham could be a more consequential leader than the consensus gives him credit for. And, how will Reform UK attack Burnham - can they make the label 'Captain Flip-flop' stick? Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Andy Burnham has won, and won big in the Makerfield by-election - what happens next in Downing Street and the Labour Party, and what does it all mean for the next general election? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss Keir Starmer's insistence he won't walk away from No 10, the reaction of the cabinet, who will get the top jobs in a Burnham government, and whether Reform UK will need to change str...

We're only a week away from the Makerfield by-election, when voters could choose the next prime minister. If Andy Burnham wins, what happens in the hours and days after he arrives in Westminster? Will he seize the moment and try to challenge Keir Starmer immediately, or wait until he has a plan for running the country? And if he wins, what does it mean for Reform UK's electoral strategy? We also l...

How is Andy Burnham defining his vision for the country as he tries to win the Makerfield by-election? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss whether the (possible) next prime minister can really wind back the clock back 40 years, whether Nigel Farage has taken a risk in his response to the murder of Henry Nowak, and whether Kemi Badenoch can define Labour as the party of welfare. Send your messages...

Former cabinet minister, former deputy prime minister, big beast of the Tory jungle - Lord Heseltine joins us for our series looking at how the most significant elections of our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost. He takes us back to the 1983 general election. Margaret Thatcher was fresh from victory in the Falklands, Labour offered voters the 'longest suicide vote in history', and the pol...

The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform wins, then it will clear Nigel Farage's path to power and plunge the government into (further) chaos. Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) weigh up who is the underdog, whether Wes Streeting will run against Burnham, and whether a victorious Burn...

The struggle for the future of the Labour Party, and the country, has begun, even as Keir Starmer tries to hang on. The political masterminds look at the potential pitfalls for Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham - and discuss whether Labour should give up on its working class roots and try instead to unite liberal Britain. Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetime...