Commons People

Rishi Sunak this week delivered a £30bn mini-budget designed to save jobs from the deep recession caused by coronavirus. The chancellor again came forward with radical state intervention proposals while keeping backbench Tory MPs eager for low tax, small state economics happy. But were the plans radical enough? Labour peer and Gordon Brown’s former adviser Stewart Wood goes through details with Ar...

Boris Johnson tried to reset the agenda on his premiership this week ahead of the lockdown all but lifting, setting out a “new deal” in the mould of Franklin D Roosevelt to get Britain to flourish once more following the coronavirus pandemic. But was he bold enough during the crisis itself? While Johnson was taking to the stage, a local flare up of cases in Leicester, China’s moves on Hong Kong an...

After three months, Britain’s lockdown is coming to an end after Boris Johnson announced the openings of pubs, restaurants and other venues from July 4. But is it a risk? And what about those, particularly in the arts, that are still not yet allowed to fully reopen? Recorded before Rebecca Long-Bailey’s sacking, Labour’s shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel We...

While Boris Johnson was discussing the boarding up of Churchill’s statue, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was campaigning for free school meals over the summer. Rashford’s open letter to the government saw a U-turn within 48 hours. With schools reopening also causing consternation, it hints at a government unsure of which way to turn. Conservative MP Robert Halfon joins Arj Singh, Paul W...

George Floyd’s death continued to reverberate around the world this week, with protests in Bristol leading to the tearing down of Edward Colston’s statue due to his links to the slave trade. Is Britain finally facing up to the systemic racism present in the country? One person not facing up to his failings is Boris Johnson, as the government continues to ignore calls to say mistakes were made in t...

Coronavirus news took a backseat as the protests against racial injustice fanned across the world following George Floyd’s death in custody of Minneapolis police. Britain too had tough questions to answer as a report detailing the disproportionate effects of coronavirus on Black and minority ethnic (BAME) people was published. Conservative MP Bim Afolami joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wear...

The government has announced its new test and trace system as well as easing some lockdown restrictions but the only news people are talking about is Dominic Cummings and his lockdown eye test. Boris Johnson has staked a lot on sticking by his adviser, but is the Vote Leave guru worth the price? Joining Arj Singh and Paul Waugh, former Tory special adviser Salma Shah and former Labour adviser Matt...

Nicola Sturgeon has now laid out Scotland’s lockdown exit strategy, a week after breaking with Boris Johnson and opposing the easing of restrictions that happened in England. Many think the Scottish first minister has handled the pandemic response better than the UK PM, but does it hold up under scrutiny? Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmout...

Britain was told to ease itself back to work as Boris Johnson’s government tries to devise a lockdown exit strategy that keeps the coronavirus at bay without long-term damage to the economy. Confused messaging from the government however has led to difficult questions, particularly those from Keir Starmer at PMQs. Does Boris Johnson have the answers? Questions too are beginning to be asked of Chin...

Boris Johnson went toe-to-toe with Sir Keir Starmer for the first time in PMQs this week, with Labour’s leader impressing many. But what is his long-term strategy and how is he managing the one thing he can control - the Labour party? Meanwhile as the prime minister prepares for a minor easing of the coronavirus lockdown, there is no end in sight for the UK’s theatres, music venues and comedy club...

Boris Johnson capped off an eventful April as prime minister with the birth of his son with partner Carrie Symonds, two days after returning from three weeks off with severe coronavirus. Has the last month changed the prime minister’s outlook on the crisis? Top of his to do list is when and how to end the lockdown so the country can begin to get back to some semblance of normality, with Johnson’s...

The government seems unable to give a straight answer on a range of questions as problems with PPE persist and no sign of an exit strategy being presented to the public. Is no one able to make decisions during Boris Johnson’s absence?  As the country continues to strive through the lockdown, worries about the economy are being joined by the affects it is having one the public, particularly for sch...

An unsettling week for Westminster as prime minister Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care with coronavirus. His admission to hospital left Dominic Raab as de facto PM whilst Johnson recovers but who’s now running the government’s handling of the pandemic as it enters the peak for the UK? For Labour, their search for a new leader is finally over as Keir Starmer won the vote to take over fro...

As the second week of Britain’s lockdown comes to an end, the government’s response to coronavirus is beginning to come under attack. As Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and Chris Whitty self-isolate, a lack of answers over testing and protective equipment is prompting scathing criticism. Where have ministers gone wrong, and can they fix it? Senior Conservative MP and chair of the Commons science commi...

Boris Johnson has put Britain on lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus across the country. Businesses are shut with the public asked to only leave their homes for essential travel or exercise. But has the message been muddled? And did the response come fast enough? Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth via video call to discuss the government’s...

A truly unprecedented week in Westminster, as prime minister Boris Johnson told the country to stay at home as Britain begins to edge towards the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The public were urged to stay away from pubs, theatres, schools and work from home to try protect those more in immediate risk from Covid-19. The monumental change to how we live now has shocked markets worldwide, with t...

The march of the coronavirus across the world dominated headlines this week, with Westminster having its first diagnosed cases and the government moving to delay phase to try limit its spread. Is Boris Johnson’s team listening to the right advice? Labour MP and A&E doctor Rosena Allin-Khan joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth to discuss the government’s response, as well as running...

Britain is ramping up its response to the coronavirus outbreak, with the Vote Leave government suddenly listening to “the experts”. But pandemic fears have failed to distract from the alleged bullying scandal engulfing home secretary Priti Patel. Can she hang on in the cabinet? Labour MP David Lammy joins Arj Singh and Paul Waugh to discuss all of this, and his new book Tribes, an exploration of h...

Priti Patel’s former special adviser James Starkie joins the team to give his verdict on the explosive briefing war engulfing the home secretary and her officials. The former Vote Leave ally of Dominic Cummings also explains why Boris Johnson’s controversial aide is going nowhere. And the team dissect the UK and EU’s opening negotiating positions to ask: what is the point of the PM’s hardline push...

Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle has all of Westminster buzzing, with the shock resignation of Chancellor Sajid Javid. What does it reveal about how this government will go about their work? Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth discuss the cabinet reshuffle with Sajid Javid’s former special advisor Salma Shah. Make sense of politics. Sign up to the Waugh Zone and get the political day in a...

A week after Brexit and Boris Johnson has outlined a tough opening position for trade negotiations by talking up an Australia-style relationship, but does it mean anything? It’s hard for journalists to really take a look with the government taking a Trumpian turn by trying to lock out critical media from a key briefing this week. Meanwhile, Labour’s leadership election lets the prime minister run...

Tory MP and foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat joins Arj Singh and Paul Waugh to discuss why he's been so vocal in his concern about Chinese tech giant Huawei being given a role in Britain's 5G infrastructure. Also on the podcast, the trio look at the other big decisions set to define Boris Johnson’s first year in office and what happens now Brexit is happening. Make sense of politics....

With Brexit legislation sailing through the Commons, Boris Johnson has turned his attention to the domestic agenda as decisions on HS2, Huawai’s involvement in communications and a cabinet reshuffle land in his inbox. Conservative MP Bim Afolami joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth on what we can expect from the government and who from the Labour leadership contest could trouble them i...

As leadership candidates launch their campaigns to woo Labour voters, Boris Johnson goes about work in Westminster. The government’s rescue of Flybe has raised eyebrows, while in foreign affairs he’s called on Donald Trump to give the UK a new Iranian deal to back. Are we beginning to see the formation of Johnson-ism? Joining Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock ex...

Labour MP Rachel Reeves joins the HuffPost UK politics team to adjust to the new year and the new order of British politics. With Labour searching for a new leader, Reeves gives her thoughts on what the party needs to do to win the next election. And the team digest Boris Johnson’s response to a week in which the US and Iran reached the brink of war. Make sense of politics. Sign up to the Waugh Zo...