How To Win An Election

This week the political masterminds (and Hugo) are joined by Theo Bertram, who worked in Downing Street for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. After a new book by Times journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund sheds light on the inner workings of Keir Starmer's government, is chief of staff Morgan McSweeney actually in charge? And should a new YouGov/Times poll showing Reform UK ahead of Labour f...

How much time in Number 10 is devoted to getting on with the business of government, and how much to thinking about winning the next election? Sally Morgan, one of Tony Blair's closest advisers, joins Hugo, Polly and Danny to discuss running a campaign and delivering at the same time. She explains what a political washing line is, why Liz Truss was all line and no clothes, and they compare notes o...

Keir Starmer is on a charm offensive with Donald Trump - does it give Labour's opponents an electoral advantage? The political masterminds (and Hugo) are joined by US pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson to discuss Trump's inauguration, his honeymoon (or otherwise), and Polly and Kristen disagree over Republican women. You can still vote for us in the People's Choice category at this year's Political...

With Reform closing in on Labour in the polls and questions being asked about the chancellor's political survival, how can the government get on with the day job of changing the country? The political masterminds are joined by guest Peter Hyman, former adviser to Tony Blair and Keir Starmer and architect of the government's five "missions for national renewal". And... the podcast has been shortlis...

The political masterminds (and Hugo) say farewell to Peter before he heads to Washington as the UK's ambassador to the United States. Has he packed his wellies, and could there be another comeback around the corner? Danny, Polly and Hugo also discuss who should replace him, and with local elections in England on the way - who will win the battle for control of the right of politics? Send your mess...

Peter, Polly and Danny are answering your questions this week. When has politics ruined their Christmas - or in Polly's case, a hen do? Will there be a realignment on the left to threaten Keir Starmer? Why did Jo Swinson help Boris Johnson into Downing Street? And should politicians risk a holiday? Send your messages to the political masterminds (and Hugo) at at howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsAp...

Nigel Farage's Reform UK is on a roll, but can the political masterminds see a time when he breaks the traditional two-party system? How would they advise Labour and the Tories to deal with the threat - and how would they advise Farage? They also look back to Ed Miliband's decision not to back air strikes against Syria in 2013, and Peter remembers a three-hour meeting with the country's dictator B...

The prime minister wants to blame the last government for leaving the economy in a mess, just like David Cameron did in 2010 - but is the strategy working, and for how long? The political masterminds - and Hugo - discuss the whether voters will reward Starmer for being sensible, whether he should be more like Harold Wilson, and whether any Western government can get to grips with migration. Send y...

Peter, Polly and Danny explain what goes on inside 10 Downing Street - and the Leader of the Opposition's office - in the days and hours before Prime Minister's Questions. Why is it often the only way a PM can find out what's going on in their own government, and does Kemi Badenoch have a strategy yet? How much politics is involved in the free vote on assisted dying, and why doesn't Danny own a pa...

How should Keir Starmer cope with criticism from the world's richest man (and Trump adviser) Elon Musk - ignore him, or try to build bridges through mutual friends? And how worried should the government be as farmers protest over changes to inheritance tax? The political masterminds, and Hugo, look at the parallels with protests during the Blair years. Send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny...

When you've lost an election, how do you work out what went wrong - and do you always have to blame the leader? The political masterminds (and Hugo Rifkind) look at what went wrong for Kamala Harris, and bicker (a little bit) over the Brexit referendum. And, what does Peter have to say about speculation he could be the next UK ambassador to the US? Send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly and Danny at...

The political masterminds are joined by Chatham House's Dr Leslie Vinjamuri to discuss the state of American democracy, the gender gap between US voters, and the chances of violence in the wake of the presidential election. Does Kemi Badenoch know which voters she'll be pursuing at the next election? And will increasing tuition fees damage Keir Starmer? You can send messages to Hugo, Peter, Polly...

The budget is at last upon us, and political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Hugo Rifkind to discuss how to manage such a crucial political and economic event. They also discuss the perils of political rallies, where Labour's obsession with 'working people' comes from, and why liberals love Diet Coke. If you've got a message, voice note or a cover version o...

We're answering your questions on the podcast this week, including - was it easier to manage the news agenda in the Blair and Cameron years? Will some Conservative MPs think about defecting under a new leader? And... whack-a-mole or guacamole, what's it all got to do with mushy peas? If you've got a message, voice note or a cover version of the theme tune you can contact the political masterminds...

We're in the final weeks of the race for the White House, and it could all come down to the votes of fewer people than it takes to fill two Taylor Swift concerts. Peter, Polly, Danny and Hugo are joined by Rest Is Politics US co-host Katty Kay to look at the latest on the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Just how tight are the polls, what happened to Harris's momentum, and do Europe...

Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein are back - now with added Hugo Rifkind. There's a lot to catch up on since they last met - including what's really going on with Sue Gray's departure from Number 10, Morgan McSweeney's leadership style, the saga of Starmer's suits, and is the Tory leadership contest a genuine clash of ideas? If you've got a message, voice note or a cover vers...

As the Conservatives get ready for a lengthy leadership campaign, how long could take to get back into a position where they can win - could it happen as soon as the next election, and how do they best oppose the government in the meantime? The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein look at the lessons from history, and consider how Keir Starmer will handle h...

Donald Trump has picked JD Vance as his running mate and looks on course to return to the White House. How is the UK Government preparing for Trump 2.0, and does it matter that the foreign secretary once called him a ‘neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath’? The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss the presidential election, and whethe...

It's the first week of the next election campaign, and new MPs are arriving in Westminster in their hundreds. The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to find out how the parties will manage the new intake. They also discuss the balance of power in what's left of the Conservative Party, Liz Truss's 'PopCons', and whether Tony Blair has mad...

The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley in front of a live audience to unpack the election and look forward to the next four years. Who can rescue the Conservative Party, how influential will Nigel Farage be, and can they predict Keir Starmer's first U-turn? Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0...

Election night is nearly here, but which seats will the political masterminds be keeping an eye on as the results start flooding in? Could Liz Truss provide the next 'Portillo moment'? Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to try to predict what surprises the night might have in store, and to give their verdict on Tory attacks on a 'part-time' Keir Starmer. Send...

After Joe Biden's calamitous performance in the first US presidential debate, will the Democrats have to replace him as their candidate for the White House? The political masterminds Daniel Finkelstein and Polly Mackenzie join Matt Chorley to answer your questions, including how to be authentic in politics and when is the right time to launch a leadership bid? Send questions, comments and voicenot...

It's the subject that none of the parties want to talk about - why hasn't Brexit played a bigger part in the election campaign so far? The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley as the podcast passes one million downloads. They discuss whether we'll ever rejoin the EU, whether a Keir Starmer cabinet would contain any big surprises, and why J...

We're answering your questions in another bonus episode, including: Does someone at Conservative HQ have a bet on the party being wiped out? If Labour wins, will it keep MPs at Westminster all summer while the Tories are in disarray? And who will win the 2034 election? Political masterminds Daniel Finkelstein and Polly Mackenzie join Matt Chorley to discuss all of that, and whether the Tories shou...

As ministers admit on the airwaves that a Conservative victory looks unlikely, how will a small Tory rump in Parliament oppose a new Labour government? The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt to look back at what happened in the aftermath of the 1997 Labour landslide, and to consider which way the Conservative Party will turn next. We've also had...