Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

In case you missed it: back in August 2023 Hugh talked to New Yorker magazine writer Clare Malone about the US presidential election, still then in its early stages. They also discussed the role of legacy media and new media in American politics. This is the first of three back catalogue episodes to come. Inside Politics will return to its regular episodes from January 6th. Would you like to recei...

In December the Inside Politics team discussed the year in politics and the aftermath of the general election in front of an audience at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin city centre. Joining Hugh, Pat, Jen and Harry for part of the show was Irish Times soccer columnist and Second Captains podcaster Ken Early, who gave his take on the election, what motivates people to vote the way they do, why Sinn F...

Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part two of our annual "ask me anything" to consider many excellent questions submitted by listeners. Thanks to everyone who sent in their questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast this year. From everyone on the Inside Politics team, we wish you a happy 2025. Would you like to receive daily insights into wor...

Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part one of our annual "ask me anything" session. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast in 2024. Happy Christmas from everyone on the Inside Politics team. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global...

It's our final Friday wrap of the year and Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to discuss the week in politics: The large influx of fresh TDs has brought a welcome joy and lack of cynicism to Leinster House. But the main event of the week was the election of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle after some old-fashioned back-room dealing. Just how and why did it come about? The Regional Group...

Hugh talks to former Minister for Housing and Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South Eoghan Murphy, whose recent memoir Running From Office explores how his once-promising political career went off the rails, how he struggled to get to grips with the housing crisis and what being a member of a cabinet and of Fine Gael looks like from the inside. Would you like to receive daily insights into world event...

Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics: ·      With Labour set to exit coalition talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the likelihood of Independents making up the small number of TDs needed to form the next government increases. Could consensus be harder to find on issues like climate change if the next gov...

British journalist Lewis Goodall is cohost of the UK's most popular news podcast, The News Agents. Today he talks to Hugh about the year in UK politics: why Keir Starmer has struggled to get a grip on governing, the lingering impact of Brexit and how Labour's numerical victory has hidden the fragmentation of political support across the spectrum. Then Lewis tells Hugh how the Irish general electio...

Post-election negotiations - or “government formation speed dating” as such discussions are now also known - have been happening throughout the week, and on today’s Inside Politics podcast Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to discuss the main moves: On Friday the Social Democrats said they would not form a negotiating pact with Labour , closing the door to an idea floated by Labou...

When it came to picking an alternative government, it felt to many like there was little real choice in the election just held. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil always looked likely to return to government, with only the details to be ironed out. And so it proved. So where does that leave Irish politics? Is there any prospect of a change in the landscape before the next general election that presents vot...

The general election is over and talk has turned to the aftermath. For that some means government formation, for others it means new roles in opposition or the painful process of party rebuilding. We'll be covering all that on our regular episodes of Inside Politics but, for now, it's goodbye from Election Daily. Thanks to all our listeners over the past four weeks. On this final episode, Pat Leah...

Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about what has been happening in count centres around the country as the final seats are filled. Plus, Jack brings to life in audio what he is calling the greatest every count centre video, featuring Fianna Fáil's Andrias Moynihan and Michael Moynihan being hoisted aloft upon winning seats in Cork North West. You can watch that video here...

INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE Harry McGee, Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about a dramatic day in count centres across the country: Gangland figure Gerard Hutch began the day looking like he would take a seat in Dublin Central - but was overtaken in dramatic fashion by Labour’s Marie Sherlock. The Greens have lost all their seats but one: t...

Jack Horgan-Jones joins Hugh Linehan to analyse the latest news from count centres across the country. First count results are starting to trickle in with Fine Gael’s Jennifer Carroll MacNeill the first TD to be elected after meeting the quota in Dún Laoghaire . Tallies indicate that Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty will romp home in Donegal. Controversial Senator John McGahon unlikely to win a seat in...

Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to look at the early indications from count centres and think about what sort of coalitions might emerge. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to share the results of The Irish Times exit poll for the 2024 general election. The three largest parties of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin are on course for a tight finish in their share of the vote in general election 2024, according to the results of an exit...

INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE ! Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to discuss today on trail of the 2024 general election: It's the last day of campaigning and the leaders of the three largest parties have been communicating their final messages to the electorate: Mary Lou McDonald seemed at ease as she asked voters to give their second...

INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for a look at today's events on the campaign trail. Sinn Féin's leasehold policy has been criticised by other parties, at times with little concrete justification. But has the party itself done enough to clarify how workable the scheme is? In the closing stages of this campaign, pl...

INSIDE POLITICS LIVE SHOW WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11TH - DUBLIN. TICKETS HERE Housing will be one of the issues foremost in voters' minds when they go to the polls on Friday. But after an election campaign low on genuine debate, they'll be forgiven for some confusion over the detail of which party has promised what to whom. So what exactly are the different parties promising to do on housing? When it c...

What were the most important moments in tonight's debate between Mary Lou McDonald, Micheál Martin and Simon Harris - and who came out on top? Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones were watching. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See...

Bringing you all today's news from the campaign trail, Sarah Burns and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to discuss: A story about a Fine Gael staffer trying to influence how RTÉ reported on Simon Harris's disastrous interaction with disability care worker Charlotte Fallon is dragging the story through another news cycle. With just days until voting day, it is not what the party needs right now. Ca...

Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to discuss today's news from the campaign trail: Reaction from Mary Lou McDonald (delight) and Simon Harris (dismay) to this morning's Ipsos B&A poll from The Irish Times that put Fine Gael in third place behind Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil. Also today, Simon Harris offered very limited support to the embattled candidacy of Senator John McGa...

The final Irish Times Ipsos B&A poll of the campaign reveals a stark reversal of fortunes for Fine Gael and Taoiseach Simon Harris, with the party dropping by six points back to third place, just behind Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. The results put even more pressure on Harris to perform well and win over voters in Tuesday night's televised debate with Micheal Martin and Mary Lou McDonald. Would...

In the second in our AMA series with leaders of the three largest parties, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin answers listener questions on a range of issues including looming threats to Ireland's economic model and what he would prioritise in the event of a downturn, why Fianna Fáil won't go as far as some other parties say they will to strengthen tenant's rights, red lines in coalition negotiatio...

Social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh for our latest election podcast: Kitty interviewed independent candidate for Dublin North West and city councillor Gavin Pepper, who insists he's neither far right nor anti-immigrant. Rather, he is against "illegal immigration". But the slogan "Ireland is full" is open to interpretation. What do Pepper's supporters really w...