OppositionCast

In this special bonus episode, Dr Nigel Fletcher takes OppositionCast listeners to the first stop on his party conference tour, spending a day at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham. He speaks to Nigel Farage, interviews a recent defector from the Conservatives and watches as the leader's speech is interrupted by protesters. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletc...

With parliament back from the summer recess and the autumn party conference season about to begin, we limber up for our conference road trip by catching up with a busy week in UK opposition politics. There's a new leader of the Green Party and pressure on the government from opposition parties over the Deputy Prime Minister's tax affairs. We also hear from Jeremy Corbyn about his new party, Ed Dav...

As parliament breaks up for the summer recess, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has taken the opportunity to refresh her frontbench team, with a reshuffle that has seen the return of former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to the Shadow Cabinet. Will the changes be enough to boost Conservative fortunes? Will anybody actually notice? And where are Nigel and Sarah going on the party conference...

As Labour marks a year in office, there aren't many birthday celebrations in a week that saw a damaging rebellion over welfare cuts and speculation about the future of the Chancellor. Nigel and Sarah look back over the last year and consider the fragmented nature of opposition to the government. Plus we talk to the guru of parliamentary rebellions, Professor Philip Cowley of Queen Mary, University...

We're back! It's a new year (OK, it's five months into a new year), and Nigel and Sarah have a lot to discuss - from the Conservative Party in the UK slipping to 4th place in the polls to the surprise defeat of opposition parties in Australia and Canada. What does the triumph of Reform UK in the English local elections mean for the Conservative and Labour Parties? What is the "Trump effect"? And w...

As 2024 draws to a close, Nigel and Sarah present our festive special, looking back on a major year for opposition parties and elections. Amid the Christmas wrapping and mince pies, they look at the moments, campaigns and leaders of the year. Nigel also heads to the pub to catch up with the editor of the Times Diary for some reflections on the more light-hearted stories 2024 has brought. Produced...

As a new Leader of the Opposition, it's important to make a good first impression - and commentators have been quick to give their initial verdicts on Kemi Badenoch. But how did previous opposition leaders present themselves in their very first public statements in the job? Nigel gets back in his TARDIS to find out. Meanwhile, Sarah has abandoned impartiality and been out supporting the (rather no...

As the dust settles after Donald Trump's victory in the US Presidential election, our transatlantic election podcasting reaches its finale. Sarah joins us from New York, having been in California for polling day, and gives us her take on how the result went down in Kamala Harris's home state. Back in London, Nigel runs through the Shadow Cabinet appointments that have now been made by new Conserva...

We have a result! The long Conservative leadership contest comes to an end with the election of Kemi Badenoch, who takes over as the new Leader of His Majesty's Opposition. Once again, Nigel Fletcher was in the room where it happened. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US Presidential Election reaches its climax, and Sarah has travelled to Los Angeles in California for election day. She gives...

Plot twist! We're back with an extra episode after the final MPs' ballot in the Conservative leadership election produced a shock result that few commentators or politicians saw coming. Nigel was in Committee Room 14 of the House of Commons as the result was read out and talks to Sarah about what might have happened... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and S...

With the sudden resignation at the weekend of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, Sue Gray, what does the turmoil in Number 10 says about how well Labour prepared for government? And with the party conference season wrapping up last week with the Conservatives in Birmingham, Nigel and Sarah discuss the leadership speeches from the final four candidates, before MPs whittle them down to the final t...

With the Labour Party back in government after 14 years of opposition, Nigel heads up to Liverpool to the party's conference fringe and finds a surprisingly subdued mood, accompanied by dark clouds and driving rain. We hear analysis from polling guru John Curtice on the outcome of this year's General Election, discussion of the culture wars with More in Common's Luke Tryl, and discussion of the st...

It's party conference season, and Sir Ed Davey has kicked things off by arriving at his Lib Dem gathering in Brighton on a jet ski, whilst Nigel Farage has rallied his Reform UK troops in Birmingham. Over in the USA, it's now over a week since the Trump/Harris debate - has it moved the polls, or is the race still too close to call? With Sarah in New York and Nigel minding the shop in London, we di...

We're back - and we've gone transatlantic! With the US election looming, Sarah has headed Stateside, and joins us from New York, where she'll be based to provide exclusive coverage and insights into the campaign there. Meanwhile, Nigel remains here in London and has been keeping his eye on Westminster, where Keir Starmer is facing internal opposition from Labour MPs, and the Tory leadership electi...

As parliament rises for its summer recess, MPs and politicos will be getting a bit of a break after a tumultuous few months. Though not if they're one of the six Conservative leadership contenders who made it onto the ballot when nominations closed this week. They now have just a month to win over supporters before the first knock-out stages begin on the 4th September when parliament returns. In t...

As the new parliament gets underway, we consider the changed political landscape, and the implications for the way opposition operates, with a wider variety of opposition voices in the House of Commons facing the new government from the benches opposite. To analyse and discuss the implications, this episode brings you a recording of our expert webinar, which took place on the first full day of par...

The dust has barely settled after the Labour landslide, but Nigel and Sarah have caught up on their sleep, and are back to give their reflections on a dramatic election night. What does the future hold for the opposition parties? How long will Rishi Sunak hang around as Leader of the Opposition? And who could follow him? Plus Nigel reports back on his busy election night, and we have another trip...

Finally, it has arrived. The polls are open and after six weeks of politicians campaigning, it is now for the voters to decide their fate. Nigel and Sarah discuss the final events in the election campaign and look ahead to the likely change of government. Back in 1997, the 1st of May dawns, with a nervous Michael Portillo canvassing the streets of his constituency, and Tony Blair starting to belie...

With just two days to go until polling day, we're joined by special guest and podcast royalty, former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. We talk about campaigning, civility, what it's like to win in a landslide election... and what it's like to lose in the glare of publicity. Nigel and Sarah also catch up with Ed Davey's latest stunt, hear which former Prime Ministers have been caught on the door...

With just a week to go until the results of the election are known, Nigel and Sarah discuss the latest developments in the ongoing betting scandal, and review the final head-to-head TV debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. Noises off threatened to distract from the event, and for once Sunak seemed to score some points at his opponents' expense. Meanwhile back in 1997, the political mudsling...

As the betting scandal rumbles on, Nigel and Sarah discuss what further damage it could do to the public's faith in politics overall. They also consider how differing levels of trust change how voters react to policies, promises - and even Taylor Swift selfies. Back in 1997, the issues of Europe continues to dominate, with Sir Edward Heath lambasting the latest Conservative attack on Tony Blair. T...

In this episode Nigel and Sarah review the party leaders' performance in their latest television grilling, discuss the Tory betting scandal, and react to yet another set of eyebrow-raising opinion polls. Could the Conservatives really be reduced to just 53 MPs? Plus, some advice on when to sleep during the election dramas, and our regular trip back to the 1997 General Election campaign, where the...

In the latest from the campaign trail we talk to Conservative Minister Lord Parkinson, fresh from a bloody encounter with a dog in Clacton, and to Dr Louise Thompson about the problems facing smaller opposition parties in parliament. Could the Conservatives be about to join them? Plus, we take our usual time-travelling trip to the the equivalent point in the 1997 General Election campaign, where J...

Manifesto week concludes with the Labour and Green Party manifestos being published, and another TV debate being held. Nigel and Sarah consider the significance of a poll showing Reform UK overtaking the Conservatives, and discuss a surprising Tory win in a local by-election. Also under discussion: is Keir Starmer too robotic? What is the role of leader's spouses, and should you ever bet on an ele...

It's manifesto week, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats having launched theirs, and Labour's still to come on Thursday. Nigel and Sarah discuss these as well as the most recent TV debates and the state of the polls. We're also joined by Dr Richard Johnson of Queen Mary, University of London, one of the co-authors of a new book, "Keeping the Red Flag Flying - The Labour Party in Oppositio...