Political Frenemies

In this episode of Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert are joined by Tax Justice UK Policy and Advocacy Manager Joe Wright for a wide-ranging discussion on a dramatic week in British politics. They react to the death of Ann Widdecombe and the shocking launch of a police murder investigation, debate whether Nigel Farage's decision to trigger...

Political chaos is back on the menu in this bonus episode of Political Frenemies! Former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert are joined once again by Lib Dem YouTuber Andy Chandler to dissect Nigel Farage's bombshell announcement that he will resign as an MP and force a by-election. Is this a masterstroke of political strategy, a high-stakes gamble, or the biggest mis...

n this episode, Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton are joined by the Reverend Richard Hanford for a lively discussion of the week's biggest political stories. The trio unpick Andy Burnham's headline-grabbing speech, debate the government's new Defence Investment Plan, and ask whether Nigel Farage is finally finding himself on the back foot. They als...

In this week's Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert are joined once again by Green activist Daniel Laycock for a lively debate on the biggest stories shaking British politics. The trio dissect the political earthquake triggered by Keir Starmer's resignation announcement and assess the implications of Andy Burnham's reported plans...

In a special episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton unpack the shock resignation of Keir Starmer and the dramatic arrival of Andy Burnham at Westminster. Can Burnham unite Labour and the country, or will rivals emerge to challenge his path to power? Expect sharp disagreements, insider insights, and plenty of friendly fire as the fren...

In a special by-election edition of Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert are joined by Lib Dem YouTuber Andy Chandler and former Labour adviser Matt Lloyd to dissect the dramatic Makerfield by-election. Why did Andy Burnham emerge victorious, what does the result mean for Keir Starmer’s leadership, and could Burnham really be on a path to Number...

Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory defence adviser Chris Newton are joined once again by Conservative commentator and councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman. This week, they unpack the extraordinary resignations of Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, whose dramatic departures over military spending have plunged Keir Starmer into the gravest crisis of his p...

On this episode of Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert clash and converge over the biggest stories shaping British politics. Fresh from the recent Compass conference, Mathew reports from the front lines of progressive thinking as the pair debate whether the fractured left can ever truly unite behind a common agenda. They also dissect the pol...

On this week’s episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton are joined once again by Yellow Rebel host Andy Chandler to dissect Tony Blair’s headline-grabbing intervention and Alan Milburn’s stark report on youth unemployment, asking whether the Blairites still wield influence inside the Labour Party — or whether New Labour has finally bec...

On this week’s Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert are joined once again by Tory councillor and commentator Matthew Goodwin-Freeman for a no-holds-barred tour through another chaotic week in Westminster. With Labour gripped by mounting questions over its leadership and Andy Burnham signalling his return to frontline parliamentary politics, t...

Former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert react to the resignation of Wes Streeting.

In this bonus episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton react to mounting calls from Labour MPs — and pressure from within government — for Keir Starmer to resign, and Starmer’s defiant refusal to go. As Westminster speculation intensifies, they discuss what the crisis means for Starmer’s future, the manoeuvring among potential Labour s...

In this BONUS episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem commentator Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton react to Catherine West's ultimatum that if the Cabinet doesn't challenge Keir Starmer by Monday, she will start a Labour leadership contest. They also discuss Keir Starmer’s appointments of Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman to advisory roles, and what the moves could mean for Labour...

As ballots are counted and political careers hang in the balance, Political Frenemies returns with its explosive Vote 2026 special. Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton are joined by Lib Dem YouTuber Andy Chandler and Green campaigner Daniel Laycock to dissect the drama, shocks, and power shifts of the local and devolved elections. From Labour’s mounting headaches a...

Political Frenemies is back with another sharp, no-holds-barred dive into the week in Westminster and beyond. Former Tory adviser Chris Newton, Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert, and academic/former Labour adviser Matt Lloyd unpack Mathew’s eyebrow-raising meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, assess the political shockwaves from the Golders Green attack, and sift through the latest twists in...

On this week’s Political Frenemies, Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert, former Tory adviser Chris Newton, and mental health and organisational professional James Crawford dive headfirst into Westminster intrigue as they unpack the explosive Starmer–Mandelson–Robbins saga and ask the question dominating Labour circles: is it really game over for Keir Starmer, or just another political near-death exper...

Political Frenemies is back with sparks guaranteed as former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert reunite with sharp-tongued Tory commentator Matthew Goodwin-Freeman for a no-holds-barred dive into Westminster’s latest turmoil. The trio pick apart the explosive controversy over reports that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting when appointed to his US ambassador role, a...

As Westminster slips into Easter recess, Political Frenemies brings the heat: Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton lock horns over a week of intrigue, scandal, and shifting power. From the bizarre fallout of Morgan McSweeney’s phone theft—and what it could mean for the ever-lingering shadow of Peter Mandelson—to the provocative question of whether Ed Miliband is qui...

Political Frenemies is back with sparks flying as former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert reunite with Yellow Rebel’s Andy Chandler for a no-holds-barred breakdown of a bruising week in British politics. From Keir Starmer taking heat on all sides—drawing fire from both Donald Trump and Angela Rayner—to further questions over the Mandelson appointment, the trio dig into...

For the landmark 50th episode, Political Frenemies goes bigger than ever as Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert reports live from the Lib Dem Spring Conference in York while regular sparring partner and former Tory adviser Chris Newton holds the fort. They’re joined by a heavyweight panel: Tory commentator Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, Lib Dem YouTuber Andy Chandler, and former Labour adviser Matt Lloyd. T...

On this episode of Political Frenemies former Tory defence policy adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert are joined once again by Conservative commentator and councillor Matthew Goodwin-Freeman for a lively and occasionally combustible discussion on Britain’s response to the unfolding Iran War. The trio dive into how Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour government have hand...

In this electric episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert and former Tory adviser Chris Newton are joined by Green activist Daniel Laycock to unpack the shockwaves from the Greens’ dramatic by-election triumph in Gorton and Denton—asking whether this is a local blip or the start of something much bigger. The panel digs into what the result means for Zack Polanski and the wid...

On this week’s Political Frenemies, former Tory adviser Chris Newton and Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert are joined by James Nation, former Deputy Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit under Rishi Sunak, for a candid, behind-the-scenes tour of life at the heart of government. Nation lifts the lid on how policy is really made in Downing Street — and what it’s like navigating crises from inside No.10. T...

In this explosive episode of Political Frenemies, Lib Dem activist Mathew Hulbert, former Tory adviser Chris Newton, and political commentator Oliver Dean dive headfirst into Keir Starmer’s most dramatic week yet — from shock senior government resignations and mounting calls for him to quit, to a last-minute Cabinet rally that pulled him back from the brink. The trio unpack what it all means for L...

In a dramatic bonus edition of Political Frenemies, hosts Chris Newton and Mathew Hulbert return to a Westminster story that just won’t stop accelerating. In the wake of the Mandelson–Epstein scandal, the political shockwaves intensify with the stunning departure of Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s powerful Chief of Staff, as pressure mounts inside the Labour Party and the Starmer operation...