BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

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Nick Robinson talks to people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs. Each episode of Political Thinking features an in-depth conversation with someone who is shaping our politics. The people who run our country (and those who want to), campaigners, business and union leaders, and people who run other countries. All of them join Nick in the studio, not for a news-y interrogation, but for an extended and relaxed conversation, delving into their past and how it shaped their worldview. New episodes drop on Fridays on BBC Sounds. You can also watch them on BBC Two at 12:15pm on...

Author

BBC Radio 4

Category

News

Podcast website

www.bbc.co.uk

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

The Charlie Taylor One 14.02.2025

The Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales on how he went from being a teacher at a school for kids with beahvioural problems, to being the leading voice on prison conditions. He tells stories of cheap suits, perspex windows, being the subject of offensive graffiti, and explains how he retains optimism. Producers: Lauren Tavriger and Daniel Kraemer

The Zia Yusuf One 07.02.2025

Who is the 38-year-old, Muslim, second-generation immigrant chairman of Reform UK? Zia Yusuf joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to tell his story, lay out his party's path to power, and share his thoughts on Boris Johnson, Elon Musk, Suella Braverman and his boss, Nigel Farage. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Chris Philp One 31.01.2025

The Shadow Home Secretary joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to reflect on mistakes of the last government, humility in opposition and his anger at the new government. Chris Philp also opens up about the impact of caring for his premature baby twins and what he has learned from success and failure in business. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Kim Leadbeater One 24.01.2025

The Labour MP sits down with Nick to reflect on how she went from selling beds in her Yorkshire hometown, to being at the forefront of political debate, as the face of the campaign to legalise assisted dying, and how the murder of her sister, Jo Cox, helps explain the journey. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Rachel Reeves Chancellor One 17.01.2025

The Chancellor reflects on her first six months in power and what lies behind her determination that she has "what it takes" to "turn things around". Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Nick Clegg One 06.12.2024

Nick Robinson speaks to Sir Nick Clegg about life as Mark Zuckerberg's right hand man at Meta and the transition from Westminster to Silicon Valley. He responds to challenges on regulation of social media companies and issues a warning about the political power of Elon Musk. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Husam Zomlot One 29.11.2024

The Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK reflects on a childhood in a Gaza refugee camp and how hope is what keeps him going. Update: This episode has been edited to remove a brief exchange suggesting that an interim finding by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found it plausible that genocide had been committed in Gaza. The ICJ actually decided that the Palestinians had a plausible ri...

The Daisy Cooper One 22.11.2024

The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats reflects on her journey from campaigning as a child against nuclear weapons and scratchy jumpers, to being at the heart of the third-largest party in parliament. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Mark Rowley One 14.11.2024

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner reflects on the decision to rejoin the UK's largest police force when it was in crisis. Sir Mark Rowley sits down with Nick Robinson to outline the challenges the Met faces under his leadership, as well as how he decided as a teenager that policing was his mission. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Darren Jones One 08.11.2024

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury sits down with Nick to chart his rise to the heart of Starmer's government. How did a Bristol boy, whose parents sometimes went without meals to ensure he had food, end up at the Chancellor's side, in charge of the purse-strings of the government? Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Rupert Soames CBI One 31.10.2024

How did Churchill's grandson end up at the top of British industry? Rupert Soames - Chair of the Confederation of British Industry - sits down with Nick Robinson to talk about this Labour government's first budget, which he claims did not offer enough "bang for the buck" Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Kemi Badenoch for Leader One 22.10.2024

What shaped the views and principles that Kemi Badenoch hopes will help her win the race to become next leader of the Conservative Party? Nick Robinson sits down with the former Business Secretary near the end of her party's leadership contest. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Matt Goodwin One 18.10.2024

The academic and author Matt Goodwin sat down with Nick Robinson in the aftermath of the riots that spread across the UK in the summer, to discuss whether there are 'legitimate grievences' that lay behind the violence, or just 'hate-fuelled mob violence sparked by misinformation.

The Tzipi Hotovely One 11.10.2024

The Israeli Ambassador sits down with Nick Robinson on the week of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack. They discuss what lies behind her worldview, the mindset of Israelis and the actions of her government.

The John Swinney One 04.10.2024

The First Minister of Scotland sits down with Nick to reflect on his reluctant path to power. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Wes Streeting Health Secretary One 26.09.2024

The Health Secretary sits down with Nick Robinson at the end of the Labour conference in Liverpool. Wes Streeting reflects on how his family role-models led him to become a political fighter, rebukes those who criticise him for being too gloomy about the NHS, and reveals why an Oasis classic was his kareoke song of choice at the previous night's party. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Mick Whelan One 19.09.2024

Mick Whelan is General Secretary of Aslef, the union representing train drivers. He sits down with Nick on the week that his members voted overwhelmingly to accept a pay offer, bringing to an end two years of strike action. Whelan reflects on growing up in working class West London and being one of a number of 2nd-generation Irish immigrants who have become union leaders in the UK. Producer: Danie...

The James Cleverly for Leader One 13.09.2024

Why does the former Home Secretary believe he has 'outperformed everyone else on this leadership ticket by a country mile'? How did growing up as a mixed-race boy in London at the height of the National Front shape his politics? And what does the government need to do to improve integration in the UK?

The Karim Khan International Prosecutor One 05.09.2024

The Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court sits down with Nick Robinson. Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Jonathan Brunert

The Liz Kendall One 26.07.2024

Nick Robinson talks to the new Work and Pensions secretary about being at the centre of the Labour government's first row, taking on the scourge of worklessness and how her 2-year-old son is a cure for stress. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Robert Jenrick 2024 One 19.07.2024

Robert Jenrick on what went wrong for the Conservative Party and how to turn it around

The Pat McFadden in Power One 12.07.2024

Nick Robinson talks to the man at the heart of the new Downing Street government. Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Caitlin Moran One 24.05.2024

Bestselling author and columnist talks to Nick Robinson about why, after years of writing about women and girls, she decided to turn her attention to problems with boys and young men with her latest book "What About Men?" Producer: Daniel Kraemer

The Victoria Atkins One 17.05.2024

After a damning report into maternity services in England, the Health Secretary opens up about her own traumatic childbirth experience in the NHS. Victoria Atkins also speaks to Nick Robinson about a change of tone in dealings with doctors' unions, growing up as child of an MP and what she thought when Natalie Elphicke defected to Labour.

The Emma Little-Pengelly One 07.03.2024

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister talks to Nick Robinson.

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