Politics At Sam and Anne's

Like MPs, Sam and Anne are staggering through until recess. It’s only Wednesday but they have the latest on Labour psychodramas. Today – who was it calling Anas Sarwar before his presser on Monday? The new suggestion is that it was Angela Rayner. But lots of eyes are still on Wes Streeting, who continues to deny that he isn’t backing Keir Starmer. Elsewhere, Labour suspend Keir Starmer’s former ch...

After a helter-skelter 24 hours - with calls for the PM to quit and another senior resignation from the heart of No10 – has Keir Starmer done enough to convince his party he is the man for the future, or has he simply just bought time? Sam and Anne reflect on a tumultuous day in Westminster and look ahead to challenges facing the Prime Minister in the coming weeks and months. Away from the psychod...

The Prime Minister starts the week without his right-hand man – Morgan McSweeney – following his resignation over the appointment of Peter Mandelson but, has that secured Keir Starmer’s survival? Sam and Anne mop up the reaction from Labour circles and break down a crucial 24 hours for the PM as he faces the markets. Will his own MPs restore confidence in his premiership after he addresses the Par...

As the political drama over Peter Mandelson spills into the Commons - with another climbdown and a damaging revelation – it raises the bigger question: How secure is the Keir Starmer premiership? With some MPs calling for Starmer to go – along with his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney – pressure is mounting over the stark confession that the PM knew about Mandelson’s continuing relationship with Je...

Another day and another podcast dominated by Peter Mandelson – but as the political pressure ramps up across parliament, how will No10 react and is the carnage over? In a frantic 24 hours, Lord Mandelson gave up his peerage and is facing a criminal investigation over alleged leaking of sensitive material to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Facing a key Conservative vote in the commons later t...

Peter Mandelson is still the main topic for discussion on the podcast again – as Anne reports back from an event with the US ambassador to London. Sam and Anne both pick over Mandelson’s interview with the Times – where, beyond the photos at the Aga, he seems to hint that there’s still a way back to politics by saying “I want to be more of an outsider”. At last night's event, Anne picks up on U.S....

As another large dossier of Epstein files comes into the public domain – Lord Peter Mandelson resigns his membership to the Labour party, claiming he “doesn’t want to cause further embarrassment” – but is that the end or only the beginning? Sam and Anne assess the political ramifications for Mr Mandelson and whether his links to the convicted paedophile – Jeffrey Epstein - will force him to give u...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets China’s President Xi calling for a “more sophisticated relationship” - but can both nations achieve that amidst global uncertainty? Sam and Anne dive into the details, looking at who is on the trip and reflect on the “twists and turns” of the relations between the two nations. Back in London, is the assisted dying bill on its last legs with the clock ticking on th...

As Keir Starmer touches down in Beijing – does the UK face a choice between a “golden age” or an “ice age” with its relationship with China? Sam and Anne assess: Will the Prime Minister have to pick a side between President Xi or President Trump? How will he present himself on the trip, pragmatist or optimist? Will alleged spying and hacking by the Chinese make a difference? Should Sir Keir be glo...

As the Prime Minister prepares to fly off to China he leaves behind plenty of problems at home – including a snap by-election in Manchester – but what will he do about it? Sam is on his way to the North West to see if Keir Starmer can navigate this moment of jeopardy, as some parties launch their campaigns for the Gorton and Denton seat. Back in Westminster, the government makes a significant anno...

After a weekend of will he or won’t he – Labour’s National Executive Committee decided to block Andy Burnham from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by election – but has this move just ignited a massive internal civil war? Sam and Anne reveal some of the details from the crucial NEC meeting – assessing how damaging the move could be and whether the argument to shut the door on Mr Burnham’...

After President Trump’s dramatic tariff climbdown at Davos, the Prime Minister and European leaders will be breathing a sigh of relief – but has it left more questions than answers and can the UK claim any credit for the change in position? Sam and Anne reflect on a month - primarily dominated by foreign issues and U-turns - and discuss whether if it was a missed opportunity for the government to...

Donald Trump finally descends on Davos despite a delayed flight – and is set to dominate the day at the annual get-together of the global elite. Sam and Anne reflect on his mega press conference prior to his departure – where he criticised Keir Starmer on the Chagos deal once again – and ask whether the PM will be missed in the Swiss Alps. Anne has the latest on the ground, gathering intel from ac...

Sam and Anne started this episode wonder if Starmer and Trump relations were showing signs of being back on track. And as they were recording – the latest Trump Truth Social post calls the UK Chagos Islands deal “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY”. A move that’ll dominate the day – Sam explains how it’ll land in Westminster and Anne explains what people will be saying at Davos. There’s also more u-turn ta...

After a weekend tariff assault by President Trump on the UK and Europe – triggered by the fallout from the U.S. ambition to buy Greenland – the Prime Minister rips up the agenda to hold an emergency news conference in Downing Street. Sam in London and Anne in Davos to go through what options Sir Keir Starmer has on the table and assess whether the PM should retaliate or find a diplomatic way throu...

Is the theme of anger and unhappiness dominating British politics and what, if anything, is the Prime Minister doing to quell the mood amongst his party and the public? Sam has details of misery and irritation within the Labour ranks over plans to overhaul parts of the jury system to cut the courts backlog – but is another u-turn or rebellion on the horizon? Elsewhere, will the assisted dying bill...

Another day and another u-turn – what does the climbdown on digital ID say about the credibility and authority of the Prime Minister? Sam and Anne also get you up to speed on another government idea that you’ll have heard a lot about before – rail investment in the north of England. Can links between big cities ever be improved? And why is the Chancellor trying to whip up excitement like it’s not...

A row is brewing between the government, Labour backbenchers and the security services over the Hillsborough law. Sam has the intel on why MPs want it to go even further, leaving No10 in a tricky position. After several policy U-turns and potentially more on the horizon – is the Prime Minister still in the driving seat and to what extent? Plus, as Reform UK claims its most high-profile scalp so fa...

As global instability continues to dominate the Prime Minister’s agenda, is the threat to his premiership receding? After a rollercoaster week of foreign events, and now the possibility of the collapse of the Iranian regime, Sam and Anne asses the perception of his actions on the home and domestic fronts. Link to foreign affairs, Anne has some intel on defence spending and how the funding doesn’t...

Today, Sam and Anne ask the question, is the Prime Minister’s focus abroad distracting from his own problems and domestic reforms at home? With a plethora of contentious legislation to get through ahead of the spring statement in March and the Kings speech in May - the duo forecast whether there could be more rebellions down the line. The pair home in on the complicated problems facing Bridget Phi...

Three things from Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy to start your political day. What the government is having to deal with – the unpredictability of Donald Trump. Just as Britain signs up to troops in Ukraine if there’s a peace deal, it’s having to use its best diplomatic language on what the President’s thinking about Greenland. What the government wants to deal with – publishing the road safety strat...

The Starmer drama continues as the PM is warned by the Scottish Labour leader to stay away ahead of a crucial set of local elections – so, how popular is Keir Starmer across the board? Well, not very according to the first weekly check-in on the state of the polls in 2026 – as ‘Never Here Keir’ jets off to Paris for another Coalition of the Willing meeting. Before that, it’s the first cabinet of t...

It's a new year but does Keir Starmer still have the same problems? The Prime Minister is already under scrutiny, at home and abroad, to clarify his position on Donald Trump’s actions to strike and capture Venezuela’s President Maduro. Can he ‘beige’ it out or will he bow down to the pressure from his opponents and critics? Elsewhere, as MPs flock back to Westminster for 2026, is the PM premiershi...

Could the next 12 months mould a new type of British politics, or could it break the entire system? Sam and Anne make their predictions and get into the political meat and potatoes of 2026, focusing on: If all the party leaders will still be in post? Could the local elections force a seismic change in UK politics? Does Britain still have a role in Europe and around the globe? Politics at Sam and A...

As Parliament wraps up for 2025 – Sam and Anne reflect on a tumultuous year in British politics, looking at the highlights but mainly the lowlights. The duo use their ‘glass half empty, glass half full’ approach to gauge if anyone can look forward to 2026 with pleasure or look back to 2025 in horror. Politics at Sam and Anne’s will be back for a special look ahead epi...