Politics Weekly UK

Politics Weekly UK is in the London suburb of Chingford and Woodford Green, where a spat between Labour and its former candidate is threatening to split the progressive vote. The Guardian’s John Harris talks to the now independent candidate, Faiza Shaheen; Labour’s new candidate, Shama Tatler; and Iain Duncan Smith, who has represented the area for the Conservatives for more than 30 years. Help su...

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look ahead to Reform UK’s manifesto launch and why Nigel Farage might be spooking the Conservatives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak performed at the Sky News special leaders’ event in Lincolnshire. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at what might be on offer as the political parties launch their manifestos this week. Plus, what Pippa learned from her exclusive interview with Keir Starmer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s John Harris is on the road, visiting Jeremy Hunt’s seat in Godalming and Ash and Michael Gove’s Surrey Heath constituency to find out why lifelong Conservative voters are abandoning the party. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the first TV head to head between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will be preparing for the first big leaders’ debate on Tuesday. Plus can Keir Starmer recover from the internal politics plaguing his last week of campaigning?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The government’s safety of Rwanda bill finally passed into law in April. But, with the announcement last week of a general election, the Conservative ‘dream’ of deportation flights taking off might never happen. So what has the bill achieved? And what does it mean for those it has targeted? The Guardian’s John Harris hears what life is really like for migrants in the UK. Help support our independe...

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the confusion around Diane Abbott’s return to the Labour party. Plus, the ins and outs of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat campaigns so far. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Victims of the contaminated blood scandal finally got some of the justice they have been seeking this week when Sir Brian Langstaff published the final report of his inquiry. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, who has campaigned for those affected by the disaster and was the health secretary from 2009-10. Help support our independent journalism at theg...

Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by political editor Pippa Crerar and political correspondent Kiran Stacey to ask why now. And, what happens next …. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the infected blood scandal as the final report is published on Monday. Plus: could inflation figures released on Wednesday give the Conservatives a desperately needed boost?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Labour leader has managed to stem a potential showdown with trade union leaders this week over wording on a workers’ rights deal. If this is a dress rehearsal for Labour in government, how has Keir Starmer and his party fared? The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the columnist Polly Toynbee and Marc Stears, a former Labour party speechwriter and UCL Policy Lab director. Help support our ind...

The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talk about Rishi Sunak’s big speech on security and how he hopes to draw a dividing line between the Conservatives and Labour. And Keir Starmer will meet union bosses on Tuesday but anger is brewing over Natalie Elphicke and rumours about Labour’s plan to water down pledges on workers’ rights. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/p...

The Conservatives have been left bloodied after a devastating set of local election results. This week, John Harris speaks to councillors about what’s really going on for them in their area. Plus, he speaks to the Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff about another Tory defection to Labour, and the Labour party’s attempt to take the crown for economic responsibility. Help support our independent journa...

In the first of our Politics Weekly Westminster episodes, the Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar and political correspondent Kiran Stacey go over the big wins and losses from the local and mayoral elections. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

The Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the political correspondent Kiran Stacey help you kick off your week with the stories you need to know from inside Westminster Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

In the run-up to the local elections this week, the Guardian columnist John Harris is in Thurrock where the council has amassed more than £1.5bn in debt since 2022. He speaks to people facing swingeing cuts and asks whether the vote on Thursday will make any difference to their lives. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Rishi Sunak has said it is his ‘moral mission’ to end Britain’s sicknote culture. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to the disability campaigner Hannah Deakin and the New Economics Foundation’s head of social policy, Tom Pollard, about why the current system is failing people. Plus, the political correspondent Kiran Stacey runs us through the latest from Westminster. Help support our independent j...

How much should Britain get involved in the conflict in the Middle East? The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the columnist Gaby Hinsliff and former national security adviser Peter Ricketts to talk about the fallout from Iran’s attack on Israel at the weekend. Plus, John talks to Gaby about smoking bans, NatCon and Liz Truss’s new book. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com...

David Cameron made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Largo this week to visit Donald Trump. John Harris is joined by the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, to get the latest on the meeting. And as international pressure continues to build on Israel, John speaks to a former Israeli peace negotiator, Daniel Levy, on whether there is a pathway to end the wa...

Thousands of jobs are due to be cut this year at Tata Steel in Port Talbot, putting the future of British steel under serious threat. The Guardian political correspondent Kiran Stacey hears from workers at the plant and people in the town, as well as shadow Wales secretary Jo Stevens, about what this could mean for the area and beyond. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/pol...

Despite pressure from some Conservative MPs, the government stopped short of defining China as an official threat this week. How deep does Chinese interference in the UK go? John Harris speaks to the Guardian’s foreign leader writer Tania Branigan and deputy political editor, Peter Walker. As MPs break for Easter, they also discuss the state of the Conservative and Labour parties. Help support our...

Jeremy Hunt has implied the election will be in October, but even with a boost from falling inflation figures, can Rishi Sunak really hold this zombie government together for the next seven months? And what does Rachel Reeves’s Mais lecture tell us about Labour’s economic vision in these grim times? John Harris is joined by former No 10 director of communications Sir Craig Oliver and Guardian colu...

The Conservative party faces yet another crisis week as a major donor is accused of racism in a Guardian investigation and the MP for the red wall seat of Ashfield, Lee Anderson, announces his defection to Reform UK. The Guardian’s John Harris asks columnist Gaby Hinsliff and political correspondent Kiran Stacey why Rishi Sunak can’t seem to get his house in order. Help support our independent jou...