Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

n this episode: The coronavirus means all fashionable assumptions are turned on their head. We turn to the state to come to our rescue after decades in the UK when big government and public spending were seen as a threat...but even so B Johnson's confused libertarianism allows many fools to be 'free' to get the virus and pass it on...not so many laughs this time. Learn more about your ad choices....

n the latest episode of Rock N Roll Politics I conclude I was wrong a week ago in suggesting that the virus would not become political...and a Tory Chancellor contradicts his predecessors and media orthodoxy by arguing that higher spending boosts economic growth-quite a moment  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Brexit not done, a virus spreading across the globe, a Labour leader soon to be elected-what is the most politically significant?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

B Johnson began his leadership acting as if was a Prime Minister with a landslide majority. Machismo and assertions of 'strong leadership' become problematic when he has no majority at all. Meanwhile I'm the only person in the UK who can see a case for J Corbyn's Brexit proposition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Boris Johnson is Prime Ministers and forms his Brexit cabinet ready to plan for a 'no deal' Brexit. The juxtaposition of.a government with a crusading mission and a hung parliament sets the scene for a period of epic political drama...and I'm getting ready for the Edinburgh Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

As a new Prime Minister prepares to acquire the crown Steve Richards reflects on Boris, the fantasy of scrutiny in the Tory Leadership contest or any leadership contest, and the latest on internal Labour traumas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Richards reflects on the gaping gap between the Tory leadership battle and the parliamentary reality the winner will face- and why an early election may not solve the hell of leading in a hung parliament..plus Labour latest and the lessons of the BBC's leadership debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

The importance of a leader's character is often overplayed but not at the moment. Theresa May presses on with her version of Brexit with a ruthless determination that defies her fragile position. So far she has continued to prevail because she is more wilful than the weakest House of Commons in modern times.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See...

I explain why T May still holds most of the Brexit cards even if MPs get an extension to Article 50..most likely outcome of this very early Brexit phase is that a version of her deal passes and UK is out by June..then the nightmarish trade talks begin.. BUT I'm more excited by citizens' juries leading to an informed referendum. An informed referendum in the UK is a contradiction in terms but these...

At an epic point in the Brexit saga I reflect on the still pivotal role of T May, the less pivotal but vital stance of J Corbyn, J Bercow and all MPs: Parliament might want to take us back from the cliff's edge but will the weak but obstinate May be willing to be an instrument of parliament? Can you hear her utter the words " I will negotiate Norway Plus" or "I'll call a referendum". If not-what w...

In the latest podcast I try and struggle to make sense of crazy Brexit events- T May goes on to Today programme for a silly interview, the Attorney General spends explaining why he wont publish predictable legal advice before the government publishes the advice, and the government is first in history to propose a policy that makes the economy poorer. We haven't even had the vote on May's deal. Lea...

Why the transformation of the Conservative parliamentary party over recent decades means T May will lose the vote on her deal...plus the reason why she could not have posed a simple question: What Brexit deal could have won a majority in this parliament? After the election the answer would have brought her down. By then she was trapped and on a course towards the vote on Dec 11th...and why a TV de...

As the Brexit drama reaches a nerve shredding and unpredictable climactic I reflect on the roles of T May, J Corbyn and G Brown's recent Brexit speech....and pledge to update regularly while UK at cliff's edge...get ready for bonus podcasts, the only upside to a national emergency.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

In this latest episode I reflect on wider implications of the Newsnight interview with George Osborne and the subsequent glorious response of Polly Toynbee- when it was suggested that she and the former Chancellor were now relatively 'close' politically...and related to this: Who's winning the battle of ideas? The winner of this battle also wins elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

In this week's podcast I explore the most destructive and potent theme in UK politics -'betrayal'. If T May insists on the false Brexit choice of 'her deal v no deal' those feeling 'betrayed' will be Hardline Brexiteers, Soft Brexiteers and Remainers. Even May wins the Commons' vote on her deal the story of 'betrayal' will trigger a thousand more political explosions...and also the Liberal Democra...

In this week's episode I explore the Prime Ministers we never had. All the factors that blocked them apply to Boris Johnson making it much less likely that he will be the next PM. In connection with Boris' fate I also reflect on my next BBC series of unscripted TV talks on the theme of 'PMs We Never Had' and why ad libbing to camera in a single take is a good way-in my view- of conveying the drama...

In this week's episode-Referendums are a nightmare and yet a second Brexit referendum is both desirable and feasible; Corbyn and anti semitism-the furore over the latest imprecise British political scandal becomes even less focussed and more vague; the hidden divide that is more significant than 'open versus closed'...and I apologise for failing to meet a pledge. Learn more about your ad choices....

My reflections on Brexit latest and the Labour anti semitism row-another in a long line of imprecise UK political scandals...and then a chance to hear Andrew Adonis in spellbinding form live at the recent Kings Place Politics Festival. One pro- European said to me afterwards 'For one hour I believed everything was possible'.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hos...

What are the merits, flaws and chances of a new political party being formed? At the recent Kings Place Politics Festival Ian Birrell, Rachel Sylvester, Jonathan Freedland and I explored the ups and downs of a new party. As part of this podcast the event is broadcast. Relax on a beach-or anywhere- and listen!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. Se...

Reflections on what will not happen in the Brexit saga. There'll be no National Government. There'll be no election. Theresa May's Brexit Plan will not last, but her Plan is a battered shield while the rest of us search for an alternative plan...And the BBC needs some much deeper thinking on what means is to be a publicly funded organisation reporting in wild times. Learn more about your ad choice...

Reflections on latest Brexit eruptions... two cabinet resignations, the possibility of parliamentary paralysis in relation to Brexit and why a schism in the Conservative party is more likely than an early election Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many lessons from the shambolic introduction of new railway timetables and most of them apply to all public services in the UK. They are so obvious and yet political and media culture in the UK -or England- does not all allow us to go near the obvious...and only a very little bit this week on Brexit before a very big bit to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

The Shadow Brexit Secretary, Keir Starmer, was one of the many star guests at the recent Kings Place Politics Festival. Speaking to me as around 100 000 people were marching in London calling for a 'people's referendum' on Brexit Keir Starmer explains how and why the Labour leadership takes a different position. He also talks about the leap from being the Director of Public Prosecutions to a Labou...

What this week's NHS announcement tells us about the fragility of Theresa May and how the insights of Bruce Forsyth could save BBC's Question Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I reveal exclusively that the meaningful vote on the Brexit deal will be …meaningful… look forward to England being knocked out of the World Cup and reflect on the glorious TV panels of the 1970s that were often better than the games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.