The Opinion Brief

Is Nigel Farage’s Clacton by-election a masterstroke or could it backfire? In Episode 15 of The Opinion Brief, Luke Tryl breaks down how the finance row could be shifting attitudes toward Nigel Farage, and what might happen in Clacton. Next, Anna McShane (Director of the New Britain Project) joins Rhiannon McQuone on the show to discuss "The Birth of Distrust" - a report exploring how failures in...

In Episode 14 of The Opinion Brief, Luke Tryl discusses the emergence of an insider-outsider division in UK politics, is joined by Politico Playbook’s Megan McElroy to talk about the current state of the right, and finally is joined by Finn Walshe to break down the latest public opinion surrounding the World Cup. In this week's episode: The Burnham bounce: Labour's voting intention uptick. Insider...

Welcome to Episode 13 of The Opinion Brief by More in Common. Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister. With Andy Burnham the clear frontrunner to take over in Number 10, we look at where a Burnham premiership would stand in the eyes of the public. We are also joined by Anand Menon, Chief Executive of UK in a Changing Europe, to discuss where public opinion stands on Brexit 10 years on from the...

Thursday’s by-election results are in, and the UK political landscape has just been thrown into a spin. In this special bonus episode of The Opinion Brief, Luke Tryl, Sophie Stowers, and Louis O'Geran break down Burnham's support, historic turnouts, surprise results in Scotland, and what this means for the future of Sir Keir Starmer, Reform UK, and the Conservative Party. Makerfield turns out: Wha...

In this jam-packed episode, we look at today’s by-elections in England and Scotland, the government’s social media ban, the security and defence spending crisis, plus how does polling actually work? This week’s stories: As Kemi Badenoch hits an approval rating high , why has the Conservative Party's support remained stagnant? Defence spending fallout : In the wake of John Healey's resignation, the...

In this episode of The Opinion Brief, we're joined by Sunday Times deputy political editor Lara Spirit to discuss the dramatic Makerfield by-election one week out, Andy Burnham’s political future, Reform UK’s strategy, Nigel Farage, Robert Kenyon, Restore, and whether Labour could face a leadership crisis sooner than expected. The episode also examines public reaction to the murder of Henry Novak,...

From immigration to welfare and Tony Blair, this week’s episode dives into some of the biggest issues of the moment.  In this episode:  The public’s reaction to Tony Blair’s essay and how they might vote if he returned as Labour leader. Common ground on welfare: Ian Porter from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation joins to discuss our latest research on public attitudes around the social secur...

For this week’s episode, Tim Shipman, author and Political Editor of The Spectator, joins us to discuss British politics and public opinion. We also reveal what the country made of Rachel Reeves’ petrol station heckle.  In this episode: The latest voting intention and party leader approval rating headlines. Why can’t those in power deliver what the public wants? An in depth discussion with Ti...

With Burnham now confirmed as the Labour candidate for the Makerfield by-election, this week’s episode takes a look at the constituency and Burnham’s chances. For our deep dive segment, we go into what recent elections tell us about exactly who votes for each party. In this episode: The latest voting intention and party leader approval ratings. In a hypothetical election with Burnham as leader, co...

As Keir Starmer reels from Labour’s election losses, where do the public stand on the Prime Minister and a potential leadership challenge? We also have a post-election Q&A, answering the questions emailed in by our listeners. In this episode: How have the major parties and their leaders emerged from last week’s elections? The latest public opinion on Labour Party chaos: does the public think S...

Recorded as the final results trickled in, this extra episode of The Opinion Brief gives you fresh analysis of the historic 2026 local elections. In this episode: What do the results of local elections across England tell us about the trends shaping British politics? How are Green and Reform voter bases changing, and what's surprising about their gains in these elections? How should the SNP be fee...

An early release before voters across Britain head to the polls tomorrow for the 2026 local elections and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.  As the political landscape shifts beneath the feet of the major parties, Luke Tryl is joined by Sam Freedman, elections expert and co-author of the “Comment is Freed” substack, for a rundown of the final predictions and the key stories to wa...

This week we welcome The Opinion Brief’s first guest, discuss the rise of Britain's populist right, and ask why the “Badenoch Bounce” isn't lifting the Tories’ vote share. In this episode:   The Badenoch Bounce: How has Kemi Badenoch achieved her steady approval rating rise, and why has the Conservative party’s support stayed flat? How to Build a Voter: From promiscuous voters to the Conserva...

In this episode of The Opinion Brief , we dive into the data behind the shifting tectonic plates of British politics. From a Reform UK lead in the polls to the "third rail" debate over cutting welfare to fund defence, we break down what the public actually thinks. In this episode: The Mandelson Scandal: Why the public sees it as a "rigged system" and what it means for Keir Starmer’s perceived stre...

In the first-ever episode of The Opinion Brief, Luke Tryl (UK Director of More In Common), plus Rhiannon McQuone and Louis O'Geran dive into the data behind Britain’s changing political landscape. We explore the latest MRP polling results which suggest a seismic shift in UK politics, with Reform UK and the Green Party challenging the traditional status quo. Why is the "social contract" feeling bro...

Welcome to The Opinion Brief, from More in Common. Get ready for a deep dive into the heart of public opinion with "The Opinion Brief," the brand-new podcast from More in Common. Hosted by Luke Tryl, this isn't just another show about politics, it's about the people: what they think, why they think it, and the trends shaping our world. Every Thursday morning, "The Opinion Brief" will unpack the bi...