Whitehall Sources

Lord Darroch, Kim Darroch, joins to discuss Sir Keir Starmer's visit to the United States. The UK's former ambassador to the US says it's significant as it is his first visit to the White House. The purpose of the visit is to discuss various international issues, including Ukraine and Gaza. There is speculation about a potential meeting between Starmer and Kamala Harris, which could create diploma...

In this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald discusses the current political landscape with Kirsty Buchanan and Theo Bertram. They touch on topics such as Keir Starmer's speech, the challenges facing the Labour government, and the upcoming budget. They also discuss the recent trip to Germany and the future of UK-EU relations. The main themes of the conversation include setting the baselin...

In this conversation, Calum and Kirsty discuss various challenges and potential obstacles that the Labour government may face in achieving their growth agenda. They touch on topics such as the employment rights bill, train drivers' pay, and a recent Supreme Court ruling on environmental impact assessments. Kirsty highlights the importance of working with businesses and considering unintended conse...

Calum and Kirsty are joined by John McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair to discuss who is to blame for the riots across the country, who should have done more to prevent them to get this far and who could lead us from them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baroness Hazarika - Ayesha Hazarika, former Labour adviser - joins Calum and Kirsty Buchanan, former Special Adviser to Theresa May, to discuss the politics and policy of the moment. We consider why far-right thugs were able to stage a mini riot in the aftermath of the stabbing attack in Southport in which three young girls died. We also reflect on Chancellor Rachel Reeves's announcement ending un...

In this conversation, Calum and Kirsty discuss various topics including the King's speech, the challenges of delivering on government promises, and the European political community meeting at Blenheim Palace. They highlight the importance of the first 100 days of a government in setting the tone and managing expectations. They also discuss the potential challenges and complexities of bilateral agr...

The conversation discusses the upcoming general election and the expectations for the results. It highlights the lack of excitement and momentum in the campaign, as well as the messaging and strategies of the different parties. The conversation also touches on the challenges and complexities of implementing policies and delivering on promises. It concludes with predictions for the SNP and the pote...

Calum Macdonald and Kirsty Buchanan discuss various topics related to the upcoming election. They talk about the length of the campaign, the impact of polling, and the challenges faced by the Conservative Party. Kirsty also shares her experience at her son's school and discusses the views of children on politics. Adam Bell, former Energy SpAd and now Director of Policy at Stonehaven joins. We expl...

The conversation discusses the recent TV moment where Beth Rigby questioned Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak individually. It explores the lack of inspiration and vision from both leaders and the sense of distrust and cynicism among the public. The conversation also touches on the manifestos of the Labour and Conservative parties, highlighting the Conservatives' blizzard of policies and the cautious a...

The first TV debate between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak is in the books, but what did we learn? Nigel Farage is firmly back in the UK political fray: what does this mean for the Conservatives? And former MP and housing minister Sir Brandon Lewis CBE joins to discuss how to fix the country's housebuilding problem, and why Labour might have taken a page out of the Conservatives' book when drawing u...

The conversation covers various aspects of the ongoing election campaign, including the performance of the Conservative and Labour parties, the impact of policy announcements, the handling of key issues such as Brexit and the economy, and the upcoming manifesto launches and leadership debates. The discussion also delves into the strategies and challenges faced by the party leaders, as well as the...

Jo Tanner joins Kirsty and Calum. The conversation discusses the announcement of the general election and the strategy behind it. It explores the mishaps and challenges faced by the Conservative Party, including the timing of the announcement and the optics of the Prime Minister speaking in the rain. The conversation also delves into the potential impact of the election on issues such as the compe...

Kirsty Buchanan, former special advisor to Theresa May, and Calum Macdonald discuss the prison system in the UK, and Sir Keir Starmer's six pledges for the next general election. The conversation touches on the challenges of the prison system, the need for a fresh look at remand and recall, and the importance of rehabilitation and reform. It also explores the effectiveness of political pledges and...

In this episode, Calum and Kirsty discuss the recent defection of Natalie Elphicke from the Conservative Party to Labour, the appointment of John Swinney as the new First Minister of Scotland, and the issue of antisemitism on university campuses. They highlight the controversy surrounding Elphicke's defection and the potential impact on both parties. They also discuss the challenges and opportunit...

We discuss the local elections in the UK and their implications for the Conservative Party and Rishi Sunak. We consider the impact of immigration on the elections, the performance of Sadiq Khan in the mayoral election in London, the role of personality in local elections, and the support for Rishi Sunak among Conservative councillors. We highlight the key wins and losses for both parties, includin...

It's the eve of local elections across England and Wales, and Calum and Kirsty give the rundown on what to expect, and what they really mean. Plus as Humza Yousaf announces his resignation as First Minister, and John Swinney or Kate Forbes tipped to replace him, what comes next in Scotland? And the government announces the first departure of a failed asylum seeker to Rwanda - but they did it volun...

Kirsty's got fresh gossip from all of her swanky Westminster events about the timing of an election; Calum explains why Humza Yousaf might not be First Minister of Scotland for much longer; and will Labour be the Government to finally improve rail services? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by James Price. The conversation covers various topics including the investigation into Conservative MP Mark Menzies, standards in public life, and the ongoing debate over the Rwanda deportation bill. The hosts and guests discuss the lack of action by the Conservative Party in response to the allegations against Menzies and the need for better crisis management. They also explore the...

Kirsty and Calum discuss the messaging around sending weapons to Israel after several aid workers - including three British people - were killed by the Israel Defence Forces. Plus, as Sir Keir Starmer rides high in the polls, what else should we remember on his fourth anniversary of becoming Labour leader? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Calum and Kirsty discuss various topics including water companies and privatisation, Angela Rayner and housing questions, and Rishi Sunak's recent interview with William Hague. They also explore the challenges and optimism faced by being Prime Minister, the expectations placed on them, and the reality of being in that position. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conservative psychodrama: qu'est ce que? Can the Rwanda Bill make it out of Parliament? Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves gives another pragmatism-first speech: but has she wowed us yet? And is the mounting number of potholes in roads the perfect example of broken Britain? Calum and Kirsty pick apart the biggest political stories from SW1 and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

The centre of government has failed successive prime ministers. That's according to the Institute for Government think tank, which outlines 7 recommendations for "radical reform" to make our government function better. Programme Director Alex Thomas joins Calum and Kirsty to discuss why the Cabinet Office needs to dissolve, and why Number 10 should look next door, to the Treasury, for inspiration....

Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan and Chris Ward discuss the budget. Kirsty was a Special Adviser to Theresa May and Chris was an adviser to Sir Keir Starmer, working on several budgets with the Labour leader. The conversation discusses the recent budget and its implications. It explores the lack of impact and ill feeling within the Conservative Party. The topic of national insurance contributions...

We're joined by Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute Claire Ainsley, who was policy director to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, to debrief on a chaotic week in Westminster and look ahead to what might come next. Did the last seven days descend into a worst case scenario for the Labour Party, or will they be feeling it could have gone worse? How might t...

This conversation covers the Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch's denial that the former Chairman of the Post Office had been instructed to stall payments in order to allow the government to "limp" into the next General Election, the potential for tax cuts being announced at the budget in March and what they mean for us. MPs are also debating a motion in Parliament put forward by the Scottish Nation...