Shows / Politics At Sam and Anne's
Politics At Sam and Anne's
Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy with what you need to know about the day ahead in British politics. All in under 20 minutes and in your feed around 7.30am. They're across the key interviews, the main stories and what the parties are saying. Whatever they're talking about, Westminster will be talking about today.
Episodes
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Is Farage on the ropes?
Could Nigel Farage’s alleged financial relationship with a convicted fraudster come back to haunt him? The Reform leader is already under scrutiny over his £5…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
What does Burnham mean for Kemi, Nigel, Ed and Zack?
Andy Burnham could be just days away from entering Downing Street – but who are the winners and losers from the arrival of a new Prime Minister? Sam Coates and…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Why Team Burnham are already furious
Team Burnham have been properly triggered over the Defence Investment Plan now they’ve found out £4.7bn of it is still to be funded. For the first time in the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Unfriendly fire: Who buys the defence investment plan?
Will the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan be the Prime Minister’s final and most contentious act? Months of delays, a multi-billion-pound funding gap and…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Power shift: Will Burnham’s big plan work
Barring any last-minute surprises, Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister three weeks today. But what is his 10-year mission for the country and how will he…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The bloodless coup: How Burnham came out top
It could have been a messy transition, but the ease with which Andy Burnham has returned to Westminster appears to be the product of many months of careful…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
What does Burnham’s appointment of James Purnell mean?
Andy Burnham appears to have taken another major step towards power, bringing in a big name from the Blair era – James Purnell – as his chief of staff. What…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Inside the battle for No11
In less than a month, Britain is set to get its seventh Prime Minister in under a decade. And barring a political earthquake, it's all but certain to be Andy…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Keir Starmer’s final hours
Keir Starmer is on the brink of resigning – the only question left is when does the drama end. After a tense weekend, the Prime Minister remains under intense…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Burnham wins: So how do they oust Starmer?
Andy Burnham has secured a thumping victory in the Makerfield by-election – but is it game over for Keir Starmer? With a critical few days ahead, attention now…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
By-election eve: Cabinet on the brink
With just 24 hours until polling day, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy preview three pivotal by-elections that could reshape British politics. The duo assess the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Russia’s Starmer plot - the fallout
As world leaders gather at the G7 summit – what's Keir Starmer’s top priority? With tensions in the Middle East, a trade dispute with China, a continuing war…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
What’s Starmer’s plan for Friday morning?
How is Keir Starmer planning to play this week? The week which could end with Andy Burnham back in parliament. We know the prime minister’s got a social media…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The ghosts of Burnham past haunt his campaign
Andy Burnham’s political opponents are finding plenty of attack lines to throw at him. So, are past comments and policy positions – from WASPI women to calls…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Belfast violence prompts fight on the right
Has the unrest in Belfast sparked a new political battle over Britain’s immigration system Political leaders have condemned the violent overnight protest after…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Why Burnham agrees with Farage
Is Andy Burnham having trouble putting clear teal water between himself and Nigel Farage, following comments calling for a tougher stance on immigration? Sam…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Will Keir fight on?
Can Keir Starmer wrestle back the spotlight from the Makerfield by-election? After hosting world leaders in Downing Street and unveiling new plans for social…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Could Andy Burnham build to victory?
With two weeks until the Makerfield by-election, does Andy Burnham really have a plan in place to run the country? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Revealed: Who are the brains behind Burnham
Westminster may look busy but are MPs just waiting for the potential return of Andy Burnham? With the Makerfield by-election just over a week away Burnham…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Life after Keir - will it be coronation or contest?
What has Starmer loyalist Pat McFadden really been thinking when he’s been out defending the PM? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss how the latest Mandelson…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The Mandelson files: How bad can it be?
The ghost of Peter Mandelson returns as more than 1,000 documents, emails and WhatsApp messages due to be released – but how damaging will it be for the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Morgan McSweeney on voters and discontent
With two hugely consequential months ahead in British politics, Sam and Anne look beneath the headlines and Westminster drama to ask what really comes next. As…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The story behind Britain’s sanctions blunder
The Starmer government has made another blunder after it emerged that sanctions are being relaxed on Russian oil processed through third countries. As a…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Rachel Reeves picks a fight on judicial review
After a fortnight of local and national elections drama - can the machinery of government get back moving again amid global instability? With the Straits of…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
How can Starmer’s cabinet look each other in the eye?
Andy Burnham makes his opening pitch to the voters of Makerfield but is he already in campaign mode for PM, as well as MP? Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Burnham’s 55% chance of losing Makerfield
Andy Burnham says Britain needs a “circuit breaker for politics” as he plots his return to Westminster. But with Labour sources putting his chances of success…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Wes v Angela: The battle commences
Is the Labour leadership contest about to get messy and plunge the party into chaos? Sam and Anne start the day expecting Wes Streeting to resign as Health…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Starmer eyeballs Streeting - a clash or just coffee?
Will it be a ‘showdown’ when Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting meet today? Or does the King’s Speech calm Labour’s passions for 24 hours? Sam Coates and McElvoy…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Will Wes Streeting fire the starting gun today?
Will today’s cabinet showdown push Keir Starmer to make a final decision on his future? And will that mean Wes Streeting starts a leadership campaign? Sam…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Can Burnham delay Starmer’s exit?
A speech which could define the Keir Starmer premiership – but can he reset or will it be another underwhelming relaunch? With Labour MPs on edge, leadership…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Keir’s defences: Has the dam broken?
Is anyone really prepared to put their head above the parapet to challenge Keir Starmer? After a disastrous set of election results, Labour backbencher…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Have election results decided Starmer’s fate?
As early results are declared in England and counting begins across Scotland and Wales has the narrative of these elections already been set? With Labour…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Vote 2026: The final countdown
On the eve of a hugely significant set of local and national elections – who has the momentum and who is staring into an electoral abyss? Sam and Anne pore…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Ready or not: Keir’s rivals flounder
With days until the local and national elections – amid some grim polling projections – are Labour facing a double-edged threat from both the left and right of…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Local elections: The pollster’s verdict
With one week until voters head to the polls in Scotland, Wales and England – are we about to see a seismic shift in British politics? In a special episode…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
“My prime minister” - the King steps in
Has King Charles’s warmth and humour helped save the special relationship? It may be a diplomatic win for Keir Starmer in Washington, helping to steady UK-U.S…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Will McSweeney stumble on Starmer?
What might Sir Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney reveal about the Mandelson vetting scandal? Today, the former foreign office mandarin and Keir Starmer’s…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The King in Washington: Charles’s real job this week
Can King Charles save the UK-U.S. special relationship? As the King touches down in Washington for a state visit, Anne – who was at the White House…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Cat amongst the pigeons: Mandarins at war
Will the Prime Minister ever escape the ghost of Peter Mandelson and his decision to appoint the ‘Prince of Darkness’ as the UK’s ambassador to Washington?…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Keir's cabinet: Who's left on the barricades
Has the Prime Minister and No10 weathered the storm on the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal? With the dust only beginning to settle, Sam and Anne dissect the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Why Olly Robbins isn’t Labour’s only problem
The news agenda may be dominated by Olly Robbins’ highly-anticipated evidence session to MPs on the Mandelson scandal – but is an even more significant story…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The problem with Keir’s Mandelson defence
The Prime Minister faces another defining day as he confronts MPs over one question - when did he and No10 learn that Peter Mandelson had failed his security…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Going postal: The election brawl begins
With three weeks to polling day, postal voting is underway in local and devolved elections across the UK - but will the process stay clean and how much could…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Trump v Britain: The war of words spirals
Donald Trump unloads another scathing attack on Keir Starmer – throwing out threats and casting doubt on the special relationship once again – raising fresh…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Is Starmer guilty of “corrosive complacency” on defence?
The man who wrote Keir Starmer’s defence review says the Government is putting the UK ‘in peril’ at a time of war. With more pressure to overhaul the defence…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The rising cost of trouble abroad
What is the Prime Minister’s top priority as he faces down a critical month? He has a busy basket of problems on the domestic and foreign front – all set on…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Why is so much at stake in the May elections?
With one month to go until the local elections in England, Wales and Scotland - is the electoral map about to be redrawn? In his first major test since the…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Keir takes charge on Iran contingencies
MPs may be on recess - but as the Iran war enters its fifth week should Whitehall ramp up contingency planning for its impact at home? With the Strait of…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
From Tehran to Teesside: Could Starmer run out of energy?
The Iran conflict may be dominating the headlines, but it’s the unintended consequences back home that are bothering the Prime Minister. With Tehran rejecting…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The fuel plan ministers don’t want to talk about
How does the government plan for making sure the country has enough fuel without accidentally triggering a change in public behaviour which causes shortages?…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Rachel Reeves takes back control
Does Donald Trump always chicken out or is Keir Starmer in the dark about what is going to happen next in the Middle East? The U.S. President has paused…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The cost of war becomes Reeves’ nightmare
As oil prices climb again – with neither the U.S. nor Iran backing down over the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz – what can the Prime Minister do to ease…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Is Reeves next on the Rayner hit list?
After a targeted attack on Shabana Mahmood’s immigration reforms, has Angela Rayner forced another climbdown from the Starmer premiership? Rayner allies are…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Angela v Shabana: Who will win?
With a full-on pointed and personal attack at the Prime Minister – is Angela Rayner beginning to position herself for something bigger? The former deputy prime…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Angela cashes in - but at what price?
Global insecurity and transatlantic tensions dominate the agenda for Keir Starmer - but is the UK about to edge closer to the EU? Chancellor Rachel Reeves will…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Can Starmer win by defying Trump?
The U.S. President is pilling the pressure on the UK to back his war in Iran – but how long can Keir Starmer hold his nerve? Barrels of oil remain above $100…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
The three things keeping Keir Starmer in his job
The release of the Mandelson files, war in the Middle East and a fresh cost-of-living crisis are all causing turmoil for the Prime Minister – but strangely…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
What Starmer doesn’t want to see in the Mandelson files
The first wave of files relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador get released today. Not only will we see emails, WhatsApps and minutes about…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Military chiefs vs the PM
The government, like the rest of us, is trying to work out where it stands this morning after Donald Trump swung from hitting Iran ‘twenty times harder’ to…
- Politics At Sam and Anne's
Oil spikes: How high is the price of war?
As Iran names its new supreme leader oil prices skyrocket, sending shockwaves across the global economy – but how will the UK government deal with the issue?…