Shows / Political Fix
Political Fix
The Financial Times takes you into the corridors of power to unwrap, analyse and debate British politics with a regular lineup of FT correspondents and informed commentators. New episodes available every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Political Fix
Is Labour facing a summer of unrest?
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a new national policing unit to tackle violent disorder as he vows to “put a stop” to unrest on British streets led by far-right…
- Political Fix
Labour confronts £20bn black hole
The chancellor Rachel Reeves is about to confront the British public with the size of the black hole in the country’s finances. A funding shortfall of about…
- Political Fix
The ‘bin fires’ setting Labour’s in-tray alight
Sir Keir Starmer plans to hand more powers to metro mayors in what has been dubbed a ‘devolution revolution’. Host Lucy Fisher speaks with politics reporter…
- Political Fix
Labour's growth fixation
Sir Keir Starmer took the chance to extend the hand of friendship to Britain’s neighbours when he hosted the European Political Community summit in Blenheim…
- Political Fix
Labour builds bridges with Trump
Sir Keir Starmer spoke for the first time with Donald Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt on the former US president at the weekend. After years of…
- Political Fix
Keir Starmer’s debut on the global stage
Keir Starmer’s quest for closer EU ties received a tacit nod from US President Joe Biden as the UK prime minister made his global debut at the Nato summit in…
- Political Fix
Keir Starmer enters his imperial phase
As Sir Keir Starmer appoints his cabinet and unveils his first raft of policies, host Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s deputy political editor Jim Pickard and…
- Political Fix
Election special: Starmer moves into Number 10
As Sir Keir Starmer steps over the threshold of Number 10, FT experts answer audience questions about what to expect from the new Labour government. Will Keir…
- Political Fix
Campaign catch-up: election-eve predictions and verdicts
Labour is heading for the biggest “landslide majority” Britain has ever seen. That’s the verdict from Mel Stride, one of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s closest…
- Political Fix
Could the election results still surprise us?
With under a week to go until polling day, Lucy Fisher and her panel — the FT’s Miranda Green and Stephen Bush — pull together the threads of the campaign to…
- Political Fix
Campaign catch-up: Why this UK election result could be the most distorted ever
The Conservatives’ embattled campaign suffered yet another setback this week, as the betting scandal escalated and the party finally suspended two candidates…
- Political Fix
Is this the Tory death spiral?
An election-betting scandal is sending the Tory campaign into freefall. The latest blow to the Conservatives comes as some polls predict a wipeout for the…
- Political Fix
Campaign catch-up: Labour’s dash for growth
Labour is promising voters not to raise a raft of taxes, not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending and not to return to austerity with major cuts to public…
- Political Fix
Labour’s manifesto: where will the money come from?
Keir Starmer has unveiled Labour’s manifesto - declaring that his is the “party of wealth creation”. But while the plans combine sweeping aspirations for…
- Political Fix
Campaign catch-up: the Tories’ ‘kitchen sink’ manifesto
Rishi Sunak has pledged more than £17bn in tax cuts as the Tories attempt to revive their stalled election campaign. But will it be enough to override…
- Political Fix
Tory morale plunges
Morale within the Conservative campaign is low and was damaged further this week after the party chair became the fifth Tory MP to abandon his seat in the…
- Political Fix
Campaign catch-up: Farage is back!
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s troubled re-election bid has been dealt a fresh double blow, as Nigel Farage seized the reins of Reform UK and announced he would…
- Political Fix
Introducing Untold: Power for Sale
Introducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from…
- Political Fix
Labour’s messy campaign week
As the gloves come off and the parties swing into full campaign mode, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to consider – with five…
- Political Fix
Bring it on! Election 2024 kicks off
Rishi Sunak shocked Westminster with the decision to hold a snap general election on July 4. As the parties launch their campaigns, Lucy Fisher assembles the…
- Political Fix
Election battle lines drawn up
Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled his party’s six core pledges ahead of the general election – in the same week that Rishi Sunak claimed the country would be less…
- Political Fix
Live special: Who will win the UK general election?
As politicians and commentators digest the disastrous Tory local election results, FT experts answer subscribers’ questions about what this might mean for the…
- Political Fix
Election special — local poll results roll in
The Tories suffered sobering losses in local elections across England in the last big electoral test before a general election.Labour also trounced the Tories…
- Political Fix
Chinese spying claims in the UK – and beyond
‘In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the cold war, we cannot be complacent,’ Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a news briefing…
- Political Fix
Prime ministers’ legacies: Sunak, Truss and Brown
Rishi Sunak has had an eye on his legacy this week with his flagship smoking ban clearing another hurdle in the Commons – though not without a Tory backlash…
- Political Fix
The great stink of England’s sewage crisis
The raw sewage being pumped into rivers and seas in England has become a seismic election issue. The musician turned environmentalist Feargal Sharkey joins the…
- Political Fix
Tory ‘red wall’ seats under threat
Many ‘red wall’ constituencies across northern England, the Midlands and north Wales switched from Labour to the Conservatives in the 2019 general election…
- Political Fix
Britain’s China conundrum
The government is preparing a crackdown on Chinese entities operating in the UK, following malicious cyber campaigns linked to Beijing. But there are tensions…
- Political Fix
Will the economy save Sunak?
The prime minister is urging his MPs to unite or face electoral defeat. Rishi Sunak has rallied backbenchers to hold their nerve, as he cleaves to the prospect…
- Political Fix
Who’s an extremist in the UK?
The UK government is redefining extremism. But there are warnings that the new guidance could curb free speech and ensnare legitimate organisations. The FT’s…
- Political Fix
Jeremy Hunt: tax-cutting wizard or fiscal drag queen?
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s overriding message in his big pre-election Budget was that hard economic choices were paying off in the form of tumbling inflation…
- Political Fix
Labour’s worst nightmare?
Veteran agitator George Galloway is returning to parliament after storming a divisive by-election in Rochdale. He claims his victory puts “scores” of other…
- Political Fix
Why would anyone want to become an MP?
The chaos in parliament over the vote on a Gaza ceasefire motion has segued into a debate on the threats facing MPs – and the lengths deemed appropriate to…
- Political Fix
Tories reel from by-election blows
The Conservatives suffer a double blow, losing two safe seats to Labour, amid growing signs that Rishi Sunak’s party is losing votes to the populist Reform UK…
- Political Fix
Will Labour’s green U-turn weaken Starmer?
Keir Starmer dismantles Labour’s flagship pledge, shredding the party’s £28bn green investment plan. The FT’s Jim Pickard joins Miranda Green and chief…
Political FixIntroducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing
If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers.Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday…
- Political Fix
Who still votes Conservative?
The Conservatives are languishing in the polls, while Labour is riding high – but beneath the headline figures, how does the voter appeal of the main parties…
- Political Fix
Who’s behind the Tory plots?
The FT’s Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to lift the veil on the Tory party plots against the prime…
- Political Fix
Introducing Untold: The Retreat
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines…
- Political Fix
Destination Rwanda?
The government’s plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda has overcome a series of hurdles in the House of Commons, but how will it fare in the Lords? FT…
- Political Fix
The Post Office scandal: who foots the bill?
Who should foot the bill – both financial and political – for the Post Office scandal? Hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of theft and…
- Political Fix
2024: a testing year for democracy
The next 12 months will be an epic year for democracy. Half the world’s population will have the chance to vote. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s editor Roula…
- Political Fix
Political Fix presents: How to survive the office Christmas party
While Lucy Fisher and the Political Fix team take a break over the Christmas period, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted…
- Political Fix
‘Stop doing stupid things’: Martin Wolf on the UK
As the year draws to a close, Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush to consider where British politics goes next. What…
- Political Fix
Tory turmoil: Sunak stumbles towards end of year
As politicians and political hacks limp towards the end of a long year in Westminster, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Robert Shrimsley and Miranda Green to…
- Political Fix
Rwanda plan reignites Tory civil war
Infighting has erupted once again within the Tory ranks over Rishi Sunak’s last-minute treaty with Kigali and emergency legislation to save his Rwanda removals…
- Political Fix
Rishi Sunak’s big fat Greek row
Was it a huge fit of pique or a genuine desire to protect the Elgin Marbles that prompted Rishi Sunak to cancel his date with the Greek prime minister? Lucy…
- Political Fix
Autumn Statement Reaction
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt put a £20bn tax giveaway at the heart of his Autumn Statement. But will it be enough to win back disenchanted Tory voters? Whitehall…
- Political Fix
Rebellions, reshuffles and Cameron’s return
What a turbulent week in politics: home secretary Suella Braverman sacked, the government’s flagship Rwanda policy deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court and a…
- Political Fix
What’s Suella Braverman’s game plan?
Suella Braverman’s tirade against the Metropolitan Police’s handling of pro-Palestinan marches has divided opinion among her Tory colleagues. Lucy Fisher is…
- Political Fix
The Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk show
Rishi Sunak played the part of chat show host with tech leader Elon Musk this week, after hosting an AI summit at Bletchley Park. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is…
- Political Fix
Labour’s week of woes
As Rishi Sunak celebrates his first year in office, the FT’s Lucy Fisher asks whether he has succeeded in steadying the Tory ship, while the FT’s Miranda Green…
- Political Fix
Labour’s historic by-election wins
The UK's Labour party has pulled off two stunning by-election victories. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green, Jim Pickard and Stephen…
- Political Fix
Israel-Hamas war overshadows Labour conference
Keir Starmer eschewed flashy policy vows at Labour’s annual conference, but did his promise of stability and certainty cut through? The FT’s Whitehall editor…
- Political Fix
Rishi Sunak’s ‘questionable radicalism’
Rishi Sunak is pitching himself as the change candidate at the next election with a raft of policy shake-ups - but does the substance match the rhetoric? The…
- Political Fix
Sunak and Starmer flip-flop on policies
As the Tories waver over major elements of HS2 and Labour is forced to clarify its policy on private schools, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush…
- Political Fix
Is Rishi Sunak’s net zero U-turn a vote-winner?
Rishi Sunak sparked a fierce backlash from eco-minded Tories, as well as fury from industry, over his rowback on net zero policies. But will his gamble pay off…
- Political Fix
Keir Starmer's small boats gamble
The Labour leader Keir Starmer is attempting to seize the initiative on dealing with clandestine immigration. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush…
- Political Fix
The weight of the UK’s concrete crisis
As hundreds of schoolchildren are forced out of their classrooms by unsafe buildings, the FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by chief political…
- Political Fix
Political Fix special: Live at the FT Weekend Festival
FT Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher hosts a panel of Michael Gove, secretary of state for levelling up, FT deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and Stephen Bush, FT…