Shows / How To Win An Election
How To Win An Election
The Times brings together some of the most experienced strategists in British politics to discuss what's really going on behind the big stories, and elections taking place here and around the world.
Daniel Finkelstein, Sally Morgan and Polly Mackenzie join Hugo Rifkind for an intelligent, adversarial and witty conversation every week.
Follow the podcast now to never miss an episode.
Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.uk
Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander
Hosted…
Episodes
How To Win An ElectionHow Talk Of An Early Election Keeps Coming Back
With Hugo away, Lara Spirit joins Sally, Polly and Danny to answer the crucial question after John Healey's first budget - will it help Andy Burnham win the…
How To Win An ElectionHow Having A PM Who Gets Politics Could Save Labour
As Andy Burnham approaches 100 days in office, Sally, Polly and Danny discuss the value of having a leader who is actually interested in politics - unlike Keir…
How To Win An ElectionHow To Kick Extremists Out Of A Party
With the Green Party and Reform UK facing claims that they're providing a home for extremists from far left and far right, the political masterminds are…
How To Win An ElectionHow Kemi Badenoch's Free-Market Revival Gives The Tories Hope
Kemi Badenoch has made an unashamed pitch for voters in Middle Britain with her conference promise on inheritance tax, trying to frame the next election as a…
How To Win An ElectionHow Andy Burnham's Election Promises Could Backfire
Andy Burnham has outlined his vision for the country, and in the process written a good chunk of Labour's next manifesto. But could his ambitious promises cost…
How To Win An ElectionHow Long Will Burnham's Labour Honeymoon Last?
We're at Labour conference, where Andy Burnham is enjoying North Korean-style levels of support from party members. But how long will it last? John Healey has…
How To Win An ElectionHow A Hung Parliament Looks Inevitable
The polling company YouGov has released its latest MRP survey, and in a dramatic reversal of last year's findings it now projects a hung parliament, with…
How To Win An ElectionHow To Spend £72m
Does big money win elections? As Reform UK receives record sums from billionaire donors, we look at what it will take to translate the cash into votes. The…
How To Win An ElectionHow To Bribe An Election
Donald Trump faces accusations of bribery after promising every adult $5,000 if they vote Republican - but Danny says he advised Rishi Sunak to present tax…
How To Win An ElectionHow Polanski's Gamble Is Make Or Break
There's a by-election on the way, thanks to Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Green Party leader Zack Polanski wants to…
- How To Win An Election
How Clacton Wasn't The Victory Farage Needed
Nigel Farage has seen off along list of novelty candidates to increase his majority in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader says it's a resounding…
- How To Win An Election
How To Promise Everything And Pay For It Later
Andy Burnham’s first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - but can he keep everyone happy and still balance the books? Hugo, Sally, Polly and…
- How To Win An Election
How To Launch Your Premiership In Downing Street
Andy Burnham will soon be making his first speech from Downing Street as prime minister - how will he introduce himself to the nation? The team discuss…
- How To Win An Election
How Burnham Risks Being All Things To All People
This week the political masterminds are answering more of your questions. Does Andy Burnham risk becoming all things to all people, and will that inevitably…
- How To Win An Election
How Farage Triggered A By-Election
Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as an MP, saying he will fight a 'people versus the establishment' by-election in Clacton. Is it a high risk stunt…
- How To Win An Election
How To Read Burnham's Blueprint For Government
What have we learned so far about Andy Burnham's plan for government? Danny has been reading his book, Head North, and thinks he's proposing a clear left turn…
- How To Win An Election
How To Pick Your Chancellor And Cabinet
The team bring their years of experience inside Downing Street to the question of how Andy Burnham will construct his cabinet, and who he could pick as…
- How To Win An Election
How Keir Went, And Andy Arrived
Sally and Danny join Hugo for this extra episode to examine the Keir Starmer legacy - if there is one - and ask whether Andy Burnham could be a more…
- How To Win An Election
How The By-Election Result Changes Everything
Andy Burnham has won, and won big in the Makerfield by-election - what happens next in Downing Street and the Labour Party, and what does it all mean for the…
- How To Win An Election
How Will The Days After The By-Election Play Out?
We're only a week away from the Makerfield by-election, when voters could choose the next prime minister. If Andy Burnham wins, what happens in the hours and…
- How To Win An Election
How Burnham Is (Or Isn't) Defining Himself
How is Andy Burnham defining his vision for the country as he tries to win the Makerfield by-election? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss whether the…
- How To Win An Election
How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Michael Heseltine
Former cabinet minister, former deputy prime minister, big beast of the Tory jungle - Lord Heseltine joins us for our series looking at how the most…
- How To Win An Election
How The By-Election Will Be Seismic
The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform…
- How To Win An Election
How The Labour Leadership Challenge Could Play Out
The struggle for the future of the Labour Party, and the country, has begun, even as Keir Starmer tries to hang on. The political masterminds look at the…
- How To Win An Election
Emergency Episode: How Long Can Starmer Cling On?
Sally Morgan, Polly Mackenzie, Danny Finkelstein (and Hugo) explain what's behind a chaotic day at Westminster - where Keir Starmer vows to carry on, despite a…
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How Labour Suffered An Historic Defeat
Labour has taken a hammering at elections in England, Scotland and Wales, with Nigel Farage calling it an ‘historic shift in British politics’ - does this add…
- How To Win An Election
How The Elections Could Be Existential for Labour
Ahead of the local elections in England and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, the political masterminds ask: just how bad can it get for the…
- How To Win An Election
How To Decide When (And If) The PM Will Be Challenged
As regular listeners know, Danny likes to say there is a market failure in political coups - but does Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson vetting…
- How To Win An Election
How To Defeat The Populists
In the wake of Viktor Orbán's election defeat in Hungary, can we draw conclusions about the limits of populism - and the chances of a recovery by the centre…
- How To Win An Election
How To Sell Starmer The Statesman
The prime minister is trying to appeal to voters ahead of May's elections by talking about conflict overseas - can branding him as a global statesman rescue…
- How To Win An Election
How The Energy Shock Helps Starmer Survive
There's an arms race under way as the parties make competing offers to help with the rising cost of living. Is anyone cutting through to the voters? And as…
- How To Win An Election
How To Shut Down A Political Conspiracy
Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss the conspiracies swirling around the theft of Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone. How did government work in the…
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How To Run A Shadow Leadership Campaign
Angela Rayner has fired the opening shot in the leadership race to succeed Keir Starmer, warning that Labour is 'running out of time'. We discuss the art of…
How To Win An ElectionHow Starmer Became The Passive Prime Minister
In this special crossover episode with our colleagues at the Times podcast The State Of It, Hugo is joined by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund to discuss…
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How The Mandelson Files Weigh On The PM
Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo look at what the Mandelson files say about decision making in Keir Starmer's Downing Street. Is there a comparison with Boris…
- How To Win An Election
How Trump's War Is Upending British Politics
We're looking at the implications of the American-Israeli attacks on Iran for British politics - has the prime minister been constrained by a near-religious…
- How To Win An Election
How Labour's By-Election Hammering Damages Starmer
The Green Party crushes Labour at the Gorton and Denton by-election, knocking Keir Starmer's party into third place in one of their safest seats. The political…
- How To Win An Election
How Government Responds To Andrew's Arrest
As we assembled the How To Win An Election team to talk about Robert Jenrick, Rupert Lowe and Danny's quest for the point of Ed Davey, news broke that Andrew…
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How To Survive In The Number 10 Bunker
Keir Starmer has seen off the threat to his leadership - for now. What happens inside Downing Street when things get really, really bad for a prime minister?…
- How To Win An Election
Emergency Episode: McSweeney Resigns
Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. With Number 10 in survival mode, can the prime minister find a new strategy, and how long will…
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How Mandelson's Downfall Threatens Starmer
The Mandelson-Epstein scandal has left Keir Starmer's authority over his party, perhaps his future as prime minister, dangling by a thread. In this week's…
- How To Win An Election
How To Go To The Polls - If Labour Ditches Starmer
Danny argues that if Labour wants to ditch Keir Starmer and pick a new leader, his replacement should immediately go to the polls. Have we switched to a…
- How To Win An Election
How To Reshape The Right
This week we're discussing the shape of the right of British politics - are we witnessing a landmark moment in the journey of Reform UK, and is Kemi Badenoch…
- How To Win An Election
How To Sack Robert Jenrick
Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, saying he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. Hugo and Danny discuss the return of the Tory psychodrama, and what it…
- How To Win An Election
How To Get Some Swagger (Like Donald Trump)
Can Keir Starmer learn from Donald Trump and get some swagger? Hugo, Polly and Danny are joined by former Labour strategist Peter Hyman to discuss whether the…
- How To Win An Election
How To Predict Whether Starmer Will Survive 2026
What are the chances that the elections in May 2026 in Scotland, Wales and England will lead to a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer? That's one of the…
- How To Win An Election
How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Nick Clegg
We're joined by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg for the latest in our series looking at how the most significant elections in our lifetimes were won…
- How To Win An Election
How Labour Could Reverse Brexit
The prime minister has been increasingly critical of Brexit this week, and says he wants a closer relationship with the EU - without rejoining key parts of the…
- How To Win An Election
How To Survive A Tax-Raising Budget
Was the Budget aimed at short-term political survival, or did it form part of a coherent electoral strategy? Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) discuss Rachel…
- How To Win An Election
How To Make Your MPs Like You
Can Keir Starmer persuade his backbenchers to back his tough new migration reforms - and stop them openly plotting his downfall? We discuss how prime ministers…
- How To Win An Election
How To Plot Against A Prime Minister
Keir Starmer has vowed to fight any plot to oust him - but has Downing Street's briefing operation against the plotters actually made his downfall more likely?…
- How To Win An Election
How Rachel Reeves Will Have To Resign
Danny says if Rachel Reeves raises income tax she will have to resign - and will make all political promises in the future worthless. Do the other political…
- How To Win An Election
How...The Elections Were Won And Lost: Hague & The Tories in 2001
We're joined by William Hague for the latest in our series looking at how the biggest elections in recent political history were won - and how they were lost…
- How To Win An Election
How To Raise Taxes
Rachel Reeves is thinking about increasing taxes - perhaps even breaking Labour's manifesto commitment not to raise income tax. The political masterminds…
- How To Win An Election
How To Lose An Election, Really Badly
As well as knowing how to win an election, the team have plenty of experience of losing them too. For this episode, recorded in front of an audience at the…
- How To Win An Election
How To Escape Political Oblivion (With A Tax Promise)
Has Kemi Badenoch done enough to see off her Tory critics, for now? Does her promise to abolish stamp duty remind the team of George Osborne's inheritance tax…
- How To Win An Election
How To Avoid (Tory) Irrelevance
As the Tories prepare for their annual conference, can the UK's oldest political party avoid sliding into irrelevance? And how has Nigel Farage become more…
- How To Win An Election
Starmer's Speech: How To Attack Nigel Farage
The political masterminds are at Labour conference in Liverpool for Keir Starmer's speech, and this special episode recorded in front of a live audience. As…
- How To Win An Election
How To Prevent Party Conference Chaos
The political masterminds are discussing party conferences - from how to deal with a leadership challenge while you're there, to how to write a speech (and…
- How To Win An Election
How (And When) To Topple A Leader - With Jeremy Hunt
After a series of sackings, missteps and with Reform ahead in the polls, Labour MPs are seriously thinking about trying to change leader. But would replacing…