Ayes to the Left

Welcome to a two part special edition of our podcast: The Climate Crisis Panel.Campaigner and TV presenter Chris Packham chairs a special panel of scientists and activists to discuss the climate crisis.In Part 2, the panel talk about how fast fashion affects the environment, whether public figures are doing enough to promote lifestyle changes and the panel reveal their climate change 'demands'.Daily Mirror Environment Editor Nada Farhoud wraps up the panel by talking about how those insights helped steer the Climate Issue edition of the newspaper and our coverage online.You can see our Climate Issue coverage on social media by searching #MirrorClimateCrisis and if you have questions for our panel, please send them to community@mirror.co.uk For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Welcome to a two part special edition of our podcast: The Climate Crisis Panel.In part 1, campaigner and TV presenter Chris Packham chairs a special panel of scientists and activists to discuss the climate crisis.The experts discuss why the climate issue is everyone's issue, what we can do to save the planet and break down some of the terminology around the debate.Daily Mirror Editor Alison Phillips speaks about why climate change is a cause the newspaper has to highlight, and the panel cover everything from the personal cost of saving the planet and whether Extinction Rebellion are making a difference.You can see our Climate Issue coverage on social media by searching #MirrorClimateCrisis and if you have questions for our panel, please send them to community@mirror.co.uk For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

MirrorNextGen is a ground-breaking project by the Mirror which has seen us hand over control of our print and online coverage for one day. It is a chance for a group of British teenagers to put the things they care about at the heart of the national conversation.In this special episode of the podcast, our Head of Politics Jason Beattie is joined by four members of that teenage team of editors: Jaspreet Khatkar, Ross Forman, Courtney Bradley and Saleem Akhtar.They explain how they put together the special edition of the Mirror, what they learned and how it has shaped their views on the media. They also discuss the challenges facing young people, votes at 16 and their ambitions for the future. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In this final podcast of 2018 we look back at a tumultuous, gripping and febrile year in politics.There were resignations and rebellions.There were moments of madness and moments of goodness. There was dancing and dark plotting.Above all it was dominated by the bitter battles over Brexit.It was also the year of the Salisbury attacks, rows over anti-semitism and the Windrush scandal.2018 also saw Theresa May suffer a vote of non-confidence, the Tories torn apart over Europe and the rise of the people’s vote campaign.The Mirror’s Jason Beattie, Ben Glaze and Nicola Bartlett discuss the highs and lows of the year.They give their verdicts on how the last 12 months went for Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems, name their heroes and villains and predict what could happen in 2019. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Philip Hammond claimed his Budget meant austerity was coming to an end.There was more money for the NHS, defence and to help ease the roll out of the universal credit.And sprinkled on top of the spending spree was a new round of income tax cuts.But how generous was the Chancellor?And does his boast about ending austerity stack up?In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Jason Beattie and Dan Bloom deliver their verdict on Budget.They go through the small print to find out who are the winners and losers and explain why the spending squeeze is going to continue for years to come.They also look at Labour’s response and discuss how John McDonnell may have made a strategic blunder in refusing to reverse the tax cuts which overwhelmingly benefit the very richest at the expense of the poorest. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

There were rows, rallies, parties and career-ending speeches.This year’s conference season saw Labour leave Liverpool on a high, the Conservatives suffer the blues in Birmingham and the Lib Dems struggle to be heard in Brighton.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Nicola Bartlett and Jason Beattie give their verdict on this year’s conferences.They discuss Theresa May’s speech, how the Boris Johnson bubble has burst and the Conservative angst over the threat posed by Jeremy Corbyn.They also name which politicians had a good conference and which return to Westminster with their tale between their legs. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Jeremy Corbyn used his conference speech to sell his radical agenda to voters.The Labour leader made a persuasive case that his plans for renationalisation, handing power to workers and reshaping the economy were “common sense.”In this week's Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror's Kevin Maguire, Jason Beattie and Nicola Bartlett give their verdict on Corbyn's big speech in Liverpool.The discuss why his policies are starting to chime with the public and what more he needs to do seal an election victory.They also review Labour's week which was dominated by Brexit. Is the party in the right place now on the issue or are there further rows still to come?And they look ahead, with unrestrained glee, to next week's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Vince Cable failed to rally the troops in a gaffe-prone and muted conference speech.The Lib Dem leader looked like someone on the way out as he addressed the faithful in Brighton.The only remarkable thing about his speech was his mangling of his phrase “erotic spasm”. Other than that he came across as someone trying to sell encyclopedias door-to-door in the age of Wikipedia.In this week's Ayes to the Left podcast Jason Beattie, Kevin Maguire and Ben Glaze deliver their verdicts on his big address and discuss how long he has left as leader.They also talk about why the Lib Dems are struggling, why their time in coalition remains toxic and who should take over the reins when Vince Cable finally steps down.They also look ahead to the Labour conference and ask whether Jeremy Corbyn will be able to keep the party united as it debates changes to candidate selections and the demand for a people's vote on Brexit. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Lord John Bird says he got into the House of Lords by “lying, cheating and stealing”.In this week’s Ayes To The Left podcast, the Big Issue founder revealed how he learned the skills to build his hugely successful career in prison.In a frank and funny chat with the Mirror’s Mikey Smith and Dan Bloom, the avuncular crossbench peer talked about homelessness, poverty, Thatcher, Blair and whether he wants to see Jeremy Corbyn in Number 10. And he revealed whether he still thinks all politicians are “failures.” For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It has been an extraordinary few days of high drama, plotting and political turmoil.Theresa May was left fighting to save her career after the double resignation of Boris Johnson and David Davis.Her Brexit plans are now in doubt and she has been placed on warning by mutinous Tory MPs that they could still try to topple her.In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast we examine one of the most turbulent weeks in recent political history.Jason Beattie talks to Prof Anand Menon of UK in a Changing Europe about the implications of Johnson’s departure and where it leaves Brexit.He explains how the chaos in Britain is viewed from Brussels and whether it will help or hinder the Brexit negotiations.And he discusses how Theresa May will almost certainly have to make further concessions to get her deal through. But could the EU also concede some ground?Anand also highlights the dangers which could still see the UK crash out without a deal. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In the last year an estimated 50,000 retail jobs have gone. Major stores have closed while others such as House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer are slashing branches.Unless the decline can be reversed there are fears our high streets could become ghost towns of boarded up shops and derelict malls.In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast we discuss why our town centres are fighting for their lives and what can be done to save them.Mirror’s business editor Graham Hiscott and reporter Oliver Milne talk to Jason Beattie about the threat posed by the online giants, the hollowing out of our public spaces and the need to reform business rates.But it is not all doom and gloom. Oliver tells how a small Belgium town has been transformed by an innovative mayor who has encouraged pop up shops, brought families back to the centre and used art to brighten the landscape.The high street can be saved. It just needs government help and a bit of enterprise and imagination. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Across Europe the centre left is in trouble. Of the 28 EU states only six have a left-wing government and most of those are minority administrations.In the last elections the workers party in Holland came eighth.In the French elections the socialist party's Benoit Hamon came fifth with 6% of the vote.It is a similar story in Germany, the Czech Republic, Greece and Italy. Centre left parties which were in power for much for the second half of the 20th century are now locked in a battle for survival.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast Jason Beattie talks to Labour MP Liam Byrne and Stewart Wood, a former adviser to Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband, on why support for mainstream social democratic parties has collapsed.They discuss how Jeremy Corbyn has bucked the trend and whether his brand of socialism offers a way forward.And they talk about how the left needs to respond to the tide of populism and anti-immigration sentiment sweeping across Europe and America.Is there hope for moderate social democratic parties? Listen and find out. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

David Cameron once branded them "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists".Now UKIP face being something much worse - irrelevant.Where next for Nigel Farage's flailing anti-EU party just three years after it won 4million votes - helping push the Leave campaign to victory?Mirror reporters Dan Bloom and Mikey Smith took a party legend to London's Fruit Cake Patisserie to find out.Gawain Towler spent 14 years as UKIP's tweed-clad press chief after cleaning toilets in a Knightsbridge club, working on the cheat phone line for video game Worms and "modelling" for Italian Vogue in Paris.As UKIP's official spokesman, he often found himself defending the indefensible - all in the polite chirpy manner of a Victorian gent.So we chatted about the party's scandals, its plummeting popularity - and where it goes next. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

After the 2008 financial crash Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett published one of the defining books on austerity.The Spirit Level showed how countries with the greatest inequality have higher rates of violence, imprisonment, drug use and obesity.Now they have published a sister book, the Inner Level, which reveals how unequal societies also have higher rates of mental illness.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast they discuss their findings with the Mirror’s Head of Politics Jason Beattie.They explain how inequality leads to a fracturing of communities, increases loneliness and leaves people with less time to care for friends, relatives and the disabled.A society where your status is judged by how much you earn causes higher levels of stress and anxiety, they have found.And they argue that only by capping executive pay, giving workers a greater say in running companies and beefing up trade unions can tackle the problem. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Few will have heard of Neil Jameson but he is one of the most influential people in British.Neil is the founder and executive director of the community-based organisation Citizens UKAnd its campaigns have been instrumental in improving the lives of millions of people.It has championed the living wage, pushed for action against loan sharks and pay-day lenders and helped persuade the Government to give an amnesty to illegal migrants.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast Neil talks to Jason Beattie about how he founded Citizens UK and how it is has grown from a small group in East London into a national organisation representing thousands of people.He tells how it has helped build and strengthen communities by bringing people from different faiths and backgrounds together.And he explains how mainstream political parties can learn from grassroots, non-partisan organisations such as Citizens UK. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Advances in AI and robotics will dramatically change our lives over the next few decades.Greater automation will affect not just how we work but if we work at all.And the use of artificial intelligence is revolutionising how companies hire and fire, monitor staff performance and make commercial decisions.Few will be exempt from these changes.Whether it is driverless cars, facial recognition or shops without checkout assistants the world around us is changing fast.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast Labour’s Tom Watson tells the Mirror’s Jason Beattie that unless the government acts then millions of people could lose their jobs.He also discusses the need for greater regulation to protect people from surveillance and how big data has become a precious commodity in the hands of few global companies.Far from being pessimistic, Watson says we cannot be Luddites about the changes taking place and points to how AI has benefits for medical research and healthcare.But he warns it will require a major investment in skills and education to ensure nobody is left behind by the revolution taking place. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Towns used to be great places to live with a strong sense of community, thriving high streets, lots of green spaces and good local amenities.But while our cities are booming, the towns have become left behind. Too often our towns have ageing populations, a lack of jobs and opportunities and boarded up shops.And there is growing anger that political parties don’t understand their residents’ needs, ambitions and frustrations.In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast Labour MP Lisa Nandy and Ros Wynne-Jones talk to Jason Beattie about the neglect of our towns and why they hold the key to winning the next general election.While Labour is piling up votes in the major cities it is losing ground in towns such as Basildon, Nuneaton, Bolton and Wigan.Lisa says this presents a real challenge for her party.“Whoever starts to address the issues people are raising in our towns wont just win the next general election it will win the one after that.“It’s a warning for Labour that the vote which has come out for us in 100 years is not guaranteed,” she says.We discuss what Labour needs to do, how towns can be turned around and why politicians ignored the warning call from the EU referendum. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This Saturday will see tens of thousands of people march through London to demand a new deal for workers.The TUC rally has been organised to highlight how millions of people are stuck in low-paid, insecure and part-time jobs.Ahead of the gathering the TUC’s Frances O’Grady talks to Jason Beattie and Mark Ellis about why they called the march, what they hope it will achieve and why the Government needs to act.She explains how work is no longer the way out of poverty. The changing nature of work, with more people having to do agency jobs or zero hours contracts, has created a generation who are struggling to pay the bills, provide for their family and get on the housing ladder.Frances also talks about why the Government must give all public sector workers a pay rise, not just NHS staff.And she discusses the challenges facing the trade union movement in attracting new members, especially young workers on temporary contracts. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

There are millions of voters out there who have been ignored, abandoned and misunderstood.But they could hold the key to winning the next general election. They are, according to Claire Ainsley, the new working class.This new demographic is different to the traditional working class. They are people on low to middle incomes, working in insecure and low paid jobs such as catering and retail and more likely to rent than own their homes.This new working class is multi-ethnic and geographically diverse. What they have in common is their needs have been overlooked by politicians.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast Ainsley, who works for the Joseph Rountree Foundation, talks to the Mirror’s Head of Politics Jason Beattie on why politicians of all parties need to reach out to the new working class.She says they are driven by strong values - family, fairness, hard work and decency - but they have been left behind by successive governments.And she sets out the policies which would make a real difference to the lives of millions of people in Britain. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

We have seen the best and worst of politics this week. There has been the Home Office shambles on Windrush and the searing debate in the Commons on anti-Semitism. The issues may be cause to despair but amid the gloom we have seen Parliament at its best: MPs speaking from the heart, holding power to account and engaging in honest debate. In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast Jason Beattie, Nicola Bartlett and Dan Bloom pick through a difficult few days for both Labour and the Conservatives. They examine why Theresa May and Amber Rudd got caught out by the Windrush fiasco, the government’s botched response and what are the political consequences. They don’t hold back in apportioning the blame: how the Conservatives have used immigration for base political advantage since coming to power in 2010. The Mirror’s political team also review the anti-Semitism debate which saw powerful speeches from Luciana Berger, Ruth Smeeth and others. Has Jeremy Corbyn done enough to tackle the problem in the Labour Party? And could it damage Labour at next month’s local elections? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In a special Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror's Head of Politics, Jason Beattie, talks to Matthew Parkhill.Matthew is the writer, co-director and executive producer of the new TV series the Deep State starring Mark Strong.They discuss the inspiration behind the drama - the way US multinationals cashed in on the Iraq War. Matthew also talks about shadowy links between the political establishment, major corporations and the military.He explains why drama is such an effective medium for raising awareness about political issues and how he tries to weave personal stories with complex questions about how we are governed and where power really lies.And he gives his views on the Salisbury poisoning, the power of Britain's political elite and the impact of Brexit. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Who really runs the country? Our politicians? Big business? The civil service?In this week's Ayes to the Left we look at the influence corporations, the military and the Establishment have on public life.America calls it the Deep State - the shady network of politicians, lobbyists, the Pentagon and multinational firms which shape US policy.We discuss whether such a nexus exists in Britain and, if so, what sway it has on our Government. Listen to the Mirror's Mikey Smith and Jason Beattie explore why the Deep State has taken hold in Donald Trump's America.They question whether it is a conspiracy theory whipped up by the Alt Right or something more sinister.Have major defence corporations influenced decisions on military acton? Is the US system rigged in favour of a wealthy few who use their money and power to protect their interests?Listen and find out. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Philip Hammond delivered his Spring Statement and it lasted a measly 26 minutes.The Chancellor claimed the economy had turned a corner and growth was back on track.But do his claims stand up to scrutiny?In this week's Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror's Kevin Maguire, Jason Beattie and Nicola Bartlett deliver their verdict on the Chancellor's statement.They look at what is really happening to the economy and explain how Hammond's gloss could not disguise the fact the UK is now lagging behind other major countries.And they discuss why the Tories are still wedded to austerity despite Britain's creaking public services crying out for extra funding.Was this a strategic blunder by the Chancellor when the Conservatives are facing a hammering in May's local elections?The Mirror team also talk about why Brexit barely featured in the statement.And they wonder if the decision to phase out 1p and 2p coins could have been the biggest blunder of the day. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

In America they call it the Deep State. In the UK we know it as the Establishment - the few thousand people who work in Whitehall, big business, the media and lobbying who shape how the country is run.They come from the same background, went to the same universities and have the same outlook. In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast Labour’s Jon Trickett tells how the system is rigged against outsiders.He says those at the top of the country come from the same gilded circle and have no idea of the lives of people outside that orbit.The Shadow Cabinet Office minister, who is responsible for drawing up Labour’s plans for power, says a Jeremy Corbyn government is ready to take on the Establishment.And he speaks of his own experience of being an outsider in a world dominated by people with a sense of entitlement. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Former Prime Minister John Major has shed his mild-mannered image to deliver a blistering Brexit broadside at Theresa May's plan for Brexit.In an extraordinary blue-on-blue attack aimed at the PM, he roasted her negotiating red lines, as “not only grand folly … also bad politics”.Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has been giving his typically detail oriented take on the future of the Northern Ireland border - and it's not gone down well at all.This week, Kevin Maguire takes the reins of Ayes to the Left, joined by Nicola Bartlett and Mikey Smith to chew over the week's political news. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Can Brexit be stopped?Femi Oluwole thinks so. He’s set up the campaign, Our Future, Our Choice, to make the case for a second referendum.The 27-year-old argues that young people are being robbed of the chance to dictate their own future.He says that by 2021 the majority of the UK population will be remain.This is because leave voters, who were older, are dying out and being replaced by younger voters, the majority of whom are in favour of staying in the EU.“Within four or five years of the referendum we will have population that wants to Remain.“Pursuing Brexit knowing it’s against the will of the people who will be living with Brexit is a democratic failure” he says.Femi says the only answer is another referendum on the terms of the deal.And it has to be done in the next 12 months or Britain would only be able to return to the EU on worst terms.Talking to the Mirror's Jason Beattie, he explains why he started Our Future, Our Voice, how he is reaching out to areas which voted to leave and why the 2016 referendum was a failure by both camps.He also gives a very simple explanation of the single market. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

This week marked the 100th anniversary of some women getting the vote.In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast we discuss why women are still under represented in politics and why progress has been so slow.We talk about how Parliament remains a macho and confrontational arena and why it puts men and women off politics.Mirror columnist Alison Phillips, Head of Politics Jason Beattie and Political correspondent Dan Bloom also discuss the case for women-only shortlists and whether Theresa May has been a champion of women’s rights.They dissect this week’s Prime Minister’s questions which saw Jeremy Corbyn challenge Mrs May on her home turf of law and order.The panel give their verdict on who came out the winner. And they talk about the latest developments on Brexit and why the Prime Minister may have blundered during PMQs. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

There are plenty of Conservatives who are comedians but not many comedians who are Conservative.Step forward Geoff Norcott. The star of the Mash Report and a regular on Live at the Apollo admits it’s “quite rare” to be a Tory stand up.In a podcast special he talks to Kevin Maguire and Jason Beattie about why he is a Conservative and what it is like sharing a billing with left-wing comedians.Geoff also tells how he was brought up in a London council estate by two left-leaning parents. He tells how his political views were shaped by his experience of teaching English in a secondary school.Despite being the only Tory on the circuit, Geoff insists he is not an outcast and gets on famously with several well known Labour-supporting comics.He also delivers his verdict on several Conservative Cabinet ministers - his opinions may surprise you. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Next week the Brexit battle moves to the House of Lords when peers begin debating the EU Withdrawal Bill.On this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast we talk to Angela Smith, the Labour leader in the Lords, on how peers will approach the Bill.Baroness Smith says the Lords will not see to wreck the legislation but they will try to amend it.She explains that MPs in the Commons want the Bill amended and she talks through the areas where the Government could face trouble.These include improving the legislation to protect workers’ and environmental rights and stopping ministers from getting controversial powers which they could use without any checks.Lady Smith says she is braced for a backlash from the right-wing press but says that will not stop the peers from doing there job.Talking to the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and Jason Beattie she also speaks about the levels of abuse in politics.Almost all her female colleagues have received death threats, she says. And she talks about the need for the Lords to reform, how she hates wearing ermine and her journey from a council house in Essex to a seat at the establishment table. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

The collapse of construction giant Carillion dominated Prime Minister’s questions.Jeremy Corbyn has described the demise of the firm as a “watershed moment” and called for Theresa May to end the “costly racket” of contracting out.In this week’s Ayes to the Left podcast the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Jason Beattie and Nicola Bartlett discuss the political implications of Carillion going into liquidation.They talk about the flaws of privatisation, how corporate giants are awarded lucrative state contracts and why the taxpayers end up paying the bill.The Mirror’s political experts also give their verdicts on the performances of Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May at PMQs.  The Labour leader spoke with real passion but did he put the Prime Minister under pressure? Listen also to a discussion on Tory MP Ben Bradley who said the unemployed should have vasectomies. Did he deserve to be raked over the coals for views he expressed before becoming an MP? Finally, they talk about the elections to Labour’s national executive committee of three Corbyn supporters and what it means for relations in the party. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Theresa May had hoped to use this week's reshuffle to relaunch her faltering government.But the Prime Minister’s best plans quickly fell apart  when she delivered one of the most disaster-strewn ministerial shake ups in recent memory.It started with Chris Grayling being named as Party Chairman for 27 seconds, saw Jeremy Hunt refuse to move jobs and ended with the resignation of Justine Greening.In the latest Ayes to the Left podcast, the Mirror’s Jason Beattie, Ben Glaze and Nicola Bartlett discuss why it went so wrong and what are the implications for May’s government.They also talk through the first PMQs of the New Year which saw Mrs May trip up again.The Mirror team discuss if we have reached “peak Corbyn” and why this year may not be plain sailing for the Labour leader.And they name the politicians to watch in 2018. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Jeremy Corbyn began the year with a question mark over his future, leading a divided party and his poll ratings in free fall.There then followed a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes as he took the fight to Theresa May in the general election, confounded his critics and received a hero’s welcome at Glastonbury.In an Ayes to the Left podcast special, the Labour leader looks back on 2017 and discusses when he first realised he had smashed the political mould.Mr Corbyn also talks about his ambitions for 2018 and what more Labour needs to do to seal victory.Talking to the Mirror’s Alison Phillips and Jason Beattie he also discusses Brexit and whether he has any sympathy for Theresa May.There is also a strong rebuke for Donald Trump for pulling out of the Paris Climate accord and an appeal to world leaders to do more to alleviate the refugee crisis.The Labour leader also talks about his plans for Christmas and tells a joke which is so bad it could be included in a cracker. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

It has been an extraordinary year for British and international politics. Theresa May began 2017 as the queen of all she surveys. She ended the year humiliated in the Commons, broken by her disastrous decision to call an election and in charge of a party deeply divided over Brexit. For Labour, Jeremy Corbyn began the year fighting for his survival only for his fortunes to be transformed by the general election. This was the year which also saw Donald Trump run wild in the White House, Emmanuel Macron’s shock victory in France and chaos in Catalonia. 2017 will also be remembered for the Grenfell Tower disaster which shone a light on how the poor had been overlooked and neglected. The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Alison Phillips, Jason Beattie and Mikey Smith recall their highlights of 2107 from Theresa May’s disastrous conference speech to Jeremy Corbyn receiving a hero’s welcome at Glastonbury. They name their politician of the year, speech of the year and campaigner of the year. The Mirror’s political team also discuss the “Pestminster” scandal that led to the resignation of Michael Fallon, Priti Patel’s fall from grace and why Boris Johnson is unfit to be Foreign Secretary. And they give their verdict on May’s leadership, Brexit and why nobody is talking about the Lib Dems. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Theresa May’s week started brightly and then went quickly down hill.The Prime Minister had hoped to lap the glory of securing a deal with the EU to move to trade talks.But a farcical day in Brussels saw the breakthrough kiboshed by the Democrat Unionist Party.Mrs May was forced to retreat back to London for urgent talks to try to rescue her Brexit plans. And that was not the only problem cluttering the PM’s already overloaded in-tray.On this week’s Ayes to the Left, the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Head of Politics Jason Beattie and political correspondent Dan Bloom talk about how the Brexit deal unravelled, David Davis’s embarrassing performance before MPs and why the PM has been left weakened and powerless.They also discuss Jeremy Corbyn ’s performance at Prime Minister’s questions and why the Labour leader still treads carefully when it comes to Brexit. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Mikey Smith and Jason Beattie discuss Donald Trump’s Twitter bile, the Brexit bill and why Emily Thornberry was the star of PMQs. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

There were two big headlines in the Budget: the appalling growth figures and the stamp duty cut.But there was a vacuum at the heart of the Budget - nothing for social care, no public sector pay rise and no extra money for the police and education.On this week’s Ayes to the Left, the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Head of Politics Jason Beattie and political correspondent Nicola Bartlett discuss Hammond’s bad day at the office, what the Budget means for you and why it did little for millennials.And they explain why the Chancellor’s terrible jokes means he won’t be starring in panto any time soon. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

After a run of strong performances Jeremy Corbyn’s winning streak at PMQs came to an end today.The Labour leader peppered Theresa May with questions on the NHS, crime, police cuts, the universal credit and tax avoidance.But he was up against a Prime Minister who appeared to have recovered her confidence after a morale-sapping few weeks,On this week’s Ayes to the Left, the Mirror’s Head of Politics Jason Beattie, Deputy Political Editor Ben Glaze and political correspondent Nicola Bartlett discuss how the two party leaders fared.We also look at the allegations that Russia tried to meddle in last year’s Brexit vote.How seriously we should we take the threat? And are the social media companies doing enough to police the content?There is also no escaping Brexit. Listen to how the Prime Minister has antagonised Tory rebels with her last “barmy” Brexit gambit. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

There is only one topic of conversation in Westminster at the moment: the sex scandal.Some of the allegations have been harrowing to read, others have left a question mark over the careers of senior politicians.On this week’s Ayes to the Left, the Mirror’s deputy editor-in-chief Alison Phillips, Head of Politics Jason Beattie and political correspondent Nicola Bartlett discuss the culture of sleaze in Westminster, the reaction of the party leaders and whether the victims are getting the support they need.In a wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the seriousness of the allegations and why some people have felt intimidated about reporting abuse.Has social media helped or hindered those involved? And are young women especially vulnerable in an environment fuelled by power and ambition?We also debate whether or not it is a “witch hunt,” what more Parliament needs to do and the political consequences for Theresa May. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

For three weeks in a row, Jeremy Corbyn has owned Prime Minister’s Questions - putting Theresa May on the back foot on Universal Credit.It’s gradually putting to bed the idea the Labour leader’s relatively strong performance since the election has been a fluke.But a string of damaging allegations of sexism and homophobia against a young Labour MP threatened to dampen the party’s spirits.On this week’s Ayes to the Left, the Mirror’s Associate Editor Kevin Maguire is joined by political correspondents Nicola Bartlett and Mikey Smith to discuss whether the PM is actually getting worse as Corbyn gets better. Is Corbyn getting help with PMQs? And if so, who from? And what’s the best way for parties to deal with historic misconduct by MPs? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Not even a good set of jobless figures could save Theresa May from a mauling at Prime Minister’s questions.While Jeremy Corbyn grows in confidence, the Prime Minister looked diminished and isolated.A few months ago it was Mrs May who commanded the House of Commons and the Labour leader who was jeered.Now Mr Corbyn is heard in respectful silence and the Prime Minister struggles to be heard.In this week’s podcast The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, Nicola Bartlett and Jason Beattie discuss how the mood has changed, why Mrs May struggled on the universal credit and why a Tory MP was shown the red card.We also answer some questions from listeners on Brexit and name our highlight of the political week. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

What a difference a general election can make. Six months ago Theresa May was a commanding presence in the House of Commons and Jeremy Corbyn struggled to be heard.Now it is the Prime Minister who looks nervous and deflated and the Labour leader who is in command of the House.This week's Prime Minister's Questions saw Mr Corbyn skewer Mrs May on the universal credit to cheers from his backbenchers.Even Tory MP Heidi Allen turned on the Prime Minister over the flagship welfare reform. And she was not the only Heidi to cause Mrs May trouble.The Mirror's Head of Politics Jason Beattie and political correspondents Nicola Bartlett and Mikey Smith discuss the transformation in Corbyn's performances and what's happening with Brexit. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Theresa May delivered one of the most memorable speeches ever delivered at a party conference - for all the wrong reasons.Everything which could go wrong for the Prime Minister did go wrong. First, there was an interruption by a prankster who handed her a P45, Next she was brought low by a terrible cough that forced her to halt her speech on numerous occasions.Then to complete the humiliation the letters on the slogan behind her fell off while she was speaking.Mrs May won sympathy for soldiering on to the end but it was excruciating to watch. And her on stage agony meant it was difficult to concentrate on the substance of her speech.The Mirror's Jason Beattie, Kevin Maguire, Nicola Bartlett and Mikey Smith discuss the PM's calamitous address and what it means for her future and her fractious party. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy