Not Another One

What will be the political consequences when the full Mandelson documents are published? Modern politicians are robotic enough, but if all their private exchanges risk becoming public will they dare to be human? Can we combine transparency with the need for ministers to have space to be human? Or do we have the right to full disclosure when power appears to have been abused? Plus, will the Education Secretary's SEND reforms work? And the team assess the prospects ahead of this week's crucial by-election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrest of Andrew, formerly Prince Andrew, has been described as the worst crisis for the Royal Family in a century.Is that hyperbole or will the scandal do serious damage to the standing of the institution? Our team discuss the implications and the media's role. Plus, the fallout from the Munich Security Conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigel Farage has given Robert Jenrick responsibility for Reform economic policy, while making Richard Tice his formal deputy. Suella Braverman has the education portfolio. Will such appointments boost Reform's credibility as an alternative government? Or is there big trouble to come as Nigel Farage becomes a leader of a team rather than a one man show? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of a week featuring a failed gambit to oust the PM, plus the expulsion of the country's most senior civil servant, Miranda and Tim debate the lost promise of a "dullness dividend". Stability seems elusive, especially given the threat to shake up government even further if Reform prevails. Is that necessary? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There have been countless resets and changes of personnel in Number 10 but so far little has changed in terms of Keir Starmer's style of leadership. With the departure of Morgan McSweeney what should Starmer do to show he has learnt the lessons of his stormy premiership, or is it too late? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Westminster in a febrile state because of the Epstein-Mandelson scandal, pressure is growing on the Prime Minister. Is Britain really going to change leaders yet again? This would be the seventh PM in ten years. What is wrong with our system that this keeps happening? Plus, who is winning in local government between Reform and the Lib Dems? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For such a powerful politician, a key lieutenant to three Labour prime ministers, to be so dramatically disgraced is a seismic moment. As Downing St reels from the latest revelations, our team debates whether the end of Peter Mandelson's unique career marks the close of an entire generation's chapter - and what kind of Labour politics might now follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As another senior defector moves from the Conservative party to Reform, our team asks if the battle on the right is going to lead to Reform replacing the Conservatives? Plus… if Labour loses the forthcoming by-election what happens to Keir Starmer? And where does the Burnham saga leave the party? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our weekend episode, Miranda, Tim and Iain chew over the international tensions laid bare this week, and ask whether Andy Burnham or other potential rivals to Starmer have answers to the wider questiions of the age. Warning: contains pyjamas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the threats on Greenland and tariffs from the president ramp up, our team debates the substance and the impact on US allies. For the UK, is it all about defence strategy and spending? Or is there even more at stake? Argy-bargy ensues about Starmer's foreign policy and the stance of opposition parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the British Right going deeper into crisis or is it mending? The Not Another One team examine the implications of Robert Jenrick's defection to Reform. And Steve quizzes Tim about the role he played in the now former Tory MP's move. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team discuss the importance of character in politics via Peter Mandelson, Nadhim Zahawi, Donald Trump and Wes Streeting. The health secretary appeared to criticise allies of Keir Starmer in his latest punchy intervention. What is Streeting's plan? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weekend edition, Tim Montgomerie and Iain Martin discuss the unfolding counter-revolution as brave protestors take on the regime. What are the implications if the uprising is successful? And why was the media here so slow to give these events the coverage they merit? Plus - Brexit is back, with Labour pushing hard for a much closer relationship with the EU and Nigel Farage pledging to resist the reset. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our team returns for the New Year episode to debate President Trump's extraordinary foreign policy. Are Greenland and Iran next after Venezuela, and how is the landscape of global threats (and alliances) shifting. How should the UK and the rest of NATO react? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As 2025 turns into 2026, the NAO team look at the critical May elections and beyond. What will the impact be if Labour gets wiped out in Scotland, Wales and local government? And will the fragmentation of the party system lead to parties on the left and ri Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of an eventful year in politics, the team takes on questions from our NAO listeners. Everything from who would make the best 'once and future' PM to whether we are burying the mistakes born of recent turbulent times. Plus: do we get really cross with each other? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Reform's Danny Kruger set out his plans to modernise the civil service while the current government is supposed to be carrying out its own reforms. But nothing is happening. Virtually every government identifies a need to improve the civil service and then backs away from significant change. Why? Plus, are Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham getting ready to challenge Keir Starmer next year? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first of our festive specials Not Another One is live at the Centre for Social Justice for a review of the year. Why is Sir Keir Starmer vulnerable already? Will Reform or the Tories be the main alternative to Labour at the election? Is this the end of two party politics? Plus brilliant questions from the audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With news of Reform UK's record £9m donation, our weekend episode finds the team reunited to explore whether money from individuals or organisations implies something in return. Should Britain opt for state funding of political parties? Or is going back to mass membership a better approach and a predictor of success? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Budget the main question in the media and from some of the government's political opponents has been did Rachel Reeves deliberately mislead? But is the Chancellor's integrity the right target for her many opponents? Is the substance of the Budget getting less attention than it deserves from supporters and opponents? Plus, is this the end of juries and Your Party? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After all that drama, did the government get away with the Budget? Was Kemi Badenoch's attack on the Chancellor a criticism too far or a justified direct hit? The NAO team agree that the UK's lack of growth is the cause of disillusionment with mainstream parties, but how should we secure higher growth? Has the Budget made that even harder? And which party benefits from the emergence of the old dividing line - investment in public services against tax cuts? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Rachel Reeves prepares for the most talked about budget in decades we discuss a galaxy of previous chancellors often facing epic challenges. Standby for portraits of Healey, Howe, Lamont, Brown and Osborne, and of course the team's latest reflections of Reeves as she prepares for this Wednesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Via a brief pre-Budget detour, the team debates the Home Secretary's major new policy. Will it work? Is it hardline for one set of critics and not tough enough for the rest? Stop the boats was a slogan that sunk the previous government. Will the substance or the positioning be more dangerous to this one? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High drama has dominated as the Chancellor signals a huge u-turn on Budget tax plans, while briefings designed to shore up Keir Starmer backfired on Number 10 in spectacular fashion. In this weekend's episode the team focus on dysfunction, paranoia and rivalry at the very top. How much trouble is the government in? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Director General and BBC head of news fired in the wake of a scandal over President Trump and bias, our team ask whether the Beeb is doomed. Or is this yet another confected media row? And how is journalism changing? Plus - what is the latest on Starmer and the looming Budget? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An early morning speech from the chancellor to pledge fiscal stability and flag tax rises, while the main challenger for Downing Street overturns his party's fiscal platform. The team discuss the fix Rachel Reeves is in and whether Nigel Farage is now choosing to play by the rules of mainstream politics. Plus: Dick Cheney's role as Veep. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In such different ways, the story of Andrew Windsor's downfall and the chancellor's local rental embarrassment reveal how we regard and treat crimes and misdemeanours by the British establishment. In this weekend episode, the team find they have a clash of interpretations on both stories - and on the role of the media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode our team discuss three pressing issues, including the state of the civil service and government concern that the machine is not fit for purpose. Plus, the OBR. Has the government put too much faith in the pronouncements of the Office for Budget Responsibility? Is this approach crippling British policymaking? And Tim, Steve and Iain assess the quality of today's MPs. Has there been a decline and if so why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour and the Conservatives together secured only 13 per cent of the vote in the Caerphilly by-election. In what had been a Labour stronghold for a century the governing party was crushed. Does the Plaid Cymru win, with Reform in second place, point to a wider political earthquake? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Not Another One team discuss the challenges facing the royal family, the Rachel Reeves situation and Britain's troubled relationship with the world's second biggest economy - China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the two main parties shedding support can "ecopopulism" on the left mimic Reform's surge on the right? Our team are all here for this weekend edition pondering Zack Polanski's leadership and the potential threat to other parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the extraordinary events in the Middle East, our team discuss the prospects for an enduring peace. Are there too many contradictions in the President's plan? Or might reconstruction make enough of a difference to guarantee a long term peaceful resolution? Plus our team consider the role of Tony Blair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of the party conference season, our team ask why the Tory and Labour leaders have emerged stronger from the last few weeks. And across the parties what are the wider lessons to draw from the conference season? Plus, the team discuss the looming budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Tim joining from Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Iain and Miranda discuss some of his surprising insights from milling around with former Tory colleagues. Plus, disappointment for one of Reform's flagship new councils. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Tory party gathers in Manchester for its party conference the team debates whether the economic dilemmas in the run up to the Budget have been airbrushed out of the discussion. Plus: the risks of Starmer using the "r" word and the extent to which the Tory party is doomed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Keir Starmer's speech to the Labour conference the team discuss whether he is right in his framing of the battle with Reform. And the degree to which he has secured his leadership and for how long. Plus, why was there no mention of digital ID cards and hardly any reference to the Conservative party. Will any of it matter when taxes are raised in the budget? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this latest weekend edition the team answer questions from listeners on Reform, Tory defections and whether or not we the public are too insulting to politicians. Plus, what is the government? Is anyone really in charge? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Liberal Democrats conference ends in Bournemouth, Miranda has returned with a five point plan to move the party on to the next phase (or phase two as Keir Starmer might put it). But does she convince the rest of the Not Another One team? Plus Iain is back from his holiday with some book recommendations and a wine that is both “simple and complex”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A senior Tory frontbencher, Danny Kruger, has defected to Reform. Others might follow. How can a Tory leader flourish when the momentum is with Nigel Farage and Reform?Steve Richards presents Rock N Roll Politics live at the main concert hall, Kings Place on Thursday 25th September. Tickets available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is much speculation about whether Keir Starmer will be Prime Minister…but who would replace him? What are the chances for Andy Burnham? Would the winner of the deputy leadership contest have a chance? Tim and Steve explore the implications of the crises whirling around Keir Starmer after the departures of Angela Rayner and Peter Mandelson.Steve Richards presents Rock N Roll Politics live at the main concert hall, Kings Place on Thursday. Tickets are available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh from the party's conference in Birmingham, Tim Montgomerie suggests a five-point plan of the steps necessary to take Reform from its current high but limited support base to the next level. Some of his advice is about policy but some about tackling unsavoury elements - will Nigel Farage, Reform party leader, listen? Steve Richards and Miranda Green have no choice as Tim takes the chair for this weekend episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angela Rayner's departure has triggered a deputy leadership contest and an extensive reshuffle… some restive Labour MPs stir…fearing new levels of control freakery and incompetence …others wonder whether this reset might lead to a more effective government…Who is right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The team considers whether draping and painting the Union flag or the cross of St George over public spaces is patriotic or aggressive. Do we have a uniquely reluctant attitude to the UK flag or is a commendably undemonstrative national mindset now under threat from a sinister and exclusive nationalism? Warning: contains frank disagreement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prime Minister has attempted to boost his team in Number 10, not least by appointing an adviser on economic policy and moving Darren Jones from the Treasury to oversee policy from Number 10. Some interpret the change as an attempt to challenge Reeves, who had total control over economic policy in opposition and the government's opening months, but how undermining are the changes? Our team asks how they will change the political mood. How many more resets will Starmer make to a team in a state of near constant churn? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigel Farage has announced his plan that he claims would stop all illegal immigration. It includes leaving the ECHR and sending asylum seekers back to countries even if they face the threat of torture or death. Will it work politically in the short term for Reform and practically if Farage becomes Prime Minister. And how should a Labour government - preoccupied by Reform - respond, not least when voters also have the choice of parties to the left of Keir Starmer? Plus the latest from Steve's shows at the Edinburgh festival and music choices for the last weeks of summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest weekend magazine edition, the team are asked to imagine what they would do if “the ball came loose from the back of the scrum” and they won power. Which policies would they prioritise? From boosting housing, to tackling anti-social behaviour, expanding continuous vocational education and training, banning cycling on pavements and mandating the pint-sized bottle of champagne, Tim, Miranda and Iain design their manifestos. Plus, the coming constitutional crisis if Reform does win the election and has no seats in the House of Lords. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it just "the economy stupid" or is there a deeper malaise stoking impatience with Starmer this summer, so soon after his 2024 win? Our team ponders the context wonders and whether or not the failures are all Labour's responsibility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the others away, Tim and Miranda tackle some of the posers for the team that got left out of last week's episode. Keep your questions coming in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Veep seems an unlikely holidaymaker in the UK but the foreign secretary has been wooing him for a long time. Our team discuss political friendships across the divide, including our own. Plus: Badenoch and Britishness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this listeners' question time episode, the team tackle a wide range of subjects. Is there too much doom and gloom? Is it time for ID cards? Could any government raise income tax? Why has the country forgotten Covid? And a listener asks: who are we? A good question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An intense political battle is being fought over August, normally quiet in Westminster. It centres on the small boats and wider migration issues. But amidst the conflicting claims and policy ideas the boats keep on coming. The movement of people is a global crisis at least as challenging as the crash of 2008. Are leaders in Britain and elsewhere even close to meeting it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.