Podcast appearances and mentions of Gordon Brown

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says fixing broken communities is an economic emergency, but how do we do it? Burnham's fiscal devolution? Could social impact bonds work? How do we extract more tax from the super wealthy? What about the shattered world order—can that be mended? What would he say to Trump now if he were PM? And as the man who gave independence to the Bank of England, does he think it's still fit for purpose? Gordon Brown talks to Steph and Robert about his new book, The Future Starts With Us, looking at what needs to happen to rebuild our broken communities and fractured world order. Plus, what this all means for places like Middlesbrough. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain's smart energy pioneer. Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠restismoney@goalhanger.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@RestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Advertise with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com⁠ Video Editor: Lorcan Moullier Producer: Isabelle Bougeard Exec Producers: Bella Soames and Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The former UK Prime Minister and Chancellor joins Yonit and Jonathan for the latest of our Unholy Conversations — on the void populist nationalists have moved into, on the difference between hope and optimism, on the father whose projector slides taught him the kings of Israel before the kings of England, and on the Middle East peace deal he watched come apart in 2009. Chapters: 00:06 Introduction to Gordon Brown and His New Book 05:48 The Connection Between Nationalism and Community Decline 12:46 Personal Responsibility and Moral Leadership 17:23 Addressing Anti-Semitism and Global Issues 22:41 Hope vs. Optimism in Times of Crisis 30:13 Britain's Role in Global Peace Efforts 32:27 Personal Reflections and Motivations of Gordon Brown

Join Sam Hart, Lewis Porteous and Liam Headd as they review the biggest stories from the horseracing world over the past seven days.The rain finally arrived at British racecourses over the weekend, with Zavateri landing the Celebration Mile at Goodwood and Alfred Wallace winning the Solario Stakes at Sandown. But the performance of the weekend may have come from the nine-year-old Al Aasy, who stormed home to win the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville on Sunday.We also heard the news that two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and David O'Meara's star mare Estrange have both been retired. The team look back on just how incredible both horses have been for their respective yards.Former prime minister Gordon Brown made headlines in racing last week after calling for a significant increase in gambling tax, which could have a major impact on the racing and betting industries. The team discuss what this could mean for racing and whether the sport can work with prime minister Andy Burnham to highlight the important links between racing and betting.To round off the show, the team look back on a brilliant National Racehorse Week and reveal their flat ante-post selection for the autumn.

VOV1 - Sau nhiều thập kỷ bị coi là “bài toán không lời giải” của chính trường Anh, cải cách hệ thống chăm sóc xã hội đang được tân Thủ tướng Andy Burnham đặt vào vị trí ưu tiên hàng đầu trong chương trình nghị sự.Thủ tướng Andy Burnham hôm qua đã tới thăm một viện dưỡng lão ở thủ đô London. Tại đây, ông khẳng định hệ thống chăm sóc xã hội hiện nay đang tạo gánh nặng cho khu vực công khi phụ thuộc quá nhiều vào các doanh nghiệp tư nhân hoạt động vì lợi nhuận. Theo ông, việc nhiều người cao tuổi, người khuyết tật và những người dễ bị tổn thương phải chi trả gần như toàn bộ tài sản để được chăm sóc là một thực trạng bất công.Nhà lãnh đạo 56 tuổi thừa nhận các thế hệ chính trị gia, trong đó có chính bản thân ông đã không giải quyết được vấn đề này trong nhiều năm qua. Khi còn giữ cương vị Bộ trưởng Y tế năm 2009 dưới thời cựu Thủ tướng Gordon Brown, ông từng đề xuất cải cách nhưng không thành công. Lần trở lại chính phủ sau hơn một thập kỷ trên cương vị Thị trưởng vùng Greater Manchester vì thế được xem là cơ hội để ông hiện thực hóa cam kết còn dang dở.“Đây là sự thiếu trách nhiệm nghiêm trọng đối với nghĩa vụ công khi Quốc hội đã không dám đối mặt với một trong những thách thức cơ bản nhất liên quan trực tiếp đến cuộc sống của người dân. Chúng ta sẽ không thể giải quyết vấn đề này bằng cách làm chính trị như lâu nay. Cần có một cách tiếp cận hoàn toàn khác. Vì vậy, tôi rất vui khi hôm nay cả hai đảng đối lập lớn đã chấp nhận lời mời của tôi để bắt đầu các cuộc đối thoại.”Khác với nhiều nỗ lực cải cách trước đây vốn nhanh chóng vấp phải chia rẽ đảng phái, Thủ tướng Andy Burnham lựa chọn cách tiếp cận đồng thuận. Ông mời lãnh đạo các đảng đối lập tham gia đối thoại, với mục tiêu xây dựng một “Dịch vụ Chăm sóc quốc gia” hoạt động song hành với “Dịch vụ Y tế quốc gia” (NHS). Cuộc họp đầu tiên đã có sự tham dự của cả đảng Bảo thủ và đảng Dân chủ Tự do, trong đó lãnh đạo đảng Dân chủ Tự do Ed Davey đánh giá các cuộc trao đổi mang tính xây dựng. Chính phủ cũng giao chuyên gia về chính sách xã hội Louise Casey chủ trì một “Cuộc đối thoại lớn” trên phạm vi toàn quốc nhằm lấy ý kiến người dân trước khi công bố báo cáo cải cách vào mùa hè năm tới. Động lực của ông Andy Burnham không chỉ đến từ yêu cầu chính sách mà còn mang tính cá nhân. Cha của ông đang mắc bệnh Alzheimer, khiến những khó khăn của hệ thống chăm sóc hiện nay trở nên gần gũi hơn bao giờ hết. Tuy nhiên, con đường phía trước được dự báo không hề dễ dàng. Sau nhiều năm cắt giảm chi tiêu công, hệ thống chăm sóc xã hội của Anh đang thiếu nhân lực, thiếu nguồn lực tài chính và khiến nhiều bệnh nhân cao tuổi phải nằm lại bệnh viện vì không có điều kiện chăm sóc tại cộng đồng. Thủ tướng Andy Burnham thừa nhận sẽ phải đưa ra những quyết định khó khăn, bao gồm khả năng điều chỉnh thuế, cải thiện tiền lương và đào tạo cho lực lượng chăm sóc, đồng thời xem xét lại vai trò của các doanh nghiệp tư nhân đang vận hành phần lớn các viện dưỡng lão.Thành công của cải cách vì thế không chỉ phụ thuộc vào nguồn tài chính mà còn ở khả năng tạo được đồng thuận xã hội đối với những lựa chọn khó tránh khỏi. Vượt qua được thất bại của các chính phủ tiền nhiệm sẽ không chỉ tạo ra bước ngoặt cho hệ thống phúc lợi của Anh, mà còn là phép thử quan trọng đối với năng lực lãnh đạo của tân Thủ tướng./.Thu Hoài/VOV1Thủ tướng Anh Andy Burnham thăm một viện dưỡng lão ở London ngày 29/7 (Ảnh: AP)

Andy Burnham, séptimo primer ministro del Reino Unido en los últimos diez años, hizo este lunes su entrada triunfal en el 10 de Downing Street prometiendo que un Estado más grande y más fuerte resolverá los problemas económicos del país y le devolverá su estabilidad política. De pie frente a la residencia oficial del primer ministro, Burnham dijo ser plenamente consciente de que el Reino Unido ha estado cambiando de líderes a un ritmo demasiado rápido y que eso exige que la nueva generación de políticos respondan a los desafíos que plantea la sociedad británica. Burnham, que tiene 56 años y a sus espaldas carga una larga carrera política, esbozó una visión general del país en la que un Estado más intervencionista revertiría lo que llamó 40 años de neoliberalismo. Burnham quiere descentralizar el poder desde Londres hacia las regiones, se comprometió a poner “los elementos esenciales de la vida bajo control estatal” y dijo que su primera política sería acabar con la gente sin hogar durmiendo en las calles. También prometió presentar a finales de este año un plan a diez años para el país que ofrecería “un nuevo modelo político y un nuevo modelo económico”. Entre las medidas que se están considerando figuran los controles de alquileres y mayores subvenciones públicas para las facturas de energía y los billetes de transporte público. Las primeras ya han entrado en vigor con la retirada del IVA de la factura de la luz. Lo que no se sabe es cómo financiará esos gastos extra. Quizá por eso mismo el coste de la deuda a diez años del Gobierno británico se incrementó tan pronto como terminó el discurso. Los inversores apuntan a que la propuesta económica de Burnham inclinará aún más el Reino Unido hacia la izquierda, con modestos aumentos del gasto público financiados mediante mayores impuestos y más endeudamiento. Pero su margen de maniobra es limitado ya que tanto la carga fiscal como la deuda pública se encuentran cerca de máximos históricos. Entretanto se prevé que la economía solo crezca un 1 % este año. Burnham ha aprovechado para rehacer el gabinete de Starmer y ponerlo a su gusto. Ha nombrado a John Healey, exsecretario de Defensa, como ministro de Hacienda en sustitución de la todopoderosa Rachel Reeves. Healey dimitió hace menos de dos meses alegando que no tenía suficiente financiación para defensa. El nombramiento de este centrista busca tranquilizar a los inversores, que temían que el puesto fuera para un candidato de izquierda más radical. A Ed Milliband le ha entregado la cartera de Exteriores, pero ha mantenido a Shabana Mahmood como ministra de Interior. Para marcar un nuevo tono político, Burnham se presenta como un outsider de clase trabajadora del norte de Inglaterra capaz de sacudir el statu quo londinense. No hay nada de eso. Estudió en Cambridge, fue ministro dos veces con Gordon Brown y alcalde de Manchester durante 9 años. Los dos grandes partidos británicos, los conservadores y los laboristas, están sufriendo en las encuestas a causa del poco crecimiento económico, la inmigración y una crisis del coste de la vida que alimenta una sensación de malestar entre los votantes, que consideran que los políticos tradicionales son incapaces de mejorar su situación. Burnham, como todos los primeros ministros recién llegados, es todavía una incógnita, pero todas las propuestas que trae ya se ensayaron en el pasado con funestas consecuencias. Para analizar su nuevo gabinete nos acompaña hoy Andrea. Estamos ambos en Inglaterra así que el tema lo estamos siguiendo muy de cerca. · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #andyburnham #reinounido Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to expand their investigation into Prince Andrew—also referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—by examining how public funds were used during his time as the UK's trade envoy. Brown argues that newly surfaced material tied to the Epstein files raises serious questions about whether taxpayer money funded not just official duties, but potentially private activities or relationships connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He is urging authorities to obtain records and question officials across multiple government departments involved in organizing Andrew's travel and engagements.Brown also highlighted longstanding concerns about Andrew's spending while in the role, including frequent use of RAF flights and resistance to traveling commercially, which he previously described as generating “unacceptable costs.” He is now pushing for a broader inquiry into whether there was misuse of public funds or even a failure to properly scrutinize those expenses at the time. The renewed calls come amid a wider investigation into Andrew's links to Epstein, with Brown suggesting that financial records, travel data, and witness testimony could provide a clearer picture of how public resources may have intersected with alleged private conduct.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Gordon Brown urges police to examine public funds during Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's time as UK trade envoy | Sky News AustraliaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

John Healey is the Chancellor to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP, but how will he pay for it? Would war bonds do the trick? Is a cut in electricity VAT and a rise in income tax thresholds helping the right people? What will it take to build enough council houses? With the surprise appointment of former defence secretary John Healey as Burnham's new Chancellor, we look at whether he can revive the UK. Plus Robert and Steph wonder whether the hidden hand of Gordon Brown is behind Healey's appointment. The Rest is Money is brought to you by Octopus Energy, Britain's smart energy pioneer. Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠restismoney@goalhanger.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TheRestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@RestIsMoney⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Advertise with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Partnerships@goalhanger.com⁠⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com⁠ Video Editor: Dylan Bonham Producer: Isabelle Bougeard Exec Producers: Chris Sawyer and Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we look at what Number 10 has in store for Andy Burnham ahead of his first day as prime minister with two insiders who've been there with former prime ministers.Lord Stewart Wood was an advisor to Gordon Brown and Lucia Hodgson was Boris Johnson's deputy dire of communications.They explain what the first day is like, what they expect from the new PM, and the unexpected quirks of the job.We also look at plans to drop government-issued digital ID for all British adults and what he'll do with Thames Water.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Paddy O'Connell and Laura Kuenssberg. It was made by Chris Flynn. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The New Labour old boy was at one time a front runner to lead his Party. But after a scandalous resignation from Gordon Brown's Cabinet, it seemed his political career was over…until now. James Purnell grew up between France and Guildford. Spending his teenage years at the fee-paying Royal Grammar School, he was known for his distinctive Parisian style and ‘Rupert the Bear' trousers. A fan of the theatre, golf, and student politics, he began establishing a network that would prove fruitful for a high-flying career. This continued at Oxford - where he studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics - and spent summers interning with up-and-coming Labour politician, Tony Blair. His career took off early - serving as a councillor in Islingon, Head of Corporate Planning at the BBC, and then Special Advisor to the prime minister all in his 20s. In 2001, he was elected MP for the northern seat of Stalybridge and Hyde, and soon climbed the ranks of government, serving as a minister in Gordon Brown's government. Purnell weathered storms and scrutiny, before generating a scandal of his own: a failed coup against the prime minister, resigning from the cabinet in 2009. Now, after decades out of Westminster - with top jobs at the BBC, University of the Arts London, and a corporate advisory and lobbying firm under his belt - he's back. Andy Burnham, James Purnell's former flatmate and football buddy, will become prime minister on Monday. And he's invited his old friend back as his Chief of Staff. What will the so-called ‘Ant and Dec of New Labour' do when they take the reigns of government next week?Production: Presenter: Becky Milligan Producers: Tom Gillett, Ellie House Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele, Siobhan Reed Sound: Neil Churchill Editor: Justine LangArchive: FA TV

Three months ago, Andy Burnham's desk was filled with the business of running Greater Manchester. Buses. Housing. Policing. This mayoral region in the north of England is home to 3 million people and Burnham, a former minister in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has been its mayor for nearly a decade.But after a whirlwind ten weeks, Burnham travelled to Buckingham Palace on July 20 to meet King Charles, who appointed him as Britain's new prime minister.At the heart of Burnham's plans for power lies Manchesterism, a political philosophy that centres on giving cities and towns outside London more political control. In this episode, we explore how running Greater Manchester shaped Andy Burnham's politics with researchers Kirsty Fairclough from Manchester Metropolitan University and Philip Brown from the University of Huddersfield. They assess what Burnham achieved as mayor and discuss whether a philosophy designed around one city can work on a national level for the UK.This episode was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl. Read the full credits for this episode and sign up here for a free daily newsletter from The Conversation.If you like the show, please consider donating to The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news organisation.Why Andy Burnham's radical plan relies on the Treasury being a friend of devolutionThis is what Andy Burnham's devolution plans need to consider – expert panelThis episode is part of a series on Manchesterism – a guide to Burnham's Britain

With England through to the knockout stages of the World Cup and hopes rising that football might finally be coming home, Westminster is watching nervously — and closely. The beautiful game shapes the national mood like little else. For politicians, that creates both huge opportunity and huge risk. This week, Patrick Baker speaks to football and politics journalist Joey D'Urso about the deep historical links between football and political power, and why World Cup success has long shaped Britain's political imagination. Political commentator and former Labour adviser Scarlett McGwire explains why authenticity matters more in football than almost anywhere else in politics — and recalls the bizarre moment Gordon Brown's advisers staged photos of him cheering on England to make him appear “less Scottish.” In a late-night pub viewing of Scotland vs. Brazil, Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman offers a perspective from north of the border on the hardship of following the Tartan Army, England's World Cup hopes and home nations rivalry. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater reflects on football's power to bring people together across political divides, and why politicians should resist turning the game into another front in Britain's culture wars. And playwright James Graham, creator of the hit play and TV series Dear England, argues that football may be one of the last great communal experiences in British life — one of the few places where strangers still come together to feel something collectively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode, Peter would like to know why Labour are taxing some private schools out of business and Sarah is asking if should we even care that Prince Harry might be coming back to the UK? And the pair pore over our mailbag to chat about studying double smoking (and drinking cider), how e-bikes have no place even in hilly Lisbon, just how Conservative was Gordon Brown, and what ties Andy Bunrnham and Philip Larkin together.On our reading and watch list this week: · The Secondary Mod – Dick Stroud· The August Coup: The Destruction of the Soviet Union and the Making of New Russia 1985-1991 – Robert Service· The Conservative enemy: A programme of radical reform for the 1960s - C. Anthony R. Crosland Please do get in touch, email: Alas@dailymail.co.uk you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas'. Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Philip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie East A Daily Mail production. Seriously PopularTo get in touch email alas@mailonline.co.uk, you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on WhatsApp - on 07796 657512 start your message with the word 'alas'Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Phillip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie EastA Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, the drinks writer Henry Jeffreys and the founder and chair of iNHouse Communications – and former director of communications for Theresa May – Katie Perrior.This week: another year, another prime ministerial resignation – it's all becoming a little too common in British politics. The guests give their views on Starmer's downfall and look ahead to the inevitable Andy Burnham premiership, from his policy agenda to who's in – and who's out – when it comes to the Cabinet and all-important role of Chancellor. Facing criticism that he lacks a mandate, not to mention how recently he was elected to Parliament, should he call for a general election? Burnham may be influenced from Gordon Brown's failure to call one in 2007 but, as Katie warns, snap elections don't always go your way – just ask Theresa May. And do you agree with Tim characterising Burnham as Labour's first female leader. Also: from Burnham's black t-shirt to Theresa May's kitten heels, does it matter how politicians dress? Henry makes his argument that people should always strive to dress well and why – from charity shops to the app Vinted – it's never been easier to do so.Plus: as the country bakes, what's the best booze to drink to cool off?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Greater Manchester mayoralty made Andy Burnham famous. Now he's hoping he can take the approach he developed in the city to the whole country. This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan speaks to four serving mayors — and one former one about whether the role will prepare Burnham for the highest office in the land. Labour Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward, who was a minister in Gordon Brown's government, told Sascha that mayors have much more power than junior minister. Oliver Coppard, the Labour Mayor of South Yorkshire, explains how the job requires you to manage different competing interests, albeit on a smaller scale than as a prime minister. But former Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street warns that when it comes to financial responsibility and party management — two pitfalls of Keir Starmer's leadership — the job of mayor is "totally different". Helen Godwin, West of England Mayor, and Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East, have graciously said they won't kick Burnham out of the Labour mayors' WhatsApp group if he becomes PM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week's Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, the drinks writer Henry Jeffreys and the founder and chair of iNHouse Communications – and former director of communications for Theresa May – Katie Perrior.This week: another year, another prime ministerial resignation – it's all becoming a little too common in British politics. The guests give their views on Starmer's downfall and look ahead to the inevitable Andy Burnham premiership, from his policy agenda to who's in – and who's out – when it comes to the Cabinet and all-important role of Chancellor. Facing criticism that he lacks a mandate, not to mention how recently he was elected to Parliament, should he call for a general election? Burnham may be influenced from Gordon Brown's failure to call one in 2007 but, as Katie warns, snap elections don't always go your way – just ask Theresa May. And do you agree with Tim characterising Burnham as Labour's first female leader. Also: from Burnham's black t-shirt to Theresa May's kitten heels, does it matter how politicians dress? Henry makes his argument that people should always strive to dress well and why – from charity shops to the app Vinted – it's never been easier to do so.Plus: as the country bakes, what's the best booze to drink to cool off?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pathway from Makerfield to Downing Street seems inevitable. Andy Burnham was sworn in to Parliament hours after Keir Starmer resigned and now seems set to be crowned as prime minister next month. But who is he? Ed Balls and George Osborne have known him for over 25 years, and speak to how the man they know will govern once he enters No. 10. How will his style as a footballer be reflected in his governing?Ed and George then examine the likelihood of whether Andy Burnham will call an early General Election. Either way he risks repeating the mistakes of Gordon Brown or Theresa May. Ed lays out the three tests Burnham must ask himself before going to the polls, while George lays out how a General Election could play out for the opposition parties.Finally, they turn to the man still in Downing Street. What will Keir Starmer's final weeks in post look like? Ed and George look back on the final moments of Brown's and Cameron's premierships, and what the thinking will be in the Starmer team in these final days and weeks.We love hearing from you, so please don't forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

Com a saída confirmada de Keir Starmer, empurrado pela eleição como deputado de Andy Burnham - nova estrela do Partido Trabalhista e o político que se segue -, o Reino Unido chega ao sétimo primeiro-ministro desde que realizou o referendo do BREXIT, em 2016. À procura de entender a política britânica, conversamos com o editor de Internacional do Expresso, Pedro Cordeiro.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

pWotD Episode 3338: Andy Burnham Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 934,733 views on Monday, 22 June 2026 our article of the day is Andy Burnham.Andrew Murray Burnham (born 7 January 1970) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield since June 2026. A Labour Co-op member, he is currently a candidate for the 2026 Labour Party leadership election to succeed Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. He previously served as the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and the MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017. During his parliamentary career before becoming mayor, he held several cabinet positions, lastly as Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010 under Gordon Brown. Burnham identifies as a socialist and is associated with the soft left faction of the Labour Party. Born in Aintree, Liverpool, and raised in Culcheth, Burnham was educated at St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-le-Willows and studied English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He joined the Labour Party at the age of 15 and his early career included working as a researcher for Tessa Jowell, a parliamentary officer for the NHS Confederation and an administrator with the Football Task Force. From 1998 to 2001, he was a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith. At the 2001 general election, he was elected as MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester. Under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he held several government roles, including parliamentary private secretary; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department; Minister of State for Health; Chief Secretary to the Treasury; and Culture Secretary, a role in which he launched the second Hillsborough inquiry. In 2009, he was promoted to Health Secretary, a role in which he responded to the swine flu pandemic and launched an independent inquiry into the Stafford Hospital scandal.Following the 2010 general election, Burnham was a candidate in the 2010 Labour leadership election won by Ed Miliband, coming fourth out of five candidates. From 2010 to 2015, he served as Shadow Education Secretary and Shadow Health Secretary under Miliband. Following the 2015 general election, Burnham contested the resulting Labour leadership election, and finished second behind Jeremy Corbyn. From 2015 to 2016, Burnham served as Shadow Home Secretary under Corbyn. After being selected as Labour's candidate for the new Greater Manchester Mayoralty, he stood down as an MP at the 2017 general election, won the 2017 mayoral election, and was re-elected in the 2021 and 2024 elections.Burnham has been cited as the most likely successor to Starmer. While Starmer's honeymoon period was brief, Burnham maintained high approval in Greater Manchester for the entire 9 years of his mayoralty, and, by August 2025, polls identified Burnham as the most popular senior Labour figure. During the crisis surrounding Starmer's leadership, which culminated in widespread loss of support for Labour in the May 2026 local elections, and Scottish and Wales parliamentary elections, Burnham became widely seen as a possible successor. Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield in Greater Manchester, stood down to allow Burnham to stand for parliament again, a necessary step to seek the party leadership. Burnham won the resulting by-election on 18 June with 54.8% of the vote. Four days later Starmer announced he would resign. The same day, Burnham announced his candidacy in the Labour Party leadership election to succeed Starmer, with Wes Streeting, seen as his most likely competitor, announcing he would not compete but would support Burnham.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:45 UTC on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Andy Burnham on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Niamh.

Keir Starmer resigns, paving the way for Andy Burnham to be the next Prime Minister.What sort of leader will Burnham be, and why is the UK on its way to its seventh PM in a decade?Lara Spirit unpacks the politics of the day with Libby Purves, Sebastian Payne and Theo Bertram, former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How effective will new UK laws be at protecting children online? Ed Balls and George Osborne hear a question from Natalie Fleet, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. They discuss the technology that can help, the importance of legislation keeping pace with risks, and the legal decision that made social media platforms more likely to host misleading content.Plus, why is the government now prioritising inflation over low unemployment? Is it possible to tackle them both at the same time? And what could a future Prime Minister do towards this? Ed and George assess the history and economics behind it.They also discuss the importance of historical education as a politician and an economist. Ed talks about the importance of learning from mistakes of the past, and George recalls how two paintings in No 11 Downing Street paid tribute to an influential 1925 dinner between then-Chancellor Winston Churchill and economist John Maynard Keynes.And finally, how do Ed and George feel about comedians rarely impersonating them? The pair show off their own impressions of William Hague, Gordon Brown, and Peter Mandelson.We love hearing from you, so please don't forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Anna Fifield and Simon Pound. First up, it's a merger that could put 620 million dollars into local philanthropy, but some say the proposed purchase of TSB by Heartland Bank will strip Taranaki of an important of its society. New Plymouth District councillor Gordon Brown has started a petition opposed to the merger, he joins the panel to discuss why. Then, Oliver Hartwich of the NZ Initiative says New Zealand's supposedly flexible labour market fails on youth wages. He tells the panel why.

Imagine you are in the circus, watching a tightrope walker who's been on the sauce.He sways, the crowd gasps, he sways again, more gasps, and yet somehow he doesn't fall. This goes on and on and eventually you get bored watching. That, it seems to me, is Britain.Public debt is now knocking on £3 trillion. (Remember you could have spent a million pounds every day since Jesus was born and still not have spent a trillion - that's how incomprehensible a sum a trillion is). Interest payments now run at over £110 billion a year - more than we spend on education. Debt-to-GDP hovers around 100%. Growth is wilted. Productivity is like blancmange. Taxes are everywhere and record-breaking. Waste and bloat and bureaucracy are rampant.But the political response to every problem is the same: spend more.Despite all of this, like our inebriated tight rope walker, sterling refuses to drop. The pound trades around $1.35. The gilt market continues to function. The bond vigilantes, whoever these mystical people are, appear to be away at lunch with Lord Lucan..Why?The answer begins with a simple but often overlooked fact that currencies are not valued absolutely, but relatively.You look at Britain's fiscal position and conclude the pound must fall, but against what?It's not like the US isn't running unthinkable deficits. Interest payments are exploding there too. The eurozone is if anything more trapped in low growth than we are. Japan's debt burden is legendary. Never mind the oil, Canada is a basket case. Australian regulation is doing its best to revive the traditions of the penal colony and China has its own economic and demographic headaches.All currencies are crapThen there are interest rates. Britain still offers relatively attractive yields. Ten-year gilts yield around 5%. That may be painful for the Chancellor, whatever her name is, but it is attractive to those looking for income. Japan, the US and most of Europe offer less. Higher interest rates support the pound. They attract computerised capital from around the world, which buys sterling to get the yield.London remains a financial centre, albeit it one in over-regulated decline. There is still some rule of law and some respect for property rights. The UK is not yet Zimbabwe, Turkey or Venezuela, even if it may feel that way. A country can be badly governed for a surprisingly long time before capital completely loses confidence.However, none of the underlying problems have actually been fixed, nor are they going to be fixed. We are still spending £48,000 per household through the state. You'll get greater productivity out of a plate of blancmange. Taxes are not coming down. We are locked in promise, spend, borrow, tax, repeat.Here's another possibility. The tightrope walker may never fall off. But with each step, the tightrope itself gets closer to the ground.The pound has lost over 40% of its purchasing power just since 2020. In 2007 a pound cost $2.10, so we are down a third against another unit which in itself is hopeless. Measured against the constant that is gold, the pound has fallen over 95% since the Gordon Brown sales of 1999.Here are those declines visualised.The framing is all wrong. The collapse is not sudden but ongoing. Maybe we don't get a dramatic crisis. No Black Wednesday, no run on the pound, no emergency press conference outside the Bank of England or wheelbarrows full of digital bank notes. Just more of this relentless decline. Every year a bit more debt, a bit more printing, a bit more inflation, another 7% loss of purchasing power, a bit more government spending, a bit more taxation, year after year, decade after decade. The tightrope gets lower and lower but nobody notices because we are all looking at the walker.Alf Ramsay was on £4,500 a year. Thomas Tuchel gets £5 million. That didn't happen over night. It was cumulative, incremental and compounded. The endgame remains debasementNot just in the UK but everywhere. In a democracy where politicians need votes they will ALWAYS choose inflation over austerity, spending over restraint and dilution over default. This is built in. The incentives are too powerful. They will sacrifice the currency to preserve the system.Nothing changes until the system itself changes.Perhaps the tightrope walker never falls. But the rope keeps inching lower and lower until one day it is running along the ground.The crowd applauds because there was no crash. Meanwhile the currency has lost another 98% of its value.That is where this is going, gradually but relentlessly. Not with a bang, but with a long, slow debasement.Sterling has been “collapsing” for decades, and it will “collapse' for many decades more, likewise dollars and euros and yen.The debasement of currency is not a new thing, though we have never seen it globally in the way it exists today. Gold has seen it happen many times before and it has survived every time. It will survive tsunamis, earthquakes and explosions. National currencies will not.Tell someone about this great postThanks for reading the Flying Frisby.Until next time,DominicIf you live in a third world country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The pound will be further devalued, as will the euro and dollar. The bullion dealer I use and recommend is The Pure Gold Company. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe. More here.A quick housekeeping noteI've decided to withdraw Lifetime Membership to The Flying Frisby at the end of June.The current price is £550 until 15 June. It then rises to £650 before being withdrawn permanently on 30 June.If you've been considering Lifetime Membership, this is your last chanceNB despite what the sign-up process says, this is a genuine ONE-OFF payment for lifetime access. I manually convert memberships myself.Any problems, please message me on Substack or reply to this email.The bookThe Secret History of Gold is getting rave reviews and is available around the world at all good bookshops, with the audiobook read by me is especially popular. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

David Morrissey is an actor who grew up in Liverpool. His screen work ranges from playing a ruthless survivor of the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead to a troubled police officer in James Graham's Sherwood.His television debut performance came playing a teenager in the Channel 4 series One Summer. Since then his career has seen him win awards including the Royal Television Society award for Best Male Actor for his role as Gordon Brown in The Deal. Morrissey's interest in acting started in primary school, when he was cast as the Scarecrow in a production of The Wizard of Oz. As a teenager, he developed his passion further at the Everyman Youth Theatre in Liverpool, where he took guidance from professional actors.After his first TV role, he went on to train at RADA. He is best known for portraying complex and troubled characters, and in more recent years has also demonstrated a flair for comedy in series such as Daddy Issues.David lives in London. Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Sarah TaylorDesert Island Discs has cast other actors away over the years including David's fellow actors in Sherwood, Monica Dolan and Lesley Manville. The writer, James Graham is in there too. You can hear their programmes if you search through BBC Sounds or our own Desert Island Discs website.

Pippa Crerar discusses the political reaction to the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, following the release of police bodycam footage. She is joined by Labour peer and human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti and Reform UK MP Richard Tice, who is also the party's deputy leader.To discuss the battle of ideas and leadership sparked by former Labour prime minister Tony Blair's recent essay, Pippa is joined by Stewart Wood, Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown, and the Conservative peer David Willetts, who is president of think tank the Resolution Foundation. This week, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, led her first debate in the House of Lords on the impact of artificial intelligence on human relationships and society. To discuss this, Pippa is joined by the Lord Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, and crossbench peer Beeban Kidron, who both took part in the debate. This year marks the centenary of the 1926 general strike. Pippa discusses the impact and legacy of the strike with Labour peer and former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, John Monks, and journalist and author Anne Perkins, who wrote a book about the strike, A Very British Strike.

Wilkinson - or Wilko as it became known - was a privately-owned family business that had been successful for decades, offering low-priced household products from its chain of high street stores. So why did it falter during a cost-of-living crisis when people were looking for value? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how its stores ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the parliamentary archives and hear from expert guests including Gordon Brown who was Wilkinson's managing director for 15 years and Patrick O'Brien, Research Director at GlobalData who has followed the fortunes of high street names for over a decade. At the end, Sam has to come up with her own conclusions about the fate of Wilko based on what she has just heard.If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email toast@bbc.co.ukProduced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Wilkinson - or Wilko as it became known - was a privately-owned family business that had been successful for decades, offering low-priced household products from its chain of high street stores. So why did it falter during a cost-of-living crisis when people were looking for value? The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, investigates how its stores ended up toast, in the company of resident business expert and entrepreneur, Sam White.To help explain what happened, Sean and Sam delve into the parliamentary archives and hear from expert guests including Gordon Brown who was Wilkinson's managing director for 15 years and Patrick O'Brien, Research Director at GlobalData who has followed the fortunes of high street names for over a decade. At the end, Sam has to come up with her own conclusions about the fate of Wilko based on what she has just heard.If you have a good idea for an interesting Toast topic then tell us about it - email toast@bbc.co.ukProduced by Jon Douglas, Toast is a BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Sir Tony Blair has entered Labour's civil war - and his message is brutal: changing the leader means nothing if the party still has no real plan for Britain.In a sweeping essay, the former Prime Minister delivers a scathing critique of Keir Starmer's government and questions whether Labour has coherent answers on growth, tax, welfare, Brexit, net zero and Britain's place in the world. Blair argues the solution is a return to the “radical centre” - but what does that actually mean in 2026?In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy examines whether Labour's crisis is really about leadership at all. Would replacing Starmer with Wes Streeting or Andy Burnham solve anything? Should Labour move closer to Donald Trump or back towards Europe? And if the party forces a leadership contest now, does it risk opening the door to Nigel Farage and Reform UK?Joining Krishnan are former Tony Blair speechwriter Phil Collins and Labour MP Zubir Ahmed, a supporter of Wes Streeting who resigned from government earlier this month, and Stewart Wood who was an adviser to Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister and Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader.

As Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting jostle for influence in the Labour party, host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at what it takes to turn around a party's fortunes mid-term. Former John Major aide Daniel Finkelstein explains how the Conservative Prime Minister managed to win the 1992 elections against the odds and differentiate himself from his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher. Theo Bertram, former Tony Blair and Gordon Brown advisor turned think tank boss, talks Sascha through Brown's fateful decision not to call a snap election after taking over from Blair, and the challenge he faced in gripping the No. 10 machine. The most recent history of mid-term Prime Ministers might prove most instructive for any new Labour Prime Minister, and Rishi Sunak 's former deputy director of policy James Nation takes Sascha inside the effort to reboot his premiership. He tells Sascha Sunak's team found themselves hamstrung by the manifesto commitments promised in 2019, and struggled to keep the party from infighting after taking over from Liz Truss. Sascha discusses the lessons from these mid-term Prime Ministers with former Keir Starmer policy director Claire Ainsley to find out if Labour can fight its way out of unpopularity — with or without Keir Starmer at the helm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Menos de dos años después de su mayoría absoluta, Keir Starmer agoniza políticamente en Downing Street. El laborista que prometió sacar al Reino Unido de la crisis que arrastra desde hace año cosechó tal varapalo en las elecciones locales del 7 de mayo, que hoy cerca de un centenar de los diputados laboristas están pidiendo su cabeza, entre ellos cinco ministros. Wes Streeting, el ministro de Sanidad, ya se ha postulado al partido como recambio. El responsable del descalabro es Reform UK, el partido de Nigel Farage, que arrasó en las elecciones y se hizo con algunas de las plazas laboristas más valiosas en el norte del país. Los Verdes de Zack Polanski y los liberal-demócratas de Ed Davey han hecho el resto para dejar al laborismo en mínimos. En Gales, donde el partido llevaba un siglo ganando elecciones quedaron terceros. Starmer carga el muerto al Brexit y a la herencia recibida, pero la realidad es que buena parte de lo que le ha sucedido se debe sólo a él. Llegó al Gobierno con una serie de promesas, entre ellas algunas reformas de gran calado, pero en todo se ha quedado a la mitad o ni siquiera se ha puesto por miedo al ala izquierda de su partido. Los problemas económicos no se han enderezado, de hecho, en algunos aspectos han incluso empeorado, lo que le deja muy expuesto antes de atravesar el ecuador de la legislatura. Para que puedan quitárselo de en medio los estatutos del partido exigen que los aspirantes recojan firmas a favor de las primarias dentro el grupo parlamentario. Con una quinta parte basta, es decir, 81 diputados, algo asequible para casi cualquiera de ellos. La militancia, compuesta por apenas 250.000 afiliados, decidirá al próximo primer ministro que, eso sí, debe ser diputado. Suenan varios nombres como Yvette Cooper, Pat McFadden, Ed Miliband y Angela Rayner. Pero el favorito incontestable de las apuestas y de los afiliados es Andy Burnham, alcalde del Gran Mánchester. Burnham, que fue ministro hace años con Gordon Brown, es extraordinariamente popular en el norte del país. En Mánchester gana por mucho las elecciones desde hace diez años, pero no es diputado. Eso podría tener solución ya que Josh Simons, diputado por la circunscripción de Makerfield le ha ofrecido su escaño. Pero eso implicaría celebrar unas elecciones parciales y ahí no es ni mucho menos seguro que gane ya que en ese distrito Reform obtuvo la mitad de los votos el 7 de mayo. Pero, aunque ganara, gobernar el Reino Unido es mucho más difícil que ser alcalde de Mánchester, más aún en las situación actual. Quizá a Starmer le quede ya muy poco como primer ministro, pero el laborismo no está del todo muerto. Farage parece que ha tocado techo, los tories son irrelevantes y el partido Verde se ha escorado demasiado hacia la izquierda. Hoy por hoy ocupa el centro del tablero y eso es una ventaja ya que puede recuperar votos a ambos lados del espectro. Si quieren mantenerse ahí tendrán que realizar el programa de reformas que prometieron en 2024. Más oportunidades no van a tener. Pues bien, para hablar de este tema, cuyo previo ya vimos la semana pasada con La ContraCrónica que dediqué a las elecciones locales inglesas, nos acompaña Andrea, que ha estado siguiendo muy de cerca el descenso a los abismos de un laborismo que hace sólo 24 meses se las prometía felicísimas. · Canal de Telegram: https://t.me/lacontracronica · “Contra el pesimismo”… https://amzn.to/4m1RX2R · “Hispanos. Breve historia de los pueblos de habla hispana”… https://amzn.to/428js1G · “La ContraHistoria del comunismo”… https://amzn.to/39QP2KE · “La ContraHistoria de España. Auge, caída y vuelta a empezar de un país en 28 episodios”… https://amzn.to/3kXcZ6i · “Contra la Revolución Francesa”… https://amzn.to/4aF0LpZ · “Lutero, Calvino y Trento, la Reforma que no fue”… https://amzn.to/3shKOlK Apoya La Contra en: · Patreon... https://www.patreon.com/diazvillanueva · iVoox... https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-contracronica_sq_f1267769_1.html · Paypal... https://www.paypal.me/diazvillanueva Sígueme en: · Web... https://diazvillanueva.com · Twitter... https://twitter.com/diazvillanueva · Facebook... https://www.facebook.com/fernandodiazvillanueva1/ · Instagram... https://www.instagram.com/diazvillanueva · Linkedin… https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernando-d%C3%ADaz-villanueva-7303865/ · Flickr... https://www.flickr.com/photos/147276463@N05/?/ · Pinterest... https://www.pinterest.com/fernandodiazvillanueva Encuentra mis libros en: · Amazon... https://www.amazon.es/Fernando-Diaz-Villanueva/e/B00J2ASBXM #FernandoDiazVillanueva #starmer #laborismo Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

The fallout of the local elections was as many had predicted, but the chaotic aftermath demanded a reaction. Ed Balls and George Osborne went live on YouTube earlier today to give their thoughts on just how bad things are for Keir Starmer.They reflect on the heavy defeat Labour suffered on Thursday, and the prime minister's fightback. Why did he bring back Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman? Why did he stake things on today's speech with a King's Speech in only two days?The biggest question mark of all though, is Catherine West. The little known MP created an earthquake over the weekend by announcing she would challenge the PM if no one else would. She has now pivoted to calling for a timetable, but still has damaged Starmer, and placed all eyes on what Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting, and Angela Rayner do next…We love hearing from you, so please don't forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

STARMER is TOAST Now we need GENERAL ELECTION not a CORONATION  #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV #LIVE #GeneralElectionNow #GordonBrown #LabourLosses #UKPolitics  STARMER IS TOAST! The local elections were a bloodbath, and now a desperate Keir Starmer is reaching into the political graveyard to bring back Gordon Brown. Is this a joke? We're talking about the man who sold our gold at the bottom of the market! In this live show, Jon Gaunt exposes the "drowning man" tactics of a Prime Minister who has lost the dressing room and the country. 30 of his own MPs want him gone, but instead of giving US a say, they're planning a backroom coronation.]  WE NEED A GENERAL ELECTION NOW! Join the conversation LIVE: Why the local election results prove Starmer is finished. The Gordon Brown "resurrection" – desperation or delusion? Why a "Coronation" is a slap in the face to British democracy.  Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the bell icon to stay "unfiltered" with Jon Gaunt TV.  Jon Gaunt, Jon Gaunt TV, LIVE, Keir Starmer, Gordon Brown, General Election Now, Starmer is Toast, Local Election Results, Labour Party, Political Analysis, UK Politics, Breaking News, Two-Tier Justice, Gordon Brown Gold, Starmer Resignation, Snap Election, Tabloid Style, Straight Talk, Unfiltered, British Politics  #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV #LIVE #StarmerIsToast #GeneralElectionNow #GordonBrown #LabourLosses #UKPolitics #LocalElections #StarmerMustGo #BreakingNews #PoliticalRant #Unfiltered #BritishNews #electionnow  This is political blogging and hard-hitting social commentary from Triple Sony Gold Award-winning talk radio legend, Jon Gaunt — former host on BBC, Talk Radio, and Sky News. On Jon Gaunt TV, we cut through the noise and say what others won't. No political correctness. No censorship. Just real conversations that matter.

The UK political landscape has just been permanently altered. In this emergency episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Jo Tanner and James Nation deconstruct a seismic set of local election results.From Labour losing power in Wales for the first time in history to Reform UK gaining over 1,400 councillors, the "two-party system" is under fire. We analyse:The Welsh Upset: Why the First Minister lost her seat and what it means for the Union.The Reform Surge: How Farage's party is putting down roots from Essex to Hartlepool.Starmer's "New" Old Guard: The shocking return of Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman. Is Keir Starmer too weak for a reshuffle?The 2026 Midterms: Are we looking at a permanent fracturing of British politics? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to expand their investigation into Prince Andrew—also referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—by examining how public funds were used during his time as the UK's trade envoy. Brown argues that newly surfaced material tied to the Epstein files raises serious questions about whether taxpayer money funded not just official duties, but potentially private activities or relationships connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He is urging authorities to obtain records and question officials across multiple government departments involved in organizing Andrew's travel and engagements.Brown also highlighted longstanding concerns about Andrew's spending while in the role, including frequent use of RAF flights and resistance to traveling commercially, which he previously described as generating “unacceptable costs.” He is now pushing for a broader inquiry into whether there was misuse of public funds or even a failure to properly scrutinize those expenses at the time. The renewed calls come amid a wider investigation into Andrew's links to Epstein, with Brown suggesting that financial records, travel data, and witness testimony could provide a clearer picture of how public resources may have intersected with alleged private conduct.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Gordon Brown urges police to examine public funds during Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's time as UK trade envoy | Sky News AustraliaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to expand their investigation into Prince Andrew—also referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—by examining how public funds were used during his time as the UK's trade envoy. Brown argues that newly surfaced material tied to the Epstein files raises serious questions about whether taxpayer money funded not just official duties, but potentially private activities or relationships connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He is urging authorities to obtain records and question officials across multiple government departments involved in organizing Andrew's travel and engagements.Brown also highlighted longstanding concerns about Andrew's spending while in the role, including frequent use of RAF flights and resistance to traveling commercially, which he previously described as generating “unacceptable costs.” He is now pushing for a broader inquiry into whether there was misuse of public funds or even a failure to properly scrutinize those expenses at the time. The renewed calls come amid a wider investigation into Andrew's links to Epstein, with Brown suggesting that financial records, travel data, and witness testimony could provide a clearer picture of how public resources may have intersected with alleged private conduct.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Gordon Brown urges police to examine public funds during Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's time as UK trade envoy | Sky News Australia

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to expand their investigation into Prince Andrew—also referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—by examining how public funds were used during his time as the UK's trade envoy. Brown argues that newly surfaced material tied to the Epstein files raises serious questions about whether taxpayer money funded not just official duties, but potentially private activities or relationships connected to Jeffrey Epstein. He is urging authorities to obtain records and question officials across multiple government departments involved in organizing Andrew's travel and engagements.Brown also highlighted longstanding concerns about Andrew's spending while in the role, including frequent use of RAF flights and resistance to traveling commercially, which he previously described as generating “unacceptable costs.” He is now pushing for a broader inquiry into whether there was misuse of public funds or even a failure to properly scrutinize those expenses at the time. The renewed calls come amid a wider investigation into Andrew's links to Epstein, with Brown suggesting that financial records, travel data, and witness testimony could provide a clearer picture of how public resources may have intersected with alleged private conduct.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Gordon Brown urges police to examine public funds during Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's time as UK trade envoy | Sky News AustraliaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In today's episode David and Helen Thompson explore the tortured relationship between Peter Mandelson and the New Labour project that he helped to create and now seems finally to have destroyed. How has the whole history of New Labour been shaped by its origin in ideas of betrayal? Why did Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both end up depending on Mandelson while despairing of each other? What held their relationships together and what caused them to fall apart? Out tomorrow on PPF+: the second part of this conversation in which David and Helen bring the story up to the present: how does the drama ultimately end? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus Join us on Wednesday 6th May at the Regent Street Cinema in London for the third film in our new season: a screening of The Third Man followed by a live podcast recording with writer and broadcaster Misha Glenny. Tickets available now https://bit.ly/3O5rSEY You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of all episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com Next Time: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut w/Beeban Kidron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The row over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador erupted again this week. Sonia discusses the issues raised over security clearance with Hannah White, Director of The Institute for Government and Caroline Slocock, a former civil servant who was private secretary to Margaret Thatcher and John Major. Sonia discusses the impact on the UK economy of the war in Iran with Labour peer Stewart Wood, who is a former adviser to Gordon Brown and Chair of the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. And Rupert Harrison, who worked alongside George Osborne at the Treasury, and is now a senior adviser at the investment management company Pimco.Earlier this week, the Prime Minister spoke of closer ties with the EU on food and other goods. To discuss this Sonia is joined by Labour MP Catherine West who is a former Foreign Office Minister and Reform UK MP Danny Kruger.And, last month legislation was finally passed to remove the remaining hereditary peers from the House of Lords. To reflect on their removal Sonia is joined by two hereditary peers: crossbencher Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl of Devon and the Liberal Democrat Lord Thurso, who is also a former MP.

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 his premiership, in the same way Gordon Brown tried to survive after the financial crash?With Danny away, we turn to the next generation - Simon Finkelstein, former adviser to Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab (and Danny's nephew) joins Sally, Polly and Hugo.We also discuss whether MPs know enough about the real world - would we be better off with a House Of Commons full of Ed Milibands or Angela Rayners?And, we answer a listener who worries we're too flippant about the remarkable rise of Zack Polanski's Green Party.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Populism has been winning big in recent years. It is the wave that has buoyed Donald Trump's second term in office, Marine Le Pen's popularity in France, and Reform UK's recent leaps and bounds in British polling. Across the West, authoritarian populists now govern one-quarter of the world's democracies. But what explains the surge of populism across the democratic world - and can it be reversed? In this episode, economist and commentator Will Hutton speaks with Labour MP Liam Byrne about his new book Why Populists Are Winning: And How to Beat Them. Drawing on original polling, international reporting and interviews with leading thinkers, Byrne narrows down the meaning of populism, interrogates the funding, media ecosystems and language deployed by populist leaders, and the psyches of those who are persuaded to vote for them. Byrne explains how populist leaders mobilise what he calls five distinct ‘tribes' of voters, and which of these can be appealed to. He sets out his argument for rebuilding what he calls the ‘radical centre' of Western politics, and why confronting populism requires more than simply condemning it. Liam Byrne is a Labour MP, a member of His Majesty's Privy Council and the Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee. He served in Gordon Brown's Cabinet, in No. 10 Downing Street and HM Treasury, and chaired the Global Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and IMF 2019-2025. He is the author of more than twenty publications on economics, foreign policy and public service reform including The Inequality of Wealth. His latest is Why Populists Are Winning: and How to Beat Them, which is available now online and in bookstores. Will Hutton is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Observer. He is a commentator, columnist, and author of books including The State We're In, How Good We Can Be, and This Time No Mistakes: How to Remake Britain. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Angela Rayner has entered the chat. Last night she gave a speech to Labour members which many are reading as the soft launch of her leadership bid. She told the room that Labour needs to be more ‘bold' – echoing Gordon Brown as she called for a more left-wing direction. She took aim specifically at Shabana Mahmood's immigration reforms, describing them as ‘un-British'. Is she staging a coup? And is she the viable leader that Labour can rally around?Also today, we had PMQs with lots more difficult questions on Mandelson and Iran – who came out on top?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As news reporters, we are in the story-telling business, the eye witnesses to history, writing, it's ‎said, ‘the first draft of history'.‎ The fall of the Berlin Wall. Lockerbie. Hillsborough. Dunblane. Mad Cow disease. 9/11. ‎These are all events that have entered our national, and international, consciousness. Events so ‎momentous that we can all say where we were, what we were doing, when the Berlin Wall fell, or ‎when the planes hit the Twin Towers. Award-winning television news reporter and political ‎correspondent, Glen Oglaza, can say exactly where he was when these events happened. He was ‎there, he had a front-row seat as history unfolded. And in this informative and fascinating account of ‎those years, he allows the reader to be there too. From Thatcher and the miners' strike, to the Gulf ‎War, the Good Friday Agreement and Tony Blair at Number Ten, captivating national and global ‎events are all given an intriguing new inside angle. ‎ Glen Oglaza is an award-winning television news reporter and political correspondent with more than twenty-five years' experience with ITN and Sky News. At ITN, he covered many of the biggest stories of the 1980s and 1990s, and was part of the award-winning ITN teams covering the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the plight of the Kurds in the wake of the First Gulf War, and the massacre in Dunblane. He was BAFTA-nominated for his coverage of the London Poll Tax riot. As a political correspondent, he covered the governments of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. Glen is also an accomplished poet with several volumes of poetry published these Religion Fake News and Misdemeanors, No Words, always and his latest collection Spam and other poems. In this podcast we discuss Glen's books When I Stories and More When I Stories (Pegasus, 2024), starting in local journalism in Television news with ITN and Sky News, and the great events he covered during his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This week, Taylor, Sandy and Taddea Richard discuss Paul Dano's face, Matthew McConaughey's AI revelation, Gordon Brown's dossier, the death of Grandma Gu and much, much more!

Today, we discuss a report in the Sunday Telegraph that Gordon Brown has demanded a police investigation into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases to meet the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.The former PM says he's sent a five-page memorandum to the Metropolitan, Surrey, Sussex Thames Valley and other UK police constabularies.Laura and Paddy are joined by Henry Zeffman to discuss why he's turned investigator, what it means for the Royal Family, and whether rules around the line of succession should be changed.Ahead of the Government's Schools White Paper on Monday, we also discuss some of Labour's proposed changes to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, as well as Kemi Badenoch's vow to lower interest on some student loans which she says feel "increasingly feel like a scam".You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC.The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn with Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose. While the book has been years in the making, little did James know that it would end up published at the same time that its themes and subjects could never be more relevant.James tells our deputy political editor about the relationship between Brown and Blair, what the Labour leader makes of Keir Starmer's problems today and his reflections – with hindsight – about bringing the now-disgraced Peter Mandelson back into government in 2008. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose. While the book has been years in the making, little did James know that it would end up published at the same time that its themes and subjects could never be more relevant.James tells our deputy political editor about the relationship between Brown and Blair, what the Labour leader makes of Keir Starmer's problems today and his reflections – with hindsight – about bringing the now-disgraced Peter Mandelson back into government in 2008. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Peter Mandelson was a minister in Gordon Brown's government he passed confidential advice to Jeffrey Epstein, who had recently been convicted of procuring a child for prostitution. This is among the many extraordinary details of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein revealed by the release of more than three million pages of documents by the US justice department last month. In this episode, James is joined by investigative journalists Peter Geoghegan and Ethan Shone to discuss what Mandelson's actions reveal about the vast influence network maintained by Epstein and the ways in which the increasing power of the lobbying and advisory industries are undermining democratic legitimacy. Peter Geoghegan is the author of 'Democracy for Sale' and Ethan Shone is an investigations reporter for openDemocracy. Read more on politics in the LRB: ⁠https://lrb.me/lrbpolitics⁠ From the LRB Subscribe to the LRB: ⁠⁠https://lrb.me/subslrbpod Close Readings podcast: ⁠https://lrb.me/crlrbpod⁠ LRB Audiobooks: ⁠https://lrb.me/audiobookslrbpod⁠ Bags, binders and more at the LRB Store: ⁠https://lrb.me/storelrbpod⁠ Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk

The former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for police to interview Andrew Mountbatten Windsor over his links to the sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The former Prince has strongly denied any wrongdoing. Also: Sir Keir Starmer has said his former communications chief, Lord Doyle, didn't give a full account of his actions when he was awarded a peerage, despite his links to a paedophile. And a Ukrainian Olympic skeleton racer has worn a helmet, which features images of people killed during Russia's invasion of his country, despite it being banned.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told the BBC the situation facing Sir Keir Starmer is "serious" and suggested he may have been "too slow to do the right things" concerning Lord Mandelson.He also defended him as "a man of integrity" who "wants to do the right things".He spoke to the Today programme on Radio 4 in his first interview since the latest Epstein files seemed to show Lord Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of a €500bn bailout by the EU to save the ailing Euro in 2010.Another included a 2009 memo in which Brown's policy adviser Nick Butler wrote about the UK's struggling economy and recommended selling off government-held assets to raise public funds.Brown said this was "market-sensitive" information as people can make money from changes in the values of currencies.Lord Mandelson has not given the BBC an official statement but his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn with Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Frank McWeeny. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Gordon Brown says Sir Keir Starmer is in a "serious" situation as he battles to keep his job - but insisted the Prime Minister was the right man to "clean up the system". Sir Keir is facing scrutiny about his appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US - after files released by the US Department of Justice suggested the peer had close links with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Also: President Zelensky says Russia has used more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles in its latest attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And: At the Winter Olympics in Italy, the first gold medal has been won by the Swiss skier, Franjo von Allmen, who was crowned champion of the men's downhill in Bormio.

Fresh revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have sparked a political explosion in Westminster, reopening questions about Keir Starmer's decision to return him to the heart of public life. Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to Washington, has resigned from the House of Lords and from the Labour Party, while a criminal investigation has been launched into allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as business secretary under Gordon Brown.Starmer has apologised for appointing Mandelson and pledged to publish the files relating to his vetting for the ambassadorship, but with pressure growing on his leadership, how can the prime minister and the Labour Party hope to move on?Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Jim Pickard, Stephen Bush and Ashley Armstrong to discuss the fallout.Follow the panel on Bluesky - Lucy @lucyfisher.ft.com; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; and Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social Want more? Free links: Keir Starmer apologises to victims of Jeffrey Epstein Pressure grows on Keir Starmer's chief of staff over Peter Mandelson ambassador appointmentEvery doomed prime minister has a moment – this is Starmer'sMandelson and the money that never sleepsPeter Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Jeffrey Epstein George Parker's interview from 2025 – Peter Mandelson's back: The Prince of Darkness returns Sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter ‘Inside Politics' for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Presented by Lucy Fisher, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.