Podcast appearances and mentions of Harriet Harman

Late last summer, Darren Tierney stepped into the newly created role of Permanent Secretary at a pivotal moment for the organisation. In a new episode of Statistically Speaking our host Miles Fletcher sits down with Darren to talk about what happens next.    TRANSCRIPT   MILES FLETCHER Hello and welcome to another episode of Statistically Speaking, the official podcast of the Office for National Statistics. I'm Miles Fletcher.   Now, if you've followed the UK news much over the past year, you'll know the ONS has been under more scrutiny than at any point in its history, questions about trust, priorities, its core economic data and whether the organisation has simply been trying to do too much at once, have all been very publicly aired.   Today's episode is about what happens next. Late last summer, Darren Tierney stepped into the newly created role of Permanent Secretary at a moment when some of the UK's most relied upon statistics, especially those based on the Labor Force Survey, were under real pressure. In this conversation, we'll talk about Darren's background in government, running large, complex public services and helping to craft and enact key policies. We'll explore how data has shaped his career so far, and what he found when he arrived at the ONS. We'll also dig into some of the hardest questions facing the organisation, and what absolutely has to be fixed first, what may need to stop, how user expectations are being balanced with that and how full confidence in official statistics can be restored. This isn't just an internal reset. What the ONS does and how well it does it matters to policymakers, businesses and the public alike. So join us as we talk about focus, priorities, and the road ahead.   So then Darren, to begin at the beginning, you're not an economist or statistician by profession yourself. What motivated you to take leadership of what is the central organisation in UK statistics?   DARREN TIERNEY Sure, well look as a non-statistician you can imagine I was a little bit daunted when this prospect first came along for precisely that reason.  I was kind of worried that maybe not being a statistician or an economist might be a real drawback but as I thought more about the job, and more about what was needed for the organisation at the time, and with the split of the roles, I thought actually, I can really help. But what really drew me to the role was that although I'm not a statistician, Iv'e been an avid consumer of ONS products for the 25 years that I've been a policy wonk in Whitehall. And going from a good policy professional to a great one, requires both access to good data and also a real understanding of it and knowing how to use it. And it's that background that kind of helped me and really got me into it, and so I saw it as a real opportunity to come and help an organisation that really couldn't be any more consequential for the UK.   MILES FLETCHER The Devereux review said that what was needed was someone with really serious operational experience, having run serious civil service operations, and you bring plenty of that. Could you just detail some of that? You've had a very strong rise, you know, through the ranks of the civil service. Just trace that for us, if you would.   DT Yeah. So I started life in what was the old Prescott empire of DETR, which was environment and transport in the regions as a policy wonk working on aviation. I then went and joined the Ministry of Justice, where I spent three years in the private offices of Harriet Harman, Jack Straw and Ken Clarke, and that kind of real frontline policy making, as it were, is the thing that I did a lot of in the first half of my career.   The second half of my career, which is much more relevant to the ONS, was centred around transformation and change. And again, I spent about 12 years or so in the MOJ, and my senior career there was about transforming systems and running big programs. And I went from there to international trade, just after the Referendum, where like a lot of officials at the time, I was quite keen to run to where the energy or the fire was after Brexit. But I didn't fancy working DExEU, and this new department called Trade seemed quite interesting. So I went there, and again, this was a kind of brand new department, and it grew from a few hundred people to about four and a half thousand. And so that kind of building and running the department as a strategy director for investments and exports,  I guess those two experiences in justice and trade are the two that I rely on most in this role.   MF So you spent time in the corridors of power then, the ministerial heights of the civil service, but also having to try and make the machine run efficiently as well, and to deliver public services and achieve policies in the real world. What role has data played in that? And what sort of statistics were you using? What sort of insights were you getting? Can you share some experiences of how that's shaped your career, and your understanding, particularly of the job in hand here at the ONS.   DT Sure, I guess the job where it was most relevant was when I was in justice, where I worked in civil and family policy, Legal Aid and supporting on prison reform, and particularly on youth justice reform, and maybe that's a good example to pull out. Justice is one of those areas where people have very strong views about what the right policy prescription is, but there's often quite a lack of evidence that goes behind some of these strong policy positions, if I can put it like that, and one of the things that bedevilled us was trying to turn very strong ministerial desire for action across the human justice system into something that was evidence based, and where we could point to proof that these things would work, and we did that several times in the youth justice system.   Perhaps the one that I look back on most fondly in the youth estate...We were constantly telling ourselves, and indeed the world, that kids in the youth estate were getting thirty hours a week of education, and that was true in the sense that that's what we were buying. We were procuring thirty hours a week from providers, but the kids in the estate were not getting thirty hours a week and we didn't really know until we sent in a team of researchers from the MOJ analytical team to do some surveys, and then we also analysed some of the ROI coming out of that estate. And of course, what we discovered was that although we were buying thirty hours of education, it was always being disrupted by all the other services that these kids needed to access. So every dentist, every doctor, every lawyer that was coming in to interact with those kids, that was happening during what would otherwise be the school day, but we didn't really know that. And for years, we were kind of running this system and telling ourselves and indeed telling the world, that this was what was going on, but having analyzed that system and got ourselves some real data we were able to change that system so that it was education first, and all of those other ancillary services would take place outside of the school day. So sometimes it can be quite basic bits of analysis that can result in the biggest changes.   MF I guess the lesson there is, we always need to never totally trust the data we've got and find better insights and better ways of looking at things. And I guess that leads us into the challenge here at the ONS. What were your first impressions when you took the plunge in, suffice to say, quite interesting circumstances in the earlier part of 2025. What did you make of your earliest days here at the ONS and formulating what needed to be done?    DT  Your characterization of it is right. Before I even arrived, I was talking to a lot of the stakeholders, including Robert Devereux and others, and in doing that and in reading around the issues, I ended up getting quite a negative view of what was going on, perhaps understandably, because that was what was being reported. So I was expecting an organization that was perhaps much more kind of browbeaten than the one I found. And that's not to sound complacent at all, but the thing that I was surprised at when I arrived was just the desire for progress, for action, for us to kind of turn the page, and for us to get back to being a respected NSI. And that that sort of energy that I found amongst the senior team was great because I was expecting to have to do quite a lot of jigging up of the system to get us into that mode, but actually, when I arrived, people were already there. So that was my first impression. My second impression really was just the quality of the people here, the skills, the experience and the expertise here at the ONS is genuinely inspiring. And I said this to Civil Service World a few weeks ago. We abuse the phrase "world class" in Whitehall, we often claim things are world class when they're not, but we do have some genuine world class expertise in the ONS and I was genuinely inspired when getting to meet some of those people during the first few days and weeks.   MF It sounds as though people had a good idea of what needed to be done, what was coming out in the media, and of the various inquiries that took place last year, was that the general feeling was that ONS had become spread too thin, and needed to prioritize on those things that ONS is best known for. It does have a worldwide reputation for, crucially, what people most rely upon it to get it right, prioritizing those. Was that what emerged?   DT It really was. And that sense that getting back to the core business of an NSI (National Statistical Institute) was what people were people were really hungry for us to do. I think there is a danger when saying something like that, of sounding like no one valued that hugely innovative work that happened during the pandemic. And that's definitely not the case. I think the reputation of the ONS developed during the pandemic for innovation, for fleet footedness, and of doing some brilliant work in support of the country at a time when it was most needed, is genuinely well recognized across the system. But I think alongside that, there was a sense that perhaps the organisation took its eye off the ball on the core functions of an NSI. And certainly, in my first few weeks when I went to see the Governor of the Bank and the Chancellor, they were really clear that what they need from us right now, is a real focus back on those core economic statistics and population statistics. So yeah, that was a very strong sense in those first few weeks   MF But of course, that means stopping doing some things. What is being stopped so far? What do you think is going to have to stop? How is that process proceeding?   DT So alongside my arrival, and just before, the organization had done some useful internal things to prioritise. So we moved some money around from the IDP programme.   MF That's the Integrated Data Programe, bringing in data from other parts of government.     DT And as that programme was coming to an end, we moved some resource from that. We also moved some people from one of our specialist hubs, to get them behind the recovery plans. There was some kind of internal prioritisation as it were, that happened as I was arriving, which was essential really, just to get us on the front foot, to then begin the recruitment of 150 extra people to come and work behind the recovery plans, and we've got around one hundred of those in place, and in Q! This year we will hire the rest. But that wasn't sufficient, so alongside that we made plans for prioritizing our outputs and that resulted in the kind of engagement that we have been doing for the last few weeks. So that process is still underway, and we are hoping in the next few weeks to bring some of those elements to a conclusion. I mean, I think inevitably, as we've done that, there are lots of things that people would like us to keep doing, but I hope they understand, and in deciding what to de-prioritise, again, there's a risk that people think that no one values that work. And of course, that's not true. There are tonnes of people out there who really, really value the output that we might stop, but my message to them is that we really need to focus now, it's quite existential for us to focus on the recovery plans on economic and population statistics, to get those right. There won't be any new money coming our way, so we'll have to prioritize internally. None of that necessarily means that it will be forever, but it is important that we do it, so we're on top of what we need to be on top of for the next period.   MF It's clear that the pressure is ONS, particularly to get those core economic statistics right, and we'll talk a little bit more about the detail on that. But firstly, on this broad subject of user expectations. Parliament essentially asks the ONS to do two things; that's to provide the statistics to help policy makers, but also to inform the public as well on social and economic issues. Is there a danger in these circumstances, when demands from the bank and the Treasury are to get the first part of that right, is there a risk with the public interest, data which people access to form their own judgment. Is there a risk of that taking second place?   DT I think there is a risk of that, but we're very alive to it. And one of the good things that we did towards the end of last year is we were finalizing our mission statement. And in kind of doing that consultation on that mission statement internally, one of the phrases that we added at the end of our mission statement was to inform the public, and that was  a deliberate decision to remind ourselves about that statutory underpinning that we have, but also to remind ourselves that we can't just focus on one thing. So as much as we need to prioritize, I'm very clear that we have more than one function. We're not just an Economics Institute, we do far more than that, and we will continue to do more than that.  And that business to inform the public is absolutely core to what we're about. So your right to raise it as a risk, but I think it's one that we've clocked, and one that we're very clear about.   MF   Okay, let's focus on one aspect of the turnaround plans in progress at the moment, which has attracted more attention than any single issue facing the ONS currently, and that's the very important Labour Force Survey (LFS). That's how the employment figures for the UK essentially have been complied for some decades now. It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, regular household survey in the country, depended on by policy makers, economic commentators and, of course, politicians as well. It got itself into a bit of a state, didn't it? The response rates, it's not too dramatic to say, collapsed during the wake of the pandemic. How important is getting that right among your priorities, and what is progress to date, and what still needs to be done?   DT You're right to raise that. I mean, I've been saying to people that there isn't one single thing that we will fix in the ONS where we will declare victory. This will be an ongoing effort and continuous improvement. But if there was one thing that is quite totemic in the recovery it will be the labour force survey and the transformed labour force survey. So there's a considerable amount of effort across the organization in getting behind both of those bits of work. So it is quite totemic. You're right. It's the single biggest thing that the bank and the Treasury would like us to get on top of, and it also does go to credibility, because of the credibility of the response rates. So it is hugely important. I've been really impressed by the quality of the work that's been going on to try and get on top of it. And the team that's there is absolutely laser focused, doing both of those things at the same time. So the first things is fixing the current labour force survey as far as we can, and they've made some real progress with that, so getting response rates back up to pre covid levels. We've now got a field force workforce at similar levels, and we're starting to see some real benefit from that. So the OBR at the budget included a reference to the LFS in their budget report where they said they now have more confidence in the survey and I think that's real testament to the amount of work that has gone into it. But alongside that, I think what we do recognize is that the current LFS isn't sustainable in its current setup, so that's why we are working, again, with laser like focus on the transformed survey, to make it more online, a bit shorter, a bit more focused. And I'm really hopeful that that, over the next year will prove itself to be a sustainable answer to this issue.   MF The long-term plan is to go out to people with a survey, which does take a lot less time to fill in. And that was one of the criticisms of the traditional one, that it represented a big time commitment for people and perhaps it wasn't surprising that there was a challenge around getting people to take part. But at the same time, we seem to have a particular problem in the UK, where we are on what evidence is available certainly, an outlier in terms of survey response rates. Have you got a sense of what the issue is there? Was it the ONS getting things wrong? Or is it something more profound about the culture now in the UK, that makes people suspicious about taking part in official surveys?   DT I think that you're right. We are a bit of an outlier now, because this kind of phenomenon happened everywhere across the globe in the pandemic but we seem to have been worse off than most. I think there is a kind of trust issue across our society in engaging with government agencies on data which is, I think, is more profound than some other societies. So I think we are fighting against that. I think it probably also suffered a bit from being quite a long-standing survey, having grown over time. I think one of the interesting things when you look across the globe though, where countries do this better than we do, at least in terms of response rates, is that most of those countries mandate their social surveys, and certainly their labour force survey equivalents. Now we don't do that here for our social surveys, but I think that's something that is a policy issue for ministers, something that we need to kind of resolve, to decide whether or not that is the long-term answer for a small number of social surveys.   MF So that's a conversation in progress at the moment, whether people might be required to take part in these surveys in future.   DT Yeah, it is. It was a recommendation in the Leivesley  review that we at least look at it,  so we're doing that to try and establish well what are the pros and cons of that sort of approach, so we can inform future policy decisions by ministers on this issue. I don't for a moment underestimate how tricky a policy issue that is, but I think we do need to confront it so that we can put it to bed, or we can progress it, because we are notable across the globe by not doing that.   MF So, there's a clear sense of urgency in the plan with action, as you've said already, to tackle really pressing issues like the Labour Force Survey. So we're getting more people into the field doing interviews and so forth. And in the meantime, a conversation about prioritizing core statistics. But what comes next in 2026, what should people who might be following the ONS look out for from the organization next?   DT I think 2026, I've been saying internally, is our year of delivery and action and recovery. So last year, we obviously had the crisis point in the summer. And since the summer, we've been doing a lot of work internally into our overall plans, our mission, how we want to lead the organization, what we want the culture to be, what are our plans for getting on top of the economic and population statistics, preparing for the Census...So there's been lots of planning, lots of strategizing, lots of structural changes, that sort of thing, that I think was absolutely necessary. But the focus for 2026 I think needs to be on execution and delivery. To spend this year delivering against the plans that we've made and that's going to be the focus of the top team for the next twelve months.   MF The ONS has enjoyed a reputation for innovation, and that really came out during the pandemic. Is there a risk that innovation will cease or are there new things happening on that front to really improve the overall offering?     DT So again, I think that is a risk, and it's something I've talked about within the organization. That because I've come in with such a sharp focus on the recovery plans, it could just be head head down and focus on those things for the next two years. And then wake up in two years time to realise we are vastly behind the times, on AI or some whizzy new ways of using admin data or whatever it might be, and that's why we've done some things internally to make sure we still have some space and some capacity to do that innovation. I'm really keen that we do that, it can't be at the expense of the recovery plans so that's still our number one priority, but we have carved out some expertise and some capacity to still challenge us on how we should be doing statistics in the future. A big part of that will be how do we learn from others on AI and on tech more generally. So watch this space, it's definitely still something that we're focussed on.   MF Yeah, the resistance that's out there on some people to take part in those surveys. What about all this data that government has been already it's been a persistent criticism that government collectively hasn't done enough to pool that data and to and to really get get value out of it and to make public services more efficient, policies more effective.   DT I think that is a legitimate criticism if I'm honest, you know, it's been a conversation live in Whitehall since I can remember - data sharing and the lack of it. Obviously, there's been huge advances in that recently, some really good innovation around data sharing, including in the ONS, but even more generally, but I still sense there's real risk averse culture around data sharing across government departments that I think we need to try and tackle. For me it's as much about culture and ways of working as it is about legislation and risk. And I'm quite keen that we play our part in pushing the rest of the system on that. I think it's going to be one of the benefits of the split of the role, so that we will have a National Statistician full time being the National Statistician who isn't worried about the running of the ONS. And I'm really keen that whoever that person is, in future, if they can help the system really galvanised around data sharing and data linkage, that will be a real benefit of the new approach.   MF What about the culture of the ONS itself? And as you just said, there are two people at the top of the system now, as it were, an incoming national statistician, a you as Perm Sec. Culture has got to be your department, hasn't it? And the Devereaux review talked about some really quite deep-seated cultural issues. What was the culture that greeted you on arrival? And what mechanisms do you think are going to help to create the right culture and deliver the dramatic changes that you're working towards?   DT Yes, I think what Robert set out in his report was accurate, and that's certainly what I discovered when I arrived.  I think it manifests itself in a range of ways, but perhaps the two biggest for me are probably a lack of trust across the organization. And that's trust as it was between the board and the executive team, trust between the senior civil service  and the rest of the organization, lack of trust between our trade union colleagues and management, lack of trust between some of the different teams themselves. And I think that that, having been left unchecked, is quite corrosive. I think it's led to some of the issues that Robert set out in his report. I think it also leads to a lack of collaboration, a lack of join up when that is the predominant culture. So we've spent quite a lot of time, of my personal time, has been focused on breaking through some of that. It's quite a hard thing to do within organizations - to change the culture. I've deliberately not had something called a cultural transformation program, I'm not sure they ever really work. I think what we can do instead is just start doing stuff differently, and that's what we've been doing. Some of that has been a bit managerial. We put in place a leadership statement, for example, something the organization could use to hold senior leaders to account. I 've started sharing performance panels for senior civil servants. We've put in place some slightly sharper performance management. We will start doing regular pulse surveys, just to try and instil some of that managerial approach to fixing some issues. But for me it's also about who do we reward and why. One of the things I've been banging on about since I arrived is the "three C's" - that's clarity, consistency and consequences, and these really speak to the culture. And just briefly for listeners, clarity is what are we for, does everyone know what that is, and does everyone agree with it. And that's why we've created a new mission statement. Consistency is, how do you apply that set of values to the things you do on a daily basis, and you don't let it go when times get tough. And then consequences...there has to be both positive and negative consequences for people in the organization for doing the right thing or not. And I think that that kind of framework has taken hold in the organization, and I'm quite keen that we keep using it keep using it as our bellwether for are we doing the right thing. Do we reward the right behaviours, are we all being held to account for how we want the ONS to be. I think that's how we are going to get the change here.   MF What would you say to someone who might be thinking of applying to a job at the ONS, they might think well what we do is really important and really interesting, but I've read this stuff in the news which suggests, well, they've got their challenges.     DT So this is a live issue. So we've been recruiting for some very senior posts in the last few months, and I've been really haertened by the response that we've had. So for example, we are interviewing later on this month for Director General for Technology in the organization, we had over 200 applications for that, and I spoke to quite a few people who were interested in advance. And, of course, the thing is that once you're away from the heat of the crisis that the organisation was in last summer, for people who want to come and work in this organization, if you're a technology leader, for example, coming to work at the ONS, which basically just does data, you know, we collect, analyse and publish data. That's hugely attractive if you're a senior leader in technology or data. And I think I've been able to persuade them that we've turned the corner on what it's like to work here. So I've been really kind of enthused by both the quality and the number of people who have wanted to come work for us for us in some of those senior roles that we've advertised, but similarly, at all levels of organization. So one of our campaigns to hire some junior analysts across the organisation attracted hundreds and hundreds of applications. So I still think that the core business of the ONSremains very, very attractive to lots of people out there. My job is to turn the page on the culture of the organisation and that remains the case.   MF And as we start 2026, what gives you the most confidence that ONS is now on the right path? And what are the main objectives ahead?   DT I think there were some emerging plans which were kind of credible, I think we've really strengthened those in the last four or five months. I think the quality of the people will take us a huge way in our transformation and I'm really enthused by that. I always think of Colonel Boyds aphorism of "people, ideas and machines. And in that order." And I think we have excellent people who are generating brilliant ideas, and I think we're getting on top of the machines, as it were, so that we can really transform ourselves. What I really want is for the ONS to be in the news for its outputs and not for the organisation itself, and this year is going to be all about making sure that's true.   MF Because of course some people might say, well, we've got AI that's going to revolutionize everything. We're not going to need the ONS anymore. Just how wrong, or indeed right, is that?   DT My sense is that AI will have a huge part to play, but it's not going to take over. So again, that aphorism of people, ideas and machines, in that order. And it's the "in that order", that I think is the most important thing. AI will be tremendously helpful to us, but it's never going to replace expertise. So I'm quite keen to harness it, and use it for our internal efficiencies and productivity of course. We should harness some of the great ideas that are emerging out there in the private sector on stats production and surveys, we should absolutely do that, but I don't think we should be naive in assuming that there's suddenly going to be this great fix, I just don't think that's true. So I'm quite keen to continue to kind of experiment with AI, and we've already been doing that in the organization with some success. We want to keep scaling that up, but I want to temper the enthusiasm with some reality, that at least for the foreseeable future, we're still going to be using surveys, we're still going to be using admin data from across the system, and then on top of that we will use some of our AI expertise to help us   MF And we're going to have a census in 2031, it survives for another time around...   DT It definitely does. The government's taken a very firm decision on that, and we're now ramping that up at quite some level, as we've got the senior team now firmly in place for the Census. This year will mark the ramp up phase in preparation for the test in 2027,  and it's obviously a hugely important thing for us, and I'm quite keen that we get the maximum benefit from ramping up the census at the same time as focussing on our recovery plans. So yeah, so I'm excited about the census     MF Darren, thank you so much for that fascinating tour of what you've been doing and what lies ahead. Just finally then, what's your message to everyone who relies on ONS data, or who might be interested in ONS statistics, for 2026?   DT My overall message is, work with us. This is a really important time for statistics in the UK. We need everyone's help. If you're a citizen, fill in the surveys that you're asked to fill in as that's hugely beneficial for your systems. If you work in the system, bear with us and lean in and help us, because we will need your help as we get through the recovery phase here. But I'm optimistic that we can turn the corner, and that the statistical system in the UK will be in good health by the time we get to the end of 2026.   MF And on that note, we come to the end of this podcast. I think it's fair to say we've heard a clear sense of direction, a renewed focus on the statistics people most rely on, a commitment to improving quality and resilience and the recognition that trust in official data has to be earned and re-earned over time.   My thanks to Darren Tierney for joining us, and to you for listening. You can follow developments on everything we've been discussing today by subscribing to future episodes of Statistically Speaking on Spotify, Apple podcasts and all the other major podcast platforms. You can also follow us on X, previously known as Twitter, via the at ONS focus feed and do check out the national statistical blog for updates on all things ONS. You can find that at blog.ons.gov.uk, all lower case.   I'm Miles Fletcher, and from myself and our producers, Julia Short and Alisha Arthur, goodbye.          

Andy Burnham came across as "entitled", according to Harriet Harman, when he went on social media after Keir Starmer blocked him from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election. So what actually happened behind the scenes?This mini episode is your quick guide to the political chaos of the past 48 hours. Why did Mr Burnham try to get back into parliament and why did Labour's leadership move to stop him? What does it mean for Starmer's authority, the looming by-election, and Labour's battle with Reform?Plus, as we go into the studio to record, there's another major Conservative defection - former home secretary Suella Braverman - to Reform. What's going on in the Conservative Party? And do Ruth Davidson and Andy Street have the answer?You can WhatsApp the podcast at 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk.Remember, you can also watch Beth, Harriet and Ruth on YouTube.

In the one-hundred-and-eighty-eighth episode, we explore the Argumentum Ad Feminam, starting with a montage of Trump attacking women.In Mark's British Politics Corner, we look at Diane Abbott reporting on the daily abuse she gets over social media, Harriet Harman on why she didn't get appointed Deputy PM, and why women like her threaten misogynists, and Kemi Badenoch attacking women who complain about being attacked.In the Fallacy in the Wild section, we check out examples from Star Wars, Anchorman, and Cheers.Jim and Mark go head to head in a special Christmas edition of Fake News, in which Mark has to guess which absurdly sycophantic remarks were made up by Jim and which were lavished on Trump by his acolytes.Then we talk about the heavily redacted and incomplete Epstein files.And finally, we round up some of the other crazy Trump stories from the past week.The full show notes for this episode can be found at https://fallacioustrump.com/ft188 You can contact the guys at pod@fallacioustrump.com, on BlueSky @FallaciousTrump, Discord at fallacioustrump.com/discord or facebook at facebook.com/groups/fallacioustrumpAnd you can buy our T-shirts here: https://fallacioustrump.com/teeSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/fallacious-trump/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Are friendships with exes a bad idea or a sign of growing up? Journalists Olivia Petter and comedian Rosie Wilby join Nuala McGovern to explore how relationships with ex-partners evolve after a breakup, and why staying in touch can look different in straight and LGBTQ+ communities.Global Leaders for Ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) dedicated to preventing violence against women and girls have come together to form the All In Coalition. This new group is made up of global leaders and survivor advocates including Harriet Harman, the UK's Special Envoy for Women and Girls, and Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement. We hear from Dr Emma Fulu, who set this up, and Sima Samar, former Minister for Women's Affairs in Afghanistan.There is new data out today from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse which reveals that 27% of mothers (with children under the age of 18) have experienced economic abuse in the past year. We'll hear more about this common yet often hidden form of abuse and control. Pichaya Soontornyanakij has been named as the world's best female chef by a panel of more than a thousand food and restaurant experts. She's the first Asian women to be awarded this title. Known as Chef Pam, she's also a TV host and culinary judge in her native Thailand. She started out by converting her family home in Bangkok into a restaurant and since then she's gone on to obtain a coveted Michelin star. And all by the age of 36.  Chef Pam joins us from the Thai capital.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

The home secretary is going hard on immigration and she's taking a lot of people with her, not least Kemi Badenoch and the Reform party.Shabana Mahmood is using her identity – as a British Asian Muslim – to prove why she understands the migration problem in the country better than most.So how extreme are her new policies, modelled on the Danish system? Can she persuade the whole Labour party that they're not going too far, when they've spent years calling Tory policies "racist"?And as a tough, plain speaking and passionate politician, is she the new Margaret Thatcher? And could she pose a threat to Keir Starmer now the Labour Party is looking beyond him as leader?Plus – Harriet thinks the chancellor will scrap the two child benefit cap entirely at next week's budget – but is that actually popular with the party? Or are Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves bending to the demands of their backbenchers?Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

UPDATE: We talked again on this episode about speculation that Rachel Reeves was going to raise income tax rates in the budget. Since we recorded, Beth's been told that those plans have been ditched. Read her analysis here and we'll discuss what's going on next time.ON THIS EPISODE: Wes Streeting had to say he's more Joe Marler than Jonathan Ross after Number 10 started briefing he was plotting to oust Keir Starmer. Westminster has been full of Traitors analogies after a chaotic week which ended with the PM apologising to his health secretary. Harriet tells Beth and Ruth how it all went down within Labour - and she warns the Faithfuls (as they describe themselves) are getting fed up. We also talk again about speculation that Rachel Reeves will raise income tax rates in the budget. Since we recorded, Beth's been told that those plans have been ditched. Read more about Beth's story here and we'll discuss what's going on next time.Also on this episode: it was a tricky week at the BBC too, after two senior resignations. We discuss how politicians will keep talking about the BBC over the next year. Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

Who is to blame for two more inmates being wrongly freed from prison? The Conservatives attempted a mic drop moment with David Lammy this week by trying to get the Justice Secretary to admit to it live in the House of Commons. So why did Lammy avoid the question five times? And when 262 prisoners were released by mistake in the year to March – how is this happening every week? At the very least, Harriet sees the saga as an opportunity for the government to sort out the prison service. Plus Beth, Ruth and Harriet are joined by pollster Luke Tryl, and a group of voters who tell us why they're not convinced by the Prime Minister so far. So how tricky is this budget going to be for Rachel Reeves when most people's top worry is the cost of living? Can she actually put up taxes? And will more people just end up supporting Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski? Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

Harriet responds to your messages about the Green Party after she went viral for her take on leader Zack Polanski.How does its surge in popularity link up with the result of the Caerphilly by-election? And is the party getting more support because it's not entirely focused on climate change? Plus, rumour has it that the Labour government is planning to raise income tax in next month's budget. It would mean breaking a manifesto promise. So how believable is it? Beth, Ruth and Harriet aren't convinced. They discuss how the government could get itself out of the black hole, and what would happen if it did break its promise on tax. Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

Sir Keir Starmer has backed safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, as a fifth abuse survivor calls on her to quit to restore trust in the grooming gangs inquiry. Beth, Ruth and Harriet explain why the national inquiry into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs in England and Wales has become so poisonous and why the victims are so unhappy. Plus, as the government faces growing calls to formally strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom – what's the relationship between politics and royalty?And as membership for the Green Party surges, what's the appeal of the leader Zack Polanski? Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

There are new questions about who knew what and when about the collapse of a trial of alleged Chinese spies. Beth, Ruth, and Harriet explain why a row involving names you might not know does have implications for the country – can Beijing be both a friend and a foe? And while there are questions for government and civil servants – they ask if Kemi Badenoch has made a misstep with her response. Plus, Beth was there as Donald Trump announced his plan for peace in the Middle East. She shares the stories from her last-minute trip to join world leaders in Egypt. And come back on Sunday for our bumper back to back interviews with both candidates in the Deputy Labour Leadership contest - Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell.Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.

Fresh from the conference in Manchester, Beth gives Ruth and Harriet the inside track on her 'tetchy' interview with Badenoch - why couldn't she answer a question about Nigel Farage in the same way Keir Starmer did? And just how bad was her conference gaffe compared to ones in the past?Later, with a peace plan brokered by Donald Trump in the Middle East, what effect will it have on protests here?And has the government got it right on policing demonstrations?Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube. Fill in our survey: https://forms.gle/G72yDkjs6EmoVLp39 

Beth's at the Conservative party conference – talking to the shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins.  She says that Kemi Badenoch has shown resilience and character in her first year as party leader- but it's taken time to find confidence and her 11 months of ‘listening' and ‘absorbing' has come with ‘political knocks'.  She acknowledges that she is sorry about the Tory proposal to leave the ECHR - but says politicians have to deal with the politics of today.  She also reveals how her parents met at Tory conference and which politician makes her shout at TV.  Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube. Fill in our survey: https://forms.gle/G72yDkjs6EmoVLp39  

When the Prime Minister said Reform's migration policy was ‘racist' - was that a mistake? It dominated the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week, where Beth asked Keir Starmer about his comments... and pulled him up on Donald Trump's remarks about Sadiq Khan.  So with the May elections starting to loom in the minds of politicians, how worried are Labour that they are going to lose out to Reform? And did Andy Burnham have the impact everyone expected in Liverpool?  Plus, Harriet and Ruth give their tales of conferences past.  Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.  Fill in our survey: https://forms.gle/G72yDkjs6EmoVLp39   

Health Secretary Wes Streeting didn't want to get moved to the Home Office in the recent reshuffle - and he planned how to get out of it if the job was offered. Beth asks also asks him about future strike action by doctors. He's clear in his warning to members of the BMA: "The NHS is hanging by a thread, don't pull it." The interview was recorded at Labour Party conference.  Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube. 

Donald Trump gave his two cents on what women should be doing whilst pregnant this week... and Nigel Farage followed suit with his view back here.   So how damaging are their comments? And why do men think they know best about women's bodies?  Later - is Andy Burnham plotting a move on Downing Street? He claims Labour MPs are asking him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party.  Days before the Liverpool party conference, what's Burnham up to and will it unsettle MPs? Harriet wonders if everyone is getting over-anxious about the thought of a Reform UK government.  And with the UN General Assembly coming to a close in New York, what can we be optimistic about? Ruth and Harriet give their take as part of the Hope Campaign. Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube.  And on Monday, we'll have an extra episode in the feed from Labour Party Conference, after Beth sits down with Health Secretary Wes Streeting.  As we talked about it on the show the advice on taking Lemsip during pregnancy can be found here: https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/leaflets-a-z/colds-and-flu/   

On this episode we are showcasing two of Sky News' other podcasts as we go over Donald Trump's second state visit.  Electoral Dysfunction's Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman are joined by Trump 100's Mark Stone to tackle a news conference with potential ramifications to the world order. From the pomp and pageantry to the slightly uneasy division between the President and Prime Minister, the group give their special and unique insight on the historic visit.  But who was the winner and are any of the leaders better off?  Listen and follow Electoral Dysfunction and Trump 100 wherever you get your podcasts.

Starmer and Trump meet at Chequers and the world's eyes are on them. So why did Trump say he doesn't know Peter Mandelson? The UK's former ambassador to Washington who was sacked last week?And what did Trump mean when he said that Putin had "let him down"? To match the occasion - a special episode of Electoral Dysfunction and Trump100, a Sky News podcast mashup. Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson are joined by Mark Stone, who's been on the state visit all week. So as Team Trump leaves British soil… is Starmer better off now than he was at the start of the week? And where does that press confernece leave him as he prepares to recognise the state of Palestine. Also - Jimmy Kimmel comes off air - what does it say about free spech, both in the US and here at home? Remember you can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel! 

Peter Mandelson is sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US - his former cabinet colleague, Harriet, says it's shameful that he didn't resign. It's all after new revelations over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.Ruth isn't impressed either and wonders why Keir Starmer was defending him at PMQs.Donald Trump arrives in London for his state visit next week.Given questions about Epstein always raise his hackles – how will the PM tackle his visit now?Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on YouTube. 

Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are former Labour deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman, non-affiliated peer and former Conservative Cabinet minister Baroness Nicky Morgan, plus the journalists Lionel Barber and Ash Sarkar.

It's our 150th episode!!! Can you believe it? No, we can't either......and celebrating our big birthday are Harriet Evans and Laura Barnett, who join Joe for a brilliant bit of Booking Off.Sadly - there's no cake or party poppers - thanks to the terrible Thameslink service which meant Joe couldn't get to the shops in time, but there's still a lot of great book chat!Harrie and Laura discuss their brilliant new novels, give us some fab book recommendations - and - there's also a surprise appearance from Harriet Harman.THE BOOK OFF'Commonwealth' by Ann PatchettVS'Expectation' by Anna HopeAnd here's a little more info on our guests' new books!The TreasuresEvery family has a story to tell. Alice and Tom's begins here . . .On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Alice Jansen collects her treasures – the keepsakes, figurines and mementoes that help her make sense of her fragile family. But the next day her heart is broken, and the final treasure, a gift from her father, is lost. Two years later, Alice answers a phone call from a stranger and runs away to New York, and tries to forget her last golden summer at the orchard on the banks of the Hudson.Tom Raven can't understand why he keeps losing so many of the things and people that really matter to him, but he knows for certain that something important is missing from his life. One day, he remembers a forgotten letter and makes a phone call, then leaves Sevenstones, the only place that feels like home, for a strange city.Births, Deaths And Marriages Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not so secret passions for each other, their hopes and fears.Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. Rob is a history teacher, with a string of broken relationships behind him. Yas is a surgeon and very much her own woman. Indie is married and a successful coffee entrepreneur. Rachel is a stay at home mum with two children. Al, widowed young, is about to take over his father's funeral business.When Rob's engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface. Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy 1st anniversary, Keir Starmer. He wanted to be talking about what he sees as Labour's achievements after 12 months in goverment and his 10-year plan for the NHS.   But, after another dramatic policy U-turn and the sight of his own chancellor crying at PMQs, when he kept his support for her slightly vague, Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson discuss if his start in office has been shattered by this week.    They also wonder if the solution to make relations with his own MPs a bit easier would be to make better use of Angela Rayner. Remember, you can also watch us on YouTube!

Are Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves falling out over winter fuel payments? Beth tells us what she's been hearing in Westminster about a rift between the pair and although it's denied by Number 11, she's heard there's a “palpable tension” between the principal players over the change in policy.   Also, with a vote on welfare reforms coming up next month Beth, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson discuss how it will play out with Labour MPs and whether the government is losing its grip despite having such a big majority.    Plus, Beth speaks to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds about the winter fuel U-turn and whether the government can get a better deal with Donald Trump.  Remember you can also watch us on YouTube! 

Another week, another sticky situation for the prime minister and some of his MPs - this time it's centred around his language on immigration.When Sir Keir Starmer announced his White Paper, he argued that Britain "risked becoming an island of strangers" if immigration levels were not cut.So was he intentionally evoking Enoch Powell's infamous 1968 Rivers Of Blood speech? Or was this a big mistake?Also, with the Assisted Dying Bill back in parliament this week, Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman go on a tour of the British Isles to look at how different parliaments are approaching their legislation. If MPs in Westminster vote their bill down, could it stop it in its tracks in Holyrood too?Come and join us live on Tuesday 20 May at Cadogan Hall in London, tickets available now: https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/electoral-dysfunction-live/Remember you can also watch us on YouTube!

Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman, and Ruth Davidson assemble for an elections debrief.  Beth's been following a very happy Nigel Farage after Reform gained an MP in Runcorn, took the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty and seized control of several councils. But, how does the party promising change in its very name prove itself with greater power and responsibility?  They also discuss how Keir Starmer reacts to the Labour's losses (Harriet says he needs to deliver on what he's promised)  And what Kemi Badenoch has to do after a terrible set of results for the Conservatives (Ruth reckons it'll be worse for the 2026 set of elections)   Come and join us live on Tuesday 20 May at Cadogan Hall in London, tickets available now: https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/electoral-dysfunction-live/ Remember you can also watch us on YouTube! 

Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman analyse Rachel Reeves's spring statement and how Donald Trump may have made things worse for her.   The chancellor has redone her maths to make sure she sticks to her own rules on running the economy - but in doing that she has got tougher on welfare cuts. Can Labour keep the dissenting voices within their own party quiet? Harriet has some insight on how they'll be trying to do that.   And do Trump's tariffs on US car imports (and the prospect of more tariffs looming) just put the chancellor on the backfoot anyway?  Also, after an American journalist was added to a US government Signal group, how much government business is done on apps? And how much loose-lipped gossip is on there?  Meanwhile, as Beth goes into the last few weeks of London marathon training, did we just start the Electoral Dysfunction run club?  Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.        Remember you can also watch us on YouTube!    Help us understand more about our listeners by taking our survey  This form should only take a few minutes to complete, and Sky anonymises the responses as much as possible.   

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has returned from the US after what has been seen by Number 10 as a highly successful meeting with Donald Trump.  This week, Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson look at the preparation that went into this visit. Beth reveals how she caught the US president's attention. Plus, what is it like in the Oval Office?  And how did Mr Trump react when he got that invitation from the King.  They also discuss the resignation of development minister Annelise Dodds after the aid budget was cut to boost defence spending and ask  whether this will dent Mr Starmer's post-Trump confidence.    Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.       And remember, you can also watch us on YouTube! 

Do MPs say one thing in public, and another in private? This week, Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson ask what's been going on with the two MPs suspended from the Labour party over WhatsApps messages containing offensive comments.  Andrew Gwynne and Oliver Ryan both lost the whip after Sunday newspaper revelations. It's been a difficult week for Harriet – she's worked with Andrew Gwynne for a number of years and says it's made her question her judgement.  Also – are we about to see by elections as a result? And in the week the assisted dying debate is back in the news, we discuss the repercussions of the plan to scrap the need for High Court approval after Beth speaks to the MP who has campaigned for the changes, Labour's Kim Leadbeater. Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.     Watch us on Youtube too - new videos every week here. 

From politics to comedy to campaigning against anti-social behaviour, broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika is the latest guest on Lord Speaker's Corner.Baroness Hazarika grew up in Coatbridge, Scotland and is the first person of Indian Assamese heritage to join the House of Lords. She rose to become a senior adviser to Labour figures including Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband, playing a crucial role preparing them for PMQs:‘I think Prime Minister's Questions gets a very bad rap, because it does often become quite Punch and Judy, but I think it's a really important function of our democracy. There are not many democracies around the world where the principal politician in the land is called to the same spot week in, week out, and faces questions on any topic from any Member of Parliament across the country.'In this episode, Baroness Hazarika talks about her unlikely career path from politics to stand-up comedy and broadcasting, and back to politics. She also explains to Lord McFall how she will use her new political platform to campaign against anti-social behaviour and crime:‘I don't like calling this low-level crime, because I don't think it's low-level crime. But I think this stuff is not easy, but the more we talk about it and the more we press government ministers, that puts the pressure on them to keep on keeping this a priority.'Finally, Baroness Hazarika tells Lord McFall about receiving the phone call to offer her a place in the Lords, explaining ‘I really couldn't believe it, because if you're somebody like me from my background and you've loved politics your whole life, it's a real honour to be asked to join the House of Lords for the party that you have served and the party you love.'She shares that this wasn't the first thought that went through her head though, saying ‘The person said, “I'm calling on behalf of Keir Starmer. This is really serious. Are you by yourself? I think you better sit down.” And the first thing I thought was, "Oh my goodness, what have I been saying on my social media? Am I about to get cancelled, or am I about to get suspended from the Labour Party? Have I said something terrible?' See more from the series https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/house-of-lords-podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is a special episode of the podcast where we are looking back on some of our favourite pieces from the magazine over the past year and revisiting some of the conversations we had around them. First up: the Starmer supremacy Let's start with undoubtedly the biggest news of the year: Starmer's supermajority and the first Labour government in 14 years. In April, we spoke to Katy Balls and Harriet Harman about just what a supermajority could mean for Keir Starmer. Listening back, it's an incredibly interesting discussion to revisit. The aim of Katy's piece was to communicate the internal problems that could arise from such a sweeping victory and, crucially, how Starmer might manage a historic cohort of backbenchers. One MP who knows about adjusting to life in government after a supermajority is Harriet Harman, former leader of the Labour party and a member of Tony Blair's first cabinet. (01:51) Reflections from the editor's chair The change in No. 10 Downing Street is, of course, not the only notable shake-up in Westminster this year. Fraser Nelson stepped down as editor of The Spectator in September after 15 years of wielding the editor's pen, with 784 issues to his name. We sat down with him on his final day in the office to reflect on his time at 22 Old Queen Street. (08:31) Do historians talk down to children? In June, Mary Wakefield dedicated her column to this very question. She wrote about her experience trying to find engaging and challenging history books for her 8-year-old and compared the dumbed-down, one-dimensional version of history portrayed in modern children's books with the classic Ladybird books of the 1960s. She joined the podcast to discuss this with Dominic Sandbrook, author of the Adventures in Time children's book series and host of The Rest is History podcast. (17:18) Are ultra-processed foods really so bad? On The Edition podcast, we enjoy a fiery debate, and none was more heated than our discussion on ultra-processed foods. This debate, between columnist Matthew Parris and Christoffer van Tulleken, associate professor at UCL and author of the bestselling book Ultra-Processed People, took place in May. It was sparked by Matthew's column on the myths surrounding ultra-processed foods—foods engineered to be hyper-palatable and typically containing preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours, flavours, and so on. Such additives are widely considered detrimental to our health. Matthew says we shouldn't be worried, but we'll let you decide. (29:10) By whose values should we judge the past? On the podcast, we showcase articles from across the magazine—from the front half to the life pages, to books and arts. One of the most intriguing books of the year was Joan Smith's Unfortunately, she was a nymphomaniac: A New History of Rome's Imperial Women. An eye-catching title that is ‘as thought-provoking as it is provocative', as Daisy Dunn wrote in October. Many popular historians are singled out for their analysis of women in ancient Rome, including Professor Dame Mary Beard. In the interest of granting a right of reply, we invited Mary onto the podcast to discuss the merit of judging history by today's standards. (49:40) And finally: the politics of the breakfast buffet We thought we would leave you with one of the most prescient discussions we had on the podcast this year: the politics of the hotel breakfast buffet. Is it ethical to pocket a sandwich at a hotel breakfast buffet? Laurie Graham explored that question in the magazine back in September. Specifically, she revealed the very British habit of swiping food from free breakfasts to save for lunch later in the day. Laurie joined us alongside Mark Jenkins, a former hotel manager in Torquay, whom listeners may remember from the Channel 4 documentary The Hotel. (01:04:04) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

This week is a special episode of the podcast where we are looking back on some of our favourite pieces from the magazine over the past year and revisiting some of the conversations we had around them. First up: the Starmer supremacy Let's start with undoubtedly the biggest news of the year: Starmer's supermajority and the first Labour government in 14 years. In April, we spoke to Katy Balls and Harriet Harman about just what a supermajority could mean for Keir Starmer. Listening back, it's an incredibly interesting discussion to revisit. The aim of Katy's piece was to communicate the internal problems that could arise from such a sweeping victory and, crucially, how Starmer might manage a historic cohort of backbenchers. One MP who knows about adjusting to life in government after a supermajority is Harriet Harman, former leader of the Labour party and a member of Tony Blair's first cabinet. (01:51) Reflections from the editor's chair The change in No. 10 Downing Street is, of course, not the only notable shake-up in Westminster this year. Fraser Nelson stepped down as editor of The Spectator in September after 15 years of wielding the editor's pen, with 784 issues to his name. We sat down with him on his final day in the office to reflect on his time at 22 Old Queen Street. (08:31) Do historians talk down to children? In June, Mary Wakefield dedicated her column to this very question. She wrote about her experience trying to find engaging and challenging history books for her 8-year-old and compared the dumbed-down, one-dimensional version of history portrayed in modern children's books with the classic Ladybird books of the 1960s. She joined the podcast to discuss this with Dominic Sandbrook, author of the Adventures in Time children's book series and host of The Rest is History podcast. (17:18) Are ultra-processed foods really so bad? On The Edition podcast, we enjoy a fiery debate, and none was more heated than our discussion on ultra-processed foods. This debate, between columnist Matthew Parris and Christoffer van Tulleken, associate professor at UCL and author of the bestselling book Ultra-Processed People, took place in May. It was sparked by Matthew's column on the myths surrounding ultra-processed foods—foods engineered to be hyper-palatable and typically containing preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours, flavours, and so on. Such additives are widely considered detrimental to our health. Matthew says we shouldn't be worried, but we'll let you decide. (29:10) By whose values should we judge the past? On the podcast, we showcase articles from across the magazine—from the front half to the life pages, to books and arts. One of the most intriguing books of the year was Joan Smith's Unfortunately, she was a nymphomaniac: A New History of Rome's Imperial Women. An eye-catching title that is ‘as thought-provoking as it is provocative', as Daisy Dunn wrote in October. Many popular historians are singled out for their analysis of women in ancient Rome, including Professor Dame Mary Beard. In the interest of granting a right of reply, we invited Mary onto the podcast to discuss the merit of judging history by today's standards. (49:40) And finally: the politics of the breakfast buffet We thought we would leave you with one of the most prescient discussions we had on the podcast this year: the politics of the hotel breakfast buffet. Is it ethical to pocket a sandwich at a hotel breakfast buffet? Laurie Graham explored that question in the magazine back in September. Specifically, she revealed the very British habit of swiping food from free breakfasts to save for lunch later in the day. Laurie joined us alongside Mark Jenkins, a former hotel manager in Torquay, whom listeners may remember from the Channel 4 documentary The Hotel. (01:04:04) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.   Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are Labour peer Harriet Harman, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp, former adviser to Kemi Badenoch Merci Muroki and political commentator Jonathan Lis.

Ukraine uses British missiles in Russia and will you ever buy an electric car?Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are Labour peer Harriet Harman, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp, former adviser to Kemi Badenoch Merci Muroki and political commentator Jonathan Lis.

Women with Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with current Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch MP. Widely seen as one of the Conservative Party's rising stars upon her election to Parliament in 2017, her star has only continued to rise. Serving under successive PMs, this episode was recorded in May 2022 when she was Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities, and for Equalities. Now many consider her the frontrunner to be Tory leader.  On the podcast, Kemi talks about her childhood in Nigeria and the golden ticket that was her UK passport, hacking Harriet Harman and what it's like to be a 'rising star'. 

Women with Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with current Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch MP. Widely seen as one of the Conservative Party's rising stars upon her election to Parliament in 2017, her star has only continued to rise. Serving under successive PMs, this episode was recorded in May 2022 when she was Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities, and for Equalities. Now many consider her the frontrunner to be Tory leader.  On the podcast, Kemi talks about her childhood in Nigeria and the golden ticket that was her UK passport, hacking Harriet Harman and what it's like to be a 'rising star'. 

Iain is joined by Harriet Harman, who retired from the Commons at the recent election after more than 30 years as an MP. They discuss the contents of this week's King's Speech and how the new Labour government is faring so far, the fall-out from the attempt to assassinate Donald Trump and his choice of J.D. Vance as his running mate, plus Taylor Swift's efforts to tackle poverty in Britain.

A record-breaking number of women MPs have been elected following Labour's win at the general election. It's also the first time in parliamentary history that the proportion of women elected is more than 40%. Harriet Harman, the now ex-Labour MP and former Mother of the House, gives her reaction.Three women who say they were the victims of a racial attack have had the charges of assault made against them by their assailant discontinued by the CPS. Selma Taha, the executive director for advocacy group Southall Black Sisters, and Danae Thomas, two of the women, join Anita Rani to talk about what impact the charges being dropped has had, and how they're hoping this might impact further action against racist violence against women and girls.Cathy Rentzenbrink is known for her non-fiction books – but now she's written a second fiction novel – Ordinary Time. It tells the story of Ann, a reluctant vicar's wife, and her grappling with ideas of marriage, duty and temptation. She joins Nuala McGovern to discuss.A recent article in the New York Times coined the phrase "medium friends" to describe “not our besties, but more than just acquaintances.” Anita talks to Dr Susan MacDougall, a social anthropologist at Oxford University, and to Shazia Mirza, a comedian and writer, about friendship levels.Women are turning to increasingly risky ways to get weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, as online prescribers become more stringent about who they will give them to. Two young women tell Woman's Hour's Melanie Abbott about using drugs they buy on the black market, despite the potential dangers. Plus Professor Kamila Hawthorne from the Royal College of GPs talks to Nuala. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

There are a record number of women MPs in the new parliament. Nuala McGovern is joined by former Mother of the House and now chair of the charity the Fawcett Society, Harriet Harman, who wants to set up a Women's Caucus made up of female MPs. We also have political reaction from journalists Rachel Cunliffe and Caroline Wheeler.Is sports day something that teaches children invaluable life lessons, or simply an annual event that demoralises? Nuala is joined by journalist Esther Walker and comedian Helen Thorn to discuss further.The French film industry has been under the spotlight in recent months after allegations of sexual assault and harassment by women against directors and actors. Last month, the French parliament agreed to create a commission to investigate sexual and gender based violence in the industry and other cultural sectors. Some of the allegations have been put forward by the actor and director Judith Godrèche who joins Nuala on the programme to discuss the issues.Yorkshire County Cricket Club has retrospectively awarded caps to women's players who have represented their county to recognise their commitment and their importance to the Club – spanning nearly 90 years of history. Jane Powell, President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club who captained England and played for Yorkshire for 12 years from 1980 to 1991, and also received a cap herself joins Nuala to discuss.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce

Episode 3 explores how opposition parties prepare for a potential transition of government, with ministers, civil servants and advisers, including Jonathan Powell, Harriet Harman, Gus O'Donnell and Oliver Letwin, revealing how they got ready for the possibility of a change of government. How does an opposition develop policies that would actually work once they are in office? How can shadow teams ready themselves for taking over departments? What is the role of the chief of staff in these preparations? And what lessons could the approaches of Tony Blair and David Cameron provide for opposition parties preparing for the possibility of being in government? Veterans of the 1997 and 2010 transitions share their recollections – and their advice for Keir Starmer's Labour party as a general election approaches.

Episode 4 explores how the governing party prepares for an election while continuing to govern, with ministers, civil servants and special advisers – including Oliver Letwin, Harriet Harman, Gus O'Donnell, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson – revealing how they approached the work of government during an election campaign. How does a governing party balance a gruelling campaign alongside running the country? What are the advantages of being the party in power as the election approaches? And how can a governing party make the most of those final months before polling day? Veterans of the 2010 and 2015 elections share their stories.

Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. We speak to those who've entered No.10 alongside the prime minister on day one, found themselves suddenly running a government department, or have welcomed a brand new political team into office as a senior civil servant, including: Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson. What actually happens on a prime minister's first day? How can a new government make the most of the first months in office? And what's it like for civil servants, adjusting to having a whole new team of politicians in charge?

The most recent 'mother of the house', Harriet Harman has been an MP for 42 years. She has served in a number of cabinet positions, under six Labour leaders, both during government and opposition. She was also deputy leader of the Labour Party for 8 years. In some ways, her story is emblematic of how women's roles in society have changed: challenging familial stereotypes, dealing with sexual harassment, and as a trailblazing politician. On this episode, Katy Balls talks to Harriet about the influence of her family, why she got into politics, and why Labour hasn't had a female leader yet. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

The most recent 'mother of the house', Harriet Harman has been an MP for 42 years. She has served in a number of cabinet positions, under six Labour leaders, both during government and opposition. She was also deputy leader of the Labour Party for 8 years. In some ways, her story is emblematic of how women's roles in society have changed: challenging familial stereotypes, dealing with sexual harassment, and as a trailblazing politician. On this episode, Katy Balls talks to Harriet about the influence of her family, why she got into politics, and why Labour hasn't had a female leader yet. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Rishi Sunak has unveiled his manifesto, promising billions in tax cuts and lower immigration - but after his D-Day disaster and Nigel Farage back in the game, is it enough to shift the dial in the election or even enough to stop the right-wing of his own party turning on him before polling day? And with Reform creeping up in the polls, can Farage's party really overtake the Tories to become the opposition? And what would happen then? Joining Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss this on this episode of The Political Fourcast are Conservative peer Jo Johnson, who helped write the winning Tory manifesto in 2015, Harriet Harman, former Labour Leader and Deputy Leader, and Reform UK's Deputy Leader David Bull. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.

In the wake of October 7th and Trump's bid to become US President again, Rafael Behr sits down with fellow Guardian columnist and friend - Jonathan Freedland - to discuss the current state of geopolitics, liberal politics, Israel and Jewish identity.Events featuring Rafael BehrShoreham, West Sussex, Wed 24 AprilAn evening with Guardian columnist Rafael Behr and television producer Rob Burley in conversation with Ayesha Hazarika MBE, political commentator and broadcaster, and former special adviser to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband.More detailsCentral London, Thursday 25th AprilWhat Everyone Knows About Britain* Except The British: Michael Peel in conversation with Rafael BehrMore detailsJ Freeland linksAward-winning edition of Unholy podcast The latest edition of the Guardian's weekly US politics podcastJonathan Freeland and Israeli author Amos OzNew York Times columnist Thomas Friedman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did history ever go away? For the former BBC Russia correspondent, Martin Sixsmith, there was a few euphoric years, in the early 1990's, when history promised to end. That time, of course, was the post-Soviet Russia of Boris Yeltsin and the promise that “they” could become like “us” and embrace both democracy and a Chicago school market capitalism. In his new book, PUTIN AND THE RETURN OF HISTORY, Sixsmith tells the story of the transition from this euphoria about the end of history into the Ukraine fueled pessimism of today. But Sixsmith doesn't blame everything on Putin, who he describes as a Russian Zelig, a Machiavellian opportunist who simultaneously was made by and has made history. Yes, he argues, the Kremlin has rekindled the Cold War. But we in the West also have some responsibility for not understanding the historic Russian paranoia about being invaded by western powers. Martin Sixsmith is a bestselling author, television and radio presenter and journalist. He began working at the BBC in 1980 as a foreign correspondent, reporting from Moscow during the end of the Cold War, the era of Perestroika, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1997, he went to work for the government of Tony Blair as Director of Communications and Press Secretary to Harriet Harman and then to Alistair Darling. He then served as Director of Communication at the Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions. Sixsmith is the author of two political novels, Spin and I Heard Lenin Laugh. He has also published an account of the Litvinenko murder, The Litvinenko File, and made a documentary film in 2008 exploring the legacy of the KGB in today's Russia and the FSB. His book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee was turned into a hugely successful film in 2013, starring Judi Dench.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

A general election is getting closer – and whoever forms the next government needs to be prepared. The campaign will dominate time and resources, but the job of being in government begins almost as soon as the votes have been counted. Preparing for Power, a special six-part series from the Institute for Government, takes you behind the scenes to find out how our politicians, their advisers and officials block out the noise of a general election campaign to get ready for what comes next. Episode 6 explores the first days, weeks and months of a new government. What is like to be at a prime minister's side as they enter No.10 for the first time? Can a new minister ever be properly prepared for the sudden task of running a huge government department? And what is it like to be a civil servant welcoming a brand new political team into office? We speak to the people who have been at the heart of government as a new government is formed, including Ed Balls, Jonathan Powell, Gus O'Donnell, Harriet Harman, Polly Mackenzie and Nick Macpherson. The concluding part of Preparing for Power reveals what actually happens on a prime minister's first day, explores what it is like for civil servants as a whole new team of politicians – and their advisers – take charge, and shares key lessons for making the most of going into government. Presented by Emma Norris. Produced by Milo Hynes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will we have a May General election? Will there be massive Conservative defeat in any Election that we do have this year? And what's the economy got to do with it?  Here to answer those questions are Former Chancellor who gave us the infamous mini-budget of 2022, Kwasi Kwarteng. And the former Labour Party leader and Mother of the House, Harriet Harman. They join Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Channel 4 News' Political Editor, Gary Gibbon to discuss Jeremy Hunt's Budget announcement yesterday, income tax cuts, and why in their view, the Conservatives are starting to look a lot like the Labour party.  

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to talk about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from their time in politics.Harriet Harman has been an MP for four decades and held key roles in the Labour Party and in government. A long-time campaigner for women, she tells Matt why she's embarrassed Labour is still yet to elect a female leader, why Starmer shouldn't make decisions in an all-male room, and why she once hid from Margaret Thatcher in a toilet.Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Dominic Lawson discuss the government's plan to ban disposable vapes, whether Trump admires Putin and what Matt stands to gain from following Rishi Sunak's 36 hour-fast diet.Columnist Panel (04:13)The Exit Interviews: Harriet Harman (25:25) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour went into the 1997 general election full of confidence. Now, 26 years on from that famous victory, Kiran Stacey hears as those who helped craft it look ahead and ask if it is time to be more radical. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

In 1996 Labour was a year out from an election after more than a decade out of power. Its leader, Tony Blair, was surrounded by advisers and strategists plotting their way to victory. Kiran Stacey hears how they did it and what lessons there are for Keir Starmer's party as it gathers for its annual conference. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus