With Frank still away, Jim, Jo, and Kevin tackle the doctors dispute and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to ban strikes. They’ll also weigh up the likelihood of serious disorder during the hot summer nights around asylum hotels
With Frank and Jim away, Jo and Kevin take charge of this week’s Downtown Den Politics, unpacking the latest developments from Westminster and beyond.
The governments devolution white paper, Labours union issues, more bad news for the economy, but a successful state visit of President Macron. And Forty years of Live Aid.
In a very special episode of the Downtown Den Politics Podcast Frank McKenna is joined by the former chairman of the very influential conservative backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.
Labours first year in government ended with a backbench rebellion, a chancellor in tears, and Jeremy Corbyn announcing the launch of a new political party.
The NATO summit and Daddy Trump, the fallout from Americas bombing raids in Iran, antisemitism at Glastonbury, and the BBC continuing its love-in with Reform UK.
Do we have a government that is good at getting things done- but bad at politics?
The government is launching a ten year industrial strategy this week, will Labour get any credit for its longer term approach to the country’s problems- and might a certain mayor from Manchester be able to help them tell their story more positively?
Donald Trump decided to bomb Iran. Was the President simply pissed off with his TACO reputation- Trump Always Chickens Out- or has he got a longer term plan for the Middle East- and where does the unilateral action from the States and Israel leave international institutions? Are NATO and the UN now simply moribund, outdated, talking shops?
Another very busy week in geopolitics. Israel and Iran are at war. In America, we’ve seen the shocking assassination of senior politicians.
Rachel Reeves announced her long awaited Spending Review last Wednesday and the DIB podcast team reflect about what that might do in terms of Labour’s polling fortunes.
The most powerful man in the world has fallen out with the richest man in the world- what will be the fall out from the Trump/Musk bust up?
