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Details for the Politics: Politics Weekly | guardian.co.uk Podcast
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Political analysis from the Guardian and Observer's top journalists and commentators
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Episodes
1 - Politics Weekly: Chris Mullin, Tony Blair and William Hague
The release of Tony Blair's memoir, A Journey, settled some old scores and propelled the former prime minister back into public life. One of his former ministers and author of a second volume of diaries, Decline and Fall, Chris Mullin is in the studio to discuss Blair's legacy. Martin Kettle had the only print interview with Blair this week. He says that he found Blair as defiant as ever on questions of Iraq and the direction in which he took the Labour party. Polly Toynbee says sections of the book will be quoted gleefully by members of the government and describes how Blair's politics have changed since 1997. And with an extraordinary statement from the foreign secretary, William Hague, this week, the panel discusses how rumours on the blogosphere gain currency in the mainstream media. Leave your thoughts below.
2 - Politics Weekly: David Miliband on the fight for Labour's future
David Miliband is the final Labour leadership candidate to undergo the Politics Weekly treatment. He joins the Observer columnist Henry Porter and Natalie Hanman of Comment Is Free. Miliband takes questions on his suitability for the leadership of his party, the coalition government and his stance on the Iraq war. He gives his analysis of the reasons Labour lost over 1 million votes from the poorest in society and cites issues such as crime, immigration, housing and employment as areas in which the party must reconnect with those on low incomes. The leadership contender also tackles allegations that British nationals were tortured overseas during his time as foreign secretary. And with students around the country having discovered their exam results this week, we ask whether, despite the record passes, young people are well enough equipped to enter a difficult job market.
3 - Politics Weekly: 100 days of the coalition
Tom Clark and Allegra Stratton are joined by Aditya Chakrabortty and Michael White to run the rule over the coalition's first 100 days. Plus new Tory MP Jesse Norman gives his view on future electoral conflict between his party and the Lib Dems.
4 - Politics Weekly podcast: Ed Miliband on opposing the coalition
Ed Miliband, the latest Labour leadership contender to grace the Politics Weekly studio, explains why he thinks that Labour can capitalise on disillusionment among Liberal Democrat voters – andadmits his party must face up to its own mistakes. Miliband also tackles issues including funding for nuclear weapons, his opposition to the Iraq war, and his backing from the Unite union, whose members have just backed strike action at some of Britain's biggest airports. David Cameron used a quiet news week in Britain to launch an attack on people who commit benefit fraud. He says he'll use the services of credit rating agencies in a crackdown. Nick Cohen says he doesn't disagree with the idea in theory, but is sceptical about the amount of money it could raise. Also this week, as Sayeeda Warsi and Chris Huhne host a joint Lib-Con press conference, we ask whether the coalition is turning out to be more then a marriage of convenience.
5 - Politics Weekly: Diane Abbott, Afghanistan and arts funding
Following the publication of tens of thousands of documents relating to the war in Afghanistan we look at whether the revelations will lead to a change in policy. Diane Abbott calls for a withdrawal of British troops but suggests that a UN military presence is still necessary in the country. We also take a look at the cuts being outlined in culture. This week saw the announcement of the death of the UK Film Council. But as Polly Toynbee argues, the creative industries bring in revenue and tourism as well as supporting minority pursuits. And as Diane Abbott takes questions from Tom Clark, Julian Glover and Ros Taylor, she reveals that her competitors in the leadership race would all have a place in her shadow cabinet. And she tackles the issue that won't go away: her decision 10 years ago to have her son privately educated. Politics Weekly returns on August 12. Leave your questions for our next guest: Ed Miliband.
6 - Politics Weekly: Ed Balls on the Labour leadership race
Ed Balls is our special guest in the studio this week. With David Cameron being given the red-carpet treatment in Washington, the shadow education secretary and Labour leadership candidate joins Guardian columnist Martin Kettle for a discussion of Britain's relations with the United States. They discuss Barack Obama's mid-term election predicament and the wisdom of the Scottish Executive's decision to release the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds. And in a wide-ranging interiview Balls addresses the deficit, his wife Yvette Cooper's ambitions, and his beginnings in the Labour party helping deliver leaflets to elect Harold Wilson. He tells us that his support comes from both wings of his party and that his label as a 'divisive' politician is not deserved. Leave your comments below - and give us your questions for next week's guest: Diane Abbott.
7 - Politics Weekly podcast: Andy Burnham, the NHS and the French veil ban
Andy Burnham is the first of five Labour leadership candidates to join the Politics Weekly panel for a packed agenda. He tells us that among his plans is a proposal to make access fairer to the professions such as law, medicine and the media. On Bastille Day, we discuss the French parliament's vote this week to ban the niqab - or full face veil. Jonathan Freedland says the move "crosses a line" but that it must be understood with reference to France's culture of secularism. Burnham meanwhile says that any such law could "never" be enacted in the UK. We also discuss the sweeping reforms to the NHS as announced in the Commons this week by Andrew Lansley - Burnham's successor as health secretary. Plus, Peter Mandelson's memoirs have once again opened old wounds in the Labour party. Can the new generation move out of the Blair-Brown shadow? Leave your thought's below - and your questions for next week's guest: Ed Balls.
8 - Politics Weekly: Michael Gove's grovelling apology and Nick Clegg's reform gamble
Education secretary Michael Gove was forced to admit to the House of Commons that there were numerous errors in a list of school building projects supplied by his department. Michael White, Julian Glover and Rafael Behr discuss how important Gove is to David Cameron and how damaging the incident could be. Meanwhile, as the public sector faces huge cuts and reductions in terms and conditions, Dr Jon Davis, an expert on Whitehall at Queen Mary University, assesses the current relationship between the coalition and the civil service. And as Nick Clegg fleshes out his plans for electoral reform including a re-drawing of constituency boundaries and a change to the voting system we discuss how big a gamble it could turn out to be for the deputy prime minister. Leave your thoughts on any of these issues below.
9 - Politics Weekly podcast: Labour progressively defrocked
Tom Clark and Allegra Stratton are joined by Guardian columnists Jonathan Freedland and Madeleine Bunting to discuss the coalition government's theft of Labour's progressive clothes. Plus we look at justice secretary Ken Clarke's announcements on penal reform - enlightened policy or simply disguised cost-cutting?
10 - Politics Weekly podcast: George Osborne's first budget and Australia's new Labor leader
We look at what the coalition government's first budget will mean further down the line. Will there be social unrest? Are the poor going to be hit harder than the rich? Plus, as Australia finds itself with its first female prime minister, we ask why the British Labour party wasn't more brutal with Gordon Brown. Seumas Milne, Gary Younge and Martin Kettle make up our panel. Leave your thoughts on any of these subjects below.
11 - Budget 2010: business podcast special
George Osborne told the House of Commons that his first budget was both unavoidable and progressive. In our studio to test those claims we have the Observer's business editor Ruth Sunderland and Guardian columnists Julian Glover and Seumas Milne. The announcements included a hike in VAT to 20%, a levy on the balance sheets of banks and building societies and a big restructuring of welfare payments. Jon Dennis reports from central London where shoppers responded to the tax rises. We also hear from Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers' Alliance and from Mark Serwotka of the Public and Commercial Service union. Meanwhile in Westminster, Michael White gauges reaction from Westminster with Conservative MPs Eleanor Laing, Natascha Engel and Daniel Kawczynski; Norman Baker from the Liberal Democrats, and Labour ministers John Denham, Steve McCabe and Gordon Marsden.
12 - Politics Weekly: Cameron cautious as Obama puts BP over a barrel
As Barack Obama piles the pressure on oil giant BP over the Deepwater spill, we look at the state of British-US relations under the coalition government. Jackie Ashley, Tom Happold and Michael White are on hand to discuss how the US president has handled the crisis. Also this week, we look back at an important moment in the history of Northern Ireland following David Cameron's apology to the families of those killed on Bloody Sunday. Plus: George Osborne gave his first Mansion House speech as chancellor this week. He confirmed a shake-up in financial regulation but his real test will come on Tuesday when he gives his first budget statement. Leave your thoughts on any of these subjects below.
13 - Politics Weekly podcast: Diane Abbott brings Labour leadership race to life
Five candidates gathered enough nominations to get on to the ballot paper in Labour's forthcoming leadership election. David Miliband, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and Andy Burnham will face their party's vote in September. We look at each of the candidates after they were put through their paces at hustings events this week. What will be the effect of Diane Abbott's late surge in the nominations and will the friendly nature of the contest continue into the summer? Polly Toynbee and Rafael Behr assess each of the candidates and ask why none are talking about the economy. We also look at David Cameron's speech in Milton Keynes this week in which he claimed that the cuts to public spending will affect everyone. He took a more populist route later in the week though, announcing that the flag of St George would fly above Downing Street for the duration of the World Cup. Leave your thoughts below.
14 - Politics Weekly: Coalition government hit by first resignation
After revelations in the Daily Telegraph about his expenses claims, David Laws became the first member of the new government to resign. After being lauded in the press in his short career as chief secretary to the Treasury his loss will be sorely felt. Is his replacement Danny Alexander up to the job? Also this week we look at how David Cameron dealt with his first batch of prime minister's questions. The chamber was quieter than usual: have we seen the back of 'Punch and Judy politics'? Conservative justice secretary Kenneth Clarke tells us how the week's biggest set-piece political event has changed throughout his career. And as Ken Livingstone declares his intention to return to office as London mayor, we ask whether Boris Johnson will fight again, or whether he's eyeing a return to parliament. With Libby Brooks, Julian Glover and Tom Happold.
15 - Politics Weekly: Fighting the right of your party
Conservative backbenchers David Davis and John Redwood have attacked their party on plans to raise capital gains tax. Can the independent streak that runs through the Conservative backbenches be contained? In the studio to discuss this we have Julian Glover, Georgina Henry and Michael White. Also in today's show: the Queen has opened parliament for the 59th time in her reign. Is the legislative programme she announced workable? And can any of the bills be welcomed by the left? Plus, Alistair Darling used an unscheduled session in the Commons to berate the new government for announcing its programme of cuts outside the chamber. We ask whether the "primacy of parliament" is a concept only ever talked up by the opposition. Leave your thoughts on any of these subjects below.
