Coco Kahn

See, now this is going into harassment. This is now going into HR.

Felt like we hadn't said it for like five minutes. You can see how it happens. You have a sort of ongoing blue joke and then, oh, now it's turned. Now it's turned about the moment. I just feel like, you know, if we're going to chat about the budget, the Grinch hat is very nice.

Doesn't make you feel good about the sort of control of the budget they held for many years.

Now, as the day started to get colder and shorter, there was one massive, overwhelming, terrifying news event that seemed to overshadow all others, and it's, of course, the US election. Convicted felon and sexual abuser Donald Trump won the White House again, beating Kamala Harris across all swing states and won the popular vote for the first time. Now the dust has settled, Desiree.

How are you feeling?

But there has been a bit of a... sort of re-nosing of Labour strategy. Like, I think they have learnt a lesson from the American election results where they have understood that it's not enough to say that our economy is buoyant. If people don't feel it in their pocket, they will disregard it. Living standards in the UK are very, very low and are getting lower.

So when, after five months in office, Starmer finally declared that the government had a plan and the plan is change, maybe now is the time we believe it? Or what do you think, Liz?

And I think as well, I mean, going back to that initial thought of, okay, five months later when he says change, he was saying change all along. Do we finally believe it? Well, that's the crucial word, change. Is it change? Is anything changing or is it just managed better? And do we need managed better?

Yes. So it's the same. The polls have put Labour behind Reform and the Conservatives, well, some of the polls anyway, despite the new leader, Kemi Badenoch, having nothing to say beyond picking fights with bread, if the latest story is to be believed. Last week, she declared that sandwiches aren't real food. The polls are in the gutter. The tabloids are having a field day.

This week, the Daily Star rejoiced in the headline, saying that Keir Starmer is the worst prime minister in recent history... according to Brits. Who else would it be according to? According to Brits. So it sounds like, you know, we have these rogue operators on the outside promising change.

And of course, when you scrutinise it, you know, that's not going to change anything unless making richer and poorer even more stark is the change you're looking for. But the fact remains, the people are not happy with Mr Starmer.

To close us off with something a little more silly, it's my favourite bit, the song bit, where politicians, we recap on how the politicians around the country have been using some songs to make their voices heard this year. So, for example, we had Paul Thomas candidate for a reform with his rendition of The Spice Girls.

So I was like, oh, I'm reading way too much political content.

And then I had another incident recently where I was listening to Beyonce's Irreplaceable, to the left, to the left. And you know, the chorus is, you must not know what I mean. I could get another you in a minute. And I thought, I was like, this is the song about Keir Starmer. Oh, my God.

I feel actually that's us as disenfranchised Labour voters. We're singing that to him. We could get another you in a minute. You'll be here in a minute. To the left.

She does, she does. But anyway, in the spirit of just far too much political content, in his final show of electoral spectacle for the year, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is vying for Christmas number one. He's performing alongside the Bath Philharmonic Young Carers Choir with their song Love Is Enough.

Don't forget to follow at Pod Save the UK on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. And if you want more of us, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Nish and I are taking a little holiday break for the next two weeks. Not together, but it would be fun, wouldn't it? We'll be back with you in early January.

Thanks to senior producer James Tindow and assistant producers Mae Robson, Nadas Miljanic and Artemis Irvin, with extra research from Adam Wright.

Thanks to our engineers, Jeet Vasani and Ryan McBeath. The head of production is Dan Jackson.