Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
Episodes
How will the Tories remove their unwanted leader?
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It seems to be a question of when, not if, for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations against an MP has t...
Do Fine Gael get it? Una Mullally debates Neale Richmond
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fine Gael under leader Leo Varadkar are hopelessly out of touch with young voters, says Irish Times columnist Una Mullally. Her criticisms are unfound...
Will the government take any pre-budget action?
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray, Jack Horgan-Jones and Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy join Pat Leahy to discuss the long wait until October's bu...
Brexit wars reignite / Will the cost of living keep rising?
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The rising cost of living is the most immediate issue facing governments all over the world. The Central Statistics Office reports Inflation at a 40-y...
Crèche pressure, GUBU, Johnson survives
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones is one of many parents paying through the nose for childcare. The Government wants to take some of the financial pain out of early y...
Europe grapples with Ukraine, food and energy crises
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Not without difficulty, EU member states reached an agreement on new sanctions against Russia, this time banning most oil imports. Pat Leahy and Naomi...
Jon Ronson on the origins of the culture wars
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrated author and podcaster Jon Ronson talks to Hugh about his recent BBC podcast series Things Fell Apart which explores the origins of the cultu...
Sinn Féin and the art of government
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If Sinn Féin fulfils its ambition to be the first party other than Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil to form a government in the Republic, what challenges wi...
Green light for the National Maternity Hospital / Ripping up the Protocol
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part one: Following two weeks of intense debate and discussion on the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital, the plan has finally been approve...
Pandemonium: Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pandemonium: Power, Politics and Ireland’s Pandemic, is the new book by Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell, polit...
Stormont election special: Seismic or not, a significant result for Northern Ireland
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Freya McClements, Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy join Hugh to analyse the results of last week's Northern Ireland Assembly elections. The major talking po...
Voters go to the polls in Britain and Northern Ireland
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow Northern Ireland goes to the polls, in what’s been dubbed the most important vote in a generation. For the first time in more than a centur...
Turf wars, TD numbers and a row over surrogacy
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pat and Jen join Hugh to talk about all the political stories of the past week including tension within the coalition over a proposed ban on the sale ...
Two very different elections, two defining moments
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Next weekend, French voters decide whether Emmanuel Macron should remain president or Marine Le Pen should replace him. The latter result would transf...
Poll exclusive: majority favour keeping neutrality
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is overwhelming support for a retention of Ireland’s current model of military neutrality, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll.&nbs...
Watt in the spotlight / State of the parties
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part one: The political controversy over the appointment of Dr Tony Holohan to a position in Trinity College has raised some awkward questions for Min...
What is neoliberalism - and is it over?
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neoliberalism means different things to different people. As a set of economic policies it is mainly associated with reducing state intervention in co...
Zelenskiy’s historic address to Oireachtas, carbon tax increase, Seanad by-election
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh is joined by Jennifer Bray, Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories of the week, including Ukrainian President Volody...
Ivana Bacik on Labour’s past, present and future
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ivana Bacik’s uncontested election as Labour Party leader came after the swift removal of Alan Kelly from the role and her own relatively recent app...
A disappointing Patrick’s Day for the Taoiseach, Covid’s resurgence, inflation bites
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh catches up with Pat Leahy, fresh from his trip to Washington for Micheál Martin’s ill-fated St Patrick’s Day visit. They’re also joined by...
Lionel Barber on Putin and how the West should deal with him
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine enters its fourth week, with little sign of an outcome, the question of what an endgame of this war might look...
Helen Thompson, author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, Helen Thompson, a professor of political economy at Cambridge University, gets to grips...
Pearse Doherty on Sinn Féin’s policies, a united Ireland and issues of security and neutrality
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty joins Hugh and Pat to discuss what his party's priorities and policies would be, if they were to lead t...
Europe's turning point
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought about enormous changes in European policy in an incredibly short space of time. To discuss how it happened, w...
"Putin can never show any weakness" - Bill Browder on war, sanctions and the outlook for Ukraine
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Businessman-turned-campaigner Bill Browder returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about Russian president Vladimir Putin's actions and motivations, th...
NCWI spat raises interesting questions, Citizens' Assemblies, Sinn Féin's carbon stance
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Jane Suiter and political correspondent Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the week's political stories. The National Women's Council of Ir...
Lea Ypi, author of Free: Coming of Age at the End of History
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Academic and author Lea Ypi talks to Hugh about her unique and insightful memoir Free, in which she recalls her youth in Albania under communism, the ...
Covid restrictions, gender-based violence & do we need the Defence Forces?
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about how a relaxation of the remaining Covid restrictions might play out, the merits of Ireland’s Def...
The lessons of the pandemic - with Fintan O'Toole and Jack Horgan-Jones
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic is not over but the emergency phase of the State's response to it is. So, how did we do? What lessons can be learned from the state's res...
Fiona Hill on Russia, America and ending up in Trump's White House
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fiona Hill is a former White House official who advised presidents Bush, Obama and Trump on European and Russian affairs, and who is perhaps best know...
Politics after the pandemic
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Government is still under pressure over the so-called “champagne party” in the Department of Foreign Affairs on the night Ireland was elected ...
Understanding what's happening in Ukraine - with Tom Wright
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To understand the strategy and politics behind Russian president Vladimir Putin's buildup of military might on Ukraine's border and how Ukraine, the U...
Is Boris Johnson on the brink?
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pressure continues to build on UK prime minister Boris Johnson. Denis Staunton has the latest from London. But first Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Br...
Covid calm despite case avalanche, Sipo's intervention, State papers
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to talk about the latest Covid-19 moves being considered by Government, an eye-catching ruling by the Standard...
2022 political preview: Taoiseach rotation, virus mutation and cost inflation
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pat is joined by Kevin Cunnimgham and Ed Brophy to talk about the major trends that could shape politics in 2022. Will the pandemic continue to domina...
Ask us anything 2021 - listener questions answered
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Once again you asked and once again we will answer. Jen, Pat and Jack join Hugh to respond to listener queries on everything from the possibility of a...
David Frost's departure, Omicron uncertainties
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The resignation of Lord David Frost has introduced a new uncertainty to slowly-progressing talks on the Northern Ireland protocol. EU negotiators woul...
Johnson loses the room, protocol moves, unionists and unity
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A rebellion by Tory MPs against Boris Johnson's "Plan B" to suppress the Omicron variant left the PM in the embarrassing position of needing Labour su...
Poll special: How much do we want a United Ireland?
11 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
According to our latest Ipsos MRBI poll, there's a desire for a United Ireland. But when we asked what changes to their lives people would be willing ...
Fresh restrictions breed frustration
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We assess the political fallout from the decisions taken over the past few weeks to introduce new Covid-19 restrictions covering international travel,...
The life and legacy of Charles J. Haughey - with professor Gary Murphy
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Depending on who you ask, Charles J. Haughey is either the great villain of Irish political life or the benevolent and forward-thinking saviour of a b...
What has Brexit done to Irish-British relations?
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Years of being on the opposite side of difficult Brexit negotiations have unarguably damaged Irish-British relations. But how bad is the damage? To fi...
"No clear idea what to do next"
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Once again, too many people are getting sick, and there aren't enough hospital beds. The Government is struggling to come up with a convincing plan to...
The UK pulls back from triggering Article 16 - for now
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For days now politicians in Ireland and the EU have been expecting UK Brexit negotiator David Frost to trigger Article 16, pausing the Northern Irelan...
Sinn Fein: a party preparing for government
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
At Sinn Féin’s ardfheis in Dublin last weekend, a motion in support of the non-jury Special Criminal Court was passed, representing a consider...
Covid, rising energy prices and internal strife spell a difficult winter for the EU - with Naomi O'Leary
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary talks to Hugh about the rising Covid numbers in many EU member states, the rising energy prices that are dominating...
Inside ten years as a government advisor - with Ed Brophy
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Brophy is a former chief of staff to finance minister Paschal Donohoe and to Labour’s Joan Burton when she was Tánaiste. Recently he stepped awa...
Noam Chomsky: ‘Ireland has robbed poor working people of tens of trillions of dollars’
15 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author and academic Noam Chomksy talks to Hugh about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the morality of Ireland’s tax regime and whether the human ...
Budget 2022: Understanding how key decisions were made
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy talks to Seamus Coffey, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor about yesterday's budget and how the last-minute news that our economy has recove...
National Development Plan: to-do list, or wish list?
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Government’s 10-year National Development Plan announced this week has been greeted with scepticism in some quarters and criticised by the oppos...
Pre-budget discussions, Mica redress and a divisive pandemic bonus
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones from the Irish Times politics team join Hugh to discuss the major considerations for the government ahe...
Germany election special: who will replace Angela Merkel?
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Berlin correspondent Derek Scally joins Hugh for a deep dive into the most interesting German federal election in decades, which takes place on Sunday...
Talking about think-ins
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a turbulent summer break for the coalition, the country’s political parties hunkered down for their respective think-in meetings over the last...
The legacy of ‘Celtic Tiger’ housing - with Eoin Ó Broin
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin’s latest book, Defects: Living with the legacy of the Celtic Tiger, tells the stories of some of the t...
A new Dáil term's afoot
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn from the Irish Times politics team to discuss the Government's roadmap for the easing of...
Empire of Pain - with Patrick Radden Keefe
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Radden Keefe is an American writer and investigative journalist. His new book, Empire of Pain is a detailed history of the Sackler dynasty and...
The Powerful and the Damned - with Lionel Barber
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As one of the world's most respected newspaper editors, Lionel Barber spent over a decade at the helm of The Financial Times. His tenure coincided wi...
Aftermath of Zapponegate, a stark climate warning
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to assess the damage done by the recent Zappone controversy. Now that the dust has settled, what will it...
Washington Letter: Suzanne Lynch on her time in the US
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Suzanne Lynch arrived in the US to take up her new role as Irish Times Washington correspondent ten days after Donald Trump's inauguration. As she pre...
The next phase of the vaccine campaign / Dominic Cummings
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, London Editor Denis Staunton engaged in a brief, yet courteous Twitter exchange with former Downing Street advisor Dominic Cummings. Here h...
End of term AMA special / Des O'Malley
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the Dáil term drawn to a close, Pat, Harry and Jen join Hugh to answer our listener's questions about politics. But first, Pat recalls the influ...
How Ireland Voted 2020 - with Dr Theresa Reidy
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The 2020 election marked the end of an era in Irish politics, with Sinn Féin winning the most votes for the first time ever and the previously domina...
Bacik gives Labour a much-needed good day out
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Labour’s Ivana Bacik looked on course to top the poll in the Dublin Bay South byelection since tally figures on Friday morning put her on 30%. She w...
Delta: more tough decisions for Government
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Government is coming under increasing pressure from all angles, as it wrestles with the toughest decisions for months on how to manage the pandemi...
What can be learned from byelections?
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Thursday July 8th, voters in Dublin Bay South will cast their votes in a byelection, triggered by the resignation of former Fine Gael TD Eoghan Mur...
Delta threat looms large, a new DUP leader at the helm
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The DUP will have its third leader in the space of two months when Jeffrey Donaldson is officially appointed on Saturday. Can he lead the party out of...
Susan McKay on the lives of northern Protestants: "It's a full-blown crisis within Unionism"
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
21 years on from her book Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People, Susan McKay revisits the lives of that community in her new book Northern Protest...
Mother and Baby Homes: “The overall picture is not as it should be”
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Five months on from the final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, controversy still surrounds the methodology used by the...
Niall Ferguson: We’re obsessed with mass disaster, yet surprised when it happens
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Historian Niall Ferguson’s new book 'Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe' offers a sweeping compendium of the many appalling catastrophes that have be...
The race for Dublin Bay South
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the Dublin Bay South byelection looking likely to take place in early July, Harry McGee and Jennifer Bray join Hugh for a deep-dive on the compet...
Will Sinn Féin lead the next government?
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today the team take a look at what role Sinn Féin will play in forming the next government. Although there is a widespread assumption in political ci...
Panic in government as politicians feel the heat over housing
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jennifer Bray, Pat Leahy and Kevin Cunningham join Hugh to talk about how the government is struggling to come up with a coherent response to the hou...
How Not To Be Wrong - with James O’Brien
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
British broadcaster and writer James O’Brien has built a loyal listenership on his LBC radio programme, dissecting the opinions of callers live on a...
Housing crisis overtakes Covid as number one priority
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The political focus has shifted from the pandemic to the housing crisis, with Taoiseach Micheal Martin this week declaring it the Government’s “nu...
UK election special: Labour's leadership crisis and Scotland's referendum mandate
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Denis Staunton talks to Hugh about the results of last Friday's local and regional elections in England, Scotland and Wales. The results have thrown u...
How will global tax reform affect Ireland?
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, Ireland has used a low corporation tax rate to attract foreign direct investment. That is now threatened by a major tax reform plan annou...
Foster's exit bodes poorly for north-south relations
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What led to Arlene Foster's ouster this week, who will succeed her and what will it mean for politics on the island? To find out we talk to Sam McBri...
Heroes or Zeros? Discussing Ireland's Covid strategy with ISAG's prof Aoife McLysaght
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For much of the pandemic, the Independent Scientific Advocacy Group (ISAG) has recommended that Ireland should aggressively suppress virus transmissio...
'Politics on the Couch' - with Rafael Behr
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To what extent can political beliefs and behaviour be understood through the science of psychology and the study of human cognition? In today’s epis...
Should we worry about the deficit? - with David McWilliams
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since coronavirus, governments around the globe have abandoned traditional concerns about deficits and enacted emergency measures in the interest of s...
US politics special with John Dickerson, CBS reporter and author of "The Hardest Job in the World"
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
CBS News political reporter, Slate Political Gabfest panelist and proud Irish-American John Dickerson talks to Hugh about the office of President of t...
A very bad week for the Government's Covid-19 policy
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Government's Covid-19 policy was dealt a double blow this week, as it was forced to pause the mandatory hotel quarantine system and issues with tw...
Understanding the loyalist grievances that led to violence in Belfast - with Newton Emerson
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's not just Brexit, or the Bobby Storey funeral, or the constant talk of a border poll. Many factors fed into this week's violence and rioting on th...
Quarantine clashes and vaccine targets
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The debate surrounding mandatory hotel quarantine rumbles on between government departments, but what are the logistical, legal and diplomatic issues ...
The psychology and the politics behind this week's Covid-19 moves
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Behavioral economist Pete Lunn and political correspondent Jennifer Bray join Hugh to talk about the government's major moves in the Covid-19 fight t...
A moment of triumph and peril for the Greens
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last week was a very good one for the Green Party, but you could be forgiven for getting the opposite impression. Today, Hugh and guests spend a littl...
Is free speech under threat?
26 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book Free Speech and Why it Matters, Andrew Doyle questions a new form of social justice activism, which as he puts it, casually disregards...
Vaccine stockpiles, shortfalls and supply issues
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The EU is set to tighten export controls in a bid to prevent Covid-19 vaccines leaving the bloc. It comes as Europe looks destined for a showdown with...
Interview: Derek Scally, author of The Best Catholics in the World
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally joins Hugh to speak about his brand new book: The Best Catholics in the World. Havi...
Pandemic Politics: Ask Me Anything
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Pat and Jen join Hugh for a special edition of “ask me anything”. From the zero Covid strategy to concerns around global vac...
Monarchies in modern times
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan dominated the news headlines all this week. The most watched programme on RTE so far...
Davy in crisis, Ireland’s illegal adoptions, vaccine delays and MHQ
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's just over a week since the Central Bank fined Davy stockbrokers €4.1 million for breaching market rules. On today’s show, Hugh talks to Jack ...
Empire, imperialism and Ireland - with prof Jane Ohlmeyer
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
President Michael D Higgins sparked a debate recently with his sharp critique of British imperialism. In a piece for the Guardian, he accused some aca...
Is affordable housing achievable?
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In January, the Affordable Housing Bill was published by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien. The Bill introduces a...
Poll: what is the public's attitude to lifting restrictions?
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to look at the results of this week's Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll on Irish people's attitudes to relaxing Covi...
"The EU needs to look at its own problems" - Clare Daly on civil rights, Russia & life as an MEP
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Harry and Hugh talk to MEP Clare Daly, who since her election as an MEP for Dublin in 2019 has been an outspoken voice in Brussels on the is...
Politics, culture and the centenary of Northern Ireland
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following last week's podcast with professor Brendan O’Leary on the creation of Northern Ireland, today’s show looks at this year’s centenary in...
The centenary of Northern Ireland - with Prof Brendan O'Leary
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This year marks the centenary of partition on the island of Ireland. The official commemoration takes place in May, but what were the key political an...
One year on from #GE2020
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It may feel like a lifetime ago, but this week marks one year since the 2020 general election. And what an eventful twelve months it’s been. In toda...
Universal basic income: is now the time?
05 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of universal basic income (UBI) - paying everyone a regular, fixed amount of money to ensure a basic standard of living - has moved to th...