Political Currency
Episodes
ELECTION EXTRA: Farage’s Russian gambit
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the general election in sight, has Nigel Farage made a campaign misstep? His claim that the west provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine has bee...
EMQs: Political porkies and party people
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will shy Tories (or Reform UK-ers) deny Keir Starmer his landslide? If not, who should the Conservatives install as leader to provide stability – pe...
Will Starmer be a one-term wonder?
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer looks on track for a victory that could even surpass the landslide of ‘97. But how much is this a rejection of the Tories? George Osbor...
ELECTION EXTRA: Should Sunak fight dirty?
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can Rishi Sunak do anything to rescue his flailing election campaign? Some advisors have suggested the answer may lie in ramping up negative attacks o...
EMQs: How an ex-PM leaves No. 10
16 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What more can be done to tackle childhood obesity? George Osborne and Ed Balls answer a question from Jamie Oliver on whether a future government coul...
Labour’s Straitjacket Manifesto
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a rocky moment over his support of Jeremy Corbyn, Keir Starmer was determined to get his campaign back on track with the launch of his manifesto...
ELECTION EXTRA: Manifestos, Macron and Money Problems
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have the wheels well and truly fallen off the Conservative election campaign? After a dismal D-Day debacle and news that social media campaigning is s...
EMQs: Punches, Paxman, and Parachuted Candidates
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Labour and the Tories can’t stop arguing about whether things are getting better, or if they’ve never been worse: So what’s the truth? Ed Balls ...
Tax, Lies and Leaders on Tour
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The first election TV debate might be over, but the ripples of Rishi Sunak’s £2000 tax claim are still being felt around Westminster and beyond. Ed...
Election Hot Take: Can Sunak save his campaign?
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak is facing dismal polling and Nigel Farage out on manouevers. In our first Election Hot Take, George Osborne reveals the sense of resignati...
EMQs: Paddleboards, power stances and private schools
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gimmicks and gaffes have been a feature of the first week of the election campaign. Inspired by Ed Davey’s attempt to raise awareness of river pollu...
Is Rishi Sunak's election gamble paying off?
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a faltering start in the rain, Rishi Sunak’s campaign seems to be gaining momentum. Is it enough to prove he was right to gamble on a snap ele...
EMQs: Election Questions Special
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Balls and George Osborne have election fever and won’t be stopped from answering your EMQs. How did George get the election date so wrong? Is the...
Things Can Only Get Worse: Sunak’s Snap Election
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A snap election! Not quite George Osborne’s prediction of 14th November, Ed Balls is struggling to understand the logic that led Rishi Sunak to surp...
EMQs: Truss, treasury officials and techxit?
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why doesn’t Bristol have a mayor anymore? What do treasury officials actually do? And is there a reason we’re losing so many bright young tech exp...
Protests, Presidents and Politics like it's 97!
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer, poster boy. The Labour leader’s new pledge card is here, with six key policies and a black and white photoshoot to woo the public. Is ...
EMQs: Political Book Club
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Balls and George Osborne are pleased to have been asked for book recommendations. Is this the start of a book club to compete with the likes of Ric...
Defections, coalitions and China-UK relations
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak lives to fight another day after some terrible local election results. But as he loses yet another MP to Labour, Ed Balls and George Osbor...
Will local elections bring down Sunak?
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s polling day. Ed Balls and George Osborne give their expert analysis on the importance of local elections: what contests do you need to look out...
EMQs: Ed Balls Day
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the most auspicious day of the year: Ed Balls Day. To celebrate, George has got his Ed Balls mask out (not a euphemism), and is ready to go Ins...
Planes, Trains and Nationalism
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After two years, Rishi Sunak can finally celebrate a Rwanda victory as his bill passes in parliament - but Ed Balls and George Osborne can’t help no...
EMQs: Blunders, Bag Carriers and Biden’s Stammer
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is the role of a PPS more than just a ‘bag carrier’ and when has it gone wrong? If Ed and George could have a cardboard cut out of any politician ...
Liz Truss for PM?
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It should have finally been a bumper week for Rishi Sunak - with inflation down, a win for his smoking ban and with success on his Rwanda legislation ...
EMQs: The Brexit Plots special
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Balls and George Osborne were Inside the Room with Michael Gove last week to deep dive into the Brexit plots - and now they’re facing your questi...
Sexts, Tax and Mar-a-Lago
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another week, another scandal surrounding the Conservatives. But this time of the honey trapping variety. Ed and George discuss the dating app scam th...
Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots (Part 3)
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The result is in, and in the words of David Dimbleby, ‘we’re out’. But whilst the Brexit referendum draws a line under the campaign period, it s...
Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots (Part 2)
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the Leave and Remain campaigns get underway, it seems that the Remain camp has a clear lead. That is, until it doesn’t. In this second insta...
Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots (Part 1)
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brexit was the issue that splintered British politics: Friendships were broken, political parties split, and a nation polarised by the EU referendum. ...
Ballots, the BBC and Buying British
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament may be heading into recess, but there’s little time for holidaying as the political parties are heading straight into local election camp...
EMQs: Tactical voting, Tradition, and Taylor Swift
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The latest polling predicts Conservative armageddon in the next election. But do these polls matter? George reveals why the Tories are still banking o...
Can Sunak save himself?
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak is on a mission to prove his political fortunes are turning round… despite a long list of headaches. How can he get out of the political...
EMQs: Should cannabis be legalised?
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is legalising cannabis the answer to the hole in Labour’s financial plans? Are fiscal rules there to be broken? And, in light of the infamous royal ...
Dodgy donors, Diane Abbott and digital currency
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Gove is rolling out his new definition of extremism this week, to the chagrin of people across the political spectrum. Ed and George weigh in ...
EMQs: Why does Trump keep winning?
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does Donald Trump’s popularity endure, in spite of all his misdemeanours, and might Nigel Farage be taking notes? What is universal basic income...
A May election?
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the budget behind us, Ed pushes George on whether he’s still backing a November election. Tory sources are saying there’s a push from the cen...
HOT TAKE: Is this an election winning budget?
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is this the budget that turns the Tories’ fortunes? Ed and George have been poised for this day for weeks: budget day! They give their immediat...
EMQs: Secrets of the Budget speech and the EdStone mystery
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Budget week. Do Ed and George wish they were back in Parliament? And what's the secret to making it through the speech?Plus they answer lots more...
Islamophobia, Truss conspiracies and budget friction
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
George reveals it was Sajid Javid who told Rishi Sunak to strip Lee Anderson of the whip, after comments that have been slammed as Islamophobic and ha...
EMQS: Boris' book, private planes and positive discrimination
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is Boris Johnson's forthcoming book going to cause Rishi Sunak another headache? Is it acceptable for political leaders to take private planes? And do...
Chaos in the Commons
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chaos reigns supreme in Parliament this week after a tabled Labour amendment led to calls for Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle to resign. Is it real...
EMQs: Private school fees and public sackings
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Balls and George Osborne answer more of your Ex-Minister’s Questions. Speaking of ex-ministers, Nick Boles, wants to know if there’s still an o...
'Rishession' and Starmer’s anti-semitism problem
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The United Kingdom has fallen into recession… technically. It couldn’t be worse timing for the Sunak government, which will now have this gloomy e...
EMQs: Our next female PM & tea with Dr Dre
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed Balls and George Osborne are back with more of your questions. Is the minimum wage making life harder for businesses? Which party will our next fem...
What do Sunak and Starmer actually stand for?
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been a week of missteps for Rishi Sunak - an uncomfortable bet struck with Piers Morgan over Rwanda and a jibe gone wrong at PMQs - plus Liz Tr...
EMQs: Social media screw-ups and has Matt Hancock been misunderstood?
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's Ex-minister’s Questions, a listeners asks if Matt Hancock has simply been misunderstood? No guesses for which way Ed and George fall ...
Brexit Means Bankers' Bonuses!
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wednesday marked the four-year anniversary of Brexit. Passed you by? Don’t worry, George admits he deleted the celebratory email from Tory HQ in pro...
EMQs: Political nicknames, a radical NHS & snorting in Parliament
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed and George tackle more Ex-Ministers’ Questions. What are the best nicknames they’ve heard in politics? Is it time to radically rethink the NHS?...
How (not) to take down a prime minister
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Has Rishi Sunak survived his first attempted coup? It might look like Simon Clarke’s amounted to nothing but Ed and George think it might be too soo...
EMQs: Preparing for PMQs, crisis management & setting the royal budget
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ed and George are back to answer more of your Ex-Ministers' Questions. Who would lead a crisis during coalition negotiations? How do you prepare for P...
Rishi Sunak's next nightmare
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak survived Tory mutiny over the Rwanda policy, but he’s not out of the woods just yet. Ed and George explain why his road to election 2024...
EMQs: Special Advisers, tuition fees and is the Barnett formula fair?
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our first edition of EMQs - Ex-Ministers' Questions... see what we did there?. Every Monday, our ex-ministers will take your questions. Ed ...
George reveals the election date!
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
General election fever begins as George shares his insider tip on when the country can expect to go to the polls. But the new year has kicked off with...
Inside The Room: The Coalition Talks (Part 2)
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After two days of negotiations, the Conservatives had begun to worry a deal was slipping through their fingers. So what shifted to put David Cameron i...
Inside The Room: The Coalition Talks (Part 1)
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To the shock of the whole country, the 2010 general election delivered a hung parliament. The result kick-started five days of arguments and negotiati...
Christmas Questions Special: Jeremy Hunt, Rachel Reeves & Stephen Fry
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ed and George answer questions from some very special guests...Jeremy Hunt asks about the power budgets can have on elections, Stephen Fry grills Geor...
Do They Know It's Election Time?
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George comes bearing gifts… the news of a winter election next year. As parliament winds down for Christmas, Ed and George reveal there’s no rest ...
Keir Starmer’s popularity problem
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not just Rishi Sunak’s approval rating which has taken a battering. Keir Starmer has his own popularity problem. Why?The so-called ‘five fa...
Tory shambles: Rwanda resignation and Boris at the Covid inquiry
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Another week… another meltdown for the Conservatives. Ed and George ask whether the Tory civil wars have been reignited by the rift over Rwanda and ...
Sunak's Greek Tragedy
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Autumn Statement hasn’t delivered the stability and calm that Sunak and Hunt likely hoped for. A rift in the party over immigration, a chaotic C...
Losing control of migration?
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Autumn Statement continues to ripple through Westminster, and a new energy price cap puts the cost of living back into the spotlight. As the Chanc...
HOT TAKE: The pre-election Autumn Statement?
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George and Ed react to Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement. Is he really the tax cutting Chancellor he's claiming to be, and are we on course for an early ...
Tories at war and a Labour rebellion
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been a wild week in Westminster and it’s starting to look like the Tories are losing their grip. Ed and George chew over the Supreme Court’...
HOT TAKE: The Return of David Cameron
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak has finally sacked Suella Braverman, and the reshuffle has opened the door for the most unlikely return to politics: David Cameron. I...
How do you solve a problem like Suella?
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Suella Braverman has attacked the Met Police Chief’s decision to allow the pro-Palestine march this Saturday, putting Rishi Sunak in a tricky positi...
The price of Johnson's toxic Downing Street culture
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was Dominic Cummings' turn at the Covid inquiry this week and - as George predicted - we heard about the misogynistic language being used in Boris ...
Disgusting Covid WhatsApps, Starmer’s Gaza dilemma and Sunak’s AI adviser
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer has shifted his position on Gaza. But he’s still not calling for a ceasefire. Has this incident been a wake up call for the Labour part...
Starmer’s Israel mis-step, by-elections and Covid angst
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer’s potentially got his party into hot water this week over his position on Israel’s right to defend herself - what should he do next? ...
Israel-Gaza: What are Sunak and Starmer privately thinking?
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The violence between Israel and Gaza rages on. What are Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer thinking behind the scenes in Westminster? And what does the conf...
Is Sunak tearing the Tories apart?
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's conference season and Ed and George aren't short of speeches to dissect. The Prime Minister has launched his new and improved radical Rishi perso...
Suella, conference mayhem and a mystery turd...
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Suella Braverman has caused a row this week after her controversial comments on Britain’s immigration policy. Ed and George argue over whether she t...
Sunak cuts the ‘green crap’
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is Boris Johnson the real target of Rishi Sunak’s rollback of green policies? George reveals there is a split in the Conservative party over rumours...
HS2 in doubt, China spies and the triple lock
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Jeremy Hunt scrambles for pre-election tax cuts, the northern leg of HS2 is under threat and pensioners are facing a smaller raise in&nbs...
Introducing... Political Currency
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Political Currency! Before we bring you our first episode this Thursday, 14th September, we thought we'd tell you what our podcast is all a...