Politics Weekly UK
Episodes
Carla Denyer and the Green party: four MPs v the climate crisis
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Green party made history in the general election, winning four seats for the first time. But how much will it be able to achieve in parliament whe...
Politics Weekly UK is on holiday
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is taking a break for the summer. John Harris will be back on Thursday 29 August, and in the meantime you can listen to our previou...
Politics Weekly UK’s summer culture list - podcast
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s John Harris gives his review of the best books, music and TV from 2024 so far. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian...
Will the threat of arrests be enough to stop far-right violence? Politics Weekly UK
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Far-right mobs have continued to threaten communities this week, with violence expected at asylum centres and law firms on Wednesday night. Keir Starm...
Are Southport riots a sign of our political future? Politics Weekly UK
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Merseyside police have said members of the far-right English Defence League took part in the riots in Southport on Tuesday night. The clashes followed...
Labour suspensions and the Tory leadership race - Politics Weekly UK
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer has suspended seven of his MPs who rebelled against the whip to scrap the two-child benefit cap. So why won’t Labour scrap the controve...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Biden drops out and Starmer enjoys a honeymoon period
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the US presidential race and whether the honeymoon peri...
The king’s speech: can Labour keep the optimism going?
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There were more than 35 bills in Labour’s first king’s speech. So what does it tell us about the party’s ambitions? And with world events turnin...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Trump, the king’s speech and Europe
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and the implications for UK politics. Plus, a preview...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Starmer in the US, Badenoch and the PopCons
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey are on two sides of the Atlantic this week. They discuss Keir Starmer’s first foreign trip, and wheth...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Starmer’s first week
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look ahead to the first week of the new Labour government. Plus, Pippa is going to be in Washington wit...
Labour wins a landslide: Is this a new dawn? Politics Weekly UK
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Labour has won a landslide victory, with Keir Starmer saying ‘change begins now’. Is this a new era for the country? The Guardian’s John Harris ...
On the road in Redcar: can Labour offer fresh hope?
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Politics Weekly UK is in Redcar in north-east England, where the seat turned blue in 2019. Steelworks closures hit the region hard, but unde...
Politics Weekly Westminster: The final week of campaigning
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look ahead to the final week of campaigning before the election. Help support our independent journalis...
On the road in Boston: Why is this a Reform UK target?
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Politics Weekly UK is in Boston, Lincolnshire, to where large numbers of eastern Europeans moved to work as vegetable pickers on farms. In 2...
Politics Weekly Westminster: The last TV debate
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey dissect the last TV head-to-head between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak before the election. Help support...
On the road in Chingford and Woodford Green – Politics Weekly UK
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is in the London suburb of Chingford and Woodford Green, where a spat between Labour and its former candidate is threatening to spl...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Reform’s threat to the Conservatives
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look ahead to Reform UK’s manifesto launch and why Nigel Farage might be spooking the Conservatives. ...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Starmer and Sunak face audience in Grimsby
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak performed at the Sky News special leaders’ event in Lincolns...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Manifesto week
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look at what might be on offer as the political parties launch their manifestos this week. Plus, what P...
The ‘blue wall’ road trip: Tories jumping ship? Politics Weekly UK
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s John Harris is on the road, visiting Jeremy Hunt’s seat in Godalming and Ash and Michael Gove’s Surrey Heath constituency to find...
Politics Weekly Westminster: The first TV debate
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the first TV head to head between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. Help support our independent jo...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Ahead of the TV debates
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss how Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will be preparing for the first big leaders’ debate on Tuesd...
The Rwanda bill effect – Politics Weekly UK
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The government’s safety of Rwanda bill finally passed into law in April. But, with the announcement last week of a general election, the Conservativ...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Diane Abbott and the election campaigns
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the confusion around Diane Abbott’s return to the Labour party. Plus, the ins and outs of the...
Andy Burnham on the infected blood scandal – podcast
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Victims of the contaminated blood scandal finally got some of the justice they have been seeking this week when Sir Brian Langstaff published the fina...
UK general election called – Politics Weekly UK
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by political editor Pippa Crerar and politica...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Infected blood inquiry final report
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss the infected blood scandal as the final report is published on Monday. Plus: could inflation fi...
Keir Starmer: new deal, new drama? Politics Weekly UK
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Labour leader has managed to stem a potential showdown with trade union leaders this week over wording on a workers’ rights deal. If this is a d...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Rishi Sunak’s big security pitch
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talk about Rishi Sunak’s big speech on security and how he hopes to draw a dividing line between the ...
Tory defections, economic challenges and council winners – Politics Weekly UK
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Conservatives have been left bloodied after a devastating set of local election results. This week, John Harris speaks to councillors about what’...
Politics Weekly Westminster: Election special – podcast
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of our Politics Weekly Westminster episodes, the Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar and political correspondent Kiran Stacey go o...
Coming 5 May: Politics Weekly Westminster – an extra podcast episode to get your political fix
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, and the political correspondent Kiran Stacey help you kick off your week with the stories you need to...
Local elections road trip: Thurrock – Politics Weekly UK
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the run-up to the local elections this week, the Guardian columnist John Harris is in Thurrock where the council has amassed more than £1.5bn in d...
Sicknote culture wars and Angela Rayner – Politics Weekly UK
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak has said it is his ‘moral mission’ to end Britain’s sicknote culture. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to the disability campaign...
Cameron and Truss: former PMs stage their comebacks – Politics Weekly UK
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much should Britain get involved in the conflict in the Middle East? The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the columnist Gaby Hinsliff and for...
David Cameron, Donald Trump and UK Arms Sales – Politics Weekly UK podcast
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
David Cameron made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Largo this week to visit Donald Trump. John Harris is joined by the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa ...
Port Talbot and the future of British steel – Politics Weekly UK
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of jobs are due to be cut this year at Tata Steel in Port Talbot, putting the future of British steel under serious threat. The Guardian pol...
Is China a major threat to British democracy? – Politics Weekly UK
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite pressure from some Conservative MPs, the government stopped short of defining China as an official threat this week. How deep does Chinese int...
When will Rishi Sunak’s zombie parliament end? Politics Weekly UK
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Hunt has implied the election will be in October, but even with a boost from falling inflation figures, can Rishi Sunak really hold this zombie...
Frank Hester, the Tory party and racism – Politics Weekly UK
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Conservative party faces yet another crisis week as a major donor is accused of racism in a Guardian investigation and the MP for the red wall sea...
The Spring Budget: more cuts to come? – Politics Weekly UK
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by the former Conservative chief secretary to the Treasury David Gauke and the economist and Labour candidate M...
The Guardian’s new podcast series about AI: Black Box – prologue
02 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We wanted to bring you this episode from our new series, Black Box. In it, Michael Safi explores seven stories and the thread that ties them together:...
Lee Anderson and Tory Islamophobia – Politics Weekly UK
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anderson, a former deputy chair of the Conservative party, has refused to apologise for his comments about the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. But with t...
Westminster’s Gaza disgrace – Politics Weekly UK
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle made a dramatic apology today for his handling of a Gaza ceasefire vote that sent the commons into chaos. T...
Antisemitism row engulfs Labour – Politics Weekly UK
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two prospective Labour candidates have been embroiled in an antisemitism row this week with Keir Starmer facing sharp criticism for his leadership of ...
Wellingborough: where faith in politics is fading – Politics Weekly UK
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is in Wellingborough in the run-up to the byelection to replace the Conservative MP Peter Bone. John Harris speaks to local groups ...
Stormont returns? And Tory plotters strike again – Politics Weekly UK
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly two years without a government, could power sharing in Northern Ireland finally be back? And, another week, another Tory faction plotting...
Why are councils going bankrupt? – Politics Weekly UK
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The government has an announced an extra £500million to help local councils in England. After years of squeezed budgets, many are facing bankruptcy. ...
Middle East conflicts and the Rwanda bill – Politics Weekly UK podcast
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As tensions in the Middle East continue to rise, this week John Harris speaks to Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch about the regional conflicts. The...
The Post Office scandal – Politics Weekly UK
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The government has announced it will introduce legislation to exonerate the many hundreds of postal workers affected by the Post Office Horizon softwa...
Revisited… Keir Starmer’s Labour: hope or despair? – Politics Weekly UK podcast
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is taking a break. So this week John Harris revisits a conversation with the Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and political reporte...
Review of the year: looking back at 2023 – Politics Weekly UK
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been another year of political high drama, division and chaos. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by political editor Pippa Crerar and colu...
The Rwanda bill: what next for Rishi Sunak? – Politics Weekly UK
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The government’s landmark Rwanda bill was voted through on Tuesday night. With the issue threatening to tear the Conservatives apart, the Guardian’...
Rwanda bill and Boris at the Covid inquiry – Politics Weekly UK
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak attempted to quash critics of his Rwanda plan with a surprise press conference today. Will it be enough to save him from his own party and...
Good COP, Bad COP? – Politics Weekly UK
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cop28 starts today in Dubai and its already shrouded in controversy. So what can leaders agree that will make a change to the planet? And in the UK ho...
Autumn statement: the government hunts growth – Politics Weekly UK
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Hunt’s much anticipated autumn statement promised tax cuts and getting people back to work. John Harris is joined by the Guardian’s politic...
Is the Tories' Rwanda deal dead? Politics Weekly UK
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The supreme court ruled on Wednesday that the government’s landmark Rwanda policy was unlawful. From Westminster, the Guardian’s Kiran Stacey and ...
Braverman sacked and Cameron is back! – Politics Weekly UK
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The former prime minister David Cameron has been appointed to the role of foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle. The shock move will ...
The king’s speech, Suella Braverman and ‘hate marches’|Politics Weekly UK
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak set out his priorities for the year ahead in the king’s speech on Tuesday. But his home secretary, Suella Braverman, continues to grab t...
The Covid inquiry | Politics Weekly UK
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Besides the swearing, toxic workplace culture and misogyny, what have we learned from the Covid inquiry? Gaby Hinsliff talks to the Guardian’s polit...
Israel’s row with the UN – Politics Weekly UK podcast
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Israel vowed to ‘teach the UN a lesson’ in reaction to a speech given by the UN’s secretary general, António Guterres. The Guardian’s Gaby Hi...
Gaza, Israel and the west’s response – Politics Weekly UK
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the world watching in horror as a hospital in Gaza was hit, is this a turning point for Israel and Palestine? The Guardian’s Gaby Hinsliff hear...
Labour conference: is Keir Starmer’s offer enough? – Politics Weekly UK podcast
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer has laid out his vision for a Labour party in power. The Guardian’s John Harris is at the conference in Liverpool, with the Greater Man...
Rishi Sunak’s conference speech – Politics Weekly UK podcast
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak has confirmed the Manchester leg of HS2 will be scrapped and replaced with transport projects in the Midlands and the north. But with the ...
Suella Braverman and HS2 – Politics Weekly UK
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Suella Braverman has grabbed headlines yet again, this time with her speech saying the west faces an ‘existential threat’ from immigration. And af...
Rishi Sunak, net zero and Europe – Politics Weekly UK podcast
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak watered down some of his key green policies on Wednesday. Gaby Hinsliff discusses the changes with the Guardian’s political corresponden...
Spies, China and dangerous dogs – Politics Weekly UK
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The government has been rocked by allegations of a Chinese spy working in the heart of Westminster. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to political e...
Raac, Rishi Sunak and a reshuffle at Labour – Politics Weekly UK podcast
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What a first week back for Rishi Sunak: Gillian Keegan can’t stop making gaffes as schools continue to find out if they have unsafe concrete in thei...
Politics Weekly UK is on holiday – Politics Weekly UK
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is taking a break for the summer. John Harris will be back on Thursday 7 September, and in the meantime you can listen to our previ...
Politics Weekly UK is on holiday – Politics Weekly UK podcast
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is taking a break for the summer. John Harris will be back on Thursday 7 September, and in the meantime you can listen to our previ...
Politics Weekly UK is on holiday – episode round-up podcast
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is taking a break for the summer. John Harris will be back on Thursday 7 September, and in the meantime you can listen to our previ...
The best of 2023 (so far): Politics Weekly UK
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is on holiday for the next couple of weeks. But we’ve chosen some of our favourite interviews from this year for you to listen to...
Keir Starmer’s Labour: hope or despair? – Politics Weekly UK
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer’s Labour party looks closer to power than at any point over the past 13 years, but where is the sense of optimism and vision for the fu...
Zac Goldsmith on the Tory green climbdown – Politics Weekly UK podcast
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As images of wildfires, heatwaves and typhoons spread across the world, the UK government has hinted it could backtrack on its own green commitments. ...
Selby and Ainsty: is this where Rishi Sunak flops? – Politics Weekly UK
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Selby and Ainsty byelection holds the highest stakes for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives. Can Labour overturn a 20,000-plus majority? The Guardi...
There’s no money left (again) – Politics Weekly UK podcast
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
UK wages have risen at a faster pace than expected but inflation is still worryingly high. The Conservatives seem to be edging back towards austerity ...
The NHS at 75: Unhappy Birthday? – Politics Weekly UK
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The NHS turns 75 this week. But facing a staffing crisis, an ageing and unhealthy population, and increasingly poorer health outcomes for patients, wh...
Uxbridge, Johnson and the end of the Tory dream – Politics Weekly UK
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Politics Weekly UK is on the byelection trail again, this time in Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. The Guardian’s John Harr...
Frome’s byelection battle: head or heart?– Politics Weekly UK
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Politics Weekly UK is in Frome in the south-west of England before one of three confirmed byelections. Against a backdrop of high inflation...
Peerages and posh boys – Politics Weekly UK podcast
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Conservative party is not far from all-out war, from Rishi Sunak’s public criticism of Boris Johnson to Nadine Dorries decrying ‘posh boys’ ...
Starmer: hammering the left?– Politics Weekly UK podcast
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Labour looks closer to power than it has been for the last decade, but as it nears the next election, some big tensions are starting to become clear. ...
The Covid inquiry vs the Cabinet Office – Politics Weekly UK
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The legal tug of war between the Covid inquiry and the Cabinet Office continues this week. Gaby Hinsliff sits in for John Harris, and talks to the for...
Boris, Braverman and borders – Politics Weekly UK
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak is fighting fires this week as Boris Johnson and Suella Braverman steal the headlines. And as new net migration figures are released on Th...
NatCon: The Tories tilt to the right – Politics Weekly UK
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the big figures on the political right, including two cabinet ministers, have been speaking this week at the National Conservatism conference ...
Hung up on a hung parliament – Politics Weekly UK
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer and Ed Davey have both refused to rule out forming a coalition between their parties at the next general election. Following disastrous r...
NHS strikes: the women taking back control – Politics Weekly UK
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More than a million NHS workers will get a 5% pay rise after health unions accepted a government offer. But the Royal College of Nursing has rejected ...
Sudan: what happens next? – Politics Weekly UK
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UK government has been criticised for its slowness in evacuating UK nationals from Sudan. But what could this mean for the millions of civilians l...
‘Let them eat maths!’ – Politics Weekly UK
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UK needs to shift its ‘anti-maths mindset’, according to Rishi Sunak. But while the prime minister wants everyone to learn maths until the age...
The Tories – seven years, five PMs. What’s next? Politics Weekly UK podcast
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson won an 80-seat majority in 2019, redrawing the electoral map and threatening Labour with another decade in opposition. Less than four ye...
Will Stevenage Woman make Starmer PM? – Politics Weekly UK
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Who does Labour need to win over – or win back – to form a government at the next election? The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by columnist Ga...
Can Humza Yousaf unite the SNP? – Politics Weekly UK
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humza Yousaf has become new leader of the SNP. But with Scotland’s path to independence looking further away than ever, can Nicola Sturgeon’s repl...
The Boris Inquisition – Politics Weekly UK
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the former prime minister having been questioned by MPs on the privileges select committee, the Guardian’s John Harris is joined by political e...
Blair, power and public trust: the Iraq war 20 years on – Politics Weekly UK podcast
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Next week marks 20 years since the UK joined US and coalition forces in the invasion of Iraq. The Guardian’s John Harris looks back on the war’s t...
The Budget: Hunting for growth? – Politics Weekly UK
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Hunt has set out his first budget as chancellor. With plans to boost childcare and help people get back to work, can it provide the much-needed...
Small boats and big promises – Politics Weekly UK
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Another plan has been announced to crack down on so-called small boats arriving illegally in the UK. The Guardian’s John Harris speaks to immigratio...
Is this the end of the Tories’ Brexit wars? Politics Weekly UK
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After years of tensions, Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen this week unveiled their new Brexit deal to virtually universal praise. But is there a c...
How the war in Ukraine changed the world – Politics Weekly UK
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks one year since Russia sent its troops into Ukraine. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by defence and security editor, Dan Sabbagh...
‘I’m a human being’: Nicola Sturgeon resigns – Politics Weekly UK podcast
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the end of an era for two politicians: Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will quit as leader of the SNP and Jeremy Corbyn has been blocked from...
Will the reshuffle save Sunak? Politics Weekly UK
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rishi Sunak has carried out a reshuffle of his ministers and departments in Whitehall. But will it be enough to save his party from electoral wipeout ...