The State of It
Episodes
Angela Rayner's next move and Morgan McSweeney's missing messages
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We reveal what happened when Morgan McSweeney lost his phone, and what it means for the Mandelson files. As Angela Rayner looks like she's preparing t...
Why Starmer is happy to argue with Trump — and how he might help him over Iran
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
EXCLUSIVE: how the British government could intervene in the Strait of Hormuz. Is falling out with Donald Trump politically helpful for Keir Starmer?W...
The key to the Keir Starmer puzzle: bonus with How To Win An Election
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does Keir Starmer do all day? Who is now pulling the strings in Downing Street? And why is it all going so wrong? Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pog...
How bad are the Mandelson files for Starmer?
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer is being accused of misleading MPs over his appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. How bad is it for the prime minister? Steven ...
Oil and trouble for the British economy
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
While Keir Starmer may get some credit with the public for his response to the war in Iran, he's still stuck with its consequences: rising prices just...
How Starmer's Iran response alienates everybody
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We take you inside the Iran discussions in Number 10. What do they reveal about Keir Starmer's thinking and about Labour's electoral predicament?And a...
The end of the Labour party as a going concern in electoral politics?
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The end of Britain’s political duopoly now looks complete, as Labour suffers a catastrophic by-election defeat to the Greens in Gorton and Denton. R...
Ukraine extra: burner phones and lost children
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join Caroline as she visits Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion. Burner phones to make sure the Russians don't track them as they t...
A by-election reckoning — and unexploded bombs everywhere
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Three separate scandals have raised serious questions over Keir Starmer's judgement. It's empowered Labour MPs who were once written off as cranks. An...
Gabriel Pogrund speaks out on Labour Together scandal
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Labour Together scandal is the latest storm threatening to capsize the government - and Gabriel has been right at the heart. For the first time, h...
Wes bottles it and Labour's left grabs the steering wheel
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to what Labour ministers and MPs are saying about their colleagues in a week of chaos in Westminster. The prime minister thought it was all ove...
Bonus episode: Epstein tried to befriend me
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A guest slot to give you a taste of our new podcast, The State of It: USA. Give it a go and please subscribe.His enemies were hoping that Donald Trump...
How the Mandelson scandal threatens Starmer
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The extraordinary emails between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein could constitute the biggest scandal since the Profumo affair. Lord Mandelson has...
Bonus episode: Flying to China with the PM
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bonus episode.Join Caroline and Steve on the plane with the prime minister. Why did he end speaking to journalists from a loo? What's it like to trave...
Lose this by-election and all hell breaks loose
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We reveal what MPs are saying about the decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election. It creates a new D-Day for ...
Widespread bafflement and anger
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The extraordinary tale of how the Chagos deal went down in Number 10. Plus, how long can Keir Starmer maintain his softly, softly approach to Donald T...
No one likes us, we don't care
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer's sending mixed messages to his MPs: warm words but ice cold briefings about any leadership machinations. Can the two positions co-exist?...
Starmer, Farage and your monthly bills
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Starmer wants to win over voters on the cost of living but can he make a convincing case, especially when Nigel Farage is planning to campaign on the ...
Get ready for a wild year in Westminster
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hold onto your hats for a year that promises plenty of political drama.Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesCaroline Wheeler, political editor,...
The State of It's Christmas Awards
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Political moment of the year? Civil war of the year? And who or what gets The Actual State of It Award? 2025 offered rich pickings for our inaugural C...
Who will move first: Streeting or Burnham?
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Senior Labour figures say a challenge to Keir Starmer's leadership could come as early as next month. But who will move first? Andy Burnham, Wes Stree...
Angela Rayner's main character energy
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Angela Rayner turned down a chance to appear on I'm a Celebrity because she wasn't done with politics. Will she return to cabinet or make a bid for th...
The stench of decay coming from Downing Street
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The budget gave Labour MPs a lift but for how long? They're already getting uneasy, and some members of the cabinet are so cross that they're proactiv...
Bonus Episode: Labour's economics-free budget
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The dust has settled on Rachel Reeves’s budget. What does it really mean for the country? Is there any real economics behind it? And is it political...
Starmer and Reeves's reverse Midas touch
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Reeves may have appeased Labour MPs but at what cost? We exclusively reveal just how bad relations are between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana....
Mahmood vs the liberal luminaries
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shabana Mahmood brings Blue Labour values to the Home Office, but can the human rights lawyer in Keir Starmer hold the line? Also, after last week's e...
Have a go if you think you're hard enough
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We reveal how the prime minister intends to fight a leadership challenge that he now sees as inevitable. Meanwhile the chancellor plans to scrap the t...
If you're going to raise taxes, why not just say so?
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before the election, Rachel Reeves said she wasn't going to raise taxes on working people. Well, guess what? It looks like that's exactly what she's a...
Has Starmer gone woke?
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this half-term special, Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire tackle the week’s heavyweight political stories. Gabriel lifts the lid on a capital S...
The tepid bath of managed decline
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A two-scoop episode. We reveal one of the controversial measures coming in next month's budget. And there's trouble ahead for the UK's most senior off...
Is that a dungeon you're planning?
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is Tony Blair his own nation state? Did the security minister mislead the House? And what's lurking in the basement of the proposed Chinese embassy? W...
Badenoch woos WhatsApp plotters
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have details about a secret WhatsApp group of MPs who are tempted to move against Kemi Badenoch sooner rather than later. At the Conservative Party...
What ministers won't say in public
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The State of It, coming to you from Liverpool where the Labour Party is finishing its annual conference. Keir Starmer's team seem happy aft...
Introducing...The State of It
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Real reporting from the coalface of British politics. Join The Times and The Sunday Times’s political heavyweights Steven Swinford, Caroline Wheeler...