Politics Weekly
Political analysis from the Guardian and Observer's top journalists and commentators.
The byelection, Wes Streeting and Europe: your questions answered
Can Andy Burnham do a better job than Keir Starmer? Is Makerfield more important for Reform than Labour? Can the UK rejoin the EU? Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey answer your messages and emails. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
Stateside with Kai and Carter – Why the fight over abortion in US isn’t finished
The US supreme court has preserved nationwide access to mail-order abortion pills – for now. As Carter Sherman explains, the fight to protect this medication is far from over, as a nationwide, near-total abortion ban could be on the horizon. Carter speaks with Dr Angel Foster, co-founder of the Massachusetts…
Wes Streeting: ‘Andy Burnham doesn’t live rent free in my head’ – podcast
Pippa Crerar sits down with Wes Streeting a week after his resignation from Keir Starmer’s cabinet. We find out what the former health secretary really thinks about Andy Burnham, where Labour has got it wrong and his vision for the leadership. Watch the full episode in video on YouTube here…
Andy Burnham’s first election hurdle: Brexit
Andy Burnham may already be facing a tricky obstacle in his push to return to Westminster. Past comments about rejoining the EU have come back to haunt him, particularly given that the Makerfield constituency voted overwhelmingly to leave in the Brexit referendum. Plus, Wes Streeting has confirmed he will stand…
NEW: Stacey Abrams on why gutting of the US Voting Rights Act is ‘evil’ – Stateside with Kai and Carter
The US supreme court demolished the 1965 Voting Rights Act when they ruled in Louisiana v Callais in April that states can’t consider race in redistricting. Southern states from Tennessee to Alabama have rushed to erase majority Black districts, sparking chaos for the midterm elections. Kai Wright talks with Stacey…
Is Andy Burnham about to return to Westminster?
Andy Burnham has announced he will attempt to return to Westminster after the Labour MP Josh Simons said he will vacate his Makerfield seat in order for Burnham to run in a byelection. It follows a day of breaking news in which the health secretary, Wes Streeting, resigned, saying he…
Labour plotters v stubborn Starmer: will he resign? – Today in Focus: The Latest
Tensions are running high in Westminster as Keir Starmer has told his cabinet he’s not going anywhere. But with several ministers quitting the government, and more than 80 MPs calling for him to go, how much longer has he got? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar…
A messy day for Starmer: is Labour ungovernable?
Keir Starmer kicked off the day with a speech aimed at persuading MPs against launching any kind of leadership challenge. By lunchtime, Angela Rayner was speaking at the CWU conference calling for Andy Burnham to return. In the afternoon the list of MPs calling on him to resign was slowly…
Reform UK gains at Labour’s expense in local elections
It has been a crushing set of local and devolved elections for Labour, with Reform UK making huge gains across the country and the Greens winning in London. Keir Starmer is under pressure to announce a timeline for his departure – yet he insists he will not walk away. Help…
Can the Greens and Reform win big in London? podcast
This week Politics Weekly is on the road with the Greens in Hackney and Reform UK in Bromley ahead of the local elections to see why people are turning their backs on the traditional parties in London. This episode was recorded on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th April.. Help support…
Will Reform dominate the local and devolved elections?
Pippa Crerar is joined by the election analyst Prof Rob Ford to look at the upcoming local and devolved elections. Will Reform dominate across England? Can the Greens remove Labour’s longstanding hold over London? And will the nationalists win in Scotland and Wales?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
Will this be another nightmare week for Keir Starmer?
Keir Starmer is facing another tumultuous week. His former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney will be grilled in front of MPs on Tuesday over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, there are rumours that Labour MPs are working out how to transition Starmer out of power and the prime minister might…
Has Starmer’s sacking of Olly Robbins backfired?
After Keir Starmer’s statement to the Commons and gripping evidence from the sacked top civil servant Olly Robbins, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talk about how the story of Peter Mandelson’s vetting for his job as UK ambassador to the US, which was first broken by the Guardian last Thursday,…
Judgment day for Starmer?
Keir Starmer has updated the House of Commons on what he knew, and when, in regard to Peter Mandelson’s vetting for the post of UK ambassador to the US. Was what the PM said enough to convince his party and the public that he should not resign?. Help support our…
Is Keir Starmer ‘complacent’ on defence?
Keir Starmer has hit back at Labour peer George Robertson’s criticisms about defence funding. Why has the government been slow to prioritise defence and what trade-offs is Keir Starmer willing to make in order to increase spending?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
Hormuz, Hungary and the UK shifting closer to the EU
After 16 years in power in Hungary, Viktor Orbán has been defeated, marking a huge shift in the European Union. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has defended potential legislation that will align the UK with European rules – without a vote in parliament. Plus the government confirms the UK will not support…
Trump and the Middle East: can Starmer do anything?
Keir Starmer and the UK government are scrabbling to keep up with Trump’s fast-changing position on Iran and the Middle East. While a two-week ceasefire is in place, how long will it hold for? Peter Walker and Alexandra Topping look at what happens now. And, with the local election campaign…
The Greens, Reform and the end of two-party politics?
In part two of our interview, Kiran Stacey speaks to the political scientist Prof Rob Ford about the voters Labour and the Conservatives are losing to the Greens and Reform, and how May’s elections could play out. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
Labour’s mistakes: is it too late to turn things around?
In part one of a special two-part interview, Kiran Stacey talks to the political scientist Prof Robert Ford about Labour’s so-called ‘landslide win’, the long-lasting impact of Brexit on our politics, and the lessons that should have been learned from the 2024 election. Is it now too late for Starmer…
How will the Iran war play at the ballot box in May?
Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot look at how the continuing and deepening conflict in the Middle East will hit people in the UK, and how it could impact May’s elections. Plus, as parliament breaks for recess, has the assisted dying bill reached the end of the road?. Help support our…