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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s overriding message in his big pre-election Budget was that hard economic choices were paying off in the form of tumbling inflation, improved growth and the promise of more cuts to personal taxes. But his Budget also promises a brutal fiscal reckoning for whoever wins the general election expected later this year. Lucy Fisher discusses the Budget’s implications with FT economics columnist Soumaya Keynes and Political Fix regulars George Parker and Stephen Bush.
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher
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Chancellor’s modest Budget giveaways set up fiscal pain for after election
Labour claims chancellor will create a £46bn fiscal hole with pledge to scrap NI
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Manuela Saragosa with Leah Quinn. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Veteran agitator George Galloway is returning to parliament after storming a divisive by-election in Rochdale. He claims his victory puts “scores” of other Labour seats at risk. Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues George Parker, Robert Shrimsley and Jim Pickard to analyse the by-election result and examine the division and sectarianism stalking British politics. Plus the team looks ahead to what the government has in line for next week’s Budget.
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George Galloway wins divisive Rochdale by-election
Galloway victory points to frustration with UK political establishment
The price of not policing the Tories’ paranoid frontier
Jeremy Hunt urged not to put ‘politics ahead of economics’ as he eyes Labour policies
Conservative party suspends Lee Anderson over Sadiq Khan comments
Clips: Real America’s Voice
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Follow Lucy @LOS_Fisher, George @GeorgeWParker, Robert @robertshrimsley, Jim @PickardJE
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The chaos in parliament over the vote on a Gaza ceasefire motion has segued into a debate on the threats facing MPs – and the lengths deemed appropriate to safeguard against them. A tumultuous week in politics leaves the fate of the Commons Speaker hanging in the balance. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to discuss how we got here and why it matters. Plus veteran broadcaster Michael Crick, the brains behind the ‘Tomorrow’s MPs’ initiative, shares his analysis of who the Tories and Labour are selecting to stand as new candidates at the upcoming general election.
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Backing for wider police powers to protect MPs amid fears of political violence
Gaza vote highlights security fears in parliament
Parliament finds itself in a dangerous position after the Speaker’s intervention
Why are MPs angry with the Commons speaker?
Follow Lucy @LOS_Fisher, Stephen @stephenkb, Miranda @greenmiranda, Michael Crick @MichaelLCrick
Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's award-winning Inside Politics newsletter.
Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Conservatives suffer a double blow, losing two safe seats to Labour, amid growing signs that Rishi Sunak’s party is losing votes to the populist Reform UK party. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by political editor George Parker and the FT’s Rafe Uddin to discuss the by-election results in detail, along with elections guru Professor Sir John Curtice. Plus, Lucy sits down with the FT’s foreign editor Alec Russell in a week when foreign secretary David Cameron faced sharp criticism from right-wing US politicians for intervening in the row in Congress over aid for Ukraine.
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Tories reel as Labour wins two by-elections and Reform UK gains more than 10% of the vote
Reform UK voter support highlights threat to Rishi Sunak’s right flank
Keir Starmer and big business, a love story
UK’s ‘technical’ recession is politically toxic for Rishi Sunak
Keir Starmer under growing pressure to overhaul vetting of potential Labour MPs
Why Nato members are sounding the alarm on Russia’s aggressive posture
Sketchy Politics: the rules of the electoral race
Follow Lucy @LOS_Fisher, George @GeorgeWParker, Rafe @rafeuddin
Clip: Sky News
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Keir Starmer dismantles Labour’s flagship pledge, shredding the party’s £28bn green investment plan. The FT’s Jim Pickard joins Miranda Green and chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley to assess the damage to Labour after weeks of confusion over the policy. And in the week when Liz Truss launched the latest Tory ginger group, the team dissects the Tory party’s threats on the right - including from Reform UK. Plus, FT Ireland correspondent Jude Webber discusses whether a Northern Ireland executive led by a SinnFéinfirst minister now moves Ireland closer to reunification.
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Labour’s green U-turn: how Starmer dropped £28bn ‘albatross’
Mandates are overrated - Keir Starmer just needs the win
Sunak urges Northern Irish executive to focus on ‘day-to-day matters’
Northern Ireland revisits the success of ‘constructive ambiguity’
Liz Truss takes aim at Tories for failing to tackle ‘leftwing extremists’
Follow, Miranda on @greenmiranda, Jim @PickardJE, Robert @robertshrimsley, Jude @jude_webber
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Presented by Miranda Green. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers.
Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll go beyond the horse race for the White House and offer a global perspective on the election.
You can subscribe to Swamp Notes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Conservatives are languishing in the polls, while Labour is riding high – but beneath the headline figures, how does the voter appeal of the main parties break down by sex, age and other factors? The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Stephen Bush and Miranda Green to hear from chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch. John also delves into the glaring ideological gap that has opened up between men and women under 30 and the team considers what his findings mean for the general election.
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A new global gender divide is emerging
Tories remain restless for excitement as the nation loses trust in their delivery
Rishi Sunak’s ‘Italian Job’ moment
How to heal the great education divide in UK politics
The housing crisis is still being underplayed
MPs pass legislation aimed at reviving Northern Ireland executive
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Miranda Green @greenmiranda, Stephen Bush @stephenkb, John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch
Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's award winning Inside Politics newsletter.
Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The FT’s Whitehall Editor Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s George Parker and Robert Shrimsley to lift the veil on the Tory party plots against the prime minister. As rightwingers prepare to launch the new Popular Conservatives (PopCons) group and the demand for a new direction for the party grows, the trio delve into the choices the government faces. Plus, the FT’s William Wallis joins to paint a picture of the crisis in local authority funding.
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Rishi Sunak braced for further rightwing rebellion after resignation call
Tories must oust Rishi Sunak to avoid ‘extinction’, says ex-minister
Cash-strapped English councils to get extra £600mn
Next UK government faces historic challenge to curb debt, report finds
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Robert @robertshrimsley, George @GeorgeWParker, William Wallis @WWFTUK
Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's award winning Inside Politics newsletter.
Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Audrey Tinline. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24.
Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The government’s plan to send undocumented migrants to Rwanda has overcome a series of hurdles in the House of Commons, but how will it fare in the Lords? FT columnists Miranda Green and Stephen Bush are with Lucy Fisher to debate what could happen next. And the FT’s public policy editor Peter Foster joins them round the table to tell us more about the FT’s scoop on the dire state of finances in UK universities.
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Rwanda bill rebellion takes heavy toll on Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak secures Commons approval for Rwanda bill as rebel MPs back down
UK universities risk falling into deficit as foreign student numbers fall
The UK’s political class needs to learn to love the economy it actually has
Biden, Attal, Pitt the Younger - what is the right age for a politician?
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, Miranda: @greenmiranda, Stephen: @stephenkb and Peter: @pmdfoster
Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Philippa Goodrich. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and audio mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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