EMQs: Lasagna plots and Shakespearean AI bots

What really happens in the frantic first 24 hours of a new government job? This week on Ex-Ministers’ Questions, Ed Balls and George Osborne lift the lid on the art of political survival. From the scramble of last-minute briefings to the insider secrets government drivers know before their ministers do, they swap stories on navigating the chaos of a reshuffle.Then it’s from the Cabinet Office to the kitchen, as George grills Ed on one of Westminster’s most notorious culinary conspiracies: Lasagna-gate. Was that dinner party at the Balls-Cooper house really a covert plot to bring down Ed Miliband?And after serving up some advice for a new podcasting rival, the duo look ahead: could a robot outshine a human as a political speechwriter? They put it to the test in real time, asking AI to pen a Shakespearean sonnet on the spot. The result? You’ll have to hear it to believe it…To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Mandelson, the so-called “Prince of Darkness” got sacked this morning, thanks to fresh revelations of his lengthy friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now all eyes are turning to his replacement … Could George Osborne himself be getting the call up for US Ambassador?He and Ed Balls consider what this sudden, inglorious end for Mandelson’s diplomatic career means for the government. How could this affect the all-important upcoming state visit from US President Donald Trump, who himself is facing questions around his links to Epstein? It’s not the only tumult for Keir Starmer’s government, that was hoping to reset its way into a calmer period. The deputy leadership contest in the wake of Angela Rayner’s resignation is underway. Ed and George consider if this may be a bigger problem for Starmer than was bargained for? Could Bridget Phillipson vs. Lucy Powell in fact be a proxy for Keir Starmer vs. Andy Burnham?To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How should a politician respond when a voter blames all their problems on immigration? In this week's Ex-Ministers' Questions, Ed Balls and George Osborne offer competing strategies for handling difficult conversations on the doorstep. They also tackle a stark warning from a Gen Z listener: is the political establishment's failure to listen pushing an entire generation of young people towards Nigel Farage?Then, the pair turn to the insider's playbook of political survival. They debate the pros and cons of the 'chicken run' - is it cowardly for a senior MP to abandon a marginal seat for a safe one, or simply smart politics? Ed reflects on his own experience of staying to fight a losing battle, while George makes the case for jumping ship.Plus, a listener's confession about leaking a story to a newspaper diary column prompts a hilarious look at political gaffes. Ed is forced to relive the moment his ministerial car door hit a pedestrian, and shares a mortifying story involving a fellow minister and a pole dancing pole.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Jarek Zaba Senior Producer: Silvia MarescaAssistant Producer: Miriam Hall Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics is back with a bang, and so are Ed Balls and George Osborne. As Keir Starmer declares "phase two" of his government, he's immediately engulfed by a scandal that threatens his Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. In this episode, Ed and George dissect her complicated tax affairs, the accusations of hypocrisy, and the difficult choice facing the Prime Minister: is she too powerful to sack?Next, they unpack how Nigel Farage and Reform UK managed to dominate the entire summer. While the government was on holiday, Farage set the agenda on immigration, crime, and free speech. Ed and George explore how he did it, why the government and opposition struggled to respond, and how it fuels the dangerous "drain the swamp" narrative that ‘they're all as bad as each other’.Plus, the pair turn to Starmer's attempt to reset with a major reshuffle of his Downing Street operation. With a new comms chief, top economic advisors, and the creation of a brand-new role - Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister - will this shake-up provide the grip and purpose the government desperately needs? Or are they just rearranging the deckchairs?To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Jarek Zaba Senior Producer: Silvia MarescaAssistant Producer: Miriam Hall Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the great 'what if' moments of recent British history had turned out differently? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the political sliding doors that could have rewritten the last three decades. They debate whether Margaret Thatcher would have won the 1992 election if she hadn't been ousted, and how her legacy would have been transformed.Ed gives a behind-the-scenes account of the Blair-Brown transition and the so-called 'Curry House Plot', considering how Labour would have handled the 2008 financial crisis with Tony Blair still in No. 10. Then, the pair explore the huge question of whether Britain joining the Euro would have prevented Brexit, or simply led to a catastrophic economic crash.Plus, George reveals why he jumped for joy when Ed Miliband beat his brother David for the Labour leadership, and they discuss whether the result of that contest sealed Labour's fate in 2015.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Maha Albadrawi Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political Currency’s summer specials continue! This week, while Ed Balls is away, George Osborne is joined by one of Labour's longest-serving and most compelling figures, Dame Emily Thornberry.Thornberry takes George inside the Corbyn-era shadow cabinet and explores the tantalising 'what if' of 2017: what would a Prime Minister Corbyn really have been like, and how would the British state have coped?From her unique vantage point as a senior backbencher, Thornberry offers a frank assessment of the new government's first year. She argues for more confidence and a clearer plan to tackle the problems Starmer’s cabinet inherited, warning against being "buffeted about” by criticism. Throughout, she reflects on two decades in Parliament and why, despite rebellions and disappointments, she remains “Labour through and through”.Plus, Ed and George reunite to explain the brutal art of a government’s first reshuffle. As Westminster braces for Sir Keir Starmer's first major shake-up, they reveal what it's really like to be hired, fired, and moved sideways by a Prime Minister.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Maha Albadrawi Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the essential skills for a life in politics? In an age of TikTok soundbites, can a single speech in Parliament still change minds and topple a government? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the art of political craft, taking questions on the real-world impact of parliamentary debates, the secrets to managing a ministerial diary, and the constant balancing act between cabinet duties and constituency work.They discuss historic interventions that shaped the nation, from Edward Heath’s decisive speech on capital punishment to the Cromwellian phrase, “In the name of God, go,” which was famously used against Neville Chamberlain and Boris Johnson. They also share personal anecdotes about their first days as MPs, the importance of punctuality in a crisis, and the surprising truth about the bottled water in the Chancellor’s office.Plus, find out which cabinet job is surprisingly one of the "easier ones" to manage and what really happens in the MPs' exclusive tea room.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Maha AlbadrawiExecutive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it really like to go from nine years in the political wilderness to running one of the most challenging departments in government? For Wes Streeting, Labour's Secretary of State for Health, it's a challenge he has been visibly relishing this past year, after a long, frustrating period fighting from the opposition benches.With Ed Balls away interrailing, Streeting joins George Osborne to give him a candid inside look at Labour's first year in power, revealing what Keir Starmer is really like as a leader, the secret orders he gives his cabinet, and his ambitious plan to reform the NHS by shifting power to patients and focusing on prevention. Plus, he explains why he believes Nigel Farage and Reform UK are now the "real opposition" to the government.Plus, Ed and George reunite to pull back the curtain on a subject of endless obsession for politicians and the press: ministerial cars. The pair explain why a minister's driver knows more about them than their own family, how drivers' gossip can make or break a career, and share hilarious and shocking stories involving heavy petting, a disastrous escape from a prime ministerial motorcade, and fish and chips with Gordon Brown. They also offer some crucial advice for any aspiring minister on how not to behave in the back of a Jag…To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Maha AlbadrawiExecutive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do the concerns of young people barely register in political debate? Ed Balls and George Osborne take questions on the widening gap between the careers young people dream of and the jobs actually available, and why debt, unaffordable housing and the loss of defined benefit pensions leave the next generation feeling shortchanged.They discuss whether the government should take more responsibility for opening up opportunities and how early aspirations are shaped by who you know and what you see.Plus, they debate if Britain should rejoin Erasmus+, which politicians will still be remembered in 100 years, and what the future holds for our rivers and seas in the face of sewage pollution and hosepipe bans.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editors: Maha AlbadrawiExecutive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While George Osborne is away “stirring the pot” (this time with JD Vance),Ed Balls is joined by author and columnist Sarah Vine for a powerfully candid conversation about her explosive memoir, How Not to Be a Political Wife.Sarah gives the unfiltered story of her marriage and divorce from Michael Gove, revealing how the "toxic culture" of Westminster shattered friendships with the Camerons, took a toll on her mental health, and why she considered Dominic Cummings the true "third person" in her marriage.Plus, Ed and George pull back the curtain on one of Westminster’s most mysterious institutions: the Whips' Office. Forget the myths of blackmailers and dark arts; the pair explain what whips really do, what the "usual channels" are, and share the incredible theory of how one fateful appointment in 2014 may have inadvertently changed the course of British history and led to Brexit.To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency👉 Apple PodcastsPlease note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.Credits:Producer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Silvia MarescaVideo Editor: Maha Albadrawi Executive Producer: Ellie CliffordPolitical Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.