91 - Coronations and Defenestrations - with Lee David Evans

The Party Conference season ends with Kemi Badenoch's speech to the Conservative gathering in Birmingham, where she took aim not only at Labour but also at Reform UK, ruling out any move to "unite the right" and condemning Nigel Farage's party. Meanwhile, Green Party leader Zack Polanski has had a bad week, losing the Holborn and St Pancras by-election to Labour, and facing a storm of criticism over his handing of his party's conference controversial motion on Israel and Zionism. Is his position now under threat? Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

Conference season continues with the Greens assembling in Brighton - but will anyone be there? With the Holborn and St Pancras by-election looming next week, some activists have been advised by the party to stay away and keep campaigning to get their leader Zack Polanski elected to parliament. Will their efforts be in vain? We also look at a nightmare interview for the Green's deputy leader, who was unable to answer questions about the Birmingham bin strike during a radio interview, and look back at the highlights of Andy Burnham's first speech to the Labour Party conference as Prime Minister. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

As the political conference season continues, the Lib Dems have been by the seaside in Brighton, with Ed Davey getting serious to tell them they are in "the fight of their lives." Nigel was in the hall for the speech - but was anyone outside watching? We also discuss the latest polls, with Reform and the Conservatives now neck and neck, and vying for second place to Labour. Plus, what does the meeting of nationalist leaders from the devolved governments mean for the future of the United Kingdom? Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

When is a protest legitimate, and when does it cross the line into unreasonable or unlawful behaviour? In this week's episode Nigel and Sarah discuss the rough treatment of hecklers at the Reform UK conference, and look back at interruptions to previous leaders' conference speeches. They also consider the masked gangs who took to the streets in Dover and Portsmouth this week, and whether norms of political behaviour are under threat. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

Parliament returns from its summer break, and OppositionCast returns to bring you news of a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle, as Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch refreshes her top team, with both her Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Foreign Secretary departing for the backbenches, and new faces being brought forward. Meanwhile, Sir James Cleverley is seeking to win the Conservative Party's nomination to stand as Mayor of London in 2028 - what might his chances be? Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

As the UK sees yet another Prime Ministerial handover, Nigel and Sarah discuss the choreography of the departure and arrival rituals, with reflections on previous such occasions. They also consider whether those sacked from the Cabinet by Andy Burnham will become trouble-makers on the backbenches, and take a moment to reflect on the kind words expressed between the Leader of the Opposition and Keir Starmer at his last Prime Minister's Questions, and why such courtesies matter in our politics. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

As all eyes at Westminster turn to the imminent coronation of Andy Burnham as Labour leader, OppositionCast, appropriately, looks across the chamber to the opposition party and looks at the history of Conservative leadership elections. Nigel speaks to Lee David Evans, John Ramsden Fellow at the Mile End Institute, about his new book "Coronations and Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory leaders", which charts an often brutal history of leadership contests. We discuss the effect of different rule changes over the years, and consider the proper definition of a "stalking horse." Presented by Nigel Fletcher Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

Once again Nigel Farage has put himself at the centre of a political drama with his announcement, amid growing questions about his finances, that he is quitting as an MP to fight a by-election to regain his seat. He is pitching it as "establishment versus the people", but could this be a populist stunt too far? With the main parties refusing to stand candidates, his main rival looks to be veteran novelty candidate "Count Binface". Nigel and Sarah consider whether Farage's move might backfire spectacularly, and discuss previous elections which didn't go according to plan. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

With the Labour leadership contest heading towards more of a coronation than a challenge, Nigel and Sarah turn their attention to asking whether Kemi Badenoch's pugnacious performances at Prime Minister's Questions in recent weeks are justified, and delve into the archives to compare her with previous leaders facing an outgoing PM. We also consider whether Nigel Farage's refusal to answer questions about his £5m gift are a growing problem for Reform UK, and whether perhaps the party has peaked in popularity. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector

Exactly ten years on from David Cameron's resignation in the wake of the Brexit vote in 2016, Keir Starmer has just become the sixth prime minister in just ten years to make a resignation statement- only one of whom had been defeated at a General Election. In this episode we discuss how Andy Burnham is already being treated as Prime Minister in waiting, rumours that he is planning to relocate some Number 10 staff to Manchester, and whether noisy protests should be banned. We also get some exclusive insights into the famous "Podium guy", whose arrival in Downing Street now heralds the end for British Prime Ministers. Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Theme Music by Tom Hector