Electoral Dysfunction

The world is reeling, thanks (again) to US President Donald Trump -who started his week by threatening to kill a “whole civilisation”... and is ending it by insulting his NATO allies. It’s left Harriet asking just how Trump got to be so out of control - and how did the checks and balances designed to rein him in fail so spectacularly?Ruth and Harriet discuss whether Trump’s chaotic leadership style shows that western democracies - including the UK - might be more fragile than we think, and if there’s a chance we could end up with our very own Trump-style leader.They also ask whether the Government was right to block Kanye West from coming to the UK, and what the row over the decision tells us about antisemitism in this country.Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.Reform UK was given the opportunity to respond to Harriet Harman’s remarks about Nigel Farage in this episode.

It's an Easter special - so grab yourself a hot cross bun and listen in as Beth, Ruth and Harriet answer all of your questions.From whether Zack Polanski and Nigel Farage might have more in common than they think, to if Ruth and Harriet are ever tempted to make a return to frontline politics - all are up for discussion.Plus - Ruth and Harriet go head-to-head over why Labour has never had a female leader.And, the most pressing question of all - how does Beth find the time to train for a marathon, and what are her top tips?Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Beth is in Helsinki with the Prime Minister for an exclusive interview for the podcast.Keir Starmer has said he "hates the fact" that he made a "mistake" over the appointment of Peter Mandelson."I dwell on it. I beat myself up about it," he told Beth, who is accompanying him on a visit to Finland, where he is taking part in a leaders' summit. Beth also questions him about his relationship with Trump following disparaging comments the President made about Starmer's response to the Iran war. Plus, Beth, Harriet and Ruth react to the full interview.Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Angela Rayner has stepped back in the spotlight this week and straight into controversy.Her blunt intervention - warning the government is running out of time, criticising its record on “change” and calling parts of Labour’s immigration policy “un-British” - has sparked a big question: is Rayner simply saying what others are thinking, or going too far?Harriet certainly thinks it’s a bit much. She says Rayner’s approach could be undermining the government at a critical moment just weeks out from the May elections. Beth says Rayner's tax affairs could be sorted sooner than a lot of people thought.On the elections, Beth has been in Scotland speaking to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Does he still think Starmer should resign?Plus, what support should the government be offering to help with rising energy costs because of the war in Iran? And can we even afford it as a country?Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Keir Starmer has already admitted appointing Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador was a mistake. But after the first batch of documents was released, Beth, Ruth and Harriet ask the big question: we still don’t know how big that ‘mistake’ it was – could it get worse with what is yet to come out about what the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein?In this episode we break down:What’s in the first tranche of documents around Peter Mandelson’s appointmnet (and what’s still missing)The red flags raised before Mandelson was appointed and why the process looks so rushedWhat “developed vetting” actually is, and why it could become the key detailThe growing political risk for Starmer, including questions around what was said in the CommonsPeter Mandelson has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing and he is cooperating with the police investigation.Plus, a powerful moment in Parliament this week as Labour MPs Charlotte Nichols and Natalie Fleet speak about their own experiences as victims. How do their stories feed into the government’s legal reforms? And what would the plans mean for justice, juries and the courts backlog?Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected].

President Donald Trump has said he was “very disappointed” in Keir Starmer. Did the Prime Minister fall short of his reputation on the international stage? Or has he put Britain first by standing up to Trump? And will we look back at this moment as a success for him? It’s been a huge week in the Middle East with global repercussions and Beth, Ruth and Harriet are discussing how Keir Starmer has dealt with it all. Ruth explains why she thinks Starmer should have rained ‘fire and brimstone’ on Iran for their attack on the British bases at Akrotiri in Cyprus. Meanwhile, Harriet explains how Iraq’s legacy still looms large over Labour and is playing into their decisions over Iran. And Beth explains the leaks from the National Security Meetings where decisions were made over Iran and what it says about Starmer’s leadership. Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected]. And if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Harriet thinks the Greens delivered a "bruising" defeat to Labour in the Gorton and Denton by-election, so is Keir Starmer now worried about the local elections in May?The Gorton and Denton by-election result on Friday was a shock for Labour, who Beth says were convinced they would hold on to this once safe seat for the party. And the Greens now have a new MP in Hannah Spencer.Is this a sign of things to come in the May elections? Are the Green Party a serious contender and concern for the government? What does it mean for Labour to come third behind the Greens and Reform? And have Reform got a ceiling to their support?Beth, Ruth and Harriet also discuss the arrest of former US ambassador Lord Mandelson this week. He denies all wrongdoing and his lawyers said he wants to "clear his name".Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Andrew – formerly known as Prince – was arrested whilst Harriet and Ruth were in the middle of answering your questions from the Burner Phone for a half term special whilst Beth is away during political recess on her holidays.So in this episode, they react to the extraordinary news that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested (and later released under investigation) on suspicion of misconduct in public office and discuss what it means for the rule of law.Later, they tackle questions on the government's latest U-turn over postponed local elections, and whether Reform UK is facing proper scrutiny over the Equality Act.Plus, as Keir Starmer appoints the first woman head of the civil service, they ask why female public figures still face misogyny.And with major Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms expected next week, Harriet and Ruth hear from parents who fear change could make a broken system worse, not better.Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing.Responding to Harriet's comments about Reform, a Reform UK spokesman said: "Unlike Harriet, we don't need a pink bus to attract women to our party."Reform has high-profile women throughout our cabinet and senior women in our party staff, unlike Starmer."And on the Equality Act, the spokesman added: "Reform UK remains committed to supporting workplace protections against discrimination. No one should be treated unfairly because of their sex, race, if they are pregnant or have a disability."That's why we will introduce a new 'Workplace Fairness Act' to replace the Equality Act and ensure workplace protections are maintained whilst also re-asserting the rights of individuals rather than groups under the law."The Equality Act has been damaging to our economy, our society, and the way government works. It has unleashed the burdensome and unfair DEI culture that plagues workspaces and has enforced discrimination and equality of outcome."This has led to the unacceptable situation of unfair recruitment policies, positive discrimination and anti-white working-class bias, pitting different groups against each other and dividing our country."Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

The Prime Minister has just about made it to Friday... but the crises keep coming. So is Downing Street a “boys’ club”? And how did two senior Labour figures with links to convicted paedophiles pass vetting?Beth, Ruth and Harriet lift the lid on the weekend that led to Morgan McSweeney’s sudden resignation, revealing the three options that were on the table.So now he has two women interim chiefs of staff – are claims that there’s a boys’ club in Downing Street valid? The ladies answer a listener question about whether women are being pushed onto a “glass cliff” just when everything’s going wrong.Plus, Harriet explains what “structural misogyny” looks like in practice, why it matters for decision-making, and the proposal she’s putting directly to the PM: creating a First Secretary of State to drive culture change across government.And as the Mandelson fallout continues, there’s fresh questions over another vetting failure - Matthew Doyle’s peerage.A source close to the prime minister rejected suggestions of a "boys' club" in Downing Street, saying there were a number of "highly qualified and capable women that work in Number 10" including cabinet ministers and special advisers "across the whole government who are often forgotten in all of this".Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected] if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting speaks exclusively to Beth as pressure on the Prime Minister to resign continues to rise.Streeting tells Beth that people should “give Keir a chance” after he claimed it “has not been the best week for the government”, and recognises there is a “febrile” atmosphere.It comes after a weekend of briefing around how Wes Streeting is connected to Peter Mandelson over the weekend – and in this podcast, Wes Streeting exclusively reveals his Whatsapp messages with Beth, over the period that Mandelson was ambassador in Washington.But is he at risk of suffering from ‘revisionism’? Harriet thinks commentators need to be careful when remembering what went on with Peter Mandelson.Plus – how much weight does Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar’s comments have? He's called on Starmer to resign today, saying that “the situation in Downing Street is not good enough”.We’ll be back on Friday with our usual weekly episode.