How To Spend £72m

With Alan Milburn's overhaul of the welfare system on the way, it's clear that at least some young people will see a reduction in their benefit payments.Can the government sell the reforms to Labour and the public with a moral argument about the value of work? And is Danny right to say there isn't an alternative to 'crude cuts' to social security, because there's an emergency in the public finances?We also hear about the moment Polly was accused of leaking government secrets by a 'grey-faced spook', and we discuss whether Andy Burnham's language in the Commons is too loose - and whether that's a strength or a weakness.Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The political map has been redrawn in America after the Democrats won control of both houses in the midterm elections and left Donald Trump badly weakened.We're discussing what the results mean for British politics - is there a lesson for Andy Burnham about overpromising and underdelivering, and will Nigel Farage and Reform UK be damaged by his close association with the occupant of the White House?We also look at the prime minister's 10-year plan. Will it be a big moment, or a damp squib?Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Hugo away, Lara Spirit joins Sally, Polly and Danny to answer the crucial question after John Healey's first budget - will it help Andy Burnham win the next election?Danny warns the chancellor has charted a course for the government that will end up on the rocks, and we ask what happened to a break with 40 years of neoliberalism.We also find out why, despite Burnham's repeated denials, speculation about a snap election continues - and why that speculation can tell us quite a lot about the direction of politics.Plus, why is the choice of desk in Downing Street so important?Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Andy Burnham approaches 100 days in office, Sally, Polly and Danny discuss the value of having a leader who is actually interested in politics - unlike Keir Starmer. Will Burnham be able to keep the party united through difficult decisions over energy and immigration, as long as he's ahead in the polls?Danny thinks he has increased the chances of Labour winning the next election with a rhetorical shift to the left - or at least reduced the chances of the party being completely destroyed.We also discuss John Healey's HP Sauce obsession, with Sally revealing how many cups of tea Tony Blair drank a day, and Danny telling us about William Hague's bland sandwiches.Video Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Green Party and Reform UK facing claims that they're providing a home for extremists from far left and far right, the political masterminds are looking at how to deal with entryists.Danny argues that the most important decision a political party can make is about who it won't let in, and Sally recalls fighting Labour's long battle against the Militant faction in the 1980s.We also reflect on the failed coup against Sir Ed Davey, and ask whether there's another political strategy available to anyone who might have designs on replacing him.Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kemi Badenoch has made an unashamed pitch for voters in Middle Britain with her conference promise on inheritance tax, trying to frame the next election as a battle between traditional Conservative and traditional Labour ideas.But does a focus on the 'blue wall' mean abandoning any hopes of building a broader coalition, and giving up hopes of winning voters back from Reform UK? Have comparisons with Margaret Thatcher misrepresented both leaders? And should speechwriters be banned from referring to a 'battle for the soul of the nation'?We also hear about Polly's new project with consumer advice guru Martin Lewis, and try out some small but significant policy ideas.Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has outlined his vision for the country, and in the process written a good chunk of Labour's next manifesto.But could his ambitious promises cost more than the UK economy can bear? Danny argues the country can't afford his old Labour instincts, and Hugo says the party is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand. Sally thinks he's being mean.Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're at Labour conference, where Andy Burnham is enjoying North Korean-style levels of support from party members. But how long will it last? John Healey has warned there isn't any money left, and is softening the party up for welfare cuts.The political masterminds also discuss Burnham's conference speech - should he be writing it himself, does he still need to introduce himself, and how can you tell if AI has crept into political oratory?Send your questions, comments and emails to [email protected] Producers: Harry Kitson & Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew Alexander Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The polling company YouGov has released its latest MRP survey, and in a dramatic reversal of last year's findings it now projects a hung parliament, with Labour on top and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK squeezed by the rise of Restore Britain.But is it too soon for Labour and the Tories to break out the champagne, especially given the difficulty of putting together a coalition that could command a majority in the Commons?With Danny away, Sally, Polly and Hugo are joined by Guto Harri, who worked for Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London and was his Director of Communications in Downing Street.We also talk about attempts to freeze out the mainstream media, from Boris Johnson through to Donald Trump launching Trump TV, and enjoy this remarkable early YouTube appearance by Tony Blair.Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to [email protected] Editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does big money win elections?As Reform UK receives record sums from billionaire donors, we look at what it will take to translate the cash into votes.The team recalls the fall-out from the Bernie Ecclestone affair and the cash-for-honours scandal during the Blair years, and both Danny and Sally say they've been approached by people asking for a peerage.Plus: After the 'Gail's' strategy, what do the Liberal Democrats need to do to get out of the electoral doldrums?Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to [email protected] editor: Kim McCarthyExecutive Producer: Andrew AlexanderPicture: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.