47 | Crisis, What Crisis?

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The PM lurches from crisis to crisis, but her government looks more secure than it did a week ago.  What gives?  We try to make sense of where British politics now stands, after the terrible Grenfell tower fire, further terrorist attacks, and the start of the Brexit negotiations.  We also ask why there is such a disconnect between political turmoil and serenity in the financial markets: why aren't they more spooked?  Plus we talk with John Naughton about the role of social media in Corbyn's unexpected success.  With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.

45 | Another Shock!

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We reconvene on little sleep to pick over the bones of another extraordinary election.  Where did it go wrong for Mrs May?  How did Labour win back UKIP supporters?  How will anyone meet the expectations of all the young people who came out to vote?  We recorded shortly before the Conservatives announced their intention to govern with 'friends in the DUP'.  We ask how long any arrangement can last.  With Helen Thompson, Finbarr Livesey and Glen Rangwala.
 

39 | The Meaning of UKIP

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After UKIP’s dreadful performance in the local elections we ask about the historic legacy of Nigel Farage’s party.  How big was its role in taking the UK out of the EU?  Will UKIP turn out to be the gateway drug for turning Labour supporters into Conservatives?  How do its fortunes compare with the Front National in France?  Plus we catch up on the latest development across the Channel and discuss the prospects for Macron’s presidency.  Can he find a solution to the perennial problem that hangs over French politics: Germany?  With Helen Thompson, Hugo Drochon, Chris Bickerton and Chris Brooke.

36 | The Tory Machine

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What makes the Conservatives so good at winning elections - the most successful party in modern political history?  Is it money?  Leadership?  Luck?  We talk with Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Aaron Rapport about Tory successes and failures and we explore some of the inbuilt quirks of the UK electoral system.   Plus we answer some questions posed to us by listeners: How is Mayism different from Milibandism?  And what hopes for a progressive alliance?