PODCAST

The Week in Westminster

BBC Radio 4

Radio 4"s weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

government

All Episodes

28:04

07/06/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/06/07

George Parker, the political editor of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.Following the publication of the Strategic Defence Review, George discusses the recommendations made in the Report with its main author, the Labour peer Lord Robertson, who is a former secretary general of NATO and a former Labour defence secretary and with Penny Mordaunt, the former Conservative defence secretary. Amid mounting concern at Westminster over the humanitarian situation in Gaza,

28:12

24/05/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/05/24

To discuss the government's U-turn on taking winter fuel allowance from all but the poorest pensioners, Caroline is joined by the Conservative peer, David Willetts - president of the Resolution Foundation, which focuses on people on lower incomes; and Claire Ainsley, former policy director to Sir Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.Also this week, the UK and the EU struck a trade deal. Caroline speaks to the EU Ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano about it. Reform UK’s newest MP

27:57

17/05/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/05/17

Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster

28:04

10/05/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/05/10

Sonia Sodha delves in to the latest developments at Westminster.Sir Keir Starmer celebrated not one, but two, new trade deals this week: with the United States and India. But has Britain got good deals? The Labour chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, Liam Byrne, and former Conservative trade minister and UK trade envoy to the US, Sir Conor Burns, discuss the merits of the agreements.Following the local election results, in which Reform UK made strong gains at the expense of the main

28:30

03/05/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/05/03

Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster

27:55

26/04/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/04/26

George Parker of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.To discuss the Chancellor's trip to Washington to try to secure a trade deal with the US, George is joined by Labour MP and Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, Liam Byrne, and former Conservative government Trade Minister, Greg Hands.Also this week, London hosted the global energy security conference. To discuss the green energy transition, George is joined by Green Party MP Ellie Chowns and Gary Smith, the

27:49

Vicki Young presents coverage of an emergency Commons...

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/04/12

Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster

28:00

05/04/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/04/05

The BBC's Deputy Political Editor, Vicki Young, presents a special programme looking back at the year so far in British politics.To discuss the major political developments of recent months she is joined by the Political Editor of The Daily Telegraph, Ben Riley-Smith, the Chief Political Commentator of The Times, Patrick Maguire, and The Observer columnist and chief leader writer, Sonia Sodha.

27:59

29/03/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/03/29

Pippa Crerar assesses the latest developments at Westminster.The Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled her Spring Statement this week and Pippa takes a closer look at the details with the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Labour’s Dame Meg Hillier and the Conservative frontbencher and former Treasury minister, Dame Harriett Baldwin.Also this week, Keir Starmer travelled to Paris for the latest meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing’. Labour’s Dame Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs

28:08

22/03/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/03/22

Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph assesses the latest developments at Westminster.After the government announced savings of £5bn a year from the benefits bill, Ben speaks to Labour MP Clive Lewis, who raised concerns about the plans in the Commons, and David Blunkett, formerly a Cabinet minister under Tony Blair and now a Labour peer.Also this week Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch ditched her party's commitment to make Britain a 'net zero' carbon emitter by 2050, a policy first introduced by

28:06

15/03/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/03/15

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster.This week the Prime Minister kickstarted a mission to remake the state which he describes as "overstretched" and "flabby". He started by announcing he would abolish the arms-length body, NHS England. But there was ongoing disquiet in the Labour party about possible cuts to welfare spending which could be coming down the track. Sonia discusses all of this with former Conservative minister, Lord Willetts, who now chairs the

28:08

08/03/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/03/08

Caroline Wheeler from The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.To discuss the announcement this week, by the US government, that there would be a pause in all military aid to Ukraine and a pause in intelligence sharing, Caroline is joined by former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser, Lord Sedwill and Air Chief Marshal, Lord Peach, the former head of the UK Armed Forces who was also chair of NATO's military committee from 2018 to 2021. Lord Peach has just stepped

28:09

01/03/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/03/01

George Parker of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at WestminsterTo assess the impact of two completely contrasting Oval Office meetings between President Trump and Sir Keir Starmer and then the US president and President Zelensky this week, George is joined by Peter Ricketts, crossbench peer and Britain's first National Security Adviser. And Labour’s Baroness Cathy Ashton, who was the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, leading its response to Russia’s annexation of

27:59

15/02/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/02/15

Pippa Crerar, the Political Editor of The Guardian, assesses the latest developments at Westminster.Following President Trump's announcement of his plans for peace in Ukraine, Pippa brings together Lord West, the former Head of the Navy and Labour peer and Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army and a now crossbench peer to discuss what this means for Ukraine and Europe.This week, the government made numerous announcements on its housing policy, including its plans for the next generation of new

28:04

08/02/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/02/08

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster.How should the British government respond to Donald Trump? That question was again asked this week after the American President suggested the US could take over Gaza, removing Palestinian residents in order to redevelop the strip. Earlier in the week the President also threatened tariffs against allies such as Mexico, Canada and the EU. To discuss how the UK should navigate this tricky diplomatic terrain, Sonia speaks to

28:07

01/02/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/02/01

Caroline Wheeler from The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.Following Rachel Reeves' speech setting out a series of major announcements on infrastructure projects, including backing plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, Caroline speaks to Labour MP, Josh Simons and crossbench peer, Richard Harrington, who chairs the manufacturers organisation Made UK about how to achieve growth in the UK economy. On the fifth anniversary of the UK’s official departure from the EU,

28:06

25/01/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/01/25

George Parker of the Financial Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster Following the inauguration of Donald Trump George is joined by Sir Simon Fraser, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office and Chair of the Foreign Affairs think tank Chatham House, and Michael Gove, the former Conservative cabinet minister and now editor of the Spectator. They discuss the impact of the Trump on international politics.As Rachel Reeves visits Davos for the World Economic Forum, George

28:05

18/01/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/01/18

The Telegraph's Ben Riley-Smith assesses the latest developments at Westminster.Following a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the Prime Minister's trip to Ukraine, Ben speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Ben Wallace, and the Labour peer, Baroness Ashton, formerly the EU's foreign policy chief, about how the imminent second Trump presidency is already shaping global geopolitics.After another uncomfortable week for the Chancellor, Ben is joined by the Labour MP and chair of the Treasury

28:06

11/01/2025

The Week in Westminster ·

2025/01/11

Caroline Wheeler, political editor of The Sunday Times, assesses the latest developments at Westminster.To discuss whether there should be a national inquiry into grooming gangs, Caroline is joined by Labour MP Paul Waugh who represents Rochdale, and former Conservative MP Laura Farris, who served as Safeguarding Minister in Rishi Sunak's government. Following the announcement of the government's plans to reducing waiting lists in England, Caroline speaks to surgeon and former Labour Health Minister

28:45

21/12/2024

The Week in Westminster ·

2024/12/21

The BBC's deputy political editor, Vicki Young assesses a year when the political landscape shifted with the Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times Lucy Fisher, commentator and director of the London Defence Conference Iain Martin and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff.

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The Week in Westminster

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