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PODCAST

Westminster Insider

POLITICO’s weekly political series lifts the curtain on how Westminster really works, offering in-depth insight into the political issues which typically only get broad-brush treatment in the wider media.

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All Episodes

40:16

A boozy lunch with Jo Coburn

Westminster Insider ·

2025/05/30

Host Sascha O'Sullivan goes for lunch with Jo Coburn as she leaves her position as presenter of Politics Live, the BBC's lunchtime political programme.Over a carafe of Picpoul de Pinet, Coburn tells Sascha about keeping calm amid the din of politicians rowing with one another live on air. She discusses the most poignant episodes – and the rowdiest. And Coburn reflects on 28 years at the BBC and how it's political programming has changed to reflect a more "visceral" environment in Westminster

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37:48

How to run your Cabinet: Lessons for Starmer

Westminster Insider ·

2025/05/23

With tensions simmering in Keir Starmer’s top team over Labour’s approach to the economy, this week host Patrick Baker looks at what the PM might be able to learn about managing your ministers from past Cabinets and examines Starmer's own leadership style.David Owen, former foreign secretary under Jim Callaghan, recounts the IMF crisis in 1976 as an example of Cabinet government at its most effective. Michael Cockerell, the legendary political documentary-maker, describes how Margaret Thatcher

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48:55

Can Labour still own the North?

Westminster Insider ·

2025/05/16

With Nigel Farage's Reform UK muscling in to key parts of the country, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan speaks to politicians through the North of England, where Labour has an uphill battle to convince their heartlands they can be trusted.Sascha speaks to Labour MP Josh Simons, whose seat of Makerfield had one of the highest proportion of votes for Reform without actually voting in one of the party’s MP. Simons tells Sascha about his plans to convince his voters that Westminster – and

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44:41

How to survive the morning broadcast round

Westminster Insider ·

2025/05/09

Politicians of all stripes will tell you that the slog of breakfast time interviews constitutes the morning ritual from hell.So this week on Westminster Insider, host Patrick Baker speaks to those who’ve spent more time than anyone trying to master the art form that is the “morning round” — and is given an exclusive broadcasting lesson from Scarlett MccGwire, a media trainer currently working with ministers in the Labour government to help them hone their messaging. Former Tory Cabinet minister

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42:43

War and Peace in Europe

Westminster Insider ·

2025/03/28

With Ukraine and Russia in the throes of attempting to negotiate a ceasefire, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O’Sullivan talks to some of the leading figures on the frontline of the war with Russia.She speaks to Finnish Minister for Nordic Co-Operation Anders Adlercreutz, who told her Finland has never stopped buying tanks and building bomb shelters, for fear of a Russian invasion, and builds resilience at every level through initiatives like media literacy to protect from ‘hybrid threats’ such as

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42:34

How to launch a backbench rebellion

Westminster Insider ·

2025/03/21

With the stench of rebellion hanging around the tearooms of SW1 after ministers announced fresh welfare cuts, this week host Patrick Baker explores the backbench revolts of years past, asking how disobedient MPs really plan and plot against their own parties.Veteran Tory MP David Davis describes how he and other rebels defeated David Cameron's plans to bomb Syria almost by accident — and offers tips on shutting down confrontational government enforcers, or chief whips. Christopher Howarth, a

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40:43

When politicians fight the law and the law wins

Westminster Insider ·

2025/03/14

As Mike Amesbury bows out of his career as a Labour MP after being caught on tape assaulting a constituent, this week’s episode of Westminster Insider goes inside politicians’ wrangles with the law.Host Sascha O’Sullivan finds out if winding up in front of a judge can ever be survivable for a politician — high-profile or not. She talks to former Lib Dem advisor Sean Kemp about how the case of Chris Huhne, climate secretary during the coalition years, triggered a by-election which almost threatened

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45:38

Inside COBRA

Westminster Insider ·

2025/03/07

Have you ever wondered about COBRA? Not the snake or the yoga pose — but Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, the place at the heart of Whitehall where a highly sensitive, critical government committee meets when a crisis hits the U.K.This week, host Patrick Baker takes you inside these mysterious meetings to find out how those in charge take crucial decisions — often on matters of life and death. One of the original architects of COBRA, David Omand, who went on to become director of spy agency GCHQ,

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48:36

How to survive No 11 Downing Street

Westminster Insider ·

2025/02/28

With Keir Starmer recently forced to promise his Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, would stay on until the next election, Westminster Insider Host Sascha O'Sullivan talks to former Chancellors and advisors who have worked in No 10 and No 11 Downing Street over the last 30 years to find out how to survive one of the toughest gigs in politics.She talks to former Chancellor Norman Lamont about the aftermath of the Black Wednesday financial crisis in 1992 and what lead to John Major sacking him less than a

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41:36

When MPs defect: The art of changing party

Westminster Insider ·

2025/02/21

Turncoats, opportunists … or just idealists whose bosses lost their way? Defecting to a new party is one of the momentous decisions an MP could ever make. Years of loyalties, backroom deals and deep friendships are lost in an instant. Patrick Baker speaks to MPs who have wrestled with the decision to switch party, to discover what it is really like. Shaun Woodward, who left William Hague’s Conservative party to join Blair’s New Labour in 1999, recalls the dirty tricks used try to prevent his

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46:39

How Westminster goes viral (without Elon Musk)

Westminster Insider ·

2025/02/14

For years, Westminster has been addicted to Twitter (now called X). Host Sascha O'Sullivan looks at how the site – and SW1's reliance on it – has changed since tech billionaire Elon Musk took over.Sascha talks to Charlie Peters, journalist at GB News, whose story about grooming gangs was amplified by Musk before going on to dominate Britain's news cycle for a fortnight. She compares how the same story was covered originally by freelance journalist Julie Bindel, who exposed the extent of the

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46:42

How to be a UK Ambassador to the US

Westminster Insider ·

2025/02/07

Peter Mandelson, the new British ambassador to the United States, has finally taken up the daunting challenge of being the U.K.’s Trump whisperer. And it’s clear the man dubbed the prince of darkness will need to use every trick in his book to ensure the U.K. emerges unscathed – or even, perhaps, benefits - from Trump’s America First agenda. This week on Westminster Insider, Patrick Baker speaks to some of Mandelson’s predecessors and those who know a thing or two about how to master Washington

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49:39

The year ahead in 45 minutes

Westminster Insider ·

2024/12/20

For the final episode of the year, new host Patrick Baker and a selection of expert guests take you through 2025 — a year that looks like it might well be even crazier than the last.The FT’s Stephen Bush sets out the prime minister's daunting in-tray in 2025, while the Spectator’s Katy Balls explains what’s in store for the Tory party under new leadership — as well as the threat to both parties from Nigel Farage and Reform UK. Sarah Calkin – an expert on local government — discusses what May’s

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48:18

Westminster's class war over private schools

Westminster Insider ·

2024/12/13

For centuries, Westminster has been dominated by politicians who attended some of the most prestigious schools in the country. This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan finds out whether public schools still dominate or if state educated Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson's move to tax fees reflects the end of the era of Etonians.Sascha visits Eton College and takes a tour around the art school and the theater, hears from an old boy about the kind of education children receive

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48:40

What really happened in the 2024 general election?

Westminster Insider ·

2024/12/06

Host Jack Blanchard takes a deep dive into the momentous U.K. general election of July 2024, which saw Labour sweep back into power after 14 years in opposition. Lifting the lid on a historic campaign are journalists Tim Ross and Rachel Wearmouth, whose new book — "Landslide: The Inside Story of the 2024 Election" — offers the most detailed account so far of a moment of generational change in British politics. Ross and Wearmouth take us inside the rival campaign teams and explain how all the crucial

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44:29

What really happens when MPs vote with their conscience?

Westminster Insider ·

2024/11/29

As the House of Commons agonizes over legalizing assisted dying, host Sascha O'Sullivan looks back at previous votes of conscience to find out what happens when MPs don't have the party whip guiding them.Alun Michael, one of the architects of Tony Blair's ban on fox hunting, explains how it took years to get to the point of a vote in parliament, and how his personal safety — and that of his family — was put in jeopardy. Former Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone recalls the same sex marriage

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45:55

Inside the Downing Street spin room

Westminster Insider ·

2024/11/22

Host Jack Blanchard speaks to some of the most powerful Downing Street spin doctors of the past decade — and asks whether they're really as angry as the 'Malcolm Tucker' stereotype suggests.James Slack, the prime minister's official spokesman between 2017 and 2021, gives a rare insight into the brutal experience of chairing the Downing Street Lobby briefing — going head to head with dozens of hostile political journalists every day. Lee Cain recalls the "insane" experience trying to spin for a

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39:27

What's the secret to a great political lunch?

Westminster Insider ·

2024/11/15

This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan lifts on the curtain on the best political lunches — who to invite, where to go, and what to talk about.She speaks to Vivek Singh, owner of the Cinnamon Club, a SW1 culinary institution, about the two decades of drama and intrigue he's witnessed over his famous lamb shanks. Singh tells Sascha about the best tables — where you can see everyone but no one can see you — and how Gordon Brown was partial to a spot of grouse. Former Labour MP and

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28:29

One crazy night in Washington

Westminster Insider ·

2024/11/08

Westminster Insider heads to Washington to capture a historic election night that changed America — and the world.Host Emilio Casalicchio takes us on a wild ride across the political epicenter of the U.S. as the votes began flooding in and the crucial swing states fell to Donald Trump. He spoke to hopeful Democratic campaigners in a plush club in downtown D.C. and excitable Trump fans packed into a dive bar on the less-polished eastern side of the city. As the results became clear, Emilio headed

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46:09

How to deliver a great budget

Westminster Insider ·

2024/11/01

Rachel Reeves' first budget was a historic moment — for her, for the Labour Party ... and for the nation's tax burden. So this week Westminster Insider host Sascha O'Sullivan goes back in history to find out what makes a budget truly memorable.Historian Robert Saunders revisits William Gladstone's bumper 19th Century budget speeches, which sometimes lasted four or five hours. And he discusses the archaic traditions, begun under Gladstone, which U.K. chancellors still follow to this day. Fellow

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