Political Currency

It’s polling day, and the tensions have never been higher for Keir Starmer. The threat to his left, with the Greens, or to his right, with Reform, makes this a defining moment of his premiership. Ed Balls and George Osborne take this time to look at the future of the devolved governments, which could all be led by nationalist parties for the first time. Which parties will be willing to work together? Will there be another independence referendum? Is the UK at risk of breaking up?

The war in Iran is still ongoing, despite Donald Trump still maintaining a peace deal is imminent. With the market shocks seen in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz and the status of peace talks being unclear, George wonders why Britain has been hit worse than any G7 economy. Ed explains why the Bank of England must keep a clear inflation target, and why he thinks they will cut interest rates despite what others have said.

Finally, it’s been nearly 10 years since the Brexit referendum but the debate rages on. Keir Starmer was at a meeting with European allies earlier this week and has signalled closer relations. Will Starmer take us back into the single market? Will the EU budget debates return? Could we even see another referendum? Ed and George explain how the government must navigate relations with Europe to stabilise the economy, while not repeating the mistakes of the 2019 election.

We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

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Credits:

Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Carla Mercer and Ryan Finnigan
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before getting into questions this week, Ed Balls and George Osborne take on the big talk around Westminster: should MPs be allowed to drink? They respond to the criticism by new Green MP Hannah Spencer, who said MPs smelling of alcohol while voting made her uneasy. Ed and George offer the pros and cons of this, and even how drinking in parliament getting out of hand may have led to Jeremy Corbyn…

Is it in Kemi Badenoch’s best interest for Keir Starmer to stay on? The pair explain why this mindset is too clever by half, and how opposition leaders should always focus on their message and expose a PM’s weak points, rather than hope to gain by keeping a flawed leader in place.

They then receive a pair of questions on AI, looking at the lack of training among certain industry leaders and the idea of British sovereignty on AI. George brings his expertise to explain why training is important and the limits for any country on sovereignty, while Ed illuminates us on some of his own musical AI discoveries.

Finally, they answer just why cabinet ministers seem reluctant to lay out their own vision for government even when Starmer appears so weak. Is this a sign of No. 10 clamping down on ministers? The rise of soundbite social media? Or, does it demonstrate how no cabinet member is confident enough in their leadership ambitions to make a move?

We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

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Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency
👉 Apple Podcasts

Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.

Credits:

Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Carla Mercer & Ryan Finnigan
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dramatic week in UK politics has seen the successful state visit to the US by King Charles and another hit on Keir Starmer in the ongoing Mandelson scandal. Ed Balls and George Osborne break down all the moving parts of these events. Is the special relationship saved? Did Kemi Badenoch move too early against Starmer? And what does this all mean going into a seismic set of local elections?

On said elections, the pair break down the vulnerable positions for both main parties. They argue Kemi Badenoch needs an ethical reset from the tumultuous Boris Johnson era if she hopes to fend off Reform and make serious gains for the Conservatives. On the Labour side, they believe Keir Starmer has not got a diagnosis for why Labour are unpopular, and this risks his position should any cabinet member decide to stick the knife in after the elections.

Finally, they return to assisted dying to analyse why the bill stalled out in the Lords and debate just how it can come back. Is it a slow process to such a big reform? Or is it best to strike when the iron is hot, or risk losing this debate for a generation? The pair disagree on what exactly is the best route forward…

We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

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Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency
👉 Apple Podcasts

Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.

Credits:

Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Carla Mercer & Ryan Finnigan
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Off the back of last week’s EMQs, Tamara Finkelstein sends in a correction to the idea that UK schools don’t prepare for attacks like those in the US. She highlights that Jewish schools have to prepare and feel threatened in this current environment. Ed Balls and George Osborne highlight the worrying trend of antisemitism in the UK and the need for public figures to actively combat it.

Aldershot MP Alex Baker then chimes in with a proposal to adopt a multilateral defence, security and resilience bank, much like Mark Carney is championing in Canada. This poses a challenge for the pair, who recognise the necessity of improving defensive relations with our allies but see the economic challenges

How do prime ministers prepare for PMQs? Is it usual for the opposition to send questions in advance, as Kemi Badenoch did last week? George explains the procedure and conventions in the chamber, and how the opposition aims to catch out PMs.

And finally, pollsters from More in Common reached out following the discussion of ex-PMs, on the main show, with some fascinating insight into who the public most wants to hear from. Ed and George are included for good measure, and even rival podcasters get a mention…
We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

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Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency
👉 Apple Podcasts

Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.

Credits:

Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Carla Mercer
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another dramatic revelation in the Mandelson scandal has reignited the tensions around Keir Starmer’s leadership and the future of his government. Ed Balls and George Osborne reflect on the latest developments, and look forward to how this will impact the local elections in just two weeks' time. The pair question the sacking of Olly Robbins, assess Kemi Badenoch’s performance at PMQs, and look at the bleak tone of the cabinet.

With an extension of the ceasefire in Iran, George and Ed debate the likelihood of a lasting peace agreement. George argues there may be a workable deal on the table, while Ed is more cautious saying Iran doesn't trust the Americans, and that it’s unclear who they actually should be negotiating with.

Ed and George’s pal Kevin Warsh faced the Senate Banking Committee ahead of his approval as Fed Chair on Tuesday, with some particularly tough questioning from Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren. The pair discuss his political savvy in the hearing and, if confirmed, how he will navigate his relationship with Donald Trump when in post.

We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles:

👉 X
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Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad- free join Political Currency Gold or our Kitchen Cabinet. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency
👉 Apple Podcasts

Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.

Credits:

Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid
Video Editor: Carla Mercer
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison

Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.