The State of It

Andy Burnham has pulled the lever marked ‘Brexit’, threatening to reignite the wars of yesteryear. The soft left are delighted, but there’s unease in his cabinet. Is this a route back to a referendum, or just a meagre SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) deal? Or is Burnham already firing the opening shots of his election campaign — at the expense of the leave-voting areas he promised to win over? Has he already failed the Makerfield test?

It’s budget season, and speculation is mounting over what’s inside John Healey’s red box. This is billed as a budget for the high street: for the white van man and the beauticians of Rotherham, funded by a crackdown on online retail giants. But with John Lewis sounding the alarm, how far will the chancellor go?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

00:00 - The Brexit Wars Return
02:51 - Why Andy Burnham Wants Closer EU Ties
05:25 - Nigel Farage Delighted & Secret Cabinet Rifts
08:04 - The Real Cost: Free Movement & Single Market Traps
10:50 - Is Labour Priming The Polls For An Early Election?
13:46 - Has Burnham Abandoned The 'Makerfield Test'?
17:46 - The Russia Claim: Anatomy Of A 24-Hour U-Turn
20:06 - "Authenticity" Or Chaos? Burnham's Loose Talk
22:25 - The Budget: John Healey Targets 'White Van Man'
26:11 - High Street vs Online Giants: Retailers Strike Back
28:56 - Historic Tax Hikes: Distracting From The Pain
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zack Polanski's defeat in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election puts him in a tough position. The Green leader lost the by-election by 3,300 votes to Sagal Abdi-Wali, the Labour candidate. He's also facing criticism after the Green Party voted to declare that Zionism is racism. Polanski did not vote and has been accused of failing to show leadership. How tenable is his position now?

Plus, parliament is back next week and the real business of government gets going. We look at what's in store and how the chancellor, John Healey, is preparing for a very, very difficult budget.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Producer: Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

00:00 - By-Election Result: Labour Wins Holborn & St Pancras
00:36 - Is Zack Polanski’s Leadership in Trouble?
01:56 - Green Party Rifts & The Palestine Motion Controversy
07:34 - Is This the Beginning of the End for Polanski?
11:06 - Andy Burnham’s Electoral Boost & Labour’s Position
11:44 - Parliament Returns: Navigating the Autumn Budget
13:18 - John Healey, Treasury Trips, and Bank of England Warnings
16:39 - Defence Spending vs Public Services Dilemma
20:39 - Welfare Reviews, Jackdaw Gas Field & Election Speculation
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children.
Badenoch was withering about Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying: "The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform are — so to those who say ‘unite the right’, we are not uniting with that.”
We look at the Conservatives' electoral strategy, their prospects — especially compared with a year ago — and the vibes among their MPs.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

00:00 - Live from Tory Conference: Badenoch’s Speech Analysis
00:41 - The Inheritance Tax Gamble: Family Homes Exempt
02:01 - Strategic Shift: Winning Back the South & Abandoning the Red Wall
05:14 - Why Immigration Was Dropped From the Main Message
06:33 - "We Will Not Unite": Direct Rejection of Reform UK & Farage
08:03 - Character vs. Policy: The New Strategy Against Reform
10:45 - Key Omissions: Public Services and the NHS
13:17 - Football Legends, Identity, and Patriotism
17:36 - Vibe Check: A Surprisingly United Tory Party
20:19 - Badenoch’s Dominance: "Captain, Manager, and Owner"
22:13 - Path to Power: Rebuilding Economic Trust
25:08 - Behind the Scenes: Bars, Protesters, and Business Access
29:34 - Did Badenoch’s Speech Set the Political Weather?
32:50 - Looking Ahead to the Budget
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Labour Party is jubilant. Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election with one of the most consequential conference speeches in recent memory. He used it to set out a series of major proposals, including an end to the triple lock, the abolition of first-past-the-post and closer ties with Europe.
At the heart of his national project is a care service free at the point of use. Burnham has set out a vision that promises to put Britain on a different road. But can he persuade the country to buy into it?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Pictures: Getty Images
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, the mood is jubilant. They have a popular leader who can speak fluently in public. Andy Burnham's speech on Tuesday will be a big moment and it's expected to be full of announcements. Whitehall and cabinet ministers are trying to keep up.
The problem, as always, is making the sums add up. The prime minister has made social care the main topic of conversation. We discuss whether he is ready to ditch the triple-lock on pensions to pay for social care reform and whether he could fight an election promising tax rises.
In Rachel Reeves's first budget, taxes went up more than £30 billion, and then she had to come back for more. The Treasury wanted to avoid a third tax-raising budget but the numbers are moving against them.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Pictures: Getty Images
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.