Makerfield by-election: Has Andy Burnham united the left?

Makerfield by-election: Has Andy Burnham united the left?

It wasn’t so close after all. Andy Burnham achieved 9,241 votes more than the second place Reform candidate, Robert Kenyon. Even talk of Restore Britain stealing votes from Reform mattered little in the end. The reality of the Makerfield by-election is it’s a thumping win for Labour’s Andy Burnham, and a disappointing night for Nigel Farage, whose attempts to dial up division in recent weeks didn’t pay off. In this bonus episode we react to this week’s two Westminster by-elections where voters in Makerfield and Aberdeen South went to the polls. The latter is an interesting case study of single issue campaigning and a sign of a possible Tory revival in Scotland. We also reveal what our advice to Andy Burnham would be as efforts to oust Keir Starmer from No 10 heat up. Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here [https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod]. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Starmer activates legacy mode while Farage activates Substack

This week, Keir Starmer announced a ban on social media for under-16s. It’s a punchy policy announcement. And it’s a clear sign that he has activated legacy mode. Today, we ask: what will his legacy really look like? And why are prime ministers obsessed about their legacy? On the week of the announcement, Nigel Farage has dialled up his divisive rhetoric with a brand new Substack page. His numbers on the platform are already towering over Starmer’s. We’ll discuss the prime minister's inability to engage in and win arguments with fringe political leaders, giving breathing room to extremist ideas in the UK - and ask: why the hell are politicians all on Substack anyway? Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here [https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod]. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Inside the by-election that could change UK politics

Next week will see one of the most consequential by-elections in UK political history. Journalists, pollsters and politicians are swamping the small market town near Wigan - where the voters of Makerfield could make Burnham king.  At the time of recording, Labour are 10 points ahead of Reform in the polls. To close the gap, Reform must win a battle of ideas on the right, where Restore Britain are currently polling at 8%. In this episode, Helen and Cleo discuss what happens if Burnham actually wins - will he become prime minister any time soon? And is Keir Starmer really in ‘legacy mode’?  Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here [https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod]. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Mandelson files: 1,504 pointless pages?

After 83 days of waiting, the government has finally released the second tranche of files on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador to Washington. The first tranche was already heavy on the filler, but the latest set of documents takes it to a whole new level. It features an incredible amount of seemingly pointless material: Mandelson’s resignation letter appears 8 times, there’s pages of printed versions of Microsoft Teams notifications and the full transcript of a President Trump interview with ABC News.  Today, we dissect the files, picking out the parts that do really tell us a lot - in particular about how Peter Mandelson himself operated behind the scenes. Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here [https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod]. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Ex-SNP chief’s embezzlement scandal and the shady role of money in politics

A Dyson floor lamp, a £4,000 fountain pen, boxsets of Scandi noir TV dramas. These are just a handful of the items that former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell purchased with the £400k he embezzled from the party over the course of a decade. The full list is even longer. Murrell has been remanded in custody and likely faces lengthy prison time.  Ever since the eruption of the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, there’s been a dark cloud of mistrust over politicians. Yet some politicians still play fast and loose with public trust, morality and transparency.  Today, we discuss the shady world of money in politics. We'll also debate whether MPs ought to have a pay rise - and you might be surprised about the outcome. Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here [https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod]. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.