Talking Politics

Can the BBC survive Trump's $10bn lawsuit?

It's Trump vs the BBC as the President of the United States attempts to sue the broadcaster for $10bn over its Panorama documentary. The BBC has admitted it made a "mistake" with its edit of a Trump speech on the day his supporters stormed the Capitol. The President's lawyers said it falsely portrayed him as a "violent insurrectionist" and was a “brazen attempt” to interfere in the US election. The question now is, what could the consequences be for the BBC? Should they fight the case or settle with the President? And what will the broadcaster look like as the government begins a consultation on its future? Tom Bradby joins Political Editor Robert Peston to discuss. Also, what will politics have in store for us in 2026? Tom and Robert both predict that Sir Keir Starmer will still be Prime Minister this time next year, despite all the recent talk of plots and challenges to his authority. Got a question for the team? Email talkingpolitics@itv.com

How Trump's new Security Strategy changes EVERYTHING for Britain and Europe

Tom and Robert discuss Trump's National Security Strategy - a 33-page document which sets down in black and white his vision of the world, and which has ramped up anxiety across Europe. In it, the threat of aggression from Russia and President Putin are all but disregarded - no wonder Moscow says it's 'largely consistent' with their own vision for global affairs. There's also little attention paid to the threat from China; instead, it's Britain and the EU who come under fire, as it warns of "civilisational erasure" as a result of immigration. What can Britain, and its European allies, do as the United States appears to take another step away from them? And how grave are the implications of this new Strategy for Ukraine?  Got a question for the team? Email talkingpolitics@itv.com

Inside the Reeves-OBR Budget 'shambles' as Chancellor faces calls to resign

Warning: This episode contains some discussion of racist language which listeners may find distressing. A week on from Rachel Reeves' Budget, Paul Brand and Robert Peston take stock of the extraordinary row between the Treasury, the Chancellor, and the OBR over who knew and said what about the public finances in the preceding weeks. Robert says it's the result of one of the 'biggest shambles in terms of Budget preparation' that he can recall. But has the Chancellor ridden out the storm - or could she still have to resign? Also: A former classmate of Nigel Farage has alleged the Reform UK leader racially "tormented" him when they were at school together. Farage says the claims are 'categorically' untrue - but how politically damaging could they be for him? Got a question for the team? Email talkingpolitics@itv.com

Will Budget tax rises and delay tactics come back to haunt Rachel Reeves?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has finally revealed her Budget plans, albeit after the Office for Budget Responsibility published them first, by mistake. But will tax rise upon tax rise win over doubting voters - or will her tactic to delay many of the key measures coming in return to haunt Labour? In Talking Politics, Paul Brand and Robert Peston are joined by Professor Jane Green, director of the Nuffield Politics Research Centre, to pick apart the Budget strategy. Got a question for the team? Email talkingpolitics@itv.com

Starmer claims his government has restored respect in politics

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told ITV News his government has restored respect to politics since coming into power. When he came into Downing Street in July 2024, Starmer promised to "restore honesty and integrity to government”. However, since then, it's fair to say it's been a stormy ride for him and the Labour Party. Shortly after becoming prime minister, he attracted attention for the scale of the gifts he had been receiving, and more recently in September his deputy Angela Rayner resigned after breaking the ministerial code. When asked if he could "hand on heart" say that his government had restored respect to politics, Starmer answered, "yes". Got a question for the team? Email talkingpolitics@itv.com