The Opinion Brief

Make or Break(erfield)

With Burnham now confirmed as the Labour candidate for the Makerfield by-election, this week’s episode takes a look at the constituency and Burnham’s chances. For our deep dive segment, we go into what recent elections tell us about exactly who votes for each party. In this episode: * The latest voting intention and party leader approval ratings. * In a hypothetical election with Burnham as leader, could Labour beat Reform? * A rundown of the Makerfield constituency: what chance does Burnham have? * In an era of voter realignment, what does the average voter now look like? * Eurovision: do Britons care? ***** Access todays graphs, charts and images: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/ [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/] For more from the podcast: https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod [https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod] Contact us: hello@moreincommon.com [hello@moreincommon.com] Read more: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Post-Election Fallout

As Keir Starmer reels from Labour’s election losses, where do the public stand on the Prime Minister and a potential leadership challenge? We also have a post-election Q&A, answering the questions emailed in by our listeners. In this episode: * How have the major parties and their leaders emerged from last week’s elections? * The latest public opinion on Labour Party chaos: does the public think Starmer should resign and who do they want to replace him? * Restore versus Reform: is Great Yarmouth a portent for Farage? * Divided councils: what does No Overall Control mean for councils such as Birmingham and West Sussex? * What do the votes in Scotland and Wales tell us about independence and devolution? ***** Access todays graphs, charts and images: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/ [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/] For more from the podcast: https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod [https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod] Contact us: hello@moreincommon.com [hello@moreincommon.com] Read more: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Special Episode: The Election Debrief

Recorded as the final results trickled in, this extra episode of The Opinion Brief gives you fresh analysis of the historic 2026 local elections. In this episode: * What do the results of local elections across England tell us about the trends shaping British politics? * How are Green and Reform voter bases changing, and what's surprising about their gains in these elections? * How should the SNP be feeling after their result in Scotland? * How has Reform UK managed to break through in Wales and Scotland? * What happened to Welsh Labour, and is this the beginning of a new era in Welsh politics? * How might all of these dynamics play out in the next general election? If you'd like to skip ahead to Scotland or Wales: * Scotland - 44 minutes * Wales - 1 hour 2 minutes ***** Access todays graphs, charts and images: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/ [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/] For more from the podcast: https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod [https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod] Contact us: hello@moreincommon.com [hello@moreincommon.com] Read more: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Final pre-election rundown with Sam Freedman

An early release before voters across Britain head to the polls tomorrow for the 2026 local elections and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.  As the political landscape shifts beneath the feet of the major parties, Luke Tryl is joined by Sam Freedman, elections expert and co-author of the “Comment is Freed” substack, for a rundown of the final predictions and the key stories to watch on the night.  In this episode, we cover: * 2026 election insights: including our most recent polls in Scotland, Wales and England * The London boroughs to watch, and which early results will best tell us how bad Labour’s woes are. * Which areas could signify a major Reform breakthrough beyond their heartlands?  * How much are the Greens winning over Labour’s progressive flank? * Scotland’s “meh” election - can the SNP secure a Holyrood majority? * Is Plaid or Reform set to top the “change election” in Wales? * Green Party momentum: why has Zack Polanski’s approval rating taken a dive and how might it affect tomorrow’s votes? * National Treasures: a birthday tribute to Sir David Attenborough and what the public really thinks of British icons. Subscribe to The Opinion Brief for our special election results edition dropping this Saturday! ***** Access todays graphs, charts and images: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/ [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/] For more from the podcast: https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod [https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod] Contact us: hello@moreincommon.com [hello@moreincommon.com] Read more: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Britain's New Populist Right

This week we welcome The Opinion Brief’s first guest, discuss the rise of Britain's populist right, and ask why the “Badenoch Bounce” isn't lifting the Tories’ vote share. In this episode:  * The Badenoch Bounce: How has Kemi Badenoch achieved her steady approval rating rise, and why has the Conservative party’s support stayed flat? * How to Build a Voter: From promiscuous voters to the Conservatives’ and Reform’s new electoral battlefront over elderly voters, Owen Winter talks us through The Economist’s new tool to model voter behaviour as British politics becomes increasingly unpredictable. You can check out their build-a-voter tool here [https://www.economist.com/interactive/2025-british-politics/build-a-voter]. * Dissenting Disruptors: Just who are Britain’s new populist right?  * The Crisp Index: Which voters prefer what crisp? ***** Access todays graphs, charts and images: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/ [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/newsletter/the-opinion-brief-podcast/] For more from the podcast: https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod [https://linktr.ee/OpinionBriefPod] Contact us: hello@moreincommon.com [hello@moreincommon.com] Read more: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk [https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.