Episodes
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Campaigning is underway after Rishi Sunak’s shock decision to call a snap general election - and the decision by Nigel Farage not to stand as a candidate for his Reform UK party might play to his favour - yet many are still puzzled by his decision.
The Conservatives are twenty points behind in the polls and even the prime minister recently admitted he’s unlikely to win. So why go now? And why in the rain? Does he have something up his sleeve? He says Labour don't have a plan. Do they? What are the issues, and who are the people that will decide this election?
To talk about all this and more on The Political Fourcast we’re joined by Conservative MP and former Levelling Up minister Dehenna Davison, Labour’s former Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw and pollster Luke Tryl.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thompson and Nick Jackson.
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Are Labour and the Conservatives already prepping for the election?
Both Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are certainly behaving like they are.
The Labour leader launched his first steps to change Britain, but will that help the party on the doorstep? And this week saw more culture war issues being flagged by Conservatives. Rishi Sunak wrote about his horror at disturbing gender ideology being taught in schools as the government brought in new guidance and rules banning classroom teaching about contested gender identity issues.
To talk about this, on The Political Fourcast we're joined by Caroline Nokes, the Conservative Chair of Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee, and from Labour, the Former Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw, who is stepping down at the next election.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Annie La Vespa, Rob Thompson and Nick Jackson.
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For the second time in a fortnight, the Conservatives have been dealt a jaw-dropping blow - another MP has defected. This time, it is Dover MP and rightwinger, Natalie Elphicke, who crossed the floor moments before Prime Minister's Questions, to join forces with the opposition.
The move has certainly sparked anger and confusion for both Labour and the Tories, and Keir Starrmer is being grilled by members of his own shadow cabinet over why he accepted Elphicke into the party.
Defections are a rare occurrence in politics, so what do the past two in two weeks tell us about Rishi Sunak’s ability to deliver at the next general election?
In this episode of The Political Fourcast, we speak to the SNP’s deputy leader in the Commons Mhairi Black, who’s announced she will stand down at the next election. And former Education Secretary Justine Greening, who had the Tory whip withdrawn after opposing Boris Johnson over Brexit in 2019.
They talk to us about why an MP might make the decision to defect from their political party, if a defection signals a political shift, and whether the UK needs political reform away from a first past the post system.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thompson and Nick Jackson.
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The Conservatives are facing their worst local election results in 40 years - and yet it looks like Rishi Sunak may cling on after Ben Houchen secured a victory in the Tees Valley mayoral vote.
But what next for the Conservative Party?
Are they now in the worst of all worlds with a wounded leader facing defeat at the general election or can Rishi Sunak turn it around?
To discuss all this and more we are joined by Spectator editor Fraser Nelson, former Conservative Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Labour’s Leader in the House of Lords Baroness Angela Smith.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.
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Rishi Sunak has pledged he'll ramp up Britain's defence budget and announced a £500 million military aid package to Ukraine, in the same week a long-awaited $61billion aid package from the US passed through Congress and the Senate.
But what is the West’s end game for Ukraine? Is there enough in these aid packages to turn the tide of the war as Russia appears to have gained the upper hand? What more can the West do? Here to discuss this on The Political Fourcast is former Armed Forces Minister James Heappey and shadow defence minister, Baroness Anderson. They talk to us about why today's young people in the UK may end up caught up in a future war, how Trump’s second Presidency could change the war and what this all means for the upcoming General Election.
Produced by Alice Wagstaffe, Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson, Calum Fraser, Nick Jackson.
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This week on The Political Fourcast, another scandal hits the Tories - Mark Menzies MP loses the whip as the Conservative Party investigates claims that he misused campaign funds. He allegedly made a late night call to ask for money to pay off "bad people". He disputes the allegations and senior Tory MPs are telling voters not to rush to judgement. With upcoming local elections and a looming general election, the allegations risk damaging the party in government.
But is today’s story just another example in a long line of MPs from all parties flouting the rules?
Since 2019, there have been at least 10 cases of Conservative MPs that have either been suspended or quit over allegations of misconduct. Similarly, across the same time period, there have been at least four Labour MPs accused of misconduct, along with one from the SNP and one from Plaid Cymru.
This week, we speak to the SNP’s deputy leader in the Commons Mhairi Black, who’s announced she will stand down at the next election. And former Education Secretary Justine Greening, who had the Tory whip withdrawn after opposing Boris Johnson over Brexit in 2019. They talk to us about mistrust in politics, and why this “jaw dropping” scandal could be a “plague” on politics at large, and confirm what voters think of Westminster’s politicians.
Produced by Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson, Calum Fraser, Nick Jackson.
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This week on The Political Fourcast - as war rumbles on in Gaza, we discuss how foreign policy affects domestic politics, and how the government’s decisions during the Israel/Gaza conflict could influence the outcome of an upcoming general election. Should Lord Cameron divulge the legal advice he has received over supplying arms to Israel? Why is the Labour party ignoring pleas to call for a ceasefire? And why did the Foreign Secretary make a house call to Donald Trump on his recent trip to the US?
Joining Krishnan Guru-Murthy and political editor Gary Gibbon this week to discuss all this and more; Lord Charlie Falconer, a politician who was at the heart of Tony Blair's government the last time the party had a major falling out with its supporters over foreign policy during the Iraq war, and the Tory peer Nicky Morgan, a long-time ally of former Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Produced by Alice Wagstaffe, Silvia Maresca, Rob Thomson.
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With Rwanda flights unlikely to take off before the summer, if ever, could Rishi Sunak find himself in the departure lounge before any asylum seeker?
Discussing planes and plots on this week's episode of The Political Fourcast, we hear from former Universities Minister and now Conservative peer Jo Johnson, and Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP for Barking, who’s standing down at the next election.
They join Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Political Editor Gary Gibbon to talk about the Rwanda ‘gimmick’, whether or not the Conservative party have ‘hit the iceberg’, and the possibility that it won’t be Rishi Sunak who leads the Tories into the next general election.
Produced by Alice Wagstaffe, Silvia Maresca, Rob Thomson and Shaheen Sattar.
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Will we have a May General election? Will there be massive Conservative defeat in any Election that we do have this year? And what’s the economy got to do with it?
Here to answer those questions are the Former Chancellor who gave us the infamous mini-budget of 2022, Kwasi Kwarteng, and the former Labour Party leader and Mother of the House, Harriet Harman. They join Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Channel 4 News’ Political Editor, Gary Gibbon to discuss Jeremy Hunt’s Budget announcement yesterday, income tax cuts, and why, in their view, the Conservatives are starting to look a lot like the Labour party.
Produced by Alice Wagstaffe, Silvia Maresca, Rob Thomson and Shaheen Sattar.
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In the 110 days since the war started, over 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive on Gaza, prompting the charity Oxfam to describe it as the ‘deadliest conflict of the 21st century’. It follows the October 7 attacks by Hamas that saw 1,200 people killed and around 240 taken hostage in Israel. There is huge pressure internationally for a new ceasefire and hostage release deal to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
In this episode of The Fourcast we speak with Jan Egeland, a former diplomat who helped draw up the 1993 peace agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Oslo Accords.
Egeland, who is now the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy that the scale of civilian carnage in Gaza makes it clear that this is not a conflict between equals. He also looks at the ‘hypocritical’ position of many Western governments who have been quick to call out Russia’s aggression on Ukraine but are not doing the same with Israel’s attacks on Palestine, and looks at how the conflict could worsen going forward if a two-state solution is not reached.
Produced by Shaheen Sattar and Alice Wagstaffe
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A four day temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been extended by two days, and brings a glimmer of relief and hope to Palestinians in Gaza. Momentum from this brings the possibility of even more Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees being released.
Over 14,000 Palestinians have been killed, one-third of them children, since the onset of Israel’s siege in Gaza on October 9th, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. It followed the October 7 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,200 people in Israel and around 240 were taken hostage.
In this episode of The Fourcast, we speak with the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot. He’s a part of the Palestinian Authority that governs areas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. We look at the wider ramifications of the Israel-Hamas war, and what it does to damage a secure and prosperous future for the Palestinians.
A warning, this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and warfare.
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Pressure on Israel to pause fighting and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza is growing, with leaders around the world including President Biden calling for a multiple day long ceasefire. Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing in Qatar for the release of hostages - Netanyahu says he won't allow a ceasefire unless hostages are released.
The Israel-Hamas war has already killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas appointed Gaza Health Ministry, and Israel has come under fire for what the UN calls a collective punishment of Palestinians for the atrocities of Hamas.
In this special episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Israel's Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely. She's a member of the right-wing Likud party in Israel, and was Minister for Settlements before becoming Ambassador. We look at why Israel is continuing its bombardment of Gaza, what the endgame is - can Hamas really be eradicated? And whether she has any empathy for the Palestinians during this war.
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In this episode of The Fourcast, our correspondents are on the ground with the very latest on the war between Israel and Hamas, as Israelis shelter from Hamas rocket fire and Gaza is pounded by the heaviest bombardment in its history. Secunder Kermani has been to the Kfar Aza kibbutz, which was targeted by the militants on Saturday, we hear an eyewitness report from filmmaker Yousef Hammash in Gaza, Matt Frei interviews Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan as he tries to justify the recent killings, and IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner tells Matt, "the people of Gaza are not our enemy." And a warning, this podcast contains distressing material.
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As Israel declares a ‘complete siege’ of Gaza, and the death toll in Israel continues to rise, we bring you the latest from the region, with Matt Frei reporting from Jerusalem and Krishnan Guru-Murthy live in London. In this special episode of The Fourcast, we hear from civilians trapped in besieged Gaza, speak to a man living in a “bad dream” as six members of his family are missing following Hamas's surprise attack, hear expert analysis from our Foreign Correspondent Lindsey Hilsum, and Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, who explains why Israel feels justified in their decision to cut the power to the Gaza Strip.
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At the Nato summit this week, the star attraction was President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. But while he knew he was among friends - and allies were keen to emphasise their continuing support - he came with a clear demand: let Ukraine join the Nato alliance.
But even before his arrival, the mood music suggested that Ukraine was not going to be offered membership to Nato, nor was it going to be given a clear timetable on how and when it could join.
With President Erodgan of Turkey also holding up Sweden’s membership, it seemed like Nato had some trouble ahead of the summit.
But then things changed. On the eve of the summit, Erdogan said he was stopping his blocking of Sweden’s application, and during the summit, President Zelenskyy appeared to accept that even if membership was not forthcoming, the head of Nato was clear that it might come one day.
But how might the war come to an end? And why can’t Ukraine join now, to deter Russia? In today’s episode, we put these questions to Emma Ashford, an expert on Russia and Europe at the foreign affairs think tank, The Stimson Centre. I spoke to her about Nato, the war, and how it might conclude.
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The story of the sinking of the Titan submersible dominated news headlines. Five people killed underwater. That same week, our international correspondent Paraic O’Brian was also reporting on people drowning at sea.
In a small port in Tunisia, 11 people died after their boat, full of asylum seekers and refugees, capsized on its way to Europe.
One story, but it happens all the time.
It is an ongoing crisis in the Mediterranean, claiming lives every day, as the EU and other nations try to deter migration itself, wanting to avoid an influx in refugees.
On today’s Fourcast, we talk to Foreign Correspondent Paraic O’Brien about his time in Tunisia on the frontline of this crisis, and what the reaction by politicians, as well as the lack of reaction from the public, tells us about how we view migration today.
This episode includes distressing themes.
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This hasn’t been the greatest week for Russia President, Vladimir Putin in two decades of power in the Kremlin.
A mutinous band of mercenaries, that he himself created, charged up towards Moscow, denouncing his war in Ukraine and seemingly meeting little resistance on the way.
While he faced down Evgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner group, appearing to banish them to Belarus, it’s not all over for Putin.
In this episode, Hubertus Jahn, professor of the history of Russia and the Caucasus at Cambridge University, explains how the “mafia boss” in the Kremlin has seen cracks forming in his enterprise - and explores what might be next for Russia and its leader.
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The Darién gap is a stretch of land between Colombia and Panama, an unavoidable section of the route from South America to Central America that thousands of migrants a week take, as they travel up to the Mexico / United States border.
It’s been called ‘hell on Earth’ because of its dense and dangerous jungle. There are no roads, just treacherous paths, rivers that can wash you away, vast swamps, steep mountains and deadly animals. And it’s lawless, with cartels and kidnappers taking advantage of the vulnerable migrants.
The fittest take days to cross, the feeble can table weeks and many do not make it at all.
And despite all of this, record numbers are still crossing.
Our Latin America correspondent Guillermo Galdos travelled that most dangerous of human trails, and in today’s episode of The Fourcast, he speaks about his journey, the people he met along the way.
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In March this year, the owner of a hotel in the Leicestershire village of Kegworth signed an exclusive contract with the Home Office to use his hotel to house asylum seekers.
But the local community has been starkly divided over the arrival of dozens of their new neighbours. While some are welcoming, the arrival has also drawn angry protests.
In today's episode of The Fourcast, we speak to our Communities Editor, Darshna Soni, about how this town has become divided over immigration and whether the government’s mission to stop the boats is inflaming tensions - as Number 10 says it is trying to get a handle on net migration and its growing asylum backlog.
This episode contains reference to suicide.
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This past week, the G7 - the group of the world’s richest democracies - gathered in Japan to discuss Ukraine, Russia, global affairs, and their increasing concerns about a rising power looking out at them from over the water: China.
This was some of the sternest wording from the G7, and China dismissed it as a smear.
But the West also doesn’t want to completely antagonise and cut off China, with the Australian Prime Minister saying lessons had to be learnt from history.
So, are we entering a new Cold War, where conflict is avoided but tensions remain? Or are we not far off from a catastrophic war?
On today’s episode, I speak to Graham Allison, a former member of Bill Clinton’s defence department and one of the preeminent national security voices in America. He speaks to me about his historical theory called Thucydides Trap, where throughout the past a rising power has often come to blows with an established one. Will China and America go the same way?
Producer: Freya Pickford
Sources: AP
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