Episodes
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Recorded live at the Centre for Progressive Policy’s Inclusive Growth Conference on 28th November, this special episode The Power Test looks at where we are six months into the new Labour government and what it needs to do to deliver its promise of a decade of national renewal.
Following the Budget, the reelection of Donald Trump in the US, farmer protests, and a rumoured government ‘relaunch’, Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika, together with Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, CPP’s Director of Place and Practice Annabel Smith, and Power Test regular and Director of the Project on Center-Left Renewal at the Progressive Policy Institute Claire Ainsley, look at what Labour needs to do to deliver, restore trust in politics and survive.
Most significantly, “voters need clear proof points on delivery that they can see in their own lives” said Ainsley, arguing that standard economic measures will not be enough to convince Britons to back Labour for a second term. “You have to improve living standards, not just infrastructure and GDP” - a lesson potentially that can be taken from Donald Trump’s victory in the US over an unpopular Democratic Party despite a booming economy on paper.
Labour also needs to be telling a story about its approach on the economy - “you need to constantly tell people what you’re doing. The Tories tried several different explanations of their approach - but at least they tried” - with the panel pushing the government to toughen up argument, even on politically challenging issues including taxes on wealth.
Smith also raised the somewhat untapped potential Labour mayors can offer the government - “we can reinvigorate Labour representation, with Labour mayors being part of how the government communicates its message”. Mayors are well-known, often well-liked and sometimes higher profile than new cabinet ministers. But Sam Freedman points out that with Andrea Jenkins defecting to Reform, it’s quite possible that Lincolnshire could well have a Reform mayor next year, and the party needs to get a move on - particularly with local elections and those in Scotland due within 18 months to two years.
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Live from Labour Party conference, The Power Test returns to look at the Labour's first months in power. Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman are joined by Georgia Gould, Labour MP and Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Helen MacNamara, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary, and Marc Stears, director of the UCL Policy Lab, who supported this special episode, to discuss how Labour can reform and revive public services when the coffers are *cough* running low.
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With Labour now firmly in the driver’s seat of government, Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika are joined by Power Test co-founder and former Chief Executive of the Centre for Progressive Policy, Charlotte Aldritt, and Ryan Wain, the Executive Director of Politics at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, to look at where Britain goes next.
How can Labour get Britain's creaky systems moving in the right direction, and put together a positive, proactive plan for power? From AI in the civil service to Martin Lewis in the (fantasy) cabinet, this is a wide-ranging final discussion for the series. And no season finale would be complete without a few guest stars, so we've invited a few special contributors to send a message to this new government, making their requests and offering their advice.
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July 4th, 2024: the date that Labour returned to power. After 14 years in the political wilderness, Keir Starmer has led the party to a landslide victory. With the keys to No.10 Downing Street in his hands – and a crack team of ministers assembled – it's time to look back on how Labour has changed under the Starmer premiership, and ahead to how it, in turn, could change Britain.
Ayesha Hazarika – fresh from a marathon broadcasting stint – and Sam Freedman – fresh from a marathon Excel stint – gather to debrief on a momentous night for Labour politics. But the story was not always a smooth one, and Ayesha and Sam are here to unriddle the subplots, expose areas of coming danger (the threat of Reform? the rise of independent candidates?) as well as celebrating triumphs in Scotland, the so-called 'Red Wall' and the defenestration of multiple Prime Ministers.
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Just before we head hurtling into election week, Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika are on hand to take you through the reality of Labour’s pledge on energy - together with think tank Third Way’s Josh Freed who leads its Climate and Energy work and Brett Christophers, author of The Price is Wrong: Why Capitalism Won't Save the Planet.
Labour has made reforming a troubled energy market one of its six key pledges, with the creation of a Great British Energy company at the heart of that. But will this guarantee energy security going forward? Is it compatible with our long-term commitment to decarbonisation and Net Zero? And, as voters head to the ballot box, how will it answer their big question: will energy prices be going down?
For more, visit THEPOWERTEST.CO.UK
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As the issue drives Nigel Farage’s return and the Conservatives seek to sharpen attacks on Labour in a last ditch attempt to breakthrough in the campaign, this week Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman look into Labour’s pledge on immigration.
Ayesha and Sam probe further into Labour’s policies on immigration with former Home Office adviser Matt Cavanagh and LSE economics professor, and former Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, Alan Manning.
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On this special manifesto episode of The Power Test, Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman are joined by two special guests: Nick Pearce, one of the authors of Labour's 2010 manifesto, and Claire Ainsley, who was Keir Starmer's policy guru from 2020 to 2022. Together, this quartet dissect and discuss the Labour party's 2024 manifesto (titled, simply, 'Change'). Does it live up to that name? What are the big policy areas it covers, from housing to the NHS? And are there any notable omissions from the a document that could be foundational to how a Labour government does business?
Looking at whether this is a bold statement of the party's intention to change Britain for the better – the key question that The Power Test has been asking for three seasons – or a cautious testament to Starmer's "safety first" mentality, this is your breakdown of the first clear indication of where the country is headed.
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The academic who inspired Blair’s “respect agenda" on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour urges Labour to ensure that there is effective investment in community support alongside law and policing.
Talking to Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman, Professor Richard Sennett, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, says he recognises the similarities between the approaches taken by Keir Starmer and Blair on crime and anti-social behaviour but fears that the economic circumstances make effective action much harder today.
For more, visit THEPOWERTEST.CO.UK
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Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika sit down with the Chief Executives of the The King's Fund and NHS Confederation, Sarah Woolnough and Matthew Taylor, to discuss Labour's health pledge on waiting lists and what lies ahead.
This week as the general election campaign hits full swing, and The Power Test is focused once again on one of the top issues for the voting public: The NHS.
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Schools expert, and Teacher Tapp co-founder, Laura McInerney, joins Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika to speak about Labour’s commitment to recruit extra teachers by removing the VAT exemption on private schools - as well as the party’s other plans on education.
With election fever setting in, The Power Test is not being knocked off course. With just six weeks until a new government will be in place, Sam and Ayesha look in detail about what Labour is offering and whether its plan adds up.
Joined by McInerney, the team look at Labour’s pledge to recruit 6,500 extra teachers, a review of the national curriculum, the role of Ofsted, special needs education, and culture war arguments in schools.
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With Labour under pressure from trade unions to remain committed to its 'New Deal for Working People', this week Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman look at the party's relationship with the unions and the future ahead.
They're joined by the General Secretary of the Prospect trade union, Mike Clancy, to look at Labour’s relationship with the union movement and how any future government can build a productive relationship to reshape the economy and support its growth mission.
They also look at Natalie Elphicke's defection to Labour and the delicate balance Keir Starmer faces in holding together his broad church. In the Quickfire round, Mike nominates Barbara Castle to the Fantasy Cabinet and suggests that Labour should be less shy about facing the impact that Brexit has had on the British economy and society more generally.
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In the aftermath of last week's local elections, Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika, together with author and Political Science Professor Rob Ford, look at what the results might mean for a future Labour government on this week's episode of The Power Test podcast.
Under the surface of a very good set of elections for the party, and another very bad few days for the Tories, Ford, who was part of the BBC's elections analysis team, suggests however there are a few trends that may give an early warning to some of the challenges the party may face in power. In particular, the willingness of the left to be "much less partisan and back other options" such as the Green Party which now has a "serious and credible base in local government - having quadrupled the number of councillors they have in the last five years".
Sam warns that the party may therefore find itself squeezed in the middle - between a more centrist leadership trying to play to Red Wall voters, and others at the same time trying to defend from a rising left flank.
"If I'm a Labour MP in Hastings or Stroud or places like that where the Greens are coming on very strong and I'm in a Labour government that is being tough on benefits because that's what the newspapers want us to do, and not spending money, I'm going to start getting nervous pretty quickly that I'm going to lose my voter base."
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In a week of drama in Scottish politics, Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman are joined for this week’s episode of The Power Test by former Labour leader in Scotland, Kezia Dugdale.
They discuss where Scottish politics goes next following the shock resignation of Humza Yousaf, whether the SNP's attack lines on independence have been blunted, and whether Anas Sarwar, the current leader of Scottish Labour, can take advantage of an increasingly rosy electoral picture.
For more, please visit ThePowerTest.co.uk
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This week, Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman are joined by none other than Sam’s dad, Sir Lawrence Freedman, to discuss future foreign and defence policy under a Labour Government.
How will Labour confront the range of security threats that the UK faces across the world? Sir Lawrence Freedman, renowned academic, historian and author on foreign policy and international relations, reflects on the grave challenges a Starmer Government will face in a dangerous world. From the 'Special Relationship' and how a Trump re-election might ignite the necessity for nuclear independence, to analysing the sustained threats post by Putin and Russia, and Xi and China, this is a wide-ranging but essential discussion.
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Tune into The Debrief, live on Twitter/X this coming Monday.
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Is Labour capable of reversing the curse facing centre-left governments around the world? Josh Simons, Director of the highly influential think tank Labour Together says the party must be ready to confront the challenge of thinking about how it can govern and win a second term.
Josh joins Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman to speak about how Labour is preparing for government and whether the party really has a plan to win the decade in power it wants and needs.
Visit THEPOWERTEST.CO.UK to find out more and support the show.
Tune into The Debrief, live on Twitter/X every Sunday at 7pm.
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On this week's episode of The Power Test, we're looking at all things local elections - including bins! - New Statesman Britain Editor Anoosh Chakelian joins Sam and Ayesha on the pod and discussed how these will have an impact on Labour and whether it can deliver real change in government.
Episode notes:
The Tories are trying to make headway by putting the blame on Labour-run councils themselves, but while voters seem to be seeing through the attacks, the question remains as to whether Labour is really prepared for the true state of its likely inheritance.
“We know councils are under a huge amount of pressure at the moment and this is a source of real pain for people - who are seeing services cut, council tax bills rising and places like Birmingham going bankrupt, with others teetering on the brink” says Ayesha.
“Eight councils have gone bankrupt since 2010, and this should be a story of how the Conservatives have failed local government. But, Tory rhetoric is trying to blame Labour-run councils themselves” added Chakelian.
“A lot of major councils are run by a Labour administration, and so there is a reputational risk which Labour needs a retort to, but it doesn't because it doesn't really seem to have a plan of how it would save local councils from going bankrupt when they get into government.”
If Labour does well in the elections, the party will also face increased scrutiny over what its approach will be like more generally in government - presenting risks for the party.
Chakelian says the party “needs an answer” - and that “there’s all sorts of things that they can do without making big spending commitments, like council tax reform and changes to business rates.” “Sorting out adult social care is also key, but that would require some sending commitments.”
When asked her key tests for Labour, Anoosh said that having a plan on local government financing was key - but also whether the party could hold firm on their commitments over planning.
“I would like to see if their planning commitments will actually come off. Starmer has said he will ignore local opposition to developments. But can he really do that if they win as many MPs as the polls tell us they will. They’re going to have lots of MPs representing places with nice lovely green spaces and are they really going to want the first thing their government to do is sign off a load of building projects?”
Sam added, “Then you’ll have the National Trust kicking off their campaign, and the RSPB and all of them get involved. It’s pretty hard to fight that lobby. So yea, I’m with you - I hope they commit to that. But, it will be a big test for the first couple of years.”
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Following last week's episode with Ed Balls, former Treasury boss Nick Macpherson joins Sam and Ayesha to interrogate the economic environment facing the next government. We’re hearing a lot from Labour about economic security, fighting off the party’s reputation for ‘spendonomics’, but is the party being too far too cautious and harming its plans for growth?
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And don't forget to tune into The Debrief, the sister show of The Power Test, which airs live on X every Sunday at 7pm. Just go to The Power Test account on X.
Nick Macpherson on this week’s pod suggests maybe it is. The former Treasury boss says the party shouldn’t get “obsessed with fiscal rules”
Don’t get obsessed with fiscal rules, ex-Treasury boss warns Labour
A future Labour Government should borrow to invest and avoid being “too obsessed with fiscal rules”, says the former Treasury boss, Sir Nick McPherson, on this week’s The Power Test podcast with Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman.
In a wide-ranging discussion about a future government transition and Labour’s economic plans, Sir Nick said:
Borrowing:
“My guess is Labour will, and so they should, borrow a bit more in order to invest. Providing that investment program is focused on what really matters and is then seen through I don't see that as a great problem in terms of the public finances. Indeed, some would argue that that Labour may be being too cautious.”
Labour’s fiscal plans:
“The case for being tough now is potentially it gives them room for manoeuvre. It gets them credit with the financial markets which, actually, is even more important today than it was in 1997 simply because the national debt is a whole lot higher and the interest rate bill required to service that debt is very high indeed.
“The other thing is, and this may surprise some people, I'm a relative optimist about the economy so I think the Labour inheritance may just be a little bit better than the OBR and others are suggesting. Real wages are rising, interest rates may come down this year which will help people with mortgages and so on, and we just may see more spending in the economy, the economy growing a bit more fast and rather more revenues coming in than expected. If I'm right, and you know I'm not always right, they may actually have rather more room for manoeuvre and so they may be able to stick with the fiscal plan whilst also spending a bit more.
“My guess is also they will have some tax increases up their sleeve of the sort which is consistent with the wider commitments not to raise the main rate, say, of National insurance and income tax.”
The £28 billion and fiscal rules:
“Did they have to drop the £28 billion commitment? In the end, £28 billion is not actually very much these days. It's about 1% of GDP. I mean, compared to the sorts of money Nigel Lawson gave away in 1988 this is chicken feed. But I can see in an uncertain world why they just want to be a bit cautious."
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As Labour announces its plans to reclaim 'Levelling Up', Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika are joined by Ed Balls to discuss the dual challenges of tackling economic and regional inequality and going for growth
Boris Johnson’s claim to end the North-South divide has been a spectacular disaster in terms of going from a box office slogan to something of any substance at all. Councils across the UK are on the brink of collapse and bankruptcy and economic equality across the country has never been more entrenched.
So what happens now? Can the agenda move into reality and what would an actual Levelling Up plan look like? Are people going to buy it anymore without any tangible progress to show for it, and ultimately what is the role of Westminster vs local authorities and regional mayors.
Tackling regional inequality is not only an end in itself but also a means in going for growth - an absolute imperative for the next government. Both Labour and the Tories have said they want to deliver growth, but what is the path for delivering it? It has to be a key priority for the next Prime Minister, as part of a central growth drive, working with and not against business, championing open markets and consumers as well as a comprehensive backing for combined authorities with devolved powers.
Ed also speaks to Sam and Ayesha about podcasting with George Osborne, Labour’s workers rights package as well as never being invited to give the Mais lecture. He is also the first guest to face our new Power Questions section - where he calls for Keir Starmer to grasp the theme of Global Britain and be confident about the UK’s outward facing role in the world, how Jo Cox’s legacy can help heal divisions in politics and ultimately, how the party should be willing to say when it thinks other parties have done good things that it will continue in government.
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In this first episode of 2024, the duo discuss the news that Ayesha will soon become Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge in the County of Lanarkshire and the role of the House of Lords in legislating before focusing on the current political landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead for Labour as the party prepares for its return to government.
Notes:
Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika return to the airwaves as The Power Test - the weekly political podcast with a purpose exploring how Labour should govern to really change Britain for the better - gears up for this election year.in this first episode of 2024, the duo discuss the news that Ayesha will soon become Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge in the County of Lanarkshire and the role of the House of Lords in legislating before focusing on the current political landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead for Labour as the party prepares for its return to government.A 'torturous holding pattern' is seeing people more and more assured that Keir Starmer will be the country's next Prime Minister, and the party is quickly being treated as the next government - yet, it is still not clear exactly what inheritance it will be gifted by a Conservative Party burning down the house on its way out of the door.So what does that mean for Labour and what it hopes to achieve in government?Can the party really even get a head start before it is derailed by circumstances far from its control? Does its junking of key landmark policies and its commitment to Tory fiscal rules to strengthen its reputation for security hinder or help its aspirations for governing? Will Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves suddenly change tack once they walk down Downing Street and what can the party do to really deliver economic growth?Sam and Ayesha chew the fat and set out the big issues and themes which they will dive into throughout the next few weeks and months alongside some extra special expert guests as we move forward towards the election and review the party's plans for a "decade of national renewal" in more detail.The podcast continues weekly wherever you get your pods. Send in your reactions, questions and ideas on how Labour can change Britain at thepowertest.co.uk - become a member and get involved in our growing community.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Keir Starmer's former chief of staff Sam White and The Guardian's Political Editor Pippa Crerar are two figures who have arguably played as big a role as any in turning around Labour's electoral chances. Pippa broke the Partygate story that engulfed the Tory party for many months, while Sam was working behind the scenes to make Labour look like a government in waiting. Sam and Pippa join us in the studio to talk about partygate, if there's a path back for the Conservatives, Labour's strategy, and how Keir Starmer hopes to govern.
The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.
Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest
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