Episodios

  • Why are newspapers still powerful?

    Why are newspapers still powerful?
    Dec 5 2025
    Few buy newspapers and not many read them. So why do they shape the political agenda, not least in determining how the current government is perceived? Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 8th.. Get your tickets for Kings Place or the live-stream of the event here. Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 m
  • Could The Conservatives Recover?

    Could The Conservatives Recover?
    Dec 2 2025
    The fickle media and Conservative MPs are hailing Kemi Badenoch’s recent performances, making her more secure in her role as leader. The Tories are still dominant in the media, so could they - not Reform - emerge as the main alternative at the next election? Plus the furore over Rachel Reeves and the OBR, and why is it shocking for a Labour government to deliver a ‘Labour budget”? To find out more about the Common Ground Justice Project click the link here. Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 8th. Get your tickets here. Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 m
  • Has Rachel Reeves calmed the mood of restive Labour MPs… and disillusioned voters?

    Has Rachel Reeves calmed the mood of restive Labour MPs… and disillusioned voters?
    Nov 26 2025
    After a thousand leaks, speeches and u-turns, Rachel Reeves has delivered her budget. As predicted there were a range of tax rises and some significant spending increases, not least on welfare. For all the feverish coverage, how much does the budget really change? Rock & Roll Politics - The Christmas Special is live at Kings Place on the 8th of December for the last show of the year. Tickets are available now at the Kings Place website here. Subscribe to Patreon to take part in my exclusive live event on the 20th November, plus ad-free podcasts arriving in your feed a day early and bonus podcasts and live events. https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPolitics Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    36 m
  • Rachel Reeves - and consequences

    Rachel Reeves - and consequences
    Nov 25 2025
    In spite of the bleak financial inheritance, Rachel Reeves should have some space with a landslide Commons for radical reforms in her budget. Did she partly choose to be trapped, without thinking through the consequences? Plus brilliant questions on how Britain is governed in relation to Covid Inquiry and Shabana Mahmood’s plans for asylum seekers. Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 8th, days after the budget. Get your tickets here. Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    50 m
  • Nick Thomas-Symonds on Labour prime ministers, leadership threats and Europe

    Nick Thomas-Symonds on Labour prime ministers, leadership threats and Europe
    Nov 21 2025
    The Cabinet Office Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has written several political biographies. The most recent was on Harold Wilson. What are the differences between being in power now compared with previous Labour governments? How did Wilson deal with leadership threats of the type Keir Starmer faces now? He’s also responsible for the Brexit ’reset’, so does he want to move closer to the EU? And what about the single market? Rock & Roll Politics - The Christmas Special is live at Kings Place on the 8th of December, just days after the budget. Tickets are available now at the Kings Place website here. Subscribe to Patreon to take part in my exclusive live event on the 20th November, plus ad-free podcasts arriving in your feed a day early and bonus podcasts and live events. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 m
  • Will Mahmood’s asylum policies stop the boats… and the rise of Reform?

    Will Mahmood’s asylum policies stop the boats… and the rise of Reform?
    Nov 18 2025
    Within weeks of becoming Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood has announced a set of wide-ranging policies aimed at deterring illegal asylum seekers. Will they work practically and politically? Plus, has Rachel Reeves got a coherent vision for the economy? How to define the soft left? And are there too many political journalists? Rock & Roll Politics - The Christmas Special is live at Kings Place on the 8th of December, just days after the budget. Tickets are available now at the Kings Place website here. Subscribe to Patreon to take part in my exclusive live event on the 20th November, plus ad-free podcasts arriving in your feed a day early and bonus podcasts and live events. https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPolitics Written and presented by Steve Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    51 m
  • Is Starmer the biggest victim of the 'toxic culture'?

    Is Starmer the biggest victim of the 'toxic culture'?
    Nov 13 2025
    There's universal consensus that the briefings from Number 10, warning of a leadership challenge from Wes Streeting and the conduct of "feral" Labour MPs, have rebounded badly on Starmer and those involved. Yet the briefings against key Labour figures are part of a pattern under Keir Starmer's leadership… even if he is the biggest victim of these operations and is now in greater danger. Plus brilliant questions on the BBC and much more. Rock & Roll Politics - The Christmas Special is live at Kings Place on the 8th of December. Tickets are available now at the Kings Place website here. Subscribe to Patreon to take part in my exclusive live event on the 20th November, plus ad-free podcasts arriving in your feed a day early and bonus podcasts and live events. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    57 m
  • Why is the BBC so scared of the right wing media?

    Why is the BBC so scared of the right wing media?
    Nov 11 2025
    Tim Davie, Deborah Turness and other senior BBC managers have gone out of their way to please the right, from the treatment of Gary Linker to the selection of political panels where there is often an imbalance that favours the right. Ironically and predictably the right wing newspapers have shown yet again their bullying muscularity by triggering the removal of Turness and Davie. Why has the BBC lost its way and is there any route that leads to the BBC's survival? Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 8th, days after the budget. Get your tickets here. Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    49 m