James Orr: The Politics of Weirdness. Plus the Demise of Assisted Dying, Never Ending Public Inquiries, and Hermer’s Legacy Undone

In the wake of the Metropolitan Police’s announcement that it’s Special Enquiry Team has expanded its criminal investigation into donations made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of “Posh” George, to include suspected breaches of foreign funding laws based on the Verbatim/C4 undercover sting operation, Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC focus on the rise and fall of Dr James Orr, the former Reform UK Head of Policy - or “contractor” as he was contemptuously described by Nigel Farage soon after Orr was indefinitely suspended from the Party. Just how clever is the Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion in the Cambridge Faculty of Divinity and the man known as “Farage’s Brain”? And is he as weird as High Anglican Tory AN Wilson has claimed? Ken and Tim then discuss the potential for the £72m donations to Reform UK made by Thailand based Christopher Harborne and crypto currency businessman Ben Delo to be reversed when the retrospective provisions of the Representation of the People Bill 2026 come into force. Can we anticipate the delicious prospect of Reform relying on the European Convention on Human Rights to argue that UK law is incompatible with the right to peaceful enjoyment of property? The duo turn next to debate the defeat of the second attempt to legislate for some form of Assisted Dying legislation in the UK and reflect on the shameful, anti-democratic, filibustering tactics deployed by 7 Peers which meant that the June 2025 House of Commons’ vote in favour of the Leadbeater Bill was frustrated. They go on to express astonishment and concern at the apparently never ending Undercover Policing Inquiry which is due to lose its second Inquiry Chair, Sir John Mitting, next year some 12 years after it began. After costing £137m, is it time to pull the plug? And finally Ken and Tim reflect on the new legal risk guidance issued by Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC which reverses the previous guidance issued by Lord Hermer KC (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-attorney-generals-guidance-on-legal-risk--2). Does it undermine the rule of law and what political signal does it send? -- Covering the critical intersections of politics and law in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain's legal and political future.  What happens when politics and law collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain's legal and political system?  Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.  Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.  Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003 2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law. ​ Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.  Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape. ​ ​ If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today i Focus, you'll love Double Jeopardy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices