Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review
Political Fix12 Des 2025

Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review

It’s been another turbulent year in politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced down rebellions from within his own party, overseen scandals and sackings, and delivered a constant barrage of bad news from health and housing to small boats and the Budget. He’s fared a little better on the world stage – with successful state visits, securing a comparatively competitive trade deal with Trump, as well as a tentative rapprochement with Europe. But with every international success, Starmer’s standing domestically seems to diminish: he ends the year, on some measures, as the most unpopular PM ever.


In this special live episode of Political Fix, host George Parker is joined by Anna Gross, Stephen Bush and Chris Giles to analyse how the Labour party got here – and where it goes next.


Follow George on @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen on @stephenkb.bsky.social; and Chris on @chrisgiles.ft.com


Political Fix has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award at the Political Podcast Awards. Vote for us here.


Want more? Free links:

Return to EU customs union would ‘unravel’ UK trade deals, Starmer warns


Inside Politics: Neither Keir Starmer nor Kemi Badenoch wants to reverse Brexit


Nigel Farage rejects allegations of teenage racist abuse


Wes Streeting calls for better ‘storytelling’ from Starmer’s ‘technocratic’ government


Chris Giles: Why UK borrowing costs are so high


George and Anna’s FT scoop on Labour’s tax U-turn


Sign up to Stephen's morning newsletter Inside Politics here, and to Chris’ newsletter on Central Banks here.


Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. Our broadcast engineers this week were Bianca Wakeman, Petros Gioumpasis and Andrew Georgiades. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.


What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(573)

Chinese whispers — at home and abroad

Chinese whispers — at home and abroad

Sir Keir Starmer is 5,000 miles away in China, meeting President Xi Jinping to drum up investment and deepen relations, but back on the home front the PM’s leadership looks increasingly beset. Manches...

30 Jan 36min

When the ‘special relationship’ isn’t so special

When the ‘special relationship’ isn’t so special

From ‘brilliant ally’ to ‘weak and stupid’ within the same paragraph, it’s hard to know how to handle the impulsive outbursts from America’s 47th President. And yet, this is the position in which the ...

23 Jan 35min

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

Disloyalty and defection: the Tory-Reform psychodrama

First he was pushed and then he jumped: high drama at Westminster after Kemi Badenoch sacked her rival for the Tory leadership Robert Jenrick - his crime was plotting a defection to Reform UK. Hours l...

16 Jan 34min

Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Trump trouble: Starmer's tricky start to 2026

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, ...

9 Jan 34min

Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?

Imagine a graph with one line going up over time. Below it, another line does just the opposite. It kind of looks like the letter K. On the FT's Swamp Notes podcast, Claire Jones and Rob Armstrong bre...

2 Jan 19min

Quizmas special: Political Fix’s 2025 nerd-out!

Quizmas special: Political Fix’s 2025 nerd-out!

Can you name all the Labour frontbenchers who resigned or were sacked during the past year? Why was Peter Mandelson delayed from returning to the UK after being sacked as US ambassador? And who will b...

19 Des 202550min

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Sir Keir Starmer started the week with not one but two speeches defending his party’s Budget decisions in the wake of claims that chancellor Rachel Reeves had misled the public and fellow MPs about th...

5 Des 202539min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden-usa
aftenpodden
i-retten
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
fotballpodden-2
rss-gukild-johaug
nokon-ma-ga
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
bt-dokumentar-2
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-ness
e24-podden