Starmer’s ‘Project Chainsaw’: the NHS, Whitehall, welfare
Political Fix14 Mar 2025

Starmer’s ‘Project Chainsaw’: the NHS, Whitehall, welfare

“The world’s largest quango is scrapped” – that’s how the government framed the abolition of the NHS management body this week. It was the latest target in Sir Keir Starmer’s so-called ‘Project Chainsaw’, his plan to streamline the state. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by FT colleagues Stephen Bush, Robert Shrimsley and Anna Gross to discuss the prime minister’s reforms and whether they will drive any improvement in public services. The team also discusses the Labour rebellion brewing over welfare cuts, plus the latest dramatic developments engulfing the Reform party.


Follow Lucy on Bluesky or X: @lucyfisher.bsky.social, @LOS_Fisher, Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social, @stephenkb, Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @robertshrimsley, Anna annasophiegross.bsky.social @AnnaSophieGross


Want more? Free links:


Starmer to abolish NHS England


Starmer to target ‘cottage industry of blockers’ in overhaul of regulators


Sir Keir Starmer suffers cabinet uprising over UK spending cuts


Musk expresses support for rival to Reform UK as feud in Farage’s party intensifies


Sign up here for 30 free days of Stephen Bush's Inside Politics newsletter, winner of the World Association of News Publishers 2023 ‘Best Newsletter’ award.


Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Original music and mixed by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Episoder(576)

Coronavirus: Britain in lockdown, Johnson tests positive, Sunak's help for self-employed

Coronavirus: Britain in lockdown, Johnson tests positive, Sunak's help for self-employed

The prime minister addressed the nation and put Britain in lockdown at the beginning of the week after persuasion alone proved failed to keep people apart. By the end of the week Boris Johnson and Mat...

27 Mar 202029min

Coronavirus latest: Johnson’s U-turn, Sunak’s fiscal stimulus and a London lockdown

Coronavirus latest: Johnson’s U-turn, Sunak’s fiscal stimulus and a London lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson significantly upped the UK’s action to tackle coronavirus this week with stringent new social distancing measures, while the chancellor unveiled a huge economic stimulus t...

20 Mar 202031min

Rishi Sunak’s debut Budget as coronavirus ramps up

Rishi Sunak’s debut Budget as coronavirus ramps up

The new chancellor delivered his first Budget this week and pulled off a complicated, uncertain fiscal event. Has he defined what Johnsonism is? How does the Conservative party feel about the big spen...

14 Mar 202039min

Dealing with coronavirus, the collapse of Flybe and Priti Patel v the civil service

Dealing with coronavirus, the collapse of Flybe and Priti Patel v the civil service

The rapid spread of coronavirus has dominated this week's political agenda, as Boris Johnson tried to grapple with the crisis. Has the government shifted out of campaigning mode and into governing? We...

7 Mar 202037min

Q&A on Scotland, Ireland, Boris Johnson, on business and more

Q&A on Scotland, Ireland, Boris Johnson, on business and more

The second part of our first live podcast from Bracken House. Our panel answers questions from listeners on whether we’re heading for a united Ireland, what will happen in the next Scottish elections,...

29 Feb 202036min

Brexit mandates, civil service wars, the Budget and Labour leadership

Brexit mandates, civil service wars, the Budget and Labour leadership

The first part of our first live podcast from Bracken House. We discuss the UK and EU’s mandates for the negotiations and whether the talks could collapse before they’ve even begun, Priti Patel’s rows...

29 Feb 202045min

Brexit hostilities resume, and a new immigration system unveiled

Brexit hostilities resume, and a new immigration system unveiled

The UK and the EU presented somewhat different approaches to the Brexit trade talks this week, with Brussels and London disputing what kind of deal can be struck. Are the parties too far apart or is t...

22 Feb 202027min

Sajid Javid quits, Rishi Sunak rises, and the all-new cabinet

Sajid Javid quits, Rishi Sunak rises, and the all-new cabinet

Boris Johnson’s first major cabinet reshuffle did not go to plan this week, as Sajid Javid abruptly quit as chancellor over a row about his advisers. We look at the tension between No 10 and No 11 Dow...

15 Feb 202031min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

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