Farage, flags and the ghosts of Labour’s past
Political Fix29 Aug 2025

Farage, flags and the ghosts of Labour’s past

Just as Sir Keir Starmer was stealing a few days' summer holiday, Reform unveiled its immigration policy, former Labour heavyweights called for a withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, and Tony Blair popped up in the White House. So with recess nearly over, the prime minister is trying to take back the news agenda starting with a shake-up at Number 10. And with conference season almost under way, an upcoming visit from President Donald Trump, and the Budget around the corner, Starmer has ample opportunity to seize the spotlight. Host George Parker is joined by political correspondent Anna Gross, the FT’s chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley, and FT columnist and author of the daily newsletter Inside Politics Stephen Bush.


Follow George on Bluesky or X: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Robert: @robertshrimsley, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Stephen @stephenkb and Anna @AnnaSophieGross


Want more?


Farage is winning the new battle of Brexit

Donald Trump holds White House talks on postwar plan for Gaza

Keir Starmer launches Downing Street shake-up

Can Labour pull off a comeback?

Jack Straw says the UK should ‘decouple’ from the ECHR


The FT Weekend Festival returns for our 10th edition on Saturday, September 6 at Kenwood House Gardens in London.


George Parker and Lucy Fisher will be hosting a breakfast event, talking politics and podcasts, in the Experience Tent from 9.45am. If you can’t make it, please send a question, ideally as a voicenote, to our email address: politicalfix.com.


PLUS, sign up to Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek.

Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Episoder(574)

What Cummings' exit means for Downing Street

What Cummings' exit means for Downing Street

In a dramatic week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost two of his key aides, chief adviser Dominic Cummings and director of communications Lee Cain, both senior forces in the Vote Leave campaign. Will ...

14 Nov 202029min

What Biden means for Johnson

What Biden means for Johnson

With Joe Biden on the cusp of becoming the 46th US president, how will Boris Johnson recalibrate and repair transatlantic relations? We discuss whether the two can overcome their differences on Brexit...

7 Nov 202032min

Labour's day of reckoning

Labour's day of reckoning

Keir Starmer made the dramatic move to suspend Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour party this week, following an investigation into anti-Semitism. Is a new and bitter rift about to start within the oppositi...

31 Okt 202032min

Boris vs Burnham

Boris vs Burnham

The prime minister found himself at odds with northern leaders this week, as disputes grew over localised coronavirus restrictions. Is Boris Johnson facing a governing crisis with mayors and devolved ...

24 Okt 202033min

Gloves come off over coronavirus

Gloves come off over coronavirus

Boris Johnson's coronavirus strategy was yet again tested to breaking point this week, as Labour opposition leader Keir Starmer and leaders of northern English cities tore into the government's new th...

17 Okt 202026min

Coronavirus clampdowns go regional

Coronavirus clampdowns go regional

Tension over coronavirus rules pervaded local and national UK politics this week as the north of England faced further restrictions, and pubs and restaurants in central Scotland were closed. Will West...

10 Okt 202031min

Tories dream of Terra Australis

Tories dream of Terra Australis

Home secretary Priti Patel's initiative to examine plans for an offshore immigration centre on Ascension Island — more than 4,000 miles from the UK — put the government's asylum policy under the spotl...

3 Okt 202029min

Coronavirus returns as Chancellor Sunak walks a tightrope

Coronavirus returns as Chancellor Sunak walks a tightrope

Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced further restrictions to halt the spread of Covid-19 in the UK but faced a backlash from Conservative MPs. Chancellor Rishi Sunak's winter economic plan, however...

26 Sep 202030min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

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