Budget, boats and a by-election
Political Fix24 Okt 2025

Budget, boats and a by-election

Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a rare bit of good news from lower inflation statistics this week, which could reduce government borrowing ahead of the November Budget. But the uphill struggle to improve Labour’s standing in the polls continues after a drubbing in Caerphilly, the embarrassing failure of the one-in-one-out migrant policy and the chaotic start to the grooming gang inquiry. Host George Parker is on hand to dissect the week along with deputy political editor Jim Pickard, UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and the FT’s northern England correspondent Jennifer Williams. Plus, is the King getting poor advice from the PM over Prince Andrew in the wake of further damaging revelations about the prince’s links to Jeffrey Epstein?


Follow George on Bluesky or X: @georgewparker.bsky.social, @GeorgeWParker; Robert: @robertshrimsley or @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Jen on X @JenWilliamsMEN and Jim on X @PickardJE


Want more?

Labour suffers seismic by-election defeat to Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly

UK borrowing costs fall in boost for Rachel Reeves

Reeves vows to clear way for BoE rate cuts with cost of living pledge

Grooming gang victims call for minister to resign

A defining crisis for Britain’s royals

Britain’s flawed support for Jaguar Land Rover


Clips from: Sky & Parliament Live TV


Sign up here for 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.


Our email address is politicalfix@ft.com


Presented by George Parker. Produced by Clare Williamson. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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

Avsnitt(579)

Tory morale plunges

Tory morale plunges

Morale within the Conservative campaign is low and was damaged further this week after the party chair became the fifth Tory MP to abandon his seat in the north to fight for a safer seat in the south ...

7 Juni 202431min

Campaign catch-up: Farage is back!

Campaign catch-up: Farage is back!

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s troubled re-election bid has been dealt a fresh double blow, as Nigel Farage seized the reins of Reform UK and announced he would stand as a candidate, while a new poll sh...

4 Juni 202423min

Introducing Untold: Power for Sale

Introducing Untold: Power for Sale

Introducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from all over Europe investigate what happene...

3 Juni 20242min

Labour’s messy campaign week

Labour’s messy campaign week

As the gloves come off and the parties swing into full campaign mode, Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Miranda Green and Stephen Bush to consider – with five weeks to go – who’s pushing ahead. Has La...

31 Maj 202435min

Bring it on! Election 2024 kicks off

Bring it on! Election 2024 kicks off

Rishi Sunak shocked Westminster with the decision to hold a snap general election on July 4. As the parties launch their campaigns, Lucy Fisher assembles the Political Fix team to look ahead to the ne...

24 Maj 202441min

Election battle lines drawn up

Election battle lines drawn up

Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled his party’s six core pledges ahead of the general election – in the same week that Rishi Sunak claimed the country would be less safe under a Labour government. As both p...

17 Maj 202442min

Live special: Who will win the UK general election?

Live special: Who will win the UK general election?

As politicians and commentators digest the disastrous Tory local election results, FT experts answer subscribers’ questions about what this might mean for the forthcoming general election – and beyond...

9 Maj 202448min

Election special — local poll results roll in

Election special — local poll results roll in

The Tories suffered sobering losses in local elections across England in the last big electoral test before a general election.Labour also trounced the Tories in the parliamentary by-election in Black...

3 Maj 202436min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
rss-expressen-dok
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
motiv
aftonbladet-daily
spar
rss-vad-fan-hande
blenda-2
rss-krimreportrarna
olyckan-inifran
rss-frandfors-horna
rss-flodet
grans
krimmagasinet
dagens-eko