Ed Balls and George Osborne take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. Having battled it out across the despatch box, the former Chancellor and shadow chancellor now meet in the studio to discuss the decisions that affect the nation’s pockets. Our frenemies have the knowledge and experience to explain how good politics follows the economics - and expose how the powerful become powerless when faced with market forces and political currents they can’t control. Join us every Thursday.Send your messages or voice notes to questions@politicalcurrency.co.ukFind us on social media @polcurrencyPolitical Currency is a Persephonica production. Subscribe now on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 1 day 21 hours 19 minutes
Do They Know It's Election Time?
George comes bearing gifts… the news of a winter election next year. As parliament winds down for Christmas, Ed and George reveal there’s no rest for politicians. The mood in the Tory party is gloomy, but could this be a critical moment for the opposition to strike?
Cameron, Starmer and Sunak have all been calling for a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza. But is there such a thing? George throws down the challenge to our new ‘Rolls-Royce’ foreign sec...
Keir Starmer’s popularity problem
It’s not just Rishi Sunak’s approval rating which has taken a battering. Keir Starmer has his own popularity problem. Why?
The so-called ‘five families’ of the Tory party threaten to “go to the mattresses” over the Rwanda bill, but end up bottling it. Is Mark Francois really the next Don Corleone?
Ukraine’s President Zelensky has embarked on a world tour, pleading for more money for the Ukraine war...
Tory shambles: Rwanda resignation and Boris at the Covid inquiry
Another week… another meltdown for the Conservatives. Ed and George ask whether the Tory civil wars have been reignited by the rift over Rwanda and Robert Jenrick’s shock resignation. Is Sunak’s position weaker than ever?
Meanwhile former prime ministers haunt party leaders wherever they go. Boris Johnson is giving evidence at the Covid inquiry, painting a picture of chaos during his tenure. George shares his own theories about the dire state of Johnson’s personal finances...
Sunak's Greek Tragedy
The Autumn Statement hasn’t delivered the stability and calm that Sunak and Hunt likely hoped for. A rift in the party over immigration, a chaotic Covid inquiry and to top it off, a diplomatic incident with the Greek PM over the Parthenon Sculptures...
Losing control of migration?
The Autumn Statement continues to ripple through Westminster, and a new energy price cap puts the cost of living back into the spotlight. As the Chancellor continues his media rounds and Labour weighs in with their response, Ed and George share their experiences of the political traps set by big budget shakeups...
HOT TAKE: The pre-election Autumn Statement?
George and Ed react to Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement. They ask: is he really the tax cutting Chancellor he's claiming to be, and are we on course for an early election? We’ll be back tomorrow with more detail on the Chancellor’s plans as we’ve had time to digest them.
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Tories at war and a Labour rebellion
It’s been a wild week in Westminster and it’s starting to look like the Tories are losing their grip. Ed and George chew over the Supreme Court’s judgment on Rwanda and what it means for Sunak. Could his new Foreign Secretary slam the brakes on some Tories’ hopes to leave the ECHR?
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion of his MPs over the SNP’s ceasefire amendment. Ed explains why this isn’t as big a threat to the Labour leader as it first appears.....
HOT TAKE: The Return of David Cameron
Rishi Sunak has finally sacked Suella Braverman, and the reshuffle has opened the door for the most unlikely return to politics: David Cameron.
In our first HOT TAKE bonus episode, George Osborne - his closest political friend - brings us the inside scoop on our new Foreign Secretary.
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How do you solve a problem like Suella?
Suella Braverman has attacked the Met Police Chief’s decision to allow the pro-Palestine march this Saturday, putting Rishi Sunak in a tricky position. Ed asks George whether firing her is the only option.
Civil servants and ministers are currently scrambling around the Treasury to get everything ready for the upcoming Autumn Statement...
The price of Johnson's toxic Downing Street culture
It was Dominic Cummings' turn at the Covid inquiry this week and - as George predicted - we heard about the misogynistic language being used in Boris Johnson's Number 10. What does it reveal about the toxic culture operating in Westminster at that time? And why this isn't ancient history for the Tories.
Trouble is still brewing for Keir Starmer over his party's response to the Israel-Gaza conflict...