Andy Burnham’s March on Westminster: How Could He Become Prime Minister?

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1. 

   S1 · E150 · 9 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 15 min

   Nigel Farage leaves Parliament: What now happens to the standards investigation?

   Nigel Farage has quit the House of Commons to force a by-election in his constituency. In a blistering attack on what he called the media “pile-on” and a political stitch-up by the Westminster establishment, he insisted that the “people of Clacton should be the judge of my actions.” So, this week we dissect his “resignation” statement and ask whether he has a point. Is Farage the victim of an establishment determined to bring him down, or is he simply struggling under the weight of mounting scrutiny? We compare his case with other high-profile political controversies and examine whether his…

2. 

   S1 · E149 · 2 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

   New PM, new Clerk of the House of Commons: A new chapter at Westminster?

   With a new Prime Minister preparing to take office and the Commons appointing its first female Clerk, we discuss these two pivotal appointments that will help shape how Parliament works in the years ahead. We explore the challenges they will face in managing Parliament, examine fresh warnings from the Lord Speaker that Westminster’s restoration plans risk stalling for lack of political support, and hear from Baroness Hayter about her bid to close a loophole in the lobbying laws. ______ As Sir Keir Starmer prepares to hand over power to Andy Burnham, attention is turning to the shape of the…

3. 

   S1 · E148 · 25 Jun 2026 · 47 min

   The Burnham question: A new approach to whipping Westminster?

   What would an Andy Burnham government actually look and feel like? This week we explore how Andy Burnham might govern, drawing on his experience as a Cabinet minister, his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, and his own writings on constitutional reform. We ask whether a Burnham government would take a fundamentally different approach to Parliament – particularly the use of the party whip – and what that could mean for MPs and the balance of power at Westminster. We also explore why dozens of Presentation Bills were introduced this week, how this legislative procedure works, and whether any…

4. 

   S1 · E146 · 11 Jun 2026 · 52 min

   Brexit, 10 years on: Parliament and the democratic crisis

   This month marks the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum – a vote that unleashed four years of extraordinary political turmoil. Judges were branded "enemies of the people", MPs denounced as "saboteurs", political parties fractured, and Prime Ministers rose and fell amid relentless parliamentary drama. Historian Dr Robert Saunders of Queen Mary University of London has written a new paper arguing that Brexit was more than a bitter political dispute: it amounted to a full-blown democratic crisis. In this episode, Robert joins Ruth and Mark to explore why Britain’s political system…

5. 

   S1 · E145 · 4 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

   The Cabinet Manual: Why Britain's constitutional "highway code" needs updating

   The Cabinet Manual has been described as the “highway code” of the UK constitution, a guide that brings together the laws, conventions, precedents and procedures under which the Government operates. First published in 2011, it has not been updated since, despite a decade and a half of constitutional change. So why is the Government revising it now? What needs updating? Should Parliament have a role in approving it? And how important is the Manual as a guide to the UK’s unwritten constitution? The Government has described its response to the Mandelson Humble Address as an “unprecedented piece…

6. 

   S1 · E144 · 28 May 2026 · 22 min

   The £5m question: Who funds our politicians?

   In this episode, we explore the rules governing MPs’ financial interests, gifts and donations, as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces questions over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Ruth and Mark are joined by Duncan Hames, a former MP and now Director of UK Policy at Transparency International, to ask whether the current transparency regime is working, whether a requirement to declare large gifts is enough on its own to protect public confidence, and whether a fixed cap on donations should also be put in place. At a time when political donations, gifts…

7. 

   S1 · E158 · 1 Oct 2026 · 40 min

   This is No Way to Run a Country: A conversation with former veterans minister Johnny Mercer

   Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer joins us to discuss his new book, No Way to Run a Country: An Outsider’s Journey into the Heart of our Broken Politics , and his struggle to change veterans’ policy from inside Westminster and Whitehall. Mercer entered Parliament after serving in Afghanistan, determined to improve support for former service personnel. He recalls arriving with little knowledge of parliamentary politics, the unexpected impact of his maiden speech, and how he used his role on the Defence Select Committee and the media to press for change. He takes us behind the scenes at…

8. 

   S1 · E157 · 17 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

   PMQs: Parliament Matters Questions

   Recorded at Queen Mary University of London as part of Student Week, welcoming students at the start of the new academic year, this special live edition features three expert guests: historian Dr Robert Saunders; Private Members’ Bill specialist Dr Daniel Gover; and historian Dr Catherine Haddon, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and former Queen Mary student. The panel begins by assessing the new Burnham Government. Has the Prime Minister’s more optimistic, personable style marked a substantive break with Keir Starmer or merely improved the presentation? They consider the…

9. 

   S1 · E156 · 11 Sep 2026 · 54 min

   MPs reject the assisted dying bill: What happened, and what next?

   MPs have rejected the assisted dying bill – but why did a proposal they had previously supported lose this time, and what happens now? Andrew Lewin MP, a supporter of the bill, hot-foots it from the Chamber to give us his immediate reaction. He describes the atmosphere when the result was announced, offers his explanation for the bill’s defeat and considers whether and how the campaign to change the law might continue. Back in the studio, Hansard Society researcher Matthew England joins us to crunch the numbers. Turnout proved crucial to the final result: was the bill defeated because MPs…

10. 

    S1 · E155 · 3 Sep 2026 · 56 min

    Andy Burnham’s rewired state: Can Parliament provide the circuit breaker?

    Andy Burnham made his despatch box debut as Prime Minister in the House of Commons this week with one of the longest ministerial statements on record and a promise to strengthen the Prime Minister’s grip on Whitehall while transferring power and resources away from it. We examine the new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and No. 10 North. Are they instruments of genuine decentralisation or a more powerful prime-ministerial centre with a Manchester outpost? If Burnham wants Parliament to become the country’s “circuit breaker”, what powers, information and resources will MPs need to do…

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