Episode · Westminster Hour
Analysis from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool
27 Sep 2026 · 49 min
Episode notes
Ben Wright broadcasts from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool with guests including the Cabinet minister and Leader of the House of Lords, Angela Smith; Professor of Politics at Liverpool University, Jon Tonge; and Jessica Elgot - deputy political editor of The Guardian. They discuss the Prime Minister's pledge to fix social care and the competing demands on the public purse. Ben reports on the mood among delegates - and with a different perspective, Conservative frontbencher Joy Morrissey also joins the panel down the line. And is it time to reassess the impact of the IMF crisis,…
Westminster Hour
by BBC Radio 4 · English · News
The big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis from politicians and journalists, 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.
More from Westminster Hour
-
4 Oct 2026 · 49 min
Live discussion from the Conservative Party conference
Ben Wright is at the Conservative Party conference with Tory deputy leader, Alex Burghart, polling expert Scarlett Maguire and Lucy Fisher - Whitehall editor of the Financial Times. They discuss Kemi Badenoch's blueprint for government and her focus on economic growth - with Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson also joining in down the line. Ben spends time speaking to grassroots party members to assess their morale. And the programme includes a report from the Green Party of England and Wales conference in Brighton - where delegates passed a controversial motion declaring that "Zionism is racism".
-
20 Sep 2026 · 50 min
The PM prepares to meet President Trump, and the Lib Dem Conference
Ben Wright is joined by the Labour MP and new Chair of the Justice Select Committee, Catherine Atkinson; Conservative health spokesman Neil Shastri-Hurst; and the Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller. The former diplomat and National Security Adviser, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, joins them to discuss the Prime Minister's trip to the UN General Assembly and expected first meeting with Donald Trump. The panel also consider changes to the way courts operate, intended to speed up rape trials. And Harry Farley speaks to grassroots Lib Dems, attending their annual conference in…
-
13 Sep 2026 · 50 min
What is the government doing about social mobility?
Ben Wright is joined by Labour MP Zubir Ahmed, Conservative frontbencher Mims Davies and the education specialist and online commentator, Sam Freedman. They discuss the latest developments over political funding - following the recent mega-donations to Reform UK - and a forthcoming meeting of pro-independence First Ministers. Sienna Rodgers - deputy political editor of The House magazine - brings additional insight and analysis. And Ben speaks to Alun Francis - head of the Social Mobility Commission - after the government announced a new approach to the issue, including a "class unit".
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
