logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
30m 7s

Tory tribes go back to war

Financial Times
About this episode

Boris Johnson found himself in another parliamentary stand-off over Brexit legislation this week, and eventually found a compromise with rebellious Conservative MPs. Why is the prime minister struggling with his party and is he becoming a diminished figure in Westminster? Plus, with the takeover by US chipmaker Nvidia of British-based chip designer Arm, and Hitachi's decision to withdraw from a major nuclear power project in Wales, does the UK have a coherent industrial policy?


Presented by Sebastian Payne, with George Parker, Robert Shrimsley, Jim Pickard and Peggy Hollinger. Produced by Anna Dedhar and Josh de la Mare. The sound engineer is Breen Turner. The editors were Liam Nolan and Aimee Keane. Music by Metaphor Music.


Review clips: US government, UK Parliament, Sky News



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

Up next
Aug 22
The mess in the NHS
England’s NHS is in a ‘critical and deteriorating condition’ - those are the words of Lord Darzi who investigated the state of the NHS for the new Labour government last year. In response, Starmer unveiled a ten year plan to fix it focusing on delivering three big shifts in healt ... Show More
35m 42s
Aug 15
Starmer's superpower: soft power?
Maga arrived in Chipping Norton this week, heralding an intense round of British diplomacy ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska on Friday. Ukraine is top of the agenda and both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy have been doing their bit liaising b ... Show More
27m 53s
Aug 8
Introducing Swamp Notes: The real cost of gutting USAID
Political Fix is on a break this week. In its absence, we're taking the opportunity to introduce you to its sister podcast, Swamp Notes, the weekly US politics podcast from the Financial Times. Six months after the Trump administration gutted the US Agency for International Devel ... Show More
19m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
Will Young: popstar to politician? Plus Westminster ceasefire row
Nish and guest co-presenter Liz Bates set the scene on what went on to become a chaotic night  in the Commons, that put speaker Lindsay Hoyle’s job at risk. They call out the “pathetic and petty” political game playing that sought to use the suffering of people in Gaza to embarra ... Show More
56m 22s
Jun 2024
Why the Brits are fed up with the Tories
Unless there’s some sort of miracle for the Tories in the next few days, the party is about to be all but wiped out when the Brits head to the polls on July 4.UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has led a disastrous campaign, but the Conservative Party’s demise has been long in the mak ... Show More
14m 45s
Jun 2024
Reform's election promises examined | Royal return
Reform have launched their manifesto which they're calling "Our Contract With You" in South Wales.  The "contract" is promising big spending, dwarfing what Labour and the Conservatives have committed to.  The party says it will pay for the plans by measures including scrapping ne ... Show More
20m 34s
Oct 2023
Is the Labour left finished in Britain?
With Labour Party leader Keir Starmer dragging his party onto the center ground, host Aggie Chambre asks what remains of the left in Britain — and what the future may hold for this increasingly marginalized group. She hears from three Labour MPs in the left-wing socialist campaig ... Show More
44m 52s
May 2021
Why by-elections matter
As the dust settles after the Hartlepool by-election, Jack Blanchard looks back at some of the great by-election contests of recent years — and ponders whether these quintessentially British political battles are always as significant as they seem. Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney recalls ... Show More
39m 41s
Apr 2024
Will Labour just be another version of the Tories?
It is a truth near-universally acknowledged (amongst pollsters at least) that Labour will be the largest party at the next election. But how would they actually differ from the Tories in terms of what they do once in power?They've pledged not to raise taxes and not to remove the ... Show More
36m 39s
Jun 2024
Landslides and wipe-outs - reaction to latest election poll
Sir Keir Starmer could be heading to Downing Street with a majority of 194 seats, bigger than what Tony Blair achieved in 1997, according to the first polling projection by YouGov of the campaign.  The projection shows a historic Labour landslide, with the party getting the highe ... Show More
19m 8s
Jun 2024
Is Being a Politician the Worst Job in the World?
On July 4th—while the U.S. celebrates its break from Britain—voters in the United Kingdom will go to the polls and, according to all predictions, oust the current government. The Conservative Party has been in power for fourteen years, presiding over serious economic decline and ... Show More
36m 24s
Sep 2022
After Boris: What now for the Tories?
With days to go until Boris Johnson’s replacement is announced, host Ailbhe Rea considers whether the Conservatives are now on their way out of office — or whether this is just one more clever shape-shift from the most successful political party in the world. She meets Johnson’s ... Show More
42m 27s
Jun 2024
Can the Conservative Party manifesto revive Sunak's campaign?
Rishi Sunak has launched the Conservative's election manifesto, promising to slash taxes in a bid to revive the party's floundering campaign.       In his address at the home of the British Grand Prix, the prime minister pledged £17bn in tax cuts including lowering national insur ... Show More
24m 2s