logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
44m 6s

Why we secretly love party conferences

POLITICO
About this episode
It's time for the weirdest few weeks of the British political calendar: conference season. Host Ailbhe Rea takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the speeches, fringe events, champagne receptions and bad karaoke parties that happen at the annual Conservative and Labour conference, with the help of Emily Thornberry, Labour's shadow attorney general and a conferen ... Show More
Up next
Sep 30
Labour conference special: Manchester’s new mayor
On a special edition of Westminster Insider from Labour Party conference, Pat and Sascha sat down with the new Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, at the POLITICO Pub in Liverpool. In a conversation recorded in front of a live audience on Tuesday, shortly before Andy Burnham’ ... Show More
20m 59s
Jul 3
Football and politics: How to play the game
With England through to the knockout stages of the World Cup and hopes rising that football might finally be coming home, Westminster is watching nervously — and closely. The beautiful game shapes the national mood like little else. For politicians, that creates both huge opportu ... Show More
38m 27s
Jun 2026
Does being a good mayor make you a good prime minister?
The Greater Manchester mayoralty made Andy Burnham famous. Now he's hoping he can take the approach he developed in the city to the whole country. This week on Westminster Insider, host Sascha O'Sullivan speaks to four serving mayors — and one former one about whether the role wi ... Show More
32m 29s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
NatCon: fruitcakes, fringe, or future of the Tory Party?
Today we take you behind the scenes at Nat Con: the Conservative-ish conference taking place in London this week. It's a meeting of hard Brexiteers, nationalists, libertarians, and the 'anti woke'. With a smattering of Holocaust minimisers, homophobes and climate-deniers thrown i ... Show More
37m 52s
Sep 2024
EMQs: How to give a GREAT conference speech
<p>Rachel Reeves takes to the Labour party conference stage today, but hopefully not before she has chance to listen to Ed Balls and George Osborne’s sage advice on how to give a great conference speech. We take a stroll down memory lane and reflect on some of the most rousing sp ... Show More
38m 3s
Jul 2019
Only weirdos join parties
<p>Matt Chorley is joined by David Aaronovitch and Hugo Rifkind to discuss who are the members pulling the strings in the Labour and Tory parties.</p><br><p>Plus Catherine Philp, The Times’ diplomatic correspondent, on what on Earth is going on in the White House.</p><hr><p style ... Show More
35m 54s
Nov 2019
Loony tunes
<p>Matt Chorley meets Alan “Howling Laud” Hope, leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party and veteran of eight general elections, and asks: what’s the point?</p><br><p>PLUS: Esther Webber rounds up the week, including TV debates, manifesto muddles and an “impromptu rally”.</p><hr> ... Show More
21m 35s
Sep 2018
Party Conference Deja Vu
Helen is joined by Anoosh Chakelian to discuss the shaming of Donald Trump by Stormy Daniels, plus why Labour Party conference gives her serious deja vu. Then Jonn Elledge reports back from Lib Dem conference, and hands out some TV recommendations too.Send us your questions for f ... Show More
38m 53s
Sep 2021
What Are Labour Essaying?
Labour’s internal wranglings ahead of party conference John McDonnell talks to Laura, Adam and Chris about Keir Starmer, internal party politics and how to win the next general election, ahead of the Labour party conference. But the big question is, will he be taking his trombone ... Show More
30 m
Sep 2024
Crisis of Conference: What to expect from the party gatherings
• OGWN Live in Hove, Weds 9 Oct. Tickets here. Party conference season is here and there’s much to talk about. What really goes on at these events, do they matter and what kind of vibe will Starmer give now he’s at the helm? Plus, the UK’s creative arts industry has some of the l ... Show More
58m 46s
Oct 2014
UK party conference special
With a UK general election only eight months away, the main political parties were keen to come up with a winning formula at their party conferences. James Blitz is joined by Michael Stott and Kiran Stacey to discuss how well they did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m ... Show More
11m 19s
Oct 2022
Political Editors Assemble
We’ve assembled the political editors from ITV, Sky and the BBC to reveal what’s been going on behind the scenes at the Labour and the Conservatives party conferences.Robert Peston, Beth Rigby and Chris Mason have the inside track on what ministers and backbenchers are saying abo ... Show More
34m 32s