Three days after one of the most devastating IRA attacks launched upon British soil, the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath called an election, in circumstances that had never been more dire. Running against him was the veteran Labour leader, Harold Wilson, now as tired and beleaguered as his rival, and whose party was increasingly divided by internal ... Show More
Jul 29
692. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Massacre in Paris (Part 2)
What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 26
691. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Queen’s Spymaster (Part 1)
How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 22
690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2)
What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17 year old girl? And, why did the Austrian royal family try to er ... Show More
1h 19m
May 2023
Is It 1974 All Over Again?
<p>A Conservative prime minister, soaring inflation, strikes bringing the country to a standstill - and Britain hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. Welcome to 1974.</p><br><p>Matt looks at what happened when Ted Heath asked 'who governs Britain', and considers whether Rishi Suna ... Show More
44m 41s
Jun 2024
The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it would bring to an end 14 years of Tory rule. It’s been a turbulent period; the twin catastrophes of Brexit and Covid, set to ... Show More
50m 33s
Jul 2024
The Summer of Seismic Political Shocks
Labour of love. A fresh start for Britain as voters called time on the Tories.
Also this hour, my exclusive interview with the woman at the epicenter of Europe's lurch to the far right, Marine Le Pen.
Then, historian Heather Cox Richardson on the false equivalence created ove ... Show More
40m 34s
Aug 2023
The Brighton Bombing - the attempt to kill Margaret Thatcher
<p>In 1984, the Conservative Party, lead by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gathered in the seaside town of Brighton for their annual conference. In the early hours of October 12th a bomb ripped through the Grand Hotel where Thatcher and several other conservative l ... Show More
50m 5s