logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
34m 13s

EMQs: How should PMs behave after they l...

Persephonica
About this episode

As the US-China trade war heats up, Ed Balls and George Osborne ask: what if the Trump White House took the nuclear option… defaulting on its debts to China? Ed explains why that could be a catastrophic thing to do, while George points to the ‘Mar-a-Lago Accord’ as a way that the US in reality may negotiate its debt. 


Sticking with Trump, Ed and George also ponder ‘patrimonalism’ – a term coined by Max Weber to describe governance by personal loyalty and kinship… Is Donald Trump the first patrimonial President of the United States? 


Josh Simons MP, a rising star in the Labour Party, asks for advice on getting government backing for a new road in his Makerfield constituency. Is he right to lobby the Housing and Transport departments, and what sort of arguments will pique the interest of the Labour leadership?


Right now, the UK has eight living former Prime Ministers. Ed and George conclude by comparing their behaviour upon leaving Number 10. Which PMs clearly can’t let go, and whose stock has risen over time? 


Technical Producer: Danny Pape 

Producers: Miriam Hall and Jarek Żaba

Executive Producer: Dino Sofos


Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network. 


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


Become a member of POLITICAL CURRENCY GOLD 🏅 to support the podcast, enjoy ad-free listening to all our episodes and receive early access to EMQs. Or, join Political Currency’s KITCHEN CABINET to enjoy early and ad-free listening, access to live EMQs recordings, and exclusive Political Currency merch.


Subscribe now: patreon.com/politicalcurrency or on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/politicalcurrency. Please note Kitchen Cabinet subscriptions are only available through Patreon.



Subscribe now on Patreon

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

Up next
Aug 21
Wes Streeting on battling the Treasury, his plan for the NHS, and the reality of power
What is it really like to go from nine years in the political wilderness to running one of the most challenging departments in government? For Wes Streeting, Labour's Secretary of State for Health, it's a challenge he has been visibly relishing this past year, after a long, frust ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 18
EMQs Young People Special: Why won’t politicians listen to the next generation?
Why do the concerns of young people barely register in political debate? Ed Balls and George Osborne take questions on the widening gap between the careers young people dream of and the jobs actually available, and why debt, unaffordable housing and the loss of defined benefit pe ... Show More
40m 8s
Aug 14
Sarah Vine on Michael Gove, the Camerons, and why she's done with "toxic" politics
While George Osborne is away “stirring the pot” (this time with JD Vance),Ed Balls is joined by author and columnist Sarah Vine for a powerfully candid conversation about her explosive memoir, How Not to Be a Political Wife.Sarah gives the unfiltered story of her marriage and div ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
May 2019
115: THE EVE OF THE WAR with special guest Stephen Bush of the New Statesman
As the EU Election clock ticks remorselessly down to zero we’re joined by the New Statesman’s political editor STEPHEN BUSH to survey the campaign so far and predict the upshot. What will Labour’s “all things to everyone” stance to do its vote? How do we fight the Brexit Party’s ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 2024
New chancellor, new rules
Rachel Reeves has rewritten her fiscal rules on the eve of her seismic first Budget next week. She says her new borrowing rule will help get Britain building, but how will it go down with voters – and the markets? Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is in Samoa, where a debate about repa ... Show More
37m 13s
Jun 20
Starmer on standby
Will he? Won’t he? President Donald Trump has given little indication as to whether America will join in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So where does this leave the UK and its assets in the region? How does the prime minister play his hand with the president, and what does ... Show More
27m 10s
Apr 2025
Trump's Tariffs... Chaos or a cunning plan?
Everything has changed…again! Or has it? The team assemble after President Trump scrapped his tariff plans (for 90 days at least) and reverted for a 10% levy across the board. Except for China, that is, who now face a rate of 125%.So what is really going on? The Democrats are cry ... Show More
28m 19s
Nov 2024
337. Trump Returns: What Now?
Did Trump win it or did the Democrats blow it? What are the implications of a second Trump presidency for America and the rest of the world? Has rightwing populism delivered a fatal blow to liberal democracy? Catchup on the last of our three special US election livestreams. Alast ... Show More
1h 27m
Jan 2025
363. The Return of Donald J. Trump
What did the inauguration tell us about how extreme Trump 2.0 is going to be? What is Netanyahu’s endgame for Gaza – peace or perpetual war? Why has Starmer launched an inquiry into the Southport attacks? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Res ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 6
Budget Battles & Conversations With China
Negotiations over President Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" continue on Capitol Hill — but now, his former ally, Elon Musk, is criticizing both the legislation and the president himself. How will Republicans respond? Then, we look at ongoing trade negotiations between the U.S. and ... Show More
23m 45s
Jul 10
Trump’s NEW tariff threats.. should we take them seriously?
There were big promises of deals being struck around the world after Donald Trump announced his “reciprocal” tariffs back in April. But those promises - “90 deals in 90 days” - are yet to materialise and now the president has moved the deadline for those deals from July to August ... Show More
27m 56s
Nov 2024
341. Biden vs. Trump: A fight for the future of Ukraine
Is Biden’s move on missiles too little too late for Ukraine? Who will be in Donald Trump’s White House team? Why are business leaders growing tired of Labour? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a gre ... Show More
54m 27s