logo
episode-header-image
Jun 26
1h 5m

Will the welfare rebellion be the end of...

Persephonica
About this episode

Daddy’s back in the (White) House! Ed Balls and George Osborne go over the major event of the week - starting with the NATO meeting in The Hague. Allies have agreed to up defence spending to 5 percent, but that’s not what’s grabbing the headlines. More attention has been on new Secretary General Mark Rutte referring to Donald Trump as “Daddy.” The pair consider what’s really at play here, and what Trump’s return to the world stage could mean for the UK.


Back home, the government is refusing to say whether the US bombing of Iran violated international law. What’s the strategy in dodging the question? And how long can they keep it up?


But it’s not the only issue on their plate. Labour’s big majority is looking a bit shakier as over 120 MPs line up to rebel over welfare reform. Is this Starmer’s first real test? And what does it tell us about who’s really in charge?


Plus, Glastonbury gets dragged into the headlines again - this time over Irish rap group Kneecap. Are we in for another culture war summer?


To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:

👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency

👉 Apple Podcasts


Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.


Producer: Miriam Hall

Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca

Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty 

Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford


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


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

Up next
Jul 7
EMQs: Our Keir Year, modern Machiavellis and fairness in politics
What is a fair way to govern? In response to a long time listener who feels a victim of his own success – disproportionately hit by taxes and ineligible for certain benefits – Ed Balls explains three different philosophical concepts of ‘fairness’. George Osborne meanwhile dismiss ... Show More
37m 57s
Jul 3
Week from Hell for Reeves and Starmer
Some incredible scenes in PMQs this week - in which Chancellor Rachel Reeves was openly crying - has Ed Balls and George Osborne considering just how bad things have got for the Labour government. Mere days after a dramatic climbdown over welfare reform, when the watered-down bil ... Show More
56m 6s
Jun 30
EMQs: Can the G20 still keep the peace?
Is the G20 still a force for peace and diplomacy, or just a stage for political performance? Ed Balls and George Osborne kick off this week’s EMQs with a question about nuclear non-proliferation and whether South Africa should push it up the agenda this year.The pair then turns t ... Show More
43 m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Trump Reignites the Forever Wars
Tommy and Ben discuss Bibi Netanyahu restarting the war in Gaza as he creates a new domestic political crisis, why Trump's airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen are likely to fail, and the gutting of Voice of America. They also cover the latest in Trump's efforts to harne ... Show More
1h 39m
Apr 23
Can Trump Force Zelensky To Do A Deal?
Today, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to accuse Zelensky of harming Ukraine peace negotiations following the Ukrainian president telling a news conference he would not recognise Crimea as Russian.Adam is joined by James Landale, diplomatic correspondent, and Sumi Somaskanda, B ... Show More
37m 6s
Feb 2025
Trump’s Insane Plan To “Own” Gaza
Tommy and Ben discuss how Trump’s insane plan to ethnically cleanse and “own” the Gaza strip is destabilizing governments in Egypt and Jordan, and why Trump keeps undermining the Gaza ceasefire deal he helped broker. They also discuss new whistleblower allegations about Trump’s p ... Show More
1h 27m
Oct 2024
How the conflict in the Middle East might put Donald Trump in the White House
Sky News and NBC News have joined forces for a new podcast - The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim.    For the first episode, Yalda is in Jerusalem and Richard is covering events in Lebanon.    They discuss what they are seeing and hearing on both sides of the border as th ... Show More
31m 20s
Aug 2024
Mark Levin Audio Rewind - 8/14/24
On Wednesday’s Mark Levin Show, President Trump gave an outstanding speech on the economy and beyond. He defined Harris-Biden, he spelled out what they've done to our country, and he set forth a pro-growth agenda, and made clear that government is not the answer. Trump made clear ... Show More
1h 52m
Feb 2025
Is Trump's Honeymoon Over?
Donald Trump and Elon Musk make their bromance official in a joint interview with Sean Hannity, but polls suggest the American people may already be souring on DC's new it-couple. Trump takes his feud with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to dangerous new levels, calling Ukraine's leader a "d ... Show More
1h 14m
Feb 2025
Trump's War on the U.S. Government
Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue their all-out assault on the federal government, shuttering USAID, rooting out and firing workers linked in any way to diversity initiatives, and breaking and ignoring laws as they go. Jon and Dan hash out all the latest, including Trump's plan ... Show More
1h 29m
Feb 2025
Is Trump 'Daddy'? – with Bassem Youssef
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com Mehdi is once again joined by ‘We’re Not Kidding’ powerhouse Bassem Youssef for a raw and honest conversation about the state of the world. To steal a phrase from MAGA Republicans speaking about Donald Trump ... Show More
34m 58s
Jan 2025
Trump the “Peacemaker”
Tommy and Ben discuss Trump’s inauguration, the tech oligarchy that was on display, foreign leaders in attendance, some of the most damaging and far-reaching executive orders from pulling out of the Paris Climate agreement to designating Mexican cartels terrorist organizations, a ... Show More
1h 38m