Inside Downing Street when war breaks out

A week is a long time in politics. After a crushing by-election defeat last week, the Prime Minister was hoping for a quiet week to recalibrate. Instead, he got a new war. The US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran has set in motion a whole new set of pressures on his government; navigating the ‘Special Relationship’ with the US, confronting the long shadow of Iraq hanging over the Labour Party and keeping the domestic ship afloat.In this episode, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former Special Advisor to Boris Johnson, reveal the reality of Number 10 on a war footing. What’s it like inside COBR meetings? Does the ‘boys club’ mentality take over? And how the hell do you keep the country running?Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction01:28 Iran War: recap of the week’s events04:41 Domestic backdrop: Spring statement07:01 The strange geography of 10 Downing Street this week09:45 How to spot the signs of war in Number 1012:45 History lesson: Gordon Brown’s COBR meetings16:51 Why Boris Johnson didn’t like COBR meetings19:40 The ‘Boys Club’ mindset at a time of war24:03 Party politics during war26:30 Why the Conservatives haven’t backed Labour30:15 The importance of a US ambassador31:50 Bizarre phone calls with POTUS33:10 Theresa May holding hands with Trump35:28 What should Starmer do next?Cover image: PAExecutive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie RoseProducer: Sam DurhamFind the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.Email your questions to Helen and Cleo on [email protected] podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.