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How To Win An Election
by Times Radio Politics
The Times brings together some of the most experienced strategists in British politics to discuss what's really going on behind the big stories, and elections taking place here and around the world. Daniel Finkelstein, Sally Morgan and Polly Mackenzie join Hugo Rifkind for an intelligent, adversarial and witty conversation every week. Follow the podcast now to never miss an episode. Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: [email protected] Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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How To Kick Extremists Out Of A Party
With the Green Party and Reform UK facing claims that they're providing a home for extremists from far left and far right, the political masterminds are looking at how to deal with entryists. Danny argues that the most important decision a political party can make is about who it won't let in…
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How Kemi Badenoch's Free-Market Revival Gives The Tories Hope
Kemi Badenoch has made an unashamed pitch for voters in Middle Britain with her conference promise on inheritance tax, trying to frame the next election as a battle between traditional Conservative and traditional Labour ideas. But does a focus on the 'blue wall' mean abandoning any hopes of...
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How Andy Burnham's Election Promises Could Backfire
Andy Burnham has outlined his vision for the country, and in the process written a good chunk of Labour's next manifesto. But could his ambitious promises cost more than the UK economy can bear? Danny argues the country can't afford his old Labour instincts, and Hugo says the party is like an...
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How Long Will Burnham's Labour Honeymoon Last?
We're at Labour conference, where Andy Burnham is enjoying North Korean-style levels of support from party members. But how long will it last? John Healey has warned there isn't any money left, and is softening the party up for welfare cuts. The political masterminds also discuss Burnham's...
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How A Hung Parliament Looks Inevitable
The polling company YouGov has released its latest MRP survey, and in a dramatic reversal of last year's findings it now projects a hung parliament, with Labour on top and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK squeezed by the rise of Restore Britain. But is it too soon for Labour and the Tories to break out…
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How To Spend £72m
Does big money win elections? As Reform UK receives record sums from billionaire donors, we look at what it will take to translate the cash into votes. The team recalls the fall-out from the Bernie Ecclestone affair and the cash-for-honours scandal during the Blair years, and both Danny and Sally...
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How To Bribe An Election
Donald Trump faces accusations of bribery after promising every adult $5,000 if they vote Republican - but Danny says he advised Rishi Sunak to present tax cuts to the British public in the same way. The political masterminds also consider whether Andy Burnham made a mistake in saying national...
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How Polanski's Gamble Is Make Or Break
There's a by-election on the way, thanks to Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Green Party leader Zack Polanski wants to stand - just how big a risk is he taking, and could he fall flat on his face? The team have been looking into the likely scenarios. We also...
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How Clacton Wasn't The Victory Farage Needed
Nigel Farage has seen off along list of novelty candidates to increase his majority in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader says it's a resounding victory, but over whom? And if it was, why wasn't he been out trumpeting the result? The political masterminds (well, most of them) return…
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How To Promise Everything And Pay For It Later
Andy Burnham’s first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - but can he keep everyone happy and still balance the books? Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny look at the prime minister’s first week in power, from his plans for public services and tax cuts, to the questions over how he will pay...
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How To Launch Your Premiership In Downing Street
Andy Burnham will soon be making his first speech from Downing Street as prime minister - how will he introduce himself to the nation? The team discuss striking the right balance between optimism and acknowledging the scale of the challenge, and look back at their role in preparing speeches for...
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How Burnham Risks Being All Things To All People
This week the political masterminds are answering more of your questions. Does Andy Burnham risk becoming all things to all people, and will that inevitably result in disappointment? What jobs would Sally, Polly and Danny have in No 10 North? Have former military figures seized the agenda over...
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How Farage Triggered A By-Election
Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as an MP, saying he will fight a 'people versus the establishment' by-election in Clacton. Is it a high risk stunt by the Reform UK leader? When have by-elections backfired in the past, and will it make questions about his finances, and his future, go...
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How To Read Burnham's Blueprint For Government
What have we learned so far about Andy Burnham's plan for government? Danny has been reading his book, Head North, and thinks he's proposing a clear left turn when it comes to the economy and public services. Does Burnham's vision of a more devolved United Kingdom add up to an electoral strategy,...
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How To Pick Your Chancellor And Cabinet
The team bring their years of experience inside Downing Street to the question of how Andy Burnham will construct his cabinet, and who he could pick as chancellor. After the return of James Purnell as chief of staff, is there a risk of having too many veterans of the Blair and Brown years back in...
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How Keir Went, And Andy Arrived
Sally and Danny join Hugo for this extra episode to examine the Keir Starmer legacy - if there is one - and ask whether Andy Burnham could be a more consequential leader than the consensus gives him credit for. And, how will Reform UK attack Burnham - can they make the label 'Captain Flip-flop'...
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How The By-Election Result Changes Everything
Andy Burnham has won, and won big in the Makerfield by-election - what happens next in Downing Street and the Labour Party, and what does it all mean for the next general election? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss Keir Starmer's insistence he won't walk away from No 10, the reaction of the...
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How Will The Days After The By-Election Play Out?
We're only a week away from the Makerfield by-election, when voters could choose the next prime minister. If Andy Burnham wins, what happens in the hours and days after he arrives in Westminster? Will he seize the moment and try to challenge Keir Starmer immediately, or wait until he has a plan…
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How Burnham Is (Or Isn't) Defining Himself
How is Andy Burnham defining his vision for the country as he tries to win the Makerfield by-election? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss whether the (possible) next prime minister can really wind back the clock back 40 years, whether Nigel Farage has taken a risk in his response to the murder…
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How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Michael Heseltine
Former cabinet minister, former deputy prime minister, big beast of the Tory jungle - Lord Heseltine joins us for our series looking at how the most significant elections of our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost. He takes us back to the 1983 general election. Margaret Thatcher was fresh...
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How The By-Election Will Be Seismic
The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform wins, then it will clear Nigel Farage's path to power and plunge the government into (further) chaos. Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo)…
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How The Labour Leadership Challenge Could Play Out
The struggle for the future of the Labour Party, and the country, has begun, even as Keir Starmer tries to hang on. The political masterminds look at the potential pitfalls for Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham - and discuss whether Labour should give up on its working class roots and...
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Emergency Episode: How Long Can Starmer Cling On?
Sally Morgan, Polly Mackenzie, Danny Finkelstein (and Hugo) explain what's behind a chaotic day at Westminster - where Keir Starmer vows to carry on, despite a growing number of MPs and ministers calling for him to go. Why didn't the cabinet speak out, is government continuing to function, and…
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How Labour Suffered An Historic Defeat
Labour has taken a hammering at elections in England, Scotland and Wales, with Nigel Farage calling it an ‘historic shift in British politics’ - does this add up to the end of the two-party system, and does it add up to the end of Keir Starmer? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo explain why things went...
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How The Elections Could Be Existential for Labour
Ahead of the local elections in England and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, the political masterminds ask: just how bad can it get for the Labour Party? If predictions of huge losses come to pass, how will the cabinet, MPs and councillors react, and can Downing Street come up with…
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How To Decide When (And If) The PM Will Be Challenged
As regular listeners know, Danny likes to say there is a market failure in political coups - but does Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson vetting crisis mean we're entering a period of maximum danger for the PM? How will Labour MPs react if their party does as badly in May as the polls...
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How To Defeat The Populists
In the wake of Viktor Orbán's election defeat in Hungary, can we draw conclusions about the limits of populism - and the chances of a recovery by the centre here in the UK? Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo also discuss how government prepares for disaster - from foot-and-mouth disease to fuel…
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How To Sell Starmer The Statesman
The prime minister is trying to appeal to voters ahead of May's elections by talking about conflict overseas - can branding him as a global statesman rescue his premiership, in the same way Gordon Brown tried to survive after the financial crash? With Danny away, we turn to the next generation -...
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How The Energy Shock Helps Starmer Survive
There's an arms race under way as the parties make competing offers to help with the rising cost of living. Is anyone cutting through to the voters? And as Keir Starmer's rivals consider whether to move against him after May's elections, Danny argues that the looming economic crisis makes it a…
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How To Shut Down A Political Conspiracy
Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss the conspiracies swirling around the theft of Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone. How did government work in the pre-smartphone era, when Tony Blair refused to use one? They also explore how political language is evolving (and whether it’s becoming dangerously...
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How To Run A Shadow Leadership Campaign
Angela Rayner has fired the opening shot in the leadership race to succeed Keir Starmer, warning that Labour is 'running out of time'. We discuss the art of being on manoeuvres without being caught doing it - from Michael Portillo installing the phone lines, to Rishi Sunak's team secretly...
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How Starmer Became The Passive Prime Minister
In this special crossover episode with our colleagues at the Times podcast The State Of It, Hugo is joined by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund to discuss the new edition of their book Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer. Morgan McSweeney was the man credited with rescuing Labour...
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How The Mandelson Files Weigh On The PM
Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo look at what the Mandelson files say about decision making in Keir Starmer's Downing Street. Is there a comparison with Boris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal, which led to Johnson's resignation as prime minister? With Starmer's cost of living agenda in...
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How Trump's War Is Upending British Politics
We're looking at the implications of the American-Israeli attacks on Iran for British politics - has the prime minister been constrained by a near-religious belief in international law, by cabinet divisions, or by party politics? We also discuss whether the Green Party's bounce in the polls can…
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How Labour's By-Election Hammering Damages Starmer
The Green Party crushes Labour at the Gorton and Denton by-election, knocking Keir Starmer's party into third place in one of their safest seats. The political masterminds discuss whether the prime minister can find a new strategy to survive, whether the Green Party can replicate the victory…
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How Government Responds To Andrew's Arrest
As we assembled the How To Win An Election team to talk about Robert Jenrick, Rupert Lowe and Danny's quest for the point of Ed Davey, news broke that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies wrongdoing. Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo)…
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How To Survive In The Number 10 Bunker
Keir Starmer has seen off the threat to his leadership - for now. What happens inside Downing Street when things get really, really bad for a prime minister? We also discuss whether the Labour Party will swing to the left with Morgan McSweeney's departure, and Zack Polanski's singing at Liberal...
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Emergency Episode: McSweeney Resigns
Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. With Number 10 in survival mode, can the prime minister find a new strategy, and how long will potential leadership challengers wait? Hugo, Danny and Polly respond to the emergency podcast bell and react to the news. Hosted on Acast....
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How Mandelson's Downfall Threatens Starmer
The Mandelson-Epstein scandal has left Keir Starmer's authority over his party, perhaps his future as prime minister, dangling by a thread. In this week's episode we discuss the huge impact of the downfall of Peter Mandelson - who says he has not acted criminally in any way or acted for financial...
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How To Go To The Polls - If Labour Ditches Starmer
Danny argues that if Labour wants to ditch Keir Starmer and pick a new leader, his replacement should immediately go to the polls. Have we switched to a presidential system without realising it, and would the party ever actually risk letting Reform into Downing Street? The team also discuss…
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How To Reshape The Right
This week we're discussing the shape of the right of British politics - are we witnessing a landmark moment in the journey of Reform UK, and is Kemi Badenoch worried the Conservative Party is now seen as less right wing? The political masterminds also consider whether anyone is making political...
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How To Sack Robert Jenrick
Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, saying he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. Hugo and Danny discuss the return of the Tory psychodrama, and what it means for the future of the right in British politics. Also in this week's episode: Sally, Polly and Danny talk about Lynton Crosby's…
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How To Get Some Swagger (Like Donald Trump)
Can Keir Starmer learn from Donald Trump and get some swagger? Hugo, Polly and Danny are joined by former Labour strategist Peter Hyman to discuss whether the government can stop looking anxious, and whether the prime minister is right to keep talking about the next election as a straight fight...
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How To Predict Whether Starmer Will Survive 2026
What are the chances that the elections in May 2026 in Scotland, Wales and England will lead to a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer? That's one of the questions answered by the political masterminds in our Christmas episode. We also find out about their favourite political memorabilia…
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How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Nick Clegg
We're joined by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg for the latest in our series looking at how the most significant elections in our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost. He takes us inside the 2010 Liberal Democrat campaign - from the first TV leaders' debate in British history, to...
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How Labour Could Reverse Brexit
The prime minister has been increasingly critical of Brexit this week, and says he wants a closer relationship with the EU - without rejoining key parts of the club. But will Labour inevitably have to go further, and if they do will they be falling into a Reform UK trap? We also discuss the role…
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How To Survive A Tax-Raising Budget
Was the Budget aimed at short-term political survival, or did it form part of a coherent electoral strategy? Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) discuss Rachel Reeves' statement - does it make it more likely that she and the prime minister will stay in their jobs, but more likely to lose the next...
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How To Make Your MPs Like You
Can Keir Starmer persuade his backbenchers to back his tough new migration reforms - and stop them openly plotting his downfall? We discuss how prime ministers have tried to keep their MPs on side, Alex Ferguson's advice for Tony Blair, and whether Andy Burnham could be heading back to…
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How To Plot Against A Prime Minister
Keir Starmer has vowed to fight any plot to oust him - but has Downing Street's briefing operation against the plotters actually made his downfall more likely? Sally, Pollly, Danny and Hugo discuss the prime minister's survival, and look at past plots that have succeeded - and those that haven't....
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How Rachel Reeves Will Have To Resign
Danny says if Rachel Reeves raises income tax she will have to resign - and will make all political promises in the future worthless. Do the other political masterminds (and Hugo) agree? We also discuss why Zack Polanski didn't like our discussion about the Green Party, whether British…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Times brings together some of the most experienced strategists in British politics to discuss what's really going on behind the big stories, and elections taking place here and around the world.
Daniel Finkelstein, Sally Morgan and Polly Mackenzie join Hugo Rifkind for an intelligent, adversarial and witty conversation every week.
Follow the podcast now to never miss an episode.
Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: [email protected]
Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Times Radio Politics
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does How To Win An Election have?
How To Win An Election currently has 149 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is How To Win An Election about?
The Times brings together some of the most experienced strategists in British politics to discuss what's really going on behind the big stories, and elections taking place here and around the world. Daniel Finkelstein, Sally Morgan and Polly Mackenzie join Hugo Rifkind for an intelligent,...
How often does How To Win An Election release new episodes?
How To Win An Election publishes regularly with 149 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to How To Win An Election on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts How To Win An Election?
How To Win An Election is created and hosted by Times Radio Politics.
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