Episodes
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Republicans routed as Democrats retake the Senate in style
The US midterm results are in. Keith Duggan reports from Texas where Democratic nominee for US senate James Talarico has declared victory in the usually deep-red state. It is just one of the eye-catching Democratic victories on a historic night. Republicans have lost control of the House of...
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Taoiseach doing some ‘deep thinking’ about Irish unity with creation of new Government body
Pat Leahy and Naomi O’Leary join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: A new Government body is to be tasked with scoping out the models and challenges for different potential “constitutional futures” for the island, including a 32-county united Ireland. Is this proactive move a...
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Can Israel’s opposition parties oust Netanyahu?
As the day drew to a close in Israel on Tuesday, exit polls in the Knesset election suggested a lead for the bloc of parties opposing prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. As the sun rose and official counts were declared a very different picture emerged showing a slender lead for Netanyahu’s bloc.…
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Can Democrats take the Senate? US midterms special with Galen Druke
Take our listener survey for access to a bonus episode. Go to irishtimes.com/insidepolitics It is one week out from US midterm elections with Democrats hoping to retake control of both the House of Representatives and the powerful Senate. Journalist and podcaster Galen Druke returns to Inside...
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Viral 'hugging grandparents' ad: did Jim O’Callaghan need to intervene?
Take our listener survey for access to a bonus episode. Go to irishtimes.com/insidepolitics. Pat Leahy and Sarah Burns join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: The Dail was dominated this week by debate over the Government’s proposal to end the Triple Lock. It’s a substantial...
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Jamie Bryson: Northern Irish unionists 'must go on the offensive'
The scenes at Drumcree in recent weeks revived memories of one of Northern Ireland’s most enduring disputes between unionist and nationalist communities. But while the immediate controversy centred on a short stretch of road in Portadown, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, who has spearheaded the...
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Is diversity in politics dead?
Democracy rests on the promise that political institutions should reflect the people they serve. But in an era of growing social diversity, persistent inequalities and political polarisation, that promise is being contested. On today’s podcast, Hugh heads to the Royal Irish Academy to speak to...
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As the fight over the next EU budget intensifies, what’s in it for Ireland?
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: Thursday evening in Brussels saw much wrangling over the EU’s proposed €1.6tn budget. As holders of EU presidency, Ireland has a neutral dealmaker role to play - but as one of the net contributors to the pot,...
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How will the public sector pay dispute end?
Leinster House today was filled with sympathy for Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan who took ill during an EU presidency meeting in Limerick on Tuesday. On today’s podcast Hugh speaks to Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy and political correspondent Jack...
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US midterms: is a 'blue wave' coming?
In less than a month US voters will get a chance to express their feelings about the direction of the country in elections for seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. While president Donald Trump is not on the ballot, his unpopularity is weighing his party down. Polls show a "blue...
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RTÉ funding snub not a good look for Patrick O’Donovan
Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: The fallout from Budget 2027 has been minimal, save for Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan’s eleventh-hour decision to cut State subvention to RTÉ by €20 million. Having seen his department pre-budget demands not...
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Budget 2027: buying the peace by pouring fuel on the fire
Ireland is politically and economically stable, as Simon Harris pointed out in his Budget speech yesterday. But keeping it that way is getting more expensive. Increased capital spending, increased day-to-day spending, tax cuts - yesterday’s Budget delivered the lot. Is this sustainable, with our...
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'Traitors to creation': Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor on the far right's apocalypse alliance
Last year Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor co-authored an essay in The Guardian with a provocative title: The Rise of End Times Fascism. In it they argued that a new alliance was emerging on the political right, made up of Christian fundamentalists, Silicon Valley billionaires and hardline...
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Budget drama could go to the wire as ministers wrestle for cash that may not come
The mood music around Leinster House this week is one of “nashing teeth” ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult budget announcement on Tuesday. On today’s podcast, Hugh speaks to our political correspondents Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn who describe a “cold hard reality” that may be…
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Siobhán Fenton worked for Sinn Féin. She explains why it has not won power
Sinn Fein emerged from 2020's general election in pole position to challenge Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and potentially take power next time around. That didn't happen, with support ebbing away as a series of events, both internal and external, shook the party's confidence. That's the picture...
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Can we escape the algorithm? Mark Little is still optimistic
Today anxiety over how the digital world has evolved is greater than ever. Trust in information found online is low, the business models driving tech platforms reward outrage over wellbeing and vast power lies in the hands of a few oligarchs. The arrival of AI may bring even greater problems. But...
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Latest poll numbers show neither Government nor Opposition all that popular with electorate
Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: In the first Irish Times national poll since February, the lack of movement in party support points to an electorate not wholly enamoured by the incumbent Government but not exactly enthused about the…
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What to watch as Xi visits Washington
Chinese leader Xi Jinping lands in Washington later this evening for a three-day state visit, his first to Washington since 2015. The Trump White House is rolling out the red carpet and laying on the full ceremonial treatment for a leader who currently still faces American tariffs, sanctions and...
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Where Anthony Scaramucci and America went wrong
Anthony Scaramucci is a successful Wall Street financier, a recovering Republican, a famously short-lived communications director in the first Trump administration and co-presenter with Katty Kay of The Rest is Politics US. His new book All the Wrong Moves chronicles his time within the Maga...
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What is driving the abuse and intimidation of politicians here?
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: The unprovoked attack on Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae this week highlighted how vulnerable public representatives can be. But when did criticism of Irish politicians turn into abuse and physical violence? Is…
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Sweden's political shift and Germany's electoral shock
Derek Scally talks to Hugh about the aftermath of two elections that have recently taken place: the Swedish general election and regional elections in the Gerrman region of Saxony-Anhalt. Each offers some fascinating insights into current trends and future directions in Germany and Scandinavia…
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What's the best way to make Ireland more equal?
Left-leaning think-tank Tasc has published a new report to mark its 25th year. the report (The State We Are In - Inequality in Ireland 2026) suggests that the redistribution of wealth via the tax system is struggling to keep inequality under control and argues for greater provision of services.…
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Trump's support for reunification grabs the headlines on a colourful day
President Trump and his vast, costly entourage have rolled through Dublin on the way to his golf course, meeting with the Taoiseach and President Connolly along the way. As with other recent encounters between representatives of the State and Trump, there were no major diplomatic incidents for...
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Why has Occupied Territories legislation taken so long?
Inside Politics Live is coming to Cork on September 30th. Get your tickets here. Pat Leahy and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: Green leader Roderic O'Gorman has proposed a one-off €2.5bn energy fund, split between targeted energy credits and investment in…
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'Disruptive' Jack Chambers talks tough on HSE overspending and budget negotiations
Inside Politics Live is coming to Cork on September 30th. Get your tickets here. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers talks to Jack Horgan-Jones about pre-Budget negotiations, HSE overspending, childcare, infrastructure and more. He reveals that he intends to strip power over day-to-day...
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P aul Mason on communism, China and the crisis of the left
British journalist Paul Mason talks to Hugh about his new book Reds: A Global History of Communism. The book traces communism’s story from early human egalitarian impulses to modern China’s controlled capitalist system. Mason talks to Hugh about what drew him to Trotskyism as a young man, his...
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What will President Connolly say to president Trump?
Inside Politics Live is coming to Cork on September 30th. Get your tickets here. Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: Labour’s annual think-in is happening in Galway and Pat is there to find out what the party is thinking up. The mood is positive.…
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'Equal-opportunities satirist' Paul Howard takes aim at Irish reunification
In his new novel A Nation Once Again, Paul Howard, best known for the Ross O'Carroll Kelly series, turns his satirical eye from wealthy South Dublin to an imaginary government department devoted to preparing for the reunification of Ireland. He talks to Hugh about how the concept allowed him to...
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Where next for Simon, Micheál and Mary Lou?
Hugh, Pat, Ellen and Jack took to the stage at Electric Picnic on Saturday to discuss politics and take some uestions from the audience. They discussed UK prime minister Andy Burnham's controversial comments on the possibility of a border poll before moving on to take stock of the political...
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EU presidency hits Wicklow next week and Burnham nixes talk of a Border poll
Ellen Coyne and Jack Power join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics: · All 27 EU foreign ministers will gather in Druids Glen in Wicklow next week for a “Gymnich” meeting. What is that you ask, it is characterised as a more informal chat with no expectation of any hard decisions being...
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M9 crash aftermath: can the Government bring social media under control?
Inside Politics Live is coming to Cork on September 30th. Get your tickets here. Pat Leahy is joined by Ellen Coyne and Liz Carolan to talk about the response to the circumstances around the recent fatal M9 motorway crash. They examine Coimisiún na Meán’s response and the powers it has under the…
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Government stalls on fuel excise duty; politics reacts to M9 tragedy
Inside Politics Live is coming to Cork on September 30th. Get your tickets here. Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: Today the Government announced that it will stall the planned increase to fuel excise duty that was due to come into effect at...
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Why does Ireland support Palestine and does anti-Semitism play a role?
There is deep support in Ireland for the Palestinian cause. But why? And is Ireland truly an outlier in its attitudes to Palestine and Israel? Academics Miceal Canavan and Liam Kneafsey surveyed over 1,500 people to gauge attitudes, investigate the origins of this support and ask whether...
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Tradwife guidance, truthfulness and 'clever' politics in Limerick
Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh to look back on the week in politics: Simon Harris has lobbied the European Commission over the prospect of Ireland's Central Bank once again being responsible for approving Israeli state bonds. Opposition parties have said the bonds are used to raise...
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From boom to bust: how the PDs unravelled - Dessie Can Do It, part three
Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy close their series on the PDs. In 1997 the party runs a disastrous campaign, falling from 10 seats to four. But they still enter government with Fianna Fáil, with Mary Harney their sole cabinet minister. Their real influence comes through Charlie McCreevy, effectively a...
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How the PDs broke the mould of Irish politics - Dessie Can Do It, part two
In the second of three episodes on the rise and fall of the Progessive Democrats, Hugh and Pat pick up the story on the eve of the 1987 general election with the PDs riding a wave of energy and Fianna Fail's Charles Haughey chasing the overall majority that always eluded him. The party's first...
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Dessie Can Do It, part one: the birth of a new political force
Today Hugh and Pat embark on a deep dive into the history of a political party that, despite its small size, had an enormous and lasting impact on Ireland. Born of the dire economic and political realities of 1980s Ireland, the Progressive Democrats, or PDs, spent half of their 23-year existence…
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The spiralling projected cost of the Metrolink brings the NCH to mind
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: It was revealed this week that the planned Dublin Metrolink could cost up to €19 billion. The last Metrolink estimates from 2022 suggested €9.5 billion as the midpoint of a “credible” cost range of between...
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Could India’s ‘Gen Z’ protests bring down Narendra Modi?
Narendra Modi’s 12 year rule of India has never looked so fragile. Weeks of protests have engulfed the country following the leak of a medical entrance exam paper, which forced nearly two million students to resit the test. Protestors hailed victory from the resignation of the education minister...
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All signs point to Budget 2027 not having much room to manoeuvre
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: Budget season has already started with the Summer Economic Statement pointing to less cash being available for new spending measures in Budget 2027. Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Public...
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Does salesman Andy Burnham have a product to sell?
Returning to the podcast today is UK political commentator, broadcaster and author Iain Dale to talk to Hugh about the arrival of Andy Burnham as prime minister and the death of Iain's friend Ann Widdecombe. Burnham's excellence as a communicator and a political salesman means there's a strong...
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How Europe's chief negotiator sees Brexit 10 years on
Michel Barnier is best known in Ireland for his central role in the EU's negotiations with the UK over Brexit almost ten years ago. But Barnier has also played a central role in French politics for decades, including a brief stint as prime minister. Today he is a member of the French parliament....
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What to expect from Aughinish Alumina report and the call to ban e-scooters
Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: The Government’s report into Aughinish Alumina is expected to say that material produced there may or may not have been used in Russia’s war machine, citing a lack of evidence either way. Half of the alumina...
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End of term: what was the biggest moment of the political season?
As the Dáil shuts down for the summer it's time for Hugh, Pat and Jack to take stock of the term gone by. But the biggest political event of the year didn't happen in Leinster House. The April fuel protests left their mark on Irish politics as few other events of recent years have. In part two…
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Marine Le Pen's bid for power and the history of France's far right
Last week an appeals court opened the way for Marine Le Pen of French far-right party National Rally to stand in next year's presidential election. If the far right comes to power in Paris it will be the culmination of a long journey that is outlined in The Dark Side of France: A History of the…
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Sinn Féin and Government on completely different timetables for Irish unity
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · Sinn Féin’s Planning for Constitutional Change Bill, which obliges the Government to draft and publish a Green Paper on unification within 18 months, failed to win support from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, or...
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Germany at a crossroads: football, political frustration and the far right
For Germany, football is often a reflection of the nations’ stability. “When Germany is going well, things are going well on the pitch” Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally tells the Inside Politics podcast. Following another premature exit from a world cup tournament they won only 12...
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Nigel Farage resigns triggering by-election
British MP Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP triggering a by-election in the constituency of Clacton-on-Sea which he says he will stand in. It comes amid a row over his financial support, after The Sunday Times reported he had not declared benefits, including staff and security, received from…
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Aughinish Alumina is proving to be a real diplomatic headache
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union got off to a slightly awkward start at the opening ceremony at Dublin Castle on Wednesday when guest Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned against “material...
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How the duplicitous double life of Jeffrey Donaldson threatens the future of unionism
Hugh Linehan is joined by Alex Kane to discuss the double life of disgraced politician Jeffrey Donaldosn and its broader impact on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as well as Ulster unionism overall. Alex Kane is an Irish News columnist and a political commentator as well as a former director…
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