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Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards — 409 episodes

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Title
1

Can or should a King change Trump’s view of ’the special relationship'?

2

Is Britain ungovernable?

3

How vulnerable is Keir Starmer?

4

Starmer/Mandelson - Does the plot ever really change?

5

Is there a danger the government will spend too much on defence?

6

The fall of Orban - How vulnerable is the populist right?

7

Are we seeing the return of Cabinet Government?

8

What next for the BBC?

9

Alan Johnson on Wilson, Blair and Starmer

10

The never-ending debate special

11

What is the ‘centre ground’?

12

Why are the right obsessed with Ed Miliband?

13

Why is the ‘cost of living’ almost impossible for the government to control?

14

Why did Starmer ignore the evidence against Mandelson?

15

Is Britain trapped by the "special relationship"?

16

Why we should welcome Stamer’s caution on Iran

17

Trump and Iran – Has Britain learned the lessons of Iraq?

18

The Greens win - What will be the consequences?

19

What will we learn from the Gorton and Denton by-election?

20

Will the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor undermine the Royal family?

21

Can the media cope with a government moving slightly to the left?

22

Rock & Roll Politics Live - How long will Starmer rule?

23

How will the government change in the post-McSweeney era?

24

Why did Mandelson wield so much influence over Starmer’s leadership?

25

Will tactical voting block Reform?

26

Has Kemi Badenoch taken a fatal wrong turn?

27

Burnham is blocked - What are the consequences?

28

Where does the never-ending Trump show leave Britain and its ‘special relationship’?

29

What are the differences between Reform and the Tories?

30

How big is the schism on the right?

31

What do U-turns tell us about a government?

32

Is Starmer’s focus on the cost of living more risky than it seems?

33

How long can Starmer claim he has no view on Trump and Venezuela?

34

The Defectors Part 3: A Festive Series - Carswell and Reckless (Tory to UKIP)

35

The Defectors Part 2: A Festive Series - Shaun Woodward (Tories to Labour)

36

The Defectors Part 1: A Festive Series - Reg Prentice (Labour to Tories)

37

What have we learnt at the end of 2025?

38

Why does a 'narrative' matter so much?

39

Rock & Roll Politics Live - How fragile is Keir Starmer?

40

What next as Trump turns away from Europe?

41

Brexit- is this the beginning of the end?

42

Why are newspapers still powerful?

43

Could The Conservatives Recover?

44

Has Rachel Reeves calmed the mood of restive Labour MPs… and disillusioned voters?

45

Rachel Reeves - and consequences

46

Nick Thomas-Symonds on Labour prime ministers, leadership threats and Europe

47

Will Mahmood’s asylum policies stop the boats… and the rise of Reform?

48

Is Starmer the biggest victim of the 'toxic culture'?

49

Why is the BBC so scared of the right wing media?

50

What do Labour's 'soft left' want?

51

Does Nigel Farage have a credible economic policy?

52

What will happen if Rachel Reeves breaks a manifesto pledge on tax?

53

Is the strange silence over Farage and Johnson's Brexit about to be broken?

54

Should transport be a top priority for Starmer? – in conversation with Christian Wolmar

55

What does the Maccabi Tel Aviv football ban tell us about who runs Britain?

56

What would you do if you were Rachel Reeves?

57

Why is Labour's deputy leadership contest more significant than it seems?

58

Are the Conservatives doomed?

59

Can Starmer beat Farage?

60

Are the Liberal Democrats a centre-left party?

61

What are the lessons of the Mandelson saga?

62

Will Keir Starmer's changes revive Labour?

63

Will Starmer's reset make a difference?

64

Rock & Roll Politics Live at the Edinburgh Festival

65

What's been happening at the Edinburgh Festival?

66

For all the storms, is Labour heading for a second term?

67

Is Labour Delivering on Transport?

68

What does Britain get from 'The Special Relationship' with the US?

69

Water Privatisation - why is Margaret Thatcher still deified?

70

Can the government find a more effective media strategy?

71

How deep a hole is Keir Starmer in?

72

Can Keir Starmer learn the lessons from the welfare shambles?

73

Trump strikes Iran – What will be the consequences?

74

How does a government communicate to disillusioned voters?

75

What does Sarah Vine’s book tell us about the crisis in the Conservative Party?

76

What is the key ingredient that makes a leader stronger?

77

Are there dark echoes from a distant Labour government?

78

In conversation with Michael Heseltine

79

Can The Tories survive?

80

Who will win the battle of the UK’s borders?

81

Do Starmer and co know what they mean by ‘change’ and ‘reform’?

82

Is the Government moving closer to Europe?

83

Why are the right targeting Ed Miliband?

84

With Farage backing steel nationalisation, is public ownership back in fashion?

85

Will Brexit Britain flourish in the New World Order?

86

How long will Trump’s ‘love’ of tariffs last?

87

Is Rachel Reeves trapped by her fiscal rules?

88

Is Wes Streeting taking back control?

89

Can Rachel Reeves slash welfare spending?

90

What will it mean to have ‘boots on the ground’?

91

Can Keir Starmer be the ‘bridge’ between Europe and Trump?

92

Is Europe heading for war with Russia?

93

Who are the ‘incumbent disrupters’ in Keir Starmer’s government?

94

Is Rachel Reeves an accidental risk taker?

95

Can a cautious government achieve economic growth?

96

Trump is back. What are the lessons for Starmer?

97

Should the Liberal Democrats be getting more media attention?

98

Is the government wasting a landslide majority?

99

Rock & Roll Politics Special: The Troublemakers

100

Rock & Roll Politics Live at Kings Place - The final show of 2024

101

Why Nigel Farage is not as formidable as he appears to be

102

What happens if thousands flee Syria?

103

Will Keir Starmer’s ‘relaunch’ make a difference?

104

Is Starmer Moving Closer to Europe?

105

What’s Wes Streeting up to?

106

Can Starmer connect with “the left behind”?

107

Can Kemi Badenoch revive the Tories?

108

Will the budget be a historic turning point?

109

Are some chancellors more powerful than their prime ministers?

110

What is the most underrated quality in a leader?

111

Will the departure of Sue Gray boost Starmer’s government?

112

Why Are The Conservatives Still Talking To Themselves?

113

Can Labour recover from its wobbly start?

114

Can the Lib Dems Make Any Impact on a Landslide Government?

115

Does the government need to be unpopular?

116

Will the next Tory leader ever be prime minister?

117

Do things have to get worse?

118

The briefings against Sue Gray

119

Are the Tories doomed whoever is the next leader?

120

Are the riots more than a law and order issue?

121

Has Rachel Reeves won the case for tax rises?

122

Why do doomed leaders struggle to quit?

123

Where next for the ‘Special Relationship’ amid US turmoil?

124

Has Keir Starmer won the political space to be daring?

125

What have we learnt from this strange election?

126

Rock & Roll Politics Live – The election bonus

127

Will Labour get the economic growth they need?

128

How will the Tory media deal with a Labour landslide?

129

Why is the election 'tax and spend' debate dangerous and bonkers?

130

What are the deeper lessons of the Diane Abbott saga?

131

The Tory Campaign – Why is it the most calamitous start in modern times?

132

The Election Bonus

133

Contaminated Blood – Will the familiar lessons ever be learnt?

134

Can Keir Starmer stop the boats?

135

Do the Tory Right know what they want?

136

Has the SNP become impossible to lead?

137

Who is Winning The Battle of Ideas?

138

Harold Wilson’s affair and how we misread leaders

139

This Time No Mistakes – In Conversation with Will Hutton

140

Rock & Roll Politics Live – The Easter Special

141

Can Rachel Reeves win the battle of ideas?

142

Is Sunak's time up?

143

From Johnson to Starmer – How much does character matter?

144

Where’s the passionate anger over the crisis in UK?

145

Has Liz Truss got a point?

146

Starmer and Rayner – What does she think of him?

147

Why are the Tories bolder when on the verge of power?

148

Labour’s £28 billion saga – Has an exciting policy become a threat?

149

Will Tory MPs dump Sunak?

150

The myths of Blair’s ‘97 campaign – and why Starmer is being judged unfairly.

151

How can Britain start working again?

152

The Post Office scandal-What are the deeper lessons?

153

How can Rishi Sunak cut Labour's lead?

154

Christmas Special: Rock N Roll Politics Live At Kings Place

155

Are you driving home this Xmas (because the trains are useless)?

156

Why is the Rwanda plan sucking up all political energy?

157

Are we heading for an early election?

158

Boris Johnson Vs. The Covid-19 Inquiry

159

Why Are Right Wing Populists Winning Again?

160

Why Tax Cuts Now?

161

Get Ready For Another Tory Psychodrama

162

Will Sunak's reshuffle improve the party's prospects?

163

Where does power lie in the UK?

164

The Covid Inquiry and The Fatal Chaos in Johnson's Number 10

165

Does Northern Ireland offer any lessons for the Middle East?

166

Will the Tories be wiped out?

167

Israel & Gaza: Is there space for nuance?

168

The Labour Party conference part 2: Keir Starmer makes his pitch

169

The Labour Party conference part 1: Labour moves closer to power

170

Sunak and the Tory Conference: Can Rishi Sunak be the candidate for change?

171

Sunak and the Tory Conference: Why has Rishi Sunak failed to learn the art of leadership?

172

Nick Thomas Symonds on Clem Attlee, Keir Starmer and Brexit

173

Is the UK On The Edge of An Historic Turning Point?

174

Has The UK got a foreign policy? If so, what is it?

175

When governments fall - plus Starmer's pre-election reshuffle

176

Who Does Rishi Sunak Rely On Most?

177

Summer Special - Prime Ministers and Their Special Confidants: David Cameron

178

Summer Special: The 1992 Election

179

Summer Special! Troublemakers: Enoch Powell

180

Question Time Special

181

A Revealing Twist in the Mad ’Tax and Spend’ Debate

182

The three by-elections and the consequences

183

Keir Starmer: Is he right to copy Tony Blair's language and ideas?

184

The BBC and The Sun – A dark dance

185

'Tax Burden' and 'Reform' part 2 - Where is the economic growth going to come from?

186

My Extinction: Climate Change Special

187

'Tax Burden' and 'Reform' - What Do These Ubiquitous Terms Really Mean?

188

Dirty Water – What Does It Tell Us About British Politics?

189

Where's The Hope?

190

Secret State? The pros and cons of freedom of information

191

Don't forget David Cameron and George Osborne

192

Being Privileged and on the Left - In Conversation with Polly Toynbee

193

Keir Starmer Moves Closer to Number 10

194

Will There Ever Be A National Care Service?

195

Can The Tories Recover While Boris Johnson Remains An MP?

196

The Transformation of the Conservative Party-In Conversation with Tim Bale

197

The Prime Ministers we never had: Why did they fail to seize the crown?

198

What is the ‘centre ground’? In conversation with Rafael Behr

199

Immigration: Will there ever be a grown up debate?

200

In Conversation with Sir Antony Seldon

201

The Tory Right Stir...Yet Again

202

In Conversation with Rob Burley

203

A Long Road To The Next General Election

204

Long Live The King

205

Who owns ‘Freedom’?

206

How Did Boris Johnson Last As Long As He Did?

207

What Makes a Bully?

208

Douglas Alexander in Conversation

209

Striking Nurses and The State We’re In

210

Northern Ireland, Then & Now

211

Labour's Attack Ads - Will They Work?

212

Question Time Special

213

Keir Starmer vs Jeremy Corbyn

214

Is The UK Economy Doomed? In Conversation with Danny Blanchflower

215

Can Rishi Sunak Win the Next Election?

216

Michael Cockerell in conversation

217

Tony Blair, Iraq.... and the Lessons for Labour Now

218

Winning and Governing - Can Keir Starmer be Bolder?

219

Gary Lineker and the BBC - Will the Lessons be Learnt?

220

Danny Finkelstein in conversation

221

Reflections on Leadership and the SNP Contest

222

Reviving New Labour: Starmer’s Only Path to Victory?

223

Can Labour Make Expensive Promises?

224

Bridget Phillipson: Preparing For Power

225

Can Brexit Ever Be 'Done?'

226

What the Butler Saw – Lord Butler on life in No.10

227

The BBC, Richard Sharp and ‘Impartiality’

228

Andy Burnham in conversation

229

Liz Truss and Her Tiny Target Audience

230

Christian Wolmar and The UK's Chaotic Railways

231

The Fatal Legacy of Boris Johnson

232

Nick Timothy on the modern Conservative Party

233

The Real Reason For the Return of 'Tory Sleaze'

234

Lisa Nandy on ‘Taking Back Control’

235

Brexit and Scotland: When Leaders Become Trapped

236

Keir Starmer and The Year Ahead

237

Rishi Sunak and The Year Ahead

238

Can we trust elected politicians?

239

What do Sunak, Streeting and everyone else mean by REFORM?

240

A Winter of Discontent... and Consequences

241

Keir Starmer and the Art of Winning

242

A Train Journey, the Exodus of Tory MPs and Hancock in the Jungle

243

Brexit: The Beginning Of The End?

244

BONUS PODCAST: Electoral Reform - The Question Time Special

245

Sunak, Hunt, and The Dangerous Allure of the Past

246

Has the Time Come For Electoral Reform?

247

How Rishi Sunak Can Win the Next Election

248

The Rishi Sunak Era

249

The Fall Of Truss: Emergency Podcast

250

Liz Truss and Consequences

251

The Next Labour Government and the Power of Markets

252

The Truss & Kwarteng U-Turn, and Political Space

253

The Revolutionary Conservative Party

254

The Return of The Truss Era

255

The Queen, The King – and How An Era Is Defined

256

Liz Truss is Prime Minister

257

The BBC and Bias - Plus a special bonus listeners' Question Time

258

Rock & Roll Politics: Live at the Edinburgh Festival

259

Reflections at the Edinburgh Festival

260

Energy prices… and Consequences

261

UK Economy Hurtling Towards the Cliff's Edge

262

Lessons for Keir Starmer in The Rise Of Liz Truss

263

Can Boris Johnson Make A Comeback?

264

The Tory Leadership Contest

265

The Conservatives Choose Another Prime Minister

266

Boris Johnson and Judgement

267

The Dangerous Allure of ‘The Centre Ground’

268

Who’s In Charge?

269

Cries For ‘Tax Cuts’ and a ‘Battle with Europe‘

270

Boris Johnson Limps On

271

The Jubilee and the State of England

272

Sue Gray… and Consequences

273

Brexit: Far From Done

274

Keir Starmer and 'Beergate' - What We Already Know

275

The lessons of Labour’s landslide win in 1997

276

When Prime Ministers Fall

277

The Return of Partygate

278

The long search for the BBC’s Political Editor

279

Cost of Living Crisis - How Should Labour Respond?

280

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak

281

Boris Johnson: A Columnist as Prime Minister

282

Boris Johnson, Ukraine and the Falklands Factor

283

Jonathan Powell on Ukraine, Putin and UK Foreign Policy

284

Views of the Past, National Identity… and War

285

Freedom

286

Global Britain’s Foreign Policy – Posturing And Weakness

287

Prime Ministers and Number Ten

288

Sue Gray Speaks Her Mind

289

Boris Johnson: Parties and Rules

290

Keir Starmer Makes His Pitch

291

Two Predictions for 2022

292

Lord Frosty Resigns

293

The ‘Freedom’ To Be Selfish

294

Rishi, Keir and the Times Newspaper

295

Keir Starmer Reshuffles His Shadow Cabinet

296

Trains, Dacre and Marr

297

A Shift In The Opinon Polls

298

Boris Johnson and 'Sleaze"

299

The BBC and 'Impartiality'

300

Rishi Sunak and Rachel Reeves

301

A Review: Blair and Brown-The New Labour Revolution

302

Brexit and Consequences

303

B Johnson and his Cabinet espouse the policies of Tony Benn

304

Keir Starmer Makes His Moves

305

Boris Johnson-The most powerful PM in modern times

306

Is Boris Johnson Moving The Conservatives To The Left?

307

Social Care and the Lack of Political Will

308

Prime Ministers We Never Had-Part 2

309

Prime Ministers We Never Had-Part One

310

Is Rishi Sunak the Next Prime Minister?

311

What should the state be doing and how?

312

'Freedom'

313

Boris Johnson's ' Freedom to Be Irresponsible Day'

314

K Starmer Needs To Change Labour Without 'Taking His Party On'

315

Matt Hancock-A Saga With Many Lessons And Consequences

316

The significance of a dramatic by-election result

317

Boris Johnson seeks to disown his chosen Brexit route

318

Lockdown 'Freedom' Day-A Familiar Pattern

319

Ed Miliband-Ideas and Leadership ..And Is D Cummings on the left?

320

The BBC In Crisis- A Familiar Pattern

321

Keir Starmer Gets Advice..From Virtually Everyone

322

Streaming live tonight...the historic finale

323

Labour turmoil

324

Does the 'centre ground' exist?

325

Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings

326

David Cameron and A Long Serving Government

327

Tonight's live show

328

A Prince Dies

329

Alastair Campbell On K Starmer, T Blair and the leadership of E Miliband

330

Salmond V Sturgeon-The Most Significant Twist So Far

331

Flying the Flag

332

A Quick Reminder

333

The Vaccine, Voters and a Reconnection With The State

334

Personalities or Policies-What Matters More?

335

Prime Ministers and Chancellors

336

The Bizarre Rise of Lord 'Frosty' Frost-an Emblematic Tale

337

A few words about tonight's Rock N Roll Politics live stream

338

Listening to Rock N Roll Politics while walking along rivers, canals, the sea..and eating scallops

339

Boris Johnson Takes Control of the NHS

340

Vaccines, Brexit and the Irish Question

341

Covid, Brexit And A Fear of Contemplating Consequences

342

B Johnson's Hair And The Other Big Issues Of Our Times

343

Trump and 'the Special Relationship'

344

Brexit Far From Done..And Another Late Lockdown

345

My favourite Political Interview..Ever

346

The No Deal/Bad Deal (but better than a no deal) Brexit Special

347

The Dangerous Self- Confidence of Etonian Prime Ministers

348

Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Rebel Tory MPs

349

Form A Square Around the Pritster

350

Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings and a Downing Street 'Reset'

351

Biden, Merkel, Macron....and Brexit Johnson.

352

Johnson and Lockdown; Starmer and Corbyn

353

Boris Johnson V Andy Burnham and Marcus Rashford

354

Covid Response in the UK and the Consequences of Devolution

355

Steve Richards Presents Rock n Roll Politics

356

Test and Trace-The Reasons for The World Beating Cock Ups

357

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak-Nothing is What It Seems

358

The Tory Papers Turn on Boris Johnson

359

Boris Seeks to Break the Law

360

Brexit is back (it never went away)

361

Prime Ministers and the Misery of Power

362

The most significant political year since 1945

363

Boris Johnson and A Fear of Scrutiny

364

Keir Starmer's 100 days and How to Challenge Rishi Sunak

365

Prime Ministers and the Favourite Special Advisers

366

Boris Johnson as Churchill, Roosevelt and Jose Mourinho

367

Will Boris Johnson be PM at the time of the next election?

368

The Virtual Live Show

369

Boris Johnson And The Question of Competence

370

Boris Johnson, the Scientists and 'the science'

371

Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings

372

Lockdown Special-The Sequel

373

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

374

B Johnson- A Curious Indifference to 'Bombproofing' a TV Address

375

Lockdown Special: The Lessons From Setting a Target For Tests

376

Rock N Roll Politics The Virtual Show-A Trail

377

Coronavirus-The daily press conferences v reality on the frontline

378

B Johnson- A PM in hospital ; An interview with T Blair on Labour

379

Virus: Powerless ministers in 'reformed' NHS and Keir Starmer

380

Johnson and The Virus; Starmer and Leadership

381

The State Is Back In Fashion

382

The Virus becomes political and the Budget changes politics

383

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

384

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

385

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

386

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

387

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics-the Podcast

388

Steve Richards presents Rock N Roll Politics

389

Rock N Roll Politics

390

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

391

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

392

Steve Richards Presents Rock N Roll Politics

393

Episode 18

394

Rock N Roll Politics Episode 16

395

Rock N Roll Politics Episode 15

396

Rock N Roll Politics-- Episode 14

397

Rock N Roll Politics- Episode 13

398

Episode 12

399

Episode 11

400

Episode 10

401

Episode 9. Brexit Drama

402

Episode 8. Railway Chaos

403

Episode 7. Keir Starmer

404

Episode 6. Theresa May and Question Time

405

Episode 5. Brexit Latest and the World Cup

406

Episode 4. Reflections on Jeremy Thorpe... and Brexit

407

Episode 3. Rock N Roll Politics Live

408

Episode 2. Reflections on Labour and William Keegan

409

Episode 1. Theresa May, Brexit and a conversation with Andrew Adonis