PoliticsJOE
Go catch the full episode 👀
- Title
- Go catch the full episode 👀
- Runtime
- 1:59
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Britain's double standards on 'terrorism'
- Runtime
- 8:46
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In a highlight from today's pod, Seán and Laura examine the case of Mo Chara and what it reveals about the British state's double standards when it comes to defining and prosecuting terrorism.
Mo Chara, of the Irish rap trio Kneecap, is currently facing terror charges for allegedly supporting proscribed terrorist organisations Hamas and Hezbollah; an act that Seán compares to enjoying a Wolfe Tones gig just months ago (a band that's had their own controversies related to proscribed organisations). Why specifically is an Irish rapper known for his political activism being prosecuted, and why now given the various conflicts in the Middle East?
The pair take a look at the term terrorism's short but complex history, and how its meaning has shifted from describing state violence during the French Revolution to a catch-all term used to criminalise individuals resisting colonialism and occupation.
Ultimately, who gets called a terrorist and who doesn...
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- Right
- Runtime
- 0:42
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
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- Pensioners speak out about losing £300
- Runtime
- 8:03
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a U-turn on his cut to the universal winter fuel payment.
The winter fuel payment is a lump sum of £200 a year for households with a pensioner under 80, or £300 for households with a pensioner over 80.
It was previously paid in winter to all pensioners. But, following the cut, 10.3 million pensioners lost out on the payment last year after the new government cut eligibility to include only those who qualify for pension credit or other income-related benefits.
It was projected to save the Government an estimated £1.4bn, but was politically controversial and Starmer faced backlash from the Commons, media, and public.
Ahead of Rachel Reeves' Spending Review earlier this month, the Government announced that pensioners in England and Wales with an annual income of £35,000 or less will be eligible for the winter fuel payment, alongside those on means-tested benefits.
This means more ...
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- Trump threatens Iran with Juventus team
- Runtime
- 11:47
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In one of the most bizarre and tense press briefings of his presidency, Donald Trump welcomes Juventus Football Club to the Oval Office—but the spotlight quickly shifts from football to foreign policy, as Trump doubles down on his support for Israel’s military strikes against Iran and strongly hints at potential U.S. involvement in the campaign.
This video captures the surreal collision of sport and geopolitics, as Trump stands beside visibly awkward Juventus players while fielding urgent questions from the press about escalating tensions in the Middle East. Journalists press the president on whether the United States plans to join Israel’s offensive, and Trump—never one to shy away from bold statements—offers cryptic yet inflammatory remarks that only deepen uncertainty around U.S. intentions.
The Juventus squad, invited for what was meant to be a light-hearted photo-op and celebration of international sport, is left visibly uncomfortable as the pre...
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- What we saw at KNEECAP's terror trial | Podcast #159
- Runtime
- 30:44
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- After reporting from the scene of Mo Chara's court hearing and its surrounding protest yesterday, Seán and Laura dive into what they saw and why the British state are really going after KNEECAP.
Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, faces a terrorism charge under the Terrorism Act of 2000 for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag and shouting 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' during a gig at Kentish Town Forum in London last year. The charge relates to alleged support for a proscribed organisation, but Mo Chara and his bandmates would say that the case only serves to distract from their support for Palestine, and ability to speak to power. His defence team argue the charge was brought outside the legal time limit for summary offences and is therefore invalid, a point that will be decided when the case returns in August.
The pair describe the scenes outside the hearing, as well as the connection between music and protest. Hear about the hundreds of supporters wavin...
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- Just people in Belfast raving about Kneecap
- Runtime
- 9:29
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- After 800 years of occupation, you'd hope that Brits know a thing or two about the island of Ireland. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. To set things straight, we headed to Belfast to speak with people on the street about KNEECAP, particularly regarding the KNEECAP rapper Mo Chara appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court to face a terrorism charge. We discussed what people on the street think about the rap group, what they mean to both the loyalist and nationalist communities, and what Brits just don't understand about Northern Ireland.
We meet people emphatic about KNEECAP's impact on the Irish language and making it cool to learn it. We also meet a guy who claims they should get out of Belfast and people cynical about the platform they've been given. It's clear that the people we met are not convinced people in the rest of the UK know that much, or even care about, Northern Ireland.
One woman makes the point that people in the rest of the UK see ev...
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- Watch the full report on our page 👀
- Runtime
- 1:30
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
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- Israel-Iran, grooming gangs, and private schools | PMQs reaction
- Runtime
- 48:52
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- On today’s ‘tight’ record, Ed and Oli discuss the illustrious Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, Robert Jenrick’s dark arts, and school uniforms.
With Keir Starmer away at the G7 summit, it was Angela Rayner’s time to shine at the despatch box. Facing her was Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory as he problem about rising Iranian-Israeli tensions (especially pertinent given US President Donald Trump's uncertainty about the Middle East) and the recent grooming gangs scandal.
Rayner also faced questions from Sarah Cooper about the details of the Casey Review and Labour's response to it, following up on the announcement of a full national inquiry and the state’s historical failure to protect vulnerable children.
Peter Fortune also made an appearance, citing the closure of a private school due to Labour’s addition of VAT to private school fees. Unfortunately, that's also one of Labour's most pop...
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- On the ground at KNEECAP's terrorism trial
- Runtime
- 12:18
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Hundreds gathered outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London to stand in solidarity with KNEECAP member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who appeared in court facing terrorism charges that supporters describe as politically motivated.
In this on-the-ground report, we hear from a broad cross-section of voices across Ireland and the UK, all echoing the same message: KNEECAP are not the story — the Israeli genocide in Gaza is. Protesters and speakers argue that this prosecution is a distraction from growing international outrage at the UK government’s support for Israeli military actions in Palestine, and that Liam Óg and his bandmates are being punished for refusing to stay silent.
From the artist’s own constituency, community members speak out forcefully, defending Ó hAnnaidh’s right to political expression and cultural resistance. Paul Maskey MP (Sinn Féin) and Gerry Carroll MLA (People Before Profit) give powerful statements, arguing that the British ...
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- BEST BITS: Angela Rayner wipes the floor with opposition at Deputy PMQs
- Runtime
- 8:09
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Be they Reform, Conservative, or anything in between, Angela Rayner made light work of MPs of all stripes today.
Catch the most explosive moments from today’s session of Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, as Angela Rayner takes centre stage in a fiery and wide-ranging Commons clash.
In this highlights reel, Rayner pulls no punches as she takes aim at Reform UK and their recent record in local government. With several councils now under their control, Rayner exposes the party’s swift descent into inaction, accusing them of making noise on the national stage while failing to deliver basic services in the communities they now govern. It's a sharp critique that cuts through their populist rhetoric and puts their credibility on notice.
Elsewhere in the chamber, a Conservative MP challenges Labour’s plan to remove VAT exemptions for private schools — but Rayner delivers a confident rebuttal. She frames the policy as a reinvestment in state edu...
- Title
- We’re all Bernie bros now aren’t we
- Runtime
- 0:46
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh outside Westminster Magistrates court
- Runtime
- 0:11
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
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- Lib Dem MP demands UK steer clear of Trump attack on Iran
- Runtime
- 3:19
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- At this week’s Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper delivers a pointed and passionate intervention, urging the UK government to resist any pressure to support US military action against Iran.
In the wake of inflammatory rhetoric from former US President Donald Trump and rising tensions in the Middle East, Cooper calls on Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to learn from history — and to ensure the UK does not blindly follow the United States into another conflict without scrutiny, strategy, or legal justification.
Drawing a clear line between the present moment and the lead-up to the Iraq War, Cooper reminds the chamber of the catastrophic consequences of the UK’s involvement in the 2003 invasion. She highlights the lack of due diligence, the manipulated intelligence, and the long-term instability that followed. With echoes of that era resurfacing in Washington, Cooper demands a commitment from the government t...
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- WATCH IN FULL: Angela Rayner takes on Tory shadow at Deputy PMQs
- Runtime
- 38:51
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- As Keir Starmer flies back from the G7 summit in Canada, Angela Rayner takes to the despatch box for today's deputy PMQs and takes on Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
Join us live from the House of Commons for this week’s Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, where Deputy PM Angela Rayner faces off against Shadow Minister Chris Philp in what promises to be a fiery and high-stakes session.
At the top of the agenda is the political and institutional fallout from Baroness Louise Casey’s damning report into the mishandling of grooming gangs across England. Expect Rayner to press the opposition on years of neglect, systemic failures in police and local authority responses, and the lack of justice for survivors. The conversation may also turn to the political misuse of ethnicity data and the danger of far-right exploitation in public discourse.
Also under scrutiny is Keir Starmer’s appearance at the G7 summit, where the Prime Minister’s diploma...
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- HIGHLIGHTS: Angela Rayner makes Tory MP look silly at PMQs
- Runtime
- 11:02
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this sharp and composed exchange at Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions, Angela Rayner calmly takes apart the arguments of Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, as the two clash over the political and institutional fallout from Baroness Louise Casey’s report into the handling of grooming gangs in England.
Philp opens his questioning by pressing the government on the serious and long-standing failures outlined in the Casey Report — from police negligence to inaction by local authorities. He accuses the Labour government of failing to take swift enough action and suggests a lack of transparency in acknowledging the complexity of the perpetrators' backgrounds.
But Rayner, unshaken and precise, responds with a firm defence of the government’s approach — outlining new safeguarding policies, independent oversight mechanisms, and stronger protections for whistleblowers and survivors. She highlights that the root of the problem lies not just in party politics ...
- Title
- Stop letting the Right dominate politics #ukpolitics
- Runtime
- 0:48
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Like PoliticsJOE? We need your support:
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- Title
- Politicians are taking the complete wrong approach to damning grooming gang report
- Runtime
- 8:01
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In a clip from today's podcast, Laura and Oli dive deep on both the media and Westminster's perpetrator-first approach to the grooming gangs scandal, and make a case for focusing on who really needs support: the victims. Has this become yet another political football, and, if so, how can we change that?
Whether it's Richard Tice asking Yvette Cooper for an apology in the House of Commons yesterday or Elon Musk calling out Prime Minister Keir Starmer's complicity in Britain's exploitation on X in January, everyone seems to have forgotten who the Casey Review was supposedly for, or undertaken to protect.
Laura and Oli break down how this issue has been framed, not through the lens of safeguarding or justice, but through the identities of the perpetrators. To what extent are Pakistani-heritage men to blame? How creditable is this racialisation? Misogyny is a universal problem. Is the problem just men?
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- Title
- Bernie Sanders exposes Trump’s corruption in US Senate
- Runtime
- 11:38
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- On the senate floor, friend of the channel Bernie Sanders calls out President Donald Trump’s deep ties to authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and details how billions in arms deals and alleged bribes compromise U.S. democracy.
Sanders slams Trump's first foreign policy trip as not about diplomacy, but about business. He accuses Trump and his family of accepting huge payments through shady crypto deals, luxury gifts like a $400 million jet, and multi-billion dollar investments from foreign powers with lacklustre human rights records.
According to Sanders, the UAE and Qatar have violated U.S. and international law, funded terrorist groups like Hamas, and committed atrocities abroad, yet Trump allegedly rewarded them with arms sales and U.S. policy favours. Sanders reveals that Trump’s own crypto company may have profited over $85 million annually from deals with these authoritarian governments.
G...
- Title
- My Prime Minister
- Runtime
- 1:09
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
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- Go catch the full pod now
- Runtime
- 0:59
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Ballymena Race Riots Report | Why locals burnt down immigrants' houses
- Runtime
- 10:14
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- For three nights, Ballymena was burning.
Once the home of Ian Paisley and his firebrand loyalist rhetoric, it’s now the site of anti-immigrant rioting.
Rioters threw petrol bombs, smashed windows, and burned down immigrants’ homes. Many called it a pogrom.
The violence erupted after two teenagers, believed to be Romanian, were charged with sexual assault. Northern Ireland is no stranger to violence against women and girls so why did this one incident prompt such a reaction?
Reporter: Ed Campbell
Camera: Robbie Smyth
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- Title
- Harrowing reality of grooming gangs revealed in parliament select committee
- Runtime
- 18:10
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this powerful and emotional appearance before the Home Affairs Select Committee, Baroness Louise Casey lays out the key findings of her landmark report into the systemic failings of police, local authorities, and government bodies in responding to the grooming gangs scandal in England.
Speaking with clarity and urgency, Baroness Casey outlines how victims were repeatedly let down by the very institutions meant to protect them. She highlights years of institutional neglect, missed warnings, and a culture of denial that allowed exploitation to persist. Throughout the session, she expresses her anger and disappointment at the barriers encountered — not only by victims and campaigners but by politicians and officials who were trying to get justice and take action, only to be ignored or obstructed.
The evidence session also touches on the deeply flawed reporting and handling of perpetrators’ ethnic backgrounds. Baroness Casey stresses that while transparency...
- Title
- Do we need another grooming gang inquiry? | Podcast #159
- Runtime
- 40:02
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- After Yvette Cooper's statement in the Commons yesterday responding to the findings of the Casey report, Seán, Oli, and Laura delve into what's really going on with grooming gangs.
The team unpack the reactions to Labour’s freshly launched national inquiry, an inquiry Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially denied was necessary, into child sexual exploitation following high-profile incidents like in Rochdale. They also discuss Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's address to the House of Commons yesterday following the review, breaking down its content and implications.
Why is the conversation around grooming gangs so often racialised? How have councils, a lack of data, and bad faith actors affected the media narrative? And what does the evidence actually show about the perpetrators and victims of these horrific crimes?
Is Labour’s inquiry is a meaningful step forward for victims, or just another political football for rivals, like the Conservatives' ...
- Title
- Nope!
- Runtime
- 0:22
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Yvette Cooper on grooming gangs inquiry
- Runtime
- 19:05
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- See Yvette Cooper, Labour’s Home Secretary, address parliament in the House of Commons after the findings of the Casey Review forced a national inquiry into grooming gangs. After mounting public outrage and institutional scrutiny, the report laid bare systemic failures in tackling child sexual exploitation across the UK. Hear not just the severity of the findings, but also how authorities have repeatedly failed to act on evidence of abuse.
In her speech, Cooper said that, since January, more than 800 cases of grooming and child sexual exploitation have emerged from police forces for formal review that were previously ‘closed with no further action’. She expects that figure to rise above 1000 in the coming weeks.
The report showed too much fragmentation in police forces, too little sharing of information, and too many criminals going free. ‘Blindness, ignorance, defensiveness and good, but misdirected intentions’ all played a role.
Clear ...
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- Doctor tears up describing hellscape of Gaza
- Runtime
- 8:56
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a pediatric intensive care doctor and representative of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), offered a harrowing testimony about her recent experiences working inside the 'last hospital standing' in Gaza as part of a Foreign Affairs Select Committee earlier today.
Speaking to the committee in Westminster, Dr. Haj-Hassan speaks about Israel's systemic destruction of Palestinian healthcare facilities and medical professionals under Benjamin Netenyahu, and the effects of such a campaign on an already grieving population in Gaza and the West Bank.
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- Title
- What I saw in Ballymena | Podcast #158
- Runtime
- 1:01:51
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Ed returns to the studio to discuss his capital J Journalism in Northern Ireland, where he was on the ground reporting on the Ballymena riots and speaking to locals. Oli Dugmore joins him to create the platonic ideal of a podcast.
Ed shares what he witnessed (or rather didn't witness due to torrential rain) and unpacks the history of the unrest. He explains how there's now a blueprint for this kind of rioting, and asks how relevant its setting in Ballymena was. With anti-immigration rhetoric, nationalism, economic frustration, and plain old racism on the rise, could this have happened anywhere?
How are the far right mobilising across borders? What links the English far right and the Irish far right? How are political actors, both online and off, taking advantage of rising anti-establishment sentiment and community grievances? And why do politicians seem so slow, or entirely unwilling, to respond?
And what did residents have to say? How are they pr...
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- Donald Trump has changed the world forever. This is how | Anne Applebaum interview
- Runtime
- 40:10
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this in-depth interview, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and journalist Anne Applebaum joins us to discuss her latest book, Autocracy, Inc., a searing examination of the global alliance of autocratic regimes and the threats they pose to liberal democracies. Drawing from decades of reporting and research, Applebaum lays out how modern autocrats—from Russia and China to Hungary and Venezuela—collaborate, share tactics, and reinforce each other’s power in an effort to undermine the democratic world.
Applebaum explores how these regimes manipulate information, weaponize corruption, and suppress dissent—not only within their own borders but also through transnational networks that reach deep into Western democracies. We dive into the core arguments of Autocracy, Inc., including the erosion of democratic norms, the fragility of institutions under sustained pressure, and the growing complacency of the West.
The conversation also turns to a timely and ur...
- Title
- Nitazenes: The synthetic opioid you've never heard of killing Brits
- Runtime
- 9:14
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- There’s a hidden opioid crisis in Britain’s second city.
Nitazenes have entered Birmingham’s drug supply.
They're a synthetic opioid with similar effects to heroin or fentanyl - but much deadlier due to their potency.
A 2019 American crackdown on the underground manufacturing of fentanyl in China led the same chemists to start producing Nitazenes instead. Then, in 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and banned the cultivation of opium, UK heroin suppliers panicked and started looking for synthetic opioids they could cut their supply with.
Since the summer of 2023, they’ve killed hundreds of Brits.
Freedom of Information requests, submitted by journalist Jacob Furedi at DISPATCH, revealed Birmingham is the epicentre of this hidden crisis - and overdoses are rising.
Initially, affecting online buyers of oxycodone and benzodiazepines, in 2023 overdoses swept through the city’s h...
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- Is Britain in the middle of a "fentanyl" crisis? | Jacob Furedi interview
- Runtime
- 27:01
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Editor of Dispatch magazine Jacob Furedi joins Laura to chat about his investigation into Britain’s hidden opioid epidemic.
We delve into the UK's escalating opioid crisis, spotlighting the emergence of nitazenes—synthetic opioids up to 500 times more potent than heroin. These drugs remain largely unknown amongst the general public, but is that all about to change with two suspected overdoses amongst party-goers who were sold the drug as ecstasy?
Jacob’s investigation revealed Birmingham has been particularly hard-hit, with 21 deaths attributed to nitazenes in just one summer. These potent substances are often unknowingly consumed, mixed with other drugs like heroin or street Valium.
The lack of transparency from authorities has hindered public awareness and timely intervention.
You can watch Laura’s video report tomorrow on the PoliticsJOE YouTube channel.
You can read Jacob’s investigation here: https://di...
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- Ballymena: Northern Ireland reacts to insane immigration riots
- Runtime
- 7:32
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- We asked people in Belfast for their take on the riots in Ballymena, Larne, and Portadown.
Reporter: Ed Campbell
Camera: Robbie Smyth
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- Title
- Interviewing Lancaster uni’s Reform UK Society #politics #dating #uk
- Runtime
- 1:29
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
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- I followed Starmer for MONTHS, this is what I learned | Tom McTague interview
- Runtime
- 44:18
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Tom McTague is the Editor-in-Chief of The New Statesman and writer of its cover story this week, an in depth profile of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
He came by JOETowers to speak to Oli about what he learned about the nature of the PM, his relationship with himself, his family, and his father, and how his straight nature could be his downfall.
From travelling alongside Starmer to meeting Royal Navy sailors preparing for a months-long deployment, to observing him in private and high-pressure settings, McTague paints a picture of a leader who is deliberate, restrained, and often emotionally reserved. The conversation explores how Starmer’s personality shapes his approach to governing — not only in policy, but in tone and temperament.
The interview also touches on Starmer’s personal background, including the complex relationship with his father, and how that history informs his sense of duty, discipline, and quiet ambition. McTague argues tha...
- Title
- Oli Dugmore breaks down Rachel Reeves' Spending Review
- Runtime
- 12:06
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In a quiet studio, Oli Dugmore alone takes on Rachel Reeves' spending review with some hard analysis... and a surprise at the end. He outlines the key policy decisions and their broader political implications, all in intimate close-up. The review marks the first major fiscal event under the Labour leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and sets the direction for government spending, investment, and departmental priorities.
So what's in the review? Reeves said yes to infrastructure, nuclear power, prison construction, and social housing. The housing budget is set to rise from £2.3 billion to £4 billion annually by 2030, with a focus on expanding affordable housing provision through housing associations. The NHS also receives a major uplift, accounting for 60% of the new day-to-day spending, as Labour prioritises addressing waiting times and hospital capacity.
However, most government departments will experience real-terms cuts to daily operating budgets. ...
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- US military has abandoned UK, former Trump Adviser warns MPs
- Runtime
- 8:02
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Britain is already at war with Russia and we can no longer rely on the US as an ally, warned Strategic Defence Review author Dr Fiona Hill.
The former Strategic Director for Russia on the US National Security Council previously advised Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump.
Having testified against Trump during his first impeachment, Hill appeared yesterday in front of the UK Defence Committee.
Dr Hill warned that the UK is dangerously underprepared for both conventional and unconventional warfare - and is already, in fact, at war with Russia.
Her comments come as the government publishes the Strategic Defence Review, which Labour government commissioned shortly after taking office in July 2024. The government said the review will “consider the threats Britain faces, the capabilities needed to meet them, the state of UK armed forces and the resources available.”
The Defence Secretary, John Healey, has described this ...
- Title
- Just Rachel Reeves fighting off journos on the media round
- Runtime
- 9:02
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- This morning Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves faced journalists on the broadcast round, fighting to defend her party's spending review that was announced yesterday in the House of Commons chamber. After intense scrutiny from both party and public, Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement please the former, but not necessarily the latter.
In the review, Reeves stuck to the fiscal rules imposed by the Conservatives, but announced boosts to Jonathan Healey's defence budget, Wes Streeting's health budget, and even threw in some social housing for Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. She repeated Labour’s commitment not to raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT, a stance that has drawn criticism for leaving very limited wiggle room for public service funding.
Across the morning, Reeves was grilled on whether these promises were properly costed. BBC Breakfast asked about her floated 5% council tax figure, Sky News and LBC's Nick Ferrari grilled h...
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- Ex-Corbyn adviser breaks down Rachel Reeves' spending review | Andrew Fisher interview
- Runtime
- 37:38
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Former Labour director of policy Andrew Fisher offers a detailed and critical analysis of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review. Drawing on his experience at the heart of Labour’s policy-making under Jeremy Corbyn, Fisher dissects the key announcements, separating political spin from economic reality.
Fisher welcomes some positive steps — including the government’s plans to expand housing stock, invest in social and affordable housing, and tackle the UK’s deepening housing crisis. He acknowledges these as necessary moves that reflect long-standing demands for a more interventionist approach to the housing market.
However, Fisher argues that many of the measures in the review are simply rollbacks of bad policies introduced since Labour got into power last year — and questions whether they go far enough to address systemic inequality and underinvestment. In his view, the Spending Review marks a shift in tone, but lacks the boldness required to me...
- Title
- MPs plead with Government to cut ties with Israel
- Runtime
- 3:13
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Ahead of today’s spending review, we spoke to Green MP Sian Berry and rebel Labour MP Rachael Maskell to find out where they believe the Labour Government should focus its spending priorities.
Both MPs emphasise the urgent need for increased investment in council housing and what more the Government can do to help young people get on the housing ladder.
They warn: without bold and targeted investment in these areas, the Government risks deepening existing inequalities and missing a vital opportunity to support struggling communities.
Berry and Maskell also expressed serious concerns that the UK could be heading toward a second era of austerity. They warned that if the Chancellor insists on sticking rigidly to her self-imposed fiscal rules, vital services could face cuts at a time when the public needs more, not less, support. According to the MPs, real investment is the only way to build a more resilient, fair, and inclusive economy.
- Title
- Going deep on the Ballymena riots | Podcast #157
- Runtime
- 43:46
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Before some hard spending review analysis tomorrow morning, Oli and Seán seek to explain the alarming scenes from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, where riots erupted a few days ago in response to an alleged sexual assault by citizens of Romanian heritage.
The boys discuss the why, because of the far right's ability to mobilise not just locally but across borders, these riots are different. Why have there been no riots over crimes committed by white citizens, and what does Tommy Robinson have to do with it?
Meanwhile, across the Irish Sea, Rachel from accounts has outlined her first major spending review as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The review promises fiscal responsibility and economic stability and will dictate the government's course for the next three years. From winter fuel u-turns to social housing to public sector cuts, it's no easy task.
They also talk about PMQs today, for about two minutes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced the visibly ...
- Title
- MPs react to Rachel Reeves' spending review
- Runtime
- 13:43
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- PoliticsJOE went down to College Green to bring you reactions to Rachel Reeves’ first Spending Review as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Reeves outlined how much Labour will be spend on capital projects, like transport and infrastructure, as well as outlining day-to-day spending in public services. But will the outlined spending deliver Labour's manifesto promises?
Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan calls for increased taxation to fund spending, including a wealth tax, and suggests support shouldn't just go to pensioners, but everyone struggling through the cost-of-living crisis.
SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn says Scotland doesn't come out on top of this review, despite Reeves' promising defence jobs, GB Energy, and investment in energy projects in the nation.
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan says no department wins in this spending review, especially not health and social care, which she calls for a more radical approach to.
Don...
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- “This Chancellor has completely lost control” 👀
- Runtime
- 0:53
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Rachel Reeves using the spending review to talk about Nigel Farage
- Runtime
- 0:43
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Title
- Tory shadow Chancellor absolutely rinses Rachel Reeves' Spending Review
- Runtime
- 16:28
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this hard-hitting response to the UK Spending Review 2025, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride delivers a scathing critique of Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Labour’s economic plans. Speaking from the opposition benches, Stride takes direct aim at what he calls a “fantasy budget built on borrowed money” — raising urgent questions about Labour’s fiscal responsibility and long-term strategy.
Stride accuses Reeves of planning to spend money the government simply doesn’t have, highlighting what he sees as unfunded pledges, vague costings, and a lack of clarity on how Labour will balance the books. With the UK economy still fragile, Stride warns that Reeves’ vision could lead to higher borrowing, weaker growth, and a wave of tax rises that will hit working people and small businesses hard.
Throughout the exchange, Stride questions the Chancellor’s competency and her ability to deliver sustainable economic leadership. He challenges Labour’s key assumptio...
- Title
- WATCH AGAIN: Rachel Reeves delivers the 2025 Spending Review
- Runtime
- 1:42:21
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Watch live from the UK Parliament as Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) returns, followed Rachel Reeves' Spending Review. The Chancellor is to outline the government's plans for the rest of their term in office, and it comes at a critical time for the country.
PMQs will see Keir Starmer face tough questions on the government’s performance and priorities — from the ongoing cost of living crisis and NHS waiting times, to action on climate change, housing, and workers’ rights. Expect sharp exchanges, headline moments, and pressure from across the benches.
Then, all attention shifts to the Spending Review, where Rachel Reeves is expected to lay out Labour’s long-term plans for rebuilding the economy. Key announcements are likely on tax policy, public sector investment, education, energy, and the transition to a green economy.
Labour comes into government after over a decade of Conservative rule, facing a country marked by deep inequality, und...
- Title
- BEST BITS: Starmer grilled at PMQs moments before spending review
- Runtime
- 8:01
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In the final Prime Minister's Questions before Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ crucial spending review, Keir Starmer faces rogue Labour MPs, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, and Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood. With the review set to determine the direction of government spending for the next three years, today’s PMQs was a crucial one.
Starmer faces pressure from his own party, with Richard Burgon pleading the party leadership not to balance their books on the backs of the disabled. After Starmer's u-turn on the winter fuel payment, he's optimistic that the Prime Minister will turn again on cuts to PIP payments.
In light of riots in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Sorcha Eastwood has thanks for the police. After an alleged sexual assault, hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey pushes Starmer again on carers, and follows up with questions about how he will cost his defence ...
- Title
- HIGHLIGHTS: Keir Starmer has Kemi Badenoch visibly shaking at PMQs
- Runtime
- 8:57
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this fiery exchange from Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer goes head-to-head with Kemi Badenoch in a sharp back-and-forth over Labour’s economic plans, taxation, and foreign policy. But despite her usual confidence, Badenoch struggles to land any decisive blows on the Prime Minister — and Starmer once again makes the Conservative leader look rather silly.
The debate opens with Badenoch pressing Starmer over higher taxes under Labour, accusing the government of preparing to raise the tax burden on working people. Starmer, however, pushes back hard, framing Labour’s economic approach as fair, transparent, and focused on rebuilding public services after years of underfunding.
As Rachel Reeves' Spending Review looms, the tension builds. Badenoch attempts to cast doubt on Labour’s fiscal credibility, but Starmer remains firm, repeating his commitment to economic stability, green investment, and protecting vital institutions like the NHS and stat...
- Title
- HIGHLIGHTS: Powerful debate on Israel sanctions
- Runtime
- 8:18
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Last night, in a significant development, Labour’s Foreign Under-Secretary Hamish Falconer announced sanctions against two of Israel’s most controversial cabinet members — National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The move means both ministers will be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets held in Britain frozen. The sanctions come amid growing international concern over statements and actions by Israel’s government in light of their continued occupation of and war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
The move also comes after the IDF seized a British yacht, the Madleen, and kidnapped its crew, which included activist Greta Thunberg. The crew were trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and have since been deported.
Falconer made the announcement during a heated session in the House of Commons, where he faced pointed questions from a number of MPs across the political spectrum. Among those pressing...
- Title
- Pete Hegseth doesn't want you to know the cost of deploying Marines to LA
- Runtime
- 8:09
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- In this segment from a June 10, 2025 House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces intense questioning from Democratic lawmakers over his controversial deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid rising protests sparked by aggressive ICE raids.
Rep. Betty McCollum (D‑MN) demanded transparency on the staggering $134 million cost of sending federal forces into a domestic urban scene. Hegseth, flanked by the acting Pentagon comptroller, defended the outlay as essential, citing the need to protect federal agents and property—and deflects blame onto state and city leaders.
Moments later, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D‑CA) pressed Hegseth on whether legal authority was obtained from California’s governor, citing 10 U.S. Code 12406. Hegseth staunchly declared President Trump had full legal authority, claiming the state “failed to protect its people,” and that the federal intervent...
- Title
- Why I confronted Nigel Farage over Reform's tax policy
- Runtime
- 20:20
- Date posted
- 1 year ago
- Description
- Ava was at Reform's unveiling of a new party chairman on Tuesday, where Zia Yusuf was also shown off as heading up their UK DOGE wing. We got in the studio for a quick few minutes to break down the crossroads the party is beginning to find itself.
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