Best Mobile Rundown Podcasts (2026)

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What does 2026 have in store? Predicting this year's big political storylines 43:11

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4m ago43:11

43:11

As we enter 2026, The Rundown looks ahead at what is likely to be yet another crucial and turbulent year in British politics, giving the listeners the inside track on what to look out for over the next 12 months, and guiding you through the big stories ahead. To help navigate through all of that, host Alain Tolhurst is joined by LBC’s political edi…

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The Great Big Christmas Quiz Of 2025! 22:41

6h ago22:41

22:41

This year’s special Christmas edition of The Rundown podcast comes in the form of a festive quiz, seeing how much our reporters can remember about another mad 12 months in Westminster You can play along at home too, so let us know if you do better than our teams, and there will be a text version of the quiz available online at PoliticsHome.com if y…

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Simon Hart on lifting the lid on the Whips Office 29:11

8d ago29:11

29:11

As we head towards Christmas and look back at the political year, this week's episode features the author of the most explosive and controversial political book of 2025, Ungovernable, the diaries of the former Chief Whip Simon Hart. Now known as Lord Hart of Tenby having been promoted to the House of Lords, he drew criticism from his own former col…

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How to protect a Prime Minister 35:52

13d ago35:52

35:52

With more leadership speculation swirling around Keir Starmer and claims he is seen as a ‘caretaker Prime Minister’, this week the podcast takes a look at things from the other end of the telescope; asking how do you protect the person in charge if you’re working inside Number 10? What can you do to defend your principal and neutralise any threats …

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It's 'Your Party' now, but for how long? 49:54

21d ago49:54

49:54

This week Britain’s newest party - Your Party - finally got going in earnest, after a difficult birth to say the least. Over the past few months since its unexpected launch there have been legal threats , accusations of misogyny, boycotts, expulsions, resignations, and at the heart of it all acrimony between its two leading figures; Jeremy Corbyn a…

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Budget 2025: Reeves and Starmer buy some time 49:35

27d ago49:35

49:35

After another momentous tax-raising fiscal event from Rachel Reeves, this week we’re running the rule over the 2025 Budget, with its further freezes to tax thresholds, the scrapping of the two-child limit on benefits, reforms to savings, pensions and ISAs, as well motoring and property taxes, and a host of cost-of-living measures too. Oh and the fa…

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Can Farage convert Reform-curious voters? 39:07

1M ago39:07

39:07

As Reform UK continue to top the polls, this week we’re looking at why so many voters are turning away from the two main parties and looking in Nigel Farage’s direction, and what they need to do to convert the curious into an election-winning majority. So PoliticsHome has teamed up once again with the polling and strategy gurus at Thinks Insight, w…

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Why won't anyone reform council tax? 33:00

1M ago33:00

33:00

As the Budget finally looms into view, this week the panel takes a look at one of the potential tax reforms suggested to Chancellors year-in, year-out, that could transform the Treasury coffers, but is one that this government, and every previous one stretching back decades, has refused to touch - council tax. While economists and tax experts all a…

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Are universities about to collapse? 40:16

2M ago40:16

40:16

There is a crisis in higher education, as financial woes threaten the UK’s world-renowned university sector, with dozens of institutions in serious financial difficulties with fears of cuts, closures and collapse. Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss what is causing such strain on universities, how it can be solved, and what may happen if it does…

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Does the OBR really run Britain? 45:39

2M ago45:39

45:39

With the Autumn Budget looming, this week The Rundown takes a look at one of the key players in shaping the government’s fiscal policy, but one that we know little about. The forecast on the future health of the British economy delivered to Rachel Reeves by the Office for Budget Responsibility will have more impact on shaping what the Chancellor an…

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Is the NHS sleepwalking into another winter crisis? 27:47

2M ago27:47

27:47

As the storms roll in and all memories of summer recede, for the health service this only means one thing; the start of the annual winter pressures faced by the NHS. After record waits in A&E last year, sharp increases in corridor care and waiting lists spiralling further beyond long-missed targets, this week host Alain Tolhurst looks at what the g…

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Can the government solve its China problem? 46:07

3M ago46:07

46:07

After the collapse of the Chinese spying case, host Alain Tolhurst looks at the state of the Anglo-Sino relationship, how it has evolved over the years, where UK-China relations are now under this current government, and what should be done to improve them. On the panel are Tony Vaughan, Labour MP for Folkestone and Hythe, and chair of the all-part…

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Despatch from Manchester and Conservative Party Conference 1:00:45

3M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Something a little bit different again this week, as host Alain Tolhurst and the PolHome team head up to Manchester for the Conservative Party’s annual conference, and return with a despatch from the four-day event, finding out what the mood is like among the Tories as they settle into the slog of opposition. Featuring MPs, pollsters and academics,…

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The inside story from Labour Party conference 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

This week's episode is a little different, as listeners are taken deep within Labour’s annual party conference, giving you the inside track on how things unfolded in Liverpool over the past few days, from Andy Burnham's leadership challenge, Cabinet ministers taking on Nigel Farage, as well as the less serious moments such as a charity rugby league…

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Lib Dem conference lowdown 35:32

3M ago35:32

35:32

This week the focus is on the Liberal Democrats after the party held their annual conference in Bournemouth. Which despite still giving off a celebratory mood at becoming the third-largest party in the Commons last year, was beset by questions over whether Ed Davey’s stunt-based leadership style is wearing a little thin. And a discussion whether th…

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Unmasking the 'dark arts' of political whipping 46:48

3M ago46:48

46:48

This week the so-called ‘dark arts’ of politics are being demystified, with a look inside the system known as whipping, where MPs are corralled by fair means or foul into voting with their party’s leadership in Parliament. But in the modern era have things moved more from threats of punishment to pastoral care? And have the days of the 'little blac…

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Is Keir committed to cleaning up politics? 46:24

3M ago46:24

46:24

This week is a look under the bonnet of British politics, and shining a light into the dark corners of how Westminster’s finances operates, and seeing if the endless pledges to close loopholes and tighten regulations after every scandal have actually led to a crackdown on illegal lobbying and undue influence on democracy. Or whether the UK remains …

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Labour's Autumn of discontent 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

As MPs returned to Westminster after the summer recess, this week we’re looking ahead to a crucial autumn for this government, packed full of potential pitfalls as they hope year two in office is an upgrade from a tricky first 12 months. But after a clunky internal Downing Street reset and distracting revelations about Angela Rayner’s tax affairs, …

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Helen Miller on Labour's economic record 37:42

4M ago37:42

37:42

This week is the sixth and final episode in our series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office in some of the big policy areas, and the biggest has been saved until last; the economy. Fixing the country’s finances was their number one priority when Keir Starmer came…

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Paul Nowak on Labour's workers' rights record 36:01

4M ago36:01

36:01

In the latest episode in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week the focus is on the world of work, from employment rights, public sector pay, and the government’s relationship with trade unions. Host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Paul Nowak, general s…

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Labour's bill of health one year in 55:12

4M ago55:12

55:12

In the fourth episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess, speaking to experts and looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, host Alain Tolhurst is joined by not one but two brilliant guests to discuss probably the single most important policy area outside of the economy for this government; health. Labour has long…

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Chris Skidmore on Labour's green record 36:00

5M ago36:00

36:00

The latest in a series over Parliament’s summer recess, looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this episode features Chris Skidmore, the former Conservative MP, who as Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, signed the UK's Net Zero pledge into law in 2019. Later asked to chair a review of the government's net-ze…

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Sarah Owen on Labour's equalities record 38:31

5M ago38:31

38:31

In the second episode of a series over Parliament’s summer recess looking at how Labour have performed in their first year in office, this week's guest on The Rundown is Sarah Owen, Labour MP for Luton North and the chair of the Commons select committee on women and equalities. Speaking to host Alain Tolhurst, she discusses how this government is d…

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Justine Greening on Labour's social mobility record 44:04

5M ago44:04

44:04

With Parliament now into its summer recess, The Rundown is going to spend the next few weeks assessing how the Labour government is performing after a year in office in a number of key areas, with the help of some top experts and those with experience of having facing the same problems staring back at Keir Starmer and his Cabinet. Starting this wee…

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What Can Starmer Learn From May? 53:23

6M ago53:23

53:23

This week marks nine years since Theresa May entered Downing Street, after David Cameron’s resignation the morning after the EU referendum, but while Brexit was the reason she became Prime Minister, ultimately it was the thing that ended her premiership too, after she was unable to get a deal through Parliament. Consequently most look back on her t…

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Macron and Starmer Revive ‘Entente Cordiale' 36:26

6M ago36:26

36:26

With this week’s state visit to Britain by Emmanuel Macron, we’re looking at the state of UK-Franco relations, and how important a new ‘entente cordiale’ is to Keir Starmer as he deals with political problems both home and abroad. Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss why the French president is open to a rapprochement after a pretty frosty few ye…

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Nightmare end to Keir's first year 31:44

6M ago31:44

31:44

This weekend marks 12 months since last year’s General Election, when Labour were swept to power with an enormous landslide victory ending 14 long years in opposition, but it seems unlikely they will be hanging the bunting outside Number 10 after a very tough first year in office for Keir Starmer. To discuss just how bad things have got, and how La…

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Sarah Vine on political spouses 33:18

6M ago33:18

33:18

This week we’re taking a look at what life is like not for politicians themselves, but for their spouses, asking what does a life in the Westminster spotlight do to relationships, what their role is, and the often unfair way they are portrayed in the public eye. Someone who knows more about this than most is the journalist Sarah Vine, who for many …

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Green Party At A Crossroads 37:18

7M ago37:18

37:18

This week host Alain Tolhurst is joined by Zack Polanski, Green Party deputy leader, as the podcast takes a look at the forgotten winners of last year’s general election, as despite unprecedented success in winning 1.8 million votes and quadrupling their number of MPs to 4, the Greens finds themselves at something of a crossroads. They are joined b…

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Can this Government deliver? 39:51

7M ago39:51

39:51

While this week Rachel Reeves set out her plans on how and where Labour is set to spend money for much of the rest of this Parliament, the question now is do they have a plan for how they’re going to deliver on their priorities, and succeed in completing Keir Starmer’s missions for government? Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss the vexed issue …

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How do Spending Reviews work? 52:47

7M ago52:47

52:47

With Rachel Reeves still finalising her comprehensive spending review next Wednesday, this week we’re looking at how the process works, going inside the battles between the Treasury and Whitehall departments on spending plans for the coming years, with John Glen, conservative MP and a former Treasury minister, Sonia Khan, a special adviser to Phili…

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Inside Labour's New Tribes 40:29

7M ago40:29

40:29

As disquiet brews within Labour over cuts to welfare, and a perceived failure to pursue a progressive enough agenda, this week host Alain Tolhurst looks inside the governing party as a host of new caucuses and organised campaign groups have sprung up, and asking - who are the new tribes within Labour Who is behind them, what are their aims, and how…

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What can we learn from the Coalition? 43:33

7M ago43:33

43:33

With this month marking 15 years since the signing of the historic Conservative - Liberal Democrat coalition agreement, and given the fractured five-party politics of 2025, what can be learned from five chaotic days in 2010, that led to five years of surprisingly stable government? To discuss how it all came together, and what stopped it from falli…

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The Social Care Crunch 46:18

8M ago46:18

46:18

This week the podcast looks at another of those knotty, seemingly intractable issues sat on Labour’s in-tray when they entered government last year; namely social care. To look at how successive administrations have failed to grasp the nettle and deal with the rising costs of a sector that has ballooned in size to deal with our ageing population, h…

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Fixing The Broken Rental Market 42:47

8M ago42:47

42:47

This week the podcast takes a look at the government's plans to try and fix the UK’s rental market, with soaring rents, terrifying competition, no fault evictions, poorly maintained properties and huge supply pressures trapping an increasingly large cohort of tenants in a system that means they may never own their own homes. To discuss the Renters …

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How To Defuse The Pension Time Bomb 47:48

8M ago47:48

47:48

This week the panel is discussing whether the government can avoid a pensions crisis? As most analysts think the UK’s retirement industry is at a tipping point, needing bold and meaningful - if politically unpopular - reforms, Guy Opperman, the former Tory MP who was the UK’s longest-serving pensions minister from 2017 to 2022, joins host Alain Tol…

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What Can We Learn From These Local Elections? 36:02

8M ago36:02

36:02

With much of England set to go to the polls next week we’re previewing a crucial set of local elections, with more than 1,600 council seats up for grabs, as well as six mayoral contests and a high-profile Parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby. On the panel is Jonathan Ashworth, chief executive of the think tank Labour Together and a forme…

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Last orders for Britain's pubs? 34:52

9M ago34:52

34:52

With the Commons in recess the pod heads down the pub for another episode looking at the UK’s hospitality industry and the struggles it continues to face - with a host of global headwinds and domestic policy contributing to a bleak outlook for the sector in 2025. Joining host Alain Tolhurst for a pint in The Westminster Arms, a stones throw from Pa…

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Can Starmer navigate Trump's tariff turmoil? 57:34

9M ago57:34

57:34

Senior Labour MP Liam Bryne, who chairs the Commons business and trade committee, joins host Alain Tolhurst to discuss how Keir Starmer navigates the post-tariff world, and whether the market turmoil could be an opportunity for Britain. Later in the episode a panel of experts discuss the small matter of what on earth is happening to the global econ…

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Mark Field on the end of the Tory era 36:12

9M ago36:12

36:12

Former Conservative MP and minister Mark Field speaks to host Alain Tolhurst about his new memoir The End Of An Era, which as the title suggests charts both his own time in politics as well as the waning fortunes of his party over the past 25 years. They discuss his reflections five years on from stepping down from the Commons, what the Tories got …

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Rachel Reeves turns into the 'concrete Chancellor' 44:47

9M ago44:47

44:47

To discuss the fallout from this week’s Spring Statement, after Rachel Reeves confirmed a host of cuts to benefit payments and a squeeze on public spending to offset a downgrade in the country’s growth forecast, John Glen, Tory MP and a former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Helen Barnard, Director of Policy at the Trussell charity, Greg Thwaites,…

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Can Starmer re-wire the state? 36:13

10M ago36:13

36:13

Last week Keir Starmer scrapped NHS England as he signalled the government's aim to fundamentally reshape and rewire how the state operates, so the panel is discussing what this means for civil service staff numbers, what impact this will have on the delivery of public services, and how briefings about a so-called ‘project chainsaw’ have gone down …

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Are the wheels coming off Reform? 37:14

10M ago37:14

37:14

After winning five MPs last year and continuing to surge in the polls - are the wheels starting to come off for Reform UK after this week's damaging but wholly predictable internal row involving MP Rupert Lowe and party leader Nigel Farage? Gawain Towler, the party's former director of communications and a long-time spokesman for Nigel Farage, as w…

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Can Starmer lead the West? 40:55

10M ago40:55

40:55

As the future of Europe dominates the headlines, Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire MP, former Tory ministers James Heappey and Greg Hands, and More in Common’s Luke Tryl join host Adam Payne to discuss a seismic week in world affairs as Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to bring peace to Ukraine. With the tectonic plates of geopolitics shi…

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Will the 'special relationship' stay special? 39:01

10M ago39:01

39:01

With the Prime Minister in Washington this week the Labour MPs Steve Yemm and Chris Evans, as well as Professor Sam Edwards from Loughborough University, and Lord John Alderdice, Liberal Democrat peer, join host Alain Tolhurst to look at the so-called ‘special relationship’. From its history, to why the close bilateral partnership between the UK an…

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Will Parliament finally get modernised? 38:23

11M ago38:23

38:23

This Parliament could finally see further modernisation of the way the Commons operates, with a new committee led by Cabinet minister Lucy Powell setting out plans for meaningful reform in a host of areas, after clamour from new MPs to finally bring how Westminster works into the 21st century. One of the 2024 intake, Labour’s Rachel Blake, joins Li…

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Is the UK finally ready for ID cards? 34:33

11M ago34:33

34:33

One of the most complex, and divisive, issues in modern politics is making a return under this government; ID cards. Advocates describe it as a potential way to improve public services, tackle illegal migration and modernise the state, but it remains intensely controversial, due to significant concerns over privacy, data security and equality. To d…

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The political mood of 2025 37:45

11M ago37:45

37:45

Instead of tapping into the mood at Westminster, this week The Rundown is looking at the political mood of the country as we move further into 2025, teaming up once again teamed up with the guys at Thinks, the global insight and strategy consultancy. Last week they polled more than 2,000 UK adults on how they feel about the first six months of the …

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Michael Heseltine: "Parties have got to take on Farage" 27:57

11M ago27:57

27:57

For the 150th episode this week former deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine comes on the show for a special interview ahead of the publication of his new memoir 'From Acorns to Oaks' about the second part of his career as an advisor to David Cameron and reflecting further on his time in Margaret Thatcher and John Major’s Cabinets. The Conservati…

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Will Starmer clean up politics? 44:12

11M ago44:12

44:12

Before the election Labour promised to restore confidence in government by cleaning up lobbying, improving transparency and tightening the rules for MPs, but is Keir Starmer's administration really sticking to its word? The Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Melanie Onn, a member of the Commons standards committee, Gabe Winn, chief execut…