Best The Backbench Podcasts (2025)

1
Opposition backbench passes more bills than National backbench 4:52

Play Pause

20d ago4:52

4:52

Members' bills can come from any backbench MP. Usually, successful government bills far outnumber opposition bills – but not this parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Ep 070 "Bolivar's Revenge: The Venezuelan Tar Pit and American Ambition" 1:02:11

22h ago1:02:11

1:02:11

We examine the emerging Venezuelan kerfuffle. There are many currents and undercurrents in the latest incipient war debacle in America history. This will be a disaster for America if it clacks off and; expect the American government to make this a preamble to go kinetic on the drug war generally and the following catastrophes. I covered this in det…

1
EMQs: Car doors, pole dancers and Diary columns 46:17

1d ago46:17

46:17

How should a politician respond when a voter blames all their problems on immigration? In this week's Ex-Ministers' Questions, Ed Balls and George Osborne offer competing strategies for handling difficult conversations on the doorstep. They also tackle a stark warning from a Gen Z listener: is the political establishment's failure to listen pushing…

1
The House on Sunday: Parliament's local MP 14:27

3d ago14:27

14:27

Each of New Zealand’s 72 electorates is unique, so what's it like to represent the heart of our capital city? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Labour's Autumn of discontent 48:58

4d 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, …

1
Could sacking Rayner make her a ‘backbench martyr’? 1:11:29

5d ago1:11:29

1:11:29

Politics is back with a bang, and so are Ed Balls and George Osborne. As Keir Starmer declares "phase two" of his government, he's immediately engulfed by a scandal that threatens his Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. In this episode, Ed and George dissect her complicated tax affairs, the accusations of hypocrisy, and the difficult choice facin…

1
EMQs: Could David Miliband have defeated the Tories in 2015? 52:01

8d ago52:01

52:01

What if the great 'what if' moments of recent British history had turned out differently? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the political sliding doors that could have rewritten the last three decades. They debate whether Margaret Thatcher would have won the 1992 election if she hadn't been ousted, and how her legacy would have been transformed…

1
A Tikanga for Parliament 14:59

10d ago14:59

14:59

Are Parliament’s colonial underpinnings out of date? A former Speaker says Parliament ought to be a reflection of everyone, but isn’t, and the mental shift needed would take collective political will. The House chats with Adrian Rurawhe and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi about how Parliament could better reflect Māori tikanga and kawa. Go to this episode on …

1
Helen Miller on Labour's economic record 37:42

11d 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…

1
Emily Thornberry on the Corbyn era, being left out of government and Starmer’s first year 1:08:25

12d ago1:08:25

1:08:25

Political Currency’s summer specials continue! This week, while Ed Balls is away, George Osborne is joined by one of Labour's longest-serving and most compelling figures, Dame Emily Thornberry. Thornberry takes George inside the Corbyn-era shadow cabinet and explores the tantalising 'what if' of 2017: what would a Prime Minister Corbyn really have …

1
189: Tanya Gold: "Shameless: Exploiting the Holocaust". How the brutality of the Shoah is being whitewashed 39:26

12d ago39:26

39:26

Follow Jonny's podcasts and writings on his Substack. Tanya Gold’s provocative essay, Shameless: Exploiting the Holocaust is in the Autumn 2025 edition of the Jewish Quarterly, the magazine of stories, ideas, and debates shaping Jewish culture and history. Tanya takes aim at the state of Holocaust fiction — think Schindler’s List, The Boy in the St…

1
EMQs Political Craft Special: Speeches, diaries and the art of politics 43:11

15d ago43:11

43:11

What are the essential skills for a life in politics? In an age of TikTok soundbites, can a single speech in Parliament still change minds and topple a government? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the art of political craft, taking questions on the real-world impact of parliamentary debates, the secrets to managing a ministerial diary, and the…

1
The House on Sunday: slow government lawmaking and suggestions of lying 15:00

17d ago15:00

15:00

Several significant bills were passed through the House this week, two of them being Opposition bills. Meanwhile, the General Debate proved to be a test of the Speaker's tolerance for accusations of lying. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Paul Nowak on Labour's workers' rights record 36:01

18d 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…

1
Lies, damn lies and parliamentary debate 7:48

19d ago7:48

7:48

Mendacity is the bane of good debate. In Parliament both lies and claims of lies used to be naughty, but the floodgates may have opened on the latter. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Wes Streeting on battling the Treasury, his plan for the NHS, and the reality of power 1:06:46

19d ago1:06:46

1:06:46

What is it really like to go from nine years in the political wilderness to running one of the most challenging departments in government? For Wes Streeting, Labour's Secretary of State for Health, it's a challenge he has been visibly relishing this past year, after a long, frustrating period fighting from the opposition benches. With Ed Balls away…

1
Parliament this week: ETS reform, stalking, and spying 6:12

21d ago6:12

6:12

This week's bills are a mixture of unfinished business from last week and a selection of other bills plucked from the Order Paper, and awaiting their respective next stages. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
EMQs Young People Special: Why won’t politicians listen to the next generation? 40:08

22d ago40:08

40:08

Why do the concerns of young people barely register in political debate? Ed Balls and George Osborne take questions on the widening gap between the careers young people dream of and the jobs actually available, and why debt, unaffordable housing and the loss of defined benefit pensions leave the next generation feeling shortchanged. They discuss wh…

1
Spine and Punishment: A review of Swarbrick v Brownlee 15:01

24d ago15:01

15:01

Last week the Speaker made a series of new rulings and interpretations on the fly in punishing an MP who dared governing party MPs to demonstrate some spine regarding Israel and Gaza. We survey and analyse the incident and aftermath. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Labour's bill of health one year in 55:12

25d 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…

1
Sarah Vine on Michael Gove, the Camerons, and why she's done with "toxic" politics 1:02:31

26d ago1:02:31

1:02:31

While George Osborne is away “stirring the pot” (this time with JD Vance),Ed Balls is joined by author and columnist Sarah Vine for a powerfully candid conversation about her explosive memoir, How Not to Be a Political Wife. Sarah gives the unfiltered story of her marriage and divorce from Michael Gove, revealing how the "toxic culture" of Westmins…

1
Political distractions dominate while the House chips away at lawmaking 5:48

26d ago5:48

5:48

This week in Parliament, a brouhaha about unparliamentary language, an eviction from the House, and apologies, or rather a lack thereof, stole the spotlight – but what bills went through? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
More rates and more debt: MPs hear from Auditor General on Local Councils 5:39

27d ago5:39

5:39

On Wednesday, the Governance and Administration committee were joined by two officials from the Office of the Auditor-General to hear about the long term plans of Local Government. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Palestine: Divining a position from a lack of answers 5:41

28d ago5:41

5:41

National avoided taking a stand on Palestine in Parliament’s urgent debate. What can we learn from the Prime Minister’s answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
EMQs Books Special: Do politicians make good writers? 40:34

29d ago40:34

40:34

Why haven’t Ed Balls or George Osborne written political memoirs? Broadcaster Iain Dale puts the question to them, asking what’s stopping them, what they’d reveal if they did, and whether political history is incomplete without their accounts. And another listener digs into a moment of political tension between Ed and Tony Blair over the Euro. Did …

1
Parliament’s cross-partisan powerhouse and the new law that undermines it 14:50

1M ago14:50

14:50

One of Parliament’s quiet, powerful committees is opposition-led and cross-partisan. A new law from ACT may undermine that, ceding parliamentary oversight to the Executive. We chat with the leaders of the Regulations Review Committee: Arena Williams and Nancy Lu. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details…

1
188: Sharon Hodgson MP and Joani Reid MP: There IS decency on Labour's backbenches. Let's meet two women of valour 43:01

1M ago43:01

43:01

Sign up to Jonny's substack. The Labour government has a super majority in Britain’s House of Commons, the sixth biggest of all time, similar to Tony Blair’s in 1997 - but that makes it prone to backbench rebellion. Even within its first year of government. As we’ve seen. And as Sir Keir Starmer failed to win support to get his original welfare bil…

1
Chris Skidmore on Labour's green record 36:00

1M 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…

1
Kwasi Kwarteng on the Liz Truss meltdown, getting sacked and Kemi Badenoch’s future 58:11

1M ago58:11

58:11

Kwasi Kwarteng reflects on what went wrong. The former Chancellor joins Ed Balls to talk through the decisions behind the Truss mini-budget - from bypassing the OBR to what he now calls its “real intellectual failing.” He explains why the Bank of England’s intervention “killed the government,” and why he believes his sacking was no coincidence. Kwa…

1
Ep 069 "The CG Mailbag: Question Time and the Backbenchers Lament" 1:04:06

1M ago1:04:06

1:04:06

It's been quite some time since I have responded to "mail" so I have curated five questions to address:. What are your personal weapons of choice: rifle or pistol? How do you fix the defense acquisition system? Is the American military really in terminal collapse? Storming America; is it still coming to the US? Is America headed to civil war? I'll …

1
EMQs: Is a two-state solution still possible? 47:57

1M ago47:57

47:57

The future of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine comes into question this week, as Ed Balls and George Osborne respond to a listener asking whether Israeli public opinion has shifted irreversibly after the October 7th attacks. Is peace still possible, or has that hope died with the victims? Another listener shares a devastating story…

1
House on Sunday: Electoral enrolment changes, & 'Unimportant' bills 12:46

1M ago12:46

12:46

The Sunday edition of The House includes one fresh story, and a replay from Thursday. The new story covers the first debate on the bill to change the electoral law – including the requirement to enrol to vote earlier. The replay from Thursday's House looks at Private and Local Bills. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details…

1
Sarah Owen on Labour's equalities record 38:31

1M 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…

1
Could the UK spiral into a ‘debt doom loop’? 1:06:56

1M ago1:06:56

1:06:56

The IMF has upgraded its global growth forecast - so things aren’t quite as bleak as we feared. Still bleak, though. Ed Balls and George Osborne dig into what the numbers mean for Chancellor Rachel Reeves. With spending cuts ruled out and the Autumn Budget on the horizon, the question looms: can the government afford all it has promised? George thi…

1
Parliament's 'rats and mice' 5:35

1M ago5:35

5:35

The big laws debated by Parliament get a lot of attention, but others are so small as to be barely noticed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Opposition drills into Crown Minerals Bill 5:59

1M ago5:59

5:59

After the rare occurrence of a recommittal, the Crown Minerals Bill found itself back in committee where the Opposition tried their best to extract answers from the Minister. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Speaker nods towards large changes to Question Time 4:38

1M ago4:38

4:38

Parliament’s Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, is considering a major rewrite of the rules for Question Time, potentially the first major reworking since the 1980s. Specifically the Speaker indicated he may ask the Standing Orders Committee (which proposes changes to Parliament’s own rules), to consider balancing the playing field by allowing questioners to…

1
EMQs: Was HS2 a complete waste of money? 35:50

1M ago35:50

35:50

The UK’s high speed railway has been plagued with cost blowouts, delays and scale-backs - so Ed Balls and George Osborne consider: has it all just been a big waste of money? Couldn’t those funds have been put to better use? Perhaps for the NHS, for example? The pair also consider the concept of age limits on voting. We’ve got a minimum age - recent…

1
House on Sunday: EU MPs and a maiden statement 10:49

2M ago10:49

10:49

This week on The House, we chat with a visiting MP from the European Parliament, and hear some of the highlights from Parliament's newest MP, David Wilson Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Justine Greening on Labour's social mobility record 44:04

2M 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…

1
Is Labour reaching a breaking point on Palestine? 1:06:24

2M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Parliament has broken up for summer, but politics shows no sign of cooling down. Ed Balls and George Osborne run through the latest from every party - the Tories’ frontbench reshuffle, Labour’s mounting tensions over Gaza, Reform’s approach to protests worries - all while the Greens and Lib Democrats make their moves. What’s really going on as MPs …

1
European MPs at Parliament 4:46

2M ago4:46

4:46

This week Parliament hosted MPs from the EU Parliament in Brussels. We chat with Ireland's Seán Kelly who lead the visiting delegation. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Space, spies, stalking, and extra sittings 5:28

2M ago5:28

5:28

Parliament this week is all-House, with extra debates and an interesting array of topics including space, espionage, and stalking. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
Peters navigates opposition questions on Gaza 5:34

2M ago5:34

5:34

The sitting week this week began with a Ministerial Statement from Foreign Minister Winston Peters. The House looks at the subsequent Q and A that followed. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
EMQs: Can we really fund everything in the NHS? 47:46

2M ago47:46

47:46

What should the NHS pay for, and what should it not? In this week’s episode, Ed Balls and George Osborne tackle one of the toughest political questions: how do you decide what’s “reasonable” for the state to fund when it comes to healthcare? As medical advances multiply and the public expects more from the NHS, is a national conversation about rati…

1
Are our politicians 'free to lead' 13:56

2M ago13:56

13:56

To mark the launch of the Ministry for Women's Free to Lead campaign, MPs discussed online harm and the safety of public figures in a panel this week at Parliament. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more detailsBy RNZ

1
187: 🎗️Keith and Aviva Siegel, Hamas hostage survivors: "This is the worst thing that can happen to a human being". 42:44

2M ago42:44

42:44

Jonny's podcasts rely entirely on your generous support. Buy Jonny a coffee, so he can keep making them. Thank you. Today, we’re honoured to share the agonising recollections of Keith and Aviva Siegel, survivors of Hamas captivity in Gaza. They came to London and addressed the media at the Israeli Embassy in Kensington. Abducted from their Kibbutz …

1
What Can Starmer Learn From May? 53:23

2M 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…

1
Could the Epstein files cost Trump his MAGA base? 59:26

2M ago59:26

59:26

Donald Trump wants to know why everyone won’t just forget about the Epstein files already. As he keeps pointing out, the disgraced financier has been dead for years. But Trump himself stirred up fresh interest in a trove of documents that many hoped would reveal explosive new details. Now it looks like they won’t be released after all - and the MAG…

1
What Are You Still Doing Here?! 2:16

2M ago2:16

2:16

The Backbench has moved! Episodes of The Backbench have been available on the Canadaland feed for a few months now, alongside lots of other great content — from original reporting to media criticism to our brand-new support-only show. Starting now, The Backbench feed (this one!) will no longer be publishing new episodes, but the show lives on! You …