Live from Palm Beach Florida, where Donald Trump is celebrating his historic victory in the 2024 US presidential race, Steven Carroll joins Hugh, Fintan O'Toole and Jennifer Bray to discuss what went wrong for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, why so many categories of American supported Trump and what his win means for politics and the wider world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 06, 2024•43 min
When will Simon Harris dissolve the Dáil and go to the Áras? Could he pull a surprise, or are there any final banana skins that could disrupt his plans? Jennifer Bray joins Hugh to talk about the choreography of the week. Plus they look at some pre-campaign skirmishes between Micheal Martin and his Fine Gael colleagues and Sinn Féin's bullish candidate selection decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 04, 2024•23 min
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Nov 01, 2024•46 min
Economist, podcaster and Irish Times columnist David McWilliams joins Hugh to talk about his new book Money: A Story of Humanity. They talk about the meaning of money and how it should be used to improve lives and societies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr
Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee join Hugh to discuss the week in politics: The Government is completing what it can of its unfinished legislative programme before the general election, and that means the 'guillotine' - a procedure that shortens the time needed to debate bills as they pass through the Oireachtas - is getting heavy use this week. Which bills are getting chopped - and which are getting dropped? Clare Daly's decision to run in Dublin Central adds another colourful and effective politi...
Oct 25, 2024•44 min
Now that it is confirmed there will be a general election this year, the Irish Times politics team can finally unleash their predictions - or should that be possible future outcomes - of which candidates and parties will emerge victorious from some of the most competitive constituencies in the State. Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy tackle Dublin Central, Dublin Bay South, Carlow-Kilkenny, Mayo, Cavan-Monaghan and both Tipperarys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Oct 23, 2024•53 min
Trump or Harris? We'll know America's answer in just two weeks, but until then the race is too close to call. With the margins so tight, Democrats and Republicans are desperately seeking advantage in the key swing states, spending millions of dollars on TV ads. But it is the Republicans feeling happiest, with polls tightening in Donald Trump's favour in places like Wisconsin. That's where Washington correspondent Keith Duggan talks to Hugh from today. They discuss the last-minute attacks each ca...
Oct 21, 2024•28 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics: · With a general election now likely a matter of weeks away, it is the main opposition party, and not government parties, who continue to dominate the headlines. And they are unwanted headlines relating to former TD Brian Stanley, former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile and former press officer Michael McMonagle. · And with all those controversies piling up for Sinn Féin, are the Government in dan...
Oct 18, 2024•40 min
Tánaiste Micheál Martin sits down with Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to talk about the timing of the next general election. For the first time he states clearly that he is open to the vote taking place before Christmas - but with some caveats. Martin also talks about his attitude to Sinn Féin as a potential future partner in government and whether Ireland could take unilateral action Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 16, 2024•49 min
The resignation from Sinn Féin of Laois TD Brian Stanley on Saturday, and the party's referral to the Gardaí of information it gathered during an internal inquiry into an unspecified allegation made against Stanley, has triggered a fresh crisis for Mary Lou McDonald. The Sinn Féin leader is now struggling on multiple fronts as the party faces demands for an explanation as to why the Gardaí were not involved at an earlier stage. McDonald must also be worried that this latest bad news story will c...
Oct 14, 2024•31 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics: · With the giveaway budget done, will this government conclude in time for an early general election? Timing is vital, but can the Coalition arrive at a consensus given their advanced preparation for an election campaign? · Sinn Féin’s difficulties are the Government’s opportunities with the Michael McMonagle scandal rumbling on, and now TD Patricia Ryan’s resignation from the party after hitting ou...
Oct 11, 2024•36 min
As the US presidential election nears, Hugh talks to American journalist Ben Smith about the intertwining of media and politics in the United States: how political campaigns operate like media companies the decline in trust toward mainstream media the impact of digital platforms on political discourse They assess Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's use of the media as a campaign tool in this election cycle and look at how the media landscape is changing, with references to Ben's experiences at Poli...
Oct 09, 2024•40 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee to look back on the week in politics: · The panel paid tribute to former Fianna Fáil minister Mary O’Rourke after her death this week at the age of 87. She was involved in Irish politics for almost a half-century. · The expectation is that Sinn Féin will run with 65-70 candidates in the forthcoming general election – are they being overly cautious? And there was surprise too at the news that party leader Mary Lou McDonald will run alon...
Oct 04, 2024•43 min
Budget 2025, reminiscent of the bonanza Celtic Tiger years, was leaked almost entirely before Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe took to the floor of the Dáil yesterday to deliver it. Political editor, Pat Leahy, believes that's down to the reality of coalition parties needing to publicise their particular wins ahead of an impending election. The 2.2 billion euro spending package is widely viewed as an attempt to curry favour with voters instead of addressing more long-term systemic cha...
Oct 02, 2024•47 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics: · The budget was somewhat overshadowed this week by stories with far less cost involved, but no shortage of outrage – not least the final cost of Government Buildings security hut hitting €1.4 million and the row over the announcement of new sports capital grant funding for local clubs. · Sinn Féin’s alternative budget has many worthy pledges but is ultimately futile without the party’s hands a...
Sep 27, 2024•48 min
It's not that long ago that a Sinn Féin-led government after the next election was seen as something of a sure bet. Now, with polls showing the party losing almost half its support in the past year, the party's future seems much more uncertain. So what happened to Sinn Féin's support, can it regain ground and where should it target its resources in the forthcoming campaign? Political scientists Theresa Reidy and Aidan Regan join Hugh to discuss. Aidan Regan is an associate professor of political...
Sep 25, 2024•45 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics: · Political parties are eagerly pitching eye-catching measures ahead of Budget 2025 with 50 per cent of respondents in the latest Irish Times / Ipsos poll saying they want the Government to prioritise ‘immediate help’ with the cost of living. · Has Simon Harris reached peak popularity? The Taoiseach’s surging personal approval ratings mirrors that of his predecessor Leo Varadkar who enjoyed simi...
Sep 20, 2024•32 min
Support for Fine Gael has increased, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll, with approval ratings for Taoiseach Simon Harris surging since the last poll in early summer. Support for Sinn Fein has fallen since the last poll, while the personal rating for party leader Mary Lou McDonald also declining sharply. Pat and Hugh analyse all the findings of the poll. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 19, 2024•18 min
Jack Power and Derek Scally join Hugh Linehan to discuss developments in European politics: Michael McGrath was handed the EU Commission's justice portfolio when commission president Ursula von der Leyen assigned roles this week. How did Ireland end up with this particular job? Von der Leyen's consolidation of power at the centre of the commission may be good for reaching consensus. But as Europe faces an uncertain future in a range of areas from the economy to technology and security, does this...
Sep 18, 2024•39 min
This week’s host Pat Leahy is joined by Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics: · The fallout from Apple’s tax case continues with what to with decision on what to do with the €13bn plus interest expected within three weeks. The windfall won’t be available to the State until next March, but some sources in Government are saying there is already a consensus among Coalition parties that pressing infrastructure requirements and housing are at the top of the shopping ...
Sep 13, 2024•41 min
Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Pat Leahy to talk about three big political stories of the day. First they analyse last night's debate between US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. It was a battle Harris is widely considered to have won, but will it make an impact? Next the final judgement on the €13 billion plus interest of Apple tax that Ireland can, indeed must now collect. What will the Government do with this bounty? Finally, today is day one of the Fine Gael ...
Sep 11, 2024•40 min
This week’s host, Pat Leahy, is joined on the line by Irish Times Europe Correspondent Jack Power to discuss Taoiseach Simon Harris’s visit to Ukraine earlier this week. Taoiseach Simon Harris met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday to pledge €36 million in funding to humanitarian organisations operating in Ukraine, funding of a non-lethal character and therefore would not contravene Ireland’s neutrality. Simon Harris also signed an agreement of understanding with Ukraine, ...
Sep 06, 2024•34 min
This week’s host, Pat Leahy, is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories of the week. Following Tuesday’s publication of the scoping report into sexual abuse at religious-run schools, the panel discusses the next steps for the Government on the issue. When will a Commission of Investigation be established, how long will it take, and with no commitment given to setting up a redress scheme for survivors, how much will it cost the State? This week also saw th...
Sep 04, 2024•46 min
What was it about Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s that a man like Charles Haughey could become its leader? Did he improve the country, despite the corruption? And how did Garrett FitzGerald make such a mess of the abortion question? Following our recent podcast series on the era-defining rivalry between Charlie Haughey and Garrett FitzGerald, Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy return to the subject one last time, taking on listener questions they received via email and social media. They also unashamedly...
Aug 30, 2024•48 min
Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray to take stock as the political system cranks back into gear. With frequent political signals being sent about what should be in the upcoming budget, tensions within the coalition are growing. And it wouldn't be the Inside Politics podcast without some speculation on the timing of the next general election. Whenever it comes, this election will see many new faces fighting for seats. The panel talks about some of them. Hosted on Acast. See...
Aug 28, 2024•40 min
In an interview with the Irish Times Taoiseach Simon Harris offered some major clues as to what he would offer voters ahead of the general election. Pat and Hugh listen back to snippets from the interview and analyse the Taoiseach's comments on tax, spending, infrastructure, his leadership and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 24, 2024•32 min
Covering pivotal events from the two elections in 1982 to the fall of a scandal-ridden government, part three of Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan's exploration of the political rivalry between Charles Haughey and Garret Fitzgerald explores the stark differences and surprising similarities between these men, the two foremost political leaders of their era. This episode also looks at how their legacy shaped modern Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Pat Leahy continues the story of the rivalry between Fine Gael's Garret FitzGerald and Fianna Fáil's Charles Haughey, the defining politicians of their era. This episode traces their dominance within their parties and the electoral battles they fought as they drove Ireland's politics from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The story weaves together the efforts to fix Ireland's waning economy, Haughey's controversial leadership style and methods, Fitzgerald's reformist agenda, and the socio-pol...
Aug 14, 2024•47 min
Throughout the 1980s, two men dominated the Irish political landscape. Charles Haughey and Garret FitzGerald embodied and articulated very different visions of Ireland and its future. Born a year apart, one a Northsider, one a Southsider, both sons of Civil War veterans, divided by social class, personality and beliefs, they came to epitomise their two respective parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. In the first instalment of a special three-part Inside Politics podcast series, Pat Leahy and Hugh...
Aug 07, 2024•56 min
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to tie up political loose ends as the summer finally arrives. With a General Election around the corner, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have tricky tasks. Mary Lou McDonald must reset the party's message after disappointing results in June, while Fine Gael must select candidates to replace the 15 TDs who will not stand again. The panel also looks at the prospects of the proposed defamation reform bill progressing in the lifetime of this Government, Paschal ...
Jul 31, 2024•48 min
