Brexit was the issue that splintered British politics: Friendships were broken, political parties split, and a nation polarised by the EU referendum. We all know what the outcome was, but in this special miniseries, Ed Balls and George Osborne are joined by Michael Gove - the ultimate Leave campaign insider - to discover what really went on behind the scenes of the biggest political shakeup of the 21st century. In this first part of three, Ed, George and Michael take us back to the beginning of ...
Apr 04, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Parliament may be heading into recess, but there’s little time for holidaying as the political parties are heading straight into local election campaigning after Easter. Ed Balls and George Osborne take stock of how those campaigns are shaping up, who and what to watch out for, and how the results might change the Westminster mood. Is the BBC in danger again? And this time it’s from inside. After Tim Davie’s remarks this week, Ed and George take a deep dive on their own history with Auntie. ...
Mar 28, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 44
The latest polling predicts Conservative armageddon in the next election. But do these polls matter? George reveals why the Tories are still banking on winning over those ‘don’t know’ voters. They’ll have a mountain to climb, with growing fears of coordinated tactical voting. Will it work as a strategy, and have Ed and George ever dared to vote for another party? And when Taylor Swift comes roaring into town, does she bring a massive economic boost with her? Our not-so-secret Swiftie...
Mar 25, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Rishi Sunak is on a mission to prove his political fortunes are turning round… despite a long list of headaches. How can he get out of the political spiral he’s in? George and Ed pick over some lessons from Prime Ministers past… He’d do well to heed their words. On the Labour side, Rachel Reeves had made another big play for the role of chancellor, giving the Mais lecture. Is ‘securonomics’ the future of Britain? And does it mean she’s disowning some of Ed’s New Labour decisions? And forge...
Mar 21, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Is legalising cannabis the answer to the hole in Labour’s financial plans? Are fiscal rules there to be broken? And, in light of the infamous royal photography fail, can Ed and George think of other times a photograph has landed a public figure in hot water? Of course they can - sorry Prime Minister! Got a question for Ed and George? Send a voice note to [email protected] Producer: Rosie Stopher Production support: Miriam Hall Executive Producers: Dino Sofos and Ellie...
Mar 18, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Michael Gove is rolling out his new definition of extremism this week, to the chagrin of people across the political spectrum. Ed and George weigh in on whether this will have any impact in keeping the UK safe, or whether it will threaten to divide the country further. Unfortunately for Gove, a major Tory donor undermined the whole message with his own extreme comments about Diane Abbott. Should they return his £10m donation? And why didn’t they consult their most senior Black female member befo...
Mar 14, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 40
How does Donald Trump’s popularity endure, in spite of all his misdemeanours, and might Nigel Farage be taking notes? What is universal basic income and could it ever work in the UK? And George addresses recent claims that his little birdies in Downing Street have been found out… Ed and George are back answering more of your questions on EMQs. Have you got a burning issue you’d like them to address? Send a voice note to [email protected] Producer: Rosie Stopher Produc...
Mar 11, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 39
With the budget behind us, Ed pushes George on whether he’s still backing a November election. Tory sources are saying there’s a push from the centre of the party to send the country to the polls in May, but George has pretty strong views on what kind of idea that would be …. Meanwhile, Lord David Cameron is making lists and taking risks. The Foreign Secretary just celebrated 100 days in office, and George says he is being true to form by releasing a video listing off his lengthy travel ag...
Mar 07, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Is this the budget that turns the Tories’ fortunes? Ed and George have been poised for this day for weeks: budget day! They give their immediate reaction to Jeremy Hunt’s (final?) spending plans, consider whether it meets the tests they set out on last week's episode, and they answer your questions. This episode was originally broadcast LIVE on YouTube. Make sure you’re following us on social media @polcurrency so you don’t miss the next one. Producer: Rosie Stopher Tech production: ...
Mar 06, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 37
It's Budget week. Do Ed and George wish they were back in Parliament? And what's the secret to making it through the speech? Plus they answer lots more of your questions, from whether Rachel Reeves is right to be thinking about reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance, to the mystery of what happened to the infamous EdStone... Be sure to follow us on our socials @polcurrency and join us at 3pm on Wednesday 6th March for Ed and George’s live budget reaction. Producer: Rosie Stopher...
Mar 04, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 36
George reveals it was Sajid Javid who told Rishi Sunak to strip Lee Anderson of the whip , after comments that have been slammed as Islamophobic and hate speech . But on the broadcast rounds, the Conservative party line is to stop short, saying the “words were wrong” – over and over and over again. How would George and Ed tackle the furore, and why do they think Rishi Sunak should take a hard line and not “leave junior ministers out to dry”? All the while, next week’s budget is causing friction ...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 35
Is Boris Johnson's forthcoming book going to cause Rishi Sunak another headache? Is it acceptable for political leaders to take private planes? And does positive discrimination ever work in politics? Ed Balls and George Osborne answer these questions and more in our latest instalment of EMQs. Send your questions for future episodes to [email protected] Follow us on social media: @polcurrency Producers: Rosie Stopher and Nathan Copelin Production support: Miriam Hall Product...
Feb 26, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Chaos reigns supreme in Parliament this week after a tabled Labour amendment led to calls for Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle to resign. Is it really as big a deal as has been made out? Or is it a huge mess for the Speaker to overcome? Why isn’t the economy front and centre in this election year? It is on Political Currency! This week Ed Balls and George Osborne focus on housing policy. Will election battles be won on the greenbelt? And on Cameron-watch George’s mate David has been at t...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Ed Balls and George Osborne answer more of your Ex-Minister’s Questions. Speaking of ex-ministers, Nick Boles, wants to know if there’s still an opportunity for anyone except Trump and Biden in the race for POTUS... And what about Labour’s proposed VAT on private school fees - will it cause a state school influx? Is the left a bit ‘male’ as George alleges? Ed isn’t convinced. Plus, they both revisit their experience of very publicly losing their jobs. Follow us on social media: @polcurrency...
Feb 19, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 32
The United Kingdom has fallen into recession… technically . It couldn’t be worse timing for the Sunak government, which will now have this gloomy economic news - already dubbed ‘Rishession’ - hanging over its head for the next three months. What would Ed and George do next? Meanwhile, Labour has been battling a crisis of its own, as it’s embroiled in another row over anti-semitism in the party. Has Keir Starmer done enough to address concerns over Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali? Ed and George agre...
Feb 15, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Ed Balls and George Osborne are back with more of your questions. Is the minimum wage making life harder for businesses? Which party will our next female Prime Minister hail from? Does Keir Starmer have enough charisma to maintain his leadership? Ed and George also reveal their best ever celebrity meetings - although George’s turns out to be a little too hip for Ed. And if you’ve ever wondered if Ed considered dropping the ‘Balls’ - well, it emerges it could have been worse. Follow us on s...
Feb 12, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 30
It’s been a week of missteps for Rishi Sunak - an uncomfortable bet struck with Piers Morgan over Rwanda and a jibe gone wrong at PMQs - plus Liz Truss and her PopCon launch can’t have helped. Is this a precursor to the next leadership contest - or just misguided lessons in popularity with one of the least popular PMs of all time? In Labour land, the party’s £28 billion on green spending U-turn is finally coming to fruition, weeks after Ed predicted it would. Is it screeching to a stop enough fo...
Feb 08, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 29
On this week's Ex-minister’s Questions, a listeners asks if Matt Hancock has simply been misunderstood? No guesses for which way Ed and George fall on that one. They’re also tackling social care policy, Sunday opening hours, and the real meaning of 'Chatham House rules'. Speaking of which, we've had correspondence from an anonymous source with a revelation about Rishi Sunak and a disappearing video he filmed for social media's most successful foodie account; TOPJAW. Follow us on social media: @p...
Feb 05, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Wednesday marked the four-year anniversary of Brexit. Passed you by? Don’t worry, George admits he deleted the celebratory email from Tory HQ in protest. One old legacy of EU regulation is the bankers’ bonus cap, which Rachel Reeves revealed Labour would not reinstate if it won the election. Ed thinks she might be boxing herself in. He and George debate whether Britain has capitalised on its freedom from ‘red tape’ or if it’s all been a bit of a flop. Rishi Sunak has announced a ban on disposabl...
Feb 01, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Ed and George tackle more Ex-Ministers’ Questions. What are the best nicknames they’ve heard in politics? Is it time to radically rethink the NHS? How can the Israel-Palestine conflict be talked about in a way that’s respectful to both sides? And George reveals one of the strangest rules in the House of Commons... may contain references to snorting - you have been warned! To send in your questions for next week's episode, email [email protected] - we love to receive your voice no...
Jan 29, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Has Rishi Sunak survived his first attempted coup? It might look like Simon Clarke’s amounted to nothing but Ed and George think it might be too soon to tell whether he’s failed yet. They have plenty of insights into plots past, and the many ways they can fizzle, burn, or downright engulf a prime minister. Elsewhere in politics, the UK tax burden has been drifting up to a rate not seen since the 1960s. Can any chancellor - current or future - do anything about it? And in Europe, a beleaguer...
Jan 25, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Ed and George are back to answer more of your Ex-Ministers' Questions. Who would lead a crisis during coalition negotiations? How do you prepare for PMQs? George and Ed discuss how they changed how the monarchy is financed. George reveals his double-life as leader of the Labour party. And Ed is grilled about kicking Susanna Reid in the head on live TV… To send in your questions for next week's episode, email [email protected] - we love to get your voice notes! Follow us on ...
Jan 22, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Rishi Sunak survived Tory mutiny over the Rwanda policy, but he’s not out of the woods just yet. Ed and George explain why his road to election 2024 still faces huge problems. Meanwhile, George has been in Davos this week. He reveals his celebrity spots - including Sting - as well as the global mood on the economy. But is this more than just a glitzy who’s who? Ed thinks it's a prime opportunity for opposition parties to show they mean business. And, in America, Donald Trump has clai...
Jan 18, 2024•50 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Welcome to our first edition of EMQs - Ex-Ministers' Questions... see what we did there?. Every Monday, our ex-ministers will take your questions. Ed Balls and George Osborne will also hear from some influential and famous voices. In our first episode: did the Lib Dems agree to ditch their pledge on tuition fees during the coalition talks? What is the Barnett formula and is it fair? And why are Special Advisers such as Dominic Cummings so influential? To send in your questions for next week's ep...
Jan 15, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 22
General election fever begins as George shares his insider tip on when the country can expect to go to the polls. But the new year has kicked off with new problems for political leaders. What do they need to get in order first? How can they tackle a much older issue that’s been dominating politics this week? The ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has captured the public’s imagination and led to demands for justice. Ed and George reflect on how they missed the story the first time round,...
Jan 11, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 21
After two days of negotiations, the Conservatives had begun to worry a deal was slipping through their fingers. So what shifted to put David Cameron in Number 10? Danny Alexander is back with Ed and George to relive the five tense days in 2010 that led to a coalition government between the Tories and the Lib Dems. In our second instalment, Ed and George grill Nick Clegg’s former Chief of Staff and lead negotiator about the moment he told Gordon Brown he had to go, and why the Lib Dems decided to...
Jan 04, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 20
To the shock of the whole country, the 2010 general election delivered a hung parliament. The result kick-started five days of arguments and negotiations as the real race to Number 10 began between Gordon Brown and David Cameron, with Nick Clegg as kingmaker. In this special episode, Ed Balls and George Osborne are joined by Danny Alexander, who was Nick Clegg's Chief of Staff and the Lib Dem lead negotiator during the coalition talks. George and Ed were also leading negotiations on behalf of Da...
Dec 30, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Ed and George answer questions from some very special guests... Jeremy Hunt asks about the power budgets can have on elections, Stephen Fry grills George on the Elgin Marbles, and Susannah Reid wants to know what Ed and George think is the most significant TV interview they’ve seen. As we head into an election year, they reminisce on their first time as candidates, how they met their big political partners, and Rachel Reeves asks them about their best Christmases in the Treasury. Producer:...
Dec 28, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 18
George comes bearing gifts… the news of a winter election next year. As parliament winds down for Christmas, Ed and George reveal there’s no rest for politicians. The mood in the Tory party is gloomy, but could this be a critical moment for the opposition to strike? Cameron, Starmer and Sunak have all been calling for a ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza. But is there such a thing? George throws down the challenge to our new ‘Rolls-Royce’ foreign sec. The junior doctors are on strike again. Ed and ...
Dec 21, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 17
It’s not just Rishi Sunak’s approval rating which has taken a battering. Keir Starmer has his own popularity problem. Why? The so-called ‘five families’ of the Tory party threaten to “go to the mattresses” over the Rwanda bill, but end up bottling it. Is Mark Francois really the next Don Corleone? Ukraine’s President Zelensky has embarked on a world tour, pleading for more money for the Ukraine war. Is it time to rethink their strategy? And why London’s time as the great financial ce...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 16
