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•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast 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 questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk - we love to receive your voice no...
Jan 29, 2024•34 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast 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 questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk - we love to get your voice notes! Follow us on ...
Jan 22, 2024•31 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Another week… another meltdown for the Conservatives. Ed and George ask whether the Tory civil wars have been reignited by the rift over Rwanda and Robert Jenrick’s shock resignation. Is Sunak’s position weaker than ever? Meanwhile former prime ministers haunt party leaders wherever they go. Boris Johnson is giving evidence at the Covid inquiry, painting a picture of chaos during his tenure. George shares his own theories about the dire state of Johnson’s personal finances. And Keir Starmer face...
Dec 07, 2023•55 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast The Autumn Statement hasn’t delivered the stability and calm that Sunak and Hunt likely hoped for. A rift in the party over immigration, a chaotic Covid inquiry and to top it off, a diplomatic incident with the Greek PM over the Parthenon Sculptures. In a week where Sunak hoped his Global Investment Summit would grab the headlines, why are the Tories failing to land their message? Meanwhile, it's reported Sunak rebuffed Cabinet Secretary Simon Case’s proposals to allow talks between the oppositi...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast The Autumn Statement continues to ripple through Westminster, and a new energy price cap puts the cost of living back into the spotlight. As the Chancellor continues his media rounds and Labour weighs in with their response, Ed and George share their experiences of the political traps set by big budget shakeups. Meanwhile, immigration is the big topic around the world today, as new migration figures are released in the UK, and elections are won in the Netherlands and Argentina over the iss...
Nov 23, 2023•56 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast George and Ed react to Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement. Is he really the tax cutting Chancellor he's claiming to be, and are we on course for an early election? And we’ll be back again tomorrow with more detail on the Chancellor’s plans as the picture becomes clearer. Email: questions@persephonica.com Exec producer: Dino Sofos Producer: Rachel Balmer Production Manager: Flick Heath Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network Subscribe now on Patreon Ho...
Nov 22, 2023•29 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been a wild week in Westminster and it’s starting to look like the Tories are losing their grip. Ed and George chew over the Supreme Court’s judgment on Rwanda and what it means for Sunak. Could his new Foreign Secretary slam the brakes on some Tories’ hopes to leave the ECHR? Meanwhile, Keir Starmer faced a huge rebellion of his MPs over the SNP’s ceasefire amendment. Ed explains why this isn’t as big a threat to the Labour leader as it first appears... And though this psycho-drama h...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Rishi Sunak has finally sacked Suella Braverman, and the reshuffle has opened the door for the most unlikely return to politics: David Cameron. In our first HOT TAKE bonus episode, Ed Balls and George Osborne - his closest political friend - brings us the inside scoop on our new Foreign Secretary. Email questions@politicalcurrency.co.uk Follow us on social media: @polcurrency Exec producers: Ellie Clifford and Dino Sofos Producer: Rachel Balmer Production Manager: Flick Heath Political Cur...
Nov 13, 2023•22 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Suella Braverman has attacked the Met Police Chief’s decision to allow the pro-Palestine march this Saturday, putting Rishi Sunak in a tricky position. Ed asks George whether firing her is the only option. Civil servants and ministers are currently scrambling around the Treasury to get everything ready for the upcoming Autumn Statement. All eyes will be on Jeremy Hunt: will he survive his big moment? And Nadine Dorries’ book is out today, shedding light on the shadowy group she calls ‘the Moveme...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast It was Dominic Cummings' turn at the Covid inquiry this week and - as George predicted - we heard about the misogynistic language being used in Boris Johnson's Number 10. What does it reveal about the toxic culture operating in Westminster at that time? And why this isn't ancient history for the Tories. Trouble is still brewing for Keir Starmer over his party's response to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Is his political authority in danger? And why the American economy is having a much bigger impact ...
Nov 02, 2023•57 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Keir Starmer has shifted his position on Gaza. But he’s still not calling for a ceasefire. Has this incident been a wake up call for the Labour party? George Osborne reveals that we’ll be hearing about some “shocking and disgusting” messages sent by Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings at the Covid inquiry next week. And we’re joined by Matt Clifford, Rishi Sunak’s representative for the AI Safety Summit. He’s warning of the need to avoid a “Three Mile Island” moment for AI. Email: questions@polit...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Keir Starmer’s potentially got his party into hot water this week over his position on Israel’s right to defend herself - what should he do next? And what risk does it pose to Labour support in any upcoming elections? Speaking of elections: As we await results of two by-elections, George and Ed give their predictions and share memories of outgoing Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries. George has been giving evidence in the Covid-19 inquiry, which is back in session. It’s rumbling on quietly ...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast The violence between Israel and Gaza rages on. What are Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer thinking behind the scenes in Westminster? And what does the conflict mean for the global economy? Elsewhere, it was Labour’s turn to set our their stall at conference. Keir Starmer gave a glittering performance with housing at its core, and the ex-Bank Of England chief gave Rachel Reeves a glowing endorsement. But Ed and George both think there’s more to do to convince voters. And could higher interest rates me...
Oct 12, 2023•51 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast It's conference season and Ed and George aren't short of speeches to dissect. The Prime Minister has launched his new and improved radical Rishi persona this week - is it enough to save the Conservatives at the next election? And can it compete with the real talk of the conference - a certain Mr Farage spotted here there and everywhere? Meanwhile, Labour are preparing to take to the stage for their own conference in Liverpool, with Rachel Reeves' hotly anticipated speech on Monday. Can the shado...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 
