Share Sounds from The Bigger Picture related to Politics - UK

With Simon Rose taking a well-earned break and with an action-packed PMQ on Wednesday, please enjoy 55 minutes of democratic challenge at its best. Christian Wakeford (circled in the image) has just switched sides from Conservative to Labour, Sir Keir Starmer's on the warpath, and Boris is fighting back - at last. Enjoy!

The news that Sarah Green has wrested the constituency of Chesham and Amersham off the Conservatives for the first time in its history merits a look back over the Liberal Democrat's long decline. The centre ground is not an easy place to be in politics, and the new MP has needed the frequent sight of HS2 bulldozers and stormtroopers to get her majority - but she's done it. This look-back over Liberal Democrat history with Simon Rose and Mike Indian was first published in October 2019, just before the last General Election.

Mike Indian, political commentator and author of The Groucho Tendency blog, discusses with Simon Rose the outcome of the EU summit in Salzburg where leaders of the 27 other member states discussed Brexit. With the head of the European Council Donald Tusk saying that May’s Chequers plan would not work, what does that mean for the Prime Minister and her plan. Is a no-deal Brexit now more likely. Mike also highlights the leaked Tory dossier about who might replace May, which gives pitchy comments on the chances of the possible candidates. Ahead of the Labour Party conference, he looks at Labour’s democracy review and the possibility of the party endorsing a call for a second Brexit referendum.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University explains why the left/right divide is becoming less and less important. Voters’ primary concern is no longer tax, spending and the size of the public sector. Instead votes are now split around ‘internationalism’ which means attitudes to immigration, trade and the like. Tim also looks at whether the UK needs to spend more money on ‘digital defence’ as well as the decline of the traditional British establishment.

In this special Christmas edition, Simon Rose highlights some of his favourite conversations with Tim Evans throughout the year. Discussions range from a Eurosceptic Corbyn, to life inside Theresa May’s Number 10, all the way to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Tune in for a comprehensive look at some of the main political events of the year gone by!