Podcasts from The Bigger Picture

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at some of the more unusual aspects of the UK General Election, now five weeks away. He also looks at the life of former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky and his role in the demise of the USSR and considers what lessons we might usefully learn from the two currency collapses suffered by Germany in the past century.

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at how the general election he predicted at the beginning of the year finally came about, at some of the MPs who are standing down (and some who aren't) and at the departure of John Bercow as Speaker. He discusses the suspension of Keith Vaz, the most severe ever that will have no effect thanks to the election. And he looks at which might happen when the country goes to the polls.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University discusses the IMF's dire warnings on the state of the world economy, the eight mistakes made by Britain's Brexit negotiators and the way in which the UK's political turmoil is leading to an upsurge in applications to study politics at university.

Helal Miah of The Share Centre looks at recent company news involving Just Eat, Reckitt Benckiser, AstraZeneca and Royal Bank of Scotland. And he looks ahead to what we might expect from HSBC, Lloyds Bank, Standard Chartered, BP, Next and Glaxo.

Political commentator Mike Indian assesses the deal struck between Boris Johnson and the EU. But with the DUP claiming they will not vote for the deal, is there a chance of getting it through the House of Commons? Mike expects a General Election next month and feels the Queen will be having to make another speech very soon.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the issue of institutional decline and asks if modern organisations – whether private of public – have lost track of how to assess their reputation in the eyes of their customers, instead using statistics to prove that everything is wonderful. And admitting his obsession with obituaries, Tim looks at the death of a former editor of The Morning Star.

Political commentator Mike Indian, present at the Labour Party Conference when the Supreme Court decision was announced, looks at what that means for Parliament and the Brexit process. He analyses that conference and that of the Conservatives and explains Boris Johnson's Northern Ireland proposals and considers how they may be received in the UK, Ireland and by the EU.

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University considers the many twists and turns at Labour's Party Conference in Brighton and wonders if Momentum is turning into phut. He looks at a pollster's analysis of the concerns of regional Conservative voters which appear to confound popular thought. And he looks at the long-term implications of the Supreme Court Decision and whether the UK should have a written constitution.

With the Supreme Court weighing up the prorogation of Parliament, political commentator Mike Indian considers where the power lies in our parliamentary democracy and how MPs should behave if they disagree with their constituents. He ponders whether the UK would be better off with a written constitution and, with the publication of his memoirs, believes that David Cameron is the last gasp of a bygone political era.