- 38 minutes 15 secondsAndy Haldane: Burnham's former adviser gives the Budget 4 out of 10
The President of the British Chambers of Commerce on his role as friend and critic of the new prime minister.
Andy Haldane made his name as the "maverick" and "radical" Chief Economist at the Bank of England.
Many thought he'd be brought into Andy Burnham's Downing Street as an adviser, but he opted to stay on the outside.
He sits down with Nick the day after the Budget to reflect on some encouraging signs from the budget, but warns against pushing back the biggest decisions.
He also reflects on how his working class upbringing in Sunderland formed his economic approach.
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards Sound: Andy Mills
29 October 2026, 9:57 pm - 39 minutes 14 seconds'We can't leave it to tech bros and oligarchs': AI minister Kanishka Narayan
From a childhood in India, to a new seat at Andy Burnham's cabinet table: what has shaped the man who is now tasked with shaping the UK's response to the world of AI?
How did Kanishka Narayan go from sleeping on the floor in his family's one-bed flat in Cardiff, to Eton and Silicon Valley?
Why does he think the UK can have an outsized voice on the world stage when it comes to global AI cooperation?
And is he scared, daunted or excited by something that he says "exceeds the industrial revolution"?
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: Steve Pontin and Hal Haines Editor: Jonathan Brunert
23 October 2026, 5:00 am - 36 minutes 39 secondsSuella Braverman: 'I'm not imposing my idea of Englishness on anyone else'
"I played it nicely in government. I should have been harder.'
That is the reflection of the former Home Secretary, now Reform UK's education spokesperson, on her time at the top of government.
Suella Braverman joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio, having sparked a row after saying "of course I'm not English" on Question Time.
She explains what she actually meant and why she thinks accusations of racism against her are 'dangerous'
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards
16 October 2026, 5:00 am - 40 minutes 25 secondsTom Watson: Don't bow to 'mob rule' on Palantir
The former deputy Labour leader has been criticised for joining the controversial tech firm, Palantir, as it tries to persuade ministers not to cut off a huge NHS contract.
How did the man who railed against Rupert Murdoch's media empire and Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook end up working for a Silicon Valley tech giant?
Tom Watson accepts he's at the centre of a 'media storm', partly due to the firm's work with the Israel Defence Forces, and faces questions over the efficacy of Palantir's NHS software.
He also reveals why he chose to stand down from the House of Commons before the start of the 2019 election campaign.
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards
9 October 2026, 5:00 am - 39 minutes 41 secondsWe're failing the next generation: Alan Milburn on getting young people into work
The man tasked with tackling youth worklessness joins Nick at the Labour conference in Liverpool.
Alan Milburn has looked into the whites of the eyes of the prime minister and the chancellor, and believes they are on board with his upcoming 'manifesto for change,' aimed at solving the 'NEETs' crisis: young people not in education, employment or training.
The veteran of the Blair cabinet is now one of the most powerful people behind the current government, and tells Nick how his own background inspired his passion for the subject.
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards
30 September 2026, 11:01 pm - 40 minutes 43 seconds'Can you not hear their rage?': Film-maker Paul Greengrass
The British director reflects today's political and social mood in his new film, The Uprising, about the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.
Paul Greengrass tells Nick how the rage that led to the revolt in medieval England is similar to what he sees in society and politics today.
He charts his journey from growing up in Gravesend, through documentary making for World in Action, to Hollywood stardom with the Jason Bourne films
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: Andrew Mills and Fiona Fairmaner Editor: Giles Edwards
24 September 2026, 5:00 am - 40 minutes 43 seconds"Weakness is provocative": Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat on the UK's role in the world
Tom Tugendhat on Trump's diplomacy, the Afghanistan withdrawal and being sanctioned by China
Does the Shadow Foreign Secretary think Trump's remarks on Ireland and the Falkland Islands are serious?
Why does he think China and Russia see the UK as 'not serious'
And which language is the best to have an argument in?
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: James McNaughton-Brown and Hal Haines Editor: Giles Edwards
18 September 2026, 5:00 am - 45 minutes 3 secondsAngela Rayner on her return to the top table: 'It’s good to give people a second chance'
The Housing Secretary joins Nick for the first episode of a new series of Political Thinking.
Angela Rayner talks about the change of character, personality and politics in Downing Street under new leadership.
She opens up about how it felt to "lose the confidence of the people" after being accused of not paying the tax she owed.
And she defends her decision to halt a huge local government reorganisation that had been started by her predecessor.
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Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: Ged Sudlow and Andrew Mills Editor: Giles Edwards
11 September 2026, 5:00 am - 35 minutes 59 seconds"It's not a purge!" Kemi Badenoch on forging a future for her party
As the Burnham era dawns, the Leader of the Opposition on why it's time to transform her party, what would get her round the table with the new Prime Minister - and the people who believed in her when no one else did.
Producer: Hannah Wilkinson
23 July 2026, 5:00 am - 39 minutes 26 seconds'Our donors are brave people': Reform's Robert Jenrick on wealth, power, and the establishment
As the country reels from the death of Reform's Ann Widdecombe, the party's Treasury Spokesman discusses the threat to politicians, debates whether calling politicians racists and traitors is dangerous, and explains why the ‘cosy club’ of politics is in for a shock.
Producer: Hannah Wilkinson
17 July 2026, 5:00 am - 42 minutes 3 secondsWe've got a plan: Louise Haigh on her journey back to power
The former Transport Secretary, sidelined by Keir Starmer, reveals she's been working with Burnham on a plan for government for at least a year, and has already seen the prospective Prime Minister make tough decisions. Also - bringing hope back to politics, navigating an exotic bird auction, and playing football in the House of Commons chamber.
Recorded in front of a live audience at the Crossed Wires Festival in her home town of Sheffield.
Producer: Hannah Wilkinson
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