- 23 minutes 30 secondsWill Berlin help Britain rejoin the EU?
With conference season in the rear-view mirror, Andy Burnham jets off to Germany for his first European trip as PM - but how much do Anglo-German relations matter right now?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy look ahead to his meeting with German chancellor Friedrich Merz as the countries attempt to align ambitions and maybe find an avenue to rejoin the EU.
Elsewhere, an MP gets in touch to ask whether the government is trying to curb transparency and scrutiny.
8 October 2026, 7:01 am - 27 minutes 30 secondsKemi Badenoch's speech: Debrief edition
She promised a “battle for the soul of the nation” – but can Kemi Badenoch turn her vision for the Conservatives into an electoral revival?
In a special debrief episode from the Tory conference in Birmingham, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the big pledges in the leader’s speech – from abolishing inheritance tax on family homes to her deeply personal intervention on race, identity and her own mixed-race children.
Has Badenoch now drawn a clear enough dividing line between her party, Andy Burnham and Nigel Farage?
7 October 2026, 2:38 pm - 18 minutes 20 secondsWill Tory donors splash the cash?
It’s Kemi Badenoch’s big day at Conservative conference - but it’s not just the adoring party faithful she has to impress.
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy look at how the leader’s speech will land with both voters and party donors – in what she’s calling a “battle for the soul of the country”.
There are already signs the Tories’ finances are not in the shape they need to be to fight an election on two fronts – with our hosts picking up clues from the conference hall in Birmingham.
Plus, Sam and Anne check in on the state of the Green Party, after delegates adopted a motion declaring Zionism as a form of racism. What does it mean for leader Zack Polanski?
You can find the candidate standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election here.
Sam and Anne will return later for a special de-brief edition following Kemi Badenoch speech, which will be released mid-afternoon.
7 October 2026, 7:02 am - 24 minutes 25 secondsWho is in charge of the budget?
The ‘Burnham Bounce’ is extending Labour’s lead in the polls – so are the Conservatives anywhere near ready to challenge?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the latest polling numbers and what they mean for Kemi Badenoch as the party struggle to define its offer on the economy, triple lock and social care.
Back in London, Chancellor - John Healey - meets Britain’s biggest banks ahead of the Budget, amid growing speculation over tax rises and a key intervention from a former chief of staff to Rachel Reeves.
Plus, as the United States pull out their bombers from RAF Fairford, just how serious is the threat?
6 October 2026, 7:10 am - 21 minutes 5 secondsIs Kemi abandoning the Red Wall?
Is Andy Burnham an easier opponent for the Conservatives than Keir Starmer?
At Tory conference in Birmingham, Kemi Badenoch’s team sniff a chance to attack the Prime Minister – with a particular chance to seize and attack his economic argument.
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy pore over Badenoch’s ‘The Right Way’ pamphlet and how she plans to take the fight to Reform in the north and the Liberal Democrats in the southeast.
Elsewhere, Anne has been speaking Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary – Helen Whately – who has a couple of blunt messages for Andy Burnham.
Plus, are the Conservatives truly over Robert Jencrick after his defection to Reform?
5 October 2026, 6:51 am - 30 minutes 12 secondsTory conference: What will it reveal about Kemi?
As Labour attempt to reshape the political debate, can the Conservatives seize back the headlines?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy are on the conference floor in Birmingham, asking whether Kemi Badenoch can carve out a distinct Tory agenda – or whether the party is still playing catch-up.
From the pension triple lock to European Union membership, how can the Conservatives wrestle the narrative away from Andy Burnham? And does Kemi Badenoch have to become the Queen of Mean to do so?
4 October 2026, 1:13 pm - 20 minutesWho cares if I'm nasty - Kemi Badenoch fights back
Labour conference is over and the opposition parties are already on the attack – despite a ringing endorsement from Oasis’ Liam Gallagher.
As the Conservatives head to Birmingham, Kemi Badenoch has branded the Prime Minister’s plans as “Corbynism with better packaging.”
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy ask whether the Tories are embracing a more aggressive style of politics – in stark contrast to Burnham’s call for a more consensual approach.
Elsewhere, Europe is back at the centre of the debate, but what are they realistic options on the table?
Plus, is the PM starting to wind up MPs outside mayoral regions with his targeted plans?
1 October 2026, 6:47 am - 23 minutes 35 secondsWhat the gaps in Andy Burnham’s speech reveal
A lot has been said about the prime minister’s first speech as leader to the Labour party conference. But what didn’t Andy Burnham say?
Have the public understood the new PM’s big policy offer? And why was there nothing substantial on welfare reform?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine the headline polling on the Burnham speech – wondering if the public back his triple lock ‘adjustment’ to fix social care and whether the numbers add up.
The duo also focus on why the prime minister has turned to reddit to get his message over – in a bid to beat the AI algorithm.
Remember you can catch up on the latest de-brief edition of Andy Burnham’s speech here.
30 September 2026, 6:57 am - 30 minutes 31 secondsRisking it all: Burnham scraps the triple lock
An hour-long emotional address promising to “break the mould” of British politics – but will Britain buy Andy Burnham’s vision?
In a special de-brief episode from Liverpool, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the big pledges – from challenging the triple lock, creating a national care service to electoral reform and a new relationship with the EU.
Has Burnham already set his sights on his political opponents – and begun the long campaign for the next general election?
Have the targets for the opposition parties already been placed and has the PM already started his campaign for the next general election?
With no personal mandate and little money to spend, can the PM use his political goodwill to take people with him?
29 September 2026, 6:06 pm - 19 minutes 30 secondsWhat does Andy Burnham have to prove today?
It’s the new prime minister’s big day in Liverpool – but will he explain what Labour conference slogan “hope again” actually means?
After a series of major speeches with little substance so far from his cabinet colleagues, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy wonder whether Andy Burnham is saving all the juicy details for himself.
Could there be some policy surprises – with the pensions triple lock seemingly on the table?
And with Reform inching back ahead in the latest polling, the duo ask who Labour views as its main opponent heading into the next election: Reform or the Conservatives?
Plus, Sam has a scoop on the PM’s latest plans to bring back drinking at the footie.
Remember, Politics at Sam and Anne’s will be back later with a special de-brief edition on the Burnham speech.
29 September 2026, 6:45 am - 21 minutes 55 secondsCan Chancellor John Healey avoid big tax rises?
Labour conference enters day two under the shadow of a suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford and whether the Iranians were involved.
As Donald Trump offers his account, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine the conflicting version of events, the emerging security concerns around the Gloucestershire airbase and the political reaction.
Meanwhile in Liverpool, the chancellor takes centre stage but why is he keeping a low profile?
Sam and Anne discuss the building economic tensions between No10 and the Treasury on the approach to the economy, investment and fiscal rules.
Plus, with John Healey’s headroom getting squeezed further, how much appetite is there within Labour for another big tax-raising budget?
28 September 2026, 7:09 am - More Episodes? Get the App