Keir Starmer has seen off the threat to his leadership - for now. What happens inside Downing Street when things get really, really bad for a prime minister?

We also discuss whether the Labour Party will swing to the left with Morgan McSweeney's departure, and Zack Polanski's singing at Liberal Democrat conference.

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Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. With Number 10 in survival mode, can the prime minister find a new strategy, and how long will potential leadership challengers wait?

Hugo, Danny and Polly respond to the emergency podcast bell and react to the news.

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The Mandelson-Epstein scandal has left Keir Starmer's authority over his party, perhaps his future as prime minister, dangling by a thread.

In this week's episode we discuss the huge impact of the downfall of Peter Mandelson - who says he has not acted criminally in any way or acted for financial gain - and we also have a frank discussion about his time on the How To Win An Election team, his political talents and his weaknesses.

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Danny argues that if Labour wants to ditch Keir Starmer and pick a new leader, his replacement should immediately go to the polls. Have we switched to a presidential system without realising it, and would the party ever actually risk letting Reform into Downing Street?

The team also discuss whether No 10's handling of Andy Burnham has parallels with Tony Blair's opposition to Ken Livingstone becoming mayor of London, and Danny's ongoing beef with Reform's Danny Kruger.

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This week we're discussing the shape of the right of British politics - are we witnessing a landmark moment in the journey of Reform UK, and is Kemi Badenoch worried the Conservative Party is now seen as less right wing?

The political masterminds also consider whether anyone is making political capital from Donald Trump's diplomatic chaos, and whether Ed Davey is offering his MPs thin gruel.

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Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, saying he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. Hugo and Danny discuss the return of the Tory psychodrama, and what it means for the future of the right in British politics.

Also in this week's episode: Sally, Polly and Danny talk about Lynton Crosby's famous commandment to 'scrape the barnacles off the boat', the death of the party political broadcast, and make some strangely prescient comments about Robert Jenrick's social media.

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Can Keir Starmer learn from Donald Trump and get some swagger? Hugo, Polly and Danny are joined by former Labour strategist Peter Hyman to discuss

whether the government can stop looking anxious, and whether the prime minister is right to keep talking about the next election as a straight fight with Reform UK.

We also look at whether Nigel Farage is right to say he'd return PMQs to twice-weekly, and has Polly always been known as Policy Mackenzie?

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What are the chances that the elections in May 2026 in Scotland, Wales and England will lead to a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer?

That's one of the questions answered by the political masterminds in our Christmas episode. We also find out about their favourite political memorabilia, why the parties import advisers from America and Australia, and whether we've been stuck in a political timewarp since 2019.

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We're joined by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg for the latest in our series looking at how the most significant elections in our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost.

He takes us inside the 2010 Liberal Democrat campaign - from the first TV leaders' debate in British history, to Cleggmania and 'bigotgate' - ending in the first hung parliament since the 1970s and the frenzied days of negotiation that led to the coalition government.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to [email protected].

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The prime minister has been increasingly critical of Brexit this week, and says he wants a closer relationship with the EU - without rejoining key parts of the club.

But will Labour inevitably have to go further, and if they do will they be falling into a Reform UK trap?

We also discuss the role of the Downing Street 'maverick genius' - and what that's got to do with My Little Pony.

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Was the Budget aimed at short-term political survival, or did it form part of a coherent electoral strategy?

Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) discuss Rachel Reeves' statement - does it make it more likely that she and the prime minister will stay in their jobs, but more likely to lose the next election? What could she have learned from Gordon Brown's budgets? And does Kemi Badenoch's success in the Commons chamber mean anything in the world outside?

Send your questions, comment, voicenotes and weird food suggestions for Polly to [email protected]

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