After a couple of weeks away, co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell are back. They discuss the fallout from the local elections and Sir Keir Starmer's new deal with the EU.

• UK-EU trade deal: What is in the Brexit reset agreement?
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell discuss the UK Supreme Court's ruling on recognising trans people and women. They also briefly reflect on the passing of Pope Francis.

Buy tickets to Emma's upcoming play "Four Weigh-ins and a Funeral"

• For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent)
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

It's been a packed week for co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell to try and make sense of. We start with a huge about turn on tariffs by US President Donald Trump. After that, we discuss the case of two Labour MPs being turned away at the airport by Israeli authorities. The show finishes up by discussing a legal case between the Home Office and Apple.

Buy tickets to Emma's upcoming play "Four Weigh-ins and a Funeral"

• Retreat or negotiating strategy? Trump steps back from all-out trade war – BBC News
• Who are the two MPs deported by Israel – and what have they said about the war in Gaza? – Sky News
• Chris Bryant MP on Twitter
• Apple, and the Media, Win Legal Battle With UK Government
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

It's a couple of days after "liberation day" and the world is still reeling from Trump's tariff announcements. Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell try and unpack what on Earth is going on, including how the UK is responding. They also look at some unpleasant polling for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Elon Musk's impending exit from government.

Buy tickets to Emma's upcoming play "Four Weigh-ins and a Funeral"

• Faisal Islam: This is the biggest change to global trade in 100 years – BBC News
• Trump Tells Inner Circle That Musk Will Leave Soon – Politico
• Elon Musk is powersliding through the federal government – The Economist
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

Rachel Reeves stood up to make her Spring Statement from a position that is both incredibly precarious and incredibly safe. Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell unpack what the chancellor had to say, the economic forecasts and the reaction it all got. Can Labour move on from the gloom of the early months?

• Spring Statement 2025: Key points at a glance – BBC News
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

This week, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall laid out her initial plans to reform the welfare system, inevitably prompting a huge amount of debate. Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell look into the good, the bad and the ugly of the current system and the Government's plans to improve it.

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

Four Weigh-Ins and a Funeral tickets

• Welfare Reform: This time it's complicated
• Benefits crackdown unveiled with aim to save £5bn a year by 2030 – BBC News
• Keir Starmer: Labour will help people get back to work — it’s in our name  – The Times
• No one knows why UK benefit claims have outpaced peer countries – Financial Times
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

This week co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell start by trying to unpack the latest deluge of Trump news. Does anyone fancy a new Tesla? Back home, they debate the end of NHS England and a bust-up in Reform. Settle in, because Emma gives a, genuinely fascinating, history lesson on QUANGOs!

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

• Trump turns the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom - NBC News
• NHS England to be brought under government control – BBC News
• Disability benefit cuts test loyalty of Labour MPs – BBC News
• 'Biggest building boom' in a generation through planning reforms
• How I became a Labour school-fee exile in Dubai – Isabel Oakeshott, Telegraph
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

The world is an uncertain place, but Sir Keir Starmer has seemingly risen to the occasion. The UK Prime Minister has had his best week since arriving in Downing Street, first meeting US President Donald Trump, then bringing together a host of European leaders for a security summit in support of Ukraine. He did though have to contend with the resignation of Annelise Dodds (something that happened after the recording of last week's show). Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell discuss it all.

• Anneliese Dodds resigns over Keir Starmer’s decision to cut aid budget – The Guardian
• 'Charmer Starmer' with the 'Trump card' – BBC News
• Starmer navigates Ukraine talks with ‘cool head’ as Trump acts tough – Reuters
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer became the latest world leader to head to Washington to meet President Donald Trump. If the newspaper headlines are anything to go by, he's had a very successful visit. Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell discuss that, and how the Labour Party is responding to cutting the aid budget to fund increases in defence spending. This episode was recorded (minutes) before Anneliese Dodds resigned from the government over the aid cuts.

• Anneliese Dodds resigns over Keir Starmer’s decision to cut aid budget – The Guardian
• Key takeaways from Starmer's talks with Trump – BBC News
• 'Charmer Starmer' with the 'Trump card' – BBC News
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

This week, co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell try to make sense of the chaos from across the Atlantic, including Elon Musk's government takeover and Donald Trump's plan for Gaza. They also discuss Emma's favourite domestic topic - local government reform.

• 'People seem dumbstruck' - Inside Musk's race to upend government – BBC News
• Trump says Israel will hand over Gaza to US after fighting ends – BBC News
• Elon Musk and His DOGEY Dealings – The Addition
• Devolution revolution: six areas to elect Mayors for first time
• Angela Rayner’s council overhaul leaves 5.7m with no vote this year – The Times
• The Politics of The Traitors
• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.

After a wobble, Rachel Reeves worked to reset her party's relationship with business and sound positive in a big setpiece speech. However, the Government's backing of a third runway at Heathrow may lead to a row with London Mayor Sadiq Kahn. Co-hosts Charlotte Henry and Emma Burnell look at the consequences of what was said this week. Before that, they remember John Prescott, whose funeral was held and attended by the New Labour hierarchy. 

• Charlotte Henry on Threads
• Charlotte Henry on BlueSky
• Charlotte Henry's website and newsletter – The Addition
• Emma Burnell on Twitter
• Emma Burnell on BlueSky
• Emma Burnell's newsletter, Hard Thinking on the Soft Left
• House of Comments on Twitter

Support House of Comments on Patreon - just £5 a month – to help us create the best, independent coverage of this new political era.

House of Comments is a C.A.H Multimedia production in association with Political Human.