To discuss the government's U-turn on taking winter fuel allowance from all but the poorest pensioners, Caroline is joined by the Conservative peer, David Willetts - president of the Resolution Foundation, which focuses on people on lower incomes; and Claire Ainsley, former policy director to Sir Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.Also this week, the UK and the EU struck a trade deal. Caroline speaks to the EU Ambassador to the UK, Pedro Serrano about it. Reform UK’s newest MP Sarah Pochin, who served as a magistrate for twenty years and the Labour MP and barrister Catherine Atkinson discuss plans by the former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke for the biggest shake-up of sentencing in England and Wales for more than 30 years. And, this week marks the first anniversary of a public inquiry report into the infected blood scandal. The former Health Secretary, now Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham has campaigned on behalf of victims and came into the studio with Lee Moorey, who was given contaminated blood.
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28:12
17/05/2025
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
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27:57
10/05/2025
Sonia Sodha delves in to the latest developments at Westminster.Sir Keir Starmer celebrated not one, but two, new trade deals this week: with the United States and India. But has Britain got good deals? The Labour chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, Liam Byrne, and former Conservative trade minister and UK trade envoy to the US, Sir Conor Burns, discuss the merits of the agreements.Following the local election results, in which Reform UK made strong gains at the expense of the main parties, restive Labour MPs have been making their feelings known to the Prime Minister about the government's performance. One of those MPs, Jo White, chair of the Red Wall Group, joined Joe Dromey, General Secretary of the Fabians, to discuss whether Labour needs a change of direction.A spate of recent cyber attacks on retailers including M&S and Co-op have caused alarm in business circles and in government. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden this week said the attacks were a "wake-up call" for business. To discuss that Sonia speaks to Ciaran Martin, former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre and now a professor at Oxford University.And, to reflect on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Sonia is joined by Lord Michael Heseltine, former Deputy Prime Minister, who witnessed the celebrations in 1945, and Alex Baker, the first Labour MP to represent Aldershot - the home of the British Army.
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27:50
03/05/2025
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
Brasil