This is Joe Pike with The Week in Westminster.

The Gothic Fantasy Palace, that is the Houses of Parliament, is suddenly rather quiet.

MPs have dragged their wheelie suitcases to the exits to return home to their constituencies for the Easter recess.

Although with Scottish Welsh and English

local elections looming in less than six weeks, many may not get much of a break. In a moment,

I'll be talking about all of that with our panel, George Parker, political editor of the Financial

Times, Gabby Hinsliff, columnist for The Guardian, and Hope, G.B News' political editor and Telegraph

diarist. Welcome to all three of you.

Hello, good to see you.

Now, the last three months here in Westminster have not been gentle, calm or relaxing either,

especially not for Sequea Stama. His grip on power has seemed weaker than ever before,

not helped by the release of much of the

Epstein files and the resulting police investigations, plus of course Donald Trump's unpredictable

and hugely consequential interventions on the world stage. And yet, the Prime Minister started

this year with such optimism. I'm looking forward to 2026. I think it's going to be the year when we turn a corner.

The United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela.

This morning, I removed the Conservative whip from Robert Jenrick after dismissing him

from the shadow cabinet. He hasn't changed his mind, does he? We can't find him. Here he is,

Robert Jennerick. The two main parties are rotten. They are no longer fit for purpose. Would you like me to say a few words

of Greenland? I was going to leave it out of the speech, but I thought, I think I would have

been reviewed very negatively. Madelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.

The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.

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