Burnham, Streeting, and Rayner’s race to No. 10
Political Currency
Persephonica
4.1 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 21 May 2026
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
British politics has moved at a rapid pace the last week, with Andy Burnham securing his root to parliament, Wes Streeting reigniting Brexit debates, and a defiant No. 10 fighting on through all of it. Ed Balls and George Osborne examine the leadership race, the manoeuvres being made by Streeting to court the Labour faithful and how Burnham is having to campaign on two fronts. Why is the cabinet silent? Is Starmer right to cling on? Will the King of the North be coronated should he return to parliament? What if he loses?
The pair then examine the economic prospectus of both Burnham and Streeting, contrasting it with the cost of living support announced by Rachel Reeves today. They detail the limitations of any government to combat inflation, the holes in plans both contenders have spoken of and the risk a governing party faces openly debating policy like this.
Finally, they take a trip across the Atlantic to California and the final stages of the gubernatorial primary. George’s mate Steve Hilton has maintained his frontrunner status amidst a split Democratic field, but can he actually win come November? The odds are stacked against him, but Ed and George caution not to count him out.
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Credits:
Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid
Video Editor: Sam Gruet
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello podcast listener. |
| 0:01.6 | Hello you. |
| 0:02.4 | It's me, Greg James. |
| 0:03.8 | And me, Alice Levine. |
| 0:05.3 | Now, look, I know that you're very much enjoying this podcast that you're listening to. |
| 0:10.1 | And we're sorry to interrupt. We really are. |
| 0:12.4 | And it genuinely might not be our place to say, but is it time to try something new? |
| 0:17.9 | We would like to steal you for our new podcast. It's called Bad Chat. And it sounds a bit |
| 0:22.4 | like this. This one goes out to the walkers and the talkers and the late night. Stalkers. |
| 0:27.1 | Maybe not that one. Alice is my best friend. I am not Alice's best friend. Do you know that |
| 0:32.4 | horses' legs are their fingers? That is a bit of bad chat. From me, Greg James. |
| 0:38.6 | And me, famously, Alice Levine. |
| 0:40.6 | Listen, wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:06.4 | Music This is political currency with Ed Balls and George Osbourne. Thank you. So we are remote this week. The studio refit is still underway. And we are recording after what has been a wild, wild it? Yes, people competing for the very top job. |
| 1:31.3 | And I want to commiserate with you because you've missed out on the very top job in Britain, which is... |
| 1:36.2 | I wasn't a candidate. |
| 1:37.6 | I know you, well, I think you might have been a candidate, even if you didn't know it. |
| 1:41.4 | I'm not talking about the premiership. |
| 1:43.1 | Oh, I see. |
| 1:43.6 | I mean, the prime ministership, or indeed the Football League premiership. |
| 1:48.8 | But I'm talking about the strictly come dancing presenters who have been announced, |
| 1:55.9 | the replacement of Claudia and Tess, right? |
... |
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