Does Starmer need his mates more than ever?
Electoral Dysfunction
Sky News
4.4 • 764 Ratings
🗓️ 12 December 2025
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Westminster is restless, and the team are digging into why. Beth, Ruth and Harriet discuss the growing unease inside Labour, as somebody new joins the cabinet table.
We also go over the damning findings of Baroness Amos's interim report into maternity care in England, featuring deeply personal accounts from women affected by systemic failings, including former Conservative MP Theo Clarke, who now hosts the podcast Breaking The Taboo.
If you've been affected by issues in this episode, you can reach out to the Birth Trauma Association or MASIC.
We discuss stillbirth as part of this. The charity Sands also offers help and advice.
You can WhatsApp the podcast at 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk.
And if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Harriet and Ruth on YouTube.
St James's Place sponsors Electoral Dysfunction on Sky News, learn more here.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Financial advice from St James's Place sponsors Electral Dysfunction. |
| 0:06.5 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:18.8 | Hello and welcome to Electral Dysfunction with me, Beth Rigby. |
| 0:23.6 | Me Ruth Davidson and me Harriet Harmon. |
| 0:26.0 | Now we are counting down to Christmas. I've got my little Advent calendar. I open it every morning. |
| 0:32.2 | I'm so behind. But well, well, Ruth Davidson, you better sharpen up your Christmas game. |
| 0:40.3 | But the question I've got for you, because this is the time of year where I get all my politician Christmas cards. |
| 0:46.4 | Although the only one I've had so far is from Theresa May. |
| 0:49.7 | But look, I think you two get really good Christmas cards from politicians because you've got loads of really important mates. |
| 0:57.6 | So come on. Who's got what? |
| 1:00.0 | Well, forget the Christmas tree in my flat. |
| 1:02.1 | Forget all that it's there and forget the Advent calendar. |
| 1:04.7 | Pride of place in your eyeline when you come into my flat is my Christmas card from Tony Blair and Cherie. |
| 1:12.6 | And everybody's like, oh, look at that Christmas card. |
| 1:15.9 | What's on their Christmas card? |
| 1:18.1 | It's quite traditional. |
| 1:20.1 | It's Tony and Cherie and two of the grandchildren. |
| 1:22.1 | But you can then look at the, you know, the furnishings and the curtains and the lighting. |
| 1:26.9 | It's all, you know, it's like a glimpse inside. And no, I look forward to my Tony and Sheree Christmas card every year. I'm written. No, I don't think you're any in because touch the card. But I'm just pleased to be on the mailing list. Do you send one back? I think I will send one back, actually. I'd love to get a card from Tony and Sherry. I can't believe you get the ottle pen. I get the ottle pen from |
| 1:47.7 | Tony and Sherry. I can't believe you get the auto pen. I get the auto pen from Tony and Cherie and I didn't serve in his cabinet for however many years. I would have thought you would have made the cut for proper ink. I think it was last year. I got one from Liz Truss. That's a collector's item. That is really a collector's item. Also, she hadn't really spoken to me for about a year |
| 2:03.2 | because she was so fuming about an interview I did when she was PM. |
| 2:07.0 | But it was quite nice. |
... |
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