meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Radical with Amol Rajan

Election Night Fever and the Challenge across the Channel

Radical with Amol Rajan

BBC

Society & Culture

4.5919 Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2024

⏱️ 54 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amol and Nick look ahead to election night, with a run down of the key moments and the best time to get some sleep (if you must!)

They also discuss one of the big challenges the next government faces - whoever enters Downing Street on Friday - what to do about small boats crossing the Channel. What could the elections in France mean for any future agreement? Lord Ricketts, former ambassador to France and former National Security Adviser gives his take.

Plus the Pod Squad have a special birthday surprise for Amol!

If you have a question you’d like to Amol, Nick and the Pod Squad to answer get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk

Episodes of The Today Podcast during the election campaign land on Mondays and Wednesdays and look out for bonus episodes. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's reaction to the election results this Friday, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the UK’s most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

You can listen to the latest episode of The Today Podcast anytime on your smart speaker by saying “Alexa, Ask BBC Sounds for The Today Podcast.”

The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the researcher is Joe Wilkinson, the producer is Hazel Morgan. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Jonny Baker. Digital production from Joe and Elliot Ryder.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:04.7

Well, we're almost there. It's election eve.

0:08.1

But I think the fun and the interest is really only just beginning.

0:14.3

Because whoever gets into government, it's going to be fascinating.

0:18.2

And what's happening elsewhere in the world, we've seen it this week in France and the United States is going to be fascinating and what's happening elsewhere in the world.

0:25.7

We've seen it this week in France and the United States is going to make it even more fascinating.

0:29.9

I thought you were going to say it's getting exciting because you're going to be up all night on election night using your little funny index folder of alphabetically organized constituencies, which you have memorized by now, right?

0:36.5

Every single one, of course.

0:37.7

How many, about 240 in there? I've only got to about C. Well, you know about Portsworth North. We could just stop recording. I could get back to mugging up. Listen, this is very serious. It's about the future of the country. It's about the massive intray that is going to confront whoever is in number 10 and indeed number 11, and indeed the rest of Whitehall come Friday morning. There is work to be done and one of the biggest challenges

0:59.1

will be dealing with the migrant issue of small boats coming across the channel and that gets

1:04.2

much harder given what's going on in French politics and we've got just the guy to explain

1:09.6

French politics to us, former ambassador

1:11.2

to France and boss of the Foreign Office in Peter Ricketts.

1:13.8

So today we will look forward to election night.

1:15.9

We'll reflect on the campaign that's got us to this point and then look at that big challenge

1:21.3

ahead for the next British government, whatever its colour and how they will deal with a new

1:26.5

French government, whatever its colour.

1:28.8

Let's do it.

1:41.7

Hi, it's Nick.

1:42.9

And it's a mole in the Today Podcast studio.

1:44.9

And just before we start with this lovely listener voice note, Nick, we haven't discussed whether or not we actually, have you talked to the Pod Squad about doing four episodes a week forever? Because I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I'm four. I mean, four. I thought, listen, I know we're growing. I know we've got a record number of listeners. and it's going really well.

1:59.6

The voice notes are tumbling in.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.