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Political Currency

EMQs: Is it time for a Tory/Labour truce?

Political Currency

Persephonica

Politics, News, Economy, Westminster, Business, George Osborne, Ed Balls, Money

4.11.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 November 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

With politics fraying and radical parties growing in strength, could the Tories and Labour come together and merge into a grand coalition of the centre? Surely George Osborne and Ed Balls have proven on this podcast that great things can happen when the two parties come together… 


And, as budget week looms, former Treasury civil servant Jill Rutter asks how Ed and George would get themselves out of the hole Rachel Reeves is in IF there were no political repercussions? And they wonder whether we are still feeling the effects of the mini-budget or if it’s unfair for Rachel Reeves to continue blaming Liz Truss for the economic woes? 


Plus, they explain why too much preparation ahead of a great speech can actually be a bad thing. 


~

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The link will remain open until 10:30pm on the 27th November.


~


Thanks for listening. To get episodes early and ad-free join Political Currency Gold. If you want even more perks including our exclusive newsletter, join our Kitchen Cabinet today:

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Credits:

Assistant Producer: Caillin McDaid

Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca

Video Editor: Maha Al-Badrawi

Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford


Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0

The Chancellor of the Exchequer.

0:02.1

Getting a lesson from the Shadow Chancellor

0:03.9

and how to balance the books,

0:05.0

it's like getting a lesson from Dracula

0:06.4

and how to look after a blood back.

0:08.6

Ed Balls.

0:09.9

As steady as she goes, budget.

0:13.0

What kind of ship does he think he's on, the Titanic?

0:15.8

Themary Celeste.

0:16.8

Welcome to EMQs from Political Currency

0:19.9

with Ed Balls and George Osborne.

0:25.8

So hello and welcome to EMQ's ex-minister's questions.

0:30.0

We were talking the main podcast about excessive heat in Tehran and the water shortage.

0:36.2

But there's no excessive heat in London this week. It's so cold today. I mean, actually, there was a bit of snow around in the Aist today as well. And it feels like winter's here. Yeah, winter is coming or has arrived. Yeah, I actually went to a play last night with my daughter. The importance of being earnest, which I hadn't seen in 20 years, it's brilliant.

0:59.8

This production in the West End is, you know, is not a kind of old school production, but very camp.

1:01.2

And who's the star?

1:05.9

Well, it was kind of annoying because Stephen Fry is supposed to be Lady Bratnob.

1:07.0

He wasn't on the... He arrived and we told he's not performing tonight.

1:10.7

But I have to say, that initial disappointment was kind of melted away

1:15.1

because the production was great.

1:16.4

The Lady Bratnell they had was great.

1:18.5

And someone called Ollie Alexander, the pop star, plays Algernan Moncrief.

...

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