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Political Currency

EMQs: Lasagna plots and Shakespearean AI bots

Political Currency

Persephonica

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

4.11.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What really happens in the frantic first 24 hours of a new government job? This week on Ex-Ministers’ Questions, Ed Balls and George Osborne lift the lid on the art of political survival. From the scramble of last-minute briefings to the insider secrets government drivers know before their ministers do, they swap stories on navigating the chaos of a reshuffle.


Then it’s from the Cabinet Office to the kitchen, as George grills Ed on one of Westminster’s most notorious culinary conspiracies: Lasagna-gate. Was that dinner party at the Balls-Cooper house really a covert plot to bring down Ed Miliband?


And after serving up some advice for a new podcasting rival, the duo look ahead: could a robot outshine a human as a political speechwriter? They put it to the test in real time, asking AI to pen a Shakespearean sonnet on the spot. The result? You’ll have to hear it to believe it…



To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:

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Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.


Credits:

Producer: Miriam Hall

Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca

Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty 

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

This episode of Political Coherency is sponsored by Indeed.

0:03.5

Okay, so Ed, Indeed is a trusted platform which connects people with jobs that are right for them.

0:09.2

What they do is interesting to me as we get so many questions in from listeners of the podcast

0:13.5

about the challenges of finding a job that's right for you, whether it's in politics, business or whatever else you're passionate about.

0:20.0

I know, and speaking to people about

0:21.0

the hiring process, one thing I've always found really quite bizarre is the lack of transparency around

0:25.7

salary. Often the salary is never listed. You're sat in the interview and almost feel rude having

0:30.2

to ask what the job pays. It's a crazy situation to put candidates in and there's got to be a better way.

0:35.5

It's like an odd unwritten rule, isn't it? Well, indeed, agree with you, Ed. They think there's a better way to go about things. Indeed, believe salarly transparency helps everyone, from employers hiring to the candidates applying. It saves time. It builds trust and creates fairer, more productive workplaces. That's good. So what are they actually doing about it?

0:55.0

Well, on Indeed, candidates can set salary expectations, they can filter roles by salary,

1:00.3

and they get matched with opportunities that align.

1:03.2

Your Indeed profile helps you showcase real skills and experience,

1:06.6

while also helping employers find talent that truly fits both the role and the team culture.

1:12.0

So for those of you who listen to the show and want to know how to break into the industry

1:15.2

you're passionate about, setting up your profile, putting down your seller expectations on Indeed,

1:20.1

couldn't be simpler. It won't guarantee you a dream job, but it should give you a much better,

1:24.4

fair experience. To create your profile today, download the Indeed app.

1:29.1

This episode is sponsored by Sage and their AI productivity assistant Sage co-pilot.

1:35.3

Running a business takes constant evolution and Sage has been helping British businesses do that for over

1:40.9

40 years. Yes, and according to Sage, their AI is designed to cut through the noise.

1:46.0

No gimmits, no distractions, just the tools business owners need to keep things running smoothly.

1:51.1

So whether it's filing VAT returns, chasing late invoices or flagging rising costs,

...

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