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Political Currency

EMQs: What’s the hardest question you’ve had to answer?

Political Currency

Persephonica

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

4.11.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

George Osborne and Ed Balls reminisce on their most challenging interviewers…school children. George recalls being asked what seven times eight was, while Ed recounts misfires over school lunches. They also speculate on which Tory MP was glad to be sacked by Rishi Sunak…


Elsewhere, they look at the peculiar case of the Canadian Conservatives where election loser Pierre Poilievre has continued on as leader, and wonder if there are any British equivalents. This allows George to show off his unexpected Harold Wilson impression. 


They also question Labour’s continued refusal to consider rejoining the Customs Union, and whether the US/India trade deals are an acceptable substitute. Finally, they give Keir Starmer some benefit of the doubt, as a passionate listener makes the case for Labour’s vision and successes from their first year in government.


We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question.


EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/politicalcurrency Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!


Thanks for listening. Remember Kitchen Cabinet members get exclusive access to live EMQs recordings, briefings from the team, and an exclusive Political Currency mug PLUS a very special Christmas card from Ed and George: tr.ee/gift-pc


Credits:

Research: Sam Burton

Production: Caillin McDaid & Ellie Jay 

Video Editor: Danny Pape

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.

0:02.0

Getting a lesson from the Shadow Chancellor and how to balance the books,

0:05.0

it's like getting a lesson from Dracula and how to look after a blood pack.

0:08.0

Ed Balls.

0:10.0

As steady as she goes, budget.

0:13.0

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

0:16.0

Themary Celeste.

0:17.0

Welcome to EMQs from Political Currency.

0:20.0

With Ed Balls and George Osborne.

0:26.8

Hello and welcome to EMQ's ex-minister's questions.

0:30.8

Now, in my old life as a member of parliament, at this point, I'd have been gearing up on a Thursday, ready, Friday and Saturday,

0:39.2

to go and give out mince pies in Asda to constituents. Every year I did it. Nice way to have a chat,

0:45.3

give people a calendar for the coming year, find out their issues, and just have a nice Christmas

0:50.1

time. Did you used to do that? Yeah, I used to visit. There was a lovely charity Christmas

0:55.0

card pop-up shop, essentially, above the library in Wilmslow. So that was always part of the

1:00.9

constituency regime, which Haley and Jane, who both helped me in the constituency, would

1:06.9

help organise. And then I'd also go to a kind of Christmas tree farm or place where you can

1:11.9

cut your own Christmas tree near Nutsford. That was always quite fun. There was a kind of routine.

1:17.4

And then in the House of Commons, I seem to remember the highlight was Father Christmas would

1:21.9

visit, and of course Father Christmas gets around a lot. But the Father Christmas who visited the House

1:28.9

of Commons quite often bore a striking resemblance to the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls.

1:34.6

I did it for 11 years. I've actually got a great story, which is totally true. Unlike all your

...

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