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Electoral Dysfunction

Is the government too close to China?

Electoral Dysfunction

Sky News

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4764 Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

There are new questions about who knew what and when about the collapse of a trial of alleged Chinese spies. Beth, Ruth, and Harriet explain why a row involving names you might not know does have implications for the country – can Beijing be both a friend and a foe? And while there are questions for government and civil servants – they ask if Kemi Badenoch has made a misstep with her response. Plus, Beth was there as Donald Trump announced his plan for peace in the Middle East. She shares the stories from her last-minute trip to join world leaders in Egypt. And come back on Sunday for our bumper back to back interviews with both candidates in the Deputy Labour Leadership contest - Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell.Remember, you can also watch Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman and Ruth Davidson on https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG8IrydigQffkV94y_hhSFgZC-lgZ5rod (YouTube.) Fill in our survey: https://forms.gle/G72yDkjs6EmoVLp39 (https://forms.gle/G72yDkjs6EmoVLp39)

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hi, dysfunctioners. We love making this podcast and we're always looking at ways to make it even better.

0:06.3

We'd really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out our short survey.

0:11.3

You'll find the link in the episode description. Now, on with the pod.

0:28.0

Hello and welcome to Electoral Dysfunction from Sky News with me, Beth Rigby.

0:28.9

Me Ruth Davidson.

0:30.3

And me, Harriet Harmon.

0:33.3

Well, I have to say, lovely to see you all ladies.

0:35.7

Beth, lovely to have you in the country.

0:37.7

It's becoming a rarity.

0:43.8

Last time we saw you, you were having selfies taken in the world's poshest hotel in Charmell Sheet, right?

0:44.7

I know.

0:53.3

Yeah, we ended up in Charmelshik for this impromptu peace summit with Donald Trump.

0:56.0

And at this time of the year, it's full of British tourists. And we're in a two-e holiday resort. So can you imagine these people having their

1:00.8

lovely holiday, there's a Beth Riffey in a bloody stupid yellow suit, sort of strutting around.

1:06.1

They're all in their bikinis and their swimming trunks. Let's get onto what we're doing today because we want to talk to

1:13.2

you about the China spying case. This is basically about spying in the commons, people, a couple of

1:21.0

different people, one of them who worked for an MP selling secrets to China and there was a case brought and the case has collapsed.

1:30.4

Now, it's pretty complicated.

1:32.5

If you've been following politics this week, you must be thinking, what the hell are they all

1:37.3

arguing about?

1:38.1

What's going on?

1:39.0

It's confusing.

...

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