Political Fix Live: Labour’s year in review
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 12 December 2025
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s been another turbulent year in politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced down rebellions from within his own party, overseen scandals and sackings, and delivered a constant barrage of bad news from health and housing to small boats and the Budget. He’s fared a little better on the world stage – with successful state visits, securing a comparatively competitive trade deal with Trump, as well as a tentative rapprochement with Europe. But with every international success, Starmer’s standing domestically seems to diminish: he ends the year, on some measures, as the most unpopular PM ever.
In this special live episode of Political Fix, host George Parker is joined by Anna Gross, Stephen Bush and Chris Giles to analyse how the Labour party got here – and where it goes next.
Follow George on @georgewparker.bsky.social; Stephen on @stephenkb.bsky.social; and Chris on @chrisgiles.ft.com
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Want more? Free links:
Return to EU customs union would ‘unravel’ UK trade deals, Starmer warns
Inside Politics: Neither Keir Starmer nor Kemi Badenoch wants to reverse Brexit
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Wes Streeting calls for better ‘storytelling’ from Starmer’s ‘technocratic’ government
Chris Giles: Why UK borrowing costs are so high
George and Anna’s FT scoop on Labour’s tax U-turn
Sign up to Stephen's morning newsletter Inside Politics here, and to Chris’ newsletter on Central Banks here.
Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. Our broadcast engineers this week were Bianca Wakeman, Petros Gioumpasis and Andrew Georgiades. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.
What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Political Podcast Awards are returning in January with me, Jarz Brandreth, and public voting |
| 0:05.7 | is now open for the People's Choice Award. If you'd like Political Fix to win the People's Choice |
| 0:12.1 | Award, cast your vote now. The People's Choice Awards, sponsored by YouTube. |
| 0:24.3 | Welcome to Political Fix with me, George Parker. |
| 0:30.2 | 2025 it's almost wrapped up. And I think we all need a break after an exhausting year in British politics. Not another one, as they say. In this special live episode of the podcast, |
| 0:39.4 | recording on Wednesday just after Prime Minister's questions, we're bringing you some thoughts on where we think things stand |
| 0:43.9 | for Secere Stama's Labour government and the reset of the Westminster scene after a turbulent year. |
| 0:49.8 | It's not exactly been smooth sailing, at least at home. When the Prime Minister entered |
| 0:54.0 | Downing Street |
| 0:54.5 | in July 2024, he promised to stop the chaos. And yet, over the past 12 months, he's faced |
| 0:59.9 | down rebellions from within his own party, overseen scandals and sackings, and delivered a |
| 1:05.4 | constant barrage of bad news, from health and housing to small boats and, of course, that chaotic budget. |
| 1:13.0 | He has fared a little better on the world stage, securing a comparatively competitive trade deal |
| 1:18.1 | with Donald Trump, as well as a tentative reproschement with Europe. |
| 1:22.1 | But with every international success, Stama's standing domestically seems to diminish, |
| 1:29.1 | and he ends the year, on some measures at least as the most unpopular PM ever. Here to help me analyse why Stama is having |
| 1:36.0 | such a tough time. The FD's politics correspondent Anna Gross, hi Anna. Hi, Anna. Hi, George. |
| 1:40.9 | Political columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter Stephen Bush. Hi, George. And the FD's economics commentist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter, Stephen Bush. |
| 1:44.8 | Hi, George. |
| 1:45.4 | And the FD's economics commentator and writer of the newsletter on Central Banks, Chris Giles. |
| 1:50.8 | Hi, Chris. |
| 1:51.4 | Hi, George. |
... |
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