Revolting! How much trouble are Sunak and Starmer in?
Radical with Amol Rajan
BBC
4.5 • 919 Ratings
🗓️ 16 November 2023
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It's been a week of turmoil in British politics culminating in the government losing its Rwanda case then taking on the Supreme Court – and Labour losing ten from its frontbench following a mass rebellion over Gaza.
There’s plenty for Amol and Nick to get stuck into this week on The Today Podcast as they assess the political landscape and ask, how much trouble are Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in?
Two of the UK’s pre-eminent lawyers, human rights barrister and Labour peer Helena Kennedy and former Supreme Court justice Jonathan Sumption, give their take on why the government lost its Rwanda case.
Episodes of The Today Podcast land every Thursday and watch out for bonus episodes. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme.
If you would like a question answering, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the UK’s most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.
The producers are Tom Smithard and Rufus Gray. The editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.7 | What a week in British politics? The shock return of a former Prime Minister, a Labour Party, |
| 0:09.2 | deeply divided, rebellions, sackings and resignations over a potential ceasefire in the Middle East. |
| 0:15.4 | Suella Braverman, sacked, furious, vengeful, and Britain's Supreme Court deciding a flagship policy for deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda unlawful. |
| 0:24.0 | And now the Prime Minister's plan to defy that and declare the country safe. |
| 0:28.2 | Revolting. They are all revolting. Revolting against their leaders, as only British political parties know how. |
| 0:35.2 | The question is, I would be discussing it, |
| 0:37.6 | with the woman who laughed just then, |
| 0:39.2 | Baroness Helena Kennedy, |
| 0:40.5 | and with Jonathan Sumpchin, |
| 0:42.3 | a retired Supreme Court judge, |
| 0:44.5 | how much trouble? |
| 0:45.5 | A Rishi Sunak and Kirstarmer in. |
| 0:47.8 | Let's do it. |
| 0:48.3 | We're... |
| 0:50.2 | A lot. Okay, welcome back, folks. It is Amol here. |
| 1:03.8 | And Nick, we're back to our usual today podcast schedule after our emergency episode. |
| 1:08.0 | Now, we thought we might just be talking about the Tories and Rishi Sunak this week, but there's plenty, plenty going on to put it mildly for Sir Keir Stama. There's lots for him to worry about too. And we'll do what this podcast was set up to do, which is to take a step back. What is it, what's your metaphor? Nick, kick our shoes off, that's it. And look at how much of a pickle they both are in. Nick, let's start with a Conservative Party. We had a marmalade dropper moment on air. I was on, was it Monday when Chris Mason, was it Monday, Tuesday? Yeah, it was Monday. I was on with Michelle, I think, when Chris Mason, our political letter, called in. It's always dangerous when Chris calls in, because you know something's about to happen. And he broke the news on air that the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was a goner. |
| 1:47.3 | The Home Secretary So Suella Braverman has been sacked. So confirmed to me in just the last couple of minutes that the Prime Minister asked Mrs. Braverman to leave the government and she has... |
| 1:58.5 | Now that was quite a story, but more dramatic, much more dramatic, was the image of David Cameron. |
| 2:04.9 | David Cameron walking into Downing Street again. I was listening at home and, hmm, I wonder you said. |
| 2:11.4 | David Cameron has just been seen walking into Downing Street. The former Prime Minister arriving in Downing Street in the midst |
... |
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