Hello and welcome to the political party. I hope you're having a great Christmas. In between Christmas and New Year, what is the best thing to do? Huddle the family around your smartphone and listen to the political party podcast.

So hello to you and all your relatives listening in the background there.

Today's guest is Ryan Wayne and he's a director at the Tony Blair Institute for Change,

his director of policy and politics.

And this is absolutely brilliant because if you follow politics, you'll know,

Tony Blair, through his Institute for Global Change, is still, even sounded like him

then, Institute for Global Change, is using all of his resources, really, trying to solve

problems globally.

Now, I understand. some people are a cynical about

that, but there is not a former Prime Minister using their talent in this way and resourcing in this

way. And we talk about COVID and the difference that the Institute made in the vaccine rollout,

and particularly where vaccine went. And this is why Ryan is so fascinating.

And also in himself is fascinating. He's from Boutel, working class lad from Liverpool,

who's risen to be one of Tony Blair's most senior and most valued staff. And you can see why.

But it is interesting that, that role that class plays, and we do talk about that a little bit,

in being effectively a Blair right right and giving you that drive.

But it is that what really comes across in this, and you can see why Ryan is working with Tony Blair is that constant desire to understand what's going to happen and how you deal with it.

Like not stuck to old dogmas and always falling back on the

same answers, but it's sort of being impatient to understand the future and make sure that

you're in the right place and just the amount of people that they work with that are so

bright and the expertise that are drawing on in a way, which I don't think it's completely

unfed. I don't think political parties always do that. And obviously that political parties have slightly different priorities. You know, they're dealing with different things, but this is just such a phenomenal thing that they're doing. And we talk about all sorts of, you know, what the new threats are, what the new opportunities are. There's obviously stuff about AI in here, but a whole range of other things as well. It's completely inspirational. So this is a real Christmas treat for you. The political party returns to the stage on Monday the 26th of January. There aren't many tickets left for that. That is a special VIP guest who I won't be able to announce. On the 16th of February, my guest is David Miliband. My God, a very rare interview. That is a real coup. Man who could have been leader with the Labour Party, could have been Prime Minister. On Monday the 9th of March, my guest is Zach Palanski, the new leader of the Green Party, obviously shaking things up on the left. And on the 30th of March, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sports, someone touted as a future Labour Prime Minister, Lisa Nandi. So big hitters starting the year. And my stand-up tour goes on the road as well. Obviously, because it's a tour. My stand-up show goes on the road, fire a tour. I start in Birmingham on the 28th of January. Then I go to Dawkinging, Northampton, Lancaster, Brighton, Tumbridge, Wells,

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