I'm Ed Vasey and we're going to be unpacking the politics of the day from the rebellion over welfare cuts to whether you'd leave an 18-year-old in charge of a council.

Joining me are two of the wisest people at the Times and Sunday Times.

I'd leave them in charge of a local authority any day.

That's Manvine Rana. Welcome to the show.

Hello. And Matthew Syed. Hiya. How are you? Great to see you. Last time I saw Ed, I should tell

listeners, and I was walking down the steps at Westminster Tube. And I saw Ed, and we hadn't met before,

I don't think, Ed Ed and I put out my

hand and he said Matthew can I have your telephone number but in a very enticing manner that surprised

me he said you're shocked aren't you to be asked for your telephone number and I said I am a little

but there was a bit of a frisson there I felt Ed so it was great it was great to me physically gosh I don't want to interrupt

I've been dining out I have been dining out on this story I mean everybody loves

man Vien Rana and everybody loves Matthew Syed but when Matthew comes on the show I get

lots of texts and people say oh he's so wise Matthew comes on the show I get lots of

texts and people saying oh he's so wise and so on and then I said to him uh well I did I costed

him in the tube and I forgot the kind of niceties like good morning and how are you so nice to see

you I just said give me your phone number because basically I want to have a drink with him

because I agree with everything he says which doesn't obviously necessarily make this a very good and instructive podcast, because I'll just keep saying, I agree with you, Matthew, and I'll probably say exactly the same thing to Manveen as well, but we're going to do our best.

But as I say, not only does Amelia my producer think I'm a total weirdo because of my tattoos now that I've told the whole

team about my man crush on

Matthew they think I'm even

stranger anyway let's start

Is he going to be one of the tattoos

...