Hello and welcome to this edition of The Westminster Hour with me, Ben Wright, and my guests.

War abroad brings a reckoning at home as the crisis in the Gulf goes on and energy prices rise.

What more might ministers do to cushion people from the fallout?

And should it be a moment to rethink a swathe of policy from North Sea drilling to defence?

We'll discuss a growing rebellion on the Labour backbenchers over the Home Secretary's plans

to make it harder for migrants to settle here permanently. We'll hear from two Labour MPs

with differing views on that. Plus, after Kier-Stama said he understands the cost of living

squeeze because he grew up working class, I'll ask the pollster Peter Kellner if voters care

about their politicians' backgrounds. That's all coming up, but first let's meet the panel.

My panel for this evening, Polly Billington, was elected as the Labour MP for East Thanet at

the last general election, but she's not new to politics back in 2010. She masterminded Ed Miliband's

successful bid to become Labour leader. And long before that, she was also a political journalist here at the BBC.

Radio One was your beat for a while, wasn't it? Covering politics without the politicians or any

parliamentary jargon. That's quite a challenge. Indeed. Welcome back to Radio 4. John Glenn has

been the Conservative MP for Salisbury for the last 15 years.

Were you one of Polly's listeners back in your youth, John?

I can't remember. I don't think so. Sorry.

Don't worry. I'm not offended.

A regular Radio One road shows, perhaps?

No.

He was in Rishi Sunak's cabinet, serving as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and he also

works closely now with the current Tory leader.

...