Hi there, it's Dan Snow, host of the Dan Snow's History Hit podcast.

It is officially summer here in Europe.

I would love for you to accompany me on a history lover's holiday vacation around this continent.

On my podcast throughout August, I'll be your guide to Europe's most iconic historical hotspots.

From the bell towers of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral to the streets of Pompeii

to the Gladiator's Coliseum in Rome.

We'll walk in the footsteps of Anne Berlin, the Tower of London.

We will unravel the mysteries of the Minoans on the island of Crete.

Let me narrate your historic summer on Dan Snow's History

at wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, you're listening to The Politics Without the Boring Bits podcast, coming to you for the final time for a little while from me, Patrick McGuire. Matt surely is back on

Monday and I've had quite the last day here on the pod. The Tories, of course, have lost two by-elections

and we're bringing you everything you need to know on today's podcast about what it means for the government,

what it means for Kirstama, what it means for Reform UK, Nigel Farage, everybody in British politics

ahead of the next general election. This is a stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send

a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street. The work to give Kingswood its future back starts now.

Midterm by-elections are always difficult for incumbent governments and the circumstances

of these by-elections were of course particularly challenging. Now I think if you look at

the results very low turnout and it shows that we've got work to do to show people

that we are delivering on their priorities and that's what I'm absolutely determined to do, but also shows that there isn't a huge amount of enthusiasm for the alternative in Kirstama and the Labour Party, and that's because they don't have a plan, and if you don't have a plan, you can't deliver a real change, and when the general election comes, that's the message I'll be making to the country. We're very pleased with the by-election results from last night. I think it's very clear that

people are crying out for change across the country. Last night, people who hadn't voted

Labor before went out and voted Labor. So I'm very pleased with both of those results. But there is more work

...