Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards
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Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards
Based on his live one-man show Rock & Roll Politics, the broadcaster and author Steve Richards takes a weekly behind-the-scenes tour of UK politics and the media that shapes the way we view the epic political dramas. The future is ridiculously unpredictable and the past is so easy to misread. Subscr...
Recent Episodes
396 episodes
Why did Starmer ignore the evidence against Mandelson?
The release of the Mandelson documents shows the degree to which his appointment was a huge risk. Why did the lawyerly, cautious Starmer overrule the...
Is Britain trapped by the "special relationship"?
Leaks from a national security council meeting suggest cabinet ministers challenged the assumption that Trump should have the automatic right to acces...
Why we should welcome Stamer’s caution on Iran
Keir Starmer has dared to question the Trump/Netanyahu attack on Iran, implying it is unlawful and without clear objective. An elected UK prime minist...
Trump and Iran – Has Britain learned the lessons of Iraq?
Keir Starmer has said the “mistakes” of Iraq have been learnt and he has published the legal advice that justifies allowing the US to use British mili...
The Greens win - What will be the consequences?
In the end the Greens won the Gorton and Denton by-election with ease. Labour were third in one of their safest seats. Reform is no longer the only in...
What will we learn from the Gorton and Denton by-election?
This week's by-election has become a big test for Labour, Reform and the Greens. The result is likely to have many consequences, but will it be much o...
Will the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor undermine the Royal family?
Already there is talk of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest triggering the biggest crisis for the royal family since the abdication. But is there muc...
Can the media cope with a government moving slightly to the left?
Right wing commentators and newspapers suggest that with the fall of Morgan McSweeney and Keir Starmer fighting for survival, Labour will move to the...
Rock & Roll Politics Live - How long will Starmer rule?
In the first live show of 2026 we delve deep with the audience in the hall and on the live stream. We go back decades for much needed context and dare...
How will the government change in the post-McSweeney era?
Morgan McSweeney and - we now discover - Peter Mandelson shaped the Starmer leadership in the run up to the election and beyond. Now they are both gon...
Why did Mandelson wield so much influence over Starmer’s leadership?
Keir Starmer was not even an MP when Peter Mandelson was part of the New Labour project - a relatively small part. Yet he seems to have had considerab...
Will tactical voting block Reform?
In the Gorton and Denton by-election Reform dares to hope it will win. Which party should opponents of Reform back to prevent such an outcome, and wha...
Has Kemi Badenoch taken a fatal wrong turn?
A new group has been launched within the Conservative Party aimed at reviving the much diminished ‘One Nation’ wing. Kemi Badenoch has been dismissive...
Burnham is blocked - What are the consequences?
Predictably Keir Starmer has blocked Andy Burnham from standing in the forthcoming by-election. Has Labour had enough of this unique style of party ma...
Where does the never-ending Trump show leave Britain and its ‘special relationship’?
Trump has pulled back from the brink, but not before he publicly attacked European leaders, including Keir Starmer. The British prime minister also ex...
What are the differences between Reform and the Tories?
Robert Jenrick’s defection highlighted the schism on the right, two parties battling it out as Labour and the SDP did in the 1980s.
But...
How big is the schism on the right?
I was not planning another podcast on the theme of U-turn, not least when the schism on the right has been highlighted by the sacking of Robert Jenric...
What do U-turns tell us about a government?
Since our last podcast on the risks of an unsubtle focus on the cost of living, the Government has carried out another U-turn to protect pubs from inc...
Is Starmer’s focus on the cost of living more risky than it seems?
Keir Starmer has proclaimed the government’s entire focus is on the cost of living. But to what degree can he control price rises, and will voters fee...
How long can Starmer claim he has no view on Trump and Venezuela?
Trump has carried out a coup in Venezuela - how long will he seek to rule over it, and then what? He is not the first US President who has acted unil...
The Defectors Part 3: A Festive Series - Carswell and Reckless (Tory to UKIP)
David Cameron had promised a Brexit referendum, and to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership. In a sign of what was to follow, it was not enough for two...
The Defectors Part 2: A Festive Series - Shaun Woodward (Tories to Labour)
Shaun Woodward was one of the masterminds behind the Conservatives 1992 election victory and subsequently he became a Tory MP. Soon after Labour’s 199...
The Defectors Part 1: A Festive Series - Reg Prentice (Labour to Tories)
Reg Prentice was a Labour cabinet minister after the 1974 elections, but was threatened with deselection by his local Labour party for being on the ri...
What have we learnt at the end of 2025?
We know more than we think we know … Sometimes what is in front of our eyes is more interesting than speculating about a hazy future. Here is what we...
Why does a 'narrative' matter so much?
Keir Starmer has endured a rough opening 18 months, but so did Tony Blair in quite similar ways. So why was Blair miles ahead in the polls in his earl...
Rock & Roll Politics Live - How fragile is Keir Starmer?
Here’s the last live show of the year, recorded in the main concert hall at Kings Place. There’s a dramatic answer to the question, will Keir Starmer...
What next as Trump turns away from Europe?
Trump’s National Security Strategy is scathing about Europe, and in interviews he intensified his attack on the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Where doe...
Brexit- is this the beginning of the end?
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have started to become more critical of the ‘Brexit Deal’. David Lammy highlights the benefits of a customs union. The...
Why are newspapers still powerful?
Few buy newspapers and not many read them. So why do they shape the political agenda, not least in determining how the current government is perceived...
Could The Conservatives Recover?
The fickle media and Conservative MPs are hailing Kemi Badenoch’s recent performances, making her more secure in her role as leader. The Tories are st...
Has Rachel Reeves calmed the mood of restive Labour MPs… and disillusioned voters?
After a thousand leaks, speeches and u-turns, Rachel Reeves has delivered her budget. As predicted there were a range of tax rises and some significan...
Rachel Reeves - and consequences
In spite of the bleak financial inheritance, Rachel Reeves should have some space with a landslide Commons for radical reforms in her budget. Did she...
Nick Thomas-Symonds on Labour prime ministers, leadership threats and Europe
The Cabinet Office Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has written several political biographies. The most recent was on Harold Wilson. What are the differ...
Will Mahmood’s asylum policies stop the boats… and the rise of Reform?
Within weeks of becoming Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood has announced a set of wide-ranging policies aimed at deterring illegal asylum seekers. Will...
Is Starmer the biggest victim of the 'toxic culture'?
There's universal consensus that the briefings from Number 10, warning of a leadership challenge from Wes Streeting and the conduct of "feral" Labour...
Why is the BBC so scared of the right wing media?
Tim Davie, Deborah Turness and other senior BBC managers have gone out of their way to please the right, from the treatment of Gary Linker to the sele...
What do Labour's 'soft left' want?
Labour's so-called 'soft left' is becoming more muscular and vocal, but what binds this part of the party and how does it want this government to chan...
Does Nigel Farage have a credible economic policy?
Nigel Farage has torn up Reform's 2024 manifesto, pledging big spending cuts and promising tax cuts. Whether on the right or left, has he framed a dis...
What will happen if Rachel Reeves breaks a manifesto pledge on tax?
Keir Starmer refused to rule out breaking pre-election tax commitments at Prime Minister's Questions, suggesting that he and Rachel Reeves are contemp...
Is the strange silence over Farage and Johnson's Brexit about to be broken?
Finally, Rachel Reeves cites the Brexit deal as one reason why the economy is failing and why she will have to raise taxes in the budget. But is it to...