Danny Finkelstein
Conservative peer and Times leader writer with a long political career including time in the SDP; provides firsthand experience and analysis of party culture and defections.
Best podcasts with Danny Finkelstein
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Jan 24, 2026 • 22min
Coffee House Shots: does British politics reward traitors or faithfuls?
Danny Finkelstein, a long‑time Conservative peer and former SDP member, shares firsthand tales of switching sides. Richard Johnson, an academic who studies party realignments, traces historical patterns of defections. They discuss when switching pays off, party culture and suspicion of defectors, the emotional cost at constituency level, and how new breakaway groups compare to past movements.
