Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

It’s a new week and Boris Johnson will finally be held to account for his leadership during the pandemic at the Covid-19 Inquiry this week.Steve Richards imagines how different and more effective the response would have been if Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling were in charge. Would they have handled it as well as they did the financial crash?All this plus reflections on Glenys Kinnock, Keir Starmer and Margaret Thatcher, the demise of Newsnight and the BBC and brilliant questions from the Rock & Roll co-operative.Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and exclusive merchandise only available to subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsTickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live: Kings Place London on Dec 18th.Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now even Holland is under the rule of a right wing populist, it might be time to admit that they are winning again. Argentina has elected another. Trump might win next year. And Farage is in the jungle watched by millions. Steve Richards asks what's happening and why?Plus Steve answers brilliant listener questions and important notices for the Rock N Roll Politics co-operative.Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and exclusive merchandise only available to subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsTickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live: Kings Place London on Dec 18th.Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The UK government is presiding over a crumbling, broken country and investment is required urgently. Steve Richards asks why are Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt focussing instead on tax cuts?Plus Steve answers brilliant listener questions and important notices for the Rock N Roll Politics co-operative.Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and an exclusive Live Zoom Q+A only available to subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsTickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live:Kings Place London on Dec 18th.Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak's desperate attempt to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda will be the dominant political theme for months, sucking up all energy as Brexit did.Steve Richards considers how this is political madness at the best of times, but what is prompting this lunacy now when so much in the UK doesn't work?Plus Steve answers brilliant listener questions and important notices for the Rock N Roll Politics co-operative.Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and an exclusive live Zoom Q+A only available to subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsTickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live:Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on Nov 20th.Kings Place London on Dec 18th.Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss here.The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics. To get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/roc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rishi Sunak has sacked Suella Braverman and brought back David Cameron. But in terms of party management and the direction of policy, do these seemingly dramatic changes make much difference? Steve Richards considers all this plus news of an upcoming special Patreon-only Zoom event coming soon.Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and an exclusive live Zoom Q+A only available to subscribers: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsTickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live:Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on Nov 20th.Kings Place London on Dec 18th. Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss here. The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics. To get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/roc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Richards considers how Rishi Sunak pays homage to Elon Musk, and discusses the confirmation from the Covid inquiry that no one and no agency was in control during a national emergency. A King's Speech is unveiled, most of which will not be implemented plus Sunak and Starmer follow the United States in their attitude to the Israel/Hamas conflict. All this begs the question who actually wields power in the UK? Tickets for Rock & Roll Politics Live:Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham on Nov 20th.Kings Place London on Dec 18th. Get Steve Richards’ book Turning Points: Crisis and Change in Modern Britain from 1945 to Truss here. The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics. To get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/rock/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Covid struck the UK at the worst possible time. Johnson was governing amidst casual chaos and yet he was popular and this popularity made him dangerously powerful. Neither his subservient cabinet nor a parliament with a big Tory Majority dared to challenge him. Now we are discovering quite how bad things were.Plus brilliant questions on Keir Starmer and the Israel Gaza conflict, Brexit, the leadership of Heath compared with Sunak and whether I want to be an MP.Rock & Roll Politics -the Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec 18th when we look back at another wild year and look ahead to 2024, the likely election year. Tickets here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/rock-n-roll-politics-11/ Support Rock & Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and much more The latest episode in the series on political rivals is Denis Healy vs. Tony Benn. Other series include epic general elections, prime ministers' chosen advisers and apparent government cock ups, all exclusively available to subscribers:https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsSteve Richards' book 'Turning Points' is available here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Points-Crisis-Change-Britain/dp/1035015358/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1695642519&refinements=p_27%3ASteve+Richards&s=books&sr=1-3The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics - to get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Question Time Special, Rock & Roll Politics explores the Israel/Gaza nightmare, the origins of Brexit and the crises facing the Conservative party. Plus, will Labour win an overall majority?Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Ropetackle, Shoreham this Wednesday 1 November. Tickets here: https://ropetacklecentre.co.uk/events/steve-richards-rock-n-roll-politics/Back us on Patreon for bonus podcasts and much more: https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsSteve Richards' book 'Turning Points' is available here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Points-Crisis-Change-Britain/dp/1035015358/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1695642519&refinements=p_27%3ASteve+Richards&s=books&sr=1-3The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics. To get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Conservative Party has a reputation for adapting ruthlessly to changing times, but is it deserved? After the two historic by-election defeats last week, the United Kingdom's governing party of choice faces the possibility of a calamitous defeat at the next general election. Steve Richards asks; did the Tories ever learn the full lessons from the election slaughter in 1997 and what have they done for voters since 2010 that can give them hope of a fifth term next year? Plus brilliant questions from the listeners on Israel and Gaza and much more.Support Rock N Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and much more The latest episode in the series on political rivals is Denis Healy vs. Tony Benn. Other series include epic general elections, prime ministers' chosen advisers and apparent government cock ups, all exclusively available to subscribers:https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsSteve Richards' book 'Turning Points' is available here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Points-Crisis-Change-Britain/dp/1035015358/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1695642519&refinements=p_27%3ASteve+Richards&s=books&sr=1-3The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics - to get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tensions are high in the UK and yet virtually everyone condemns the brutal atrocities in Israel while warning about the horrors in Gaza. Steve Richards asks; amidst a consensus over the horror, why is there such angry disagreement?Support Rock N Roll Politics on Patreon and get exclusive benefits including bonus episodes and much more:https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPoliticsRock N Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on October 23rd. Tickets here:https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/rock-n-roll-politics-10/Steve Richards' book 'Turning Points' is available here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Points-Crisis-Change-Britain/dp/1035015358/ref=sr_1_3?qid=1695642519&refinements=p_27%3ASteve+Richards&s=books&sr=1-3The New European sponsors Rock & Roll Politics - to get full access to the site for just £1 per week PLUS a £25 voucher to spend in their online store, visit www.theneweuropean.co.uk/rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices