Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

A lookahead to the next virtual live Rock N Roll Politics on Wednesday June 17th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In England voters only turn against Conservative governments when they are seen as incompetent. With one of the highest virus death tolls and a hard Brexit looming is B Johnson in danger of losing the battle of competence..with electoral consequences? Also some thoughts on the BBC's new DG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are signs of tension between Johnson, ministers and some of the scientists over the lockdown exit and the Cummings' affair. At first they appeared to be dancing together as ministers proclaimed absurdly that they were 'following the science', but now the mood on the dance floor darkens...plus Emily Maitlis and the BBC  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is B Johnson so dependent on D Cummings? Is his determination to keep him a sign of strength or weakness? The saga of Cummings dash to Durham shows at the very least that the Vote Leave campaign runs Number Ten. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A preview of the live virtual show on the Kings Place website at 7pm on Monday May 18th. The last live virtual show was on the day B.Johnson returned to work..how is he doing? How is K Starmer doing? And will the UK and politics in the UK change permanently and if so in what way?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A look ahead to Monday's virtual show on the Kings Place website starting at 7 pm...The last live virtual show was on the day B Johnson returned to work...How's he doing? How's K Starmer doing? And will the virus emergency change the UK and politics permanently ..and in what way? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boris Johnson outlined the Lockdown exit strategy in a grand televised address to the nation. Yet avoidable confusion followed. Why? I reflect on how Tony Blair and others in the New Labour era would 'bombproof' every statement before a public word was uttered and seek to answer why B Johnson and his team are more casual in their approach. Also my verdict on Keir Starmer's early days... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I reflect on Matt Hancock not meeting his testing target, claiming to do so..and the triumph he could have claimed for getting close to his goal. Targets work..and the scrapping of targets was one of the many calamitous decisions taken by the coalition government... Plus Brexit latest..and thoughts on my virtual live show from a room in my house.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rock n Roll Politics the Lockdown Special is on the Kings Place website at 7pm on Monday April 27th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am hooked on the Number 10 daily press conferences even though they are dull and reveal little..perhaps my addiction is explained by the gap between the eerie, subdued mood at the conferences with the epic crisis being played out..it's a darkly compelling disjunction..and on other matters the former Cabinet minister Peter Hain reflects on Labour's decline and the need for radical Keynesian economic policies under Keir Starmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices