OppositionCast

In this all-star edition of the podcast we speak to Gyles Brandreth and John Sergeant about parallels with previous General Elections, and veteran journalist and author Michael Crick about his work tracking parliamentary candidate selections. Sarah and Nigel also discuss how much fun Ed Davey is having on the campaign trail, Rishi Sunak's excitement at taking a sleeper train, and whether Diane Abbott will be allowed to stand as a Labour MP. We also take another trip back to 1997 to cover that year's campaign in real time... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

As we approach the end of the first week of the General Election campaign, Nigel and Sarah discuss how the opening stages have gone- with Labour proposing lowering the voting age to 16, and the Conservatives announcing the return of national service (sort of). Sarah shares her thought on the visuals of the campaign, including the Prime Minister visiting the Titanic quarter in Belfast, and reveals how she saved David Cameron from a potentially embarrassing photo at a bread factory. Meanwhile, Nigel gets in his TARDIS to travel back to 1997 to begin a new feature charting the progress of that year's General Election in "real time". Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

As the UK General Election campaign gets properly underway, we unveil exciting changes to the podcast! Joining Nigel Fletcher as our new co-host is political commentator and comedian Sarah Southern, who in her previous career was a key aide to David Cameron during the 2010 General Election (the last time a Leader of the Opposition made the transition to government). From now until polling day on 4th July, Nigel and Sarah will draw on their experience to analyse the latest campaign developments every Tuesday and Friday, joined by occasional special guests. In this episode they discuss the election, review the party leaders' first campaigning events, and remember how the Conservatives tried to sabotage Gordon Brown's election announcement. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Nigel Fletcher and Sarah Southern Theme Music by Tom Hector

EMERGENCY PODCAST! (As they say) With Rishi Sunak calling the General Election for 4th July, Nigel Fletcher gives his initial observations on the campaign and we hear from a variety of opposition party leaders in their first campaign appearances. Plus, some hints about our exciting plans for coverage of the rest of the election campaign. Stay tuned... Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme music by Tom Hector

Wales is often seen as one of the most anti-Conservative parts of Britain, with a strongly working-class Labour tradition. But in the postwar period the Conservative Party has remained the second party of Wales in electoral terms. In this episode Nigel talks to Dr Sam Blaxland, author of a new book charting the history of the Conservative Party in Wales 1945-1997. The story is a more nuanced than is often presumed, with some surprising results in elections during the period. Why have the Conservatives remained the main opposition to Labour in Wales, and with the next election looming, how secure is this position? Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme music by Tom Hector

In the UK, the Labour Party has held a convincing lead over the Conservatives in the opinion polls since the disastrous impact of the "Mini-budget" under Liz Truss in the autumn of 2022. This month we've had another "fiscal event" in the shape of Jeremy Hunt's budget, but this doesn't seem to have had much effect on the polls at all. How can a "big moment" change the political weather, and what trends and issues lie behind the political opinion polls we're currently seeing? In this episode Nigel is joined by Professor Jane Green, Co-Director of the British Election Study and the new President of the British Polling Council, for an in-depth discussion of the state of the polls. Meanwhile in the United States, all looks set for a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump in November, with Trump's last remaining rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, suspending her campaign this month. She stopped short of a positive endorsement of the presumptive nominee, however. Could there yet be more surprises to come? Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector

Over recent years, as leadership turmoil regularly engulfed the Conservative Party, the position of the 1922 Committee was brought to greater public attention. It provides a channel for communicating backbench dissent to the party leadership, and oversees formal leadership and no-confidence votes. But how did it come to exist, and how has its role changed? In this episode we speak to Professor Philip Norton (Lord Norton of Louth), who has written a history of the committee to mark its 100th anniversary last year. We also consider the impact of George Galloway's victory in the Rochdale by-election, and the continuing pressure on the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector

The House of Commons descended into acrimonious chaos this week, with the Speaker facing a major backlash for his handling of an Opposition Day debate on the situation in Gaza. What was the row about, and what does it tell us about the way opposition functions in parliament? In this episode, Dr Nigel Fletcher does his best to explain its significance. Away from all that, we also pause to reflect on the sobering news from Russia, where opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died suddenly in prison, with his wife directly accusing Vladimir Putin of his murder. We’ll be rounding up some of the responses and considering what it means for opposition within Russia. Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher; Theme Music by Tom Hector ; Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies

An increasing number of MPs have reported an increase in the level of personal abuse, threats and intimidation they have received in recent years. Some of them, including Mike Freer MP, have cited it as a reason for choosing to stand down from Parliament. Most seriously, we have seen in the last decade the brutal murder of two MPs, Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021, as they went about their constituency duties. Politics inevitably involves strong disagreements and passionately-held views, which are often expressed forcibly. How can we maintain a robust and lively political debate whilst reducing the amount of unacceptable abuse MPs and their staff receive? In this episode, Nigel speaks to the Chair of the Jo Cox Foundation, the former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, about the recent report of their Civility Commission, which examines many of these issues. Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies

We're back! With 2024 shaping up to be a dramatic year for politics in the UK and around the world, we're kicking off a new series of OppositionCast, beginning with a look at preparations for a potential change of government. This week Sir Keir Starmer has written to the Cabinet Secretary to formally request the beginning of "Access talks" - the process by which the Official Opposition meets senior civil servants to discuss their plans for government. The Institute for Government has a new report out on the subject, and earlier this month held a panel discussion about preparations for government. IfG Programme Director Dr Catherine Haddon joins Nigel to discuss this and her thoughts on the current process. Produced by the Centre for Opposition Studies . Presented by Dr Nigel Fletcher Theme Music by Tom Hector