

No Sacred Cows
The Political Power Works
Join as we dive head-first into a long overdue debate about the future of mainstream politics on both sides of the Atlantic - no holding back, no pulling punches.Subscribe on Substack for all the latest at https://nocows.substack.com/ or head to https://nosacredcows.media for more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 13, 2023 • 53min
Behind the Glitter
The Power Test is back for a new series with hosts Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman. In this first episode, they are joined by Anne McElvoy, Marc Stears and John McTernan live from the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to ask how a future Labour administration will govern and change Britain for the better - and whether it can deliver radical change in tough times.The Power Test is a political podcast where, with the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 21, 2023 • 51min
Is Keir ready for power?
Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett, host of Rock N Roll Politics Steve Richards, and The Times journalist Rachel Sylvester are live from The Future of Britain conference where Tony Blair and Keir Starmer share a stage for the first time. After hearing his keynote speech, our guests assess wether Keir is ready to win and govern successfully.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 14, 2023 • 56min
Is Labour prepared to give away power?
Ayesha and Sam are joined by Liverpool regional city mayor Steve Rotherham, ex-Nicola Sturgeon aide Liz Lloyd, and Camden council leader Georgia Gould to discuss future approaches to devolution. After so long in opposition, are Labour really ready to give away power?The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 30, 2023 • 1h 7min
What about the culture wars?
Do the culture wars present a challenge to Labour's electoral hopes? Ayesha & Sam are joined by The Atlantic's Helen Lewis, the director of British Future Sunder Katwala, and founder of the Women's Equality Party Catherine Mayer to discuss how Labour should navigate and lead on divisive issues like trans rights, race, and patriotism.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 23, 2023 • 49min
Is talking tough on crime enough?
The former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke, Labour's Police & Crime Commissioner for Northumbria Kim McGuinness, and former Metropolitan Police superintendent Dr Leroy Logan join Sam and Ayesha to try to work out how to revive our struggling justice system. The UK has some of the most crowded prisons in Europe, a chronic backlog of criminal cases, and police forces marred by scandal. So what would a new government need to do?The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 16, 2023 • 46min
How do we save the NHS?
The NHS is in crisis. Staff continue to strike while a record 7.4 million of us await treatment. The pressure is only set to increase as our population grows and ages. Ayesha and Sam are joined by shadow health minister Liz Kendall, the co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto Rachel Wolf, and NHS commentator Roy Lilley to discuss future reform.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.comFor more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 9, 2023 • 51min
Can we fix the housing crisis?
The UK doesn't have enough homes. Those we do have are increasingly unaffordable and the quality of housing for renters is often dire. Former Conservative Planning Minister Nick Boles, social housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, and vice chair of the Labour Housing Group Rachel Blake join hosts Sam and Ayesha to discuss ways to solve the housing crisis.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 2, 2023 • 56min
Do Labour really want to bring down immigration?
Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson and migration expert Madeleine Sumption join hosts Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika to discuss immigration. As new figures reveal record levels of net migration to the UK, they discuss the policy and political implications of what remains a divisive and challenging issue.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 26, 2023 • 49min
Where’s the money coming from?
Ayesha Hazarika & Sam Freedman join former Minister Lord O’Nell, Labour MP Darren Jones and think tanker Carys Roberts to discuss economic policy and how Labour can deliver its mission to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7.The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 18, 2023 • 46min
Can Brexit be made to work?
Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy and political scientist Anand Menon join Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika to discuss if and how it's possible to "Make Brexit Work".The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas, messages and policies to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government.Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTestFollow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarikaFollow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/SamfrSubscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk.The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.