

ELECTION DAILY - Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
The Irish Times
ELECTION DAILY: podcasts covering the 2025 presidential election campaign, startng Wednesday, October 15th. The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 13, 2020 • 35min
A vaccine on the horizon: how optimistic should we be?
This week Pfizer announced positive early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial, but how optimistic should we be about this breakthrough and how will it affect the decisions taken by government in the weeks and months ahead? Joining Hugh and Pat to discuss the latest developments is Irish Times health editor Paul Cullen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 11, 2020 • 44min
Inside Politics special: the complete story of the Séamus Woulfe affair
The story of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe's attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner has already taken many twists and turns. This week the crisis deepened with the release of an exchange of letters between Woulfe and Chief Justice Frank Clarke, in which Clarke calls on Woulfe to resign. Woulfe has refused, and the ball is now in the court of politicians who must consider whether to try to remove him.It's a complicated story so, with the help of actors portraying Woulfe and retired justice Susan Denham, who carried out a review of his actions, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic talks us through it from start to finish, and looks at where the story may be headed next. Plus, Pat Leahy on how the politics of impeaching a judge might play out in Leinster House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 9, 2020 • 40min
The origins of Fine Gael - with Stephen Collins and Ciara Meehan
Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins and historian Ciara Meehan have written a book about the history of Fine Gael. "Saving the State" recounts the party's story, from the foundation of the state to this year's decision to go into coalition with its nemesis Fianna Fáil, and the party's periods in power as well as in the political wilderness. They talk to Hugh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 5, 2020 • 40min
Victory in defeat: Trump and Trumpism are here to stay
Fintan O'Toole and Simon Carswell join Hugh to talk over the results - so far - of the US presidential election. Right now Donald Trump seems on course to lose the presidency to Joe Biden. But those who have seen his presidency as a dangerous aberration and hoped for a repudiation of Trumpism at the ballot box will be disappointed. Trump expanded his base and his party look to have held the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats must face the fact that changing demographics alone will not deliver them power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 4, 2020 • 25min
US Election: who's won what and what comes next
Recorded at 5.30 am. Hugh talks to Suzanne Lynch about the night's events in the US presidential election. The Democratic Party's hoped-for landslide has not materialised and their candidate Joe Biden's paths to victory are now fewer - but still clearer than those for President Donald Trump. . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 3, 2020 • 20min
Varadkar takes questions over GP deal leak - reaction
Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Pat Leahy to talk about the day's events in the Dáil, where Taoisea... Tanaiste Leo Varadkar answered questions about his passing on of a confidential document to a friend of his back in 2019. For background information on the story go to irishtimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 30, 2020 • 45min
Shane Ross: "we were almost still in opposition when we were in Cabinet"
"I made no bones about the fact I was going to write a book", says former Independent Alliance TD Shane Ross, whose previous job as a feisty newspaper columnist marked him for suspicion when he joined Enda Kenny's Cabinet as Minister for Transport. He has now written that book, an entertaining inside-the-room account of recent events in Irish politics. He talks to Pat about his transition from enemy within to Cabinet colleague, his difficult relationships with Enda Kenny, Francis Fitzgerald and Charlie Flanagan ("I like him..he's probably quite angry about stuff in the book") and the controversial policies he pursued in judicial reform, drink driving penalties and the reopening of his local Garda station in Stepaside. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 28, 2020 • 54min
How the mother and baby archive controversy became a quagmire for government
LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm.If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20.To buy tickets, go here: www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-liveThere's been a big political controversy over the government's legislation to deal with the archive created by the Commission of Investigation into mother and baby homes. Part one: Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray take turns to outline both sides of the controversy - what the government says it was trying to do, and what opposition politicians, angry survivors of the institutions and activists say they have done wrong. Part two: Much of the political pressure came down on the head of Green Minister for Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman who introduced the legislation. In the wake of his botched handling of the crisis, Green Cork city councillor Lorna Bogue announced she would leave the party. Lorna talks to Pat about her reasons for leaving and why she thinks the Greens in government are failing to resist the influence of the powerful institutions of the state. Part three: Finally, Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary on the worsening Covid-19 situation across the continent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 23, 2020 • 45min
A dramatic week in Covid, Brexit and the US election
Jack Horgan-Jones, Suzanne Lynch and Denis Staunton join Pat to talk about an eventful week in Ireland's Covid-19 response, the Brexit process and Donald Trump and Joe Biden's race to the White House.LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm.If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20.To buy tickets, go here: www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 21, 2020 • 44min
The decisions that led us into Level 5
So what is the national Covid-19 policy now? It seems to be: lockdown now, enjoy Christmas, lockdown again. But even that fairly bleak prospect is contingent on a lot of things going according to plan. To talk about the politics that led us to Level 5, the exclusively male composition of the Covid-19 decision makers and the rollercoaster we're facing over the winter months, today's host Harry McGee is joined by Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray. LIVE US ELECTION SHOW: New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd joins Hugh and our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch for a special live online edition of Inside Politics, on Thursday October 29th at 7pm. If you're a subscriber, check your email to find out how to avail of a half-price ticket for just €10. Non-subscribers can buy a ticket for €20. To buy tickets, go here: https://www.irishtimes.com/inside-politics-live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.