Politics At Sam and Anne's

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Poltico’s Anne McElvoy preview how the day will play out in British politics. As Westminster gets back to work after last Thursday’s election results, is there the least surprising briefing ever to start the week? There’s a new crackdown on asylum claims days after Reform’s by-election and council victories. We focus on the Labour reaction to those results this morning – from rumours of a reshuffle to shooting down stories about winter fuel changes. What is the best way to face down a very happy Nigel Farage? 

Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy have a Friday episode to take stock of the by-election, mayoral and local election results so far. Sam’s pulled an all-nighter to cover Reform’s victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election – it won by just six seats. It won the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty too.  So it’s a morning of questions to ponder – how do bigger parties respond to the Reform victories?Could a Starmer visit to Runcorn have secured the few votes needed for victory there? And is Labour focussing on Reform voters at the expense of people at the other end of the political spectrum? Plus, with lots of councils that were controlled by the Conservatives still to declare, at what point does someone mention Boris Johnson?

The morning political podcast which gives you all need for the day ahead in 20 minutes, with Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy.  Back on British soil, Anne joins Sam to talk about Trump's 100 days in office and whether the President is really in a tough spot.  And there are reports that the US has decided a UK trade deal is a second or third order priority. Anne and Sam discuss why there has been a slowing down of the trade deal and - if and when it comes - will it be worth the wait?   Also, Sir Tony Blair has made a public intervention on Ed Miliband’s green agenda – he says there needs to be a radical reset of “irrational” net-zero policies because they are “doomed to fail”. But why is he doing this?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne's on your podcast app👈    The morning political podcast which gives you all need for the day ahead in 20 minutes, usually with Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy.  But, for this episode, Anne is somewhere over the Atlantic travelling back from the US so Sam is joined by Politico’s Tim Ross.  Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It’ll give Keir Starmer a centre-left ally at G7 but how will the PM position himself now in the Trump-Carney standoff?  Elsewhere, with political leaders out and about in Bristol, Scunthorpe, South Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire – there are plenty of clues about the biggest target seats in the last 48 hours before local election voting.        To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information 

As Trump’s 100 days in office edges closer, Anne checks in from DC to bring us all the latest on a domestically difficult week for the President.  Also, will the upcoming Canadian elections be a referendum on Trump from its biggest neighbours? Sam and Anne discuss what the global ramifications of that result might be.   And back in Blighty, local elections are nearing and Sam explains how they might shine a light on a tension in Labour between Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Will their briefs demand they push in opposite directions?        To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information

The podcast is transatlantic for this episode – with Politico’s Anne McElvoy now in a hotel cupboard in Washington and Sky News’ Sam Coates still in his kitchen in London.  Anne’s headed to DC to cover Rachel Reeves’ visits to the States and wonders how the Chancellor will fare on the MAGA-favoured TV channels when she does interviews today.  And with a week to go, it’s a chance to look at how the local election campaigning is shaping up – and what this set of results might change, if anything.      To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information

With news overnight that a peace conference in London today would be going ahead without UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy or US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are peace talks over Ukraine going backwards? Sam and Anne discuss what’s going on.   And Rachel Reeves is landing in Washington today for what promises to be one of the most important IMF spring meeting in years – will she make any progress on a trade deal for the UK?   Also, Sam has obtained a leaked recording of former Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick vowing to “bring this coalition together” to ensure that Conservatives and Reform UK are no longer fighting each other for votes.

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Returning from an Easter break for a new season, Sam and Anne begin by discussing how British and global politics will react to the death of Pope Francis. They discuss the Pope's own role in politics around the world and the legacy he leaves behind.Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves is heading to Washington ahead of her first IMF spring meetings, amid pessimistic predictions for the UK's own economy. Sam and Anne discuss if the chancellor can bring Trump's tariffs on the UK down and keep hopes high for a US-UK trade deal.

It's the Monday after a dramatic weekend in the House of Commons and Sam and Anne are here to bring you up to speed on the race to keep the furnaces on at the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe.  So what happens now after emergency legislation was passed on Saturday to give the government control of the plant and stop its Chinese owners from shutting it off?  And does the UK have a future as a serious manufacturing country?  Also, a new report from MPs hits back at claims of "two-tier policing" during last summer's riots - calling them "disgraceful".

It’s the final episode before recess so Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy wonder, given the turbulent times, who’ll be the first to call for Parliament to be recalled?  And talking of the Lib Dems, there's some new polling which might put a spring into the step of Ed Davey – is his party’s position on Trump and trade doing them some favours?  Of course, there’s plenty of time to talk about the onslaught of US tariffs and implications for the UK – watch out what if the PM is asked about fiscal headroom in the liaison committee later.   Sam and Anne also ponder the PM’s response to Sam at a Q&A yesterday.