Deals, donations and damage limitation

Deals, donations and damage limitation

Author: Financial Times December 5, 2025 Duration: 39:34


Sir Keir Starmer started the week with not one but two speeches defending his party’s Budget decisions in the wake of claims that chancellor Rachel Reeves had misled the public and fellow MPs about the state of the nation’s finances. Was his sell convincing? The prime minister also brought up Brexit, but as panellist Robert Shrimsley points out, Starmer was characteristically unclear as to whether the Labour party was ultimately leaning into or out of the EU.


Plus, host George Parker and the rest of the panel, Miranda Green and Jim Pickard, discuss the FT report that Nigel Farage told Reform UK donors he expects his party to do some sort of deal with the Tories in the run-up to the next general election — potentially helped by the single biggest donation any UK political party has had from a living donor.  


Follow on Bluesky: George, Miranda, Jim, Robert


Want more? Free links:

Farage tells donors he expects Reform UK will do an election deal with the Tories

Head of UK fiscal watchdog quits after Budget leak 

UK government orders review into rising diagnoses of mental health conditions

Janan Ganesh: The rise of unpopular populism 

UK envoy to Moscow enters race to be next ambassador 


Political Fix will go live next week on 10 December at 1.15pm. If you don’t want to wait for it to drop in this feed on Friday, register here.


Sign up to Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter. Get 30 days free at https://www.ft.com/InsidePoliticsOffer. For details about the FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign, read more about it here or click here and to donate, click here.


Presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Original music and mix by Breen Turner. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Manuela Saragosa.


What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.com


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
Labour and business: friends or foes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:17
With a planned overhaul of employment law imminent and moves to renationalise rail companies, we’re asking whether Labour has got it in for business. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by colleagues Miranda Green and Jim Pic…
Labour’s descent into ‘miserabilism’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:16
A 'painful' Budget awaits this autumn and things will get 'worse before they get better', Sir Keir Starmer warned this week. But is Labour taking a risk projecting such a gloomy outlook? Political Fix host Lucy Fisher is…
Swamp Notes: Democrats find a feeling at the DNC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:50
Democrats from across the US gathered in Chicago for their presidential convention this week, promising to move past the Donald Trump-era of American politics. But if their newly-minted nominee, vice-president Kamala Har…
How do you solve a problem like Elon Musk? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
The billionaire owner of X, Elon Musk, has launched attacks on the UK government following the riots. So, how should Keir Starmer’s government deal with the self-declared “free speech absolutist” and his social media pla…
‘A fractious and divided country’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:38
Sir Keir Starmer has told police to stay on ‘high alert’ for more disorder, as rafts of rioters receive lengthy jail sentences in Britain’s courts. Has the unrest petered out, or could it yet flare up again? And how will…
Is Labour facing a summer of unrest? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:42
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a new national policing unit to tackle violent disorder as he vows to “put a stop” to unrest on British streets led by far-right “thugs”. But will it be enough to prevent a summer of riots?…
Labour confronts £20bn black hole [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:40
The chancellor Rachel Reeves is about to confront the British public with the size of the black hole in the country’s finances. A funding shortfall of about £20bn is likely to lead to tax rises at the Budget later this y…
The ‘bin fires’ setting Labour’s in-tray alight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:44
Sir Keir Starmer plans to hand more powers to metro mayors in what has been dubbed a ‘devolution revolution’. Host Lucy Fisher speaks with politics reporter Rafe Uddin, deputy political editor Jim Pickard and north of En…
Labour's growth fixation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:29
Sir Keir Starmer took the chance to extend the hand of friendship to Britain’s neighbours when he hosted the European Political Community summit in Blenheim Palace on Thursday. The FT’s Lucy Fisher is joined by political…

«1...678910