Farage against the machine

Farage against the machine

Author: Financial Times February 20, 2026 Duration: 36:59

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled his ‘shadow cabinet’ at a glitzy event in London this week, with a newly bespectacled Robert Jenrick announced as ‘shadow chancellor’. The event was a hit with Reform’s supporters in the room – but can the party appeal to a broader base?


One clue as to Reform’s prospects: the by-election next week in Gorton and Denton. The Manchester seat – where Reform, Labour and the Greens are all vying for victory – is a crucial bellwether. 


Host Lucy Fisher is joined by FT political correspondent Anna Gross, UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley, and columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter Stephen Bush.


Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher and @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social Stephen @stephenkb and @stephenkb.bsky.social; Anna @AnnaSophieGross and anna.gross@ft.com 


Want more?  


Perhaps we should all be banned from social media


Concerns were raised with Cabinet Office before Antonia Romeo appointment


Pupils’ special needs support to be reassessed at secondary school level


The Conservatives’ foundational sin


Sign up here for Stephen’s morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek views. Get 30 days free.


Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Audio mix by Sean McGarrity. Original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. 


Our email address is politicalfix@ft.com


Clips from Reform UK and the Independent


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
Trump’s trade war: trouble ahead for Britain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:19
Donald Trump has shaken up the global economy with his seismic new tariffs this week. UK exports to the US will now face a 10 per cent levy – less than many other countries, but still a major headache for Britain’s fragi…
Doom, gloom and not much headroom: Spring Statement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:13
Rachel Reeves was forced to slash spending to balance the books in her Spring Statement this week. Welfare spending will be cut more deeply than initially trailed, prompting warnings that 250,000 people — a fifth of them…
Austerity redux? Spring Statement lookahead [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:44
It’s crunch time for chancellor Rachel Reeves next Wednesday, when she will present her Spring Statement to parliament. Downgraded growth forecasts and deep spending cuts to unprotected departments loom. Host Lucy Fisher…
Starmer’s ‘Project Chainsaw’: the NHS, Whitehall, welfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:22
“The world’s largest quango is scrapped” – that’s how the government framed the abolition of the NHS management body this week. It was the latest target in Sir Keir Starmer’s so-called ‘Project Chainsaw’, his plan to str…
Will Starmer sink or swim in Trump’s world? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:35
Sir Keir Starmer has won plaudits from across the political spectrum for his handling of the rapidly growing rift between the US, Europe and Ukraine – but can the UK prime minister sustain this diplomatic balancing act?…
The Starmer-Trump love-in [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:57
Donald Trump showered praise on Keir Starmer during the UK prime minister’s visit to the White House this week, describing him as ‘special’, a ‘beautiful man’ and a ‘tough negotiator’. Host Lucy Fisher speaks to George P…
‘America is now an adversary’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
The future of Ukraine and the defence of Europe will dominate when Keir Starmer jets out to the White House for talks with Donald Trump next week. Can the UK prime minister help save 80 years of Pax Americana? Or is the…
The right to die: who should have the final say? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:06
The bitter and emotional wrangling over the assisted dying bill reached new heights in parliament this week, following proposed changes to a key safeguard. Is it a sensible efficiency to remove the need for a High Court…
Trump and Reform: Is US-style populism set to sweep the UK? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:06
Donald Trump has stunned the world with a raft of extraordinary interventions this week, prompting Keir Starmer to keep his head down. But what happens when it’s Britain’s turn in the new US administration’s headlights?…
Growth – and damn the consequences? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:37
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sought to place rocket-boosters under the UK economy this week – with a vow to prioritise growth over the environment or nimbyism. But how long will her plan take to work, is it too concentra…