The case for keeping Starmer

The case for keeping Starmer

Author: Financial Times March 27, 2026 Duration: 37:38

Sir Keir Starmer’s authority is slipping and Westminster is alive with speculation about potential successors. But chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley joins host Lucy Fisher, alongside deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and public policy editor Chris Smyth, to argue why he believes Labour may be better off sticking with Starmer. The panel also discuss the government’s plans to ban political donations in cryptocurrency and cap overseas donations at £100,000 a year. What does it mean for Reform UK, which has been a major beneficiary of overseas donors and crypto donations? 


Have a question for the panel? We’re planning a question and answer episode. Email your questions to politicalfix@ft.com


Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, and Bluesky: @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social;

Miranda @greenmiranda and @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; & Chris @Smyth_Chris and @chris-smyth.bsky.social


Want more? 


The case for keeping Keir Starmer a little longer


Starmer set to make Sadiq Khan a Lord 


Overseas donations to UK parties to be capped at £100,000 


Companies face having to declare individuals behind UK political donations 


Net zero is not a zero-sum game 


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


Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The broadcast engineer was Bianca Wakeman and Petros Gioumpasis. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.


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