The Nowak murder: when tragedy meets politics

The Nowak murder: when tragedy meets politics

Author: Financial Times June 5, 2026 Duration: 45:48

What began as a local tragedy in Southampton has quickly become a national flashpoint. Questions about policing and trust in UK institutions are dominating the debate, as party leaders compete to shape the public response, but are politicians missing the point that this is about police treatment of suspects? With the Makerfield by-election looming, the case risks sharpening divides. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s Stephen Bush, Miranda Green and Chris Smyth to discuss the political fallout, plus the latest in Andy Burnham’s campaign. The panel also consider what Sir Keir Starmer is looking to cross off his bucket list as his allies suggest it increasingly appears a fait accompli that he will be forced out of Downing Street. 


Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher or @lucyfisher.ft.com; Stephen @stephenkb & @stephenkb.bsky.social; Miranda @greenmiranda & @greenmirandahere.bsky.social and Chris @Smyth_Chris 


Join us on Thursday the 25th of June for a special video episode of the Political Fix podcast on Ten Years after Brexit: can the UK deliver change? Register at ft.com/anniversary and send us your questions


Want more?  

What if Andy Burnham loses? 

What Henry Nowak’s murder does — and does not — tell us about policing 

Policing minister says ‘wrong calls’ made amid anger over Henry Nowak murder 

Starmer pushes ‘bucket list’ policies as fatalistic mood descends on Number 10 

Disparities between ethnic groups are not always cause for alarm 

Nigel Farage gambles on playing to the far right

Electoral reform in the UK? Don’t bet on it


  

You can also 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 views. Get 30 days free.


Political Fix was presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Persis Love and Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The broadcast engineers are Andrew Georgiades and Petros Gioumpasis. 


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
Should Labour heed Tony Blair? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:57
Tony Blair’s lengthy – and excoriating – 5,600-word essay on the future of the Labour Party and Britain has set Westminster alight this week. The former prime minister's critique has sparked a lively debate, and triggere…
Game on: All eyes on Makerfield by-election [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:24
Andy Burnham running for the Makerfield by-election has become far more than a contest for a safe Labour seat. It is being seen as a proxy battle over Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, Labour’s direction after its bruising…
Burnham eyes Labour crown as Starmer clings on [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:44
In a dramatic week at Westminster, Wes Streeting has quit as health secretary and ex-deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has said her wrangling with HMRC is finally over – but neither has launched a leadership challenge.…
Ask Political Fix: Starmer’s fightback, election turmoil and defence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
You sent in your burning questions, now our panel answers them. Will Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘relaunch’ work? Has Britain become ungovernable? Will the UK’s voting system be reformed, is the student loans system punishing you…
Election special: snap analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:15
It’s been a dreadful night for Labour as council seats across the country have turned from red to turquoise. The Conservatives have not fared much better with Reform UK the big winner so far. With results still coming in…
Labour braces for ballot box bloodbath [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:25
With just one week to go before voters across the UK deliver their verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s government – our panel discusses another agonising week for the PM, Labour’s forecast devastation at the polls, and how No…
Introducing: The Story of Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17
The economist John Kenneth Galbraith once quipped that “there can be few fields of human endeavour in which history counts for so little as in the world of finance.” This show sets out to prove the opposite. Each week, F…
The Mandelson-Starmer saga stumbles on [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
The rolling drama over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador is eating the government alive, with more committee hearings coming next week and crucial elections for Labour on May 7. This week’s host Mi…
Labour lambasted over defence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:04
It’s not just the Trump administration attacking the UK’s defence capabilities. Now a Labour grandee and former head of Nato, Lord George Robertson, has accused Sir Keir Starmer of ‘corrosive complacency’ over delays to…
Squeezed Britain: student loans, salaries and strikes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:16
Sir Keir Starmer had promised 2026 would be the year the UK economy and household finances would finally “turn the corner”. But the Iran war has nixed those hopes. Now the pressure from unions to increase public sector p…