For all the storms, is Labour heading for a second term?

For all the storms, is Labour heading for a second term?

Author: Steve Richards August 12, 2025 Duration: 30:20

The Labour government has endured a traumatic first year on many fronts, but its opponents are in different ways extremely vulnerable. If its opponents cannot win next time Labour will secure a second term, yet the mood music suggests a government in near fatal trouble... 

Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Edinburgh Festival with a different show each day. Tickets available here.

Subscribe to Patreon for bonus podcasts, the main podcast a day early and ad free… plus special exclusive live events. https://www.patreon.com/RockNRollPolitics 

Written and presented by Steve Richards.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


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


Each week, broadcaster and author Steve Richards draws from his acclaimed live performance to create Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards. This isn't a dry recitation of headlines, but a guided tour into the often-overlooked mechanics of British political life. Steve focuses on the interplay between power and perception, examining how the media narrative is constructed and how it, in turn, shapes our understanding of the unfolding drama at Westminster and beyond. The conversation in this podcast acknowledges a central paradox of our times: while historical events can seem deceptively simple in hindsight, the present moment feels wildly uncertain. Steve acts as a seasoned guide through that uncertainty, offering clarity without oversimplification. You'll hear analysis that connects cultural currents to political decisions, exploring the personalities, strategies, and occasional chaos that define the UK's political landscape. Tune in for a thoughtful, weekly perspective that makes sense of the seismic shifts in society and government, all delivered with the insight of someone who has spent a career observing the stage from both the wings and the front row.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards
Podcast Episodes
How long can Starmer claim he has no view on Trump and Venezuela? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:12
Trump has carried out a coup in Venezuela - how long will he seek to rule over it, and then what? He is not the first US President who has acted unilaterally without telling the UK, and he is not the first who has remove…
What have we learnt at the end of 2025? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:48
We know more than we think we know … Sometimes what is in front of our eyes is more interesting than speculating about a hazy future. Here is what we know now about Keir Starmer’s fragility and the even more precarious i…
Why does a 'narrative' matter so much? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:22
Keir Starmer has endured a rough opening 18 months, but so did Tony Blair in quite similar ways. So why was Blair miles ahead in the polls in his early phase in power? And why is Starmer breaking all records for low rati…
Rock & Roll Politics Live - How fragile is Keir Starmer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:26
Here’s the last live show of the year, recorded in the main concert hall at Kings Place. There’s a dramatic answer to the question, will Keir Starmer be prime minister this time next year? Plus, making sense of Nigel Far…
What next as Trump turns away from Europe? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:46
Trump’s National Security Strategy is scathing about Europe, and in interviews he intensified his attack on the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Where does this leave Britain’s place in the world? Out of the EU and no longer…
Brexit- is this the beginning of the end? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:28
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have started to become more critical of the ‘Brexit Deal’. David Lammy highlights the benefits of a customs union. The Brexit minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, is promoted. But does this mean…
Why are newspapers still powerful? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:52
Few buy newspapers and not many read them. So why do they shape the political agenda, not least in determining how the current government is perceived?Rock & Roll Politics -The Xmas Special is live at Kings Place on Dec…