How does a government communicate to disillusioned voters?

How does a government communicate to disillusioned voters?

Author: Steve Richards June 17, 2025 Duration: 55:08

Rachel Reeves’ spending review was a mixed bag, with some impossibly tight spending settlements combined with significant investment. But will voters make the connections between decisions at Westminster and their own lives, especially when conveyed through a hostile media?


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Written and presented by Steve Richards.

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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
What would you do if you were Rachel Reeves? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:03
In a recording of a recent Rock & Roll Politics live show, the audience became Rachel Reeves… and I became Emma Barnett interviewing some of them. There were many ideas for the real Chancellor in advance of next month’s…
Are the Conservatives doomed? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:10
The Conservative Party conference gathers with the party way behind in third place and being hit by defections to Reform, a threat from the right they have never faced before. Can they survive? Written and presented by S…
Can Starmer beat Farage? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:23
The Labour Party conference is in a febrile mood – there's much talk of leadership, and also of Farage. Can Starmer bring together those horrified by a Reform government? Or is he too unpopular, not least with those on t…
Are the Liberal Democrats a centre-left party? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:14
Who are the Liberal Democrats? The coalition years exposed a deep split between social democrats and free market liberals. Are those divisions healed? Is Ed Davey right to party play for laughs? Is he making the correct…
What are the lessons of the Mandelson saga? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:00
Predictably, Peter Mandelson's return to the centre of the political stage has ended in crisis. Mandelson's influence on Keir Starmer grew after Labour lost the Hartlepool by-election in the early days of Starmer's leade…
Will Keir Starmer's changes revive Labour? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:56
Keir Starmer has kept more or less the same Cabinet but given most of them new jobs. Will it work as Reform UK soars in the polls? Rock & Roll Politics is live in the main concert hall at Kings Place on Thursday Septembe…