Electoral Dysfunction
Sky News
221 episodes
Political powerhouses Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman unite to unravel the spin and explain what’s really going on in Westminster and beyond. Each episode examines who holds influence, what politicians are really saying, and the forces driving decisions behind closed doors. With authoritative insight and candid conversation, they assess who is rising, who is falling, and who is heading for Electoral Dysfunction. For audience questions and comments, message the team on WhatsApp: 07934 200444
Episodes page 2 of 5
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Is Starmer still a player in Trump’s world?
“We feel bullied” - former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt joins Beth, Harriet, and Ruth on this week’s Electoral Dysfunction, as Denmark finds itself at the centre of a growing international crisis over…
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Nick Clegg on Brexit regret and what Britain does next | 10 Years of Brexit Part 2
This is the second episode of our two-part New Year special. As Britain approaches 10 years since the Brexit referendum, Beth Rigby sits down with former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to ask what really went wrong,…
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The vote that fractured politics | 10 Years of Brexit Part 1
This is the first episode of our two-part New Year special. Ten years on from the referendum that rewired British politics, Beth, Ruth and Harriet are joined by one of the architects of Brexit, Michael Gove, to rewind…
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Which Prime Minister had the worst Christmas? | Q&A
Put down the eggnog and stop the washing up because it’s a Merry Christmas from Electoral Dysfunction as Beth, Harriet and Ruth answer your questions. They’re joined by special guests including the Dish podcast’s Nick…
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How do you raise boys in a culture of misogyny?
Do we have a cultural problem when it comes to teaching boys about sexual violence? The Labour government certainly thinks so with its new strategy. Home Office minister and former podcaster Jess Phillips tells Beth…
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Does Starmer need his mates more than ever?
Westminster is restless, and the team are digging into why. Beth, Ruth and Harriet discuss the growing unease inside Labour, as somebody new joins the cabinet table. We also go over the damning findings of Baroness…
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Did Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves mislead us?
The chancellor is being accused of "lying" over what she knew and when ahead of her budget – so did Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer actually mislead the public? Beth walks us through a detailed timeline of the OBR…
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Is the government gaslighting us over tax rises?
With all the speculation, it was always going to be a big one, but Rachel Reeves's second budget turned into a political earthquake before she even stood up at the dispatch box. In this bumper budget special, Beth,…
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Shabana Mahmood – the new Margaret Thatcher?
The home secretary is going hard on immigration and she's taking a lot of people with her, not least Kemi Badenoch and the Reform party. Shabana Mahmood is using her identity – as a British Asian Muslim – to prove why…
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Is Wes Streeting now a shoo-in for Labour leader?
UPDATE: We talked again on this episode about speculation that Rachel Reeves was going to raise income tax rates in the budget. Since we recorded, Beth's been told that those plans have been ditched. Read her analysis…
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Why are prisoners being released by mistake?
Who is to blame for two more inmates being wrongly freed from prison? The Conservatives attempted a mic drop moment with David Lammy this week by trying to get the Justice Secretary to admit to it live in the House of…
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Cheat Sheet.... A new podcast from Sky News
Sophy Ridge and Wilf Frost bring you the Cheat Sheet to the day’s news in 10 minutes. On this first episode, they look at the Huntington mass stabbing and hear from an eye witness. Sophy’s spoken to the sole survivor…
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Is Zack Polanski making the Greens less green?
Harriet responds to your messages about the Green Party after she went viral for her take on leader Zack Polanski. How does its surge in popularity link up with the result of the Caerphilly by-election? And is the…
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How did the grooming gangs inquiry get so toxic?
Sir Keir Starmer has backed safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, as a fifth abuse survivor calls on her to quit to restore trust in the grooming gangs inquiry. Beth, Ruth and Harriet explain why the national inquiry…
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EXTRA: Who will be Labour's deputy leader?
Two powerhouse Labour politicians are vying to replace Angela Rayner as deputy leader. With the winner being announced on 25 October, Beth Rigby has been speaking to both candidates about party unity, leadership,…
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Is the government too close to China?
There are new questions about who knew what and when about the collapse of a trial of alleged Chinese spies. Beth, Ruth, and Harriet explain why a row involving names you might not know does have implications for the…
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Is it too late for Kemi Badenoch?
Fresh from the conference in Manchester, Beth gives Ruth and Harriet the inside track on her 'tetchy' interview with Badenoch - why couldn't she answer a question about Nigel Farage in the same way Keir Starmer did?…
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Kemi Badenoch’s biggest weakness
Beth’s at the Conservative party conference – talking to the shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins. She says that Kemi Badenoch has shown resilience and character in her first year as party leader- but it’s…
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Is Keir Starmer obsessed with Nigel Farage?
When the Prime Minister said Reform’s migration policy was ‘racist’ - was that a mistake? It dominated the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week, where Beth asked Keir Starmer about his comments... and pulled…
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Wes Streeting on why he didn't want Home Secretary
Health Secretary Wes Streeting didn't want to get moved to the Home Office in the recent reshuffle - and he planned how to get out of it if the job was offered. Beth asks also asks him about future strike action by…
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Why Do Some Men Know Best About Pregnancy?
Donald Trump gave his two cents on what women should be doing whilst pregnant this week... and Nigel Farage followed suit with his view back here. So how damaging are their comments? And why do men think they know best…
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Beth asks Trump about Mandelson and Epstein
Starmer and Trump meet at Chequers and the world's eyes are on them. So why did Trump say he doesn't know Peter Mandelson? The UK's former ambassador to Washington who was sacked last week? And what did Trump mean when…
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Mandelson sacked over Epstein
Peter Mandelson is sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US - his former cabinet colleague, Harriet, says it's shameful that he didn't resign. It's all after new revelations over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.…
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Is Labour too London?
A long list of women all want to be Labour’s next deputy leader - Lucy Powell, Emily Thornberry, Bridget Phillipson, Alison McGovern, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Paula Barker have all thrown their names into the mix. Beth,…
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Rayner resigns and Starmer resets (again)
Beth, Harriet and Ruth reassemble after Angela Rayner’s resignation prompts one of the biggest cabinet reshuffles in years. She admitted she didn’t pay enough stamp duty on the purchase of a new home and, after an…
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Is Angela Rayner a "hypocrite" if she doesn't resign?
Was the deputy prime minister trying to evade and dodge tax? Is she a 'hypocrite'? Or was she simply doing what she thought was the right thing? Beth takes Ruth and Harriet behind the scenes of her interview with…
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Angela Rayner admits underpaying tax - Exclusive interview
In an exclusive interview, the Deputy Prime Minister admits she considered resigning after discovering she didn’t pay enough stamp duty on her second home. After weeks of speculation in the papers, Angela Rayner…
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Is political chaos fuelled by the media?
In their final summer Q&A, Beth, Ruth, and Harriet dig into why politics feels permanently stuck in panic mode. Why does it feel like there's an election imminent when the prime minister isn't required to call one for…
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Starmer’s dilemma in Trump and Putin’s shadow
Can Britain afford both welfare and warfare? Beth takes us inside the row that could define Sir Keir Starmer's premiership. From that huge Commons rebellion over welfare cuts to the looming pressure on defence…
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Conservatives v Reform: Battle for the Right
Nigel Farage's Reform won more than 40% of seats at May's council elections. The Conservatives lost control of 16 English councils and won 20% of seats - one of the lowest proportions in the past two decades. How do…
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Is Corbyn’s comeback a headache for Starmer - or a red herring?
Jeremy Corbyn's back - with Zarah Sultana and a new party. But is it a real threat to Labour, or just political theatre? This week Beth, Ruth and Harriet answer your questions on whether Corbyn's comeback could…
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What happened when I quit the government
Anneliese Dodds sits down with Beth Rigby for her first long-form interview since stepping down from Labour's front bench.Reflecting on the party's first year in power, the former International Development Minister and…
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Is the government preparing for a summer of riots?
Summer is here and the government is worrying about riots on the streets. In their final episode of this political term, Beth, Ruth and Harriet unpack No 10's briefing this week that Angela Rayner has warned about the…
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The '£7 billion' government secret
Who knew what about the Afghan data leak? And could anyone in parliament have done more to help scrutinise the government at the time of the superinjunction? Harriet thinks so. So in this episode, Beth, Ruth, and…
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Is migration helping or hurting the UK?
There's a new plan for deterring migrants from crossing the channel and coming to the UK - but will it actually work? This week, Beth, Ruth and Harriet have a deep dive into one of the most divisive and defining…
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Is Labour losing Wales to Reform?
Could Reform UK get their first taste of government next year? They're the biggest party for Welsh voters, according to exclusive polling from More in Common ahead of the Senedd elections next year. But what does this…
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Did Keir Starmer screw up his own anniversary?
Happy 1st anniversary, Keir Starmer. He wanted to be talking about what he sees as Labour’s achievements after 12 months in goverment and his 10-year plan for the NHS. But, after another dramatic policy U-turn and the…
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What will Keir Starmer learn from the Labour welfare chaos?
It sounds like concessions are being offered to the dozens of Labour MPs who had threatened to rebel over the government’s planned welfare cuts. On this episode, Beth, Ruth, and Harriet went over the possible options…
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Why won't Starmer call out Trump?
Days after Keir Starmer told Beth that a US strike on Iran wasn’t imminent, Trump ordered US bunker busters to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. But the UK’s position on the attacks are unclear. The focus is not on what…
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Will Starmer have to agree to war?
Is Donald Trump about to join Israel in attacks on Iran, and will he ask Keir Starmer to help him out? If he does - would it even be legal? A lot has happened since Beth, Ruth and Harriet last got together, with…
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Should anyone go to prison for an abortion?
A landmark bill is due to be voted on in the House of Commons next week that could decriminalise abortion for women in England and Wales. Currently, any woman who has had an abortion after 24 weeks - without two…
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Rachel Reeves faces the numbers - can she cut it?
As Rachel Reeves prepares for next week’s spending review, Beth explains why it could be a defining moment for the government and the chancellor is faced with difficult choices. Harriet talks about the two-child…
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Why Labour needs to focus on the working class, with Andy Burnham
Beth is catching up with Andy Burnham - the Mayor of Greater Manchester – in his office for an extra episode this week, recorded on Tuesday. It’s just days to go until the chancellor unveils her Spending Review, and…
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Farage steps in whilst parliament’s out
Nigel Farage is using parliamentary recess to grab the microphone – he's been out and about during the half term holiday criticising the government and claiming Reform UK as the party for families. Harriet and Ruth ask…
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Rachel Reeves vs Keir Starmer: Inside the ‘rift’ in Downing Street
Are Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves falling out over winter fuel payments? Beth tells us what she’s been hearing in Westminster about a rift between the pair and although it’s denied by Number 11, she’s heard there’s a…
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What was behind Starmer’s 'Enoch Powell' moment?
Another week, another sticky situation for the prime minister and some of his MPs - this time it's centred around his language on immigration. When Sir Keir Starmer announced his White Paper, he argued that Britain…
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Can a trade deal with Trump save Starmer?
With Ruth away, Beth and Harriet are joined by Salma Shah, a former Conservative special adviser from 2014-2018 and now a political commentator. They unpack Donald Trump's surprise UK trade deal announcement and what…
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Can Nigel Farage and Reform prove themselves?
Beth Rigby, Harriet Harman, and Ruth Davidson assemble for an elections debrief. Beth's been following a very happy Nigel Farage after Reform gained an MP in Runcorn, took the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty and seized…
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Can there ever be a calm debate on trans rights?
Beth, Harriet and Ruth discuss the UK Supreme Court's judgment on how a woman should be defined in law. They also hear from Ellie, a trans woman who says she's now afraid for her safety and her future. Harriet…
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Who’s nicer - Lords or MPs?
Come and join us LIVE on Tuesday 20th May at Cadogan Hall in London, tickets available now: https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/electoral-dysfunction-live/ The two Baronesses of the podcast finally lift the lid on the…
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