The Week in Westminster

The BBC's deputy political editor, Vicki Young assesses a year when the political landscape shifted with the Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times Lucy Fisher, commentator and director of the London Defence Conference Iain Martin and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff.

Pippa Crerar, political editor of The Guardian, assesses the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, Pippa is joined by Sir Simon Fraser who was Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Office during the Arab Spring and now chairs the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, and Sarah Champion, Labour MP and chair of Parliament's International Development Select Committee. Labour MP Dan Tomlinson and Conservative MP Greg Smith debate the government's reforms to the planning system which it hopes will help deliver 1.5 million more homes over the course of this Parliament. As the House of Lords debates the government's Hereditary Peers Bill for the first time, Pippa speaks to Charles Hay, Earl of Kinnoull, convener of the independent crossbenchers and a hereditary peer himself, about his ideas for reforming the upper chamber. And, to discuss the 5 year anniversary of the 2019 election, Pippa brings together former Conservative MP, Dehenna Davison, who won the seat of Bishop Auckland in that election, and Jane Green, professor of politics at Oxford University and co-director of the British Election Study.

Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's 'Plan for Change' speech, Ben speaks to the architect of Sir Keir Starmer's five missions, Peter Hyman, who was a senior adviser to the Prime Minister until the election and former Downing Street Director of Communications, Sir Craig Oliver To discuss the Prime Minister's speech on foreign affairs at the Lord' Mayor's Banquet, Ben is joined by Dr Karin von Hippel, the Director-General of the defence think tank, the Royal United Services Institute. Parliament's newly created Modernisation Committee is considering ideas on 'driving up standards, improving culture and working practices and reforming procedures'. To discuss their thoughts on this. Ben is joined by two new MPs, Tom Morrison, the Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle and Dr Beccy Cooper, the Labour MP for Worthing West. And, finally, as Oxford University Press announces its 'word of the year' Ben is joined by Susie Dent, lexicographer and resident expert on Channel Four’s Countdown and Tom Peck, parliamentary sketch-writer of The Times, to discuss their thoughts on the political words and phrases of the year.

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the debate and vote on the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons, Sonia speaks to two MPs with opposing views. Labour MP Anna Dixon voted against the Bill. She has a background in health and social care policy, and specifically in ageing. Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Kit Malthouse is a long-standing proponent of legalising assisted dying. To explain what happens next with the Assisted Dying Bill Sonia is joined by Dr Hannah White, the Director of the independent think tank The Institute for Government. To discuss the continued fallout from last month's Budget, Sonia is joined by Labour MP Liam Byrne, who chairs the Business and Trade Select Committee and Karan Bilimoria, a businessman and crossbench peer who is also a recent President of the Confederation of British Industry. And ahead of the broadcast of the television series which follows the home life of former Conservative Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and his family, Sonia brings together Times and Spectator magazine columnist Matthew Parris, and Observer columnist Gaby Hinsliff, to discuss the pros and cons of politicians appearing on reality TV.

To discuss the increasingly fraught state of world affairs, Jack speaks to Sir David Liddington, who was deputy to Prime Minister Theresa May, and now chairs the defence and security think tank RUSI and the Labour MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Emily Thornberry. As thousands of farmers attend a rally in Westminster to protest against last month's budget, Jack speaks to Labour MP, Jeevan Sandher, who sits on the Treasury Select Committee and the former Conservative MP and environment minister Rebecca Pow, who comes from a long line of farmers in Somerset. Children's rights campaigner and crossbench peer, Beeban Kidron discusses whether social media should be banned for under-16s. And to reflect on the life of John Prescott, who died this week, Jack speaks to two people who knew him well from his years in government, the associate editor of the Mirror, Kevin Maguire, and a former minister and chief whip in Tony Blair’s government, Hilary Armstrong, who now sits in the House of Lords.

Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the publication of the assisted dying bill, Caroline speaks to one of its supporters, the Labour MP and former surgeon, Peter Prinsley, and the palliative care expert and long-time campaigner against assisted dying, Baroness Ilora Finlay. To discuss what the election of Donald Trump means for the war in Ukraine, Caroline brings together the former Conservative Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, and Nato's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Sir John McColl. Dale Vince, founder of the green energy company Ecotricity and one of Labour's biggest donors, discusses the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan and the UK's drive for net zero. And, as Donald Trump appoints Elon Musk to look at ways to cut trillions from US government spending, Caroline asks if the UK could benefit from a similar endeavour with Labour MP, and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Meg Hillier, and the former Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood.

Ben Riley Smith of The Daily Telegraph looks back on the week in Westminster. In the week of the election of Donald Trump as the next US President, Ben discusses the implications of the result with Stewart Woods, Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown and Sir Liam Fox, the former Conservative Defence Secretary - and International Trade Secretary during Donald Trump's first presidency. To discuss the impact of the changes to inheritance tax on farms Ben is joined by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke and the Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Helen Miller. The former Universities Minister and Conservative peer, Jo Johnson, discusses the government's announcement, earlier this week, that tuition fees for students in England would rise next year. And, as the new Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, faced Sir Keir Starmer for the first time at Prime Minister's Questions, Quentin Letts, political sketchwriter for the Daily Mail and Jessica Elgot, Deputy Political Editor of the Guardian give us their verdict.

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

Jack Blanchard of Politico analyses the latest developments at Westminster. He speaks to former Labour Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, for his take on the Commonwealth summit and calls from some leaders for the UK to start meaningful dialogue on slavery reparations. As the Government launches a major consultation on reforming the NHS, Jack brings together two MPs with experience of working in the health service: Labour's Paulette Hamilton and Conservative Luke Evans. The former Conservative Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, and London's Independent Commissioner for Victims, Claire Waxman, discuss the government's sentencing policy review. And, after the Trump campaign accuses the UK Labour Party of "interference" in the US election, Jack is joined by spokeswoman for Republicans Overseas UK, Sarah Elliott, and Keir Starmer's former political director, Luke Sullivan.

Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Guardian, is joined by a range of guests. To look ahead to the Budget on 30 October, she speaks to Labour MP and parliamentary aide to the Cabinet Office Torsten Bell and the shadow housing minister Baroness JoJo Penn. With the foreign secretary David Lammy heading to China this week, Labour peer, Helena Kennedy, who co-chairs the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and the former Conservative MP Richard Graham, who, until recently, chaired the all-party parliamentary group on China assess UK-China relations. Former cabinet minister and Conservative MP, Sir Gavin Williamson MP explains why he wants to remove all 26 bishops from the House of Lords. And to discuss how the Taylor Swift row has been handled, Pippa spoke to Tom Baldwin, a former Labour party communications director and biographer of Keir Starmer and Katie Perrior, the founder of the public relations firm iNHouse.

George Parker of the Financial Times analyses the week's political developments at Westminster. In the week of Sir Keir Starmer's 100 days in Number Ten, the former deputy chief of staff to David Cameron, Baroness Kate Fall, and Tony Blair's former director of political operations, John McTernan, discuss the political fallout of the resignation of the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Sue Gray. To discuss the forthcoming budget George is joined by former Treasury minister and crossbecnh peer, Lord O'Neill and the Head of Bloomberg Economics, Stephanie Flanders. Following his retirement from the House of Lords, the Labour politician and founding member of the Social Democratic Party, Lord Owen, discusses his life in politics. Two former Conservative MPs, David Gauke and Miriam Cates discuss the latest in the Conservative leadership contest.

George Parker of the Financial Times analyses the week's political developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's visit to Washington, the former UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Darroch, and Sir Keir Starmer's former director of strategy, Deborah Mattinson, assess the global security situation and what impact the US election will have on Western foreign policy. To discuss the state of the NHS following a damning report from former minister Lord Darzi, George is joined by former Labour Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, and former Conservative Chair of the Health Select Committee Steve Brine. Professor Richard Davies of the LSE, presenter of a new radio documentary about the Port Talbot steel works, explains what this week's government announcement about the plant means for the future of steel-making in Britain. And, as the Spending Review gets underway, George brings together two former Treasury ministers, Danny Alexander and David Gauke, to lift the lid on how departments can wring money out of the exchequer.

Caroline Wheeler of the Sunday Times is joined by a range of guests. To analyse Labour's first few weeks in government, she speaks to Labour MP Rosie Duffield and the former shadow cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth, who now heads up the Labour Together think tank. Two former Conservative leadership contenders, Sir David Davis and Dame Andrea Leadsom discuss the Tory leadership contest. A leading authority on disaster recovery, Professor Lucy Easthope looks at the long awaited report into Grenfell and what lessons should be learnt. And, two new MPs, Labour's Jonathan Hinder and Lib Dem Marie Goldman, discuss what it's like to make a maiden speech.

Pippa Crerar, political editor of The Guardian looks back at the political week in which the new Labour government presented its first KIng's Speech in fifteen years. To discuss the government's legislative programme Pippa is joined by former Conservative Minister George Freeman MP and by Labour MP Mary Creagh, who was re-elected to Parliament earlier this month - having lost her seat in the 2019 election. Former EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Baroness Cathy Ashton and Lord Kim Darroch, who was Ambassador to the United States during the Obama and Trump presidencies, discuss the foreign policy challenges facing Sir Keir Starmer. Following the announcement, in the King's Speech, that the government will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in Parliament's upper chamber, Pippa Crerar speaks to Charles Courtenay, the Earl of Devon, about his thoughts on the plan. And, what books should a new Prime Minister read? Conservative peer, journalist and author Daniel Finkelstein and Helen Lewis, author and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine, offer their selection of books.

The BBC's Deputy Political Editor, Vicki Young, hosts a live edition of The Week in Wesminster, in the week the general election was announced. Joining her in the studio: The Spectator's Political Editor, Katy Balls, the Financial Times' Political Editor, George Parker, and Guardian columnist and writer, Gaby Hinsliff.

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's speech on global insecurity she speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Liam Fox MP, and former Labour International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander. Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation and a former Labour adviser, discusses whether election 'pledge' cards are a good idea following Sir Keir Starmer's campaign event this week. After a knife-edge vote on excluding from Parliament MPs accused of serious offences, Sonia speaks to Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP and Conservative MP Nigel Mills. And, after claims a Liberal Democrat candidate was deselected because of his Christian faith, Sonia brings together the Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, and Polly Toynbee, journalist and vice president of Humanists UK, to discuss whether Christianity and modern politics are compatible.

Ben Riley-Smith of The Telegraph is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss Labour's prospects following the local election results, Ben speaks to former Labour leader, Lord Kinnock. Labour candidate and economist Miatta Fahnbulleh, and Rupert Harrison, a Conservative candidate and former Chief of staff to George Osborne, discuss the economy in the run up to the general election. As John Swinney becomes First Minister of Scotland, Ben brings the SNP's Ian Blackford together with Many Rhodes, editor of Holyrood Magazine, to discuss whether he can bring unity back to the party. And finally, in a week that saw celebrities turn out for the Met Gala in New York, can our politicians take a leaf out of their book when it comes to making the right style decisions. Ben is joined by judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick Grant, and Katie Perrior, former director of communications in Downing Street for Theresa May.

George Parker of the Financial Times is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss the boost to defence spending pledged by Rishi Sunak, he speaks to Labour peer and former head of the navy, Admiral Lord West and former soldier and the chair of the defence select committee, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood. Labour MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Conservative MP, Sir Edward Leigh discuss Parliament's approval of the controversial Rwanda deportation bill and consider what happens next. Twenty years on from a near-fatal car crash, dotcom entrepreneur and crossbench peer, Martha Lane-Fox explains what her 'mountain mission' is and discusses technology and artificial intelligence. And, to reflect on the life of former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field who died this week, he is joined by Labour MP Dame Angela Eagle whose constituency bordered his and former Work and Pensions Secretary, Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith

Sonia Sodha of The Observer is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss the confrontation between Israel and Iran she speaks to former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former British diplomat Sir William Patey. Following newspaper allegations about Conservative MP Mark Menzies she looks at how parties deal with such issues with Francis Elliott, editor of The House magazine, and Anne Perkins, a former political correspondent for The Guardian. Paul Johnson of The Institute for Fiscal Studies explains some new research looking at the success of SureStart and discusses how future governments can do meaningful social policy in an era of fiscal restraint. And, to reflect on the release of Liz Truss's book and her opposition to Rishi Sunak's smoking ban, Sonia is joined by Mark Littlewood, director of the Truss-supporting 'Popular Conservatism' group, and Anna Soubry, a former Conservative MP and public health minister.

Steve Richards is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the political landscape ahead of a general election. Steve is joined by The Spectator's Fraser Nelson, Whitehall Editor at the Financial Times, Lucy Fisher, and Britan Editor at the New Statesman, Anoosh Chakelian.