Shows
Political CurrencyStarmer v Streeting: Is it curtains for Keir?A bizarre briefing war has exploded in Westminster, with Wes Streeting accused of plotting a coup against Keir Starmer. Ed Balls and George Osborne analyse the ‘toxic culture’ in Number 10: who was really behind the briefing, and has this ‘self-destructive’ move inadvertently strengthened Streeting while fatally weakening the Prime Minister?Meanwhile, the BBC is in turmoil, with its Director General and Head of News resigning over the Donald Trump Panorama controversy. With George himself now tipped for the top job, the pair unpack the corporate governance collapse. And, can Donald Trump really win his $1 billion lawsuit against...
2025-11-131h 11Political CurrencyIs this Rachel Reeves’ last throw of the dice?Rachel Reeves has set the stage for a dramatic Budget, seemingly signaling a "massive political gamble" by preparing to raise taxes on working people. Ed Balls and George Osborne analyse her pitch-rolling: has she boxed herself in, becoming the market's "guarantor" against her own party? And can she possibly sell this to an already-squeezed public?Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch marks one year as Conservative leader - but, despite her sharp "waffle bomb" attack on the Chancellor, her poll ratings remain dire. Ed and George assess her performance: has she successfully stabilised the party's finances, or did she...
2025-11-0659 minPolitical CurrencyCan Starmer hold on as PM?Keir Starmer has weathered one of the most brutal weeks of his tenure. The Caerphilly by-election collapse, a divisive Deputy Leadership election, and the mistaken release of a high-risk prisoner have ignited leadership speculation and exposed deep party tensions. Ed Balls and George Osborne debate where it's all gone wrong, and whether Starmer can hold on.The pair then look ahead to the Budget and Rachel Reeves's fiscal black hole. Can she uphold Labour’s 'tax lock' manifesto pledge, or will she be forced to raise one of the 'big three' taxes? Ed and George analyse a...
2025-10-301h 06
Political CurrencyEMQs: Could David Miliband have defeated the Tories in 2015?What if the great 'what if' moments of recent British history had turned out differently? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the political sliding doors that could have rewritten the last three decades. They debate whether Margaret Thatcher would have won the 1992 election if she hadn't been ousted, and how her legacy would have been transformed.Ed gives a behind-the-scenes account of the Blair-Brown transition and the so-called 'Curry House Plot', considering how Labour would have handled the 2008 financial crisis with Tony Blair still in No. 10. Then, the pair explore the huge question of whether...
2025-09-0152 minPolitical CurrencyEmily Thornberry on the Corbyn era, being left out of government and Starmer’s first yearPolitical Currency’s summer specials continue! This week, while Ed Balls is away, George Osborne is joined by one of Labour's longest-serving and most compelling figures, Dame Emily Thornberry.Thornberry takes George inside the Corbyn-era shadow cabinet and explores the tantalising 'what if' of 2017: what would a Prime Minister Corbyn really have been like, and how would the British state have coped?From her unique vantage point as a senior backbencher, Thornberry offers a frank assessment of the new government's first year. She argues for more confidence and a clearer plan to tackle th...
2025-08-281h 08
Political CurrencyEMQs Political Craft Special: Speeches, diaries and the art of politicsWhat are the essential skills for a life in politics? In an age of TikTok soundbites, can a single speech in Parliament still change minds and topple a government? Ed Balls and George Osborne dive into the art of political craft, taking questions on the real-world impact of parliamentary debates, the secrets to managing a ministerial diary, and the constant balancing act between cabinet duties and constituency work.They discuss historic interventions that shaped the nation, from Edward Heath’s decisive speech on capital punishment to the Cromwellian phrase, “In the name of God, go,” which was fa...
2025-08-2543 minPolitical CurrencyWes Streeting on battling the Treasury, his plan for the NHS, and the reality of powerWhat is it really like to go from nine years in the political wilderness to running one of the most challenging departments in government? For Wes Streeting, Labour's Secretary of State for Health, it's a challenge he has been visibly relishing this past year, after a long, frustrating period fighting from the opposition benches.With Ed Balls away interrailing, Streeting joins George Osborne to give him a candid inside look at Labour's first year in power, revealing what Keir Starmer is really like as a leader, the secret orders he gives his cabinet, and his ambitious...
2025-08-211h 06
Political CurrencyEMQs Young People Special: Why won’t politicians listen to the next generation?Why do the concerns of young people barely register in political debate? Ed Balls and George Osborne take questions on the widening gap between the careers young people dream of and the jobs actually available, and why debt, unaffordable housing and the loss of defined benefit pensions leave the next generation feeling shortchanged.They discuss whether the government should take more responsibility for opening up opportunities and how early aspirations are shaped by who you know and what you see.Plus, they debate if Britain should rejoin Erasmus+, which politicians will still be...
2025-08-1840 minPolitical CurrencySarah Vine on Michael Gove, the Camerons, and why she's done with "toxic" politicsWhile George Osborne is away “stirring the pot” (this time with JD Vance),Ed Balls is joined by author and columnist Sarah Vine for a powerfully candid conversation about her explosive memoir, How Not to Be a Political Wife.Sarah gives the unfiltered story of her marriage and divorce from Michael Gove, revealing how the "toxic culture" of Westminster shattered friendships with the Camerons, took a toll on her mental health, and why she considered Dominic Cummings the true "third person" in her marriage.Plus, Ed and George pull back the curtain on one...
2025-08-141h 02
Political CurrencyEMQs Books Special: Do politicians make good writers?Why haven’t Ed Balls or George Osborne written political memoirs? Broadcaster Iain Dale puts the question to them, asking what’s stopping them, what they’d reveal if they did, and whether political history is incomplete without their accounts.And another listener digs into a moment of political tension between Ed and Tony Blair over the Euro. Did Steve Richards’s book Turning Points get it right, and what was really said in that meeting?Plus - the political fiction and non-fiction worth reading this summer, and whether George or Ed would ever dare to write...
2025-08-1140 minPolitical CurrencyKwasi Kwarteng on the Liz Truss meltdown, getting sacked and Kemi Badenoch’s futureKwasi Kwarteng reflects on what went wrong.The former Chancellor joins Ed Balls to talk through the decisions behind the Truss mini-budget - from bypassing the OBR to what he now calls its “real intellectual failing.” He explains why the Bank of England’s intervention “killed the government,” and why he believes his sacking was no coincidence.Kwarteng also looks ahead, urging the Conservative Party and Kemi Badenoch to focus on unity, and warning Rachel Reeves about the political cost of trying to rein in spending.Plus, Ed and George turn to po...
2025-08-0758 min
Political CurrencyEMQs: Was HS2 a complete waste of money?The UK’s high speed railway has been plagued with cost blowouts, delays and scale-backs - so Ed Balls and George Osborne consider: has it all just been a big waste of money? Couldn’t those funds have been put to better use? Perhaps for the NHS, for example?The pair also consider the concept of age limits on voting. We’ve got a minimum age - recently lowered by Labour to 16 years old - so why not a maximum too? A listener asks: was it fair for those over 70 to have a say in the Brexit...
2025-07-2835 minPolitical CurrencyIs Labour reaching a breaking point on Palestine?Parliament has broken up for summer, but politics shows no sign of cooling down. Ed Balls and George Osborne run through the latest from every party - the Tories’ frontbench reshuffle, Labour’s mounting tensions over Gaza, Reform’s approach to protests worries - all while the Greens and Lib Democrats make their moves. What’s really going on as MPs head off for the break?Meanwhile, the crisis in Gaza is becoming impossible to ignore across the country. With heartbreaking images and rising calls from Labour MPs to recognise Palestine, Ed and George ask how long Star...
2025-07-241h 06
The Evolution of HorrorNATURE BITES BACK! Pt 29: The Ruins (2008) & Frozen (2010)This week Mike is joined by Maha Albadrawi for a backpacking trip to the 2000s survival horrors, with THE RUINS (2008) and FROZEN (2010). Hosted, Produced and Edited by Mike Muncer Music by Jack Whitney. Artwork by Mike Lee-Graham Big thank you to Mary Wild for this week's 'Wild About Horror' segment! Sign up to Mary's Patreon! Visit our website www.evolutionofhorror.com Buy tickets for our UPCOMING SCREENINGS & EVENTS Buy yourself some brand new EOH MERCH! Subscribe and donate on PATREON for bonus monthly...
2025-01-031h 38
The Final Girls: A Horror Film PodcastSERIAL KILLERS 5 • Eyes Without a Face (1960) + The Collector (1965)Editor Maha Albadrawi joins to discuss two films about obsessive men who lock young women in their basements... for love. Discover what films we're covering next on our Letterboxd.Produced and presented by Anna Bogutskaya. ***Artwork: Ewa Ferdynus. Music: "Erebus" by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio.***The Final Girls is a weekly podcast exploring the history of horror film.→ Find out more about our projects here: thefinalgirls.co.uk→ Listen to our weekly horror film podcast.→ Follow us on Twitte...
2024-03-291h 01The Final Girls: A Horror Film PodcastHAGS 05 • Lady in a Cage (1964), The Night Walker (1964), Fanatic (1965), and peak hagIn this episode we the peak hag era, discussing the films Strait-Jacket (1964), The Night Walker (1964), Lady in a Cage (1964) and Fanatic (1965), with contributions from podcater and writers Maha Albadrawi and Mary Wild. Produced and presented by Anna Bogutskaya. ***Music: "Bloodlust" by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio and @lofigeek***The Final Girls are a UK-based film collective exploring the intersections of horror film and feminism, founded by Anna Bogutskaya and Olivia Howe.→ Find out more about our projects here: thefinalgirls.co.uk→ Listen to our weekly...
2023-12-1644 minThe Evolution of HorrorHOME INVASION Pt 17: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) & Single White Female (1992)It's another double bill of unhinged women invading the home! Mike is joined by Maha Albadrawi to discuss two gems from 1992...THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE and SINGLE WHITE FEMALE. Music by Jack Whitney. Big thank you to Mary Wild for this week's 'Wild About Horror' segment! Sign up to Mary's Patreon! Follow Mary on Twitter to find out more about her upcoming courses and follow her podcast, PROJECTIONS PODCAST. Visit our website www.evolutionofhorror.com Keep an eye on all our UPCOMING EVENTS Buy tickets for our...
2023-07-281h 47The Evolution of HorrorVAMPIRES: Pt 23 - Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) & A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)This week we glide smoothly and stylishly into the 2010s as Mike is joined by Michael Leader to discuss Jim Jarmusch's briliant Only Lovers Left Alive and then brand new guest Maha Albadrawi joins Mike to discuss A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night. Music by Jack Whitney. Big thank you to Mary Wild for this week's 'Wild About Horror' segment! Sign up to Mary's Patreon! Follow Mary on Twitter to find out more about her upcoming courses and follow her podcast, PROJECTIONS PODCAST. Visit our website www.evolutionofhorror.com Keep...
2022-11-252h 02