In this week’s Q&A: as Wes Streeting finally breaks cover, which former prime minister would you parachute into No. 10 to save the country? Michael makes the case for Palmerstonian vigour, while Maddie weighs up Lord Salisbury and Pitt the Younger – and asks whether almost any past occupant of Downing Street would be preferable to the current one.

Also this week: is Britain being dragged back towards the EU? After Nick Clegg suggested Britain should rejoin a reformed European Union by 2036, Michael and Maddie ask whether the Brexit question is really settled – and whether Keir Starmer is trying to realign with Brussels by stealth.

Plus: Jilly Cooper and the brilliance of Tory-coded fiction.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: Keir Starmer’s leadership is in crisis. As pressure builds on the Prime Minister, Michael and Madeline ask whether Starmer can survive the rebellion now gathering pace in his own party.

They discuss the runners and riders who could replace him, from Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner to Andy Burnham – and the risks each would pose for Labour. Could Burnham find a safe seat? Would Streeting trigger open warfare with the left? And would a change of leader mean anything beyond a change of name?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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In this week’s Q&A: how do you mount a Labour leadership coup? As the results of the local elections roll in and speculation builds about Starmer’s future, Michael and Maddie discuss the mechanics of leadership bids, the dangers facing Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, and why the best advice for Labour’s next leader may be: don’t.

Also this week: has Britain really had enough of experts? Michael revisits his famous Brexit-era line, and whether he stands by it. Is there a difference between expertise, wisdom and technocracy – and does Parliament need debate more than deference?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: antisemitism in Britain, the government’s response – and where Reform may have gone too far.

After the attack in Golders Green, Michael and Madeline ask whether antisemitism has become a daily reality for Britain’s Jewish community – and whether ministers are willing to confront the Islamist extremism, hard-left apologism and far-right hatred that are feeding it.

They also look ahead to the local elections and ask what a bad night for Labour would mean for Starmer’s leadership. Could losses to the Greens in Labour’s urban heartlands push the party further left? And if MPs do move against Starmer, would any of the likely alternatives be an improvement?

Plus: Reform’s controversial proposal to put migrant detention centres in Green-voting areas. Is this clever political trolling – or have Reform crossed a line?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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Katie Lam is one of the brightest lights of the Conservative party. Frequently tipped as a future leader, her interventions in the House on immigration and the grooming gangs scandal have won her a large following on social media – and, inevitably, led to constant links with a defection to Reform.

On Quite right!, Katie sets out why she is a Conservative and why the Tory party is still the best vehicle for change. She gives her reaction to the defection of Rob Jenrick – who she backed as Tory leader in 2024 – and explains why they are not speaking any more. They also discuss the grooming gangs and why Westminster flinched from tackling this scandal, before considering immigration and the million-pound question of how many will actually have to leave. Finally, she addresses the defection rumours and tells Michael and Maddie why, despite having her respect, Nigel Farage is not fit to be Prime Minister.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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In this week’s Q&A: what should make you proud to be English? With St George’s Day prompting reflection, Michael and Maddie discuss the traditions, institutions and cultural inheritance that define England – from pubs and parishes to Shakespeare and the common law – and ask why celebrating them has become so contested.

Also this week: was Queen Elizabeth II our greatest ever monarch? As Britain reflects on her legacy, they each make the case for their favourite monarchs.

And finally: the row between J.K. Rowling and Alastair Campbell. Michael and Maddie assess whether the reaction to Rowling has proved her point – and what the debate reveals about the tone, tactics and tensions at the heart of Britain’s culture wars.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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This week: the Mandelson row deepens – and a bigger question about Keir Starmer’s judgment and authority.

After a bruising appearance from Olly Robbins at the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael and Madeline ask whether the Prime Minister’s defence still holds and assess the weaknesses this whole debacle has exposed in Keir Starmer. For example, why did he want Mandelson to be US Ambassador in the first place, given the numerous red flags and the fact that – as Michael suggests – he doesn’t particularly like Mandelson or his style of operating?

They also discuss whether this will end up being a resigning issue – and, if Starmer does go, what comes next? With potential successors circling and the local elections looming, would removing him would solve the problem or make it worse?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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In this week’s Q&A: are the local elections about to deliver a political shock? With Labour facing pressure from Reform, the Greens and resurgent local challengers, Michael and Maddie assess whether the party is heading for heavy losses – and what it would mean if even its traditional heartlands start to slip away.

Also this week: can journalists trust artificial intelligence? After a high-profile case of AI use in the media, they debate where the line should be drawn – and whether relying on it risks hollowing out real expertise and judgment.

And finally: has ‘twee’ taken over? From Paddington to ‘be kind’, they ask whether a softer, more infantilised tone is crowding out serious debate – and what that says about modern Britain.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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