With the country gripped by speculation over Keir Starmer’s future, Lee and Richard look back on the way recent prime ministers have fallen and how the next prime minister may be chosen. Lee begins by considering what stands out from the downfall of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss - focusing particularly on the difference between losing the authority to govern and then subsequently losing the status of prime minister. Next, Richard exposes some of the ambiguities in the Labour rulebook and urges people to think through how, if Starmer is felled, the next Labour leader will be decided.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard and Lee kick off a new miniseries on the strikes that shaped the 20th century by looking back one hundred years to the first, and so far only, General Strike in British history. When a slump in the profitability of coal met with the demands of the mineworkers, few could see a peaceful way out. At first, the government provided the money to bridge the gap between what coal paid and what the miners needed. But in April 1926, the subsidy ran out and the scene was set for a showdown involving Stanley Baldwin’s government, the mine owners, the miners, and the trade unions. This episode takes us up to the outbreak of the strike and the government’s efforts to make sure it wouldn’t cripple the country. Episode two will be released on Tuesday.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mid-week episode, Lee starts by considering one of the possible comparisons for Labour’s performance in this week’s local elections: 1995, the nadir of John Major’s leadership of the Tory Party. Will Keir Starmer’s party do better, or worse, and what will it mean for his leadership? Lee then offers a tentative prediction on who may end up being the biggest party in English local government once all the votes have been counted. Next, Richard responds to a question he was asked about the raising of flags on lampposts and other public infrastructure - and reflects, as a person of the Left, on the principle and the practice of doing so.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As millions of voters across the United Kingdom head to the polls this week, Lee and Richard discuss one of the worst local election results ever for a government. In 1968, Labour suffered a near wipe-out in large parts of London and was almost wholly rejected by voters in many English and Scottish cities. Why was Harold Wilson and his party so unpopular? What were the consequences for Wilson's leadership? And what are the parallels for Keir Starmer today? These questions, and others, are discussed in this episode.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

‘Stanley Baldwin’ by G. M. Young.

'The Cancelled Prime Minister: The Extraordinary Rise and Tragic Fall of Ramsay MacDonald' by Walter Reid. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781805265306

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the rumours that the government is considering introducing rent controls, Richard reflects on the way in which private rents were controlled and regulated for much of the twentieth century in Britain. What was the impact then? And ought similar to be considered today - or are there better alternatives? Next, Lee takes us back to June 1974 when a young Prince of Wales (now Charles III) addressed the House of Lords for the very first time. What did he say, by what right, and what was he trying to achieve?

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marked 100 years since the birth of Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. In this episode, Lee and Richard ask how political she was during her record-breaking reign. Lee argues that there are seven legitimate ways in which a monarch can do or say political things, and Richard and Lee then explore - and debate - the times they happened and the consequences of them in a democratic country.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'Viceregalism: The Crown as Head of State in Political Crises in the Postwar Commonwealth' edited by H. Kumarasingham. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9783030462857

'The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy' by Ben Pimlott. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780007476626

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee kicks off this midweek edition of 'Since Attlee & Churchill' by unpacking one of the emerging divides on the British right: is the country broken? Reform seems to think so, and the Conservatives not. But what does it mean to label a country as broken? And what would the policy consequences of such a condition be? Next, Richard argues that there is nothing wrong with Prime Ministers making political appointments, as Keir Starmer did when he made Peter Mandelson ambassador. But when they do so, they must be willing to be held accountable and defend themselves in political terms - not try to hide their judgement behind bureaucratic processes.

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2010, Britain had its first ever Prime Ministerial debates, with Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg going head-to-head in front of the TV cameras. The idea had first been mooted as early as 1964, when Harold Wilson challenged Alec Douglas-Home to an on-air joust. So why did it take so long for them to happen? What advantages and disadvantages did the debates bring in the 2010 election - and since? And do they actually serve a useful purpose in British politics? Lee and Richard discuss in this latest episode of 'Since Attlee & Churchill.'

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'Scoop' by Evelyn Waugh. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780141184029

'America's Unwritten Constitution: The Precedents and Principles We Live By' by Akhil Reed Amar. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780465033096

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

***

Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.