Politically Podcast
NEW in Politically: Reflections
Conversations with leading political figures in which they reflect on their lives in politics.
Episodes to download
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Steve Baker—Reflections: Series 3
Thu 31 Jul 2025
4/4The adventures of an arch Brexiteer: James Naughtie talks to former MP Steve Baker.
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Malcolm Rifkind—Reflections: Series 3
Thu 24 Jul 2025
3/4Former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind reflects on a life in politics.
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Diane Abbott—Reflections: Series 3
Thu 17 Jul 2025
2/4Labour MP Diane Abbott reflects on a life in politics in conversation with James Naughtie.
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John Kerry—Reflections: Series 3
Thu 10 Jul 2025
1/4James Naughtie talks to veteran US politician John Kerry about his life and career.
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20. What if?—Postwar
Fri 4 Jul 2025
20/20What would Britain have been like if Winston Churchill had won the 1945 general election?
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18. Churchill: Lion in Winter—Postwar
Wed 2 Jul 2025
18/20What happened to Winston Churchill in the years after the 1945 general election?
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17. A New Jerusalem?—Postwar
Tue 1 Jul 2025
17/20How much of Britain’s past were Labour willing to jettison in 1945?
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16. The Result—Postwar
Mon 30 Jun 2025
16/20The immediate result of the general election in 1945 was silence: a three-week hiatus.
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15. Debt to America—Postwar
Fri 27 Jun 2025
15/20In 1945, Britain was the most indebted country in the world.
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14. United Nations—Postwar
Thu 26 Jun 2025
14/20Both main parties supported the United Nations, but they disagreed about what that meant.
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13. From Yalta to Potsdam—Postwar
Wed 25 Jun 2025
13/20Between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, everything changed.
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12. Art, War and Propaganda—Postwar
Tue 24 Jun 2025
12/20With the creation of the Arts Council in 1945, on-going state patronage of the arts began.
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11. Homes for Heroes—Postwar
Mon 23 Jun 2025
11/20The 1945 election was fought and decided over two main issues: demobilisation and housing.
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10. India and Empire—Postwar
Fri 20 Jun 2025
10/20The question of self-government for India would have to be confronted when war was over.
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9. Churchill's 'Gestapo' Broadcast—Postwar
Thu 19 Jun 2025
9/20Churchill's first election broadcast in 1945 might be remembered as his greatest gaffe.
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8. Healthcare for All—Postwar
Wed 18 Jun 2025
8/20The war changed many things, and access to healthcare was one of them.
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7. The Labour Manifesto—Postwar
Tue 17 Jun 2025
7/20Uniquely in modern British history, the 1945 Labour Manifesto was a genuine bestseller.
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6. Appealing to Women—Postwar
Mon 16 Jun 2025
6/20How did the 1945 election reflect the dramatically changed working lives of women?
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5. The Soldiers' Election—Postwar
Fri 13 Jun 2025
5/20During the 1945 election, there were still almost five million servicemen and women.
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4. Public Opinion—Postwar
Thu 12 Jun 2025
4/20How could politicians know what voters were thinking in 1945?
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3. The Beveridge Report—Postwar
Wed 11 Jun 2025
3/20William Beveridge's plan was an answer to the question of what we were fighting for.
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2. Mr Churchill and Mr Attlee—Postwar
Tue 10 Jun 2025
2/20With the war in Europe at an end, Churchill and Attlee became fierce election rivals.
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1. The Rejection—Postwar
Mon 9 Jun 2025
1/20Why did Winston Churchill find himself so decisively rejected by the electorate?
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Trailer—Postwar
Wed 4 Jun 2025
1/20David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age.
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Humza Yousaf—Surviving Politics with Michael Gove
Fri 25 Oct 2024
5/5Michael talks to Humza Yousaf about working out who you can trust and managing allies.
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Arlene Foster—Surviving Politics with Michael Gove
Thu 24 Oct 2024
4/5Michael Gove talks to Arlene Foster about the challenge of managing schisms in her party.
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Amber Rudd—Surviving Politics with Michael Gove
Wed 23 Oct 2024
3/5Michael Gove talks to Amber Rudd about how and why she chose to take stands of principle.
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Peter Mandelson—Surviving Politics with Michael Gove
Tue 22 Oct 2024
2/5Michael Gove talks to Peter Mandelson about the challenge of managing unpopularity.
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Margaret Hodge—Surviving Politics with Michael Gove
Mon 21 Oct 2024
1/5Michael Gove talks to Margaret Hodge about the importance of working with other parties.
