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Episode details

Radio 4,20 Apr 2024,28 mins

Available for over a year

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.

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