Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast How To Win An Election

Andy Burnham has outlined his vision for the country, and in the process written a good chunk of Labour's next manifesto.

But could his ambitious promises cost more than the UK economy can bear? Danny argues the country can't afford his old Labour instincts, and Hugo says the party is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand. Sally thinks he's being mean.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

Video Editor: Kim McCarthy

Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander

Picture: Getty Images

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We're at Labour conference, where Andy Burnham is enjoying North Korean-style levels of support from party members. But how long will it last? John Healey has warned there isn't any money left, and is softening the party up for welfare cuts.

The political masterminds also discuss Burnham's conference speech - should he be writing it himself, does he still need to introduce himself, and how can you tell if AI has crept into political oratory?

Send your questions, comments and emails to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

Video Producers: Harry Kitson & Kim McCarthy

Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander

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The polling company YouGov has released its latest MRP survey, and in a dramatic reversal of last year's findings it now projects a hung parliament, with Labour on top and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK squeezed by the rise of Restore Britain.

But is it too soon for Labour and the Tories to break out the champagne, especially given the difficulty of putting together a coalition that could command a majority in the Commons?

With Danny away, Sally, Polly and Hugo are joined by Guto Harri, who worked for Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London and was his Director of Communications in Downing Street.

We also talk about attempts to freeze out the mainstream media, from Boris Johnson through to Donald Trump launching Trump TV, and enjoy this remarkable early YouTube appearance by Tony Blair.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

Video Editor: Kim McCarthy

Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander

Picture: Getty Images

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Does big money win elections?

As Reform UK receives record sums from billionaire donors, we look at what it will take to translate the cash into votes.

The team recalls the fall-out from the Bernie Ecclestone affair and the cash-for-honours scandal during the Blair years, and both Danny and Sally say they've been approached by people asking for a peerage.

Plus: After the 'Gail's' strategy, what do the Liberal Democrats need to do to get out of the electoral doldrums?

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

Video editor: Kim McCarthy

Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander

Picture: Getty Images

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Donald Trump faces accusations of bribery after promising every adult $5,000 if they vote Republican - but Danny says he advised Rishi Sunak to present tax cuts to the British public in the same way.

The political masterminds also consider whether Andy Burnham made a mistake in saying national security can't come at the expense of social security, whether the British government's sanctions on Israeli settlements are born from principle or political calculation, and at what point the voters notice sleaze.

The book Danny refers to is The Rise of Reform by Nick Tyrone. It's available to order at the Times Bookshop where Times Plus members can get a 20% discount.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander

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There's a by-election on the way, thanks to Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski wants to stand - just how big a risk is he taking, and could he fall flat on his face? The team have been looking into the likely scenarios.

We also talk about Andy Burnham's ongoing efforts to do politics differently, and we try to give Reform advice on how to get back on track after a tricky summer. But does Nigel Farage really want to campaign all the way to the next election?

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Nigel Farage has seen off along list of novelty candidates to increase his majority in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader says it's a resounding victory, but over whom? And if it was, why wasn't he been out trumpeting the result?

The political masterminds (well, most of them) return from their summer break to explain what the outcome means for the general election, and whether the 'Burnham Bounce' has actually been a bit flat.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk. The podcast will be back on September 3.

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Andy Burnham’s first week in Downing Street has been full of promises - but can he keep everyone happy and still balance the books?

Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny look at the prime minister’s first week in power, from his plans for public services and tax cuts, to the questions over how he will pay for them. 

They also discuss John Healey’s appointment as Chancellor, the fallout from the purge of Starmer allies, and whether Burnham’s approach risks trying to please everyone.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Andy Burnham will soon be making his first speech from Downing Street as prime minister - how will he introduce himself to the nation?

The team discuss striking the right balance between optimism and acknowledging the scale of the challenge, and look back at their role in preparing speeches for Tony Blair, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. And, does the choice of lectern actually matter?

We also answer a question from a listener who asks whether Nigel Farage could lose the Clacton by-election.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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This week the political masterminds are answering more of your questions.

Does Andy Burnham risk becoming all things to all people, and will that inevitably result in disappointment? What jobs would Sally, Polly and Danny have in No 10 North?

Have former military figures seized the agenda over defence spending, and is Labour worrying enough about a possible Tory revival?

Send your voicenotes, questions and comments to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

And you can watch the podcast on YouTube here

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Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as an MP, saying he will fight a 'people versus the establishment' by-election in Clacton.

Is it a high risk stunt by the Reform UK leader? When have by-elections backfired in the past, and will it make questions about his finances, and his future, go away?

Hugo, Sally, Polly and Danny analyse Farage's gamble.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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What have we learned so far about Andy Burnham's plan for government? Danny has been reading his book, Head North, and thinks he's proposing a clear left turn when it comes to the economy and public services.

Does Burnham's vision of a more devolved United Kingdom add up to an electoral strategy, or is that actually coming from Morgan McSweeney's playbook?

Plus: We're joined by comedian and host of the How To Win The World Cup podcast Matt Forde to discuss whether success on the football pitch can give a boost at the ballot box.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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The team bring their years of experience inside Downing Street to the question of how Andy Burnham will construct his cabinet, and who he could pick as chancellor.

After the return of James Purnell as chief of staff, is there a risk of having too many veterans of the Blair and Brown years back in power?

And - Polly sets out her vision for replacing Chequers with a Mar-a-Lago-style resort in Blackpool.

Send your questions, voicenotes and views on Polly's policy to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Sally and Danny join Hugo for this extra episode to examine the Keir Starmer legacy - if there is one - and ask whether Andy Burnham could be a more consequential leader than the consensus gives him credit for.

And, how will Reform UK attack Burnham - can they make the label 'Captain Flip-flop' stick?

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Andy Burnham has won, and won big in the Makerfield by-election - what happens next in Downing Street and the Labour Party, and what does it all mean for the next general election?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss Keir Starmer's insistence he won't walk away from No 10, the reaction of the cabinet, who will get the top jobs in a Burnham government, and whether Reform UK will need to change strategy.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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We're only a week away from the Makerfield by-election, when voters could choose the next prime minister.

If Andy Burnham wins, what happens in the hours and days after he arrives in Westminster? Will he seize the moment and try to challenge Keir Starmer immediately, or wait until he has a plan for running the country?

And if he wins, what does it mean for Reform UK's electoral strategy?

We also look at Steve Hilton's journey from David Cameron's modernising adviser to the race to be the next governor of California.

Send you messages, voicenotes and questions to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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How is Andy Burnham defining his vision for the country as he tries to win the Makerfield by-election?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss whether the (possible) next prime minister can really wind back the clock back 40 years, whether Nigel Farage has taken a risk in his response to the murder of Henry Nowak, and whether Kemi Badenoch can define Labour as the party of welfare.

Send your messages, voicenotes, praise and criticism to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

A full list of the candidates in the Makerfield by-election is available here.

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Former cabinet minister, former deputy prime minister, big beast of the Tory jungle - Lord Heseltine joins us for our series looking at how the most significant elections of our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost.

He takes us back to the 1983 general election. Margaret Thatcher was fresh from victory in the Falklands, Labour offered voters the 'longest suicide vote in history', and the polls suggested the SDP-Liberal Alliance could break the old two-party system.

If you enjoyed this episode, listen to more in the series:

Nick Clegg and 2010

William Hague and 2005

Neil Kinnock and 1992

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The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform wins, then it will clear Nigel Farage's path to power and plunge the government into (further) chaos.

Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) weigh up who is the underdog, whether Wes Streeting will run against Burnham, and whether a victorious Burnham could even think about going to the country.

Also, Danny explains why the best parallel for this contest is probably William Gladstone in 1876.

Send you questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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The struggle for the future of the Labour Party, and the country, has begun, even as Keir Starmer tries to hang on.

The political masterminds look at the potential pitfalls for Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham - and discuss whether Labour should give up on its working class roots and try instead to unite liberal Britain.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Sally Morgan, Polly Mackenzie, Danny Finkelstein (and Hugo) explain what's behind a chaotic day at Westminster - where Keir Starmer vows to carry on, despite a growing number of MPs and ministers calling for him to go.

Why didn't the cabinet speak out, is government continuing to function, and does Wes Streeting need to move within 24 hours or miss out on the leadership?

Send you questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Labour has taken a hammering at elections in England, Scotland and Wales, with Nigel Farage calling it an ‘historic shift in British politics’ - does this add up to the end of the two-party system, and does it add up to the end of Keir Starmer?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo explain why things went so badly for the party, how Starmer will respond, and whether the Reform UK leader is going to be the next prime minister.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Ahead of the local elections in England and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, the political masterminds ask: just how bad can it get for the Labour Party?

If predictions of huge losses come to pass, how will the cabinet, MPs and councillors react, and can Downing Street come up with a plan to circle the wagons around Keir Starmer?

We also discuss what impact the terror attacks in Golders Green, north London, will have on political campaigning.

Send your questions, comments, and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.

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As regular listeners know, Danny likes to say there is a market failure in political coups - but does Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson vetting crisis mean we're entering a period of maximum danger for the PM?

How will Labour MPs react if their party does as badly in May as the polls predict, and what do they think about Starmer's potential replacements?

Sally, Danny and Hugo are joined by pollster Luke Tryl to discuss focus groups - how much the parties rely on them, and how Phillip Gould used them to help Tony Blair change the Labour Party.

Send your messages, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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In the wake of Viktor Orbán's election defeat in Hungary, can we draw conclusions about the limits of populism - and the chances of a recovery by the centre here in the UK?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo also discuss how government prepares for disaster - from foot-and-mouth disease to fuel protests to looming shortages caused by the war in Iran.

And, Polly has a plan to rescue sad, empty historic buildings on our high streets.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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The prime minister is trying to appeal to voters ahead of May's elections by talking about conflict overseas - can branding him as a global statesman rescue his premiership, in the same way Gordon Brown tried to survive after the financial crash?

With Danny away, we turn to the next generation - Simon Finkelstein, former adviser to Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab (and Danny's nephew) joins Sally, Polly and Hugo.

We also discuss whether MPs know enough about the real world - would we be better off with a House Of Commons full of Ed Milibands or Angela Rayners?

And, we answer a listener who worries we're too flippant about the remarkable rise of Zack Polanski's Green Party.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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There's an arms race under way as the parties make competing offers to help with the rising cost of living. Is anyone cutting through to the voters?

And as Keir Starmer's rivals consider whether to move against him after May's elections, Danny argues that the looming economic crisis makes it a bad time for them to act.

We also find out why Sally introduced 'garish posters and loud music' to Downing Street, and Polly holds forth about barbecues.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo discuss the conspiracies swirling around the theft of Morgan McSweeney's mobile phone. How did government work in the pre-smartphone era, when Tony Blair refused to use one?

They also explore how political language is evolving (and whether it’s becoming dangerously loose), and imagine what’s more likely - a Lab-Lib coalition or a Tory-Reform alliance.

Plus, the team settle a debate you didn't even know existed - chilled vs super-chilled.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Angela Rayner has fired the opening shot in the leadership race to succeed Keir Starmer, warning that Labour is 'running out of time'.

We discuss the art of being on manoeuvres without being caught doing it - from Michael Portillo installing the phone lines, to Rishi Sunak's team secretly registering 'readyforrishi.com'.

And, will any of the potential candidates - including Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham or even John Healey - actually be ready to go if the party suffers a heavy defeat in the local elections in May?

We also give (unsolicited) reading suggestions for Keir Starmer:

Sally: The Choice Before the Labour Party, RH Tawney

Polly: The Man Who Planted Trees, Jean Giono

Danny: Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer, Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund

Hugo: Guards! Guards! Terry Pratchett

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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In this special crossover episode with our colleagues at the Times podcast The State Of It, Hugo is joined by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund to discuss the new edition of their book Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer.

Morgan McSweeney was the man credited with rescuing Labour from electoral oblivion and propelling Keir Starmer to power. How did it all go so wrong, and how did Keir Starmer end up running a 'passive premiership'?

The paperback edition is available to order at the Times Bookshop where Times Plus members can get a 20% discount.

Artwork: Russel Herneman for the Sunday Times

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Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo look at what the Mandelson files say about decision making in Keir Starmer's Downing Street. Is there a comparison with Boris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal, which led to Johnson's resignation as prime minister?

With Starmer's cost of living agenda in trouble, we ask if lessons can be learned from Edward Heath and the 1973 oil crisis, and from Tony Blair taking on the tanker drivers in the 2000 fuel protests.

The team give their ideas for rewiring the nation, including moving Parliament to York and swapping the older person's bus pass for electric bikes.

Send your questions, comments and feedback to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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We're looking at the implications of the American-Israeli attacks on Iran for British politics - has the prime minister been constrained by a near-religious belief in international law, by cabinet divisions, or by party politics?

We also discuss whether the Green Party's bounce in the polls can be sustained, and whether Labour's new migration policy shows the party has made a decisive strategic choice.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.

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The Green Party crushes Labour at the Gorton and Denton by-election, knocking Keir Starmer's party into third place in one of their safest seats.

The political masterminds discuss whether the prime minister can find a new strategy to survive, whether the Green Party can replicate the victory across the country, and what the fracturing of the traditional two-party system means for the next General Election.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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As we assembled the How To Win An Election team to talk about Robert Jenrick, Rupert Lowe and Danny's quest for the point of Ed Davey, news broke that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies wrongdoing.

Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) look at how the news would have been received in Downing Street, and whether republicanism has a future in British politics.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Keir Starmer has seen off the threat to his leadership - for now. What happens inside Downing Street when things get really, really bad for a prime minister?

We also discuss whether the Labour Party will swing to the left with Morgan McSweeney's departure, and Zack Polanski's singing at Liberal Democrat conference.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff. With Number 10 in survival mode, can the prime minister find a new strategy, and how long will potential leadership challengers wait?

Hugo, Danny and Polly respond to the emergency podcast bell and react to the news.

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The Mandelson-Epstein scandal has left Keir Starmer's authority over his party, perhaps his future as prime minister, dangling by a thread.

In this week's episode we discuss the huge impact of the downfall of Peter Mandelson - who says he has not acted criminally in any way or acted for financial gain - and we also have a frank discussion about his time on the How To Win An Election team, his political talents and his weaknesses.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Danny argues that if Labour wants to ditch Keir Starmer and pick a new leader, his replacement should immediately go to the polls. Have we switched to a presidential system without realising it, and would the party ever actually risk letting Reform into Downing Street?

The team also discuss whether No 10's handling of Andy Burnham has parallels with Tony Blair's opposition to Ken Livingstone becoming mayor of London, and Danny's ongoing beef with Reform's Danny Kruger.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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This week we're discussing the shape of the right of British politics - are we witnessing a landmark moment in the journey of Reform UK, and is Kemi Badenoch worried the Conservative Party is now seen as less right wing?

The political masterminds also consider whether anyone is making political capital from Donald Trump's diplomatic chaos, and whether Ed Davey is offering his MPs thin gruel.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Kemi Badenoch has sacked Robert Jenrick, saying he was plotting to defect to Reform UK. Hugo and Danny discuss the return of the Tory psychodrama, and what it means for the future of the right in British politics.

Also in this week's episode: Sally, Polly and Danny talk about Lynton Crosby's famous commandment to 'scrape the barnacles off the boat', the death of the party political broadcast, and make some strangely prescient comments about Robert Jenrick's social media.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Can Keir Starmer learn from Donald Trump and get some swagger? Hugo, Polly and Danny are joined by former Labour strategist Peter Hyman to discuss

whether the government can stop looking anxious, and whether the prime minister is right to keep talking about the next election as a straight fight with Reform UK.

We also look at whether Nigel Farage is right to say he'd return PMQs to twice-weekly, and has Polly always been known as Policy Mackenzie?

Send your questions, voicenotes and comments to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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What are the chances that the elections in May 2026 in Scotland, Wales and England will lead to a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer?

That's one of the questions answered by the political masterminds in our Christmas episode. We also find out about their favourite political memorabilia, why the parties import advisers from America and Australia, and whether we've been stuck in a political timewarp since 2019.

Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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We're joined by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg for the latest in our series looking at how the most significant elections in our lifetimes were won, and how they were lost.

He takes us inside the 2010 Liberal Democrat campaign - from the first TV leaders' debate in British history, to Cleggmania and 'bigotgate' - ending in the first hung parliament since the 1970s and the frenzied days of negotiation that led to the coalition government.

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.

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The prime minister has been increasingly critical of Brexit this week, and says he wants a closer relationship with the EU - without rejoining key parts of the club.

But will Labour inevitably have to go further, and if they do will they be falling into a Reform UK trap?

We also discuss the role of the Downing Street 'maverick genius' - and what that's got to do with My Little Pony.

Send your questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Was the Budget aimed at short-term political survival, or did it form part of a coherent electoral strategy?

Sally, Polly, Danny (and Hugo) discuss Rachel Reeves' statement - does it make it more likely that she and the prime minister will stay in their jobs, but more likely to lose the next election? What could she have learned from Gordon Brown's budgets? And does Kemi Badenoch's success in the Commons chamber mean anything in the world outside?

Send your questions, comment, voicenotes and weird food suggestions for Polly to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Can Keir Starmer persuade his backbenchers to back his tough new migration reforms - and stop them openly plotting his downfall?

We discuss how prime ministers have tried to keep their MPs on side, Alex Ferguson's advice for Tony Blair, and whether Andy Burnham could be heading back to Westminster (via Norfolk).

Send your comments, questions and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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Keir Starmer has vowed to fight any plot to oust him - but has Downing Street's briefing operation against the plotters actually made his downfall more likely?

Sally, Pollly, Danny and Hugo discuss the prime minister's survival, and look at past plots that have succeeded - and those that haven't. From the curry house conspiracy against Tony Blair to doomed attempts to bring down David Cameron and Nick Clegg, how do they compare with the civil war in the Labour Party?

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Danny says if Rachel Reeves raises income tax she will have to resign - and will make all political promises in the future worthless. Do the other political masterminds (and Hugo) agree?

We also discuss why Zack Polanski didn't like our discussion about the Green Party, whether British politicians are learning the wrong lessons from Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York, and Polly tries Marmite for the first time, ever.

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We're joined by William Hague for the latest in our series looking at how the biggest elections in recent political history were won - and how they were lost.

We go inside the Tory campaign, in which Hague's Conservative Party tried to convince the nation it was time for a common sense revolution - and ended up resembling the protester punched in the head by John Prescott.

From foot and mouth to Sharon Storer, from Thatcher announcing 'The mummy returns' to Oliver Letwin going into hiding, the team get under the skin of the campaign and ask why it couldn't make a dent in Tony Blair's popularity.

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Rachel Reeves is thinking about increasing taxes - perhaps even breaking Labour's manifesto commitment not to raise income tax.

The political masterminds discuss what that would mean for the government's electoral fortunes, and whether they could end up like George HW Bush - who famously said 'Read my lips: no new taxes', only to do exactly that.

We also look at the pressure on Labour from Zack Polanski's Green Party, whether the government 'grid' of daily announcements has had its day, and which prime minister played the most musical instruments?

Send your questions, comments and views on marmite to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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