Connect with us

Published

on

As the next general election draws closer, three political powerhouses are uniting to unravel the spin in a new weekly podcast from Sky News.

Launching on 1 March, Electoral Dysfunction will bring together our Political Editor Beth Rigby, Labour MP Jess Phillips and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson to analyse the week in Westminster and beyond.

Click to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts

The trio will look at our political leaders and their policies – how they’re written and how they’re sold to voters – to explain what’s really going on.

They will also look further afield, as more than half of the world’s population goes to the polls in dozens of countries this year.

With so much at stake, the trio will work out which politicians will come out on top and who is suffering from Electoral Dysfunction.

Beth Rigby said: “This is a huge political year as we gear up for what could be the most seismic UK election in a generation. But voters aren’t feeling it, with people across the country telling me politics isn’t working.

“Each week, across different issues, I’ll be asking why – and looking for solutions through frank conversations with two of the most compelling, engaging and honest women who have worked in politics.”

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley and a former shadow minister, said: “I spend a lot of the time on the doorstep and what I get back is that trust in politics is at an all-time low – they don’t believe we’ll deliver what we say, and I don’t blame them.

“We want to unpick that by taking listeners behind the curtain to talk about the disconnect and bring listeners’ lives back into this, talking about the things that actually matter to them.”

Ruth Davidson, who led the Scottish Conservatives between 2011 and 2019 and is now a peer, said: “People hate it when politicians treat them like idiots – parroting a party line that nobody really believes.

“We promise never to do that. Jess and I may often disagree, but we won’t do it simply for disagreement’s sake – and we’re just as likely to take our own side to task.

“This whole podcast is about showing what goes on behind the scenes, explaining how decisions get made and – hopefully – discussing how to make our politics better. It’s a three-woman campaign for less BS in SW1.”

David Rhodes, Sky News Executive Chairman, said: “There’s no shortage of voices in Westminster today – but there is an acute shortage of voices like Ruth Davidson and Jess Phillips. Beth Rigby, Ruth and Jess will offer a lively, challenging and influential look at our politics today.”

Electoral Dysfunction launches on 1 March, with episodes available every Friday on all podcast platforms.

Follow the podcast series on Sky News, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite platform.

Listeners can submit questions to electoraldysfunction@sky.uk

Continue Reading

Politics

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

Published

on

By

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

The Tornado Cash co-founder is scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but his defense attorneys are still waiting on rulings for motions over witnesses in the case.

Continue Reading

Politics

Migrants deal a win for Starmer – and could help with fight against Reform

Published

on

By

Migrants deal a win for Starmer - and could help with fight against Reform

The bromance between Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron is so apparent – embraces all around.

This is some deft diplomacy from Sir Keir, who has been love-bombing his French counterpart ever since he became prime minister – trying to get closer ties, be it on security, on trade, and now of course on small boats.

And he has got a win today – he’s got President Macron to agree a deterrent deal.

Politics latest: Macron stokes undiplomatic Brexit row

You remember the Conservatives were trying the Rwanda plan to deter people from coming by sending them back to Rwanda, a third country, if they came here illegally.

What the prime minister has agreed with President Macron today is a big deal. It’s a one in, one out deal.

What they’re going to do is, if someone arrives here illegally, they will be sent back to France, and in return, the UK will accept a legitimate asylum seeker. It might be someone who has family ties.

More on Migrant Crisis

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

How people smugglers dodge French police

It’s going to start off really small – think of it as a pilot – as they’re going to test it out, see if it works.

It might be just a handful of people being sent back, maybe just under a thousand or so by the end of the year. But they will hopefully, for the prime minister, scale it up and it could become a real deterrent.

Read more from Sky News:
Ex-Tory chairman defects to Reform

Farage hits back at Macron over Brexit row

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Farage reacts to UK-France migrant deal

I’ll leave you with just one more thought: As Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron were doing this deal today, Nigel Farage was in the English Channel documenting illegal migrants making that crossing – 79 people being picked up by Border Force, taken off a dinghy and into Dover.

Polling out this morning by Portland suggests four in 10 voters who are planning on going to Reform would go back to Labour if the prime minister tackles small boats and drives down the crossings.

There is a real political imperative for him to try to start to resolve this problem. It’s going to count at the ballot box – immigration is a top-three issue in this country when it comes to voters.

Continue Reading

Politics

US lawmakers to discuss crypto tax policy amid push to pass three bills

Published

on

By

US lawmakers to discuss crypto tax policy amid push to pass three bills

US lawmakers to discuss crypto tax policy amid push to pass three bills

The hearing notice suggested a focus on a tax framework for digital assets, but did not mention specific witnesses or policies previously proposed.

Continue Reading

Trending