40 | Trump vs. Comey

We take stock of the latest developments in Washington as the heat intensifies on Trump and the leaking war continues.  What do the new revelations tell us about Trump's fitness to be president?  What do they tell us about the power struggles inside the administration?  We also take a step back to ask about the risks of any showdown between an elected president and the secret state.  Might Trump's fate set a precedent for any outsider who takes on the political establishment?  Do the Democrats need to be careful what they wish for?  Plus, in the week the UK parties start publishing their election manifestos, we ask: what's a manifesto worth anyway?  With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Chris Bickerton.

39 | The Meaning of UKIP

After UKIP’s dreadful performance in the local elections we ask about the historic legacy of Nigel Farage’s party.  How big was its role in taking the UK out of the EU?  Will UKIP turn out to be the gateway drug for turning Labour supporters into Conservatives?  How do its fortunes compare with the Front National in France?  Plus we catch up on the latest development across the Channel and discuss the prospects for Macron’s presidency.  Can he find a solution to the perennial problem that hangs over French politics: Germany?  With Helen Thompson, Hugo Drochon, Chris Bickerton and Chris Brooke.

38 | Michael Gove

We catch up with Michael Gove, one of the leaders of the Brexit campaign, to ask how he feels about the future of Europe now. What difference will a Macron presidency make?  Will Theresa May have more of a mandate than any other European leader when it comes to the Brexit negotiations?  And how does he feel today about his notorious remark that 'the people of this country have had enough of experts'?

37 | Thomas Piketty

We're joined by internationally best-selling economist Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, to talk about the French elections and what inequality is doing to democratic politics.  Recorded a few days before the 2nd round of the French presidential vote, we discuss Macron vs. Le Pen, the failure of mainstream social democracy, and why Brexit was such a gamble.  We also talk about what needs to be done to reform the EU.  With Hugo Drochon.

36 | The Tory Machine

What makes the Conservatives so good at winning elections - the most successful party in modern political history?  Is it money?  Leadership?  Luck?  We talk with Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Aaron Rapport about Tory successes and failures and we explore some of the inbuilt quirks of the UK electoral system.   Plus we answer some questions posed to us by listeners: How is Mayism different from Milibandism?  And what hopes for a progressive alliance?

35 | Scotland and the Union

This week we focus on what the general election in Scotland might mean for the rest of the UK.  Does a Tory revival in Scotland spell the end of Indyref 2?  Does Labour's collapse chime with what's going on in the rest of Europe?  Plus we explore whether a thumping majority for Mrs May would strengthen her hand in the Brexit negotiations.  In the first in a series of historical comparisons, we also ask whether this election has echoes of what happened when Ted Heath called a snap poll in 1974.  Is Tony Blair now the Enoch Powell of British politics?  You heard it here first.