98 | Oh Italy!

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 A new Italian government spells a heap of trouble for Europe.  We ask how we got to this point and what it means the future of the Euro.  What really spooked the markets?  Who blinked first?  And why does Italian politics have such a soft spot for university professors?  Plus we talk about the new government in Spain and we weigh up the state of democracy across the continent.  Is this how democracy is meant to work or is this really how democracy ends?  With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Lucia Rubinelli from the LSE

39 | The Meaning of UKIP

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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.

36 | The Tory Machine

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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?