206 | Johnson Gets His Mandate

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We gather the morning after the Tory triumph the night before to discuss how they did it and what it means.  From Swinson's hubris to Corbyn's comeuppance, from Scottish independence to constitutional challenges, from the start of Brexit to the end of the Brexit party, we try to cover it all in a bumper edition.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke, Chris Bickerton, Alison Young, Peter Sloman, Kenneth Armstrong, and some overnight reflections from other TP regulars.  If you want to hear more, David and Helen are also on 538 discussing the election result.

204 | What if Remain Had Won...?

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This week Helen and David explore some counterfactuals: What if Remain had won in 2016? What if Corbyn hadn't got on the leadership ballot in 2015? What if Scotland had voted for independence in 2014? We consider whether British politics would be very different or whether a lot of what we are seeing in 2019 was coming anyway. Plus we explore if there are any circumstances in which the stranglehold of the two main parties could be broken in a general election and why the Lib Dems have so spectacularly failed to break it this time.

197 | Not Over Yet

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After two significant votes in the House of Commons pointing in two different directions - one towards a Brexit agreement and the other towards a general election - we discuss where we might be heading. Does Johnson have enough to persuade the wavering MPs he needs to get his Brexit deal over the line? Do his opponents have enough to stop him? Can European leaders still force the issue? And if there is an election, does it all change again? Plus we ask: what's actually in the WAB? With Helen Thompson, Catherine Barnard and Chris Brooke.

164 | The Next PM

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As Theresa May's premiership gets very close to the end, we talk about who and what might be coming next.  Can her successor re-establish the authority she has lost?  Can anyone govern in this parliament or do we need a general election?  Is the age of long-serving prime ministers also coming to an end?  Plus we discuss what lessons can be drawn from the recent election in Australia: what does it tell us about the politics of climate change?  With Helen Thompson and Chris Brooke.

153 | Moment of Truth?

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As parliament finally gets the chance to indicate its Brexit preferences - if it has any - we discuss the real choices now facing MPs and government.  What is the sequence of events that would actually prevent a no-deal Brexit?  Can the Withdrawal Agreement be separated from the Political Declaration?  And if it can, will MPs eventually have to vote for it?  Plus we ask how long we can avoid another general election and we discuss whether Theresa May's survival to this point tells us more about her resilience or about the dysfunctionality of British politics.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton, and Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU Law.

73 | That was 2017

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With Christmas round the corner, we pick some personal highlights and lowlights from another rollercoaster year of politics.  What are our most memorable Trump moments?  What stays with us from the UK general election six months on?  And, with all the usual caveats, what do we think is coming down the pipe in 2018?  With Helen, Aaron, Chris, Chris and David

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