<description>&lt;p&gt;Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP party funds. That money was used for four coffee machines worth £9,000, £2,000 on salt and pepper shakers, an £80,000 Jaguar, and a motorhome parked on his mother's driveway. Sturgeon claims she knew absolutely nothing about where the money came from.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Tom Slater, editor of Spiked, to unpick whether that defence is credible. Julia is unconvinced. For a couple who travelled to work together, jointly led the SNP for years, and were legally responsible for signing off the party accounts, the "I saw nothing" response needs to be fully investigated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also: two teenage boys convicted of rape are spared custodial sentence, despite overwhelming evidence — including footage they filmed themselves.&amp;nbsp;During sentencing, the judge said he wanted to avoid unnecessarily criminalising them. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Attorney General Lord Hermer has now referred the case to the Court of Appeal, but as Julia and Tom argue, the real problem lies deeper, within the sentencing guidelines themselves, which appear to treat youth, low IQ, and ADHD as excuses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;And with the Makerfield by-election looming, polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, joins Julia to break down why this is no ordinary by-election.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;With Andy Burnham's personal vote, a resurgent Reform UK, and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain potentially splitting the right-wing vote, the result is likely to pave the way to a new Prime Minister.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400k from the SNP — as sentencing guidelines fail rape victims and the Makerfield by-election shapes Britain's political future

Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP party funds. That money was used for four coffee machines worth £9,000, £2,000 on salt and pepper shakers, an £80,000 Jaguar, and a motorhome parked on his mother's driveway. Sturgeon claims she knew absolutely nothing about where the money came from. Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Tom Slater, editor of Spiked, to unpick whether that defence is credible. Julia is unconvinced. For a couple who travelled to work together, jointly led the SNP for years, and were legally responsible for signing off the party accounts, the "I saw nothing" response needs to be fully investigated. Also: two teenage boys convicted of rape are spared custodial sentence, despite overwhelming evidence — including footage they filmed themselves.&nbsp;During sentencing, the judge said he wanted to avoid unnecessarily criminalising them. The Attorney General Lord Hermer has now referred the case to the Court of Appeal, but as Julia and Tom argue, the real problem lies deeper, within the sentencing guidelines themselves, which appear to treat youth, low IQ, and ADHD as excuses. And with the Makerfield by-election looming, polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, joins Julia to break down why this is no ordinary by-election.&nbsp; With Andy Burnham's personal vote, a resurgent Reform UK, and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain potentially splitting the right-wing vote, the result is likely to pave the way to a new Prime Minister.&nbsp; Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Nicola Sturgeon's husband pleads guilty to embezzling party funds… did she know nothing? Plus: the teenage rapists spared prison time 

<description>&lt;p&gt;The Office for National Statistics has released the migration figures for the last quarter — and whilst the government is celebrating, Julia Hartley-Brewer isn't buying it.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;She's joined by Reform UK Councillor and Deputy Leader of Durham County Council Darren Grimes, who forcefully argues that nobody voted for the rampant levels of migration over the past decades.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;From David Cameron's broken promise of reducing it to tens of thousands, to Boris Johnson's staggering 944,000 net arrivals, the British public have been consistently lied to — and are now footing the bill in housing, healthcare, schools, and council translation contracts running into the tens of thousands.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Former Head of UK Border Force Tony Smith then joins to drill down into the raw data. Net migration is down to 171,000 — but 88,000 new asylum claims, a 3% boat removal rate, and nearly a fifth of the UK population now foreign-born tells a very different story.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also: Julia discusses the viral clip of Rachel Reeves getting heckled at a Leeds petrol station… and her questioning the British-ness of her heckler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, the Reform candidate for the Makerfield by-election faces media scrutiny over deleted tweets.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Darren Grimes on the democratic betrayal of mass immigration, and former UK Border Force Chief Tony Smith dissects the latest net migration figures — and why the numbers are not all reason for government celebration.

The Office for National Statistics has released the migration figures for the last quarter — and whilst the government is celebrating, Julia Hartley-Brewer isn't buying it.&nbsp; She's joined by Reform UK Councillor and Deputy Leader of Durham County Council Darren Grimes, who forcefully argues that nobody voted for the rampant levels of migration over the past decades.&nbsp; From David Cameron's broken promise of reducing it to tens of thousands, to Boris Johnson's staggering 944,000 net arrivals, the British public have been consistently lied to — and are now footing the bill in housing, healthcare, schools, and council translation contracts running into the tens of thousands. Former Head of UK Border Force Tony Smith then joins to drill down into the raw data. Net migration is down to 171,000 — but 88,000 new asylum claims, a 3% boat removal rate, and nearly a fifth of the UK population now foreign-born tells a very different story. Also: Julia discusses the viral clip of Rachel Reeves getting heckled at a Leeds petrol station… and her questioning the British-ness of her heckler.&nbsp; Plus, the Reform candidate for the Makerfield by-election faces media scrutiny over deleted tweets. Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stats reveal a FIFTH of the UK population is born abroad – while the government celebrates a reduction in net migration

<description>&lt;p&gt;Scrutiny of Andy Burnham, Labour’s candidate for Makerfield, continues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the Labour party wrangles over who should be leader, Andy Burnham is hoping a successful campaign in Makerfield will prove to party and country that he can beat Reform and turn a hitherto spectacularly unpopular government around.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;But after his U-turn on Brexit, now his commitment to trans ideology is coming under fire… as his previous comments suggesting that trans-identified men should have access to women-only spaces emerged. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves has reportedly been discussing voluntary price caps with supermarkets – to keep the prices of essential goods down.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Immediately, a furious reaction from retail groups ensued.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Karl Turner MP calls it ‘nearly the barmiest idea I’ve ever heard’.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Karl Turner MP, independent MP for Hull East, and Claire Pearsall, former Conservative adviser, on reports that Rachel Reeves has suggested introducing price caps at supermarkets and Andy Burnham’s commitment to trans ideology 

Scrutiny of Andy Burnham, Labour’s candidate for Makerfield, continues.&nbsp; As the Labour party wrangles over who should be leader, Andy Burnham is hoping a successful campaign in Makerfield will prove to party and country that he can beat Reform and turn a hitherto spectacularly unpopular government around.&nbsp; But after his U-turn on Brexit, now his commitment to trans ideology is coming under fire… as his previous comments suggesting that trans-identified men should have access to women-only spaces emerged. &nbsp; Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves has reportedly been discussing voluntary price caps with supermarkets – to keep the prices of essential goods down.&nbsp; Immediately, a furious reaction from retail groups ensued.&nbsp; Karl Turner MP calls it ‘nearly the barmiest idea I’ve ever heard’.&nbsp; Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

‘Nearly the barmiest idea I’ve ever heard’: Labour’s Rachel Reeves sounds out ‘socialist’ supermarket price caps with supermarkets | Also: Andy Burnham on trans 

<description>&lt;p&gt;All eyes are on the Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is hoping he can scrape through a tight race, beat Reform and become Labour leader… and then the PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;His hopes are coming under strain as the media, and his political rivals, train their eyes on him. Both Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer said over the weekend they would want to (eventually) look at re-joining the EU.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;That places Burnham in a bind – Labour members are generally pro-EU, while around 60% of Makerfield constituents voted for Brexit.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lo and behold, following Streeting and Starmers’ statements, Burnham U-turned on a previous pledge to re-join the EU.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;His critics say this is true to form, pointing to previous ideological flexibility for political expediency.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;In reaction to these U-turns, Lord Hannan expresses dismay with politicians who renege on their promise that the 2016 Brexit referendum would be a ‘once in a generation’ vote – explaining that Brexit was a problem with execution, not ideas.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;He also argues that any deal to return us to the EU would inevitably lead to the EU imposing punishing demands on the UK, including losing the pound.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;And Lord Foulkes trots out the Starmerite line… arguing that the PM's downfall is the fault of the media, run by ‘multi-millionaires who live abroad’, rather than personal failure.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lord Foulkes on Labour's leadership crisis and Starmer's crumbling grip, plus Lord Daniel Hannan on Brexit's squandered potential and the folly of the Rejoin movement

All eyes are on the Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is hoping he can scrape through a tight race, beat Reform and become Labour leader… and then the PM.&nbsp;His hopes are coming under strain as the media, and his political rivals, train their eyes on him. Both Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer said over the weekend they would want to (eventually) look at re-joining the EU.&nbsp; That places Burnham in a bind – Labour members are generally pro-EU, while around 60% of Makerfield constituents voted for Brexit.&nbsp; Lo and behold, following Streeting and Starmers’ statements, Burnham U-turned on a previous pledge to re-join the EU.&nbsp; His critics say this is true to form, pointing to previous ideological flexibility for political expediency.&nbsp; In reaction to these U-turns, Lord Hannan expresses dismay with politicians who renege on their promise that the 2016 Brexit referendum would be a ‘once in a generation’ vote – explaining that Brexit was a problem with execution, not ideas.&nbsp; He also argues that any deal to return us to the EU would inevitably lead to the EU imposing punishing demands on the UK, including losing the pound.&nbsp; And Lord Foulkes trots out the Starmerite line… arguing that the PM's downfall is the fault of the media, run by ‘multi-millionaires who live abroad’, rather than personal failure. Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Is Andy Burnham set to be PM? Poll marks him as clear favourite among Labour members… despite EU and fiscal rules flip-flop | Plus: why re-joining the EU would be national humiliation

<description>&lt;p&gt;Keir Starmer is (currently!) vowing to lead Britain through its current crisis — but are his supporters falling away?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;James Lyons, Starmer's former Director of Communications at Number 10, joins Julia to dissect the Prime Minister's extraordinary resilience — or delusion, depending on who you ask.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;With U-turns piling up, MPs briefing against him, and a leadership circus consuming Westminster, Lyons gives an insider's view of the man at the centre of it all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then it's the by-election that has been branded the ‘most significant in 50 years’.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Andy Burnham is heading to Makerfield — a seat that voted 65% for Brexit, where Reform swept the recent local elections.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is this a bold political gamble to prove he can beat Reform UK… or a catastrophic miscalculation? And did Wes Streeting's comments about wanting to rejoin the EU deliberately torpedo Burnham's chances before he's even on the ballot?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, makes the case that his party are throwing everything at Makerfield — and explains why he thinks the Tories are simply irrelevant.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;He also faces tough questions on Nigel Farage's undisclosed £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harbour, the Standards Commissioner investigation, and whether Reform can actually govern if civil servants go on strike.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus: TikTok censors a Reform immigration video using the Online Safety Act — and Julia asks whether Nadine Dorries has repented for helping create it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

James Lyons, Keir Starmer's former Director of Communications, on Labour's leadership woes — plus Reform UK's Richard Tice on the Makerfield by-election, Farage's £5 million crypto gift, and how Reform will deal with the civil service 

Keir Starmer is (currently!) vowing to lead Britain through its current crisis — but are his supporters falling away?&nbsp; James Lyons, Starmer's former Director of Communications at Number 10, joins Julia to dissect the Prime Minister's extraordinary resilience — or delusion, depending on who you ask.&nbsp; With U-turns piling up, MPs briefing against him, and a leadership circus consuming Westminster, Lyons gives an insider's view of the man at the centre of it all. Then it's the by-election that has been branded the ‘most significant in 50 years’.&nbsp; Andy Burnham is heading to Makerfield — a seat that voted 65% for Brexit, where Reform swept the recent local elections.&nbsp; Is this a bold political gamble to prove he can beat Reform UK… or a catastrophic miscalculation? And did Wes Streeting's comments about wanting to rejoin the EU deliberately torpedo Burnham's chances before he's even on the ballot? Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, makes the case that his party are throwing everything at Makerfield — and explains why he thinks the Tories are simply irrelevant.&nbsp; He also faces tough questions on Nigel Farage's undisclosed £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harbour, the Standards Commissioner investigation, and whether Reform can actually govern if civil servants go on strike. Plus: TikTok censors a Reform immigration video using the Online Safety Act — and Julia asks whether Nadine Dorries has repented for helping create it. Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Andy Burnham's gamble to beat Reform in Makerfield and reach Number 10 — and will Reform have to wage war on a reluctant civil service?

The best bits of The Julia Hartley-Brewer Show on Talk. All the news stories of the day, agenda setting political interviews and big name guests, hosted by the queen of Talk.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

The best bits of the Julia Hartley-Brewer show on Talk All the news stories of the day, agenda setting political interviews and big name guests, hosted by the queen of talk.

The Julia Hartley-Brewer Show

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