Political Currency

What does the White House really think about Europe? George Osborne and Ed Balls take a look at President Trump’s new national strategy. George plays devil’s advocate for the plan, while Ed suggests that it could reveal JD Vance’s big strategy for 2028… 

They then turn to the US domestic agenda, and weigh up whether the Trump economy really is A+++. They look at the impact of the tariffs, the upcoming appointment of a new Federal Reserve chair, and how rising prices could cost the Republicans in the midterms.

Finally, they look at Hollywood and shine a light on Trump’s role in Netflix and Paramount’s bidding war for Warner Bros. They weigh up the impacts of these bids, the role of Jared Kushner, and why something similar couldn’t happen in the UK…

Will any government be brave enough to abolish the triple lock on pensions? The cost-saving case has been made by many, but Ed Balls and George Osborne explain why it could be politically calamitous to try and ditch it. 

They debate William Hague’s theory that, were Rachel Reeves sacked, Keir Starmer would follow and look back at how chancellors and Prime Minister’s fates have been intertwined. Plus - why is Keir Starmer always doodling during PMQs? Is he following the brilliant debate strategy of Obama, or easily bored when being questioned?

Finally, in a preview of our upcoming ‘What If’ EMQs, Ed and George imagine how the 2024 election could have gone, had Reeves followed a path like John Smith in 1992. Would she have avoided her budget nightmares? Or, would we still have Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister?

Don’t forget to send in questions for our upcoming Christmas and ‘What If’ themed EMQs episodes. You can send those to questions@politicalcurrency, and make sure to include a voice note!

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The drama rages on, one week after Chancellor Rachel Reeves stood at the dispatch box to deliver her second Budget. Richard Hughes has resigned as OBR chair following the catastrophic budget leak and calls for Rachel Reeves to do the same have not let up. Ed Balls and George Osborne look at the “shambolic” fallout of the budget, and how Labour have once again grasped defeat from the jaws of victory in yet another communications disaster for the party. 

Then, the pair discuss David Lammy’s drastic measures to scrap juries for the majority of cases in England and Wales. Is this the biggest change to our justice system since the Magna Carta or a necessary step to solve the mounting backlog of cases, bringing the courts to the brink? And why on earth didn't anybody prepare the ground for it?

Finally, Ed and George look across the channel to the rise of the far right in Germany and France. With the AfD and National Rally looking on the cusp of electoral victory and Reform’s path to power looking inevitable, what lessons can Keir Starmer learn from his European allies to stop Nigel Farage securing the keys to No 10? 

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How many times did Gordon Brown save Tony Blair from a calamitous decision? Ed Balls and George Osborne recount the times chancellors stepped in to save their PM from disaster. Does George wish he'd done it a bit more with David Cameron?

And why does the Opposition leader respond to the budget and not the shadow chancellor? Ed and George try to work it out, but are not quite sure themselves - please write in! They also delve into the minimum wage rise from the budget, and signal pressing issues Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves must tackle down the line.

Finally, the pair share their dream jobs - other than Prime Minister, of course - with Ed’s being a suitably political answer and George’s being typically wide-ranging from his previous roles.

We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question. 

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Does Rachel Reeves have a credible plan for growth? One day on from her Budget Statement, George Osborne and Ed Balls debate her headline measures and ask if she’s built enough of a narrative to save her job. Health Secretary Wes Streeting asks about two Osbornian policies: the sugar tax and two-child limit. How can Labour win the argument?

They also talk about the disastrous OBR leak, whether anyone will be sacked, and ask how it stacks up to some of the biggest leaks in budget history… Is it worse than Ken Clarke in 1996? Or the Evening Standard beating George to the punch in 2013?

Finally, they briefly turn to the war in Ukraine and debate the peace negotiations. The big question now is whether Putin has been strong-armed into signing a peace treaty, and if that means a lasting cease-fire is in sight.

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