<description>&lt;p&gt;Isabel Hardman assesses the Iran conflict, three weeks in, with Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs select committee and the former Conservative deputy Foreign Secretary Sir Andrew Mitchell MP. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, Ruth Curtice and the business journalist and crossbench peer Patience Wheatcroft, who sits on the Lords Economic Affiars Committee discuss rising energy costs caused by the conflict and whether the government should intervene. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Legislators in Scotland and Westminster have been debating assisted dying this week. Labour MP Beccy Cooper is a doctor, who supports assisted dying and Robert Lisvane was Clerk of the House of Commons and now sits as a crossbench peer. Is it inevitable that the bill will run out of time in Westminster? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And the Labour MP Naz Shah told Isabel about her childhood shaped by hardship and injustice within a British Pakistani family in Bradford and her journey to become a parliamentarian.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Isabel Hardman reports on the latest developments at Westminster.

Isabel Hardman assesses the Iran conflict, three weeks in, with Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry MP who chairs the Foreign Affairs select committee and the former Conservative deputy Foreign Secretary Sir Andrew Mitchell MP. The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, Ruth Curtice and the business journalist and crossbench peer Patience Wheatcroft, who sits on the Lords Economic Affiars Committee discuss rising energy costs caused by the conflict and whether the government should intervene. Legislators in Scotland and Westminster have been debating assisted dying this week. Labour MP Beccy Cooper is a doctor, who supports assisted dying and Robert Lisvane was Clerk of the House of Commons and now sits as a crossbench peer. Is it inevitable that the bill will run out of time in Westminster? And the Labour MP Naz Shah told Isabel about her childhood shaped by hardship and injustice within a British Pakistani family in Bradford and her journey to become a parliamentarian.

21/03/2026

<description>&lt;p&gt;Pippa Crerar of The Guardian assesses the latest developments at Westminster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To discuss the unfolding conflict in the Middle East, and Britain's response, Pippa is joined by Labour peer, Lord West, a former First Sea Lord and Security Minister, and former Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood, who also served as a minister in the Foreign Office and MoD.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Following the vote on the government's controversial Courts and Tribunals Bill which would restrict jury trials, Pippa speaks to Dame Vera Baird KC, a former Labour minister and Victims' Commissioner who now chairs the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and Cassia Rowland, senior researcher at The Institute for Government who specialises in criminal justice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sunder Katwala, Director of the think tank British Future, which focuses on immigration and integration, and crossbench peer Kishwer Falkner, the former chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, debate the government's new strategy on social cohesion.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And, following the release of government documents relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, Pippa speaks to Keir Starmer's former Director of Strategy, Paul Ovenden, and the political editor of the New Statesman, Ailbhe Rea.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Pippa Crerar of The Guardian assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

Pippa Crerar of The Guardian assesses the latest developments at Westminster.To discuss the unfolding conflict in the Middle East, and Britain's response, Pippa is joined by Labour peer, Lord West, a former First Sea Lord and Security Minister, and former Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood, who also served as a minister in the Foreign Office and MoD.Following the vote on the government's controversial Courts and Tribunals Bill which would restrict jury trials, Pippa speaks to Dame Vera Baird KC, a former Labour minister and Victims' Commissioner who now chairs the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and Cassia Rowland, senior researcher at The Institute for Government who specialises in criminal justice.Sunder Katwala, Director of the think tank British Future, which focuses on immigration and integration, and crossbench peer Kishwer Falkner, the former chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, debate the government's new strategy on social cohesion.And, following the release of government documents relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, Pippa speaks to Keir Starmer's former Director of Strategy, Paul Ovenden, and the political editor of the New Statesman, Ailbhe Rea.

14/03/2026

<description>&lt;p&gt;George Parker discusses Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US-Israel offensive against Iran, and the pressure he has been under for it, with the crossbench peer Kim Darroch, who was the UK’s Ambassador to the United States during President Trump’s first term, and the Labour peer Cathy Ashton, a former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs who led negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To analyse the Spring Statement that the Chancellor delivered on Tuesday, George is joined by the former Conservative Chancellor, Sir Jeremy Hunt, and the Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the Commons Treasury Committee.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;MPs debated the Representation of the People Bill in the Commons this week. The Bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote at the next general election. To discuss the Bill, George spoke to Labour MP for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, who is the youngest female MP in the House of Commons, and 19-year-old George Finch from Reform UK, who leads Warwickshire County Council; he is the youngest council leader in Britain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And Robert Fox, the veteran war correspondent, and Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London, debated the special relationship between the US and the UK in light of Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US–Israel offensive against Iran, which sparked criticism from the White House.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

George Parker assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

George Parker discusses Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US-Israel offensive against Iran, and the pressure he has been under for it, with the crossbench peer Kim Darroch, who was the UK’s Ambassador to the United States during President Trump’s first term, and the Labour peer Cathy Ashton, a former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs who led negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.To analyse the Spring Statement that the Chancellor delivered on Tuesday, George is joined by the former Conservative Chancellor, Sir Jeremy Hunt, and the Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, who chairs the Commons Treasury Committee.MPs debated the Representation of the People Bill in the Commons this week. The Bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote at the next general election. To discuss the Bill, George spoke to Labour MP for Kettering, Rosie Wrighting, who is the youngest female MP in the House of Commons, and 19-year-old George Finch from Reform UK, who leads Warwickshire County Council; he is the youngest council leader in Britain.And Robert Fox, the veteran war correspondent, and Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London, debated the special relationship between the US and the UK in light of Prime Minister Starmer’s decision not to support the US–Israel offensive against Iran, which sparked criticism from the White House.

07/03/2026

<description>&lt;p&gt;Sonia Sodha discusses the Greens' by-election win in the Greater Manchester seat of Gorton and Denton and where this leaves Sir Keir Starmer with the Bassetlaw MP Jo White, who chairs the Red Wall caucus and Andrew Fisher, who was a senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader and is now a columnist for the i newspaper. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To assess reforms for children with special educational needs and disabilities, Sonia is joined by Sir Nick Gibb, a former Conservative MP and a long-serving schools minister and the Labour MP Jess Asato who is on the Education Select Committee and has a child with special educational needs..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sonia discusses the appointment of Antonia Romeo to the top job of Cabinet Secretary with Helen MacNamara, who spent 15 years in senior civil service roles and was deputy Cabinet Secretary during the pandemic. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And the Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart and Professor Robert Hazell from the Constitution Unit at UCL discuss whether this week's parliamentary debate on the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy in 2001 spells the end for the long-standing convention that MPs must not criticise members of the royal family in the Commons chamber.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Sonia Sodha assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

Sonia Sodha discusses the Greens' by-election win in the Greater Manchester seat of Gorton and Denton and where this leaves Sir Keir Starmer with the Bassetlaw MP Jo White, who chairs the Red Wall caucus and Andrew Fisher, who was a senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader and is now a columnist for the i newspaper. To assess reforms for children with special educational needs and disabilities, Sonia is joined by Sir Nick Gibb, a former Conservative MP and a long-serving schools minister and the Labour MP Jess Asato who is on the Education Select Committee and has a child with special educational needs..Sonia discusses the appointment of Antonia Romeo to the top job of Cabinet Secretary with Helen MacNamara, who spent 15 years in senior civil service roles and was deputy Cabinet Secretary during the pandemic. And the Lib Dem Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart and Professor Robert Hazell from the Constitution Unit at UCL discuss whether this week's parliamentary debate on the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy in 2001 spells the end for the long-standing convention that MPs must not criticise members of the royal family in the Commons chamber.

28/02/2026

<description>&lt;p&gt;Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After a week in which the Prime Minister had to fight for his political survival, Caroline speaks to Labour grandee, Alan Johnson, a Cabinet minister in both the Blair and Brown governments, and Peter Hyman, a former strategist for Tony Blair when he was in Number Ten.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the wake of the scandal around Peter Mandelson, and amid concerns about the slow progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a new cross-party group is calling for 'wholesale' reform of the House of Lords. One of those involved is Carmen Smith of Plaid Cymru, the youngest member of the House of Lords. Lord Young of Acton, a Conservative peer and founder of the Free Speech Union, is concerned that rule changes on stripping peerages could be used to suppress speech.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ahead of the Government's Schools White Paper, which is likely to include controversial reforms to special educational needs provision, Caroline speaks to Jo Hutchinson of the Education Policy Institute about how the system might be changed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And, to discuss what it's like inside Number Ten at moments of political crisis, Caroline brings together Guto Harri, former Director of Communications to Boris Johnson, and Luke Sullivan, former political director for Sir Keir Starmer.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.

Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.After a week in which the Prime Minister had to fight for his political survival, Caroline speaks to Labour grandee, Alan Johnson, a Cabinet minister in both the Blair and Brown governments, and Peter Hyman, a former strategist for Tony Blair when he was in Number Ten.In the wake of the scandal around Peter Mandelson, and amid concerns about the slow progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a new cross-party group is calling for 'wholesale' reform of the House of Lords. One of those involved is Carmen Smith of Plaid Cymru, the youngest member of the House of Lords. Lord Young of Acton, a Conservative peer and founder of the Free Speech Union, is concerned that rule changes on stripping peerages could be used to suppress speech.Ahead of the Government's Schools White Paper, which is likely to include controversial reforms to special educational needs provision, Caroline speaks to Jo Hutchinson of the Education Policy Institute about how the system might be changed.And, to discuss what it's like inside Number Ten at moments of political crisis, Caroline brings together Guto Harri, former Director of Communications to Boris Johnson, and Luke Sullivan, former political director for Sir Keir Starmer.

14/02/2026

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

The Week in Westminster

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