Podcast
Politics At Sam and Anne's
Hosted by Sky News · EN
Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy with what you need to know about the day ahead in British politics. All in under 20 minutes and in your feed around 7.30am.
They're across the key interviews, the main stories and what the parties are saying.
Whatever they're talking about, Westminster will be talking about today.
73episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Starmer eyeballs Streeting - a clash or just coffee?
Yesterday00:20:25Tap to summarizeWill it be a ‘showdown’ when Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting meet today? Or does the King’s Speech calm Labour’s passions for 24 hours?Sam Coates and McElvoy wonder if any Labour leadership has got a bit stuck after a dramatic day of resignations. Because if Streeting doesn’t have the numbers and Andy Burnham doesn't even have a Commons seat – what can anyone do?Plus, amongst the pomp and pageantry the duo look at the substance of the King’s Speech – what bills are the ones to look out for?
Transcribe →Will Wes Streeting fire the starting gun today?
2d ago00:24:02Tap to summarizeWill today’s cabinet showdown push Keir Starmer to make a final decision on his future?And will that mean Wes Streeting starts a leadership campaign?Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy go over the dynamics of the cabinet meeting and who of the 32 is thinking what – with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood the most blunt so far about the PM needing to go.They also go over what they’re hearing from those who want any contest to be quick – and from those who want a longer game, with Andy Burnham involved.
Transcribe →Can Burnham delay Starmer’s exit?
3d ago00:21:37Tap to summarizeA speech which could define the Keir Starmer premiership – but can he reset or will it be another underwhelming relaunch?With Labour MPs on edge, leadership contenders circling and worries over what stalking horse – Catherine West – will do next, Sam and Anne look at how quickly it all could spiral out of control if the PM fails to land his message.But could a quick contest potentially backfire on some of the rivals hoping to storm Number 10? The duo discuss why a delay in any leadership election might end up suiting the likes of Andy Burnham.Plus, away from the Starmer drama, is Nigel Farage about to face an investigation from the parliamentary watchdog over Christopher Harbone’s £5 million donation?
Transcribe →Keir’s defences: Has the dam broken?
4d ago00:26:57Tap to summarizeIs anyone really prepared to put their head above the parapet to challenge Keir Starmer?After a disastrous set of election results, Labour backbencher Catherine West has launched a stalking-horse threat to force the Prime Minister out.But, with rival camps in disarray and would-be successors staying silent, will the cabinet unite around a successor or fracture even further?In this special debrief edition of Politics at Sam and Anne’s, the duo reveal who’s talking to who and whether Labour can stop the chaos before it spirals out of control.Elsewhere, as the SNP and Plaid Cymru look likely to lead the devolved administrations will the state of the union be put into further question.
Transcribe →Have election results decided Starmer’s fate?
6d ago00:22:36Tap to summarizeAs early results are declared in England and counting begins across Scotland and Wales has the narrative of these elections already been set?With Labour losing seats and council across England, Reform are already making significant gains.The pressure on the Prime Minister is ramping up…and we don’t have a full picture yet.Sam and Anne assess the early results and what they mean for the parties so far.They’ll return for second special debrief episode taking in all the results on Sunday afternoon.
Transcribe →Vote 2026: The final countdown
1w ago00:21:19Tap to summarizeOn the eve of a hugely significant set of local and national elections – who has the momentum and who is staring into an electoral abyss?Sam and Anne pore over the final voting intention polls before the elections – covering England, Scotland and Wales. Have the latest headlines for Reform and the Greens done any damage?Meanwhile, as part of a series of leader interviews on Sky News, Sam has been speaking to the Conservatives’ Kemi Badenoch. How will she be judged at this election and what does success look like for her party?Plus, Anne has some details from the Keir Starmer camp on how they plan to deal with aftermath of the coming days.You can find all the candidates standing in the elections across England, Scotland and Wales here.Sam and Anne will return for two special debrief episodes on Friday and Sunday as the votes come in across the country.
Transcribe →Ready or not: Keir’s rivals flounder
1w ago00:21:56Tap to summarizeWith days until the local and national elections – amid some grim polling projections – are Labour facing a double-edged threat from both the left and right of British politics?As instability in the Middle East intensifies, Keir Starmer is preparing to host a summit to tackle antisemitism, but will Labour’s punchy attack on the Greens – including claims of antisemitic remarks made by their candidates – cut through with the voters?Away from the campaigning Sam and Anne assess the state of potential leadership challengers. Are they ready and can they realistically force the Prime Minister’s hand?Plus, have Rachel Reeves’ warnings to the U.S. that the war with Iran would be “folly’ come back to haunt her?
Transcribe →Local elections: The pollster’s verdict
2w ago00:20:06Tap to summarizeWith one week until voters head to the polls in Scotland, Wales and England – are we about to see a seismic shift in British politics?In a special episode, Sam and Anne are joined by YouGov pollster Patrick English to break down the data and assess what it could all mean for the parties.As the vote splits across the spectrum, who is set to benefit – and is British politics entering a new multi-party era?A reminder that all the candidates standing in these elections can be found here.
Transcribe →“My prime minister” - the King steps in
2w ago00:21:27Tap to summarizeHas King Charles’s warmth and humour helped save the special relationship?It may be a diplomatic win for Keir Starmer in Washington, helping to steady UK-U.S. relations – but have private comments by his U.S. ambassador made life more difficult back in London?Yesterday, the Prime Minister survived a vote demanding he appear before the privileges committee, but after another blockbuster Foreign Affairs Committee session, questions remain over his judgement to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States.Elsewhere, could Angela Rayner make a comeback post local elections and will there be a wider cabinet reshuffle?Plus, Sam flags some under-the-radar issues that could be highly consequential in the long run.
Transcribe →Will McSweeney stumble on Starmer?
2w ago00:20:10Tap to summarizeWhat might Sir Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney reveal about the Mandelson vetting scandal?Today, the former foreign office mandarin and Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff give evidence to MPs on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.That’s before the Commons vote on whether there should be an inquiry on if the Prime Minister misled Parliament.As well as select committees and votes, there are still 13 active bills to deal with before Parliament prorogues tomorrow.Sam’s in London for a pivotal day in the Starmer leadership and Anne’s in Washington for the King’s state visit.
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