Michael Gove

Michael Gove is joined by Jonathan Hinder, MP for Pendle and Clitheroe, one of the leading voices of Blue Labour, to discuss class, borders and the common good in a conversation recorded live at Labour conference. Jonathan, a former police officer, sets out his case against the economic and social 'hyper liberalism' of recent decades, before turning to industrial strategy, North Sea oil and gas, and why his constituents in terraced houses pay more property tax than multi-millionaires in London. With over a million voters said to have moved from Labour to Reform since the election, can Andy Burnham bring them back – and what would it take on immigration?

In this week's Q&A: should Britain follow Giorgia Meloni and ban the burqa in schools? Michael says that head teachers should set uniform policy free of pressure from outside the school gates – but would he go as far as Reform's proposed ban on face coverings in public? Maddie asks why progressive feminists have so little to say on the subject. Also this week: the BBC has pulled 11 Mitchell and Webb sketches from iPlayer, but were they right to? Michael and Maddie discuss chronological snobbery, disclaimers on films – and Michael asks whether the corporation will come for Kenneth Clark's Civilisation as well. Plus: Michael plays Prime Minister in Sky's The War Game. Could Britain withstand a Russian attack, and how many young people would sign up to fight?

Earl Spencer's new memoir, Swan Song, has drawn a rare direct response from Buckingham Palace. Michael and Maddie weigh up the book's most salacious charges against the King, and ask whether the Earl is driven by money, pride, or something closer to revenge. Is this a serious blow to the monarchy – or do the public just not care what Earl Spencer has to say? Also: It is the turn of the Lib Dem conference, where a row over women's spaces has overshadowed Ed Davey's attacks on Reform's donors. Can they ever again be the party of John Stuart Mill? Finally: Lambeth Palace withdraws an award from a Pakistani cleric who had backed an honorary title for Osama bin Laden. What does it say about the Church of England?Produced by Henry Lloyd.

In the second part of his conversation with Michael Gove, Rory Stewart defends the most taboo position in British politics: that private schools are worth protecting. He further argues that the only excuse for privilege is living up to its obligations, and that a wealth tax would destroy the idea of public service. Rory tells Michael what Nigel Farage and Reform UK get wrong about tax, why he disagrees with Peter Thiel on what the wealthy should do with their money, and why Rishi Sunak staying in parliament matters more than anyone noticed. They also discuss how to get Britain growing, why he is a big fan of building more data centres, and how Rory came to be at peace with 450 new houses being built at the end of his own driveway.

Michael Gove is joined by Rory Stewart, for a conversation he admits would ‘revolt’ his podcasting partner Alastair Campbell. Rory sets out the migration policy he would impose: every boat he would return to France, how he would cut the number of legal arrivals, and completely rework Britain’s broken asylum system. Rory argues that the grooming gangs debate is being conducted in bad faith, that migrant communities in Britain tend to assimilate rather than isolate, and that the culture warriors have picked a fight that distracts from Britain’s bigger problems. Part Two, in which he makes a case for the future of private education and explains how Britain can achieve growth, will be released on Thursday 17th September.

Michael Gove is joined by political scientist Francis Fukuyama to discuss liberalism, populism and the future of democracy in an increasingly unstable world. Francis reflects on The End of History and why its argument was so often misunderstood, before turning to the transformation of the American right under Donald Trump. Why have traditional conservative ideas lost their hold – and what explains the rise of populism across the West? They also discuss Brexit, which Francis argues Britain should reconsider, the importance of patriotism and national identity, and why liberals have too often neglected both.

Kemi Badenoch has kicked off the new political term with a major reshuffle of her top team. Michael and Maddie ask what the changes tell us about the direction of the Conservative party, whether Andrew Griffith can sharpen its economic offer – and whether Badenoch is already preparing for an early election.Meanwhile, Andy Burnham returns to the Commons after a relatively comfortable summer. Has the Prime Minister been governing on ‘easy mode’ so far, and is his brand of politics simply the ‘cheesy side of Blairism’ without the substance?Also: ahead of Reform’s party conference, is Nigel Farage building a credible government-in-waiting – or is the party still fighting a battle for its soul?Produced by Henry Lloyd and Oscar Edmondson.

This week, Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the rulers, revolutionaries and nation builders who shaped one of the world’s most turbulent regions. From Ibn Saud’s dramatic conquest of Riyadh and Atatürk’s creation of modern Turkey to Ben-Gurion, Reza Shah and Nasser, Simon explores the extraordinary personalities who built states from the ruins of empire. What made these leaders so successful – and why did so many of their projects end in dictatorship, war or collapse? They also discuss Nasser’s rise as the champion of Arab nationalism, Gaddafi’s obsession with his Egyptian hero, and the strongmen who tried to remake the Arab world in their own image.

Andy Burnham has begun his premiership with a sweeping reshuffle, purging many of Keir Starmer’s closest allies and installing a cabinet in his own image. Has he ended Labour factionalism – or simply created a new faction of enemies? And does the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor suggest that Burnham wants a safe pair of hands rather than a rival power base? Michael and Maddie also ask whether Burnham’s early promises can survive contact with economic reality. With billions already pledged on defence, energy bills, transport and public ownership, where will the money come from – and what is his plan for growth? Plus: will Shabana Mahmood be allowed to get a grip on immigration? Can Ed Miliband be trusted at the Foreign Office?

Louis Mosley is the UK head of Palantir, one of the world’s most powerful – and controversial – technology companies. Its work with the NHS, the US government and western militaries has made it a lightning rod for criticism, with opponents accusing it of threatening privacy, enabling mass deportations and supporting military operations in Gaza. Louis therefore occupies an unusual position at the intersection of technology, politics and the British state. On the podcast, he explains what Palantir actually does, why fears over NHS data are misplaced and why scrapping its contract would be a ‘terrible mistake’.

In this week’s Q&A: does Labour have a women problem? Michael and Maddie discuss why the party has never had a female leader, whether its embrace of identity politics has created a rod for its own back, and why gender-critical feminists on the left have found themselves in exile. Also this week: why won’t any party touch the triple lock? Michael argues that the state pension has become an unsustainable transfer to the section of the electorate most likely to vote – but can any politician make the case for reform without being accused of ‘mugging granny’? Plus: Parliament at its best and worst. From Danny Kruger and William Hague to Hilary Benn, George Galloway and Tom Tugendhat – what makes a truly great Commons speech? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Nigel Farage has resigned as MP for Clacton and will fight a by-election in an attempt to turn questions over his finances into a referendum on ‘the people vs the establishment’. Is this a political masterstroke or a mistake? Has Farage taken back control of the narrative, or will the row over undeclared money continue to plague Reform? Michael and Maddie also discuss whether Dominic Cummings’s prophecy – that the establishment would try to destroy Farage by fair means or foul – has come true. Plus: Prince Harry has suffered a bruising defeat in court against the Mail. What does the ruling tell us about press freedom? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.