The Week in Westminster

Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the publication of the assisted dying bill, Caroline speaks to one of its supporters, the Labour MP and former surgeon, Peter Prinsley, and the palliative care expert and long-time campaigner against assisted dying, Baroness Ilora Finlay. To discuss what the election of Donald Trump means for the war in Ukraine, Caroline brings together the former Conservative Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, and Nato's former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Sir John McColl. Dale Vince, founder of the green energy company Ecotricity and one of Labour's biggest donors, discusses the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan and the UK's drive for net zero. And, as Donald Trump appoints Elon Musk to look at ways to cut trillions from US government spending, Caroline asks if the UK could benefit from a similar endeavour with Labour MP, and chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Meg Hillier, and the former Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood.

Ben Riley Smith of The Daily Telegraph looks back on the week in Westminster. In the week of the election of Donald Trump as the next US President, Ben discusses the implications of the result with Stewart Woods, Labour peer and former adviser to Gordon Brown and Sir Liam Fox, the former Conservative Defence Secretary - and International Trade Secretary during Donald Trump's first presidency. To discuss the impact of the changes to inheritance tax on farms Ben is joined by Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke and the Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Helen Miller. The former Universities Minister and Conservative peer, Jo Johnson, discusses the government's announcement, earlier this week, that tuition fees for students in England would rise next year. And, as the new Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, faced Sir Keir Starmer for the first time at Prime Minister's Questions, Quentin Letts, political sketchwriter for the Daily Mail and Jessica Elgot, Deputy Political Editor of the Guardian give us their verdict.

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster

Jack Blanchard of Politico analyses the latest developments at Westminster. He speaks to former Labour Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, for his take on the Commonwealth summit and calls from some leaders for the UK to start meaningful dialogue on slavery reparations. As the Government launches a major consultation on reforming the NHS, Jack brings together two MPs with experience of working in the health service: Labour's Paulette Hamilton and Conservative Luke Evans. The former Conservative Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, and London's Independent Commissioner for Victims, Claire Waxman, discuss the government's sentencing policy review. And, after the Trump campaign accuses the UK Labour Party of "interference" in the US election, Jack is joined by spokeswoman for Republicans Overseas UK, Sarah Elliott, and Keir Starmer's former political director, Luke Sullivan.

Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Guardian, is joined by a range of guests. To look ahead to the Budget on 30 October, she speaks to Labour MP and parliamentary aide to the Cabinet Office Torsten Bell and the shadow housing minister Baroness JoJo Penn. With the foreign secretary David Lammy heading to China this week, Labour peer, Helena Kennedy, who co-chairs the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and the former Conservative MP Richard Graham, who, until recently, chaired the all-party parliamentary group on China assess UK-China relations. Former cabinet minister and Conservative MP, Sir Gavin Williamson MP explains why he wants to remove all 26 bishops from the House of Lords. And to discuss how the Taylor Swift row has been handled, Pippa spoke to Tom Baldwin, a former Labour party communications director and biographer of Keir Starmer and Katie Perrior, the founder of the public relations firm iNHouse.

George Parker of the Financial Times analyses the week's political developments at Westminster. In the week of Sir Keir Starmer's 100 days in Number Ten, the former deputy chief of staff to David Cameron, Baroness Kate Fall, and Tony Blair's former director of political operations, John McTernan, discuss the political fallout of the resignation of the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Sue Gray. To discuss the forthcoming budget George is joined by former Treasury minister and crossbecnh peer, Lord O'Neill and the Head of Bloomberg Economics, Stephanie Flanders. Following his retirement from the House of Lords, the Labour politician and founding member of the Social Democratic Party, Lord Owen, discusses his life in politics. Two former Conservative MPs, David Gauke and Miriam Cates discuss the latest in the Conservative leadership contest.

George Parker of the Financial Times analyses the week's political developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's visit to Washington, the former UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Darroch, and Sir Keir Starmer's former director of strategy, Deborah Mattinson, assess the global security situation and what impact the US election will have on Western foreign policy. To discuss the state of the NHS following a damning report from former minister Lord Darzi, George is joined by former Labour Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, and former Conservative Chair of the Health Select Committee Steve Brine. Professor Richard Davies of the LSE, presenter of a new radio documentary about the Port Talbot steel works, explains what this week's government announcement about the plant means for the future of steel-making in Britain. And, as the Spending Review gets underway, George brings together two former Treasury ministers, Danny Alexander and David Gauke, to lift the lid on how departments can wring money out of the exchequer.

Caroline Wheeler of the Sunday Times is joined by a range of guests. To analyse Labour's first few weeks in government, she speaks to Labour MP Rosie Duffield and the former shadow cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth, who now heads up the Labour Together think tank. Two former Conservative leadership contenders, Sir David Davis and Dame Andrea Leadsom discuss the Tory leadership contest. A leading authority on disaster recovery, Professor Lucy Easthope looks at the long awaited report into Grenfell and what lessons should be learnt. And, two new MPs, Labour's Jonathan Hinder and Lib Dem Marie Goldman, discuss what it's like to make a maiden speech.

Pippa Crerar, political editor of The Guardian looks back at the political week in which the new Labour government presented its first KIng's Speech in fifteen years. To discuss the government's legislative programme Pippa is joined by former Conservative Minister George Freeman MP and by Labour MP Mary Creagh, who was re-elected to Parliament earlier this month - having lost her seat in the 2019 election. Former EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Baroness Cathy Ashton and Lord Kim Darroch, who was Ambassador to the United States during the Obama and Trump presidencies, discuss the foreign policy challenges facing Sir Keir Starmer. Following the announcement, in the King's Speech, that the government will remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in Parliament's upper chamber, Pippa Crerar speaks to Charles Courtenay, the Earl of Devon, about his thoughts on the plan. And, what books should a new Prime Minister read? Conservative peer, journalist and author Daniel Finkelstein and Helen Lewis, author and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine, offer their selection of books.

The BBC's Deputy Political Editor, Vicki Young, hosts a live edition of The Week in Wesminster, in the week the general election was announced. Joining her in the studio: The Spectator's Political Editor, Katy Balls, the Financial Times' Political Editor, George Parker, and Guardian columnist and writer, Gaby Hinsliff.

Sonia Sodha of The Observer assesses the latest developments at Westminster. Following the Prime Minister's speech on global insecurity she speaks to former Conservative Defence Secretary, Sir Liam Fox MP, and former Labour International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander. Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation and a former Labour adviser, discusses whether election 'pledge' cards are a good idea following Sir Keir Starmer's campaign event this week. After a knife-edge vote on excluding from Parliament MPs accused of serious offences, Sonia speaks to Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP and Conservative MP Nigel Mills. And, after claims a Liberal Democrat candidate was deselected because of his Christian faith, Sonia brings together the Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, and Polly Toynbee, journalist and vice president of Humanists UK, to discuss whether Christianity and modern politics are compatible.

Ben Riley-Smith of The Telegraph is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss Labour's prospects following the local election results, Ben speaks to former Labour leader, Lord Kinnock. Labour candidate and economist Miatta Fahnbulleh, and Rupert Harrison, a Conservative candidate and former Chief of staff to George Osborne, discuss the economy in the run up to the general election. As John Swinney becomes First Minister of Scotland, Ben brings the SNP's Ian Blackford together with Many Rhodes, editor of Holyrood Magazine, to discuss whether he can bring unity back to the party. And finally, in a week that saw celebrities turn out for the Met Gala in New York, can our politicians take a leaf out of their book when it comes to making the right style decisions. Ben is joined by judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick Grant, and Katie Perrior, former director of communications in Downing Street for Theresa May.

George Parker of the Financial Times is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss the boost to defence spending pledged by Rishi Sunak, he speaks to Labour peer and former head of the navy, Admiral Lord West and former soldier and the chair of the defence select committee, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood. Labour MP, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Conservative MP, Sir Edward Leigh discuss Parliament's approval of the controversial Rwanda deportation bill and consider what happens next. Twenty years on from a near-fatal car crash, dotcom entrepreneur and crossbench peer, Martha Lane-Fox explains what her 'mountain mission' is and discusses technology and artificial intelligence. And, to reflect on the life of former Labour minister and crossbench peer Frank Field who died this week, he is joined by Labour MP Dame Angela Eagle whose constituency bordered his and former Work and Pensions Secretary, Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith

Sonia Sodha of The Observer is joined by a range of guests to analyse the latest developments at Westminster. To discuss the confrontation between Israel and Iran she speaks to former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former British diplomat Sir William Patey. Following newspaper allegations about Conservative MP Mark Menzies she looks at how parties deal with such issues with Francis Elliott, editor of The House magazine, and Anne Perkins, a former political correspondent for The Guardian. Paul Johnson of The Institute for Fiscal Studies explains some new research looking at the success of SureStart and discusses how future governments can do meaningful social policy in an era of fiscal restraint. And, to reflect on the release of Liz Truss's book and her opposition to Rishi Sunak's smoking ban, Sonia is joined by Mark Littlewood, director of the Truss-supporting 'Popular Conservatism' group, and Anna Soubry, a former Conservative MP and public health minister.

Steve Richards is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the political landscape ahead of a general election. Steve is joined by The Spectator's Fraser Nelson, Whitehall Editor at the Financial Times, Lucy Fisher, and Britan Editor at the New Statesman, Anoosh Chakelian.

George Parker, political editor of the Financial Times, looks back at the political week in which the Conservative party's biggest donor, Frank Hester, was reported to have used racist language about Diane Abbott, Britain's first black woman MP. It overshadowed a new government announcement on extremism which was unveiled by Communities Secretary Michael Gove. To discuss both those stories George is joined by one of the Conservative party's most prominent black politicians, Shaun Bailey, who was a former candidate for Mayor of London and now sits in the House of Lords, and Lord Mann, a former Labour MP who is now the government's independent adviser on antisemitism. Following news that the government intends to bring forward a mechanism to ban foreign state ownership of UK newspapers George is joined by Baroness Stowell, Conservative Chair of the Lords Communication and Digital Committee, and Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times. The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, was quizzed by MPs this week about his Budget in which he made a further cut to National Insurance. Lord Macpherson, a former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, discusses whether the Chancellor could phase out national insurance altogether and looks at the economic situation in this election year and beyond. And, after a torrid week, are the wheels coming off the Number Ten operation? And can anything lift the darkening mood among Tory MPs? To discuss that George brings together Sir Craig Oliver, former Downing Street Director of Communications, and Katy Balls, political editor of The Spectator.

Pippa Crerar, political editor at The Guardian, dicusses the Budget with Dame Angela Eagle, Labour MP on the treasury Select Committee and Stephen Hammond, Conservative MP on the treasury Select Committee. She then discusses the Rwanda legislation in the House of Lords with Baroness Shami Chakrabarti and Baroness Catherine Meyer. There's an interview with Mark Drakeford, first minister of Wales who will step down later this month. Plus, what if the US and UK election campaigns coincide? With Lord Kim Darroch, former UK ambassador to USA and Lord Daniel Finkelstein, former national security adviser.

Bloomberg's Emily Ashton discusses the latest developments at Westminster. Emily is joined by Lord Barwell, who served as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Theresa May in Downing Street, and former political adviser to the Labour Party, John McTernan, as they discuss the results of the Rochdale by-election. To discuss Islamophobia, Emily is joined by Baron Walney, the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, and Baroness Gohir, who leads the charity, Muslim Women's Network UK. Emily is joined by the Institute for Government's Jill Rutter, and Dame Sara Thornton, the UK's former Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner to discuss the role of commissioners and independent advisers, following the sacking of David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. And finally, as the Prime Minister hosted a cabinet in Yorkshire this week, Emily brings together the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and Seb Payne, Director of the centre right think tank, Onward, to discuss the importance of politicians getting out of Westminster.

Following the chaotic scenes in Parliament on Wednesday Sonia Sodha of The Observer analyses the political week. Dr Ruth Fox of The Hansard Society explains why an opposition day debate about Gaza, and calls for a ceasefire, descended in to bitter arguments about parliamentary procedure. John Nicolson of the SNP discusses why his party thinks the Commons Speaker should resign over the issue. And, to reflect on the wider crisis, Sonia speaks to former Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood and the Chair of the International Development Select Committee, Sarah Champion, who has just returned from a trip to the Egypt-Gaza border. On Monday the Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, gave a robust response to claims made by the former Chairman of the Post Office who she had previously sacked over the Horizon scandal. Sonia speaks to two MPs who were in the chamber for that statement: Conservative Conor Burns and Labour's Kevan Jones, who has campaigned for many years on behalf of wrongly convicted sub-postmasters. And, after Keir Starmer's chief of staff suggested Labour could make use of citizens' assemblies to decide on contentious issues, Sonia brings together Louise Caldwell, who took part in the Irish citizens' assembly on abortion, and Joe Twyman of Deltapoll, who has helped run such assemblies in the past.

Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster