Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

Are we going back to the 1970s?

Less than a week since Andy Burnham has become Prime Minister, the Greek chorus of commentators have warned that Britain is ‘going back to the 1970s’. But what do they mean, and does it make any sense...

2026-07-24

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Will Andy Burnham’s new cabinet deliver the biggest change in 40 years?

Andy Burnham has promised the biggest change in 40 years. Is his new cabinet ready to deliver - and does he know how to bring about the change he seeks? To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock...

2026-07-21

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Was Keir Starmer more of a change-maker than he seemed?

Keir Starmer takes a bow amidst much talk that he lacked a mission and sense of governing purpose… but what happens if we follow the policy trail rather than all the noise around his leadership? In so...

2026-07-17

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What are the lessons in the fall and rise of Louise Haigh?

Louise Haigh is a key figure in Andy Burnham’s team and will be back in the cabinet next week when Burnham becomes Prime Minister - a remarkable comeback given she was sacked as Transport Secretary on...

2026-07-14

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Will a contest against Binface make Farage more prime-ministerial?

Farage faces Count Binface in his latest campaign. As a potential prime minister, isn’t there a better use of his time? Plus, Bridget Phillipson on how education can be an instrument of freedom, and t...

2026-07-10

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How much trouble is Nigel Farage in?

The Reform leader is facing more allegations about donations made before he was an MP. Can he lead a ‘people’s revolt’ when stories erupt around him that suggest he is far removed from ‘the people’? ...

2026-07-07

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Eve of the Burnham era: Where does power really lie?

There’s a strong focus on Andy Burnham’s plans for devolution but he has identified a bigger challenge in what he has called ‘the outsourced state’, where unelected agencies and companies run muc...

2026-07-03

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Will Andy Burnham’s big idea work?

Andy Burnham has promised an historic transfer of power from the centre. Unlike some leaders who have made similar pledges he means it. But how will it work? To join in the never-ending debate in the...

2026-06-30

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Who should be Andy Burnham’s Chancellor?

The answer to this question is hugely significant. Look back and mid-term Prime Ministers fall out badly with their chosen Chancellor - too often Labour Prime Ministers seek to reassure the media and ...

2026-06-26

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What does Andy Burnham really think?

I revisit an interview I did with Andy Burnham before the general election, when there was no leadership speculation as Keir Starmer was so obviously heading for victory.  We explore where power...

2026-06-22

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Andy Burnham wins - what follows?

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election by a triumphant margin. What does that mean for the government, and for Reform? To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock & Roll Politics co-o...

2026-06-19

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What if Keir Starmer is right on defence?

Keir Starmer navigated around a reluctant Treasury and dissenting minsters to find a further significant increase in defence spending. It was not enough for John Healey and the mighty defence establis...

2026-06-16

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What is the significance of John Healey’s resignation?

The instinctively loyal John Healey has resigned over the level of defence spending about to be announced - what will be the impact on Keir Starmer’s fragile leadership? And how will resources be foun...

2026-06-12

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Does it matter any more if a by-election candidate is out of their depth?

The Reform candidate in the historic Makerfield by- election has struggled to answer obvious questions about policy and his own social media comments. In today’s dangerous anti-politics mood could thi...

2026-06-09

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Is Farage as formidable as he appears to be?

This week Nigel Farage has chosen to fuel ‘hatred’ in relation to a horrific murder, seeking to politicise crudely and obviously. Has he been too crude and obvious? Is the fracturing on the right an o...

2026-06-05

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Labour’s battle of ideas - much needed or dangerous?

Tony Blair’s essay has triggered detailed responses from Keir Starmer, potential successors and others within the government. Is this a healthy development for a party that seemed fearful of internal ...

2026-06-02

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What does Tony Blair mean by the ‘radical centre’?

In Tony Blair’s latest long essay he claims to be on the ‘radical centre’. In which case, why are his largely vague arguments welcomed most by those on the right? His elegant writing and capacity to f...

2026-05-29

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Do the fashionable assumptions about Andy Burnham make sense?

Leaders and potential leaders are often far more interesting than the stereotypes reported by political journalists. Is this the case with Andy Burnham? To join in the never-ending debate in the Rock...

2026-05-27

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Is this the strangest leadership crisis in modern times?

Keir Starmer continues as Prime Minister. Andy Burnham fights a by-election as a potential future Prime Minister. Is Burnham a by- election candidate and leadership candidate simultaneously? Or can he...

2026-05-22

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Why is the phrase ‘Brexit Wars’ dangerous for Britain?

Wes Streeting says he wants Britain to rejoin the EU at some point. Andy Burnham has noted often that Brexit has been a calamitous seismic shock, and the cabinet and most voters agree. Yet this i...

2026-05-19

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Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

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