In the week of Dominic Cummings' jaw-dropping testimony to Parliament, Jack Blanchard takes a closer look at the role special advisers play within government, and at just how powerful these shadowy figures really are.
Theresa May's former chief aide Nick Timothy talks about his all-powerful role inside Downing Street, and what it feels like to become a magnet for unwanted press attention. Two more former Tory advisers, Salma Shah and Peter Cardwell, discuss their close relationships with their ministers, and how the high pressure and long hours can leave you exhausted and burned out. Former Labour adviser Theo Bertram describes what it was like to work as a close adviser to Gordon Brown in No. 10, often delivering the bad news the prime minister didn't want to hear. And the Institute for Government's Tim Durrant, a former civil servant, explains how political advisers and Whitehall officials sometimes — though not always — work hand in glove.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The art of the TV debate
The media and the UK election: Can Fleet Street still win it?
Is the Bank of England really a secret political player?
How to prepare a secret Tory leadership campaign
Inside the Westminster honey trap scandal
The secrets of the pollsters
Leak inquiry: what happens when Westminster's secrets are spilled
How Westminster fell in love with Australian politics
How to prepare for opposition
How a small town in England opened its arms to Ukraine
Diary of a by-election
A boozy lunch with Tim Shipman
Inside GB News
The year ahead in 54 minutes
How did Britain's prisons go so wrong?
The art of the political apology
How to get ready for government
Is Westminster ready for the return of Donald Trump?
How to get sacked from government
Revenge of The Blob
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free