David and Helen talk to Nick Timothy, former chief of staff in Downing Street under Theresa May, about the future for Boris Johnson's government. Is he now safe from leadership challenges? Can he hold together the coalition that won the 2019 election? Is Keir Starmer the one under pressure? Plus we discuss where the next big destabilising threat to this government might come from: Scotland, Northern Ireland, the EU, China?
Talking Points:
Is Johnson’s political position more secure now?
Boris probably doesn’t want to be an austerity prime minister.
Starmer still faces serious structural problems: Labour is in trouble in Scotland and the increasing importance of cultural issues create problems for Labour in the Red Wall.
Who is in the biggest trouble in Scotland?
The Tories are worried about the union, but there aren’t obvious solutions.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Further Learning:
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Niall Ferguson on Catastrophe
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Union at the Crossroads
Wales, England and the Future of the UK
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Technopopulism
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Sunakonomics
Northern Ireland: Past, Present, Future
What Does Jeremy Think?
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