Episodes
5 days ago
028 | 22nd April 2024
5 days ago
5 days ago
Another one bites the dust- accused of embezzling party campaign funds, Lancashire MP Mark Menzies has resigned the Tory whip and announced that he will not be standing at the next General Election. Why are so many of our parliamentarians being caught up in bizarre scandals these days?
And, with just over a week to go before a crucial set of local and mayoral elections, we take a look ahead to the London contest - could Sadiq Khan be under more pressure than commentators think? Welcome to the latest episode of the Downtown Den politics podcast...
Monday Apr 15, 2024
027 | 15th April 2024
Monday Apr 15, 2024
Monday Apr 15, 2024
999 indictments against him, an insurrection that he arguably led back in 2020 and a fear that he is closer to Putin than NATO, yet it is the issue of abortion that may, just may derail Donald Trumps presidential candidacy- what is the state of the Biden/Trump race at the moment?
Closer to home, the local election campaigns are well underway- but what state is local government in England in? - And the Angela Rayner saga has gone to another level this week- how much trouble is Labours Deputy leader in? Welcome to the Downtown Den Politics Podcast.
Monday Apr 08, 2024
026 | 8th April 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Birmingham City Council went bust last year. The government commissioners are in, and they have announced a 9-point improvement plan. We’ll be looking at that, and reflecting on some of the personalities who have been part of the collateral damage, as one of the biggest local authorities in Europe fell foul of new equal rights legislation, austerity- and no doubt some mismanagement too.
Elsewhere in the West Midlands Andy Street seems to be fighting to retain his mayority by disassociating himself from the Tory party- is the tactic working?
William Wragg and Angela Rayner- now there’s two names in ever thought I’d be uttering in the same sentence. However, both have found themselves in a bit of trouble this week. Can they survive their respective controversies. And, Easter break or not, the polls kept coming- and the results were more fair trade chocolate than cadburys for Rishi Sunak. Welcome to the Downtown Den politics podcast.
Listen to the Deborah Cadman podcast: https://downtowninbusiness.podbean.com/e/season-4-episode-4-leaders-deborah-cadman/
Get your tickets for Change Makers Live 2024: https://downtowninbusiness.com/cml/cml24/#book
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
025 | 3rd April 2024
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
Whilst you were tucking into your Easter eggs and hot cross buns at the weekend, Rishi Sunak was having to digest the devastating results of a mega poll which shows that the Tory Party is on course to not just lose the forthcoming General Election - but get a thorough trouncing. Could the most successful election winning machine in Western Europe really be heading towards oblivion? Welcome to the Downtown Den politics podcast...
Monday Apr 01, 2024
024 | A Downtown Den Recap | Lord Michael Heseltine
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Monday Apr 01, 2024
This week we revisit a previous podcast episode, where Frank McKenna chats with Lord Michael Heseltine.
A political giant for more than five decades, the man who many believe to be ‘the best Prime Minister we never had’, Lord Michael Heseltine, joined DIB boss Frank McKenna in the Downtown Den this week.
‘Hezza’, also affectionately referred to as ‘Tarzan’ by Tory activists in the 1970s and 80s, has been at the forefront of public life since 1979 when he was given his first cabinet role by Margaret Thatcher as the Secretary of State for the Environment. He has also served as the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Trade & Industry, and Deputy Prime Minister.
A staunch advocate of the UK remaining in the European Union, Lord Heseltine is President of the European Movement.
Despite a general antagonism towards Conservative leaders and politicians, the city of Liverpool have made Heseltine an ‘adopted Scouser’, following his pivotal role in helping to regenerate the city in the early Eighties, when he was given the title ‘Minister for Merseyside’. He was made a Freeman of Liverpool in 2012 and he is still a regular visitor to the city.
In this wide-ranging conversation, the successful entrepreneur and politician discusses his role in Liverpool’s renaissance; his frustrations with Brexit; his time in government; and his vision for the future.
In this fascinating discussion, Lord Heseltine chats to Frank about:
His role in the urban regeneration of Liverpool
Devolution
The overdominance of London
Levelling Up
Brexit and re-establishing EU relations
His impressive political career
Highs and lows of governments over the years
Local government reorganisation
His favourite Prime Minister
Monday Mar 25, 2024
023 | 25th March 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Labours shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the Mis Lecture this week. Did she lay out a progressive programme of economic reform, or has her pragmatism taken her to a place where she is simply promising to be Continuity Jeremy Hunt?
MPs salaries increased to £91K per year – is that too much, not enough, or just about right?
And mixed news for Rishi Sunak in the polls this week – one had the Tories on just 18% of the vote – but others showed that, if the Conservatives decided to ditch the prime minister, the government would be even more unpopular. Have Tory MPs decided ‘better the devil you know?’
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
022 | 19th March 2024
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Another challenging week for prime minister Rishi Sunak saw one of the party’s red wall champions defect to reform, a row over a Tory donor’s racist comments, and a further flurry of speculation about an imminent challenge from within for the leadership of the conservative party. Can Sunak really survive in downing street until the autumn – or is a summer election now inevitable.
Also, in the news this week – the news! Ofcom have tickled GB News over breaches to its rules & regulations, the row over the future ownership of the telegraph and the spectator has gone nuclear, and the press has been criticised in some quarters for its recent coverage of the royal family – what is happening to the mainstream media in the uk – and is the local and regional media industry dead?
Welcome to the Downtown Den Politics podcast.
https://downtowninbusiness.com/cml/cml24/#book
Monday Mar 11, 2024
021 | 11th March 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Last week Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, tried to restart, reset, reshape the government with his budget. Did it work? That's what Jim Hancock and Frank McKenna will be discussing in this week's Downtown Den political podcast.