Who should be the next prime minister?
5/14/20261 hr 9 min
Wes Streeting’s resignation is the latest domino to fall amid the threat to Keir Starmer’s premiership, in a chain reaction that could lead to months of chaos. Ed Balls and George Osborne evaluate where the government and Keir Starmer can go from here. Should he resign? And how would Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband, and the wildcard option of Al Carns, fare against him in a leadership contest?
News of Streeting’s departure came between our live YouTube stream and recording of this episode – so listen for Ed and George’s instant reaction.
Fresh from a trip to Canada, George suggests the success of Mark Carney, or Australia’s Albert Albanese, could be a template used as a template for a Labour government to rebound, regardless of leader. Does it show Labour needs to take a bolder stance on issues like fossil fuels and immigration?
And finally, as President Trump continues his consequential trip to Beijing, the pair assess how the China-US relations could be vital for Trump in this year’s mid-terms. Does Trump need Xi more than he needs him? And are the two countries inseparable no matter the strength of their relationship?
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Credits:
Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Avi Asher & Oliver Geraghty
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGreg James0:00
Hello podcast listener.
George Osborne· Host0:01
Hello you.
Greg James0:02
It's me, Greg James.
George Osborne· Host0:03
And me, Alice Levine.
Greg James0:05
Now look, I know that you're very much enjoying this podcast that you're listening to, and we're sorry to interrupt, we really are.
George Osborne· Host0:12
And it genuinely might not be our place to say, but is it time to try something new?
Greg James0:17
We would like to steal you for our new podcast, it's called Bad Chat.
George Osborne· Host0:21
And it sounds a bit like this.
Greg James0:22
[beep] This, this one goes out to the walkers and the talkers and the late nights.
George Osborne· Host0:26
Stalkers.
Greg James0:27
[laughs] Stalkers. Oh, maybe not that one. [beep] Alice is my best friend. I am not Alice's best friend.
George Osborne· Host0:31
[beep] Do you know that horses' legs are their fingers?
Greg James0:34
[beep] That is a bit of Bad Chat from me, Greg James- And me, famously, Alice Levine ... listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Ed Balls· Host0:42
[upbeat music] This is Political Currency.
George Osborne· Host1:04
With Ed Balls and George Osborne.
Ed Balls· Host1:06
[upbeat music] So we are remote this Thursday morning. Uh, George has just flown in from, uh, Canada, I think, and your flight was late. I've been hanging around.
George Osborne· Host1:25
Yeah, I just got off a flight from Ottawa. I've never been to Ottawa before in my life.