Politics At Sam and Anne's

Three things from Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy to start your political day.What the government is having to deal with – the unpredictability of Donald Trump.Just as Britain signs up to troops in Ukraine if there’s a peace deal, it’s having to use its best diplomatic language on what the President’s thinking about Greenland.What the government wants to deal with – publishing the road safety strategy which is something every driver will have a view on.What some government sources are thinking – Sam’s got a story about whether AI is to blame for a massive rise in the number of Written Questions in the Commons.You can vote for Politics at Sam and Anne’s in the people’s choice category at the Political Podcast Awards here - https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/the-peoples-choice-award/

The Starmer drama continues as the PM is warned by the Scottish Labour leader to stay away ahead of a crucial set of local elections – so, how popular is Keir Starmer across the board?Well, not very according to the first weekly check-in on the state of the polls in 2026 – as ‘Never Here Keir’ jets off to Paris for another Coalition of the Willing meeting.Before that, it’s the first cabinet of the New Year – and Sam and Anne have exclusive news on a potential revolt over business rates, as well as threats to industry to lobby less aggressively if it wants a u-turn.

It's a new year but does Keir Starmer still have the same problems? The Prime Minister is already under scrutiny, at home and abroad, to clarify his position on Donald Trump’s actions to strike and capture Venezuela’s President Maduro. Can he ‘beige’ it out or will he bow down to the pressure from his opponents and critics? Elsewhere, as MPs flock back to Westminster for 2026, is the PM premiership in a stronger or weaker position since the Christmas break? - Sam has all the behind-the-scenes reaction. Plus, is deeper integration with the European Union on the cards? You can vote for Politics at Sam and Anne’s in the people’s choice category at the Political Podcast Awards here - https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/the-peoples-choice-award/

Could the next 12 months mould a new type of British politics, or could it break the entire system?Sam and Anne make their predictions and get into the political meat and potatoes of 2026, focusing on:If all the party leaders will still be in post?Could the local elections force a seismic change in UK politics?Does Britain still have a role in Europe and around the globe?Politics at Sam and Anne’s returns for daily service on Monday 5 January.

As Parliament wraps up for 2025 – Sam and Anne reflect on a tumultuous year in British politics, looking at the highlights but mainly the lowlights.The duo use their ‘glass half empty, glass half full’ approach to gauge if anyone can look forward to 2026 with pleasure or look back to 2025 in horror.Politics at Sam and Anne’s will be back for a special look ahead episode to 2026 on Monday 29th December, with normal daily service resuming on Monday 5th January.