Politics At Sam and Anne's

With the budget barely a fortnight away, chancellor John Healey is warning of mounting economic headwinds. Can he ease the pressure on the public finances without loosening the purse strings?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy test the tightrope Healey is attempting to walk ahead of a major speech to the International Monetary Fund.
Elsewhere, is Donald Trump’s energy deal with Vladimir Putin putting the UK’s support for Ukraine to the test? And why has Andy Burnham chosen now to confirm Russian interference in the Brexit vote?
Plus, Sam has an exclusive on how the promise of more money for regional mayors might not be worth as much as they were hoping.

With conference season in the rear-view mirror, Andy Burnham jets off to Germany for his first European trip as PM - but how much do Anglo-German relations matter right now?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy look ahead to his meeting with German chancellor Friedrich Merz as the countries attempt to align ambitions and maybe find an avenue to rejoin the EU.
Elsewhere, an MP gets in touch to ask whether the government is trying to curb transparency and scrutiny.

She promised a “battle for the soul of the nation” – but can Kemi Badenoch turn her vision for the Conservatives into an electoral revival?
In a special debrief episode from the Tory conference in Birmingham, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the big pledges in the leader’s speech – from abolishing inheritance tax on family homes to her deeply personal intervention on race, identity and her own mixed-race children.
Has Badenoch now drawn a clear enough dividing line between her party, Andy Burnham and Nigel Farage?

It’s Kemi Badenoch’s big day at Conservative conference - but it’s not just the adoring party faithful she has to impress.
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy look at how the leader’s speech will land with both voters and party donors – in what she’s calling a “battle for the soul of the country”.
There are already signs the Tories’ finances are not in the shape they need to be to fight an election on two fronts – with our hosts picking up clues from the conference hall in Birmingham.
Plus, Sam and Anne check in on the state of the Green Party, after delegates adopted a motion declaring Zionism as a form of racism. What does it mean for leader Zack Polanski?
You can find the candidate standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election here.
Sam and Anne will return later for a special de-brief edition following Kemi Badenoch speech, which will be released mid-afternoon.

The ‘Burnham Bounce’ is extending Labour’s lead in the polls – so are the Conservatives anywhere near ready to challenge?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the latest polling numbers and what they mean for Kemi Badenoch as the party struggle to define its offer on the economy, triple lock and social care.
Back in London, Chancellor - John Healey - meets Britain’s biggest banks ahead of the Budget, amid growing speculation over tax rises and a key intervention from a former chief of staff to Rachel Reeves.
Plus, as the United States pull out their bombers from RAF Fairford, just how serious is the threat?