About this podcast
Politically is BBC Radio 4's home for insightful, inside takes on how politics and power really work.
Step into a world steeped in ambition and intrigue... a world that demands tough decisions and delicate compromises.
And let those who've walked the corridors of power reveal how they believe them best navigated, through the frank and illuminating series you'll find in this feed.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 56 episodes
- 1956: End of Illusion: 2. Oil · 15 min · Season 8 Episode 2The American presidential election in November 1956 coincided with two of the greatest crises of the postwar era: Suez and Hungary. In July of that year, the Suez Canal had been…
- 1956: End of Illusion: 1. Election Day · 15 min · Season 8 Episode 1The American presidential election in November 1956 coincided with two of the greatest crises of the postwar era: Suez and Hungary. In July of that year, the Suez Canal had been…
- 1956: End of Illusion: Trailer · 1 min · Season 8The American presidential election in November 1956 coincided with two of the greatest crises of the postwar era: Suez and Hungary. In July of that year, the Suez Canal had been…
- Reflections: Series 4: Caroline Lucas · 28 min · Season 7 Episode 3The former Green Party leader speaks to James Naughtie about her years in Parliament, and how it feels to see her party thrive just as she stands down. In fourteen years…
- Reflections: Series 4: Jeremy Hunt · 29 min · Season 7 Episode 2The former Chancellor reflects with James Naughtie on tough choices and political resurrection. Jeremy Hunt held four Cabinet jobs - including almost six years as Health…
- Reflections: Series 4: Jerry Brown · 28 min · Season 7 Episode 1The former Governor of California oversaw the world's fifth largest economy for sixteen years, ran three times for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 10: Impact on Politics · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 10There’s no doubting just how divisive Brexit was. Whatever side of the debate you sat on, the strength of feeling ran high. It split opinion, ruptured political parties and…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 9: Impact on Europe · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 9In the decade since the Brexit referendum, much has been said about the effect the decision to leave had on the UK. But what is the view from Europe? What did the EU make of…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 8: Fishing and Farming · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 8The UK's fishing and farming industries were at the core of Brexiteer's arguments for regaining British sovereignty over our land and produce. For many in the industries and the…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 7: Science and Academia · 14 min · Season 6 Episode 7The UK's membership within the EU meant that when it came to science and academia, the UK and EU were close collaborators. In both sectors, close ties meant that countries could…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 6: Regulatory Freedom · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 6Claims of a ban on bendy bananas came to symbolise what many Brexiteers saw as a fundamental problem with the EU - burdensome bureaucracy and onerous regulation that stifled UK…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 5: The Union · 14 min · Season 6 Episode 5When Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, politicians in Scotland and Wales hoped that the UK’s departure would mean more freedom for their governments over national matters…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 4: Northern Ireland · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 4When the UK voted to leave the EU, Northern Ireland became one of the most contentious aspects of the Brexit negotiations. The prospect of a border between Northern Ireland and…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 3: Immigration · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 3The debate on immigration was at the heart of the Brexit referendum, and sparked strong emotions from both Leave and Remain voters. Those who voted for Brexit saw it as an…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 2. Trade · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 2During the Brexit referendum, the Leave campaign argued that exiting the EU would allow the UK to sign more lucrative independent trade deals with other nations. Remainers warned…
- Ten Years After Brexit: 1. The Economy · 15 min · Season 6 Episode 1It is 10 years since the Brexit referendum. In this series Alex Forsyth, a BBC correspondent who’s covered Brexit from both Brussels and Westminster, looks at what impact the…
- Reflections: Series 3: Steve Baker · 29 min · Season 5 Episode 4Steve Baker was a pivotal figure in the Brexit turmoil that engulfed the Conservatives. Becoming an MP in 2010 order to help achieve Britain's severance from the European Union…
- Reflections: Series 3: Malcolm Rifkind · 29 min · Season 5 Episode 3Edinburgh-born former lawyer Sir Malcolm Rifkind was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1974. A former Defence and Foreign Secretary, he served continuously as a minister for…
- Reflections: Series 3: Diane Abbott · 29 min · Season 5 Episode 2Elected to parliament in 1987, Diane Abbott was the first black female MP and is known as the 'Mother of the House'. In a conversation with James Naughtie recorded in May 2025…
- Reflections: Series 3: John Kerry · 38 min · Season 5 Episode 1James Naughtie talks to former US Secretary of State John Kerry about his life and political career. At his home in Massachusetts, which he represented in the United States…
