The Politics Show

Reform clearing its own officials of breaking party funding law, Kemi Badenoch’s inheritance tax gambit and was Britain really better off in the 1980s?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Will Dunn for our weekly round up.

READ: https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2026/10/spains-warning-to-andy-burnham

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/the-sketch/2026/10/vegan-sausages-and-loathing-at-green-party-conference

https://www.newstatesman.com/business/economics/2026/10/was-britain-really-better-off-in-the-1980s
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Labour has held the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, with Sagal Abdi-Wali retaining the seat for the party despite a hard-fought contest from Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

The result preserves Labour’s long-standing grip on the constituency, and disrupts Polanski’s momentum.

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Megan Kenyon and Ben Walker to discuss.
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At the Green Party conference, party members backed a motion to describe Zionism as racism.

Zack Polanski, currently campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, missed the controversial vote, which called for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.

Is this a watershed moment for the Green Party?

Anoosh Chakelian is joined by Megan Kenyon.
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At this week’s Labour conference, Andy Burnham announced bigger and bolder policy ambitions than anyone expected. Was this too big a swing? Or the grand vision the country needs?

Elsewhere, next Thursday, there is a by-election happening in Holborn and St Pancras, the seat vacated by Keir Starmer.

Oli Dugmore is joined by business editor Will Dunn and political correspondent Megan Kenyon to discuss.
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Labour Conference 2026 draws to a close with Andy Burnham's speech.

The PM's announcements included scrapping the triple lock pension, electoral reform, a new help-to-buy scheme, Great British Grid, an end to the public ownership ban on water companies and a range of options for our relationship with Europe which he will be looking into.

Anoosh Chakelian is at the Labour Conference and is joined by Ethan Croft and Ailbhe Rea to discuss.
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