Best Leadership Conference On Civil Podcasts (2025)

1
How did Neil Kinnock defeat Militant? 1:06:13

Play Pause

2d ago1:06:13

1:06:13

Neil Kinnock’s showdown with Militant Tendency at the 1985 Labour conference is one of the standout moments of his Labour leadership - and of the entire history - of the Labour Party. In this week's episode, Lee and Richard explore the history of ginger groups in the Labour Party; how Militant established themselves in Liverpool in the early 1980s;…

1
Matters of Interest: Refurbishing Number 10 & The Crisis of Reading 42:55

5d ago42:55

42:55

In the latest Matters of Interest, Richard tears apart the complaints made by some employees in government about the condition of Number 10 Downing Street, opening up a discussion about the refurbishments of the building over the years and the power of Number 10 versus other government departments. Then Lee takes issue with a recent report about di…

1
Who achieved 'the most significant by-election success ever’? 54:23

9d ago54:23

54:23

In this week's podcast, Richard and Lee are joined by historian Tom Chidwick to discuss the life and times of Dick Taverne. In the early 1970s, the Labour MP for Lincoln was deselected by his party over Europe; in response, he resigned his seat and stood in a spectacular by-election. When voters went to the polls, Taverne achieved what John Curtice…

1
Matters of Interest: BBC Neutrality & Net Zero 43:08

13d ago43:08

43:08

In their regular mid-week episode, Lee and Richard clash on the current scandal engulfing the BBC before Richard shares some anonymous correspondence from the heart of Whitehall, exposing some of the challenges we face in being an effectively-governed nation. Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful …

1
How did war shape our politicians? 1:08:58

16d ago1:08:58

1:08:58

In this episode, released on Remembrance Sunday, Lee and Richard discuss four titanic politicians of the twentieth century shaped by their experience of war. Clement Attlee and Harold Macmillan both served with distinction in the First World War, and Denis Healey and Edward Heath in the Second. This podcast looks at what their contribution to the w…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Ambassador Christopher Hill 58:58

18d ago58:58

58:58

Thursday, October 30, 2025

1
Matters of Interest: Politicians Changing Names & Funding Political Parties 45:08

20d ago45:08

45:08

In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard shares some remarkable examples of leading British politicians who have chosen not to go by the name they were given at birth. Who did it? And why? Then Lee discusses the recent reforms to political donations in Australia, with a lively discussion about the need for - and the pitfalls of - reforming the w…

1
How did the MPs' expenses scandal unfold? 1:12:21

23d ago1:12:21

1:12:21

In this week's episode, Lee and Richard discuss the biggest political scandal of a generation: the publication of MPs' expenses in 2009. Reported on by the Daily Telegraph after the sensational leak of over a million and a half documents from Parliament, the scandal captured the attention of the nation. From duck houses to moat cleaning, phantom mo…

1
Matters of Interest: The size of the Civil Service, Digital ID & Compulsory Voting 44:19

27d ago44:19

44:19

In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard reflects on the historic size of the Civil Service and considers whether Reform's plan to reduce it is really the solution to getting things done in Britain. Lee thinks back to the noughties when Labour last tried to introduce ID cards and asks what Keir Starmer could learn from Tony Blair. And the pair d…

1
Why was Britain absent from the EU's beginning? 1:01:38

1M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

In this week's podcast, we discuss one of the most important forks in the road in Britain's post-war history: when Clement Attlee's Labour government refused to take part in discussions on the Schuman Plan, which would become the European Coal and Steel Community and ultimately evolve into the European Union. What motivated their decision? Was it G…

1
Matters of Interest: 'Are the old Political Parties over?' & Thatcher's Legacy 45:28

1M ago45:28

45:28

Richard kicks off this week's 'Matters of Interest' episode by discussing whether the old political parties in Britain - the Conservatives and Labour - are dying, changing, or simply finding they have new competitors vying for power. Lee focuses on the question of Margaret Thatcher's legacy, one he is keen to defend - and Richard even keener to con…

1
Did Margaret Thatcher have to resign as Prime Minister? 1:12:32

1M ago1:12:32

1:12:32

October 2025 marks 100 years since the birth of Margaret Thatcher. In this week's podcast, Lee and Richard discuss the dramatic events that came in her sixty-sixth year: her downfall as Prime Minister. Why did she resign after eleven and a half years in Number 10? Could she have fought on? And if she had stayed in power, would she have won the 1991…

1
Matters of Interest: Political Awareness, Party Memberships & Public Loos 41:47

1M ago41:47

41:47

This week, Lee and Richard discuss whether the public really pay attention to politics - with Lee challenging the shibboleth of some political commentators that very few people really pay attention to what is going on in Westminster. They also discuss party memberships, following news that the Lib Dem membership has halved in the last five years. A…

1
Was Barbara Castle Labour's Iron Lady? 1:13:22

1M ago1:13:22

1:13:22

115 years ago this week, one of Labour's most iconic politicians was born. Barbara Castle grew up in Yorkshire before attending Oxford University and becoming a Labour MP in 1945. For over three decades, she was one of the best-known MPs in the country and one of the most forceful advocates for socialism. In this episode, Lee interviews Richard abo…

1
Matters of Interest: Tory Conference, ECHR & Churchill's Boozy Prescription 34:46

2M ago34:46

34:46

Throughout the month of October, Lee and Richard are experimenting with mid-week editions of Matters of Interest. In this first episode, Lee returns from Conservative Party Conference and shares his thoughts on Margaret Thatcher's legacy and the Tories' newly announced policies. And Richard discovers an almost century-old prescription given to Wins…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Soft Power - An Essential Element of Foreign Relations 57:39

2M ago57:39

57:39

1
The Crucible of Conference (Episode 2 of 2): The Conservatives' 2005 Party Conference 1:08:07

2M ago1:08:07

1:08:07

In the second part of their miniseries on consequential party conferences, Richard and Lee discuss the Conservatives' 2005 gathering in Blackpool. In the wake of their third successive election defeat, Tories gathered on the Fylde coast to mull over the choice of leader. The front-runner at the start of proceedings would bomb on the conference stag…

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: Leadership in Times of Crises 59:40

2M ago59:40

59:40

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: Civil Rights and the Fight for Multi-Racial Democracy 57:52

2M ago57:52

57:52

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: Next Generation of Leadership 56:54

2M ago56:54

56:54

Thursday, September 25, 2025

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence 57:25

2M ago57:25

57:25

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: The Highest Calling 59:40

2M ago59:40

59:40

Monday, September 22, 2025

1
The Crucible of Conference (Episode 1 of 2): Labour's 1952 Party Conference 1:01:50

2M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

With party conference season underway, Lee and Richard begin a new two-part miniseries discussing some of the most consequential Labour and Conservative conferences in the post-war era. First up is Labour's 1952 conference in Morecambe. Amidst pelting rain, Britain's socialists gathered in opposition for the first time in over a decade. The party w…

1
Speaking in Maine: COA Institute: The Troubles: Uncovering the Story 53:57

2M ago53:57

53:57

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

1
Why did John Major resign (and then stand again for) the Tory leadership? 1:11:36

2M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

In June 1995, John Major shocked the political world by resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. But in the very next sentence of his resignation statement, he confirmed that he would be standing to be his own successor. Why? What did he hope to achieve? Who stood against him? And what were the consequences? We look back 30 years to these dra…

1
Labour Lives Cut Short (Episode 3 of 3): John Smith 1:25:01

2M ago1:25:01

1:25:01

We conclude our miniseries on the Labour politicians whose lives came to premature ends with John Smith. After spending his early life practising law in Scotland, Smith served in the Wilson and Callaghan governments before 1979. In opposition, he was never far from the action - and in 1992 was chosen overwhelmingly to lead the Labour Party. Yet aft…

1
Speaking in Maine: Camden Conference: An Evening with Nick Schifrin 58:07

3M ago58:07

58:07

Thursday, September 24, 2025

1
Labour Lives Cut Short (Episode 2 of 3): Anthony Crosland 1:16:11

3M ago1:16:11

1:16:11

In part two of our mini-series looking at the Labour politicians whose lives came to tragic and premature ends, we turn to Anthony Crosland. Having established himself as one of the lighthouses of socialist thinking in Britain, Crosland became a senior minister in the Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan governments. He left his mark wherever he went, i…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Farah Pandith 58:42

3M ago58:42

58:42

Thursday, September 4, 2025

1
Labour Lives Cut Short (Episode 1 of 3): Hugh Gaitskell 1:25:06

3M ago1:25:06

1:25:06

Richard and Lee begin a new mini-series looking at the Labour politicians whose lives came to tragic and premature ends, starting with Hugh Gaitskell. After becoming Chancellor just five years into his time as an MP, Gaitskell became the flagbearer for the Labour Right and, in 1955, the successor to Clement Attlee. His first meeting with the voters…

1
How did Churchill use Chartwell to change the course of history? 59:52

3M ago59:52

59:52

For this episode, Lee and Richard are joined by Katherine Carter, the curator of Chartwell, Churchill's country home, and the best-selling author of 'Churchill's Citadel'. Their discussion ranges from Churchill's decision to buy a semi-ruined home in rural Kent to the remarkable cast of characters - from Britain and around the world - that he invit…

1
"Alice, who the **** is Alice?" 55:24

3M ago55:24

55:24

Alice Mahon may not be a well-remembered figure today, but for 18 years she served as MP for Halifax. In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss how this working class Yorkshirewoman entered the House of Commons and how her left-wing politics were received in Tony Blair's Labour Party. In doing so, they reflect on Blair's style of party management - …

1
Bonus: What was it like working for Ted Heath? 45:34

3M ago45:34

45:34

In a special bonus episode to mark 25,000 downloads of the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast, Lee and Richard interview Dr Mark Garnett, a renowned historian of the Conservative Party and researcher for Ted Heath on the former prime minister’s memoirs. They discuss Heath’s approach to writing his much-anticipated autobiography; his ideology; how he …

1
Whatever happened to the Young Conservatives? 1:00:43

4M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

In 1949, the Young Conservatives boasted 160,000 members. They were the largest political youth organisation in the free world. Their social events were iconic and thousands of marriages, it was said, had been formed after encounters at Young Conservative committee meetings or balls. But by the mid-1960s, the organisation was declining; by the 1980…

1
Was 'Black Wednesday' actually a good day for Britain? 1:08:55

4M ago1:08:55

1:08:55

Black Wednesday, also known as the Sterling Crisis of 1992, is one of the most traumatic events in Britain's post-war economic history. It left Britain looking devalued and powerless compared to the economic powerhouse of Germany, whilst for John Major and his government it was a blow to their economic credibility from which they would never recove…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Sherri Goodman 58:36

4M ago58:36

58:36

Wednesday, July 30 ,2025

1
The Attlee vs Churchill Elections (Episode 3 of 3): The 1951 General Election 1:11:42

4M ago1:11:42

1:11:42

The third and final instalment of a special mini-series on the Attlee versus Churchill elections turns to the 1951 general election. In some respects, it was a repeat of the contest 20 months earlier - similar candidates, similar ideas, and a similar number of votes for both parties. But due to the workings of the electoral system, it gave the Cons…

1
The Attlee vs Churchill Elections (Episode 2 of 3): The 1950 General Election 1:04:49

4M ago1:04:49

1:04:49

The 1950 general election, the second contest between Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill, came four and a half years after Labour's landslide victory at the end of the Second World War. In many ways, this election was a referendum on the agenda implemented by Attlee as prime minister, from the NHS to the nationalisation of 20% of the economy. For…

1
The Attlee vs Churchill Elections (Episode 1 of 3): The 1945 General Election 1:15:20

5M ago1:15:20

1:15:20

The 1945 general election is undeniably one of the key turning points in modern British history. It's also the first of three general elections that the namesakes of this podcast - Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee - fought against each other as leaders of their parties. In this first of three special episodes charting the Attlee vs Churchill el…

1
What happened when Tony Blair cut benefits for single mums? 1:05:43

5M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

In 1997, Tony Blair returned Labour to power with a landslide majority. But many people who hoped for radical change were left disappointed when he announced that Labour would continue with the Tory plan to scrap the Lone Parent Premium, a welfare top up for single parents. Lone parents protested; Labour MPs revolted; and Blair had to decide whethe…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Ken Frankel 57:35

5M ago57:35

57:35

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

1
What were the Kennedys up to in Britain? 1:04:39

5M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

In this special episode, we're joined by Presidential historian Alvin S. Felzenberg to discuss the rich and complex relationship between the Kennedy clan and the United Kingdom. How did this Irish American family, whose patriarch was appointed American Ambassador to Britain, cope with being in England? How did it shape the young Kennedy children? A…

1
Why did Stanley Baldwin secretly donate 20% of his wealth to the nation? 1:04:31

5M ago1:04:31

1:04:31

In 1919, a remarkable letter appeared in The Times. The author had estimated the value of his estate and decided to give 20% of it to the government as a 'thank offering' for the sacrifices made in the First World War. The letter was simply signed 'F.S.T.'. It would be several years before people discovered that the letters stood for 'Financial Sec…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman 57:46

5M ago57:46

57:46

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

1
How did 'Women Against the Common Market' try to keep Britain out of Europe? 1:05:56

5M ago1:05:56

1:05:56

In 1970, an eccentric and passionate Eurosceptic campaign group was founded: Women Against the Common Market. Its founder, Anne Kerr (a former Labour MP) was determined to prevent Britain's entry into the European Economic Community and wanted to persuade women to stand with her. Of course, she failed to keep Britain out - and sadly died before she…

1
Was Eden right about Suez after all? 1:09:15

6M ago1:09:15

1:09:15

The 1956 Suez Crisis has gone down as one of the most shameful events in modern British history. After Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, part owned by the United Kingdom, the British government desperately sought to re-assert its authority. A conspiracy developed with France and Israel to intervene and strike a blow ag…

1
Did Labour choose the wrong Miliband brother? 1:14:47

6M ago1:14:47

1:14:47

After 13 years in government, the 2010 general election saw Labour ejected from office and on the hunt for a new leader. Curiously, two brothers - David and Ed Miliband - stood against each other in a five-way battle to lead the party. This divisive leadership contest led to accusations of fratricide and, when Ed won, many in Labour conclude that t…

1
S08 E04: Law and Disorder: Immigration, Policing, and Community Distrust 53:20

6M ago53:20

53:20

In this episode, we explore the harms of the Trump Administration’s “unleashing” of law enforcement and what that means for immigration enforcement and policing. As ICE raids and deportations increase, local police departments are being pressured to take on immigration enforcement duties. The lines between public safety and federal immigration poli…

1
How did Viscount Stansgate become Tony Benn MP? 1:02:47

6M ago1:02:47

1:02:47

In 1961 and 1963, two by-elections took place that changed British politics, and the fortunes of Tony Benn, forever. The first came after Benn was removed from the House of Commons following the death of his father. This elevated Benn to the peerage as the second Viscount Stansgate and meant, although Benn won the by-election, he was denied his sea…

1
Speaking in Maine: Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations: Joshua Landis 58:47

6M ago58:47

58:47

Thursday, May 22, 2025