With Andy Burnham tipped to waltz into Downing Street in a few weeks, the seventh UK prime minister in since 2016 we ask -❓Is the UK ungovernable ?❓Are the public too hard to please?❓Are parliamentary parties addicted to the drama of leadership coups?❓Is First Past The Post failing to drive consensus and compromise in a divided nation?❓Is the fickle faith in leaders a new thing?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

It’s only Wednesday and it’s already been quite the week for the Prime Minister.What questions will he face at PMQs ?Will straight answers be in any greater supply than last week?Join us as we listen to the questions from party leaders and Sir Keir Starmer’s answers.Full exchange on the Parliament Youtube channel Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We take a look at what Andy Burnham’s resounding win in the Makerfield by election might mean.Despite predictions of a photo finish result - Burnham romped home with 55% of the vote.🔴What could the surprise result mean?🔴How quickly will a Labour leadership contest ensue?🔴How many contenders will fight for the crown?Tell us what you think happens next and who will win out.Leave us a comment or send a voice note or email studio@pppodcast.ukSupport Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitFuture shows:- Social media banDo you have something to say about the government's plans to ban social media for the under 16's ?You might think it's the best idea, or may thing it's unworkable or government intrusion into lives where parents should be in control?Brexit - 10 years onHow do you feel about Brexit as the 10 anniversary of the vote to leave the EU approaches on June 23rd.Have you changed your mind? What have been the greatest wins from leaving the EU? What form do you think our future relationship with the EU should take? Should we join the customs union or single market ? Should we rejoin?If you have something to contribute to either the social media ban or Brexit 10 years on topics, please let us know, whether you just have comments to share or maybe would want to join us on the show - send us a message on Facebook or voice-note or email studio@pppodcast.ukSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

The PM’s away, join us as we look at today’s PMQs with David Lammy.Asking questions from the opposition parties were:-Shadow Energy Secretary Claire CoutinhoDeputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy CooperWith Kier Starmer away at the G7, was this the time for the Deputy PM to shine, or was he just filling in? Which questions asked deserved a decent answer? Which got one? How much was point scoring, and how much was policy defining?Full exchange on the Parliament channelSupport Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Refreshed after an exhausting local election campaign, we catch up with Cllr Steve Pitt - Leader of Portsmouth City Council and ask how the minority Liberal Democrat administration in Portsmouth was able to secure a majority & what this changes for the council and the city. We discuss LGR & devolution, and what the uncertainty over the delivery of both creates in the way of problems for the city.We also touch on the uncertainty floating about with the Labour leadership challenge that's effectively on hold until after the Makerfield by election.Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Join us as we review the results from Thursday. Where were the surprises?-Was it as good or as bad as night as some are saying?-Is there any difference between how the wards in Portsmouth North voted vs the wards in Portsmouth South?-With turnout up - was there an increase in votes overall, or were voters for any party more motivated to get out and vote than others?Our Results chartsPCC's Election results pageApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Joining us for our 2026 Drayton & Farlington ward hustings are:-🟦Simon Bosher🟥Matthew Holland(Our invitation was extended to the other three candidates).Hustings rules available on our website https://www.pppodcast.uk/2026-hustings QuestionsWhat are the top three issues in the ward & how would you fix them?Traffic and parking are frequent frustrations for residents - how would you tackle them?What would you do to breathe new life into our shopping areas, or is the high street as we know it dead?How will you increase the availability of defibrillators, and make sure they are shared on the responder app & BHF network so they can be found when needed?To what degree do national politics overshadow local issues - which is more important, person or party?HMOs. Good bad or ugly? Would you seek to improve them, limit them or stop them all together?What would you see the council do to tackle the knife crime and other violent assaults on our city's streets?LGR - good or bad thing for Portsmouth?This year we celebrate the centenary of Portsmouth - what about the city are you most proud?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Joining us for our 2026 Copnor ward hustings are:-🟦Ben Swann🟥Andy Butterworth(Our invitation was extended to the other three candidates).Hustings rules available on our website https://www.pppodcast.uk/2026-hustingshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aT--wYfSSMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2klCbY4ZH4 QuestionsWhat are the top three issues in the ward & how would you fix them?Traffic and parking are frequent frustrations for residents - how would you tackle them?What would you do to breathe new life into our shopping areas, or is the high street as we know it dead?Voter turnout across the city varies significantly, with some wards repeatedly less than half of others. How can this be addressed?To what degree do national politics overshadow local issues - which is more important, person or party?HMOs. Good bad or ugly? Would you seek to improve them, limit them or stop them all together?What would you see the council do to tackle the knife crime and other violent assaults on our city's streets?LGR - good or bad thing for Portsmouth?This year we celebrate the centenary of Portsmouth - what about the city are you most proud?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

In a first for us, our multi-ward hustings - a political pick’n’mix if you like.We put questions to:-🟥Tom Coles (Fratton)🟦Thomas Hoare (Paulsgrove)🟩Elliott Lee (Charles Dickens)Reform and the Liberal Democrats were also invited by did not field a candidate to take part.QuestionsWhat are the top three issues in your ward & how would you fix them?Traffic and parking are frequent frustrations for residents - how would you tackle them?What would you do to breathe new life into our shopping areas, or is the high street as we know it dead?Voter turnout across the city varies significantly, with some wards repeatedly much lower than others. How can this be addressed?HMOs. Good bad or ugly? Would you seek to improve them, limit them or stop them all together?What would you see the council do to tackle the knife crime and other violent assaults on our city's streets?LGR - good or bad thing for Portsmouth?This year we celebrate the centenary of Portsmouth - what about the city are you most proud?Apple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We take a look at the leaders’ questions and the PM’s answers at today’s PMQs.What questions will the opposition party leaders put?Will they get answers?Who comes off the exchanges best?Will the points land or get lost in the noise?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We take a listen to the leaders' questions asked to Prime Minister, Keir Starmer today in parliament.Today's questions come from Kemi Badenoch (Leader of the Opposition) - Leader of the Conservative Party, & Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats.Which questions deserved an answer? Which received one?Who came out the exchange best?How many often repeated phrases did you catch?Our apologies for some audio issues in the last few minutes of the show (note to self - don't have your washing machine running when you're trying to stream a podcast).Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Last PMQ’s before Easter, join us for reactions to the Leaders’ questions and answers from PM Sir Keir Starmer. Today's PMQs includes questions from Kemi Badenoch, Sir Ed Davey & Nigel Farage.Are points being scored, or serious issues landed? Are questions getting answered or are the answers provided responses to a question that wasn’t asked?Who will come out of the event looking serious, with their finger on the pulse of the nation’s woes? Who comes out it looking like they have a clue what the public are worried about? Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We take a look at the highs and lows, the points of argument, the areas of agreement at Tuesday’s full meeting of Portsmouth City Council.In the last full council ahead of May’s local elections - which were the agenda items that passed or did not?11a Cross border taxi licensing & passenger safety (Reform - Strudwick & Madgwick) 🚕11b (Removing) Council of Sanctuary (Reform - Madgwick & Standen) 🆘11c Depaving in Portsmouth (Labour - Smyth & Fielding) 🛣11d Pride in our high sts. (Labour - Fielding & Adeniran) 🛒11e Supporting our Veterans (Lib Dems - Pitt & Sanders) 🎖11f Public Health grant for substance misuse support & treatment (Lib Dems - Winnington & Horton) 🏥12.1 How does the council make sure it doesn't use banking institutions with investments in armaments? (🔴Cllr Smyth to 🔶Cllr Ian Holder - Chair governance & audit & standards Committee)12.2 Provide update regarding planned traffic & road safety schemes across the city including backlogs. (🔴Cllr Feilding to 🔶Cllr Peter Candlish - Cabinet Member for Traffic & Transportation)12.3 What progress on improving recycling rates vs the rest of the country? (🔴Cllr Smyth to 🔶Cllr Dave Ashmore - Cabinet Member for environmental services)Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Join us as we react to PMQs from Wednesday March 18th.Will the point scoring continue?Will questions get answers?Will the football inspired shouting again incur the wrath of Speaker Hoyle?*Unfortunately some technical difficulties affected the livestream. These issues have been removed on the podcast.Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Join us as we react to Prime Minister’s Questions of March 11th 2026.Which questions are you expecting and from whom?How heavily will events in the Middle East shape questions & answers?What will we learn from the PM’s responses?Which of the party leaders will have the better day?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We’re joined by Cabinet Member for Housing & Preventing Homelessness, Cllr Darren Sanders.What are the myths about housing in the city?What are the biggest barriers to availability of affordable housing?What does the council actually do to prevent homelessness and help people back into long term housing?Voting in May's local elections? Make sure you're registered to vote and have photo ID. Deadline to register 20/04/26 Details:- https://www.electoralcommission.org.ukSupport Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

Which questions are you expecting and from whom? What will we learn from the PM’s responses? Which of the party leader had the better day?With events in the Middle East and the US & Israeli attack on Iran being the focus of the questions from Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, and the impact from it on domestic energy prices by Sir Ed Davey (Leader of the Liberal Democrats) - with the point scoring and shouting pause to reflect the severity of the times? (we apologise for the audio issue at the start affecting those watching the recorded live show)Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We report on the Full Council budget meeting of Feb 24th and discuss the recent by election results in Gorton & Denton, & in Shirley, as well as the fresh news this weekend of the US attack on Iran. Among other things, the Council will discuss and hopefully approve a budget for 2025/26 for Portsmouth. A surprise change at the start of the meeting - with the last two members of the Portsmouth Independents Party (PIP) defecting to Reform - bringing the Reform Councillors to 10 and cementing them as the official opposition on Portsmouth City Council.How much will Council Tax be going up this year?With a backdrop of looming local government reorganisation uncertainty, rising costs and ever increasing draws of the public purse - how will Portsmouth balance it’s budget? What investments will be made to make lives better for residents and businesses? Which projects will, and which projects won’t get funded?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

We take a look at the leaders’ questions on this week’s PMQs.As Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces off Kemi Badenoch with a side order of Ed Davey and a dash of Nigel Farage - Who comes off best? What questions actually get answers?Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast

There are few things that get Portsmouth residents excited nearly as much as the apparently endless roadworks, struggles with parking, the prevalence of potholes. Are you Peeved with EV? Are you bonkers about buses? Why are there so many roadworks?Are residents' parking zones (RPZs) just a money making scheme that pushes problems to other streets?What are '15 minute cities' - are they a centralised control or just a pragmatic way to create neighbourhoods that are less car centric? Does the city's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) work in reducing pollution or just push traffic and pollution elsewhere? Why we shouldn't rule out buses if they're slow, inconvenient, confusingly ticketed and expensive? We’ll be taking a deep-dive into all things Traffic & Transportation with Cllr Peter Candlish. Support Pompey Politics PodcastApple PodcastYoutube LandscapeYouTube portraitSubscribe on Youtube, Follow on Facebook or signup for our email newsletter. Donate to support the podcast