After a rather tumultuous 365 days in Number 10, head boy Boris Johnson faces the date every schoolboy dreads - his school report. Simon Walters enlists the help of school Matron Amanda Platell to work out how many As the former Eton star schol

Rishi Sunak’s mini budget is built to kickstart the conked out COVID economy - but does it add up?

Jul 8th, 2020 26m 37s

The Chancellor sounded more like Sunak the socialist than Rishi the rich banker as he splurged billions to get Britain’s economy moving again - but which is the real Rishi, ask Simon Walters and Amanda Platell. Plus, Simon talks to former deput

Two VERY different perspectives on Boris Johnson's 'Build Build Build' promise

Jul 1st, 2020 27m 53s

Is Boris Johnson stealing Labour's clothes - or is he just the Tory emperor with no clothes at all? Simon Walters and Amanda Platell hear two very different views of Boris Johnson's spending splurge this week, from his biographer Andrew Gimson

Business secretary Alok Sharma on why the Government has NOT put the economy above the nation's health

Jun 24th, 2020 22m 34s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell are finally seeing light at the end of the long lockdown tunnel - and Amanda has big plans to go to the pub and marry the first man that asks. Simon talks to business secretary Alok Sharma about the Government's

Andrew Mitchell MP on why foreign aid decision is the Tory party ‘reverting to type’

Jun 17th, 2020 20m 1s

Should Marcus Rashford move from his No 10 position into No 10 Downing Street? Simon Walters and Amanda Platell contemplate the wreckage of another Government U-turn (and a very confused Matt Hancock). Plus, Simon speaks to Tory MP Andrew Mitch

Nadhim Zahawi on why it makes sense that children can go to zoos... but not schools

Jun 10th, 2020 24m 8s

The big question for Simon Walters and Amanda Platell is, has ‘Priti Patel’ replaced Boris Johnson as the strongest voice of the Government, after what can only be described as a packed week in British politics. Simon Walters asks Business Mini

Why Dominic Cummings' 60-mile 'eye test' could be as bad for the Government as the expenses scandal

May 27th, 2020 35m 47s

Could Dominic Cummings lockdown travels prove as damaging to the Government as MPs claiming expenses to clean their moats? Top pollster James Johnson believes so, as Simon Walters and Amanda Platell steer a steady course through a VERY turbulen

Amber Rudd: Let me tell you about Boris’s woman problem (and it’s not what you think)

May 20th, 2020 29m 50s

The former Home Secretary has some choice words about Boris’s bloke-packed Cabinet in a new episode of our brilliant politics podcast with Simon Walters and Amanda Platell. So, wonders Amber Rudd, would countries with women in charge handle the

Simon’s back (from coronavirus) and Amanda’s SINGING – on a brilliant NEW episode of our political podcast

May 13th, 2020 26m 52s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell return! Simon reveals he's been battling coronavirus for a month (while Amanda has battled boredom alone in her flat with her cat and Captain Birdseye). Simon talks to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on why Bor

Boris's close friend Will Walden on the childhood struggles which give the PM his inner strength

Apr 8th, 2020 22m 15s

With a guest appearance from Amanda Platell's cat, this week's podcast sees Amanda and Simon Walters taking stock of the shock news about Boris Johnson. Simon speaks to former Boris advisor Will Walden about the Prime Minister's early struggle

Labour's Jon Ashworth on what's behind Britain's lack of coronavirus tests. Plus, Amanda saves some ants from certain doom

Apr 1st, 2020 21m 24s

Simon and Amanda are both isolated in their homes (and coping in very different ways). This week, Simon interviews Labour MP Jon Ashworth about Britain's handling of the crisis (and why there are still not enough virus tests to go round). Plus,

Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick on who should (and shouldn't) still be working. Plus, Salmond versus Sturgeon in a new Scottish battle of the fishes

Mar 25th, 2020 25m 44s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell are still apart, but offer a weekly dose of politics insight and analysis from their homes regardless. This week, cabinet minister Robert Jenrick answers Simon's questions on jobs, travel and working with Labour

Self-isolation special: Simon and Amanda phone in with the latest on the coronavirus crisis (and Steve Barclay joins in)

Mar 18th, 2020 22m 49s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell record this week's podcast from their two homes for the first time, offering insights into the unfolding coronavirus crisis. Plus, Brexit minister Steve Barclay talks about the Government's £350 billion bailout,

Chancellor Rishi Sunak storms the Coronavirus budget, looking like a Prime Minister in waiting. Plus dire warnings about another threat from China.

Mar 11th, 2020 26m 8s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell take a side-ways look at the Budget – could Rishi Sunak be the next Prime Minister? Plus, rebel Tory leader Bob Seely warns Boris Johnson to back down over Huawei plans, and Simon and Amanda launch a campaign to

'Beast of Bolsover' Dennis Skinner on losing his seat (and teasing Maggie Thatcher). Plus, handshakes, politics... and coronavirus

Mar 3rd, 2020 27m 7s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell reveal their unique strategies for avoiding coronavirus (and Simon bravely shakes hands with a health minister), while Simon chats to the legendary 'Beast of Bolsover', former miner Dennis Skinner, on why he won

Should No 10 ‘weirdo’ in race row have kept his job? Toby Young thinks so.

Feb 19th, 2020 24m 20s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell get two very different perspectives on the 'super recogniser' who stepped down this week over controversial posts, with Toby Young convinced he has been thrown to the wolves, and former speechwriter Ian Birrell

It’s Carrie (the girlfriend) v Cummings (the ‘gunslinger’) in the battle of No 10!

Feb 12th, 2020 25m 35s

In a brilliant new episode of our politics podcast, Simon Walters and Amanda Platell ask: why ARE the unelected Carrie Symonds and policy svengali Dominic Cummings arguing over the PM’s imminent Cabinet reshuffle… and why should they have any i

Has 'Dastardly Dom' overstepped the mark this time?

Feb 5th, 2020 25m 59s

Simon Walters and Amanda Platell and guests Tory spin doctor Nick Wood on Dominic Cummings and this week's lobby row, and Conservative MP Sir Mike Penning about families forced to pay £2,000 a month to treat their children's epilepsy with canna

Some EU lose: Mark Francois and Anna Soubry reveal their VERY different plans for Brexit day

Jan 29th, 2020 26m 36s

With Simon Walters and Amanda Platell and guests Mark Francois on his plans to stay up and see the glorious new dawn on Brexit day, and arch-remainer Anna Soubry’s very different plans for this Friday. Plus Army veteran Tom Tugendhat about why

Former Labour minister Peter Hain on why Lisa Nandy could be the next Prime Minister

Jan 22nd, 2020 27m 36s

With Simon Walters and Amanda Platell and two Conservative MPs with very different views on the HS2 rail link: Michael Fabricant, who thinks it should be scrapped, and Andrew Mitchell, who believes Boris will be a laughing stock if he does so,

Boris Johnson faces his first big challenges (but we can't stop staring at his socks)

Jan 15th, 2020 28m 35s

With Simon Walters and Amanda Platell and guests Tobias Ellwood on why Boris must keep Huawei’s hands off Britain’s 5G network, MP James Gray tells Boris not to betray Troubles veterans and MP and psychiatrist Dr Dan Poulter talks about his wor

Labour peer Maurice Glasman on why it might take 25 years for his party to get back into power

Dec 18th, 2019 36m 58s

With Simon Walters and Amanda Platell and guests Maurice Glasman on how it might take a generation for Labour to come back to power, former Thatcherite minister Connor Burns on whether Boris really is the new Thatcher, and Andrew Bridgen on why