Podcast from Ed Balls and George Osborne. The former rivals take us behind closed doors into the rooms where decisions are made. New episodes every Thursday.
They were insiders. Now they’re out.
Subscribe to Political Currency - the new podcast from Ed Balls and George Osborne.
First episode: Thursday 14th September.
🎧
George Osborne tells the “untold story” of why Boris Johnson missed crucial government meetings in the early days of the pandemic…
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"Never, ever have a referendum on anything" - Michael Gove, as you've never heard him before on Vote Leave, David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Brexit
A three-part special: 'Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots"
🎧 Subscribe to Political Currency:
“Some pretty staggering things have been said on those Whatsapp messages… really disgusting and misogynistic language.”
@George_Osborne
says the Covid inquiry will reveal astonishing texts sent by those in No. 10.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"Underneath Alistair Darling's calmness, he was a radical. He thought he could change things for the better." -
@edballs
and
@George_Osborne
pay tribute to the former chancellor, whose death has just been announced.
“Armageddon is coming for the Tory party.”
@George_Osborne
gives his verdict on what the by-election defeats mean for the Conservatives.
@edballs
says it’s a “political earthquake”.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“This is no time for a novice.” How The Sun’s Rebekah Brooks chose this killer line for Gordon Brown’s conference speech.
Listen to the latest episode of Political Currency 🎧
“Suella should be exuding the authority of her office rather than becoming yet another newspaper columnist.” - George Osborne says Braverman has demonstrated her powerlessness through her article.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
He's back! We're recording our first 'Hot Take' bonus episode today. Send your questions and voice notes to questions
@politicalcurrency
.co.uk. And subscribe to the podcast here so you get the episode as soon as it lands. 🎧
"It's a mistake."
@George_Osborne
warns Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak that abandoning the second leg of HS2 to Manchester would be a "real tragedy".
Subscribe to Political Currency 🎧
💰 It’s Budget day!
Join Ed Balls and George Osborne at 3pm for their LIVE reaction to Jeremy Hunt’s spending plans. Will it be enough to win the Tories the next election?
✉️ Send us your budget questions: questions
@politicalcurrency
.co.uk
📺 Watch:
Did this interview in David Cameron’s kitchen change the course of British politics forever? Did it lead to Boris Johnson campaigning for Brexit?
@susannareid100
asks a brilliant question in our Christmas special. 🎧 Listen now:
Hoping for an early general election?
@George_Osborne
says it won’t be until January 2025 unless Rishi Sunak thinks he has any chance of winning before.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
🎙️ BONUS EPISODE: The return of David Cameron 🎙️
George Osborne brings us the inside scoop on his closest political ally's return to government. Listen to our first 'Hot Take' bonus episode 🎧
Also, this now opens the door for the rerun of Osborne.
He will want a safe seat, if such a thing exists and then into leader of the opposition slot.
You heard it here first.
Nothing happens by accident for these guys. It is all long planned.
'One of my officials found two Chinese men rummaging through their luggage.'
After allegations of spies in Parliament,
@George_Osborne
tells
@edballs
that he was always on high alert on working trips to China as Chancellor.
Listen to the first episode of Political Currency 🎧
Nadine Dorries once called
@George_Osborne
an ‘arrogant posh boy who doesn’t know the price of milk’. Now the former Rt Hon. Member for Mid Beds is out of office, George responds…
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
'There's no way Labour are going to fall into Sunak's trap on HS2' - Former shadow chancellor
@edballs
sets out the challenges for
@RachelReevesMP
at their conference.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency
"Sunak could call Suella Braverman's bluff and assert his authority." - George Osborne makes the case for firing the Home Secretary now.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“Things are really starting to disintegrate”
George Osborne says Natalie Elphicke’s defection to Labour is more than just ‘another bad day’ for Rishi Sunak
🎧 Listen:
BREAKING: Former PM David Cameron has been seen entering Downing Street amid a government re-shuffle.
Latest 🔗
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube
‘Not a single member of the Cabinet phoned Mark Carney in the last year. Rachel Reeves was pursuing him’.
@George_Osborne
says the Tories have lost the hunger for power but Labour wants it.
Listen to Political Currency 🎧
George Osborne says pulling out of the ECHR is "off the table" because David Cameron is the Foreign Secretary.
🎧 Coming soon on the latest episode of Political Currency...
“The Tory civil wars have completely reopened.” - George Osborne says Rishi Sunak has lost control of his party over his Rwanda plan.
🎧 Listen to our latest episode:
"Why was not more effort made....to find a much more high profile candidate?"
George Osborne thinks the Conservative London mayoral candidate leaves a lot to be desired. Ed Balls thinks the Tories should have looked closer to home...
🎧 Listen:
Ahead of our next ‘Inside The Room’ miniseries,
@michaelgove
joins us on today’s episode to share his prediction for the date of the general election.
🎙️ Follow Political Currency in your favourite podcast app to get the episode when it lands:
David Cameron heard "the sound of the trumpet" when the PM offered him a job. George Osborne tells Ed Balls the Foreign Secretary is "a changed individual" and he will do things differently now.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“You know 350 million wasn’t accurate!” - Ed Balls challenges Michael Gove over the NHS ‘Brexit bonus’ claim that Vote Leave put on the side of their campaign bus.
🎧 Listen to our three part podcast series - ‘Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots’:
George Osborne reveals his pact with David Cameron and Boris Johnson to remove a Tory leader in a confidence vote. But who bottled it?
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"A fish rots from its head." - George Osborne and Ed Balls discuss the toxic culture in Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings' Downing Street.
🎧 Listen to the latest episode of Political Currency:
“The idea that voters in Hartlepool are concerned about Pericles’ ancient statues is an odd Red Wall strategy” - George Osborne says Sunak’s row with the Greek PM shows the Tories are lacking a coherent strategy to win the next election.
🎧 LISTEN:
On Israel's response to the attacks,
@edballs
says "in Downing St and Starmer's office there will be great worry and concern they can't express without seeming not to support Israel."
@George_Osborne
thinks "there will be unease across the West at the bombings in Gaza, and a
🚨 BONUS EPISODE 🎙️
INSIDE THE ROOM: The Coalition Talks
Key negotiators - Danny Alexander, George Osborne and Ed Balls - draw back the curtain on five dramatic and emotional days in May 2010 that changed Britain... Warning: it gets heated!
🎧 LISTEN:
“David Cameron has upgraded Britain's foreign policy clout” – George Osborne says the former PM is operating on a higher level than previous foreign secretaries
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“Politicians have to level with people. If you don’t want these numbers coming in, you’ve got to increase the pay of care home staff.” - Ed Balls and George Osborne say it’s time for an honest conversation with voters about immigration.
🎧 LISTEN:
🎙 INSIDE THE ROOM 🚪👀
🤝 Behind the scenes of the final days of coalition talks
💥 The moment
@dannyalexander
told Gordon Brown he had to go
🚫 Why the 2024 election won’t end with a Labour-Lib Dem coalition
🎧 LISTEN:
Is
@George_Osborne
right to say that the majority of Brits would agree with Suella Braverman on immigration?
@edballs
says the Home Secretary has a responsibility not to wind up the far-right.
Listen 🎧
“In the UK, the populist leader Nigel Farage ends up in the jungle eating camels’ penises” - After a far right party wins the most seats in the Dutch election, Ed Balls makes the case for the First Past The Post voting system.
🎧 LISTEN:
“Jeremy Hunt has been bounced. This is not the Autumn Statement he wanted to deliver” - Ed Balls says the Chancellor has been put under pressure by Rishi Sunak, who wants to show he’s a tax-cutter.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“Mrs Duffy was not a bigoted woman” - Ed Balls says politicians shouldn’t dismiss legitimate concerns around the scale and pace of immigration as racist.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“You looked Gordon Brown in the eyes and told him he had to go” - Sir Danny Alexander describes one of the most dramatic moments of the coalition negotiations.
🎧 Listen to ‘Inside The Room’ from Political Currency:
"My advice to Germany is don't have a referendum on leaving the EU unless you actually want to leave!" - Ed and George reflect on the possibilities of 'Dexit' after speaking to European politicians at Wolfgang Schäuble's funeral.
🎧 LISTEN:
“There was a sense of loss and mourning. We knew this might be the last time any of us served in Downing Street” - Ed Balls takes us behind the scenes of New Labour’s final moments in power.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
Ed Balls and George Osborne were joined by a very special guest for our upcoming Inside the Room: The Brexit Plots, out next Thursday.
And while Michael Gove was there, they couldn't help but grill him on his election predictions...
🎧 LISTEN:
“The trouble with David Cameron and George Osborne is they don’t know what it’s like to buy a sausage roll” - Ed Balls asks the former Chancellor about the ‘pasty tax’ and the ‘Ominshambles Budget’ of 2012.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"Fix the date now, end the speculation, forestall any leadership contest."
George Osborne says it’s time for Rishi Sunak to call the date of the election.
🎧 Listen:
After the scenes we’ve seen in central London today, is it time for Rishi Sunak to sack Suella Braverman?
🎧 Listen to the latest episode of Political Currency:
Could Nigel Farage be the next Tory leader?
He was the talk of Conservative party conference.
@George_Osborne
now worries this could be the beginning of a new era of “Faragism” inside the party.
Listen to Political Currency 🎧
On the first episode of Political Currency...
🕵️♀️ Spies in parliament
🚝 Why HS2 shouldn't be abandoned
👴🏽👵🏼 Is it wise for the government to pick a fight with pensioners?
🎧 Listen here
Apple:
Spotify:
“You stole my f*****g Budget!” - As we look ahead to the Autumn Statement,
@edballs
lifts the lid on the Blair - Brown bilaterals.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"Rishi Sunak is opening up a new fight in the Tory party." -
@George_Osborne
says that tearing down the achievements of David Cameron's government won't help the PM win the election.
Listen to Political Currency 🎧
"That is Gordon Brown's bedroom! That is how close we are to power" - In this special episode, George Osborne, Danny Alexander and Ed Balls take us 'Inside The Room' of the coalition talks that put Cameron & Clegg in Number 10.
🎧 LISTEN:
What’s the most damaging political photo ever taken?
Ed and George think No. 10's Covid garden drinks picture was "catastrophic" for Boris Johnson and the Tories... and they have a few thoughts on who took it🤔
🎧 Listen to EMQs:
“Keir Starmer has got to establish discipline” - Ed Balls says that any shadow cabinet member now calling for a ceasefire needs to leave, if the Labour leader wants to keep his authority.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"The real bogeyman is Boris Johnson" -
@George_Osborne
says Rishi Sunak is aiming his crossbow at the former prime minister, as the government U-turns on its green policies.
Listen to the latest episode of Political Currency 🎧
🫕 Labour's 'cheese fondue offensive' at Davos 🧀
George Osborne says Rishi Sunak’s decision not to attend the gathering of global leaders is "a mistake" and has allowed Labour to grab the microphone.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
Thanks to everyone who's listened to our first episode.
We're delighted to have gone straight in at Number 1 on the
@ApplePodcasts
chart! 🎉
Listen here 🎧
EXCLUSIVE: Sajid Javid pushed Downing Street to strip Lee Anderson of the whip, telling them "he's got to go".
George reveals all on Political Currency.
🎧 Listen:
"Dr who?!"
@george_osborne
's best ever celebrity meeting is Straight Outta Compton. The only trouble is,
@edballs
has never heard of him...
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“Is there more I could have done to persuade David Cameron not to hold a referendum on the EU?” -
@George_Osborne
and
@edballs
reflect on decisions they wish they’d taken differently.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"You'd think they would check with Kemi Badenoch."
The Tory MP broke ranks to say donor Frank Hester's comments were "racist". Ed and George think No. 10 should have called them out in the first place.
🎧 Listen:
The second part of ‘Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots’ with
@michaelgove
is here…
🇩🇪 Remain consider pleading with Merkel for a last minute concession
😴 Michael Gove thinks Leave has lost and gets an early night…
🎧
"Do we go to Merkel and plead for a final concession?" - George Osborne reveals how he and David Cameron considered a last-ditch attempt to avert Brexit during the final stages of the referendum campaign.
🎧 Listen to 'Inside The Room: The Brexit Plots':
💬 Should Joe Biden be more open about his speech impediment?
On EMQs, Ed Balls answers
@amolrajan
’s question about the American President and shares his own experience of having a stammer.
🎧 LISTEN:
"It's quite an attractive political trap for the Conservatives to set."
@George_Osborne
explains why Jeremy Hunt may decide to underrate pensions and benefits ahead of the next election.
@edballs
says it would be "crazy".
Listen to Political Currency 🎧
🔍 MISSING: Where is the EdStone?
Ed and George ponder what happened to Ed Miliband's stone slab. And Ed asks if it might find a home in the British Museum, along with some other political artefacts... 🥑
🎧 Listen to EMQs:
“Suella Braverman will move against Rishi Sunak”. George Osborne says firing the former Home Sec showed courage, but the PM has created an implacable opponent on his backbenches.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
🗳 The Budget has sent rumours of a May election swirling in the Tory party - even at the very centre.
George makes it clear what he thinks of the idea...
🎧 LISTEN:
“If King Charles has to read a speech that says we’re watering down green commitments, people are going to look very closely at his facial expressions.” - George and Ed look ahead to next week’s King’s speech.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
The Tory Party is writing a “very long suicide note” by failing to build houses.
George and Ed say plunging home ownership is bad news for the economy – and is encouraging young people to abandon the Conservative party.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
“Why spend the time connecting Birmingham or London to Manchester when you’ve already got a line there?”
@edballs
makes the case for HS3 over HS2.
Listen 🎧
"The next time a Mr Bates comes knocking on a junior minister's door, they're going to get the appointment they didn't get in 2010" - George Osborne and Ed Balls reflect on the Post Office scandal.
🎧 LISTEN to Political Currency:
Today's episode will be available as polls close at 10pm, with
@George_Osborne
and
@edballs
' insights on what the local election results could mean for Sunak and Starmer.
🎧 Follow Political Currency to get the episode as soon as it lands:
"If you do pull off a proper tactical voting operation, when there's a government people want to get rid of, it can be very effective."
George Osborne says the Conservatives are "very worried" about tactical voting in the next election.
🎧 Listen:
“If you’re going to win this election, you’ve got to stick to your message and not make mistakes ' - George Osborne on Rishi Sunak's week of unnecessary mishaps.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
Was Liz Truss brought down by the Bank of England? We discuss this right-wing Tory conspiracy theory on the latest episode of Political Currency.
🎧 Listen:
“Hostages would address their final video message to David Cameron, and he insisted on watching them.” -
@George_Osborne
talks about the huge pressure put on leaders when hostages are involved.
🎧 Listen to Political Currency:
"Every time someone from Eton becomes prime minister, it's a catastrophe!" - Ed Balls and George Osborne discuss Rishi Sunak's take that attacking his private school education is 'un-British'.
🎧 Listen to Ex-Ministers' Questions:
Last Christmas before polling day? George Osborne reveals Downing Street are putting plans in place for a general election in November or December 2024…
🎧 LISTEN to Political Currency:
🎙 CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS...
💰
@Jeremy_Hunt
asks if budgets can win elections
🎄
@RachelReevesMP
asks about memorable Treasury Xmases
📺
@susannareid100
on the best political TV interviews
🏛
@stephenfry
grills George on the Parthenon Marbles
🎧 LISTEN:
"I insisted on sitting there alone in the cinema at the premiere for five minutes to see my own credit..."
Why has George got a credit at the end of Star Wars? And was waiting to see it "pathetic or admirable"?
🎧 Listen to EMQs:
"It's all the more reason to press on with our efforts to reach an agreement with the Greeks." -
@George_Osborne
says he's working hard to strike a deal on the Parthenon Sculptures, despite Sunak's diplomatic gaffe.
🎧 Listen to the latest episode: