Rephonic
Artwork for How To Win An Election

How To Win An Election

Times Radio
Labour Party
Keir Starmer
Conservative Party
Rishi Sunak
Donald Trump
Brexit
Reform UK
Liberal Democrats
Tony Blair
David Cameron
Kemi Badenoch
UK Politics
Political Strategy
UK Elections
Downing Street
Immigration Policy
Austerity
Gordon Brown
Rachel Reeves
Boris Johnson

The Times brings together some of the most experienced strategists in British politics to discuss what's really going on behind the big stories, and elections taking place here and around the world.

Daniel Finkelstein, Sally Morgan and Polly Mackenzie join Hugo Rifkind for an intelligent, adversarial and witty conversation every week.

Follow the podcast now to never miss an episode.

Send questions... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes129Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for How To Win An Election

Latest Episodes

The Makerfield by-election is going to be huge - if Andy Burnham wins, Labour will believe it has a route to beating Reform UK at a general election. If Reform wins, then it will clear Nigel Farage's path to power and plunge the government into (furt... more

The struggle for the future of the Labour Party, and the country, has begun, even as Keir Starmer tries to hang on.

The political masterminds look at the potential pitfalls for Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham - and discuss whether Labo... more

Sally Morgan, Polly Mackenzie, Danny Finkelstein (and Hugo) explain what's behind a chaotic day at Westminster - where Keir Starmer vows to carry on, despite a growing number of MPs and ministers calling for him to go.

Why didn't the cabinet speak o... more

Labour has taken a hammering at elections in England, Scotland and Wales, with Nigel Farage calling it an ‘historic shift in British politics’ - does this add up to the end of the two-party system, and does it add up to the end of Keir Starmer?

Sall... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Political Currency
Political CurrencyPersephonica
Not Another One
Not Another OneSteve Richards, Miranda Green, Tim Montgomerie and Iain Martin
Political Fix
Political FixFinancial Times

Recent Guests

Polly Mackenzie
Director, political think tank
Demos
Episode: Emergency Episode: How Long Can Starmer Cling On?
Daniel Finkelstein
Political commentator and former advisor
The Times
Episode: Emergency Episode: How Long Can Starmer Cling On?
Luke Tryll
Executive director of More In Common; pollster; host of the Opinion Brief podcast; former special advisor
More In Common
Episode: How To Decide When (And If) The PM Will Be Challenged
Danny Finkelstein
Tory Peer, Times columnist
Episode: How To Defeat The Populists
Simon Finkelstein
Former advisor to Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor and Dominic Raab as Foreign Secretary
UK Government/Conservative circles
Episode: How To Sell Starmer The Statesman
Patrick Maguire
Co-author, The State Of It book contributors
The Times / The State Of It
Episode: How Starmer Became The Passive Prime Minister
Gabriel Pogrund
Co-author, The State Of It book contributors
The Times / The State Of It
Episode: How Starmer Became The Passive Prime Minister
Nick Clegg
Former Lib Dem leader, former Deputy Prime Minister
Liberal Democrats
Episode: How... The Elections Were Won And Lost: Nick Clegg
Gavin Barwell
Former Downing Street Chief of Staff
Episode: How Labour Could Reverse Brexit

Host

Hugo Rifkind
Host of the show

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 534 ratings
  • Better with Chorley

    Sally Morgan should say ‘in the end’, and ‘actually’ a bit more often. And also keep interrupting others.

    Matt Chorley added way more value. Don’t find Hugo very insightful or original.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Bath time now
    United Kingdom12 days ago
  • Going downhill

    Started off as a good podcast, now an attempt for the commentators to shoehorn ‘oh look I can make a different point to you’ and the presenter making feeble, embarrassing attempts at comedy.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Sw1200
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • áp

    As a non-UK political enthusiast, obsessed with UK politics this is, by far the best political podcast available!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ÀPpol
    Belgium5 months ago
  • The best politics podcast

    My favourite of the many political podcasts I listen to. An unmatched mix of humour, knowledge and debate. Love them all but I could listen to Danny tell his anecdotes and political science theories all day.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BradEThom
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Simply excellent

    This is a weekly must-listen for me. It’s a good blend of topical politics and insight into raw political strategy, with balance from across the spectrum. It’s presented in a light hearted way without losing any of the serious insight.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BC 2951
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Overall, praised for intelligent, informed debate and high production quality.
Some episodes feel repetitive or dominated by strong personalities, which can dampen the balance for some listeners.
Listeners appreciate the thoughtful analysis and cross-party perspectives from regulars.
Balanced, adversarial discussions with insider tone, great depth on politics and leadership.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#47
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#102
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#47
Japan/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#62
Saudi Arabia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#109
Russia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#110
South Korea/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How To Predict Whether Starmer Will Survive 2026
Q: If Labour loses power in Wales next May, would Keir Starmer be done for as Prime Minister?
The results are kind of baked in; if Labour does badly, it may reduce the risk of challenging Starmer but it's unclear if there will be a significant response in terms of leadership change.
How To Raise Taxes
Q: What do you think about the argument for a grid system for government communications?
Polly argues it keeps everyone busy while allowing for necessary background work, suggesting complexity is needed in government communication.
How To Raise Taxes
Q: How damaging do you think it would be to break that manifesto commitment?
Sally believes it is always difficult to break a manifesto commitment and wishes they had been upfront about the need for tax increases earlier.
How To Prevent Party Conference Chaos
Q: Are there any circumstances where the government might want to hold an election early?
Danny Finkelstein discusses the probabilities affecting the timing of elections, suggesting that the government is likely to wait until the last minute to maximize their chances as they anticipate a better political climate.
How To Win The Summer
Q: What are the implications of leaders taking holidays during summer?
Danny suggests that while it might appear they are not working, leaders like David Cameron managed to find a balance between work and family, which is important for their temperament.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Win An Election

What is How To Win An Election about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A high-signal UK politics discussion featuring experienced strategists and policy insiders who dissect leadership contests, party dynamics, and policy trade-offs with sharp wit and adversarial rigor. Episodes frequently tackle labour leadership, by-elections, the rise of reform-oriented challengers, and how international events influence domestic political strategy, often contrasting insider perspectives with polling and public mood. Notable strengths include a knowledgeable panel drawn from journalism, think tanks, and Westminster circles, plus a host who keeps debates lively without sacrificing depth. The show is likely to appeal to politically engaged listeners who enjoy thorough analysis, historical context, and practical implications f... more

Where can I find podcast stats for How To Win An Election?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for How To Win An Election. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to How To Win An Election and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does How To Win An Election get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for How To Win An Election, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for How To Win An Election?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for How To Win An Election, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does How To Win An Election have?

To see how many followers or subscribers How To Win An Election has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to How To Win An Election?

These podcasts share a similar audience with How To Win An Election:

1. Politics Unpacked
2. Political Currency
3. Not Another One
4. The State of It
5. Political Fix

How many episodes of How To Win An Election are there?

How To Win An Election launched 3 years ago and published 129 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact How To Win An Election?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for How To Win An Election?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for How To Win An Election from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for How To Win An Election?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of How To Win An Election. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on How To Win An Election?

Recent guests on How To Win An Election include:

1. Polly Mackenzie
2. Daniel Finkelstein
3. Luke Tryll
4. Danny Finkelstein
5. Simon Finkelstein
6. Patrick Maguire
7. Gabriel Pogrund
8. Nick Clegg

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days