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Westminster Hour

BBC Radio 4
Labour Party
Conservative Party
Donald Trump
Keir Starmer
Rachel Reeves
Ukraine
NHS
Reform UK
NATO
UK Economy
Brexit
Iran
United Kingdom
Liberal Democrats
Kemi Badenoch
House Of Lords
Disability Benefits
European Union
Public Finances
Green Party

The big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis from politicians and journalists, 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes28Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentNews

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Artwork for Westminster Hour

Latest Episodes

Ben Wright's guests are the Labour MP Catherine West, Conservative former Cabinet minister Sir John Whittingdale, and Hannah Peaker - deputy chief exectuive of the New Economics Foundation. They discuss Catherine's role in the ending Sir Keir Starmer... more

The long-awaited decision on North Sea drilling approaches, should the UK put tariffs on Chinese electric cars, and how can our politicians plan better for the future?

Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.

Ben Wright is at the Conservative Party conference with Tory deputy leader, Alex Burghart, polling expert Scarlett Maguire and Lucy Fisher - Whitehall editor of the Financial Times. They discuss Kemi Badenoch's blueprint for government and her focus ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Catherine West
Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and former Foreign Office minister
Labour Party
Episode: What's the chancellor planning in his first Budget?
John Whittingdale
Conservative MP, former culture secretary and member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee
Conservative Party
Episode: What's the chancellor planning in his first Budget?
Hannah Peaker
Deputy chief executive of the New Economics Foundation
New Economics Foundation
Episode: What's the chancellor planning in his first Budget?
George Parker
Political editor of the Financial Times
Financial Times
Episode: What's the chancellor planning in his first Budget?
Shevaun Haviland
Director general of the British Chambers of Commerce
British Chambers of Commerce
Episode: What's the chancellor planning in his first Budget?
Lara Bird
SNP MP discussing North Sea energy policy and Scottish independence.
Scottish National Party
Episode: What will the government decide on North Sea drilling?
Phil Cowley
Academic at Queen Mary University of London who researched public perceptions of political short-termism.
Queen Mary University of London
Episode: What will the government decide on North Sea drilling?
Timo Harakka
Deputy Chair of the Finnish Parliament's Committee for the Future.
Finnish Parliament
Episode: What will the government decide on North Sea drilling?
Joe Powell
Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater since 2024; previously worked at the Open Government Partnership
House of Commons
Episode: 11/10/2026

Hosts

Ben Wright
Host with extensive involvement on Westminster‑centric discussions; associated with BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour.
Nick Erdly
Co‑host known for political journalism and panel moderation on Westminster Hour.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 369 ratings
  • Really!!!

    I used to respect this forum. As a proud Hindu and perhaps a more proud British citizen, loved that the press was independent (relatively) and spoke truthfully about the issues at hand. But I really despaired while listening to this podcast. To give an example.. your audience was waxing eloquent about the ‘integrated Britain’ of old, the need to show the ‘far right’ what British values are! What about the fact that entire swathes of Muslim communities remain segregated, follow a different commu... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Cjanoam
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • October?

    Bloody BBC to quote the late great Alf Garnett.

    Can’t even get the date right!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Pierre58
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Thanks For Everything Carolyn

    So sad that Carolyn is hanging up her hat. She’s been a delight. Thank you for your unique style of interviewing. Other political interviewers look and learn, rude confrontation does not achieve results.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lexie 77
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Excellent

    Carolyn Quinn is a great interviewer, and always gets the balance just right in these discussions.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SocksyG
    United Kingdom4 years ago
  • Well worth a listen

    Informative, interesting, Caroline Quinn is fantastic

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    killiskey
    Ireland4 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Audiences frequently praise depth of policy discussion and real‑time context to current events.
Feedback often mentions the value of hearing both MPs and journalists on complex issues.
Some episodes are critiqued for guest selection or perceived bias, especially when taking a single party's line.
Listeners appreciate the balanced, cross‑party format and strong moderation.
A number of episodes are noted for timely analysis of by‑elections and local government dynamics.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#32
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#198
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#52
Australia/Government
Apple Podcasts
#99
France/Government
Apple Podcasts
#194
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#11
Philippines/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Live discussion from the Conservative Party conference
Q: What do they think about the Tory Party?
Scarlett Maguire says many voters think little about the Conservatives and that the party's image remains tied to the previous government, although views of Kemi Badenoch have improved.
Live discussion from the Conservative Party conference
Q: What's it all about?
Lucy Fisher explains that Kemi Badenoch's booklet sets out first principles on the economy, defence, immigration, borders and the state. It acknowledges mistakes in the previous Conservative government while postponing specific policy proposals.
11/10/2026
Q: How do you see that inheritance tax policy in the context of this discussion with this huge transfer of older generational wealth coming down the track?
Eliza Philby says the policy may appeal emotionally but argues it could discourage lifetime gifts and incentivise people to retain property rather than downsize.
11/10/2026
Q: What is the great wealth transfer that's coming down the track?
Eliza Philby describes a transfer of trillions of pounds from older generations to millennials and Gen Z over the coming decades, making family wealth and inheritance increasingly consequential.
What will the government decide on North Sea drilling?
Q: How do you scan the horizon and work out where political energy and money should be focused?
Timo Harakka says each Finnish government produces a future report for the committee to scrutinise, while the committee considers issues on horizons of 20 to 30 years.

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 Westminster Hour

What is Westminster Hour about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A politically focused current affairs program that hosts cross‑party panels, ministers, journalists, and policy experts to dissect UK politics, governance, and public policy. Recent episodes repeatedly center on leadership dynamics, electoral reform, parliamentary scrutiny, and the balance between party strategies and pragmatic policymaking, often through controversial issues like the Horizon IT scandal, by-elections, and local government reform. A notable strength is its ability to thread broad international context with domestic politics, delivering insightful commentary on how public sentiment and institutional processes shape outcomes. It tends to attract listeners who want in‑depth, executive‑level discussion about policy trade‑offs, g... more

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How many subscribers and views does Westminster Hour have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Westminster Hour 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 Westminster Hour?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Westminster Hour:

1. Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
2. Political Fix
3. Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
4. Politics Unpacked
5. Westminster Insider

How many episodes of Westminster Hour are there?

Westminster Hour launched 16 years ago and published 28 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 Westminster Hour?

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What guests have appeared on Westminster Hour?

Recent guests on Westminster Hour include:

1. Catherine West
2. John Whittingdale
3. Hannah Peaker
4. George Parker
5. Shevaun Haviland
6. Lara Bird
7. Phil Cowley
8. Timo Harakka

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.

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