Practical politics: fuel duty and U-turns

After weeks of speculation we finally saw the first release of the files concerning Peter Mandelson’s appointment and sacking as US Ambassador. Ed Balls and George Osborne delve into the revelations within the files, and whether any of the new information damages the government or prime minister. Was there a smoking gun in the files? Is the worst information now out there? Or, are there more damaging revelations to come?

Then, they return to the Iran conflict and reassess what Trump’s strategy is. Can he declare victory now and avoid risking his reputation? Or has this war created problems he can’t outrun? They also discuss the emerging energy crisis, and whether central banks should cut, hold, or raise interest rates in light of the conflict. 

Finally, with Tony Blair saying the government should have followed America into Iran, Gordon Brown weighing in on Mandelson, and Boris Johnson pushing for boots on the ground in Ukraine, we’ve seen an increasing number of interventions by ex-PMs. Is this a new trend? If so, what are these ex-PMs hoping to achieve? How effective are their interventions in shifting government policy?

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