Political Currency

EMQs: Do defections make the Tories electable?

11 snips
Feb 2, 2026
Discussion about whether high-profile Tory departures help or hinder attempts to shift the party toward the centre. Debate over adopting US-style primaries for selecting parliamentary candidates and the risks they bring. Examination of whether the UK’s parliamentary system undermines democratic accountability. Conversation on why Mark Carney’s Davos speech felt inspiring and the craft of great political speeches.
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ANECDOTE

Netball Fans Named A Team After Ed Balls

  • Ed Balls tells a fan's story: a Brixton netball team called 'Ed Balls' offered a membership discount if they got a photo with him.
  • He jokes about visiting to give a half-time pep talk and supply oranges.
ADVICE

Embrace A Broad Centre-Right Coalition

  • Do adopt a big-tent approach to bring centre-right figures back into the party rather than dismissing them.
  • A broader coalition focused on economic competence could make the Conservatives electable again.
INSIGHT

Defections Make Centrist Recovery Harder

  • Losing high-profile MPs can weaken a party's breadth and make recovery harder, not easier.
  • George Osborne stresses defections create practical and political challenges for Kemi Badenoch's path to the centre.
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