Political Currency Has the race to succeed Starmer kicked off?
19 snips
Mar 19, 2026 They unpack fresh strikes in the Middle East and the shock to global energy markets. They probe tensions between US and Israeli aims and what that means for regional strategy. They review a major speech on fiscal devolution, AI and closer ties with Europe. They debate a senior Labour figure’s critique of immigration and whether it signals a bid for the top job.
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Listener Turned Soloist At Handel Concert
- Ed Balls recounts a listener who accidentally became a soloist at a Handel concert after tuning into the podcast on his way to perform.
- The listener, tenor Jonathan Hanley, warmed up with Political Currency before singing Damon in Acis and Galatea.
Middle East Attacks Risk Global Energy Shock
- The Israel-Iran conflict now risks triggering a global economic shock through damage to Gulf energy infrastructure.
- Ed Balls and George Osborne highlight strikes on Iran's South Pars and retaliation hitting Qatar's LNG, causing sharp gas price rises and inflationary risk.
US Israel Divergence Alters War Aims
- A visible fissure has opened between Israeli and US objectives in the campaign against Iran, undermining coordinated strategy.
- George Osborne and Ed Balls point to public US comments and differing endgames driven by Netanyahu's electoral incentives.