Rock & Roll Politics with Steve Richards

Keir Starmer has said the “mistakes” of Iraq have been learnt and he has published the legal advice that justifies allowing the US to use British military bases in its attacks on Iran. But there were plenty of other “mistakes” in relation to Iraq – are they being repeated now?To join our never-ending debate email your latest thoughts to steveric14@icloud.com• Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Saturday April 25th. You can get tickets here. • And live at Kings Place on May 11th, days after the May elections: tickets here.Support the podcast on Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the end the Greens won the Gorton and Denton by-election with ease. Labour were third in one of their safest seats. Reform is no longer the only insurgent party of ‘change’. Given the restive mood of voters since the 2008 crash, should any of us be surprised by this - except for the Labour leadership following an outdated, shallow and confused strategy? Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Saturday April 25th. You can get tickets here. And live at Kings Place on May 11th, days after the May elections: tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's by-election has become a big test for Labour, Reform and the Greens. The result is likely to have many consequences, but will it be much of a guide to what will happen in a general election?Rock & Roll Politics is live at the Cambridge Literary Festival on Saturday April 25th. You can get tickets here. And live at Kings Place on May 11th, days after the May elections: tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Already there is talk of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest triggering the biggest crisis for the royal family since the abdication. But is there much desire amongst most people to no longer be spellbound by what has always been a deeply flawed institution?The next live show at Kings Place is on May 11th, days after the elections. You can get tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad-free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right wing commentators and newspapers suggest that with the fall of Morgan McSweeney and Keir Starmer fighting for survival, Labour will move to the left. Would that be the disaster they suggest it would be?Rock & Roll Politics is live on the 11th of May at Kings Place, just days after the May elections. It will be an epic night...Tickets are available here.Subscribe to Patreon here for the main podcast a day early and ad free, plus bonus podcasts and exclusive live events. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first live show of 2026 we delve deep with the audience in the hall and on the live stream. We go back decades for much needed context and dare to look ahead, and White Van Man Andy makes a guest appearance. The next live show at Kings Place is on May 11th, days after the elections, and will be even more epic than this show.  You can get tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan McSweeney and - we now discover - Peter Mandelson shaped the Starmer leadership in the run up to the election and beyond. Now they are both gone. Inevitably this will lead to change and the first meaningful ‘reset’ in a government of resets. But will it be under Starmer or his successor?Rock & Roll Politics is live and streaming this Wednesday, February 11th at the main concert hall in Kings Place. There are a few tickets left in the hall or to stream it online, and more to make sense of than ever. Get tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer was not even an MP when Peter Mandelson was part of the New Labour project - a relatively small part. Yet he seems to have had considerable influence over the leadership of Starmer and Morgan McSweeney. Now it is Starmer who is in deep trouble over Mandelson, a figure who was last in government in 2010. How has this happened?Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place next Wednesday. There are a few tickets left, and it will be quite a night in light of fast moving events. Tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the Gorton and Denton by-election Reform dares to hope it will win. Which party should opponents of Reform back to prevent such an outcome, and what are the wider lessons of the dilemmas for tactical voters?Rock & Roll Politics is live at Kings Place on Wednesday February 11th. It’s the first show of 2026, and a lot has happened since the last one. Tickets here.Subscribe to Patreon for live events, bonus podcasts and to get the regular podcast a day early and ad free. Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new group has been launched within the Conservative Party aimed at reviving the much diminished ‘One Nation’ wing. Kemi Badenoch has been dismissive. Has she made a fatal strategic miscalculation?The first Rock & Roll Politics  live show of the year is on February 11th at Kings Place…. there’s a lot to make sense of that night. Tickets here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/steve-richards-presents-rock-n-roll-politics-8/ Written and presented by Steve Richards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.