

Politics At Sam and Anne's
Sky News
Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy with what you need to know about the day ahead in British politics. All in under 20 minutes and in your feed around 7.30am.
They're across the key interviews, the main stories and what the parties are saying.
Whatever they're talking about, Westminster will be talking about today.
They're across the key interviews, the main stories and what the parties are saying.
Whatever they're talking about, Westminster will be talking about today.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 29, 2025 • 21min
Trump or Carney – will Starmer have to choose?
👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne's on your podcast app👈 The morning political podcast which gives you all need for the day ahead in 20 minutes, usually with Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy. But, for this episode, Anne is somewhere over the Atlantic travelling back from the US so Sam is joined by Politico’s Tim Ross. Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It’ll give Keir Starmer a centre-left ally at G7 but how will the PM position himself now in the Trump-Carney standoff? Elsewhere, with political leaders out and about in Bristol, Scunthorpe, South Cambridgeshire and Wiltshire – there are plenty of clues about the biggest target seats in the last 48 hours before local election voting. To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information

Apr 28, 2025 • 19min
The rumble: Yvette Cooper vs Rachel Reeves
As Trump’s 100 days in office edges closer, Anne checks in from DC to bring us all the latest on a domestically difficult week for the President. Also, will the upcoming Canadian elections be a referendum on Trump from its biggest neighbours? Sam and Anne discuss what the global ramifications of that result might be. And back in Blighty, local elections are nearing and Sam explains how they might shine a light on a tension in Labour between Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Will their briefs demand they push in opposite directions? To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information

Apr 24, 2025 • 22min
Rachel Reeves in MAGA-Land
The podcast is transatlantic for this episode – with Politico’s Anne McElvoy now in a hotel cupboard in Washington and Sky News’ Sam Coates still in his kitchen in London. Anne’s headed to DC to cover Rachel Reeves’ visits to the States and wonders how the Chancellor will fare on the MAGA-favoured TV channels when she does interviews today. And with a week to go, it’s a chance to look at how the local election campaigning is shaping up – and what this set of results might change, if anything. To find lists of candidates in all the local elections, you can search here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information

Apr 23, 2025 • 21min
Robert Jenrick’s leaked plan for Reform
With news overnight that a peace conference in London today would be going ahead without UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy or US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are peace talks over Ukraine going backwards? Sam and Anne discuss what’s going on. And Rachel Reeves is landing in Washington today for what promises to be one of the most important IMF spring meeting in years – will she make any progress on a trade deal for the UK? Also, Sam has obtained a leaked recording of former Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick vowing to “bring this coalition together” to ensure that Conservatives and Reform UK are no longer fighting each other for votes.

Apr 22, 2025 • 22min
Making Rachel Reeves great again
Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics. Returning from an Easter break for a new season, Sam and Anne begin by discussing how British and global politics will react to the death of Pope Francis. They discuss the Pope's own role in politics around the world and the legacy he leaves behind.Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves is heading to Washington ahead of her first IMF spring meetings, amid pessimistic predictions for the UK's own economy. Sam and Anne discuss if the chancellor can bring Trump's tariffs on the UK down and keep hopes high for a US-UK trade deal.

Apr 14, 2025 • 21min
The art of the steel
It's the Monday after a dramatic weekend in the House of Commons and Sam and Anne are here to bring you up to speed on the race to keep the furnaces on at the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe. So what happens now after emergency legislation was passed on Saturday to give the government control of the plant and stop its Chinese owners from shutting it off? And does the UK have a future as a serious manufacturing country? Also, a new report from MPs hits back at claims of "two-tier policing" during last summer's riots - calling them "disgraceful".

Apr 8, 2025 • 22min
Sam and PM – what did Starmer actually mean?
It’s the final episode before recess so Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy wonder, given the turbulent times, who’ll be the first to call for Parliament to be recalled? And talking of the Lib Dems, there's some new polling which might put a spring into the step of Ed Davey – is his party’s position on Trump and trade doing them some favours? Of course, there’s plenty of time to talk about the onslaught of US tariffs and implications for the UK – watch out what if the PM is asked about fiscal headroom in the liaison committee later. Sam and Anne also ponder the PM’s response to Sam at a Q&A yesterday.

Apr 7, 2025 • 20min
Starmer can see no quick Trump deal
Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy look ahead to the day in British politics.It's the day Sir Keir Starmer is due to deliver a speech which answers if globalisation as we know it is over, as financial markets plummet for a third day in a row following the announcement of Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.Sam and Anne discuss what to expect from the speech following the prime minister’s weekend at Chequers with other world leaders discussing how to avoid an all-out trade war and the first projections of the impact from tariffs on the UK.They also discuss the prime minister’s decision to water down green policy on UK cars and ask if the decision is a 'quick-fix' which could scupper the UK's net-zero plans.

Apr 3, 2025 • 20min
Starmer’s vindication day?
Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy present their guide to the day ahead in British politics. As the world scrambles to react to the biggest single shift in US economic and foreign policy in decades, why are some in No10 feeling ‘vindication’ over Donald Trump’s new tariffs? As leaders across the world scramble to pick up the pieces this morning and understand what it means politically as well as economically, Keir Starmer will tell a group of business leaders to keep calm and carry on.

Apr 2, 2025 • 21min
Starmer holds fire on Trump’s Liberation Day
Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy present their guide to the day ahead in British politics. It’s a big day and nobody quite knows how it’ll end. President Trump will share the details of his tariff plan about 9pm UK time. As we record, the message from the UK government stays the same – it’s a cool and calm approach, talks continue and no retaliation immediately. But is tonight’s Rose Garden moment really about economics - or more about international power dynamics? Also today, it’s the last PMQs before Easter so a chance to seek some clues about how Keir Starmer is feeling about any deal.


