Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Britain's first Muslim cabinet minister, has long been an outspoken critic of her own party over its attitudes towards Islam. Last week, after an investigation was launched against her over a post on social media, she resigned the whip saying it is a reflection of ‘how far right’ the Conservative Party has moved since her time in office. Warsi has just released a book, “Muslims Don’t Matter”, which is an impassioned polemic setting out her views on the hypocrisy and double standards applied to British Muslims. In this episode of The Political Fourcast, she speaks to Cathy Newman about the Israel-Gaza war, Islamophobia in the UK and the Conservative Party's "disturbing" shift to the extremist right. Produced by Silvia Maresca and Calum Fraser.

Conservative Party leadership favourites Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have found themselves embroiled in controversy over comments they’ve made during the Tory Party conference, while rivals Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly haven’t missed a beat to capitalise. Meanwhile, the latest polling show’s Badenoch’s lead over Jenrick amongst party members has narrowed. And so the future of the UK’s most successful political party remains up in the air. In this special episode of the Political Fourcast from Birmingham, Cathy Newman is joined by former Deputy Prime Minister and Liz Truss ally Thérèse Coffey, former Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Channel 4 News’ political editor Gary Gibbon. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson

Despite warnings to keep it clean, Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly have been quietly tearing chunks out of each other as they vie to be the next Tory leader at this year’s Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. But, what is the future of the Conservative Party? Pivot harder to the right to win back Reform voters or tact to the centre? Can any of the leadership candidates haul the party back from the brink? Or is the past the future? Boris Johnson’s autobiography is helpfully being serialised in the Daily Mail just in time to overshadow events here. So, to dig into all this and more for this special edition of the Political Fourcast, Cathy Newman spoke to two party giants. Sir Graham Brady was the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of back benchers for almost 15 years and he’s just released a book called Kingmaker giving an insiders account of the Tory leadership campaigns he presided over. She also caught up with Grant Shapps, who’s held several cabinet positions over the years and could have been a candidate for the next Tory leader if he hadn’t lost his seat along with a huge swathe of his colleagues in the election. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson.

Sir Keir Starmer has made his speech on the penultimate day of the Labour Party Conference, and his first as prime minister. He’s pledged “national renewal”, homes for all veterans who need them, and defended the unpopular cut to winter fuel payments. At the centre of his speech was “change” that Labour will bring, but are we any clearer on what that vision is? What was the speech really about? Will it change the course of the government and how people think about the Labour Party? And did it touch on what people were really looking for from the first Labour prime minister in 14 years? Joining Cathy Newman from the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool is Leader of the House of Lords, Angela Smith, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Nicola Ranger, and, Chief UK Political Commentator for the Financial Times, Robert Shrimsley. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Sarah Beale, Rob Thomson.

Rachel Reeves has just delivered her Labour conference speech as the UK’s first female chancellor, defending the “hard but fair” choices that Labour will have to make. She called Labour the party of “economic responsibility”, but there remains much discontent over winter fuel allowance cuts to pensioners, and then there’s a donation scandal that’s dressed much of the conversation at this year’s conference. With a speech focused on business, there was one line that came up again and again: “that’s the Britain we’re building”. But how do you deliver change and growth if the railways aren’t working? And public services aren’t working? Where will the £16bn come from if taxes aren’t being raised? To talk about all of this on day 2 of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool with Krishnan Guru-Murthy is Channel 4 News’ Political Editor, Gary Gibbon, and Economics Correspondent for Channel 4 News, Helia Ebrahimi. Produced by Calum Fraser, Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, and Rob Thomson

Sir Keir Starmer was surely hoping Labour’s conference would be a celebration of his landslide election victory - but with bitter briefings against his chief of staff Sue Gray coming from within No 10, more stories of ministers taking freebie gifts and a potential union rebellion over the winter fuel allowance - the new prime minister could face a very different reception in Liverpool. And on top of all these domestic issues, the war in the Middle East is on the brink of spilling over into a wider war - with many delegates at conference demanding a stronger position from this government on trying to bring about peace. On this special edition of the Political Fourcast from Labour Conference in Liverpool, Krishna Guru-Murthy is joined by Labour’s Emily Thornberry, who has held several shadow cabinet roles over the years and has just become chair of the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and Katy Balls - the political editor of The Spectator. Produced by Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca, Rob Thomson

Elon Musk has been criticised over comments he made on Twitter/X in the wake of the apparent attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, saying "no one is even trying to assassinate" Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. The White House has condemned Musk’s comments and he has since deleted them, saying they were a joke, but this is far from the first time Musk’s posts on X have caused outrage. Since his takeover of the social media platform in 2022, he has become a bigger, louder and more controversial presence in US politics - now openly funding and supporting Donald Trump. So what is Musk up to? What is his relationship with Trump really about? And what is he going to do next? To discuss this on the American Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by New York Times journalists Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, who have just published a book called "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter". Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson

A damning new report, commissioned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his health secretary Wes Streeting, has laid bare the shocking state of the NHS - crumbling buildings, outdated machines and thousands of patients unnecessarily dying because of long waits in A&E. In response to Lord Darzi’s report, the PM says the NHS “must reform or die” - but what will that reform actually look like? This is not the first critical report into the NHS - and Starmer’s is far from the first government to promise reform. So why would it be any different this time? On this week’s Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy discusses how to fix the National Health Service with Labour MP Allison Gardner, who worked with the NHS as a scientific advisor on AI, Conservative MP Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, who worked as a Medical officer in the British army and later as a surgeon in the NHS, and Channel 4 News’ Health and Social Care editor Victoria Macdonald. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, Calum Fraser, Helene Cacace.

The long anticipated presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris has happened - Trump says he won and afterwards Harris got a Taylor Swift endorsement - but how has it gone down with voters? Joining Matt Frei on this episode of The American Fourcast to discuss all this and more are Christine Emba, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Republican strategist Kristin Davison. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Helene Cacace.

The Grenfell Inquiry into the tower block fire that killed 72 people in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea has delivered a devastating final report that names and shames many - but inquiries into infected blood, Covid and the Post Office have also revealed rot at the core of Britain’s institutions - so can and, more importantly, will anything be done? To discuss the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry report and what it reveals about the state of modern Britain on this episode of the Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by Emma Dent Coad, who was the local MP at the time of the Grenfell fire and now sits on Kensington and Chelsea Council, Deborah Coles, director of Inquest who campaign on deaths involving state institutions, and Channel 4 News’ Social Affairs editor Jackie Long. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.

Tim Walz, Barack and Michelle Obama, and even Oprah Winfrey have taken to the DNC stage to lay the ground for Kamala Harris’ run for the White House. But have the upbeat and optimistic speeches actually galvanised any support from the rest of America? Harris fundraised four times as much as Trump in July, a whopping $500 million, as supporters were inspired after Biden’s resignation, but can she survive on vibes until election day? Is she the continuity candidate or can she bring anything new to the Oval Office? Tim Walz issued a rallying cry at the DNC, saying “we’ll sleep when we’re dead”, while Michelle Obama warned against being complacent. If ‘Coach Walz’ and ‘Kamala is Brat’ Harris are looking to woo the voters in November, we ask whether a unity message may be needed to harness the vote of undecided Americans. For this episode of The American Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined at the convention in Chicago by former Obama White House Official Nayyera Haq; Joe Biden’s former chief of staff in the senate Susan Platt; and Channel 4 News’ Washington correspondent Siobhan Kennedy. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.

Nancy Pelosi has been at the top of US politics for nearly 40 years - as the first, and only, woman in US history to serve as speaker of the House, she has played a central role in some of the most consequential American events of the last two decades, from the Iraq war to the US Capitol attack and Donald Trump’s impeachment. In her latest book, “The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House” Pelosi gives a behind-the-scenes look at her formidable political career. In this episode of The American Fourcast, she talks to Channel 4 News’s Matt Frei about what she’s learned about politics and power after nearly four decades in Washington, why Donald Trump is “dangerous” and what’s next for America as the Presidential election approaches. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.

Kamala Harris has chosen Governor Tim Walz as her Vice President for the 2024 Democrat ticket. After considering nearly a dozen candidates, Harris landed on Walz who has been described as having the most "progressive record" of any of the other contenders. Walz was an early supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, championed abortion rights into state law, and expanded free school meals & paid worker leave - so it’s not wonder the Trump-Vance team have branded him a “dangerously liberal extremist”. Rest assured, the animosity is mutual - Walz’s profile exploded after he called Donald Trump and JD Vance "weird". Joining Matt Frei to talk about it in this episode of The American Fourcast are the UK Vice Chair of Democrats Abroad, John Scardino, the Chairman of Republicans Overseas UK, Greg Swenson, and the Director General for think-tank RUSI, Karin Von Hippel. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.

Vice President Kamala Harris is the favourite to be the Democratic nominee for president after Joe Biden’s shock decision to drop out of the race - but can she really beat Donald Trump? Some polls suggest Kamala Harris is even less popular than Joe Biden, especially in the crucial swing states and like president Biden - she’s stumbled a few times in public - leading some to write her off - but has she been totally underestimated? To discuss all this and more, Matt Frei was joined by Christina Emba, staff writer at The Atlantic, and Channel 4 News’ International Editor, Lindsey Hilsum. Produced by Calum Fraser, Nina Hodgson, Shaheen Sattar, Zahra Warsame, Millie Teasdale, and Rob Thomson

An assassination attempt, J.D. Vance - a relatively unknown Ohio Senator - picked as Donald Trump’s Vice President, and current President Joe Biden desperately clinging on to his own nomination - it’s been another huge week in American politics and there's still one day left at the Republican National Convention where Donald Trump is due to speak - so what will happen next? We’re in Milwaukee where amongst the sea of red MAGA 2024 hats, some delegates are sporting fake white bandages on their ears - a nod to the injury that Trump sustained on Saturday night’s shooting. Millennial Vice President hopeful J.D. Vance has made his first speech to the nation and reaffirmed his loyalty to Donald Trump - a change since reportedly calling him ‘America’s Hitler’ eight years ago. But has the assassination attempt actually helped Donald Trump on his campaign? Will President Joe Biden definitely be the Democrat standing against him? And what’s the deal with all this new-found unity? To discuss all this with Matt Frei on the first episode of The American Fourcast is Republican strategist Cassie Smedile, Washington Post reporter Azi Paybarah, and Channel 4 News’ Washington correspondent Siobhan Kennedy. Produced by Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca, Millie Teasedale, Zahra Warsame, and Rob Thompson

After a week-long victory lap in the UK, Sir Keir Starmer flew to America for the Nato summit where he met US President Biden and Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy - but his Western allies have been in a less celebratory mood than Britain’s new prime minister. The far left and right are resurgent across Europe with France politically paralysed after Emmanuel Macron’s snap election gamble, while Joe Biden’s presidency is in near meltdown as Democrats turn on him after his disastrous debate with Donald Trump. With wars in Ukraine and the Middle East threatening to spill over - the stakes couldn’t be higher. So, how shaky is the Nato alliance right now and are the strains a sign of a wider decline in the West? The UK has a fresh-faced prime minister, but does it have any fresh ideas? To discuss all this and more on this week’s episode of The Political Fourcast Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Liberal Democrats’ Mike Martin MP, Labour’s Mike Tapp MP, and Karin von Hippel, the director-general of the Royal United Services Institute think tank. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.

The Conservative party have suffered their worst ever defeat and Keir Starmer has been swept to power in a landslide victory - but huge challenges are waiting in the new prime minister’s intray and while he has a massive majority now in Westminster, his support across the country is on shakier grounds. Some of Labour’s big names, who thought they’d be helping to form a new government, are out - beaten by pro-Gazan independents and Greens. And now Nigel Farage says that, after decimating the Conservative vote and plunging the party into chaos, he has his eyes on Labour. So what does this all mean, and what next for British politics? In this election special edition of The Political Fourcast Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy and psephologist Luke Tryl. Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.

If the polls are to be believed, Sir Keir Starmer could be set to beat Rishi Sunak’s Conservative’s and gain a record majority in Parliament, but perhaps with one of Labour’s lowest shares of the vote. Despite promises on tax, voters believe they will pay more, and are sceptical about things getting better. Turnout is expected to be historically low. The Lib Dems are heading for a lower share of the vote than Reform but could get twenty times as many seats or more. Are these just the realities of our system or the warning lights on the dashboard for a democracy heading down the wrong road? Look across the water to France and beyond - are we potentially storing up even more discontent and anger from people who might turn right next time? In this episode of The Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy, former Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison and the SNP’s Mhairi Black to discuss all this and more. Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.

It’s less than one week until election day, and so far the headlines have been dominated by betting scandals, the rise of Reform, and Rishi Sunak’s D-Day blunder. So can the prime minister do anything now to avoid what many polls suggest could be the worst ever result for the Conservative Party? He desperately wants attention to turn to Keir Starmer and what Labour would actually do if they win the election - and here could be an answer to that question in Wales where the Labour Party have been in power for decades. Keir Starmer even said once that Wales is a “blueprint” for a Labour government, although he doesn’t seem to want to repeat that comment much of late. In this special episode of The Political Fourcast from Wales, Channel 4 News’s Ciaran Jenkins is joined by Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies and shadow cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symmonds. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.

Ed Davey has now joined Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak scrambling to check who in their party could get caught up in the betting saga - but is this story on the scale of the expenses scandal or Partygate or is it all just a bit of juvenile stupidity? If it is, why are people at the heart of the UK’s biggest political parties making these kinds of decisions? And what does all this say about the election campaign? Joining Krishnan Guru-Murthy to discuss all this and more on The Political Fourcast is the ConservativeHome’s Henry Hill, pollster Scarlett Maguire and senior political correspondent Paul McNamara. Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson, Nick Jackson.