In this first episode of 2024, the duo discuss the news that Ayesha will soon become Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge in the County of Lanarkshire and the role of the House of Lords in legislating before focusing on the current political landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead for Labour as the party prepares for its return to government. Notes: Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika return to the airwaves as The Power Test - the weekly political podcast with a purpose exploring how Labour should govern to really change Britain for the better - gears up for this election year. in this first episode of 2024, the duo discuss the news that Ayesha will soon become Baroness Hazarika of Coatbridge in the County of Lanarkshire and the role of the House of Lords in legislating before focusing on the current political landscape and the challenges and opportunities ahead for Labour as the party prepares for its return to government. A 'torturous holding pattern' is seeing people more and more assured that Keir Starmer will be the country's next Prime Minister, and the party is quickly being treated as the next government - yet, it is still not clear exactly what inheritance it will be gifted by a Conservative Party burning down the house on its way out of the door. So what does that mean for Labour and what it hopes to achieve in government? Can the party really even get a head start before it is derailed by circumstances far from its control? Does its junking of key landmark policies and its commitment to Tory fiscal rules to strengthen its reputation for security hinder or help its aspirations for governing? Will Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves suddenly change tack once they walk down Downing Street and what can the party do to really deliver economic growth? Sam and Ayesha chew the fat and set out the big issues and themes which they will dive into throughout the next few weeks and months alongside some extra special expert guests as we move forward towards the election and review the party's plans for a "decade of national renewal" in more detail. The podcast continues weekly wherever you get your pods. Send in your reactions, questions and ideas on how Labour can change Britain at thepowertest.co.uk - become a member and get involved in our growing community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer's former chief of staff Sam White and The Guardian's Political Editor Pippa Crerar are two figures who have arguably played as big a role as any in turning around Labour's electoral chances. Pippa broke the Partygate story that engulfed the Tory party for many months, while Sam was working behind the scenes to make Labour look like a government in waiting. Sam and Pippa join us in the studio to talk about partygate, if there's a path back for the Conservatives, Labour's strategy, and how Keir Starmer hopes to govern. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour's former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw joins Sam and Ayesha to talk about the UK's standing in the world and how it could be restored under a Starmer premiership. What influence does the UK still have on the world stage? Is there such a thing as an ethical foreign policy? How might Labour work with populist leaders whilst keeping the party base happy? What would a second Trump term mean for the world? Olivia O'Sullivan of foreign policy think tank Chatham House, and Matthew McGregor, CEO of 38degrees, also provide analysis. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Freedman quizzes Ed Miliband live on stage at London's Inclusive Growth Conference in partnership with the Centre For Progressive Policy. The former Labour leader talks about how Labour's green agenda can deliver growth that benefits all parts of the country. Giles Wilkes, the former aide to Theresa May and Vince Cable, and Charlotte Alldritt, CEO of the CPP, join Sam for analysis. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Sam and Ayesha explore how a Labour might operate the machinery of government following a successful election. With expert insight from Dr. Hannah Wright, CEO of the Institute for Government, and former Political Secretary to Tony Blair, Baroness Sally Morgan. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam and Ayesha discuss the fall of Suella Braverman, the return of David Cameron, and much more besides whilst looking ahead to next week's Autumn statement. Joined by Jonathan Portes, the chief economist at the Cabinet Office under Gordon Brown, and Gemma Tetlow, the chief economist at the Institute for Government, they assess wether a potential Labour government could, would, and should work to actively shape the economy. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam and Ayesha come to you live from the inaugural Festival of Higher Education at London's Senate House, joined by former Labour minister and president of University of the Arts London James Purnell, CEO of Universities UK Vivienne Stern, and founder of Wonkhe Mark Leach. They discuss the problems with funding Universities face, the reliance on income from foreign students, the question of grade inflation, and the claim that the UK has too many students taking low value degrees. What should a future government do? The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1990s Tim Allan worked alongside Alistair Campbell on Tony Blair's media strategy. At the same time, Sarah Sands was an editor at the Daily Telegraph. In this episode, Tim and Sarah reflect on that period, and discuss how the relationship between politicians and the media has since changed. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Polling expert and former president of YouGov Peter Kellner breaks down the latest by-election results and Neal Lawson, the chair of pressure group Compass, makes the case for a progressive alliance. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former environmental aide to US President Bill Clinton, Paul Bledsoe, the Telegraph’s environmental editor Emma Gatten, and the economist and former treasury advisor to Rishi Sunak, Tim Leunig, join Sam and Ayesha to discuss the economics and politics of achieving net zero by 2050. The Power Test is a political podcast where each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Power Test is back for a new series with hosts Ayesha Hazarika and Sam Freedman. In this first episode, they are joined by Anne McElvoy, Marc Stears and John McTernan live from the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to ask how a future Labour administration will govern and change Britain for the better - and whether it can deliver radical change in tough times. The Power Test is a political podcast where, with the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett, host of Rock N Roll Politics Steve Richards, and The Times journalist Rachel Sylvester are live from The Future of Britain conference where Tony Blair and Keir Starmer share a stage for the first time. After hearing his keynote speech, our guests assess wether Keir is ready to win and govern successfully. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ayesha and Sam are joined by Liverpool regional city mayor Steve Rotherham, ex-Nicola Sturgeon aide Liz Lloyd, and Camden council leader Georgia Gould to discuss future approaches to devolution. After so long in opposition, are Labour really ready to give away power? The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do the culture wars present a challenge to Labour's electoral hopes? Ayesha & Sam are joined by The Atlantic's Helen Lewis, the director of British Future Sunder Katwala, and founder of the Women's Equality Party Catherine Mayer to discuss how Labour should navigate and lead on divisive issues like trans rights, race, and patriotism. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke, Labour's Police & Crime Commissioner for Northumbria Kim McGuinness, and former Metropolitan Police superintendent Dr Leroy Logan join Sam and Ayesha to try to work out how to revive our struggling justice system. The UK has some of the most crowded prisons in Europe, a chronic backlog of criminal cases, and police forces marred by scandal. So what would a new government need to do? The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it really is all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NHS is in crisis. Staff continue to strike while a record 7.4 million of us await treatment. The pressure is only set to increase as our population grows and ages. Ayesha and Sam are joined by shadow health minister Liz Kendall, the co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto Rachel Wolf, and NHS commentator Roy Lilley to discuss future reform. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK doesn't have enough homes. Those we do have are increasingly unaffordable and the quality of housing for renters is often dire. Former Conservative Planning Minister Nick Boles, social housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa, and vice chair of the Labour Housing Group Rachel Blake join hosts Sam and Ayesha to discuss ways to solve the housing crisis. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson and migration expert Madeleine Sumption join hosts Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika to discuss immigration. As new figures reveal record levels of net migration to the UK, they discuss the policy and political implications of what remains a divisive and challenging issue. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ayesha Hazarika & Sam Freedman join former Minister Lord O’Nell, Labour MP Darren Jones and think tanker Carys Roberts to discuss economic policy and how Labour can deliver its mission to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy and political scientist Anand Menon join Sam Freedman and Ayesha Hazarika to discuss if and how it's possible to "Make Brexit Work". The Power Test is a political podcast that asks if it's really all over for the Tories, and what Labour should do to win and change Britain for the better. With the help of invited guests, each week Sam and Ayesha bring the biggest and most difficult political issues into focus and put fresh ideas, messages and policies to the test to see if they are capable of winning popular support and delivering real change in government. Follow @ThePowerTest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePowerTest Follow @AyeshaHazarika: https://twitter.com/ayeshahazarika Follow @SamFreedman: https://twitter.com/Samfr Subscribe to The Power Test substack for all the latest developments: https://thepowertest.substack.com/ For more information head to thepowertest.co.uk. The Power Test is a Tempo & Talker Production: tempotalker.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.