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The Whitehall Sources Christmas Special takes a hard look back at one of the most turbulent years in British and global politics — and asks what comes next.
Calum Macdonald, former No.10 adviser Kirsty Buchanan and political strategist Jo Tanner unpack the defining moments of 2025:
Plus:
🎙️ Our favourite Whitehall Sources moments of the year
🔮 Bold predictions for 2026, including Keir Starmer’s future and Nigel Farage’s leadership of Reform UK
🎄 Festive politics, candid debate, and unfiltered analysis
If you want insider political analysis without the Westminster spin, this episode is essential listening.
📩 Send us your 2026 predictions:
WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507
Email: hello@whitehallsources.com
🎧 New episodes every week — including throughout Christmas and New Year.
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Is Keir Starmer heading for another reset in January — and will it work?
In this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, former No.10 special adviser Kirsty Buchanan and political strategist Jo Tanner examine the growing pressure on the Labour leadership as 2026 looms.
The panel breaks down:
With sharp analysis, blunt criticism, and a few festive laughs, this episode asks a simple question:
Does Keir Starmer still know what he stands for — and does anyone else?
🎧 New episodes of Whitehall Sources drop weekly throughout the festive period.
📌 Subscribe for insider political analysis from Westminster.
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Brexit is back on the agenda — and this week’s Whitehall Sources dives deep. Former No10 adviser Kirsty Buchanan, political strategist Jo Tanner, and Calum Macdonald break down whether Keir Starmer is quietly preparing the UK for a new customs arrangement with the EU – and what that actually means.
We analyse:
🔹 Starmer’s recent speeches hinting at closer EU ties
🔹 Whether Labour is shifting towards a customs union
🔹 How “the” vs “a” customs union could decide Britain’s economic direction
🔹 What the EU actually wants from any renegotiation
🔹 The political danger from Reform UK and Nigel Farage
🔹 Why Brexit sentiment could explode again if this returns to the headlines
PLUS: We take on David Lammy’s proposal to scrap jury trials for many serious offences to tackle the justice backlog. Jo brings her personal experience as a juror — including a shocking story about racism inside the jury room.
Also on the pod: Christmas trees, Caribbean holidays, political communications failures, and the enduring madness of Brexit semantics.
Subscribe for more insider Westminster analysis from Whitehall Sources.
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Two days after Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget, Calum Macdonald and former No.10 special adviser Kirsty Buchanan break down what really happened — from the OBR leak, to the tax rises, to the political strategy behind one of the most controversial fiscal events in years.
Economist Simon French (Panmure Liberum) joins to assess:
• Why the markets didn’t panic
• Whether this budget really “clobbers working people”
• Why business rates may spike for pubs & hospitality
• Whether inflation could now fall faster
• If the tax pain scheduled for 2027–2029 is even credible
We also examine the biggest brewing storm:
A £6 billion black hole in Special Educational Needs (SEND) funding and the government’s unclear plan to fill it.
✨ Including discussion of welfare spending, Labour strategy, the markets, business rates, and parents’ fury over potential education cuts.
If you enjoy behind-the-scenes Westminster insights and real economic analysis, subscribe to Whitehall Sources.
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Calum and Kirsty are joined by James Chapman, who was an adviser to Chancellor George Osborne; and Karim Palant who was an adviser to Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, to take you behind the scenes of budget day. James tells us how the budget is even decided - including one measure that was kept secret from the Cabinet - they only found out about it when it was announced to the Commons. Plus, he discusses leaks that caused headaches for the government. Karim tells us about the room that opposition aides gather in to assemble messages and memos to run to the floor of the Commons chamber for the opposition response to be updated in real time. Kirsty wears her Number 10 hat - telling us that budget day is pretty relaxed for the Prime Minister - and wears her journalist hat to discuss the media briefing immediately after the budget. All of our guests were recorded independently - and every one of them mentioned the infamous pasty tax. Hear what they have to say about how budgets unravel. Email us anytime: hello@whitehallsources.com.
First published 2023
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Join us live from central London for an unmissable deep-dive into Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget — with business leaders, MPs and political strategists unpacking what’s really happening behind the scenes.
Recorded at the Make UK headquarters and sponsored by Rud Pedersen, this Whitehall Sources Live special brings together an expert panel to explore the most turbulent pre-budget period in years.
🔥 What we cover in this episode:
– Why business and consumer confidence is collapsing
– Why over half of UK companies have paused investment
– The £25 billion tax question hanging over Rachel Reeves
– Will Labour target businesses again after last year’s NI and wage rises?
– The three types of political budgets explained (Reforming, Narrative & Survival)
– Is the UK economy stuck in a “doom loop”?
– Public sector productivity, NHS pressures & welfare reform
– What business leaders want from the Budget (consistency, clarity & stability)
🎙 Featuring:
• Chris Curtis MP – Labour MP for Milton Keynes North
• Dame Harriet Baldwin MP – Conservative MP & Shadow Business Minister
• Ruth Sunderland – Award-winning business journalist
• Lord Richard Harrington – Chair of Make UK
The panel debates everything from tax rises to foreign investment, business confidence, national insurance, public spending, and the political realities facing the Chancellor next week.
If you care about the UK economy, manufacturing, tax policy, or the political dynamics defining Britain’s future — this episode is essential viewing.
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Join the Whitehall Sources podcast as we dive deep into Westminster politics. This week, Calum, Kirsty, and Jo, with a special guest appearance from James Nation, ex-Special Advisor to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
We discuss:
The shocking mistaken release of a migrant sex offender and the fallout at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
David Lammy’s handling of the situation and the questions it raises about accountability in government.
Behind-the-scenes insights from PMQs, including the “Rolls Royce” briefing operation and what might have gone wrong this week.
Labour’s budget strategy, Rachel Reeves’ tax plans, manifesto pledges, and the political impact of potential income tax rises.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Treasury decision-making, and what ministers can and cannot do to influence forecasts.
Unpacking the challenges of fuel duty, public spending, and the UK’s fiscal outlook ahead of the next budget.
Whether you’re a political junkie, policy nerd, or just want insider analysis on Westminster chaos and the upcoming budget, this episode breaks down the biggest political stories of the week.
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This week on Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former No.10 special adviser), and political strategist Jo Tanner dissect an explosive week in Westminster — from the Home Office’s “not fit for purpose” report to Keir Starmer’s looming tax U-turn.
👉 Part 1: The Home Office is back in crisis — migrant release blunders, asylum chaos, and Labour’s struggle to get control of small boats.
👉 Part 2: Labour’s credibility crisis — has Keir Starmer already broken his biggest promise not to raise income tax? Kirsty calls it “political suicide.”
🎧 Expect sharp analysis, insider detail, and genuine frustration at a government struggling to deliver.
📲 Get involved:
Email: hello@whitehallsources.com
WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 (Start your message with Whitehall)
🎥 Watch full episodes + clips on YouTube
🕊️ Follow us on X: @WhitehallSource
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts
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This week on Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan, and Jo Tanner unpack the political crisis surrounding the Grooming Gangs Inquiry — after victims resigned and its chair Jim Gamble stepped down. With Jess Phillips under pressure and Baroness Louise Casey drafted in, can the government restore trust?
Then: the rise of the Green Party. New leader Zack Polanski has lifted the Greens to record polling numbers. Pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common explains the data — and Green councillor Hannah Spencer joins to describe how the party is winning over disillusioned voters.
🎧 Subscribe to Whitehall Sources for more UK political analysis every week.
📱 WhatsApp your thoughts: 0333 404 6507 (start with “Whitehall”).
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In this week’s Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald and Kirsty Buchanan are joined by Lord Walney (John Woodcock) — former extremism adviser to the government — for a deep dive into two major stories shaking Westminster.
👉 First, the China spying scandal: Why did the case against alleged spies collapse? Did the government withhold key evidence? And is the UK’s economic relationship with China compromising national security?
👉 Then, a wide-ranging discussion on political extremism, protests, and the rise of populism. Lord Walney explains why Britain feels more divided than ever, what’s wrong with current protest laws, and whether politicians are fuelling dangerous rhetoric.
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🎙️ Whitehall Sources takes you inside Westminster for an unfiltered debrief on the Conservative Party Conference 2025 — and asks: Can Kemi Badenoch save the Tories from collapse?
Calum Macdonald plus Kirsty Buchanan, former adviser to Theresa May, and Jo Tanner, political strategist, unpack:
🗳️ Plus: How both Labour and the Conservatives are trying to solve their Nigel Farage problem, and what this all means for next year’s local elections.
📲 Send your thoughts: WhatsApp us on 0333 404 6507 (start your message with “Whitehall”)
🔔 Subscribe for insider analysis from Westminster every week: @WhitehallSources
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Sir Keir Starmer leaves Labour’s party conference in Liverpool with a bold new strategy: frame the fight as Labour vs Reform UK. But is calling Nigel Farage’s immigration policies “racist” a huge political risk?
On this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former No.10 adviser to Theresa May) and Jo Tanner (political strategist) break down:
👉 Subscribe to the Sources network: Whitehall, Holyrood, Stormont & Senedd Sources – taking you inside politics across the UK.
In association with Electrify Britain.
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The latest Whitehall Sources episode is packed with political drama. 🚨
👉 Keir Starmer’s government drops a bombshell: Digital ID cards could soon be mandatory to work in the UK. Is this about immigration, security—or just a desperate attempt to change the headlines?
👉 A mega poll (MRP) of 10,000 voters puts Reform UK on the brink of a parliamentary majority—yes, you read that right. Could Labour really be swept away just months after their landslide?
👉 Meanwhile, Andy Burnham stirs the pot ahead of Labour conference with provocative interviews and speculation about a leadership challenge. Is he positioning himself as the next Labour leader?
Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan, and Jo Tanner break down the biggest stories shaking Westminster. From the cybersecurity nightmare that could derail digital ID, to the battle for Labour’s soul, to the rise of Reform UK—this episode has it all.
📲 Get involved: WhatsApp us on 0333 404 6507 (start your message with “Whitehall”).
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for insider analysis from Westminster every week!
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Donald Trump’s UK state visit dominates Westminster this week — and the Whitehall Sources team take you inside the drama.
🎙️ Calum Macdonaldm, former No.10 adviser Kirsty Buchanan and political strategist Jo Tanner break down:
Plus: chaos on the British left. Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana’s attempt to launch a new party has descended into a public bust-up, with accusations of sexism, unauthorised membership drives, and comparisons to The Life of Brian. What does this tell us about the prospects for a genuine left-wing alternative to Labour?
👉 Subscribe to Whitehall Sources for weekly insider analysis on Westminster politics.
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In this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former adviser to Theresa May) and political strategist Jo Tanner unpack a turbulent week in Westminster and beyond.
🔹 Russian drones breach Polish airspace – NATO faces its biggest test in decades as Donald Tusk invokes Article 4.
🔹 Israel & Gaza tensions – Keir Starmer hosts Israeli President Isaac Herzog amid escalating violence, Doha strikes, and growing Labour Party unrest.
🔹 Peter Mandelson & Jeffrey Epstein – Mandelson admits "embarrassment" as more Epstein correspondence emerges, raising questions over Starmer’s judgment.
🔹 Labour Deputy Leadership contest – why the demand for a “Northern woman” is exposing divisions inside Labour.
We also discuss:
👉 Subscribe for insider analysis of UK politics at Westminster.
👉 Comment below with your thoughts – should Peter Mandelson stay as ambassador to Washington?
👉 WhatsApp your questions to the pod on 0333 404 6507 (start your message with “Whitehall”).
#Labour #KeirStarmer #Mandelson #Epstein #NATO #Israel #UKPolitics #WhitehallSources
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🚨 Angela Rayner has resigned as Labour’s Deputy Leader after controversy over her stamp duty payments — a dramatic twist that could reshape the party’s future. In this episode, we dig into what her departure means for Sir Keir Starmer, the challenges it poses for his authority, and how Labour might respond in the months ahead.
📰 We unpack the immediate fallout inside Westminster and across the media, and look at how the reshuffle reflects Starmer’s strategy: Shabana Mahmood taking over as Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper moving to the Foreign Office, and David Lammy stepping into Justice. These moves reveal Labour’s priorities on immigration 🌍, law and order ⚖️, foreign policy 🌐, and its fight to win back voters from Reform UK 📊.
🤔 We also examine the battle to replace Rayner as Deputy Leader. Could Louise Haigh, Rosena Allin-Khan, or even Ed Miliband emerge as contenders? And crucially — what kind of deputy does Starmer need to balance his leadership, unify the party, and prepare Labour for the next general election 🗳️?
🎙️ This episode offers in-depth analysis of Labour’s biggest crisis in years — and what it means for UK politics going forward.
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Angela Rayner is under fire after admitting she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on her Hove flat. With questions over her legal advice, whether she misled colleagues, and the optics of multiple homes, will Sir Keir Starmer be able to save his Deputy Prime Minister?
In this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan (former adviser to Theresa May) and Jo Tanner (political strategist) debate:
We also discuss the timeline of how the Angela Rayner “Hove house” story broke, why her relationship with Sam Tarry matters to the optics, and what Sir Laurie Magnus’ ethics ruling could mean for the government.
👉 What do you think — should Angela Rayner resign, or is this a survivable storm? Tell us in the comments.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly deep dives into Westminster politics.
📲 Join the conversation:
WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 (start message with "Whitehall")
Email: hello@whitehallsources.com
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Nigel Farage and Reform UK have dominated the summer political agenda with radical immigration proposals: leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repealing the Human Rights Act, and suspending the Refugee Convention. But are these policies legally possible – and politically effective?
In this episode of Whitehall Sources, Calum Macdonald, Kirsty Buchanan and Jo Tanner break down:
We also hear why Kirsty Allsopp thinks Reeves is "running the economy like Baldrick," and why some insiders fear the government could collapse if the Autumn Budget goes wrong.
👉 What do you think: Is immigration now the "next Brexit"? Will Reeves’ landlord tax backfire? Should the UK ditch the ECHR?
Subscribe for weekly political insight direct from Westminster insiders.
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