The Political Breakdown Wed, 27 May 2026 14:37:51 +0100 en-gb © 2026 The Political Breakdown yes 84bdaf3a-b277-5e7f-afb0-30d9940d1aeb Douglas Beattie episodic false The Political Breakdown examines the changes we are seeing across British politics since Labour's 2024 general election landslide victory. 


Hosted by former BBC journalists - Simon Thomson and Douglas Beattie - both of whom have decades worth of inside knowledge of Westminster politics and the Labour Party in particular.


In each episode we’ll take one big political story and pull it apart — not just the headline, but the machinery underneath. British politics isn’t just having a bad week - something deeper is happening. The system itself feels like it’s… breaking down.


Douglas Beattie is the author of How Labour Wins and Victory at the Ballot Box - a book looking at Labour's general elections since 1900. He has worked for BBC News, Scottish Television and the Press Association. 


Simon Thomson is an award winning former BBC journalist who now works in communications and campaigning. He's a lifelong Labour Party member and critical friend, who has twice stood as a Labour Parliamentary Candidate.








]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Douglas Beattie https://storage.buzzsprout.com/h115pndcwq0u0y7azo4jk4m9vm2h?.jpg The Political Breakdown The Political Breakdown The Political Breakdown Less than two years after a landslide victory, Labour is tearing itself apart. Resignations, leadership rumours, and a potential showdown in Makerfield — is this the beginning of the end for Keir Starmer?

Former BBC journalists Douglas Beattie and Simon Thomson go beyond the headlines to unpack the chaos: who’s manoeuvring, what’s really driving the unrest, and why voters have been turning away. From Westminster intrigue to a shifting political landscape, this hasn’t just been a bad few weeks for Labour— it’s a shifting political landscape. 

Is this a leadership crisis… or a full-blown political breakdown?

Send us Fan Mail

 New episodes dropping regularly. Follow The Political Breakdown for sharp insight, honest analysis, and the stories behind the headlines shaping British politics. 

]]> Less than two years after a landslide victory, Labour is tearing itself apart. Resignations, leadership rumours, and a potential showdown in Makerfield — is this the beginning of the end for Keir Starmer?

Former BBC journalists Douglas Beattie and Simon Thomson go beyond the headlines to unpack the chaos: who’s manoeuvring, what’s really driving the unrest, and why voters have been turning away. From Westminster intrigue to a shifting political landscape, this hasn’t just been a bad few weeks for Labour— it’s a shifting political landscape. 

Is this a leadership crisis… or a full-blown political breakdown?

Send us Fan Mail

 New episodes dropping regularly. Follow The Political Breakdown for sharp insight, honest analysis, and the stories behind the headlines shaping British politics. 

]]> Douglas Beattie Buzzsprout-19247052 Wed, 27 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1574 1 1 full false