On today's episode of the Whitehall Sources podcast, Calum Macdonald, Jo Tanner and James Nation discuss the fallout to Nigel Farage's triggering a by-election in his own seat of Clacton.With most parties not standing his main challenger seems to be Count Binface.... Does this by-election even matter and should it get media attention, or is it a political stunt from the Reform UK leader that is best left alone? Later, the trio are joined by Alex Thomas from the Institute for Government, to discuss how soon-to-be Prime Ministers get ready for the highest office in the land. What is Andy Burnham thinking and planning ahead of his time in No. 10 and is there anything he is missing. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Top advisers to our significant political leaders analyse the successes and failures of today's politics, sharing their experiences of working in Whitehall. Jo Tanner is a political adviser and strategist who's worked with politicians from all parties - she's Managing Partner at Rud Pedersen UK. James Nation was Deputy Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit, Special Adviser to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and is now Managing Director at Forefront Advisers. Journalist and broadcaster Calum Macdonald manages their in-tray of talking points, U-turns and crises. From parties in Westminster to the tactics of SpAds, this is your exclusive insight into how politics is done and how politicians work. We welcome insiders and analysts to join the conversation each week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.