The Week in Westminster

Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster

George reports on the political reaction to Friday's shocking news that police had launched a murder investigation in to Ann Widdecombe's death.
Following Sir Keir Starmer's appearance at the Nato summit in Ankara, George is joined by Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, to reflect on the Prime Minister's record on the global stage.
Andy Burnham is set to become Prime Minister without a contest as over 300 hundred Labour MPs this week nominated him for the leadership. To debate whether that is good for the country George is joined by Burnham supporter, Labour MP Emily Darlington, and the former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Oliver Dowden.
To discuss Nigel Farage's decision to call a by-election in Clacton, George is joined by Reform UK MP, Danny Kruger, and Times columnist, Fraser Nelson.
And, ahead of the England Norway World Cup quarter final, George speaks to the Norwegian Ambassador to the UK, Tore Hattrem, and the Conservative Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committe, Dame Caroline Dinenage.

Sonia Sodha discusses the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, which was published this week, with the former Conservative Security minister Tom Tugendhat and the Labour MP and former Royal Marine Fred Thomas.
To review Andy Burnham's devolution plans, Sonia speaks to the Labour Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward and Greg Clark, a former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who was one of the architects of devolution policy when the Conservatives were in government.
Following a series of maternity scandals, Baroness Amos published her independent review this week. The Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, who chairs the Health Select Committee and the Labour MP Michelle Welsh, who is the government's national maternity adviser discuss what has gone wrong.
And to discuss Brand Burnham, Sonia brought together Rachel Cunliffe, the Associate Political Editor of the New Statesman and Farzana Baduel, the co-founder of Curzon PR and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s ‘When It Hits the Fan’.

Caroline Wheeler discusses the resignation of the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and what this means for the government. She is joined by Labour backbencher and Andy Burnham supporter Clive Lewis and Labour peer Charlie Falconer, who held a number of positions under Tony Blair, and has been a close ally of the Prime Minister.
To discuss the tenth anniversary of the Brexit vote, Caroline brings together Labour MP Stella Creasy, who is the chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, and Conservative peer Ross Kempsell, who was special adviser to Boris Johnson during Brexit years.
Andy Burnham was not the only new MP being sworn in this week. Caroline spoke to the SNP’s Lara Bird and the Conservative Douglas Lumsden, both of whom won the two recent by-elections in Scotland, about their first week in Westminster as MPs.
We will soon have our seventh Prime Minister in ten years. To discuss why, Caroline is joined by Conservative peer and Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein and
Caroline Slocock, a former civil servant, who was private secretary to Margaret Thatcher and John Major. She has written a book called: ‘Bad Government: And How To Make It Better'.

Vicki Young assesses Andy Burnham's Makerfield by-election win, which paves the way for a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.
She is joined by FT political editor, George Parker; New Statesman political editor, Ailbhe Rae; GB News political editor Christopher Hope and Labour peer and broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika.