Inside Politics / Inside Story

As the head of an organisation called Labour Together, which despite its name '"was all about dividing the Labour party and defeating the left", Irishman Morgan McSweeney handpicked Keir Starmer as the leadership candidate to take on Jeremy Corbyn and the party's left wing in 2020. That is according to Patrick Maguire, co-author of Get In, an entertaining book about Starmer's road to Number 10 and McSweeney's accumulation of power behind the scenes. He talks to Hugh about McSweeney's talent, Starmer's leadership and why the Labour government is struggling to get its message across.Get In by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund is available now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday afternoon Taoiseach Micheál Martin talked to Hugh and Pat about a range of issues: On tariffs, the Taoiseach says he "suspects" a US decision on pharmaceuticals may be incorporated into overall trade negotiations, to Ireland’s advantage. He says that Ireland will resist any move by the EU to apply new taxes to US tech firms and supports the pharmaceutical industry's call for more favourable EU regulations.With the Government not on course to meet its goal of 300,000 new homes built by 2030, Mr Martin insists that figure is still the target and says a more aggressive social housing program is needed, criticising Dublin City Council for not building social housing "to any appreciable degree". On working with Michael Lowry and the Regional Independents, he insists no individual deals were made with independent TDs to secure their support and that he dealt with Mr Lowry only to enable the formation of a stable Government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·       The ‘Golden Age of America’ came and went over the course of a week as US President Donald Trump decided on Wednesday to pause his reciprocal tariffs for most countries for the next 90 days. ·       The status of suspended Social Democrat TD Eoin Hayes was up for debate this week with the party successfully pushing for representation based on election result rather than current Dáil numbers in order to secure two Oireachtas committee chairperson roles. So, is Hayes a Soc Dem TD or not? Some are making understandable comparisons with the recent speaking rights row.·       And Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has signalled a new Bill to overhaul the asylum system here with the latest data showing a surge in deportation orders and a substantial fall in applications in early 2025, both attributable to O’

The podcasters turn away from the heavy news agenda of tariffs and economic upheaval to examine a lighter, more enjoyable but still important topic: the 2025 Irish presidential election. What makes a good president? What makes a good presidential candidate? And who are the candidates in the running at this late stage? From big party nominees like Fine Gael's Mairead McGuinness to left unity candidates like Senator Frances Black and celebrity candidates like Conor McGregor, the list is long. Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh for the first of many episodes dedicated to the presidency this year.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does it take so long to build infrastructure in Ireland? If you consider the amount of red tape needed to secure approval for something relatively simple like the upgrade of Dublin's bus lanes, it is hardly surprising, says Barra Roantree, Assistant Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin. He talks to Hugh Linehan about the costly bottlenecks in Ireland's planning and implementation of key projects, how we compare internationally and whether reform is possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh to look back on the week in politics: It may have been one of the most consequential weeks for Irish politics in years, if US president Donald Trump’s tariffs have the expected impact on the Irish and global economy.The speaking rights row came to an end, at least for now this week following votes on the future of Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy and the emergence of tariffs as a far more significant issue. Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including pieces on the conviction of Marine Le Pen, the disillusionment of tech workers and the colourful history of Dáil insults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cliff Taylor and Pat Leahy are with Hugh to discuss the tariffs announced yesterday by US president Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Irish political system awaits tariff news from Washington, political editor Pat Leahy joins Hugh to look at how the day might unfold. But first they assess the outcome of yesterday’s Dáil vote on the future of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle. Murphy survived the vote - but there will be longer-term consequences from the controversy.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday April 2nd is when US president Donald Trump is expected to announce tariffs on a wide range of imports from several countries, probably including the European Union. But what can the EU do in response? Cliff Taylor and Jack Power join Hugh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy and Sarah Burns join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·       The Dáil will enter uncharted territory next Tuesday as a motion of no confidence in Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will be debated in the Dáil. Mary Lou McDonald and Labour leader Ivan Bacik are united in their insistence that Murphy’s position is no longer tenable with new speaking time slots for coalition-supporting Independents and Government backbenchers on Dáil schedule.·       Donald Trump has pledged to unveil his new tariffs on April 2nd, dubbing the event “liberation day”, but how will they impact new investment here and the spectacular corporate tax receipts that have been rolling in for the last few years?·       And the ‘desperate state’ of the State’s water system was highlighted by Uisce Éireann this week with “extraordinary complacency” and “passive indifference” around investment to blame

Sally Hayden talks to Hugh Linehan about her experiences reporting from Syria and Lebanon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:Jack reports from Brussels where EU leaders have been meeting to discuss issues including defence and rearmament.Paschal Donohoe used the sidelines of an EU summit to deliver a stark warning on the impact of tariffs on the economy. Conor McGregor’s appearance at the White House on St Patrick’s Day has heightened anticipation of a presidential run of his own.This week also saw more bad news on the issue the Government can’t get away from.Plus the panelists pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, including Miriam Lord on Web Summit, Gerry Thornley on Ireland’s Six Nations and Newton Emerson on Unionism discovering its Irish identity.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The idea that a country can't increase the size of its territory by taking it over another has been a principle of Western foreign policy for decades. If that changes it will be a profound shift. "Once that genie's out of the bottle, it will be very hard to put back in", says Tom Wright, the Irishman who was a member of Joe Biden's National Security Council and is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a foreign policy think-tank. He talks to Hugh about foreign policy under Biden and Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cormac McQuinn and Sarah Burns join Jack Horgan Jones to look back on the week in politics: ·       Most analysis of the Taoiseach’s extraordinary meeting with US president Donald Trump this week has called it a success - but the underlying economic threat remains.·       A brief intrusion by three members of the Burke family at a gala dinner attended by the Taoiseach in Washington DC made headlines. But how did they get in? Pat Leahy was there.·       This week marked five years since Covid lockdowns began. Has the pandemic had any lasting impact on politics? And where is Ireland’s long-awaited inquiry? Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Leahy reports from Washington where Taoiseach Micheal Martin met US president Donald Trump this afternoon. How did the Taoiseach do?In part two, Harry McGee talks to political scientist Dr Kevin Cunningham about the evolution of polling and what data reveals about Irish political trends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A report last week made a stark forecast: Ireland will be subject to EU fines and costs ranging from from €8 billion to €26 billion for failing to meet its 2030 climate goals. So why are we not taking more action, more swiftly to avoid this fiscal calamity - or indeed to avoid the underlying catastrophe of climate change? Hugh talks to Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork, and former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh to look back on the week in politics: ·       Did Simon Harris put his foot in his mouth when he contradicted the US account of a phone call between him and Donald Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio? The comments added to jitters over the Taoiseach’s visit to Trump’s White House next week.·       Security and Ireland’s defence have roared onto the political agenda. Is our political system ready for the debate about how to respond?·       This week left wing parties including Sinn Fein, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Greens held talks to explore running a joint candidate in this year’s presidential election. But will the idea fly? Plus, the panellists pick their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week, including Ireland’s unintelligent intelligence services, the fight back against Ireland’s Covid grade inflation and hope for I

US president Donald Trump's hard line with allies and his overtures to Russia have upended assumptions about the transatlantic security alliance. So where does it leave Europe and Ireland? Hugh talks to Edward Burke from UCD's Centre for War Studies and Irish Times security correspondent Conor Gallagher. They discuss Ukraine's ability to fight on without US assistance, the future of European security architecture and what these changes mean for Ireland's defence policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How ready are citizens of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for a border poll? What role would economics play in the debate? And what impact has Brexit had? The Irish Question, a new documentary by Alan Gilsenan and John Walsh, considers these questions through interviews with key players including former US president Bill Clinton. Alan and John talked to Hugh about their documentary and what they learned while making it.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.