Coming in Andy: Britain's prime minister-in-waiting

About this episode

<p>Andy Burnham won a by-election he needed in order <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/06/19/andy-burnham-is-now-britains-prime-minister-in-waiting?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to challenge</a> Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister. We look at the path ahead for him. The Iran deal seemingly promises a financial windfall for the country and its regime—one that its battered economy <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/06/17/irans-battered-economy-will-take-years-to-recover-from-the-war?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sorely needs</a>. And the mythmaking of presidential libraries, as seen in the latest one: <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/06/18/barack-obama-has-built-a-monument-to-himself?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barack Obama’s</a>.</p><br><p><em>Watch extended clips from Insider </em><a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Hugo Gye, British political correspondent</li><li>Fraser McIlwraith, foreign correspondent</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>British politics, Andy Burnham, Labour party </li><li>Iran war, Iran deal, Iran’s economy</li><li>Barack Obama, presidential libraries</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>