# Going postal: The election brawl begins

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/going-postal-the-election-brawl-begins
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/going-postal-the-election-brawl-begins.md
Podcast: [Politics At Sam and Anne's](https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360)
Published: 2026-04-16T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://politics-at-sam-and-anne.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/157fc6fa-2803-4444-8142-283531600393.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=e0c28668-b961-43cf-8d6c-6ba62ef8a7a3&aw_0_1st.episodeid=157fc6fa-2803-4444-8142-283531600393
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/episodes/going-postal-the-election-brawl-begins
Duration seconds: 1207

## Resource

With three weeks to polling day, postal voting is underway in local and devolved elections across the UK - but will the process stay clean and how much could deepfakes distort the campaign? In Scotland, an almighty row has erupted between Labour and Reform over an alleged behind-the-scenes alliance to remove the SNP, with both parties branding each other liars. Down in Wales, questions are being raised over whether a party could win the most votes yet fail to form the next administration under the new voting system. Sam hears from the CEO of the Electoral Commission about the threat of deepfakes and a new pilot scheme to detect them. Away from the campaign trail, Anne has been speaking to the new German ambassador to the UK, who has struck up an unlikely friendship with a potential challenger to Keir Starmer. Plus, details of plans being drawn up for a “worst-case scenario” over food shortages if the Strait of Hormuz remains shut. You can find all the candidates standing in the local and national elections across the country here.

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## Transcript

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