{"podcast":{"title":"In The Room","slug":"in-the-room-7693582","podcast_index_feed_id":7693582,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/69861398d4e01f1069d58875","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1770393584398-595c81ff-ae25-4c77-8905-6731a37e97f1.jpeg","author":"The Independent","episode_count":30,"summary":"Two former Westminster insiders reveal how politics and power really work. Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors at No 10? Or who’s the first person on the phone when a Prime Minister lands themselves in hot water? Each week former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former political advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, dissect the week’s biggest news, revealing how decisions get made, why they go wrong, and what should happen next. In The Room is straight-talking, insider analysis with a dose of humour, every week. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-18T04:18:18.748335+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582"},"episode":{"title":"Andy Burnham wants to be Britain’s least powerful PM","slug":"andy-burnham-wants-to-be-britain-s-least-powerful-pm","published_at":"2026-06-30T17:53:21+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/andy-burnham-wants-to-be-britain-s-least-powerful-pm","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/andy-burnham-wants-to-be-britains-least-powerful-pm","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/6a4402916a72c54c8d0e3d69/media.mp3","summary":"Devolution – or devo-maxxing – was the order of the day in Andy Burnham’s most significant speech yet on how he would govern. In front of an eager press pack that scrambled up from London, the prime minister-in-waiting set out a bold agenda focused on devolving power, reforming Whitehall and reindustrialising Britain. But devolution is a tune plenty of leaders have played before. Tony Blair turbo-charged it after 1997, George Osborne promised a Northern Powerhouse, and Boris Johnson made plenty of noise about levelling up. Still, Britain remains top-heavy, with power and wealth concentrated in London. The UK also sends a far greater share of tax revenue to central government than almost all other major economies. So is now the right time to devo-maxx? And is Burnham the right man to do it? Executive Producer: Rod Ardehali Producer: Sam Durham Video Editor: Vali Raza Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here . Email your questions to Helen and Cleo on intheroom@independent.co.uk . This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Devolution – or devo-maxxing – was the order of the day in Andy Burnham’s most significant speech yet on how he would govern. In front of an eager press p…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2970,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/andy-burnham-wants-to-be-britain-s-least-powerful-pm/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/andy-burnham-wants-to-be-britain-s-least-powerful-pm.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}