{"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":"Has Nigel Farage lost his Midas touch?","slug":"has-nigel-farage-lost-his-midas-touch","published_at":"2026-07-03T16:01:51+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/has-nigel-farage-lost-his-midas-touch","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/has-nigel-farage-lost-his-midas-touch","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/6a47dcf0ecd123914347920c/media.mp3","summary":"Nigel Farage has spent decades turning political setbacks into opportunities. Parties have risen and fallen around him, controversies have come and gone, and yet he has always managed to emerge stronger. But this week feels different. Questions over a £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire, lucrative outside earnings, a series of disappointing by-election results and an unusually defensive run of media appearances have prompted fresh questions about whether Britain's most resilient political survivor is finally losing his golden touch. Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson ask whether this is just another Westminster bubble story or the first real sign that Farage is being judged not as a political insurgent, but as a prime minister-in-waiting. Executive Producer: Rod Ardehali 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":"Nigel Farage has spent decades turning political setbacks into opportunities. Parties have risen and fallen around him, controversies have come and gone,…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2323,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/has-nigel-farage-lost-his-midas-touch/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/has-nigel-farage-lost-his-midas-touch.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}