{"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":"Inside the by-election that could change UK politics","slug":"inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics","published_at":"2026-06-10T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/6a2847ee427484b4a44b869b/media.mp3","summary":"Next week will see one of the most consequential by-elections in UK political history. Journalists, pollsters and politicians are swamping the small market town near Wigan - where the voters of Makerfield could make Burnham king.  At the time of recording, Labour are 10 points ahead of Reform in the polls. To close the gap, Reform must win a battle of ideas on the right, where Restore Britain are currently polling at 8%. In this episode, Helen and Cleo discuss what happens if Burnham actually wins - will he become prime minister any time soon? And is Keir Starmer really in ‘legacy mode’?  Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham 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":"Next week will see one of the most consequential by-elections in UK political history. Journalists, pollsters and politicians are swamping the small…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2432,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics/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/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}