{"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":20,"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":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582"},"episode":{"title":"Local elections: Green vs Reform heats up as Starmer comes out swinging","slug":"local-elections-green-vs-reform-heats-up-as-starmer-comes-out-swinging","published_at":"2026-05-06T05:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/local-elections-green-vs-reform-heats-up-as-starmer-comes-out-swinging","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/local-elections-green-vs-reform-heats-up-as-starmer-comes-ou","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/69fa256b82781c7c4581dc86/media.mp3","summary":"Local elections are often a stick used to beat the government with. That’s never been truer than in this Thursday’s contests. Across the country, voters are expected to desert Labour, exposing the real dividing lines in British politics that have been emerging since before the 2024 general election. In this week’s episode, we reveal whether Labour can survive a two-front battle against Reform and the Greens, what happens when unvetted fringe candidates win seats, and whether projected election disasters will ultimately topple Keir Starmer's leadership. Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here . This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Local elections are often a stick used to beat the government with. That’s never been truer than in this Thursday’s contests. Across the country, voters a…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2144,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/local-elections-green-vs-reform-heats-up-as-starmer-comes-out-swinging/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/local-elections-green-vs-reform-heats-up-as-starmer-comes-out-swinging.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}