{"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: Reform's big day out spells more trouble for Starmer","slug":"local-elections-reform-s-big-day-out-spells-more-trouble-for-starmer","published_at":"2026-05-08T18:16:25+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/local-elections-reform-s-big-day-out-spells-more-trouble-for-starmer","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/local-elections-reforms-big-day-out-spells-more-trouble-for","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/69fe287a051b78474e4268b0/media.mp3","summary":"Labour is losing votes to the Greens and seats to Reform. Across England, Scotland and Wales, the electoral map is shifting in ways not seen for years. The foundations of the two-party system are looking more fragile than ever. In this bonus episode, we ask: are voters sending a message Westminster still isn’t hearing? What does history suggest about Starmer’s chances of staying in power? And what do Labour’s losses to both the Greens and Reform reveal about the future of British politics? 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":"Labour is losing votes to the Greens and seats to Reform. Across England, Scotland and Wales, the electoral map is shifting in ways not seen for years. Th…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1703,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/local-elections-reform-s-big-day-out-spells-more-trouble-for-starmer/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-reform-s-big-day-out-spells-more-trouble-for-starmer.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}