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Politics affects each of our personal, social, and economic lives. It shapes business, how we work, and how we live. Be it the purchasing power of a customer base or what healthcare is available, politics are a major influence.
But when the political world changes daily, keeping up to date can be a challenge.
Thankfully, that’s where political podcasts come in. Because they offer a guiding light on the impact of national and international affairs. And this year they’re more important than ever - we’re in for a bumper year of elections with around half the world’s population set to vote.
So, we’ve put together this list of the 18 best political podcasts to listen to in 2024. Whether you want to know how politics will impact the financial markets or your day-to-day life, these are the best political podcasts to keep you informed
To save you from having to seek them out yourself, we’ve pulled together 18 of the best political podcasts for you to check out in your spare time. So let’s dive right in. Ready?
Hosted By: Ian Hislop, Andrew Hunter Murray & Helen Lewis.
The podcast for the satirical news and current affairs magazine, Private Eye. Private Eye is independent journalism at its finest. The magazine reports on the stories that mainstream media should but don’t touch. The podcast is very much the audio accompaniment for the magazine; it takes aim at how the UK is run and the response of the media industry.
Hosted by: Manveen Rana
This daily news podcast focuses on one remarkable story each episode. It’s just as likely to cover a hot talking point from Westminster as it is a new cultural phenomenon. Episodes cover a wide variety of topics such as what Liz Truss did next, how the tobacco industry secretly bankrolled vaping, and why measles cases are surging. Overall, it provides listeners with insight into how society is shaped indirectly and directly by politics. If you’re looking for a podcast on how everything fits together, The Story is well worth your time.
Hosted by: Gary O’Donoghue, Charmaine Cozier, Audrey Brown, Tanya Beckett, and Emily Wither.
The Inquiry offers a concentrated focus on one global story at a time, framed around a particular question (e.g. What Does Iran Want?). It's hosted by a roster of BBC journalists, such as Charmaine Cozier and Gary O’Donoghue, but the contributions of various experts form the meat and bones of the discussion. This engaging format makes The Inquiry a quick and effective way to get up to speed with a particular political topic.
Hosted by: Adrian Brown
Proudly produced by us at Cue Podcasts (in partnership with the Centre for Public Impact), Reimagining Government is a pretty unique political podcast as it does more than criticise governments. It explores how our governing systems are flawed and how they could be different. But it’s not just wishful thinking. Episodes explore radical new approaches to addressing the most pressing issues of our time. All by speaking with public servants and politicians at the heart of government around the world.
If you’re interested in starting a political podcast for your brand or business and you’ve got a production budget to work with, we at Cue Podcasts will handle everything from the initial concepting stage, right down to promotion and distribution. You can check out our showreel below:
Hosted by: Sam Harris
Making Sense With Sam Harris largely covers controversial and important topics relating to the mind, rationality, current events, morality, and moral philosophy. Naturally then, episodes often centre around global and US politics. This is a podcast for bringing much needed nuance to political discourse.
Hosted by: Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart
Who better to give a good read on politics than people who have worked in it themselves? Stewart is a former Conservative minister and Campbell is the former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy for the Labour party. Between them they discuss what’s happening in politics and what should be happening, all from an insider perspective. They also regularly field questions from listeners and give useful explainers.
Hosted by: Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Podcast claims to be providing journalistic balance to the deliberate omissions of Western Media. For example, interviewing Jeffrey Epstein’s brother (Mark Epstein) on why he believes his brother’s death was not a suicide. Or, a 2 hour interview with Vladmir Putin. That’s right - the former Fox presenter might be a controversial figure for some, but not many other political podcasts have interviewed Vladmir Putin. Whatever your opinion on Carlson, getting a world leader as a guest surely makes any political podcast worth a listen.
Hosted by: Nick Robinson
In this podcast, Nick Robinson picks the brains of the people who shape our political thinking. From their ideologies and how they work in practice, right through to how their personal histories shape their politics. Political Thinking with Nick Robinson offers candid insight into MPs, bureaucrats, and political advisors to show us their more relatable sides.
Hosted by: George Osborne and Ed Balls
Political Currency follows a popular format of having two hosts from different sides of the political sphere. What differentiates it, is the hosts George Osborne and Ed Balls both being ex-ministers - both bring general MP-insider knowledge as well as Cabinet experience to the table. Given its strong fiscal focus, Political Currency is a good podcast for understanding the UK’s politics and economy. Especially as the UK continues to face challenges in 2024, like the cost of living crisis.
Hosted by: Hannah White
Inside Briefing is a podcast from the UK think tank, Institute for Government. It’s also hosted by their director, Hannah White. The show is a prime example of an organisation using podcasting to extend their reach and thought leadership, with their general objective being to improve government for the benefit of society. That being said, Inside Briefing is largely focused on giving an analysis of UK politics.
Hosted by: Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and Dan Pfeiffer
Pod Save America is the brainchild of four former Obama staffers, who also host the podcast. Started in response to Donald Trump’s presidency and his irreverence to the truth, the podcast’s goal is to be a trusted media source for listeners in the age of disinformation. As such it provides twice-weekly analysis of what’s happening in US politics and The White House.
Hosted by: Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes
Tommy Vietor (co-host of Pod Save America) and Ben Rhodes take the Pod Save America show format and use it to discuss the world’s current affairs, twice a week. Pod Save The World is a must-listen for understanding global powers and America’s position within global politics. This makes a great accompaniment to listen to alongside Pod Save America.
Hosted by: Matt Chorley
If you like your podcasts a bit more upbeat and akin to a radio show, then Politics Without The Boring Bits is for you. Casually informative and very accessible, Matt Chorley and his guests ditch the political speech and keep it all in layman's terms. They get to the nuts and bolts of what the average voter wants to know, while poking fun at politicians. With the general election on the horizon, Politics Without The Boring Bits helps keep our attention fresh.
Hosted by: Anoosh Chakelian, Andrew Marr and New Statesman Journalists
The New Statesman Podcast doesn’t stick to one hard and fast rule for its content. Consequently, its episodes are more varied than just a weekly debrief of Westminster. Sure, some closely follow and analyse the government and the opposition. But others explore how certain policies have impacted personal lives. This variety in content keeps the show one of the most engaging political podcasts to listen to in 2024.
Hosted by: Ruth Davidson, Jess Philips and Beth Rigby
Electoral Dysfunction is a weekly podcast covering the lead up to the next UK general election. Hosted by Labour MP Jess Philips, Conservative MP Ruth Davidson, and Sky Political Editor Beth Rigby, this trio take a no-nonsense look at the run up to the general election. In particular, the UK’s political leaders and their policies. With sarcasm and humour aplenty, nothing is off-limits from their criticism. Be it their own political parties, fellow politicians, or Westminster as a whole. The UK’s general election is expected by early 2025, making Electoral Dysfunction a must-listen for 2024.
Hosted by: Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson
As two influential and senior political editors, Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson take to The Today Podcast to discuss the moves of various politicians. Episodes also delve into the factors that influence such moves, focusing on specific issues or events to explore how they’re impacting UK politics.
Hosted by: Cara McGoogan
Bed of Lies tells the shocking story of the contaminated blood scandal, all through the personal lives of those affected. It reveals the fight for justice 50 years on, and brings some context to the current news stories surrounding the scandal. The responsibility of compensating those affected has fallen upon Rishi’s Sunak government. Which makes this one of the most emotive political podcasts to listen to in 2024.
Hosted by: Brendan James and Noah Kulwin
Blowback is a deeply informative, gritty, and yet comedic look at the US and its foreign policy. It addresses the misunderstandings and misremembering of global events to tell it like it is. With each season covering a particular war or series of events (like the Iraq War, the Korean War, and the Cuban Revolution), it’s the healthy dose of humour that steers Blowback away from being utterly depressing. As the hosts themselves say, they “mix the funny and the lowbrow with the disgusting and the enraging."
Hopefully one of the above shows caught your attention. This isn’t an exhaustive list of the best political podcasts, but rather a handful of the team’s favourites here at Cue Podcasts. And whatever stage you’re at in your political journey, there’s always lots of great shows to choose from. All with different angles and insights.
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