
The Heath vs Wilson Elections (Episode 2 of 4): The 1970 General Election
22/12/2025 | 1h 15 mins.
In part two of their miniseries on the Heath vs Wilson elections, Lee and Richard delve into the second of the contests fought between the pair. In May 1970, incumbent Prime Minister Harold Wilson asked the Queen for a dissolution of Parliament, judging it was his best opportunity to win a third successive election for Labour. Almost everyone expected Wilson to triumph. But when the votes were cast, Edward Heath and the Conservatives came out on top. How did it happen? And why did the polls and political commentators misjudge the views of the British people?In this episode, the following books are discussed:'Downing Street Downfalls: The Misadventures of Britain's Prime Ministers Since Thatcher' by Mark Garnett. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781788218696'Original Sin: President Biden's decline, its cover-up, and his disastrous choice to run again' by Alex Thompson & Jake Tapper. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781529155488Tickets are now available for the 1st Birthday Party of the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast, featuring a live recording. Find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/since-attlee-churchills-1st-birthday-party-tickets-1978627898307***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.Got a question or comment? Get in touch!Richard: [email protected]: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matters of Interest: Burnham's Path to Parliament & Do Parties Need to Make Pacts?
17/12/2025 | 48 mins.
In this week's Matters of Interest, Richard considers whether the Labour Party's internal rules - especially the power of the National Executive Committee over Parliamentary selections - could stand in the way of Andy Burnham's triumphant return to Parliament. And Lee considers whether the changing electoral landscape of Britain means parties no longer need to really make pacts with one another, because the voters are effectively doing it for them.Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.Got a question or comment? Get in touch!Richard: [email protected]: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Heath vs Wilson Elections (Episode 1 of 4): The 1966 General Election
14/12/2025 | 1h 8 mins.
Lee and Richard are starting a brand new mini-series looking at some of the most dramatic and consequential general elections in post-war history: the four contests fought between Conservative leader Edward Heath and Labour leader Harold Wilson between 1966 and 1974. In this episode, they discuss Wilson's gamble on a snap election in March 1966. Boosted by a recent by-election win, Wilson thought it would be the perfect moment to seize the initiative and win a big majority. How did the campaign unfold - and did Wilson get the result he hoped for?In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780099273967'White Identity Politics' by Ashley Jardina. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781108468602***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.Got a question or comment? Get in touch!Richard: [email protected]: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matters of Interest: Expelling Peers & the Lib Dems
10/12/2025 | 50 mins.
In this Week's Matters of Interest, Richard suggests that the use of the royal prerogative to deprive Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles of nobility might have inadvertently set a precedent for allowing prime ministers to eject troublesome members from the House of Lords without legislation. And Lee raises the strategy and success of the Lib Dems. Both Lee and Richard have experience of fighting against Britain's traditional third party, but what do they think of how the Lib Dems got to where they are today - and what the future holds?Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!Buying your books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.Got a question or comment? Get in touch!Richard: [email protected]: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Jeremy Corbyn win the Labour leadership?
07/12/2025 | 1h 14 mins.
In this week's episode, Lee and Richard discuss one of the most dramatic events in Labour history: the emergence of Jeremy Corbyn, a man who had never before sat on the front bench, as the landslide winner of the party leadership. It's a story that covers the fallout of the Iraq war and reforms to Labour's leadership rules, Ed Miliband's decision to resign the leadership straight after election defeat and Andy Burnham's following of the Labour whip on Tory welfare measures. So, how did it unfold - and what were the consequences?In this episode, the following books are mentioned:'A Scandal in Konigsberg' by Christopher Clark. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780241767887'The House of Lords' by John Wells. Available at: https://amzn.to/3XIWGN4***Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - literally since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.Got a question or comment? Get in touch!Richard: [email protected]: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.



Since Attlee & Churchill