Political Takeout Podcast: Tory modernisation, the Guardian versus the NSA, and Ed Miliband's pub problem

The boys are back in town: George Osborne, David Cameron and William Hague at the Conservative Party Annual Conference in September

This week we discussed Tory modernisation, asked if the Guardian should face prosecution over the Snowden leaks, and wondered whether it matters if Ed Miliband doesn’t go to the pub. We were joined in the studio by broadcaster Sam Delaney, Ruth Porter of the IEA, and down the line by former MP Louise Mensch, Index on Censorship’s Michael Harris, and Bloomberg’s Rob Hutton.

Background

Political Takeout is a funny but informed review of the week’s news and politics. Presented by Bobby Friedman and Rupert Myers, it takes a wry look at events in Westminster and beyond.

The show ran its first series in early 2013, when it quickly became the highest rated independent news and politics podcast on the iTunes store in the UK. In late 2013, Political Takeout transferred to its new home at Independent Voices.

Bobby & Rupert are both writers and broadcasters and they first hosted a radio show together in 2005.

Bobby has been a producer and presenter for the BBC and is the author of two political books. He is also a regular on TV and radio and has written for a number of national publications. Rupert’s writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Times, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph Blogs & the Spectator Coffee House, and has also been interviewed on TV and radio.