OppositionCast with Dr Nigel Fletcher
Everybody seems to be starting a political podcast nowadays, and half of them seem to have the word “cast” at the end of them. This one, hosted by the Centre for Opposition Studies former director Nigel Fletcher, is an interview-based podcast (aren’t they all?) looking at various aspects of opposition politics. It’s an understudied facet of British politics and Nigel Fletcher has done more than anyone to shine a light into the nooks and crannies of what makes for good opposition politics.
This is a comparatively new podcast with only a dozen episodes in the bag, but it makes for fascinating and informative listening. So far he’s covered the role of whipping in opposition, opposition to Donald Trump, the 1945-51 Conservative opposition, opposition in the Lords, Labour under Miliband and how an opposition prepares for power. You might think this makes for fairly dry gruel, but on the contrary. Fletcher’s introductions can be a little ponderous, but his interviewing style is light and breezy and the fact that he was an adviser to the Conservatives (on education) in opposition before becoming an academic, means he brings more to the table than others might. There’s no doubt that this podcast will only ever appeal to the political geek market, but I suspect there are more of us about than people imagine!
