Independent Thinking: Rishi Sunak and the UK, John Kerry on COP27 Audio NCapeling 28 October 2022

The second episode of our new podcast examines the changes in the UK government as Rishi Sunak become prime minister and looks ahead to COP27 with John Kerry.

Bronwen Maddox and her guests discuss the arrival in Number 10 of Rishi Sunak, the UK’s youngest prime minister of modern times as well as its third of 2022, alongside analysing the Chatham House event with US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate John Kerry. 

Bronwen’s guests from Chatham House are John Kampfner, executive director of the UK in the World Initiative, Hans Kundani, associate fellow with the Europe programme, and Anna Åberg, research associate with the Environment and Society programme.

They are joined by Sir Simon Fraser, formerly of the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Chatham House’s deputy chairman. 

Independent Thinking is a regular podcast hosted by Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists, and Chatham House experts to provide insight on the latest international issues.

By-elections were seen as an indicator of the two main parties' prospects at a time when voters are struggling with high inflation, strikes and rising mortgage rates.

India-born Rajesh Agrawal is the Labour Party candidate for Leicester East

Matt Hancock is living on 'borrowed time' as Health Secretary following clashes with the three most powerful members of the Government over the Covid crisis, The Mail on Sunday has been told.

Matt Hancock is living on 'borrowed time' as Health Secretary following clashes with the three most powerful members of the Government over the Covid crisis, The Mail on Sunday has been told.

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: the symptoms

In today's Diary: Rishi Sunak's secret weapon / A question setter's worst nightmare / Billy Porter on the piece of art he wants most / Liberal Tories hope for immigration change

Follow our live Covid-19 updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

Follow our live coronavirus updates here

Coronavirus: the symptoms

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the Government had faced some unexpected delays to the delivery of personal protective equipment from Turkey.

Some of Britain's most famous faces united to entertain the nation as part of BBC One's Big Night In , which raised more than £27 million to help support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Loans to be available from next week as Government ramps up efforts to save small businesses from collapsing under financial fallout of Covid-19 crisis

EXCLUSIVE

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering options to taper off the Government's furlough scheme which is supporting workers staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak.

A live blog from FT.com

Surprise measures on pensions and investing for children lay in the chancellor’s red box

The Prime Minister beamed like a doggie handler whose prized pup had just won best in show watching Rishi Sunak deliver his first budget, writes HENRY DEEDES.

HENRY DEEDES: Hearing each drastic measure one by one, Boris Johnson must have felt like a Premiership footballer having the cost of his floozy's latest splurge read out to him in person.

HENRY DEEDES: Judging by his appearances over the past week, we must therefore assume that through Rishi Sunak's bulging veins flows nothing but pure liquid nitrogen.

HENRY DEEDES: With his scheme now up and running, Rishi might have afforded himself a little strut at the lectern - but for the embarrassing issue of NHS protection equipment shortages.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will make a final decision this weekend on when and how to phase out the government's coronavirus furlough scheme, it was claimed today.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak once spoke about the closure of a local pub in his Richmond constituency in North Yorkshire and his regret over the loss. Now one third of his constituents face the dole.

The new Chancellor was beaming as he sat next to the Prime Minister despite the fact that yesterday he saw his boss Sajid Javid purged from the government.

Rishi Sunak today announced he is hiking the amount it costs migrants to use the NHS as the government's spending watchdog predicted net migration could fall to 129,000.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will make a final decision this weekend on when and how to phase out the government's coronavirus furlough scheme, it was claimed today.

STEPHEN GLOVER: Rishi Sunak's first Budget confirmed what we had suspected. Boris Johnson's Tories are not the party of Margaret Thatcher, or even David Cameron.

RUTH SUNDERLAND: Once again, the banks are in the dock, this time for letting down hundreds of thousands of firms in their hour of direst need.

Mr Johnson started the day by sacking Andrea Leadsom as Business Secretary, Theresa Villiers as Environment Secretary and Esther McVey as housing minister.

Sajid Javid had reportedly tried to resist calls from the PM's chief advisor Dominic Cummings to dramatically increase spending, so experts believe his dismissal could 'open the fiscal floodgates'.

A graduate of £42,000-per-year Winchester College and Oxford University, where he studied PPE, Rishi Sunak is believed to be one of the richest members of Parliament.

Rishi Sunak killed off rumours of a delay to the Budget saying he was 'cracking on' with preparations for the crucial financial package.

From next month the threshold at which payments start will rise from £8,632 to £9,500, putting an estimated £100 a year back in the pocket of 31 million workers.

STEPHEN GLOVER: Rishi Sunak's first Budget confirmed what we had suspected. Boris Johnson's Tories are not the party of Margaret Thatcher, or even David Cameron.

Despite being repeatedly tipped as a 'prime minister-in-waiting' since entering the House of Commons less than five years ago, Rishi Sunak has always been better known in India than Britain.

ANDREW PIERCE: Sunak's bold measures to tackle the economic devastation threatened by the coronavirus has found him allies in unexpected places.

With the smell of a spring Budget in the air comes the rumour of yet more restrictions on the tax relief available to boost our pension saving. But how will Mr Sunak treat pension savers?

The Chancellor, speaking from Downing Street, told viewers that we would remember how 'we came together as a country' as he announced the Government's pledge to match all donations raised.

Critics of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme have urged Rishi Sunak to increase the guarantee from the current level of 80 per cent to 100 per cent.

Far be it for me to comment on the US's medical response to the coronavirus, but amid these failings the US does appear to have managed the business piece remarkably well.

The bad news began yesterday morning when the Bank of England revealed it was cutting the base rate by two-thirds to just 0.25 per cent, writes VICTORIA BISCHOFF.

With the smell of a spring Budget in the air comes the rumour of yet more restrictions on the tax relief available to boost our pension saving. But how will Mr Sunak treat pension savers?

The top rate of income tax is officially 45p, yet the removal of the personal allowance means the real top rate is effectively 60p - and those who pay it are not Britain's top earners.

Rishi Sunak today announced any homeowner who is adversely affected by coronavirus will be eligible for a three month mortgage payment 'holiday'.