David Runciman tells the story of one of the biggest shocks in British parliamentary history: the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age. Listen on BBC Sounds from Monday 9 Jun 2025

19 years as a member of parliament, 6 cabinet positions, 5 general elections and serving under 4 prime ministers. During his political career, Michael Gove pretty much saw and did it all. As he says himself, no-one in politics is a conscript. He and others are volunteers who willingly choose their fate. But office can and does take its toll and in this five part series, Michael talks candidly with politicians from different parties about the strengths and skills needed to survive when things get tough.

Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Clare Fordham Sound recordists: Jack Graysmark and Hannah Montgomery Mixed by James Beard Production co-ordinators: Janet Staples, Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck

Listen to all episodes from Monday 21 October 2024 on BBC Sounds.

Welcome to Politically, BBC Radio 4’s home for insightful, inside takes on how politics and power really work.

The clips are taken from:

Surviving Politics with Michael Gove Reflections

The UK's fishing and farming industries were at the core of Brexiteer's arguments for regaining British sovereignty over our land and produce. For many in the industries and the areas where they worked, the EU's fishing and farming frameworks had long been a source of frustration and a symbol of wider disillusions with the EU project. Why did the two industries resonate so deeply with voters? And how have they fared in the years since Brexit?

Alex Forsyth speaks to Jill Rutter, senior fellow at the Institute for Government, and Joel Reland, senior researcher at UK in a Changing Europe, about the impact Brexit had on UK fishing and farming.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie Editor: Richard Vadon Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley

The UK's membership within the EU meant that when it came to science and academia, the UK and EU were close collaborators. In both sectors, close ties meant that countries could share funding, innovation, research and people without friction. But after Brexit, the UK was removed from many of the research and funding frameworks, and the end of freedom of movement restricted researchers and students from travelling to the EU for study. How did the changes imposed after Brexit impact research, innovation and study in the UK?

Alex Forsyth speaks to Dani Payne, head of education and social mobility at the independent think tank the Social Market Foundation, and Sarah Main, who was the executive director of the campaign for science and engineering during Brexit and in the years that followed, about what Brexit meant for UK science and academia.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie Editor: Richard Vadon Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley

Claims of a ban on bendy bananas came to symbolise what many Brexiteers saw as a fundamental problem with the EU - burdensome bureaucracy and onerous regulation that stifled UK business and innovation. The Brexit campaign leant heavily on the notion that reclaiming sovereignty, ditching so-called red-tape imposed by Brussels and setting its own rules would unleash the UK’s potential. So in reality, what’s happened so far?

Alex Forsyth speaks to Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, and Joel Reland, a senior researcher at UK in a Changing Europe to find out.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie Editor: Richard Vadon Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley

When Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, politicians in Scotland and Wales hoped that the UK’s departure would mean more freedom for their governments over national matters. But in the decade since, uneasy constitutional questions have surfaced. Is devolution compatible with strengthened Westminster parliamentary sovereignty? And has Brexit deepened support for independence amongst the devolved nations?

Alex Forsyth speaks to Nicola McEwen, Professor of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Glasgow, and Richard Wyn-Jones, Professor of Welsh Politics at Cardiff University about how Wales and Scotland viewed the referendum, and the political ramifications that the Brexit vote continues to have today.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth Producers: Ben Carter and Mhairi MacKenzie Editor: Richard Vadon Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley

When the UK voted to leave the EU, Northern Ireland became one of the most contentious aspects of the Brexit negotiations. The prospect of a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland threatened to undermine the Good Friday agreement, and resurfaced divisions about Irish reunification. Although the Windsor Framework was eventually introduced in 2023, the political and economic uncertainty of the negotiation years has had lasting implications.

Alex Forsyth is joined by John Campbell, BBC Northern Ireland’s Business and Economics Editor, and Katy Hayward, Professor of Political Sociology at Queens’ University, Belfast, to look at how Brexit has shaped Northern Ireland in the decade since the referendum vote.

Presenter: Alex Forsyth Producers: Sally Abrahams Editor: Richard Vadon Studio engineer and sound mix: James Beard Production co-ordinator: Tim Fernley