This week’s episode runs the gamut: from house prices in freefall, to Labour’s immigration U-turn, to what the hell is going on in Parliament (again). We also say a bittersweet goodbye to one U.S. Congressman — and welcome a rare, almost-sincere apology from Marjorie Taylor Greene in our Lipstick on a Gerbil segment.Pour a pint and let’s get into it.⸻🏠 1. UK Housing Market WobblesNew data shows UK house prices down 1.8%, the steepest drop for this time of year in over a decade. But why is it happening?We discuss: • How Labour’s leak-heavy pre-budget chaos is rattling consumer confidence • Stamp duty, council tax rumours, and interest rate anxiety • Whether this is just a London story — or a warning for the rest of the UKIt’s either a sh*t sandwich, or a sh*t sandwich they’re not even going to eat. Either way, the market smells it.⸻🧾 2. Immigration Reform… or Reform Panic?Labour has unveiled sweeping immigration changes, including: • Temporary refugee status with 2.5-year reviews • A 20-year path to permanent residency • Faster deportations for failed asylum claims — including familiesBut within 24 hours, Labour backbenchers revolted, and critics from all sides questioned the policy’s credibility and intent.We ask: • Is this a strategic pivot to undercut Reform UK? • Will voters believe Labour means it? • Or does it just look like panic from a party still at war with itself?They’ve got a huge majority, and still… no one’s buying it.⸻🇺🇸 3. Burnout in the House: Jared Golden Steps DownCongressman Jared Golden (D-ME) announced his retirement, citing growing incivility and toxicity in American politics.We reflect on: • The real mental health toll of public office • Why more good people are leaving • How algorithmic outrage and polarization are reshaping political discourseWe’re not losing just politicians — we’re losing the ones we actually need to stay.⸻💄 Lipstick on a Gerbil: Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Sorry… Sort OfIn a surprising CNN interview, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene issued a rare apology for her years of toxic rhetoric.We debate: • Is this a real change — or just a rebrand now that she’s on the receiving end? • Can former provocateurs actually help de-escalate politics? • And does a Southern accent make it sound more sincere?🧴 1 Coat Across the BoardIt’s a start. But let’s see if she keeps the room tidy for six months.
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The BBC Implodes, Carney Spends Big, and Doug Ford Becomes Holly’s Roman Empire
This week, we tackle the institution that’s cracking (the BBC), the leader who’s spending (Mark Carney), and the conservative premier who’s somehow breaking hearts and polling records (Doug Ford).Also, Prince Harry makes a surprise appearance… in our Lipstick on a Gerbil segment.🏚 1. BBC on the BrinkWe break down the resignation of BBC’s Director-General, Tim Davie, following a firestorm of scandals — including:A Panorama edit that deceptively spliced Trump’s speechAllegations of editorial bias on the Middle East and trans issuesA crushing internal report that reveals the public broadcaster has lost trust across the political spectrumWe debate whether the BBC has become the UK’s next great institutional casualty — and ask:Is this the moment it becomes the CBC of British politics?“You don’t just lose public trust with bias — you lose it with smugness.”💸 2. Canada’s Budget Gets Derailed by… Polievre?It was supposed to be the biggest budget in a generation — but you wouldn’t know it based on the political headlines.Instead, the story has been:Two MPs leave Pierre Poilievre’s caucusAllegations his office used oppo research to threaten MPsA leadership review coming in January“The budget is a footnote in a week of internal Conservative chaos.”We ask:Does this damage Poilievre’s image as a PM-in-waiting?Why is no one talking about the record-breaking deficit?And is anyone in Canadian politics actually focused on cost of living?📈 3. Doug Ford: Ontario’s Unshakeable PremierDespite Ontario’s controversial World Series ad (which British Columbia has since scrapped), Doug Ford’s numbers haven’t budged — still holding at 51% in the polls.Holly calls him “a retail politician with Riz.” Andrew rolls his eyes. Joseph asks why more federal conservatives aren’t learning from him.“He’s my Roman Empire.” – HollyWe ask:What explains his Teflon approval rating?Has Ford actually cracked the political code — or is the bar just really low?💄 Lipstick on a Gerbil: Prince Harry’s Baseball ApologyWhen Prince Harry wore an LA Dodgers cap during a Jays game, Canada had questions. His response?Self-deprecating charm. Bald jokes. And a gentle “go Jays.”3 coats across the board.“Sometimes we forget: not every controversy needs a communications war room.”
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Oops! I Did It Again
Budget Season, Housing Scandals & Populist SnapbacksJoseph’s in a bad mood. Andrew’s six minutes late. Holly’s podcasting from a cow-filled Cumbrian farm. And somehow, this chaotic start perfectly mirrors the week in politics we’re about to unpack.In this week’s Issue Scan, we tackle three big stories⸻💸 1. Carney’s Budget of Austerity (Without Saying “Austerity”)We preview Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first federal budget, which the Liberals are billing as transformational — but may look a lot like a cutback budget with better PR. • Spending cuts to government operations• Big promises on defense, trade and climate • An electorate with zero patience and plummeting expectations“It’s starting to feel like Canadians don’t want change — they want certainty.”We debate: • Is this a red-tinted version of David Cameron’s ‘Age of Austerity’? • Will progressive voters tolerate fiscal discipline? • And what happens if the elbow-throwing on trade still doesn’t land a deal with Trump?🏘 2. Rachel Reeves’ Rental Row: A Crisis of DetailThe UK Chancellor has a problem: two letters, one missed license, and a husband who didn’t “sort it.”We break down: • The timeline of the scandal • What it reveals about Labour’s growing housing PR headache • And why this is more than just “admin error”Lipstick on a Gerbil Score: 🧴 1 coat — “She said she took responsibility. But mostly blamed everyone else.”“If this were a Tory, Labour would have eaten them alive. But now? Just more letters on Starmer’s desk.”🇳🇱 3. Dutch Election Surprise: Populists Rejected?Andrew brings us a European update as the Dutch electorate gives populism a timeout — rejecting Geert Wilders and rewarding centrist parties. • What went wrong for the populists this time? • Is this a snapback to the centre or a one-off? • And what could it mean for Farage-style politics elsewhere?Populists won power, disappointed voters, and got punished. So what comes next?”
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The Dumbest $75M Ad Ever? Or Genius Strategy?
From the UK’s disastrous week under Labour to a major trade gaffe (or not?) in Canada, and Doug Ford’s surprising turn as global spokesman for tariffs and Reaganomics — we unpack a week of political faceplants, media spin, and near perfect lipstick jobs.⸻🧨 1. A Week in the Life of a Labour PMOne tweet said it all.Six political scandals. One week. And a mounting sense that Keir Starmer’s government is spiralling: • Botched handling of the Maccabi fan ban • Immigration failures (again) • Rape gang inquiry collapses • Labour loses its own seat in Wales • Starmer caught in a China fib • An Epping sex offender goes AWOLWe ask: Is this just governing as usual? Or has Labour lost the plot just one year into its mandate?“This feels like third-term fatigue… but it’s only year one.”⸻🗳 2. Labour Gets Wrecked in WalesA shock by-election in Caerphilly saw Labour collapse to 11%.Plaid Cymru won, Reform surged to second — and Farage is claiming “main challenger” status.We break down: • What the Welsh result tells us about progressive alliances • Whether Reform has a hard ceiling • And why Labour MPs are already talking like they’ve lost“They’ve only got the cards they’ve got — and we’ve seen what’s in that deck.”⸻🇨🇦 3. Ontario’s World Series Ad Bombs Trade TalksPremier Doug Ford ran a $75M ad campaign during the World Series — using Ronald Reagan’s words to shame Trump’s tariffs.Trump responded by escalating tariffs. Negotiations collapsed. The Reagan Foundation called it misinformation.We debate: • Was this political genius… or tactical self-sabotage? • Who was the ad really for — Trump or Ontarians? • And did Mark Carney know it was coming?“It smells like genius… but I’m not smart enough to understand why.”⸻💄 Lipstick on a Gerbil: Doug Ford Defends the AdIn our favourite comms segment, we rate Ford’s CNN appearance defending the ad.Was he playing 4D chess, or just trying to out-Trump Trump?Our verdict:🧴🧴🧴 Three coats — Warm, confident, and weirdly likeable.⸻📩 Subscribe or listen at craftpolitics.fm🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & Substack
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Fan Bans, Brexit Blame & Trump vs. Rudd
🧨 1. Maccabi Tel Aviv Fan Ban: Judenfrei by Policing?When Aston Villa banned Israeli fans from attending their upcoming UEFA fixture, citing security risks, it sparked outrage — and raised serious questions.Why did local UK officials capitulate to pressure from anti-Israel campaigners?How did Birmingham end up, as Andrew puts it, “effectively declared Judenfrei”?What does this mean for sport as a safe and unifying space?“If you threaten violence, you win. That’s the message. It’s shameful.”🇬🇧 2. Blaming Brexit — Labour’s Budget Pre-SpinAhead of the UK’s autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves claims Brexit, austerity, and productivity slumps have created a deep funding hole.We debate:Is this a smart preconditioning move — or a dangerous misread of voters?Are Labour making Reform’s case for them?And how long can you keep blaming decisions from eight years ago?“They’re telling voters they were stupid. Farage couldn’t have scripted it better.”🇨🇦 3. Poilievre’s RCMP Blunder — Just Off the Cuff?Pierre Poilievre is on cleanup duty after comments he made accusing the RCMP of covering up Trudeau-era scandals. He says it was aimed at former commissioner Brenda Lucki — not the force itself. But the damage may already be done.Was it an off-the-cuff moment of honesty or a Trump-style overreach?Is it alienating swing voters just when the Tories should be widening their appeal?And what does it say about how Poilievre handles comfort-zone media?“He needs to be most careful when he’s most comfortable.”💄 Lipstick on a Gerbil: Penny Wong Defends Trump’s Takedown of Kevin RuddIn our favourite comms segment, we rate Australia’s Foreign Minister as she tries to explain away Donald Trump’s brutal dismissal of Ambassador (and ex-PM) Kevin Rudd:Our rating?🧴 One coat — Barely concealed, pivoted well, but we’re not buying it.“I don’t like him… and I probably never will.”
The best political chats don’t happen in boardrooms, and they rarely show up in briefing notes. They happen in pubs — over a pint or three. Or, right here on Craft Politics. With craft beer on the table and stories from decades in politics across the UK and Canada, Andrew Percy and Joseph Lavoie take you behind the headlines to show you how politics really works — and why it matters to you. Candid, witty, sometimes inappropriate, it’s a reminder that politics doesn’t have to be boring or polarizing.
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