Last orders for Labour? Starmer’s election nightmare and Westminster’s booze problem w/Will Hayward and Zoë Grünewald

Last orders for Labour? Starmer’s election nightmare and Westminster’s booze problem w/Will Hayward and Zoë Grünewald

From Pod Save the UK by Pod Save the UK

May 7, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 151

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of recent local elections for the Labour Party and features insights on Welsh politics and Westminster's drinking culture.

This week, Nish and Coco make sense of a bruising local election week, as Labour braces for heavy losses, Reform eyes major gains, and the Greens look to break through in London. They’re joined by Will Hayward, award-winning investigative journalist and expert on Welsh politics, to break down what’s happening in Wales, where Labour’s century-long dominance could be coming to an end. He explains the new Senedd voting system, the rise of Plaid and Reform, and what this election could mean for the future of devolution. Plus: Zoë Grünewald joins to unpack Reform’s latest migrant detention centre proposal, Green hopes in the capital, and what a bad night could mean for Keir Starmer. And: should MPs be allowed to drink on the job, or is Parliament’s bar tab finally becoming a political problem? GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, political journalist Will Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalist USEFUL LINKS Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/ CREDITS Radio 4, Today Show Tiktok, Zia Yusef (@ziayusufuk) Instagram, Hannah Spencer (@hannahtheplumbermcr) Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence…

People in this episode

Hosts: Nish, Coco

Guests: Will Hayward, Zoë Grünewald

Topics covered

  • local elections
  • Labour Party
  • political commentary
  • Wales politics
  • migrant detention
  • Westminster
  • devolution

Keywords

  • Labour
  • local elections
  • Wales
  • Reform
  • migrant detention
  • politics
  • devolution
  • Westminster
  • Senedd
  • Greens

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour, Reform, Greens, Plaid, Senedd, Parliament, Radio 4, Intelligence Squared, Crooked Media

Places: Wales

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