Hidden Wiring: UK Politics Explained en Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how British government actually works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power that most people never see: from cabinet reshuffles and ministerial appointments to Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, and the protocol between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn't commentary on the weekly news stories. It's a clear explanation of how power is actually exercised in Britain, from two people who have operated at the heart of Westminster from both the political and civil service side. NEW: Leadership Succession Series - With the UK experiencing yet another change of Prime Minister, Hidden Wiring launches with a special miniseries explaining what really happens behind closed doors during a leadership transition. From how a new Prime Minister forms their government and picks their cabinet, to what happens inside Downing Street during the handover, the role of the King, and whether a new leader has to follow the old manifesto. If you've ever wondered how a UK Prime Minister actually takes power, this is the series for you.   Get answers to the questions rarely answered by politicians. A true insight into how UK politics works, explained clearly for anyone who wants to understand the British political system. Hidden Wiring is presented by Sir Robert Buckland KC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Dr Alun Evans CBE, a senior civil servant for over twenty years, as they take apart one piece of the British state per episode and explain how it really operates.   Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, as Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019, and as Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. He was the Conservative MP for South Swindon from 2010 to 2024 and is a practising barrister, bringing three decades of experience of how law, ministers and Parliament actually interact, from the inside. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.   Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. Drawing on two complementary perspectives, the hosts examine the dynamics of government through a simple but powerful lens: how politics is designed to work, and how it works in practice. Whether you're politically curious, a student of British politics, or someone who just wants UK politics explained without the shouting, Hidden Wiring is your guide to understanding Westminster.   Episode topics include: Leadership Succession: what actually happens when a UK Prime Minister is replaced, how a new government is formed, and the hidden process behind every transition of power. Political Reshuffles: what really happens when a prime minister rewires their government, who is consulted, and why the timing is never an accident. "No.10 of the North": what moving the centre of government out of London would actually involve, and whether it would change anything. UK Cabinet Explained: how the most famous meeting in British politics works, what gets decided in it, and what gets decided long before it. The Logistics of Government: the cars, the boxes, the private offices and the machinery that keeps ministers functioning day to day. Governmental Appointments: how the people who run Britain's institutions are chosen, and where the patronage still sits. UK Budget and the Treasury: how spending decisions are really made, and why the Treasury usually wins. The Role of the King: what the Palace actually does during a government transition, and the constitutional conventions most people never hear about.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/9fc4fb16-9af1-11f1-ab3f-b35509be665d/image/aa2f79932d2b89c5e7ed1893510a168d.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Hidden Wiring: UK Politics Explained episodic Robert Buckland and Alun Evans Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how British government actually works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power that most people never see: from cabinet reshuffles and ministerial appointments to Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, and the protocol between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn't commentary on the weekly news stories. It's a clear explanation of how power is actually exercised in Britain, from two people who have operated at the heart of Westminster from both the political and civil service side. NEW: Leadership Succession Series - With the UK experiencing yet another change of Prime Minister, Hidden Wiring launches with a special miniseries explaining what really happens behind closed doors during a leadership transition. From how a new Prime Minister forms their government and picks their cabinet, to what happens inside Downing Street during the handover, the role of the King, and whether a new leader has to follow the old manifesto. If you've ever wondered how a UK Prime Minister actually takes power, this is the series for you.   Get answers to the questions rarely answered by politicians. A true insight into how UK politics works, explained clearly for anyone who wants to understand the British political system. Hidden Wiring is presented by Sir Robert Buckland KC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Dr Alun Evans CBE, a senior civil servant for over twenty years, as they take apart one piece of the British state per episode and explain how it really operates.   Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, as Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019, and as Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. He was the Conservative MP for South Swindon from 2010 to 2024 and is a practising barrister, bringing three decades of experience of how law, ministers and Parliament actually interact, from the inside. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.   Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. Drawing on two complementary perspectives, the hosts examine the dynamics of government through a simple but powerful lens: how politics is designed to work, and how it works in practice. Whether you're politically curious, a student of British politics, or someone who just wants UK politics explained without the shouting, Hidden Wiring is your guide to understanding Westminster.   Episode topics include: Leadership Succession: what actually happens when a UK Prime Minister is replaced, how a new government is formed, and the hidden process behind every transition of power. Political Reshuffles: what really happens when a prime minister rewires their government, who is consulted, and why the timing is never an accident. "No.10 of the North": what moving the centre of government out of London would actually involve, and whether it would change anything. UK Cabinet Explained: how the most famous meeting in British politics works, what gets decided in it, and what gets decided long before it. The Logistics of Government: the cars, the boxes, the private offices and the machinery that keeps ministers functioning day to day. Governmental Appointments: how the people who run Britain's institutions are chosen, and where the patronage still sits. UK Budget and the Treasury: how spending decisions are really made, and why the Treasury usually wins. The Role of the King: what the Palace actually does during a government transition, and the constitutional conventions most people never hear about.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how British government actually works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power that most people never see: from cabinet reshuffles and ministerial appointments to Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, and the protocol between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn't commentary on the weekly news stories. It's a clear explanation of how power is actually exercised in Britain, from two people who have operated at the heart of Westminster from both the political and civil service side.


NEW: Leadership Succession Series - With the UK experiencing yet another change of Prime Minister, Hidden Wiring launches with a special miniseries explaining what really happens behind closed doors during a leadership transition. From how a new Prime Minister forms their government and picks their cabinet, to what happens inside Downing Street during the handover, the role of the King, and whether a new leader has to follow the old manifesto. If you've ever wondered how a UK Prime Minister actually takes power, this is the series for you.

 

Get answers to the questions rarely answered by politicians. A true insight into how UK politics works, explained clearly for anyone who wants to understand the British political system. Hidden Wiring is presented by Sir Robert Buckland KC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Dr Alun Evans CBE, a senior civil servant for over twenty years, as they take apart one piece of the British state per episode and explain how it really operates.

 

Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, as Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019, and as Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. He was the Conservative MP for South Swindon from 2010 to 2024 and is a practising barrister, bringing three decades of experience of how law, ministers and Parliament actually interact, from the inside. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.  

Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power.


Drawing on two complementary perspectives, the hosts examine the dynamics of government through a simple but powerful lens: how politics is designed to work, and how it works in practice. Whether you're politically curious, a student of British politics, or someone who just wants UK politics explained without the shouting, Hidden Wiring is your guide to understanding Westminster.

 

Episode topics include:

  • Leadership Succession: what actually happens when a UK Prime Minister is replaced, how a new government is formed, and the hidden process behind every transition of power.
  • Political Reshuffles: what really happens when a prime minister rewires their government, who is consulted, and why the timing is never an accident.
  • "No.10 of the North": what moving the centre of government out of London would actually involve, and whether it would change anything.
  • UK Cabinet Explained: how the most famous meeting in British politics works, what gets decided in it, and what gets decided long before it.
  • The Logistics of Government: the cars, the boxes, the private offices and the machinery that keeps ministers functioning day to day.
  • Governmental Appointments: how the people who run Britain's institutions are chosen, and where the patronage still sits.
  • UK Budget and the Treasury: how spending decisions are really made, and why the Treasury usually wins.
  • The Role of the King: what the Palace actually does during a government transition, and the constitutional conventions most people never hear about.

 

If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works.

]]> Robert Buckland and Alun Evans info@thepodcastguys.co.uk UK Cabinet Reshuffle Explained: What Really Happens Inside Number 10 UK cabinet reshuffle explained from the inside: what really happens when ministers are summoned to Number 10 and a new Prime Minister begins forming a government? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans reveal the uncertainty, choreography and political calculations hidden behind the door at Downing Street. Drawing on first-hand experience from both sides of Whitehall, the hosts explain how cabinet appointments work and how a new Prime Minister takes over. It’s a rare look at how politics actually works when power changes hands, plans unravel and the machinery of government has to respond immediately. This episode of Hidden Wiring offers UK politics explanations without the shouting or speculation. Discover how UK government works through the experiences of a former cabinet minister and a former senior civil servant who have operated at the heart of Westminster. In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss: How cabinet appointments work inside Number 10 Waiting for the reshuffle phone call The civil service response to new ministers The new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Does a new Prime Minister have to follow the manifesto? -- Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain. Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics. Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice. Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School. Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. CHAPTERS  00:00 What happens during a cabinet reshuffle? 02:06 Inside the Number 10 appointment process 06:15 How cabinet appointments work 07:25 Ethics checks and entering a new department 10:20 Where power sits in the new government 13:27 Must a new Prime Minister follow the manifesto? 18:27 Which cabinet roles are compulsory?   FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk 🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk 🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 1 1 Robert Buckland and Alun Evans UK cabinet reshuffle explained from the inside: what really happens when ministers are summoned to Number 10 and a new Prime Minister begins forming a government? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans reveal the uncertainty, choreography and political calculations hidden behind the door at Downing Street. Drawing on first-hand experience from both sides of Whitehall, the hosts explain how cabinet appointments work and how a new Prime Minister takes over. It’s a rare look at how politics actually works when power changes hands, plans unravel and the machinery of government has to respond immediately. This episode of Hidden Wiring offers UK politics explanations without the shouting or speculation. Discover how UK government works through the experiences of a former cabinet minister and a former senior civil servant who have operated at the heart of Westminster. In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss: How cabinet appointments work inside Number 10 Waiting for the reshuffle phone call The civil service response to new ministers The new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Does a new Prime Minister have to follow the manifesto? -- Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain. Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics. Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice. Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School. Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. CHAPTERS  00:00 What happens during a cabinet reshuffle? 02:06 Inside the Number 10 appointment process 06:15 How cabinet appointments work 07:25 Ethics checks and entering a new department 10:20 Where power sits in the new government 13:27 Must a new Prime Minister follow the manifesto? 18:27 Which cabinet roles are compulsory?   FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk 🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk 🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781 UK cabinet reshuffle explained from the inside: what really happens when ministers are summoned to Number 10 and a new Prime Minister begins forming a government? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans reveal the uncertainty, choreography and political calculations hidden behind the door at Downing Street.


Drawing on first-hand experience from both sides of Whitehall, the hosts explain how cabinet appointments work and how a new Prime Minister takes over. It’s a rare look at how politics actually works when power changes hands, plans unravel and the machinery of government has to respond immediately.


This episode of Hidden Wiring offers UK politics explanations without the shouting or speculation. Discover how UK government works through the experiences of a former cabinet minister and a former senior civil servant who have operated at the heart of Westminster.


In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss:

  • How cabinet appointments work inside Number 10
  • Waiting for the reshuffle phone call
  • The civil service response to new ministers
  • The new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Does a new Prime Minister have to follow the manifesto?

--


Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain.


Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics.


Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice.


Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.


Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power.


If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works.


CHAPTERS 

00:00 What happens during a cabinet reshuffle?

02:06 Inside the Number 10 appointment process

06:15 How cabinet appointments work

07:25 Ethics checks and entering a new department

10:20 Where power sits in the new government

13:27 Must a new Prime Minister follow the manifesto?

18:27 Which cabinet roles are compulsory?

 

FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING


📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk

🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk

🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290

🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781

]]> 1212 no What Is the No.10 of the North and Will It Actually Work? What is the No10 of the North, and can it genuinely move political power out of London? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans examine Andy Burnham’s plan for a new centre of government in Manchester, asking whether it could transform how UK government works or become little more than a symbolic second office. Drawing on their experience inside Cabinet and the civil service, the hosts test whether the plan can overcome Whitehall’s powerful gravitational pull. They reveal what must change for the new office to carry real authority, why the location of ministers matters, and whether moving government closer to the regions can change the decisions it makes. This episode of Hidden Wiring goes behind the scenes of UK government to explain where power really sits and what it takes to move it. It’s a clear, first-hand guide to how politics actually works beyond the headlines. In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss: What powers the No10 of the North could hold Moving ministers and civil servants out of London The geography of power across Whitehall and Westminster Devolution and UK government beyond Manchester Parliament, regional funding and fiscal devolution -- Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain. Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics.  Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice. Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School. Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. CHAPTERS   00:00 Introducing the No10 of the North 00:35 Can government power move to Manchester? 02:13 Building a second Number 10 04:49 Ministers, civil servants and the geography of power 06:40 Devolution and UK government 11:40 Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and regional funding 15:04 Game changer or political gimmick? FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk 🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk 🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781 Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:00:00 -0000 full 1 2 Robert Buckland and Alun Evans What is the No10 of the North, and can it genuinely move political power out of London? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans examine Andy Burnham’s plan for a new centre of government in Manchester, asking whether it could transform how UK government works or become little more than a symbolic second office. Drawing on their experience inside Cabinet and the civil service, the hosts test whether the plan can overcome Whitehall’s powerful gravitational pull. They reveal what must change for the new office to carry real authority, why the location of ministers matters, and whether moving government closer to the regions can change the decisions it makes. This episode of Hidden Wiring goes behind the scenes of UK government to explain where power really sits and what it takes to move it. It’s a clear, first-hand guide to how politics actually works beyond the headlines. In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss: What powers the No10 of the North could hold Moving ministers and civil servants out of London The geography of power across Whitehall and Westminster Devolution and UK government beyond Manchester Parliament, regional funding and fiscal devolution -- Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain. Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics.  Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice. Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School. Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power. If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works. CHAPTERS   00:00 Introducing the No10 of the North 00:35 Can government power move to Manchester? 02:13 Building a second Number 10 04:49 Ministers, civil servants and the geography of power 06:40 Devolution and UK government 11:40 Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and regional funding 15:04 Game changer or political gimmick? FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk 🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk 🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781 What is the No10 of the North, and can it genuinely move political power out of London? Robert Buckland and Alun Evans examine Andy Burnham’s plan for a new centre of government in Manchester, asking whether it could transform how UK government works or become little more than a symbolic second office.


Drawing on their experience inside Cabinet and the civil service, the hosts test whether the plan can overcome Whitehall’s powerful gravitational pull. They reveal what must change for the new office to carry real authority, why the location of ministers matters, and whether moving government closer to the regions can change the decisions it makes.


This episode of Hidden Wiring goes behind the scenes of UK government to explain where power really sits and what it takes to move it. It’s a clear, first-hand guide to how politics actually works beyond the headlines.


In this episode, Robert and Alun discuss:

  • What powers the No10 of the North could hold
  • Moving ministers and civil servants out of London
  • The geography of power across Whitehall and Westminster
  • Devolution and UK government beyond Manchester
  • Parliament, regional funding and fiscal devolution


--


Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how UK government works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power most people never see: cabinet reshuffles, ministerial appointments, Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, Parliament and the relationship between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn’t weekly political commentary. It’s a clear account of how politics actually works in Britain.


Get answers to the questions politicians rarely address: how Parliament works, what happens inside Number 10, how ministers are appointed and how decisions move through the British state. With Westminster explained clearly and accessibly, the show is designed for politically curious listeners, students and anyone wanting to understand the ins and outs of British politics. 


Hidden Wiring is presented by Robert Buckland, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Alun Evans, a former senior civil servant with more than thirty years of experience across Whitehall and Downing Street. Together, they examine one part of the British political system per episode, comparing how government is designed to operate with how it works in practice.


Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. A practising barrister and former Conservative MP, he brings three decades of experience spanning law, Parliament and ministerial government. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School.


Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum.  His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power.


If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works.


CHAPTERS

 

00:00 Introducing the No10 of the North

00:35 Can government power move to Manchester?

02:13 Building a second Number 10

04:49 Ministers, civil servants and the geography of power

06:40 Devolution and UK government

11:40 Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and regional funding

15:04 Game changer or political gimmick?


FOLLOW HIDDEN WIRING


📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenwiringuk

🐦 X/Twitter: http://x.com/hiddenwiring_uk

🎞️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenwiring_ukpolitics

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hidden-wiring-uk-politics-explained/id6805024290

🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/446S52pIfYuDWLj7XlqxfY?si=79463f5299884781

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