The Bench Report
UK politics, straight from the benches.
Parliamentary debates, hearings, bills and briefings, all made into easy-to-digest audio.
Why Listen?
Well, politics is everyone’s business, as my window cleaner reminds me every fortnight. The Bench Report tries to make it less stuffy and more relatable. From PE teacher concerns over playing fields, to holiday-makers' complaints about airport queues, hopefully a topic or two will resonate and spark further interest.
Listener suggestions are vital to our mission - making politics more accessible and accountable. So please get in touch and producer Tom (me) will grab another coffee and start scanning those pages of Hansard.
Think of us as your personal, political consultancy service...but cheaper.
- Stay Informed: Get up-to-date on the latest parliamentary debates and policy decisions, many of which can be overshadowed by the headlines.
- Accessible Politics: We break down complex political jargon into clear, understandable audio summaries.
- Accountability: Understand how your government is working and hold them accountable.
- Targeted Content: Search our episode library for topics that matter to you, personally or professionally. Window cleaners included.
Our Sources:
- No outside chatter. We rely only on the official record of Parliamentary debates: Hansard.parliament.uk
- Reports from Parliamentary Committees that consider and scrutise government work: committees.parliament.uk
- Upcoming Parliamentary bills: bills.parliament.uk
- The comprehensive resources of the House of Commons Library: commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Legal:
- Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. parliament.uk/site-information/copyright-parliament
Email:
- thebenchreportuk@gmail.com
Extended episodes:
We try to keep episodes short and concise, but if you would like a more detailed analysis of a particular topic, please get in touch!
About Me:
I'm Tom, producer of 'The Bench Report'. Yorkshireman, ex-primary school teacher, now working in the world of education technology. Dad of two, elite village cricketer, knackered footballer. Fascinated by UK and US politics and the world my kids will be taking over.
Episodes
77 episodes
School Allergies: Navigating UK Safeguarding & Support
This episode covers how UK schools safeguard children with allergies. We explore legal duties, like Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requiring support for pupils with medical conditions. Discover nation-specific guida...
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Season 2
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Episode 49
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6:26
Wild Camping: Rights, Responsibilities, and UK National Parks
This episode delves into wild camping in the UK, highlighting the Supreme Court's decision to uphold public wild camping rights on Dartmoor. The government supports outdoor access but has no current plans to extend guaranteed wild cam...
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Season 2
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Episode 48
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5:37
UK Casino Regulations: Balancing Economic Growth & Gambling Harm
New UK regulations for land-based casinos aim to modernize rules and boost the economy. Changes include increased gaming machine allowances for 'converted casinos' and allowing them to offer betting. While supporting sector...
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Season 2
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Episode 47
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5:41
Gibraltar Deal Unpacked: Sovereignty, Borders & The Future of The Rock
The UK and EU have reached a political agreement on Gibraltar, aiming to resolve post-Brexit border issues. This deal prevents a potentially chaotic hard border that would have impacted 15,000 daily commuters and Gibraltar's economy. Crucially,...
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Season 2
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Episode 46
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5:07
UK Asbestos Crisis: Why It's Still a Deadly Threat in Public Buildings
Despite being banned in 1999, asbestos remains the leading cause of over 5,000 UK work-related deaths annually, primarily from mesothelioma. It’s still widely present in non-domestic buildings like schools, hospitals, and commercial site...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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5:55
Boosting Rural Economies: Challenges, Opportunities & Government Support
The critical debate surrounding Government support for businesses in rural areas, which are vital to the UK economy. Speakers highlight key challenges including poor public transport, inadequate digital connectivity, high <...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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6:02
UK Disability Benefits: Poverty, PIP & Welfare Reform Debate
This episode explores the alarming poverty among UK disabled people, with 700,000 families already struggling. It highlights proposed government cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit's health element, fo...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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6:24
Unpacking the Prostate Cancer "Postcode Lottery": Abiraterone Access in the UK
Today we explore the critical issue of prostate cancer treatment, focusing on the drug abiraterone. A UK-developed breakthrough, it has transformed advanced prostate cancer care globally. However, its availability for men with non-metast...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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6:40
Windrush Day 2025: Legacies, Injustice, and the Quest for Fair Compensation - extended episode.
This extended episode covers Windrush Day 2025, highlighting the Windrush generation's vital role in rebuilding post-WWII Britain, especially the NHS and public transport, despite facing pervasive racism. We explore the devastatin...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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14:27
Rebuilding Britain: A New Industrial Strategy for Post-Industrial Towns
Urgent challenges are facing the UK's post-industrial towns, particularly in "red wall areas," which have experienced significant job losses, youth migration, and a feeling of being overlooked. We examine the proposed national industr...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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5:40
HS2 Reset: UK High-Speed Rail Project Overhaul & Mismanagement
HS2, meant to link major UK cities, has been a "litany of failure". Over 15 years, costs soared by £37 billion, public trust was lost, and sections were cancelled. This episode explores the government's "reset", with new...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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5:48
UK Steel Crisis: British Steel's Future, Government Intervention & Nationalisation
Today we analyse the critical situation of British Steel, facing significant losses and plans to close its Scunthorpe blast furnaces, threatening 2,700 jobs. In response, Parliament passed the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 202...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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5:33
Government Compliance and the Ministerial Code Debate
A UK parliamentary debate recently focused on the rule that requires important government policy announcements to be made in Parliament first when it is sitting. Members of Parliament raised concerns that the government is repeatedly mak...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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6:01
Understanding the Sub Judice Rule: Why UK Lawmakers Can't Discuss Active Court Cases
Learn about the sub judice rule in the UK Parliament. This rule prevents Members of Parliament (MPs) from discussing matters currently being decided in court. Its purpose is to stop parliamentary discussion from influencing court outcomes and t...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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5:31
UK Parliament Recall: Why and How MPs Return from Recess
This episode examines the concept of recalling the UK Parliament and its devolved legislatures when they are on a break or recess. We'll learn why recalls happen, often for urgent matters like national crises, legislation, or tributes. The proc...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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6:28
UK Parliament Dissolution 2024: How it Happened & Why it Matters
This episode explores how the UK Parliament ends before a general election, a process called dissolution. We'll focus on the May 2024 dissolution, which was the first under the royal prerogative since 2010. Historically, the Monar...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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6:39
Why Maths Matters: Exploring its Contribution to the UK
This episode looks the vital contribution of mathematics to the UK, focusing on a debate happening in Westminster Hall. We explore how maths education is structured in England, from primary schools to universities, highlighting ...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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5:30
Boosting Free School Meals: What the Major Expansion Means
The UK Government announced a significant expansion of free school meal eligibility for children in England, stating it's the biggest in a generation. The new policy extends entitlement to all children whose families receive Universal Credit...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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6:02
Boosting Breast Cancer Screening: Lessons from Bassetlaw and beyond
This episode discusses the critical importance of breast cancer screening for saving lives through early detection. While breast cancer mortality rates have fallen since the 1970s, around 11,400 women and 85 men still die annually in the UK. Th...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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5:57
UK ADHD Crisis: Long Waits for Diagnosis & Treatment Explored
This episode looks at the critical state of support for people with ADHD in the UK, drawing on a recent parliamentary debate. We highlight the significant challenges within the NHS, including exceptionally long waiting lists fo...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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6:14
UK Farm Animal Welfare: Cages, Imports, and the Path Forward
Today we discuss a UK parliamentary debate on animal welfare in farming. Key themes include ending the use of cages and crates for farmed animals, like enriched cages for hens and farrowing crates for sows. Speakers highlight concerns about low...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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13:19
UK Grocery Fairness: Can the Adjudicator Fix the Food Chain?
Today we explore the role and limitations of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), which oversees fair trading between large UK supermarkets and their direct suppliers. Despite being intended to protect producers and consumers, many argu...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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11:22
Saving Your Local Pub: Community Power & Funding Explained
Discover why local pubs are vital community hubs, providing jobs, supporting local businesses, and boosting social connection. Learn about the financial challenges pubs face, like rising costs and taxes, leading to many closures. This episode e...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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8:30
Stopping Banking Fraud: Understanding Scams and the Fight Against Them in the UK
This episode explores the significant issue of banking fraud in the UK. We'll cover the two main types: unauthorised fraud, where criminals make payments without permission, and authorised push payment (APP) fraud, where vic...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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8:58
The Future of UK Public Libraries: Challenges & Strategies
UK MPs recently debated the future of public libraries, highlighting their vital role as community hubs providing books, digital access, study spaces, and support. Despite facing real-terms cuts since 2010, leading to closures and reduced hours...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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7:37
