The Bench Report
🇬🇧 Making UK politics accessible & accountable
🗣️Debates and briefings direct from Parliament
đź“ť Source: Hansard
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Discover the issues your MP's are talking about. Local, national or international affairs, from AI regulation to climate finance to bin collection in Birmingham...we give you the crucial context you need.
Listener suggestions are vital to our mission - making politics more accessible and accountable. So please contact producer Tom (me) and he'll grab another coffee and start scanning those pages of Hansard.
- 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.
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
Substack
Subscribe to our blog for in-depth analysis of debates, past and present.
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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
152 episodes
AI Safety: Exploring the Benefits, Harms, and Existential Threats of Superintelligence
We examine the immense benefits AI offers in areas like healthcare—helping to spot serious conditions earlier and solving complex problems such as protein folding—and improving government services. These opportunities are contrasted with immedi...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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5:29
The Crisis of Rural Education: Funding, Closure Threats, and the Fight for Village Schools.
Village schools are the "beating heart" and "fabric of rural life," sustaining community identity and providing supportive environments for students. This episode explores the critical challenges they face, including poor funding, fluctuating p...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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5:09
Public or Private? The Great British Railways Bill and the Future of UK Train Travel
The landmark Railways Bill seeks the biggest shake-up of the UK's rail system in a generation. The main theme is moving services into public ownership under Great British Railways (GBR), intended to unify track and train managemen...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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5:23
Understanding the UK Gender Pay Gap: Facts, Figures, and the Impact of Parenthood
The gender pay gap (GPG) measures the difference in median hourly earnings between men and women, excluding overtime pay,. We examine the latest UK figures from April 2025, revealing that for all employees, women earned 12.8% less than m...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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4:44
Seafarers' Welfare: Uncovering Sea Blindness and Fighting for Maritime Workers' Rights
Seafarers play a vital role in the UK economy, as 95% of the country’s goods arrive by sea. Despite their profound contribution, seafarers face "sea blindness"—being overlooked—leading to serious issues like chronic fatigue, isolation, poor men...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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4:54
The Future of Local Media: Protecting Journalism, Democracy, and Community News
Did you know producer Tom's Grandad was the editor of a local newspaper in North Yorkshire? In this extended episode, the team discuss the critical challenges threatening local media, which serves as a cornerstone of democratic accountability a...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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10:37
Terminal Illness Mental Health Support: Ending the Postcode Lottery in Palliative Care
This episode explores the crucial gap in mental health support for individuals with terminal illnesses, drawing from a parliamentary debate sparked by the experience of Mike and his late wife, Sarah. Sarah suffered deep depression and anx...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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5:03
UK Gambling Reform: Tackling Addiction, Advertising, and the Black Market
There is a pressing need for reform in UK gambling regulation, highlighting that current rules fail to protect people, particularly young men and those in deprived communities. Evidence shows that 60% of the industry’s profits come from just...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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4:48
Funding Crisis: Why Homelessness Is Rising and the Search for Sustainable Solutions
Local authorities struggle to cope with the soaring ÂŁ2.8 billion cost of temporary accommodation (TA) and the severe impact of systemic issues like the continued freeze on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The conversation highlights the criti...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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5:31
Justice Delayed: The Debate Over Jury Trials and Fixing the UK Court Backlog
There is a crisis in the UK criminal courts, marked by an 80,000-case backlog and devastating delays for victims, with some serious cases waiting up to four years,. We discuss the Government’s plan to implement recommendations from the independ...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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4:47
Warm Homes, Lower Bills: The UK’s Insulation Crisis and the £15 Billion Government Plan
12 million households across the country are currently struggling with fuel poverty. UK homes are among the least energy efficient in Europe, losing heat up to three times faster than homes elsewhere. This poor housing quality drives up energy ...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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4:59
Tackling the NEET Crisis: Structural Barriers and New Pathways for Young People
There is a rising number of young people aged 16–24 who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEETs). We discuss how structural barriers, such as limiting disabilities, low qualifications, mental health challenges, and fragmente...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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4:44
Level 7 Apprenticeships Funding Crisis: Impact on Architecture and Skilled Careers
This episode examines the critical debate surrounding the government's plan to remove public funding for many Level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and over, effective January 2026. The government aims to rebalance funding toward younger le...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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4:59
Children with Neurological Conditions: Improving Family Support and Integrated Care
Families face profiund challenges when caring for children with serious neurological conditions. We discuss the urgent need for better access to specialist information, prompt second opinions, and clear hospital transfer options to reduce distr...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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5:58
The Parky Charter: Improving Care and Funding for Parkinson's Disease
As one of the fastest growing neurological conditions, affecting over 116,000 people in the UK, patients face challenges like long waits for specialist appointments and fragmented care. The debate focused on implementing the Parky charter
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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4:55
The State of Disability in the UK: Stats, Gaps, and Life Experiences
25% of the total population—16.8 million people—had a disability in the 2023/24 financial year. We discuss how prevalence is rising, especially driven by increases in mental health conditions reported among children and working-age adults. We a...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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4:53
UK Home Energy Grants: Find Support for Efficiency, Heating, and Renewables
Various government support schemes are available to eligible households across the UK designed to improve domestic energy efficiency, heating, and power generation. We highlight major programs such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which ...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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5:53
Inheritance Tax Reforms: The ÂŁ1 Million Cap on Farm and Business Property Reliefs
Significant changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) for Inheritance Tax (IHT) were announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, commencing in April 2026. Historically, these reliefs allowed up to 100% of eligibl...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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5:19
Trans Healthcare Crisis: Understanding UK Waiting Lists and Discrimination
This episode examines the critical state of healthcare provision for transgender people in the UK, drawing on recent parliamentary discussions. Key themes include the severe discrimination trans patients face in general healthcare settin...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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4:36
Grassroots Cricket Clubs: The Vital Role of Community Sport and Government Support
Grassroots cricket clubs are cornerstones of UK communities. They foster physical health, mental wellbeing, and social cohesion. This episode highlights record participation, with over 2.5 million people playing annually, and massiv...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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11:33
Hillsborough Law: Accountability, Candour, and the Fight for Justice
Today we focus on the progress of the proposed Hillsborough Law (the Public Office (Accountability) Bill), introduced to address the institutional failure experienced by the victims and families of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. The gov...
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Season 4
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Episode 30
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11:21
Football Regulator Chair Appointment: Conflict, Code, and the Future of UK Clubs
The appointment of David Kogan as the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has caused controversy. The findings of the Commissioner for Public Appointments revealed breaches of the governance code linked to political donations Koga...
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Season 4
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Episode 29
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10:49
What Are Public Inquiries and How Do They Work? (UK Law)
Public Inquiries are investigations set up by government ministers to respond to events of major public concern or to consider controversial public policy issues. We differentiate between statutory inquiries (governed by the Inqui...
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Season 4
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Episode 28
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5:08
Digital Disaster: Protecting Your Video Game Purchases and Cultural Heritage
A recent e-petition signed by nearly 190,000 people addressed the growing frustration of gamers regarding consumer rights and video games. Many modern titles are "live services" that rely on company servers; when these servers shut down, purcha...
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Season 4
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Episode 27
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5:07
Taxpayer Tackle: Who Pays the Bill for UK Football Policing?
Football policing across the UK costs tens of millions of pounds annually, with the taxpayer currently covering the majority of the expense. This episode explores the financial arrangement where local police forces generally meet these c...
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Season 4
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Episode 26
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6:02
