A double by-election battering for the government has made this a very bad week for Rishi Sunak. The loss of Kingswood and Wellingborough to Labour followed the news that the UK has fallen into recession. Conservative backbenchers are restless. And the polls are showing no signs shifting. Chris Cook of the Financial Times joins the podcast team to explore just how much trouble the prime minister is in – and what he can do to turn things around as a general election approaches.

While the week ended on a high for Keir Starmer, it has not been a happy time for the Labour leader. Far from it. The selection – and then slow rejection – of Labour’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election has put Starmer under pressure – and left Labour without a candidate. So who is to blame for this clumsy handling of an increasingly embarrassing situation?