Tom Baldwin joins the Inside Briefing team on the day his long-awaited biography of Keir Starmer is published. So what does the book reveal about the man who wants to be the next prime minister? How did Starmer’s upbringing – and his complicated relationship with his father – shape the politician he became? Do the book’s revelations give us a sense of what will define the general election showdown between Starmer and Rishi Sunak? And can political biographies affect how people think about politicians – and will this one answer the questions ask about the Labour leader?

Plus: Lee Anderson is making headlines and political parties are accusing each other of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. So why is the use of divisive political language getting worse – and what can be done it about it?

Plus: Does it matter if Jeremy Hunt uses the budget to say he has met his fiscal rules? A new IfG report accuses politicians of gaming the rules with “worse than fiction” spending plans. Its author joins the podcast to explain the problem – and set out a solution.