EMQs: Car doors, pole dancers and Diary columns

<p>How should a politician respond when a voter blames all their problems on immigration? In this week's Ex-Ministers' Questions, Ed Balls and George Osborne offer competing strategies for handling difficult conversations on the doorstep. They also tackle a stark warning from a Gen Z listener: is the political establishment's failure to listen pushing an entire generation of young people towards Nigel Farage?</p><br /><p>Then, the pair turn to the insider's playbook of political survival. They debate the pros and cons of the 'chicken run' - is it cowardly for a senior MP to abandon a marginal seat for a safe one, or simply smart politics? Ed reflects on his own experience of staying to fight a losing battle, while George makes the case for jumping ship.</p><br /><p>Plus, a listener's confession about leaking a story to a newspaper diary column prompts a hilarious look at political gaffes. Ed is forced to relive the moment his ministerial car door hit a pedestrian, and shares a mortifying story involving a fellow minister and a pole dancing pole.</p><br /><p><br /></p><p>To get episodes early and ad-free, join Political Currency Gold or the Kitchen Cabinet:</p><br /><p>👉 patreon.com/politicalcurrency</p><p>👉 Apple Podcasts</p><p>Please note: Kitchen Cabinet is only available via Patreon.</p><br /><p>Credits:</p><p>Producer: Jarek Zaba&nbsp;</p><p>Senior Producer: Silvia Maresca</p><p>Assistant Producer: Miriam Hall&nbsp;</p><p>Video Editor: Oliver Geraghty&nbsp;</p><p>Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford</p><br /><p>Political Currency is a Persephonica Production and is part of the Acast Creator Network.</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>