This episode of The News Agents features former Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds discussing his newly departed role in government and his biography of Harold Wilson. Much of the conversation traces the UK-EU relationship since Brexit, including stalled 2026 summit plans covering a food and drink agreement, linked emissions trading systems and carbon border charges, and a youth mobility scheme, alongside reflections on why roughly two thirds of UK trade remains with the EU. The hosts and guest also revisit Labour's historic ambivalence towards Europe, contrasting the 1975 referendum Wilson won decisively with the narrower and more contested 2016 vote, including the finding that a third of 2015 Labour voters backed Leave.
The second half turns to Wilson's legacy as a party manager and electoral strategist, his record of four wins from five elections, and comparisons between Keir Starmer's two-year premiership and other short-serving prime ministers such as Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson. The discussion covers Labour's landslide recovery from its 1935-era low in 2019 to victory in 2024, Wilson's handling of party factions, and closes with reflections on Andy Burnham's start as Labour leader and the twenty-seven years of Welsh devolution.
Key points from the discussion
The points they raised, and the official data behind them.
The hosts noted that Harold Wilson won four out of the five general elections he contested as Labour leader.
~02:39 min inContext
Harold Wilson led the Labour Party to general election victories in 1964, 1966, 1974 (February) and 1974 (October), while losing in 1970. He served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.
The discussion noted that two thirds of the UK's trade is still with the European Union, underlining the depth of the post-Brexit relationship.
~10:53 min inRelated UK data
See Business & Trade — EU vs Non-EU →Context
This figure was cited by the former minister for European relations to illustrate the continuing economic importance of the EU to the UK after Brexit. Trade figures covering goods and services with the EU are published by the Office for National Statistics.
The hosts recalled that in the 2016 EU referendum, a third of people who had voted Labour in 2015 went on to vote for Brexit.
~17:00 min inContext
The 2016 UK referendum on EU membership resulted in a 52%-48% vote to leave. Analysis of voting patterns after the referendum, including by the British Election Study, examined how people who had voted Labour in the 2015 general election split on the EU question the following year.
The hosts recalled that Wilson's 1975 referendum on continued EEC membership was won by a two-to-one margin to stay in.
~18:49 min inContext
The 1975 UK referendum asked whether Britain should remain in the European Economic Community, which it had joined in 1973. The result was roughly 67% in favour of staying in against about 33% wanting to leave, on a turnout of around 65%.
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The hosts compared Keir Starmer's near two years in office to other recent short-serving prime ministers, noting Rishi Sunak served under two years, Liz Truss 49 days, and Boris Johnson around three years.
~45:57 min inContext
Liz Truss became prime minister in September 2022 and resigned after 49 days, the shortest tenure of any UK prime minister. Rishi Sunak served as prime minister from October 2022 to July 2024. Boris Johnson served from July 2019 to September 2022.
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The guest noted Labour's 2024 general election landslide followed the party's worst result since 1935 at the December 2019 election.
~47:27 min inContext
The Labour Party won 202 seats at the December 2019 general election, its lowest total since 1935. At the July 2024 general election, Labour won a large majority, forming a new government under Keir Starmer.