Since Attlee & Churchill

We’ve reached the finale of our miniseries of David Cameron’s gambles with referendums: the vote on whether Britain should remain in, or leave, the European Union. In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss why Cameron agreed to hold a referendum; the circumstances in which he made good on that pledge; the approach he took to negotiations; and how the campaign eventually unfolded. And of course, as a history podcast, the show is peppered with reflections and comparisons on how Britain’s last referendum on Europe in 1975 compares.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:

'All Out War' by Tim Shipman. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780008215170
'Adults In The Room' by Yanis Varoufakis. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781784705763

PRE-ORDER: Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available for pre-order (released 30 June 2026). Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!
***
Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss the headline political news of the week: the forthcoming resignation of Keir Starmer. Lee considers why prime ministers so often fail to use the rules and tools at their disposal to resist leadership challenges more aggressively, arguing that nobody has really done so since John Major in 1995. Richard then looks at how Tony Blair managed the pressure on his leadership in 2006–07. Could Blair have taught Starmer how to hold on for a few more months - or even another year?

Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available for pre-order (released 30 June 2026). Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!
***
Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years after the landmark referendum that set Britain on course to leave the European Union, what really went on behind the scenes of the campaign that transformed British politics? In this special episode of Since Attlee & Churchill, Lee and Richard are joined by Matthew Elliott, the former Chief Executive of Vote Leave (and previously Political Director of No to AV), to discuss his new book, 'Ten Years On'. They explore the arguments, strategy, personalities and pivotal moments that shaped the 2016 EU referendum - and consider what would have had to go differently for Remain to pull off a win instead.

'Ten Years On: My Brexit Story' by Matthew Elliott is available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781837360758
***
Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2014, the very existence of the United Kingdom was on the ballot when Scotland voted on whether to sever its ties with the rest of the UK. In this episode, Lee and Richard discuss how devolution became the platform from which Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party made the case for independence; the complacency of the UK Government over the answer Scotland would give; and the scrappy way in which two campaigns made their case. In the end, Scotland voted decisively to stay in the UK. But while the outcome was clear, the issue was far from settled - and the problems of using referendums to resolve such issues were laid bare.

In this episode, the following books are mentioned:
'Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot: The Great Mistake of Scottish Independence' by John Lloyd. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781509542673
'Scotland’s Choices: The Referendum and What Happens Afterwards' by Guy Lodge, Jim Gallagher & Iain McLean. Available at: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9780748696406

PRE-ORDER: Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available for pre-order (released 30 June 2026). Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!
***
Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lee and Richard reflect on attending the installation service for the Order of the Garter at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, where they witnessed the induction of Peter Hennessy. But instead of being misty-eyed about the ceremony, should they have been more critical of this (allegedly) anachronistic hangover? Next, they turn to the Treasury's Green Book, the framework that guides government investment decisions. At its heart lies the Benefit-Cost Ratio, a measurement that often determines the fate of major infrastructure projects. Can the value of public investment really be reduced to a spreadsheet calculation?

PRE-ORDER: Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available for pre-order (released 30 June 2026). Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340

Enjoy ad-free listening, bonus episodes and show your support for the podcast by joining the Since Attlee & Churchill Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SinceAttleeAndChurchill

Buying books via the Since Attlee & Churchill Bookshop is a great way to support the podcast. Click here to visit the shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/saac

Enjoy listening to the Since Attlee & Churchill podcast? If so, we would be very grateful if you could leave us a 5 star review!

***
Since Attlee & Churchill is a podcast about post-war British politics - since Attlee & Churchill - and is hosted by Lee David Evans, an historian of the Conservative Party, and Richard Johnson, an historian of the Labour Party.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.