Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.

No end in sight to the conflict in the Middle East, as negotiations in Pakistan between the US and Iran end without an agreement.

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With one month to go until the local and regional elections, Megan McElroy and James Heale have hit the road with Luke Tryl and Louis O'Geran of More in Common. They report back from the focus groups they've been running in Wales, where voters view Labour through the prism of a double incumbency, as they hold both the Senedd and Westminster. Starmer faces an uphill battle to avoid an historic loss – so is he about to lose Wales?

Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.

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Gawain Towler, Reform UK board member and their former director of communications, sits down with James Heale to talk about Reform's appeal ahead of the local elections. Gawain argues that Reform needs to broaden its appeal as it won't find the votes to win to its right, but points to their anti-establishment, nationalist and pro-business credentials. While acknowledging that some of the negative stories about a minority of Reform councillors is uncomfortable, he argues that the scrutiny that comes with governing is necessary in order for Reform to prove credibility and competency for national government.

Gawain also dismisses Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain as 'not a political project' but 'an angry swipe back at Reform' and says there is not much evidence Lowe can win outside of Great Yarmouth.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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In the magazine this week, Ben Judah – former adviser in the Foreign Office – makes the case for ‘Anglo-Gaullism’. He says that Britain should learn the lessons of France’s Charles de Gaulle when carving out its place in the world, especially given the increasingly erratic nature of the US and the fragmentation of politics at home.

In practice, Ben suggests that this would involve an Australian-style ranked-choice voting, injecting Whitehall with experts (in tech and AI), taking on the welfare system (including ending the pensions triple lock) and European geo-political co-operation which would limit reliance on the US. But would Anglo-Gaullism ever work in Britain? And is it still possible to produce a leader with the authority of de Gaulle to implement it?

James Heale speaks to Ben Judah.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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The new cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, has published a list of objectives setting out her vision for what the civil service will look like under her. Many have interpreted it as her tightening control over government ... especially since Darren Jones stepped back from his Downing Street role. The path is clear for her to become the Prime Minister’s ‘principal policy adviser’, and to reform the civil service ‘so that it is recognisable for excellence in delivery, innovation and improved productivity’.

Is this all just word salad, or is she onto something?

James Heale speaks to Isabel Hardman and former Foreign Office diplomat Ameer Kotecha.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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We are hours away from Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz. The President has ‘chickened out’ many times before and offered an extension of some kind, but the threats and posturing ahead of this deadline make it difficult for either side to back down. Will Trump really ‘end Iranian civilisation’ tonight?

James Heale speaks to Michael Stephens.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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Labour won the 2024 general election in part by focusing on ‘hero voters’ – so called because they may have voted Labour in the past but felt the party had abandoned them. Now they risk losing them again – so how does Labour maintain their support?

Chris Curtis, Labour MP for Milton Keynes North and former pollster, and Deborah Mattinson, Labour peer and polling guru, join Tim Shipman to talk about how to appeal to this set of voters. Research suggests that voters from this group that are socially liberal are switching to the Greens, while the socially conservative voters are switching to Reform. What binds both groups though is a sense of economic insecurity, and both Chris and Deborah talk how Labour can build a strategy around appealing to their sense of fairness. Can you separate economic insecurity from values? How does immigration fit into the equation? And how broad a coalition can you build before it becomes unsustainable?

Plus: in 2026, what does it mean to be ‘working class’?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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Opinion polls consistently show Keir Starmer as one of the most unpopular Prime Ministers in history. His critics point to inertia and a lack of vision, while his supporters argue that media spin is harming the image of a decent man. Less than two years on from Labour's landslide victory, broadcaster Lewis Goodall joins James Heale to try to answer the question 'where did it all go wrong?' – a subject which Lewis explores in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary. Lewis explains the factors at play, from Starmer's personality and Labour party politics to the effect that the Conservative Party's implosion had on Labour's preparedness for government.

Is Starmer a politician from a bygone era? Or, following on from a run of unpopular Tory leaders, is modern British politics simply ungovernable?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

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