Robert Buckland and Alun Evans

Hidden Wiring: UK Politics Explained

No. of episodes

10

Latest episode

2026-10-27

Where can you listen?

Hidden Wiring is the UK politics podcast that explains how British government actually works, from the inside. Taking listeners behind the scenes of UK government, each episode reveals the mechanics of power that most people never see: from cabinet reshuffles and ministerial appointments to Treasury spending rounds, devolution, the civil service, and the protocol between Downing Street and the Palace. This isn't commentary on the weekly news stories. It's a clear explanation of how power is actually exercised in Britain, from two people who have operated at the heart of Westminster from both the political and civil service side. Get answers to the questions rarely answered by politicians. A true insight into how UK politics works, explained clearly for anyone who wants to understand the British political system. Hidden Wiring is presented by Sir Robert Buckland KC, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, and Dr Alun Evans CBE, a senior civil servant for over twenty years, as they take apart one piece of the British state per episode and explain how it really operates. Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary from 2019 to 2021, as Solicitor General from 2014 to 2019, and as Secretary of State for Wales in 2022. He was the Conservative MP for South Swindon from 2010 to 2024 and is a practising barrister, bringing three decades of experience of how law, ministers and Parliament actually interact, from the inside. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and Visiting Professor at LSE Law School. Dr Alun Evans CBE spent over thirty years in the UK civil service, including as principal private secretary to three secretaries of state, head of strategic communications at No 10 Downing Street and director of the Scotland Office at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. His PhD on ministerial private offices was recently published as a book - The Intimacy of Power.Drawing on two complementary perspectives, the hosts examine the dynamics of government through a simple but powerful lens: how politics is designed to work, and how it works in practice. Whether you're politically curious, a student of British politics, or someone who just wants UK politics explained without the shouting, Hidden Wiring is your guide to understanding Westminster.If you like The Rest Is Politics, Political Currency, Westminster Insider, Page 94 and Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government, you'll enjoy Hidden Wiring. A UK politics explainer podcast for anyone who wants to understand how British government really works.