UK Reform Party head Richard Tice and hard-right Conservative politician Suella Braverman

In a 45-minute special, I joined Times Radio’s Darryl Morris early Sunday to analyze the week around the world, from the UK to Ukraine to Gaza.

Listen to Discussion from 2:06.24

We start with a 25-minute deep dive into the damaging politics of the UK’s hard right. Does the sound and fury of the “Reform” Party merely indicate that the ruling Conservatives are doomed in the elections due by January 2025, or will Reform’s loud if substance-free assertions — supported by a network of UK media outlets — pull the Tories further toward extreme positions?

There’s also a look at the tactics of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, and whether the Liberal Democrats and/or the Greens have the will to put forth policies v. Labour’s play-it-safe, vague approach.

After the break, we analyze the latest in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, asking if Vladimir Putin can pull out a victory through an “information war” with the help of those like US Republicans and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

We chat about Israel’s “open-ended” war on Gaza, with a UN Security Council resolution unlikely to curb mass killings or ease the humanitarian crisis.

After wading through conflict, it’s time to conclude on a holiday note: does the world care about the idiosyncracies of UK panto?