Strong Message Here - A Swift Transition (with Matt Forde and Ria Lina)

Download A Swift Transition (with Matt Forde and Ria Lina)

Armando is under the weather this week, so in true World Cup style, we have called up a super sub.

Matt Forde steps in to host, and Ria Lina joins him to discuss the big news of the week.

Is it a bit rich of the Labour Party to claim they don't want to 'exaggerate small differences'? How does Starmer sell his achievements, and is there anything we can learn about how Burnham uses language?

In the longer version, we also look back at some of Starmer's best bits, and whether Manchesterism is an ideology, or just good branding

Armando will be back next week, but in the meantime, if you have got a strong message for the show, email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Chris Maclean
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum & Asha Osborne-Grinter
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at The Sound Company

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

Published on Wednesday, 24th June 2026.

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