大象传媒

Carolyn Quinn talks to the Economist's political correspondent about the big political stories including threats of strikes over changes to public sector pensions and plans for a White Paper on public services.

The MPs panel features a Conservative, Priti Patel, and Labour's Katy Clark. They discuss the Labour Party's attitude to strikes and calls for changes to the law on industrial action. They also comment on speculation that the government may back down on plans to change the retirement age for women.

There is a report on the Speaker John Bercow. Why does he have detractors on the Conservative benches? We hear from Conservative MPs, a biographer of Mr Bercow and a Parliamentary sketchwriter.

What are the prospects for co operation between members of the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties? We hear from Neil Lawson who heads a Labour campaign group, Compass, and a leading Liberal Democrat supporter of co operation between the two parties, Professor Richard Grayson.

Programme editor: Terry Dignan.