Andrew Rawnsley

Associate Editor, Politics

Andrew Rawnsley is the chief political commentator and associate editor of The Observer. The winner of multiple awards for his journalism, he has been offering his analysis of events and insights into political personalities to Observer readers for more than 30 years. Andrew is the best-selling author of Servants of the People and The End of the Party. He has also made critically-acclaimed documentaries and hosted political programmes for the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honourary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and a trustee of Speakers Trust.

Andrew Rawnsley

Associate Editor, Politics

Andrew Rawnsley is the chief political commentator and associate editor of The Observer. The winner of multiple awards for his journalism, he has been offering his analysis of events and insights into political personalities to Observer readers for more than 30 years. Andrew is the best-selling author of Servants of the People and The End of the Party. He has also made critically-acclaimed documentaries and hosted political programmes for the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an Honourary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and a trustee of Speakers Trust.

No 10 in the North isn’t such a bad idea, so long as Burnham is willing to do battle with No 11

Decentralisation is key to Our Andy’s reset – but it will mean being prepared to share power with people he disagrees with

Sun, 5 Jul 2026

The future of Farageism

Peter Chappell’s chilling vision of Reform taking power is a bracing corrective to Michael Ashcroft’s fawning biography of Nigel Farage

Thu, 2 Jul 2026

Burnham is heady on hope but already short of time. He needs quick wins and clear priorities

With just weeks to assemble a team – and without a personal mandate – the next prime minister will have scant room for mis-steps

Sun, 28 Jun 2026

Keir Starmer says the next Labour leader will have his ‘unequivocal support’. Let’s see about that

The prime minister’s resignation speech marks the end of a turbulent premiership, leaving Labour to navigate a challenging political landscape

Mon, 22 Jun 2026

Remember Gordon! Why Labour should take a beat before parachuting in Andy Burnham

There are considerable risks to installing the new MP for Makerfield at Number 10 without a searching test of his mettle

Sun, 21 Jun 2026

Now the march begins to put the messiah of Manchester in Downing Street

Andy Burnham has won Makerfield, but he’s going to have to drag Sir Keir out of Number 10 kicking and screaming

Fri, 19 Jun 2026

Roy Hattersley: the deputy Labour leader who brought his party back from the brink

The politician, author and columnist got his start in politics aged 23 and played a key role in helping Labour become electable after successive defeats

Mon, 15 Jun 2026

Operation Fubar: even Keir Starmer’s team players are abandoning the field of battle

The resignation of John Healey over defence spending has blown a hole in the prime minister’s survival strategy

Sun, 14 Jun 2026

Farage, Lowe and the fight for the right to be the nastiest party

As Reform and Restore feud, the plea of grieving family of Henry Nowak is drowned out by a competition in outrage and division

Sun, 7 Jun 2026

Dr Blair’s prescription has made his party gag but at least it’s forced Labour to engage with ideas

The former prime minister’s provocative essay has provided a whetstone for Andy Burnham to sharpen his leftwing credentials

Sat, 30 May 2026

Which Andy Burnham will turn up as the next Labour leader?

The mayor of Manchester’s critics see him as an opportunistic chameleon, but it’s exactly this pragmatism that appeals to his supporters

Sun, 24 May 2026

Keir Starmer’s last few days have resembled not so much Macbeth as The Comedy of Errors

Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham have unleashed a perilous summer for Labour driven by panic, miscalculation and naked ambition

Sun, 17 May 2026

Smashed and pulverised: Labour faces an existential crisis after election wipeout

After Labour’s evisceration in the polls, the party needs to back its leader or sack him. They will probably do neither.

Sun, 10 May 2026

Video: a truly, madly, deeply bad day for Labour

The government has been crushed while Reform surges. But are the results bad enough to force Sir Keir Starmer out of office?

Sat, 9 May 2026

Labour is braced for what fatalists are calling ‘Starmerggedon’

Cabinet ministers warn that there’ll be an eruption of anger within their party when Thursday’s election results start coming in

Sun, 3 May 2026

How will Britain respond to a rise in anti-semitic terror attacks?

In the wake of the terror attacks in Golders Green, what can Britain do to stop antisemitic violence? With a historic marathon record broken, how did Sabastian Sawe achieve his sub 2-hour time? And as the May elections approach, exactly how bad are Labour's prospects? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Jeevan Vasagar, Jess Hayden and Andrew Rawnsley as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. Live at The Royal Society of Arts!

43 min • S1, E329

If this is government, I’m a Pot Noodle

Hailed as an antidote to the Tories’ lurid psychodrama, the prime minister now faces despair over his own leadership

Sun, 26 Apr 2026

Hannah Spencer: ‘MPs tell me I’ll get used to Westminster. I hope I never do’

On a stroll with her greyhounds, the Green party’s newest MP talks about how Labour lost its way, getting her hands dirty, and why parliament is ‘bonkers’

Sun, 19 Apr 2026