A whole year ago Steve Richards asked his Edinburgh Fringe audience a rather startling question. Did we think Keir Starmer would lead Labour into the next general election? A majority did. Or alternatively did we reckon that Andy Burnham, then Mayor of Greater Manchester, would somehow be selected as his party’s candidate for a by-election, elected as an MP for a local constituency and ultimately chosen by the parliamentary Labour party as its new leader in preference to the incumbent? A minority of hands went up for that suggestion. But then, as Richards is fond of pointing out, the Edinburgh audience is “always wrong”.
That the latter rather far-fetched scenario has since clicked into place in all respects, almost as if it were the result of a well-worked masterplan, is more than impressive; it’s staggering. You certainly can’t accuse Richards of not having his ear to the ground. He’s still the political commentator par excellence, even if he’s suddenly formed the opinion that his audience must be too young to remember the days of Wilson and Heath. A glance round the amphitheatre – surely one of the best Fringe venues, with by far the most comfortable seats – would suggest that most of us not only remember those two but also Mike Yarwood’s impersonations of them.
Richards always sneaks in a few impressions of his own, with Tony Blair a firm favourite. He insists that each day’s show has a different slant, even if the core is similar. Indeed, some people book for multiple editions in the show’s two-week run. He reports on some of the previous day’s findings and looks ahead to future editions. On Monday (24 August), for example, he’s having a special focus on the challenges and opportunities presented to the Burnham government by the media.
For those interested in politics who believe in civilized discussion and debate, Steve Richards is a particularly affable guide. He heralds a Q&A at the end of each show by calling “Order, Order!” like the Speaker of the House of Commons. He’ll listen to views from the audience and say honestly whether he agrees or why he differs.
Always with Richards it’s the nuance that matters, the fine distinctions between one approach or policy and another. He has acutely sensitive political judgement. And he devours new data. Despite there being a majority in our audience from Scotland, none of us watched the recent TV hustings between the two candidates to become Labour leader at Holyrood. But Steve Richards did. You can’t help but emerge from one of his sessions feeling refreshed and enlightened.
Runs until 29 August 2026 | Image: Contributed
