Gordon Brown answers questions on surveillance, affordable housing and the government's review process (30min 34sec)

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Andrew Sparrow on the possible use of evidence gathered through phone-tapping in court [2min 20sec]

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Scotland correspondent Severin Carrell on the investigations into the finances of Labour's Scottish leader Wendy Alexander.

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Sir Stephen Wall, former Europe adviser to Tony Blair, believes Blair will go for the new job as President of Europe [4min 25sec]

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Gordon Brown answers questions on police pay, teenage lifestyle education and the conflict in Kenya (31min 37sec)

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Deborah Summers on Derek Conway MP, who faces suspension from the Commons over payments to his son.

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Duncan Campbell reports from the police protest march through London.

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Gordon Brown answers questions on the Northern Rock rescue package, street safety and Britain's flood defences (30min 48sec)

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Gisela Stuart, a Labour MP who helped draw up the now defunct EU constitution, says that new EU Treaty will not work. She speaks to Guardian Unlimited's political editor Deborah Summers.
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Gordon Brown faces questions on Northern Rock and organ donors. (31min 34s)

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Ed Pilkington weighs up today's Republican primary contest in Michigan with Mitt Romney and John McCain neck and neck in the polls. (5min)

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Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg talks to Jon Dennis about his debut at prime minister's questions. (6min 20sec)

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Gordon Brown faces questions from David Cameron on the introduction of identity cards during prime minister's questions. (30min 42 sec)

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Gordon Brown answers questions in the House of Commons (30min 13s)

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Economics reporter Ashley Seager fears the government's announcement on wind farms lacks substance.

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The prime minister answers questions, and announces a new head of the anti-sleaze watchdog. Due to technical difficulties this audio file is missing the last five minutes of questions. (24min 48s)

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As Gordon Brown gets drawn deeper into the scandal over proxy donations to Labour, political editor Patrick Wintour considers what the Metropolitan police will be investigating (4min 54s)

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The prime minister deals with questions on the donations scandal

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Gordon Brown faces a grilling over the missing records fiasco. (30min 1s)

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Vincent Cable, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, argues that nationalising Northern Rock is the least worst option available to the government.

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As Gordon Brown announces his anti-terror plans, home affairs editor Alan Travis explains why a minister had to clarify his position (4min 17sec)

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Business correspondent Phillip Inman on the political fallout from the collapse of Northern Rock (4min 52sec)

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The prime minister answers questions on the Home Office's handling of the news that jobs in sensitive security roles had been unwittingly given to illegal immigrants. (30min 25sec)

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Political correspondent Tania Branigan on efforts by Gordon Brown to smooth US-UK relations. (3min 09sec)

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The Queen opens parliament with a speech outlining the government's priorities for the new session. (8min 06sec)

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As the Scottish Nationalists open their first annual conference as a ruling party, first minister Alex Salmond talks to Severin Carrell about Gordon Brown and independence.

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Gordon Brown answers questions on child poverty, climate change and prisons. (31min 55s)

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Gordon Brown answers questions on healthcare, the European constitution and inheritance tax. (30min 43s)

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In the first question and answer session since recess Gordon Brown defends himself against accusations from David Cameron that he lacks credibility in office. (31min 20s)

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Economics correspondent Ashley Seager on Labour's attitude to inheritance tax (5min 17s).

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"It's been a long and extraordinary week"

Michael White explains why the prime minister backed down from going to the polls.

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"I did consider holding an election"

Gordon Brown explains his decision not to go to the country despite weeks of speculation.

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Pollster Mark Penn, a former aide to Bill Clinton and Tony Blair and now advising Hillary Clinton, assesses the chances of an early general election. (4min 12s)

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Listen back to a week in speeches at the Conservative party conference in Blackpool. Featuring Boris Johnson, David Cameron, William Hague, Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Osborne. (13mins)

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'They're incredibly nervous'

Behind in the polls and with the possibility of a general election next month, the Tories are jittery as they gather for their party conference in Blackpool, reports political editor Patrick Wintour. (6min 32s)

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'The idea is to restore confidence in the exam system'

Children's minister Ed Balls is splitting the examinations authority in two in an attempt to end perennial gripes about grade inflation, reports chief political correspondent Will Woodward from the Labour conference in Bournemouth. (3min 21s)

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Polly Toynbee chairs the Guardian debate at the Labour party conference. The debate is entitled: Fourth term or bust? On the panel are Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham, Tessa Jowell, minister for the Olympics, and Ed Miliband, Cabinet Office minister.

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David Miliband talks to the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley about the influence of his father, a Marxist intellectual, on his political life.

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'The first rule of diplomacy is never to answer hypothetical questions'

The Observer's Andrew Rawnsley quizzes the foreign secretary, David Miliband, on Britain's policy towards Iran (1 min 30s)

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'I want a regulator with the power to close, clean and then re-open wards if necessary'

The health secretary speaks about the government's plans to tackle hospital superbugs (1 min, 5s)

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'Europe needs to look out, not in'

Clip of a speech to the Labour party conference by the foreign secretary, David Miliband, on the European Union (1 min, 22s)

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'If Cameron had given this speech, we'd have said it was a lurch to the right'

At the Labour party conference, commentator Julian Glover says Gordon Brown's speech was a pitch to middle Britain. (3min 51s)

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'We think our continued presence in Iraq is not sustainable or useful'

Sir Menzies Campbell answers questions on his leadership at the Liberal Democrats' conference in Brighton. His foreign affairs spokesman Michael Moore explains why the government should set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

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In this Brief Encounter, Nick Stadlen QC talks to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams about the Irish republican movement's transition from violence to peace. They talk in depth about the thousands of deaths in 25 years of the Troubles, republicans' justification for the use of arms, the latest moves to share power between unionists and republicans and Mr Adams' ultimate goal - a united Ireland.

Brief Encounter is a series of interviews between a leading QC and high profile figures. Each interview lasts for an hour: the aim is to go beyond the soundbite and the 10-minute punch-up that characterise confrontations on the Today Programme and Newsnight.

The series interviewer is Nick Stadlen QC. A former president of the Cambridge Union, Nick was named Barrister of the Year in the 2006 Lawyer awards. He was the lead counsel for the Bank of England in the mammoth litigation brought by Deloitte, liquidator of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Mr Justice Tomlinson described Nick's performance in that case as a 'tour de force'.

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'He saw what happened to Michael Howard'

Political commentator Michael White explains why Tory leader David Cameron says too many immigrants have been entering Britain. (3min 56s)

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'Many of his positions are like Norman Tebbit's'

Chuka Umunna from Compass, the Brownite pressure group, explains why he believes Tory hopeful Boris Johnson would be a disaster as London mayor. (3min 55s)

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'He thinks Cameron's an arrogant Etonian'

David Hencke explains why Sir Tom Cowie, one of the leading donors to the Tories, won't give the party any more money. (3min 22s)

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'Brown has created an ambiguity in the relationship with America'

From Washington, Ewen MacAskill analyses the first full day of Gordon Brown's official visit to the United States. (4min 00s)

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Simon Hoggart analyses Gordon Brown's misquotation of Mark Twain, MPs' views on the recent BBC and Channel 4 scandals, and Wednesday's PMQs and security statement (15min 7s).

' Britain has the option to to use its strength to be a global hub'

David Miliband on Britain's role in the world. (4min 26s)

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'People are really turning off him - he's losing his shine'

Julian Glover on Cameron's poor showing in the polls (3min 01s)

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'Something stinks, nobody's quite sure what'

Vikram Dodd on the decision not to prosecute in the cash for honours inquiry. (3min 9s)

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Simon Hoggart on Boris Johnson's chances of being the next London mayor, the government's love of 'issues' and unintelligible speech in the house (7min 18s).

'If Labour lose one of the seats they'll be very worried'

Julian Glover on two crucial by-elections. (3min 40s)

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"I never covered up where the money came from"

George Galloway speaks out after the parliamentary watchdog recommended he serve an 18-day suspension from the House of Commons after an inquiry by parliament's standards committee.

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Simon Hoggart discusses the publishing of Alastair Campbell's diaries, the overwhelming bubbliness of Hazel Blears, and a rarity in parliament: a joke from Gordon Brown in PMQs (12min 8s).

'There was a moral battle he felt he needed to fight'

The Guardian's political editor Patrick Wintour on why Gordon Brown decided to stop a supercasino being built in Manchester. (3min 19s)

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This week Gordon Brown tackles questions on topics ranging from border police and the NHS to supercasinos and devolution. (31min 25s)

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'He hates journalist and quite a lot of women'

Julian Glover on the diaries of Alastair Campbell.

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'I never felt he bothered much with style'

Guardian assistant editor Michael White on Alastair Campbell's new book on the Blair years. (4min 34s)

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Simon Hoggart on Jacqui Smith (and her cleavage), Gordon Brown's shaky first PMQs, and Harriet Harman's first appearance as leader of the house.

In his first appearance at PMQs, Gordon Brown faces tough questions from David Cameron on the measures he intends to take over the latest spate of attempted terror attacks. (31min 04s)

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'It's a very sweeping package of reforms'

After less than a week as prime minister, Gordon Brown has unveiled a wide-ranging set of political proposals, aimed at giving more rights to citizens and wider powers to MPs. He also suggested dropping the voting age to 16 and holding elections on Sundays. Political correspondent Tania Branigan reports. (3min 2s)

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'Cameron has taken a leaf out of Brown's book'

Chief political correspondent Will Woodward on the new shadow cabinet. (4min 0s)

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'This wasn't a time for policy announcements'

Oliver Burkeman in Westminster reports on Tony Blair's final Commons appearance as prime minister and Gordon Brown's opening speech.

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'I will be strong in purpose'

Gordon Brown gives his opening speech as prime minister. (2min 48s)

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'He looks ... a bit grumpy, to be honest'

Cartoonist Steve Bell tells Jon Dennis what he's doing in Downing Street today, and explains how his caricature of Gordon Brown came about.

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'I imagine he'll handle Bush with a long spoon'

Columnist Polly Toynbee says what she hopes for from the Brown government.

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'Unity was the message we heard again and again ... and again'

Gordon Brown has been anointed Labour party leader - he takes over from Tony Blair as prime minister on Wednesday. Labour's deputy leader is Harriet Harman, after a closely contested election. Westminster correspondent Tania Branigan says Harman's campaign had substance and ambition. (6min 28s)

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(14 mins, 48s)
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Simon Hoggart discusses the news of Gordon Brown's proposed cabinet reshuffle, John Prescott's last days as deputy PM and Tony Blair's last appearance in front of the liaison committee.

'It's a bit like a hand-grenade being thrown into the party'

The former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown says Gordon Brown, who'll be prime minister this time next week, has offered him a job in his first cabinet. Westminster correspondent Tania Branigan reports that Brown's offer was made without the knowledge of the Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell. (3min 27s)

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'A deal would take extraordinary diplomatic skills'

Tony Blair is in Brussels today for his last summit as prime minister. European Union leaders are discussing proposals for a new constitution. Europe editor Ian Traynor explains why many leaders want a catalogue of rights to be enshrined in law. (4min 31s)

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'Brown is a Labour tribalist at heart'

Gordon Brown has held private discussions with Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, about the possibility of including one or two Lib Dems in his first cabinet. Michael White discusses Brown's reasons for a bipartisan approach. (5min 00s)

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In his penultimate appearance at PMQs, Tony Blair answers questions on the early release of prisoners, academy schools, private equity, climate change, NHS targets and more. (30mins 34s)

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'The prison population has been rising remorselessly'

Yesterday the justice secretary, Lord Falconer, announced the early release from prison of between 1,500 and 1,800 convicts. Home affairs editor Alan Travis tells Jon Dennis why the problem of prison overcrowding won't go away. (3min 55s)

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Simon Hoggart, the Guardian's parliamentary sketchwriter, on a week at Westminster full of farewells mingled with anxiety. John Reid bids a bitter adieu to the Home Office and Gordon Brown shows the inner furnace of his self-esteem. Also, the latest on the frontrunners in Labour's deputy leadership contest.

'There was a lot of cheering in Downing Street when Sarkozy won'

Political editor Patrick Wintour explains why the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is planning to meet both Tony Blair and his soon-to-be successor, Gordon Brown, next Tuesday. Is Sarkozy going to mediate between the old rivals? (3min 16s)

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'You can walk pretty much anywhere in Scotland'

Stagecoach tycoon Ann Gloag has won the right to erect a fence round 12 acres of land around her Perthshire castle. The Ramblers' Association and the local council plan to appeal against Sheriff Michael Fletcher's decision. Severin Carrell tells Jon Dennis that Scotland's political leaders are determined to protect the right to roam. (3min 43s)

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In the House of Commons, Tony Blair answers questions on sex offenders, BAE, the media and Labour's deputy leadership contest. (30min 45s)

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'I have more sympathy than distaste for what Blair said'

The prime minister gave a lecture yesterday to journalists in which he lamented the decline in honest reporting and called for tighter regulation of the press. Michael White tells Jon Dennis why he thinks Tony Blair made some valid points. (4min 50s)

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'The credibility of G8 is on the line'

The G8 summit has agreed to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reaffirmed the promises it made in 2005 to relieve poverty in Africa. But economics editor Larry Elliott says not everyone is confident that the G8 countries will keep their promises. (4min 43s)

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