Pod Save the UK

Latest Episodes:

Billionaire BS: How can Britain Stop Musk’s Disinformation? Jan 09, 2025

Show notes

Happy New Year - is 2025 going to be the year of disinformation? Elon Musk started in attack mode with a flood of vitriolic and false tweets about UK grooming gangs. In Musk’s crosshairs: Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. He accused them both of cover ups. Can Nish and Coco survive a year of Musk madness - the man who already makes Nish want to “eat his own anus”?

We’re joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald to discuss how to fight the disinformation invasion and what else might be in store in 2025 - from Reform eating the Tories to Labour delivering some much-needed change. And just when we thought we were done with billionaire BS - Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta is scrapping its fact-checking service and Andrew Tate launched a new political party.

And poor Nish is under fire from GB News for “unnecessary political swipes”on the BBC. A word to GB News - unnecessary political swipes is what Nish does! Brace yourselves - it’s a wild first show back.

Guests:
Zoë Grünewald

Audio credits:
The Guardian
BBC
Sky News
Mark Zuckerberg

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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Just Stop Politics - 2024 Wrapped! w/ Desiree Burch and Liz Bates Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

What a year! While Rishi Sunak held true to his January commitment to hold the election in the second half of the year - the spectacle that followed couldn't have been predicted as 2024 dawned.

Nish and Coco are joined by Sky News’ political correspondent Liz Bates and comedian Desiree Burch to chew over the gristle of the year that was.

From racist Tory donors, to milkshaked MPs, creative political stunts and Rishi Sunak’s D-Day disaster - the first half of the year had plenty to keep us entertained.

But once Labour took power - optimism quickly turned to gloom. The seven week garm-drama saga took the sheen off Keir Starmer’s newly minted cabinet, while the endless don't-call-it-austerity chat has jaded people across the country.

As 2024 draws to a close - there’s still plenty to laugh about - including the best of the worst political pop songs of the year. Prepare to cringe.

Useful Links:

https://choose.love/ - make a donation now!

Ed Davey and the Bath Philharmonic Carer’s Choir - Love is Enough https://linktr.ee/love.is.enough

Guests:

Liz Bates

Desiree Burch

Audio credits:

Sky News

BBC

ITV

Channel 4

Tiktok / Dawn Butler

Liberal Democrats

Talk TV

Fox News Via Channel 10 Australia

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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FIFA World Cup: Trade Deals 1, Human Rights Nil Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

In the same week FIFA decided an appalling human rights record is no obstacle to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, Keir Starmer was schmoozing the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What lengths will our former human rights lawyer PM go to in his pursuit of growth? Joey Shea from Human Rights Watch takes us through what went down during the visit.

Back home, the government is talking up its plans to build 1.5 million new homes. Housing journalist Vicky Spratt joins Nish and Coco to assess whether Labour can pull off the biggest home building initiative since the second world war.

And Pod Save The UK has found the perfect job for the royal family: Trump whisperers. Prince William was hastily wheeled out in Paris to charm the President and Nish and Coco explore why Trump has a weird soft spot for the Windsors.

Guests:

Vicky Spratt

Joey Shea

Audio Credits:

Sky News

UK Government

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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Toxic men and toxic politics: the problem with Gregg Wallace and Nigel Farage Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

As Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace faces a stream of allegations about inappropriate behaviour at work, Nish and Coco take on the entertainment industry’s toxic culture. Nish gives an insider’s view of why change is long overdue in an industry that enables massive egos, bad behaviour, even abuse. And Coco argues that to take women’s safety seriously we need to start with zero tolerance on bullying banter.

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s reset this week promises to focus on working people’s priorities but is this going to deliver results. And is Labour missing a trick? Journalist Zoë Grünewald on why the government needs a big vision for young people.

And with Reform UK support on the rise and soaring youth unemployment, is the left in danger of losing young voters to the right? Jacob Diggle of UK Youth joins us with solutions to get young people into work or study.

Guests:

Zoë Grünewald

Jacob Diggle

Useful Links:

UK Youth https://www.ukyouth.org

Audio Credits:

Sky News

BBC Radio 4

Parliament TV

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk

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Who gets to decide how we die? w/ Rosena Allin-Khan MP Nov 28, 2024

Show notes

This Friday, MPs are challenged with an enormous question of conscience - should we allow people with six months left to live the right to die at a time of their choosing?

Joining Nish and Coco is Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting and A&E Doctor, to help us understand the strong feelings on both sides of the debate, the difficult decision that MPs are grappling with and how she decided which way she will vote.

As the UK reels in the wake of Storm Bert, climate change lawyer Tessa Khan celebrates a victory in the legal fight against fossil fuels and tells us why the UK could lead the world on the environment.

A petition calling for a General Election only months after the last one makes Nish’s blood boil. And have you ever wondered what Keir Starmer likes to cook? A clue: it involves pasta, and it’s not very exciting.

** We have a special competition for listeners to win tickets to a special preview screening of the film Rumours, starring Cate Blanchett, next Thursday 05/12/24. To win up to two tickets, we’re asking what your political highlight was this year - they can be funny, sad, insightful or inspiring. To enter, fill in this form: https://tinyurl.com/45s5uz7t **

Guests:

Rosena Allin-Khan

Tessa Khan

Useful Links:

Stop Rosebank - https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/

Audio Credits:

ITV News

LBC

BBC

Sky News

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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How to avoid World War 3 + why won’t Elon Musk Leave the UK alone? W/ Jamie Bartlett & Stephen Bush Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Russia’s war with Ukraine is escalating dramatically - as we record reports have begun to emerge about Ukraine firing British long-range “Storm Shadow” missiles into Russia. Nish and Coco are joined on the couch by Stephen Bush, associate editor at the Financial Times, to discuss the chance of...World War Three?

Meanwhile - closer to home - we find out why farmers are descending on Westminster. How big a blow is the Government’s budget for farmers and will Labour face a wipe out of rural supporters?

And as Elon Musk is summoned to testify about X’s role in the UK summer riots, we’ll be speaking to Jamie Bartlett misinformation expert and host of hit podcasts “The Missing Cryptoqueen” and “The Gatekeepers” about Musk’s influence in politics and if we should all be quitting X.

Guests:

Stephen Bush

Jamie Bartlett

Useful Links:

Jamie Bartlett’s Substack - How to Survive the Internet

https://substack.com/@jamiejbartlett

Jamie Bartlett's BBC Radio 4 podcast on the rise of social media's power - The Gatekeepers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w207

Audio Credits:

Sky News

BBC

Instagram / Rebecca Wilson

ITV News

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk

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How is Trump already infecting UK politics? w/ Beth Rigby + the university crisis Nov 14, 2024

Show notes

President-elect Donald Trump has a strong stance on many issues, from isolationism to border control, not to mention he’s an open climate change denier. Is his political platform already shaping UK party politics? Nish and Coco chat to Sky News Political Editor and host of Electoral Dysfunction Beth Rigby about what his looming second-term means for the UK.

And with changes to university tuition fees in England for the first time in eight years - we dissect the crisis in higher education with President of the National Union of Students Amira Campbell and General Secretary of the University and College Union Jo Grady. Nish and Coco also dig into the mailbag to find out what you think.

Plus - some essential listening - does Coco not understand what a mullet is?

Guests:

Beth Rigby

Amira Campbell

Jo Grady

Useful Links:

Christmas Comedy in aid of Women and Children First ft. Nish Kumar

https://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/show/christmas-comedy-in-aid-of-women-children-first/

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

WhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)

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Trump wins: where the hell do we go from here? w/ Katy Balls + Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

It’s a dark, dark day for the world. Donald Trump - a convicted criminal no less - has been elected 47th US president in a shocking political resurrection.

Nish and Coco are joined by the Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to discuss just how ready the UK Government is for Trump’s comeback and Kemi Badenoch’s leadership win.

Later, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, calls in to discuss her dismay at the US news and to Foreign Secretary David Lammy ruling out cash-based reparations for countries blighted by slavery.

And with the Government announcing the first hike in tuition fees since 2017 - we want to hear from you. Are the increased fees or maintenance loans affecting you? Are you sick of paying off student loan repayments? How can we fix the crisis in higher education? Email us at psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk as we’ll be chewing this over with some special guests next week.

Guests:

Katy Balls

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

Audio Credits:

BBC

Sky News

GB News

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk

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Halloween budget: trick or treat? w/ Torsten Bell MP, Grace Blakeley & Katie Schmuecker Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

Double, Double, toil and trouble…the Government’s first budget has been unveiled on the eve of Halloween, and Nish and Coco are peering into chancellor Rachel Reeve’s cauldron. It’s a spooky episode, so buckle up, we find out if the Halloween budget is the horror show it’s been predicted to be.

A seance with economic and political journalist Grace Blakeley helps us break down the raft of tax rises, loosened borrowing restrictions, and investment in public services.

But what about the skeletons in the closet? Principal policy advisor at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Katie Schmuecker drops in to chat about reforms to benefits for sick and disabled people, as well as private renters on low incomes.

And finally Torsten Bell, Labour MP and former head of the Resolution Foundation, reveals if he’s going to sleep easy or if he’s worried about any market monsters emerging overnight…

Guests:

Grace Blakeley

Katie Schmuecker

Torsten Bell MP

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

WhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)

Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk

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How f***ed are we if Trump wins? + Is Jeremy Corbyn MP forming a new party? Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

The Government’s rallying cry to the nation to help fix the NHS via a public consultation has not disappointed. In what is fast becoming the National Health Service’s very own Boaty McBoatface moment, Nish and Coco dissect the wild and weird policy suggestions flooding the website.

Then Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Party leader and Independent MP for Islington North, joins to tell us how the left can make their voices heard in Parliament and whether a new leftwing political party could be on the horizon.

Later, with the US elections looming, co-host of our sister show Pod Save the World Tommy Vietor calls in to discuss why the Labour party is under fire for sending hundreds of staffers to canvas for the Democrats and what the result next month might mean for US-UK relations.

Finally, Nish and Coco discuss a protest from an Australian Senator who shouted directly into the ears of King Charles, which comes as the Government resists paying reparations - or even apologising for - slavery and the actions of the British Empire.

Useful links:

https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/

Guests:

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Tommy Vietor

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

WhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)

Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk

Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld