Pod Save the UK

Latest Episodes:

The Mandelson Files: Chaos Inside Labour? Plus: Sabah Choudrey on the Culture War over Public Spaces Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

This week, Nish and Coco dig into the latest release of files around Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the US, and what the hundreds of emails and WhatsApps reveal about Labour’s internal panic, Keir Starmer’s leadership, and a government that seems increasingly unsure of itself.

They also unpack Alan Milburn’s major review into youth unemployment. Is Britain dealing with a generation that doesn’t want to work, or a broken system that has stripped away routes into jobs, training and support?

Plus: Nish and Coco are joined by Sabah Choudrey, speaker, consultant and founder of Trans Pride Brighton, to discuss the EHRC’s new guidance on single-sex spaces, the worsening climate for trans people in the UK, and how a small network of gender-critical organisations has helped push trans rights into the centre of the culture war.

GUESTS
Zoë Crowther
Sabah Choudrey

USEFUL LINKS
Updated EHRC Code of Practice: GI’s response | Gendered Intelligence
Join the trans lobby on the 25th June: Mass Lobby for Trans Equality

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Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

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We Read Tony Blair So You Don’t Have To. Plus: Who Really Owns Britain? w/Hettie O’Brien May 28, 2026

Show notes

This week, Nish and Coco head back to Makerfield, where the by-election campaign is already turning into a political demolition derby; Andy Burnham is just ahead of Reform, the far right is fighting itself, Elon Musk has wandered into the discourse, and Nigel Farage has reappeared after questions over his £5 million gift.

Plus: they’re joined by Hettie O’Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class, to break down how private equity quietly bought up the services we rely on, from nurseries and care homes to vets and water companies, and why that matters for the broken economy we’re all living in.

GUESTS
Hettie O'Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself

USEFUL LINKS
Amnesty Report | Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UK
Tony Blair Article | The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country by

CLIP CREDITS
Carol Vorderman via Instagram, (@carolvorders)

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Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

Starmer clings on, Burnham steps up w/ MP Nadia Whittome May 21, 2026

Show notes

This week, Nish and Coco make sense of another chaotic week in Westminster, as Keir Starmer clings on in Downing Street, Wes Streeting resigns, and Andy Burnham’s route back to Parliament suddenly becomes very real.

They’re joined by Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East and one of the earliest MPs to call for Starmer to go, to unpack the mood inside the Labour Party, whether Burnham is really the answer, and what Labour needs to do to win back progressive voters.

Plus: after Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson’s latest rally in London, how should progressives respond to the far right without simply echoing its politics?

And: Nigel Farage faces questions over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. Does the man of the people have some very expensive explaining to do?

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GUESTS
Nadia Whittome MP

USEFUL LINKS
@Femi_Sorry: Tommy Robinson supporters expose themselves so fast! - Unite The Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdc_HsSA5Y

CLIP CREDITS
Femi Oluwole
Nigel Farage Interview: The Sun

Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

Starmer’s Survival Week w/NoJusticeMTG, plus Mo Gawdat May 14, 2026

Show notes

This week, as Labour reels from a brutal set of election results, Nish and Coco try to make sense of Keir Starmer’s fight to stay in Downing Street, a story moving faster than political journalists can refresh their phones.

They’re joined by Helena, aka NoJusticeMTG, Twitch streamer, YouTuber and Novara Media contributor, to break down Labour’s post-election meltdown, the rise of Reform, and whether the Greens’ surge points to a more hopeful progressive future. They also dig into who might replace Starmer, from Angela Rayner to Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting.

Plus, what should we take from Plaid Cymru’s win in Wales, Reform’s new foothold, and the Greens breaking through in places Labour once took for granted?

And former Google executive Mo Gawdat joins to discuss Chasing Utopia, the new documentary asking whether AI is about to transform our lives, our politics, and possibly the future of humanity itself.

Watch Mo Gawdat in Atlantic Studios new release Chasing Utopia from Friday 15th May 2026 at Everyman Cinemas. Book tickets at everymancinema.com.

GUESTS
Mo Gawdat
NoJusticeMTG

USEFUL LINKS
Raphael Behr
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/13/labour-battle-of-ideas-no-10-keir-starmer-leadership

CREDITS
BBC ONE: Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Youtube: Novara Media

Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

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Last orders for Labour? Starmer’s election nightmare and Westminster’s booze problem w/Will Hayward and Zoë Grünewald May 07, 2026

Show notes

This week, Nish and Coco make sense of a bruising local election week, as Labour braces for heavy losses, Reform eyes major gains, and the Greens look to break through in London.

They’re joined by Will Hayward, award-winning investigative journalist and expert on Welsh politics, to break down what’s happening in Wales, where Labour’s century-long dominance could be coming to an end. He explains the new Senedd voting system, the rise of Plaid and Reform, and what this election could mean for the future of devolution.

Plus: Zoë Grünewald joins to unpack Reform’s latest migrant detention centre proposal, Green hopes in the capital, and what a bad night could mean for Keir Starmer.

And: should MPs be allowed to drink on the job, or is Parliament’s bar tab finally becoming a political problem?

GUESTS
Zoë Grünewald, political journalist
Will Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalist

USEFUL LINKS
Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/

CREDITS
Radio 4, Today Show
Tiktok, Zia Yusef (@ziayusufuk)
Instagram, Hannah Spencer (@hannahtheplumbermcr)

Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

Mandelson, May Elections & Rosie Jones Mayhem Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

British politics was shaken to its core this week when we all realised that, maybe, Keir Starmer isn’t as quite across the detail as he tries to make out. He had to explain exactly what he did and didn’t know about the developed vetting carried out for Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s Ambassador to the US.

Right on the heels of that, came Olly Robbins, who was sacked last week from his role as the chief official at the Foreign Office. In a very civil servant way, he revealed the internal pressures and machinations that were happening during the appointment process.

Both men had serious questions to answer about what they did but Coco and Nish are joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald to ask why everyone is obsessing over the process while almost totally ignoring the larger, moral decision to make the appointment in the first place.

Plus the comedian Rosie Jones arrives to totally derail the whole podcast with a mix of funny jabs at Nish while still telling us about the work of her brilliant foundation which is celebrating its first birthday!

Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.

**Warning: use of a racial slur during the Labour May election segment**

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GUESTS

Zoë Grünewald - Journalist, broadcaster and political commentator

Rosie Jones - Comedian

USEFUL LINKS

The Rosie Jones Foundation: https://www.rosiejonesfoundation.com/

CREDITS

Sir Keir Starmer MP - Parliament TV

Emily Thornberry MP - The Mirror, YouTube

Sir Oliver Robbins - Parliament TV

David Miliband MP - Mornings with Ridge and Frost, Sky News

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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Trump's Jesus Meme Chaos w/ Tommy Vietor Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

Who says the special relationship is on the ropes? Coco and Nish are joined by Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor to showcase transatlantic co-operation at its very best. From the battle of slopaganda to the real war in Iran - there’s a lot to talk about.

Donald Trump deleted a Truth Social post because he looked a little bit too much like Jesus for the Christian community - many of them have been some of his biggest supporters. Meanwhile Iran has released a series of sometimes-antisemitic, AI, Lego rap videos.

In the UK, Keir Starmer is being criticised for not spending enough on defence at a time when the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are focusing minds.

Plus - Your Party hits the skids in Scotland - we hear from an insider about what went down.

Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.

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GUESTS

Tommy Vietor, Host, Pod Save America and Pod Save The World

USEFUL LINKS

How to email your MP about NHS Palantir contracts - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/sign-a-petition/mp-demand-no-palantir-in-our-nhs/

CREDITS

Donald Trump - @rapidresponse47, X

Iranian Propaganda Video - Explosive Media

Owen Maitland, Former Your Party Scotland executive committee member

Faiza Shaheen, Director, Tax Justice UK - ‘Politics Live’, BBC One

Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One

Can AI really be your friend? w/Jamie Bartlett Apr 02, 2026

Show notes

Coco and Nish are joined by top author and tech expert Jamie Bartlett. His new book is a deep dive into the ways AI is being used - highlighting its pitfalls and also where it might be beneficial.

Jamie even created an AI alter-ego to help people understand how the technology really works, its strengths and its limitations.

Plus, your questions, answered! From the new electoral system in Wales to favourite conspiracy theories - you’ll learn and you’ll laugh!

Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.

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GUESTS

Jamie Bartlett, Author, ‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’ and Host of Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares) on BBC Sounds

Special guest appearance: Jimmy Botlett

USEFUL LINKS

‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’: Out April 9th.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/475950/how-to-talk-to-ai-by-bartlett-jamie/9780753561980

Welsh Assembly election guide
https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/senedd-election-2026-what-is-the-d-hondt-formula-and-how-does-it-work/

Truth, Lies and Donald Trump w/ Stewart Lee Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Comedian and columnist Stewart Lee joins Nish and Coco to discuss the week’s big stories.

They talk about Donald Trump’s deadly and yet utterly confusing war with Iran, as the US President continues to contradict his own statements about the Strait of Hormuz and peace talks, almost in the same breath.

It certainly means a new, live, UK sketch show has plenty of material - but how should comedy respond to the challenging times we are all living through?

Plus - why having a weekly opinion column is good for your mental health and why news organisations need to do more to tackle the lies and extreme rhetoric coming from politicians.

Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.

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GUESTS

Stewart Lee, Comedian and columnist for The Nerve

USEFUL LINKS

Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/

CREDITS

Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One

Can Britain’s myth and magic challenge the far right? w/ Zakia Sewell Mar 21, 2026

Show notes

Last summer - fuelled by the far right - a rash of St George and Union Jack flags spread across the country. Flag-waving became a symbol of prejudice, not pride. In that context it's hard as progressives to feel particularly patriotic. So what is Britishness… and does it even matter?

Someone who is hopeful that our national identity is worth saving is writer, a DJ and broadcaster Zakia Sewell. In this bonus episode of PSUK, she tells Nish and Coco about her journey to uncover an alternative version of Britishness - one that unifies rather than divides.

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GUEST
Zakia Sewell, writer, DJ & broadcaster

USEFUL LINKS

“Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for Hidden Britain” - out now.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-albion/zakia-sewell/9781399735902

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