The News Agents

Latest Episodes:

Weekend Edition - The Sports Agents Apr 20, 2024

Show notes

This week on The Sports Agents...

A Sports Agents exclusive - Mark & Gabby had a first-look at an independent report into diversity at the senior levels of sport across every major National Governing Body in UK - Sporting Equals Chief executive Arun Kang joined them in the studio to unpack the findings...

Former Lioness Eni Aluko then reflected on her own experiences - after becoming the first black woman in Italy to own a football club.

Plus, how damaging were Manchester City & Arsenal's Champions League exits for English football's chances of a fifth qualifying spot in next season's competition?

And after Lord Seb Coe announced he had chaired the first meeting of The Old Trafford Regeneration taskforce - Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham sat down with Mark to talk about public money, opportunity and London 2012.

Here's some of our favourite bits - new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Have Israel and Iran stepped back from the brink? Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

The Middle East, the world, not for the first time in these long six months, has been holding its breath. Ever since Iran fired 300 hundred rockets into Israel, itself a response to the Israel’s killing of several senior Iranian military figures in Damascus, that dreaded word “escalation” has haunted the conversation, the grim realisation that the region, maybe more than the region, is just one mistake, one miscalculation away from all out war in every direction.

Overnight, the promised Israeli retaliation to the Iranian attack came, with missle attacks in the heart of Iran itself, in the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz.

Is this it? Can we exhale again? And for how long?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Sleaze, campaign funds and a 3am phonecall: Another Westminster scandal Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

**Since publication, Savanta revised the polling data included in this episode to show the Labour candidate on a two point lead. More information here**

A 3am call, and a Tory MP talking about a life or death situation in which he was being held captive in a flat.

Amazingly, that wasn't even the weirdest bit. As the day, and the story, unfolded, there were allegations of campaign money donated by Conservative supporters being used to pay for the MP's medical bills and more.

Mark Menzies , Fylde MP, is just - remarkably - the latest in a long line of MPs - both Tory and Labour - who have lost the whip this parliament.

What's going on? Has scandal become easier to detect? Harder to hide? Or is this what the end of every reign starts to feel like?

We talk to the Times journalist who broke the story, Billy Kenber, and to the man whose job at the heart of Downing Street was interfacing between the PM and his MPs' each time scandal broke, Craig Oliver.

Later, whats going on in the West Midlands race? We have exclusive Savanta polling.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Does Liz Truss actually have a point? Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

Yes, yes, yes. She crashed the economy, has blamed everyone else, made Britain a laughing stock, inflicted higher mortgage rates on millions of households, and was the shortest serving prime minister in our history. But her 49 days has spawned a 100,000 word book (be thankful she didn’t last ten years - can you imagine how long that book would be?). And it does have a central argument - that Britain has become an administrative state, with civil servants ruling the roost.

Does she have a point? We speak to John McTernan, Tony Blair's former political advisor, and Tom Fletcher, diplomat who's co-authored a report for the UCL Policy Unit on the need for Whitehall reform.

Meanwhile Rishi Sunak is likely to get his Rwanda legislation passed this week. But will getting planes off the ground happen anytime soon?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Should the police be shutting down Nigel Farage and the NatCons? Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

It was a conference that few people here would have ever noticed. Suella, Nigel, Orban - speakers deemed "far right" by the Brussels authorities - found their conference filled with Belgian police as they took to the stage for their NatCon gathering.

The Federal Deputy served a court order on the grounds the conference "endangered public safety" and asked for its immediate closure. Cue great excitement amongst the Nat Conners. They could not be more delighted with this intervention which allowed them to rail - with some justification - against "Belgian democracy".

Has it helped their cause and fuelled their victimhood narrative? Or were police right to act? Later, Rishi wants to ban smoking for anyone born after Jan 1st 2009. Can he? and should he?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

What is Iran's endgame? Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

On Saturday night, Israel warned its citizens to go to a safe room and prepare to spend the night there.

Two hours later, Iran began sending drones into Israeli territory - revenge for the killings of 7 men in the Iranian consulate two weeks ago in Damascus, Syria.

Of the 350 drones, 99 percent were intercepted. Tragically -and miraculously - there was only one reported injury - a 7 year old Israeli bedouin child.

So what happens next? Does Israel retaliate? Or heed it's allies and 'walk away with a win'. We talk to Tim Marshall and Yaakov Katz who know this war well.

Later, Liz Truss tells our colleague Iain Dale she has 'unfinished business'. Is that a sign she's coming back? Her new book is out tomorrow. His interview with her is out tonight. We give you the sneak peak.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Weekend Edition - The Sports Agents Apr 13, 2024

Show notes

This week on The Sports Agents...

An array of stardust as the likes of legendary jockeyAP McCoy and Team GB icon Denise Lewis joined Gabby & Mark on the podcast.

Is your Premier League club trying to kill off season tickets and is Everton's latest points deduction fair?

Does Seb Coe deserve credit for announcing prize money will be paid to Athletes who win gold at the Olympics - and after terror threats at Champions League games - how will Paris ensure fan safety at the Games this summer?

All this and much more on the Sports Agents over the last seven days.

Here's a little flavour of some of the highlights...

Europe's first black leader Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

On today's episode, we speak to Europe's first black leader - Vaughan Gething, the new First Minister of Wales. In an extended conversation, we talk his rise to the top of Welsh politics amidst experiences of racism, his political motivations and what is next for Wales if Labour return to power.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly and Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Should Ofsted be scrapped? Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

TW: This episode includes discussions around suicide. If you need someone to talk to, Samaritans listen. Call them on 116 123.

Last week, The National Union of Education voted overwhelmingly at their conference to 'abolish Ofsted' - saying it causes more harm than good and needed urgent and fundamental reform.

They can't, of course, but today we - with your help - are asking if Ofsted is fit for purpose.

We hear from teachers and heads - our listeners - who tell us what needs to change.

We speak to Julia Waters, the sister of Ruth Perry, the Head of Caversham Primary who killed herself in the aftermath of an 'inadequate' rating and inspection, and finally we speak to Ofsted's new head - Sir Martyn Oliver.

Does he think Ofsted has made mistakes? Did he fire anyone following the coroners verdict into Ruth's death? Would he change the one word summary ruling of 'outstanding' down to 'inadequate'.

And how does he reflect upon words and actions of Amanda Spielman, his predecessor at Ofsted - criticised by many teachers for failing to find the right, compassionate tone in the face of that tragedy.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producers: Laura FitzPatrick & Shane Fennelly

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly and Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Westminster sexting and the honeytrap Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

William Wragg, the MP who found himself blackmailed by a person to whom he'd sent explicit photographs - last night resigned the Conservative party whip.

It means Sunak has lost another MP - Wragg will quit parliament anyway after the next election. He was the victim of a honeytrap which lured him into believing the messages he was receiving from a stranger.

But he was also unwise enough to share colleagues contact details when pressured by his blackmailer. Today we go back to the origins of the honeytrap story with the Politico journalist who broke the story, Aggie Chambre.

Later we look at Sunak's relationship with the voter - as revealed in this morning's LBC interview with various callers. What does it tell us about his campaigning strategy?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly and Arvind Badewal

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"!

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/