The News Agents

Latest Episodes:

Is Kemi Badenoch telling the truth? Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Why did Kemi Badenoch accuse a whistleblower of lying - in a row over compensation payouts to Post office victims?

And why isn't the Prime Minister prepared to investigate what was actually said?

Today, Keir Starmer put those questions to the government in the tone of a barrister preparing a quiet but devastating court case. Is Kemi sure she's right, even though the sacked chairman of the Post Office is fighting back? And what happens to her - the darling of the Tory right and leadership front runner - if she's proved wrong.

Later, how much power does Sue Gray wield in the Labour party? We talk to Keir Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Should Prince William be getting involved with Gaza? Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

Prince William has expressed his deep concern about the terrible human cost of the middle east conflict and expressed his desire to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible.

There's lots of head scratching going on right now: is the heir to the throne calling for a ceasefire? Is this the governments line or just the monarchy's position? Did this come from the Foreign Office? And should he be getting involved at all?

Meanwhile, as Labour finally find a way of demanding an immediate ceasefire, we talk to the SNP's Stephen Flynn who says it wouldn't have happened without pressure from them.

Later, why is Rishi Sunak quoting Eisenhower to talk to the NFU? And what is happening to England's rural vote...?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Rory Symon

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Why can't the West stop Putin's killings? Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia has laid the blame for her husband's murder directly with Putin.

Few world leaders seem to disagree. There is much grave talk of 'consequences' and 'action'.

But what does that really mean? Short of Putin losing the Ukraine war, what would really hurt him enough to stop him murdering?

We talk to hugely influential Putin critic Bill Browder who tells us who the 'next Navalny' will be if we don't act now.

Later, why is Kemi Badenoch calling the former chairman of the Post Office a liar? Henry Staunton has stood by his allegations that the government was dragging its feet on Post Office compensation payouts ahead of the election. Is she really going to go to war over this?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Rory Symon

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Two more Tory wipeouts Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Two more Labour wins in two more by-elections. Kingswood and Wellingborough were very safe Conservative seats, but now they've turned red.

The Conservatives have now suffered the most by-election defeats of any government since the 1960s - so what does this mean in a General Election year?

Later, we reflect on the life of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, who has died in a Russian prison.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Recession: are we f***ed? Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

The UK is in recession - which means the economy has been shrinking for most of the last year.

What does that do to our standard of living? And what are the political choices that have to be made?

The Tories are still talking about tax cuts - even if that means more cuts to public services. Labour has ditched its mega promise of borrowing 28 billion to invest in the economy.

So what's the way out?

Later, as Putin confesses he found Tucker Carlson a bit of a soft interviewer, we discuss how you do accountable interviewing in an age where 'facts dont matter'.

Is Labour's lead slipping away? Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

In the past 7 days Sir Keir Starmer has had to face down a leak over his big policy U-turn, a policy U-turn and the suspension of two Labour candidates for anti-Israel and/or anti-Semitic comments. A third person in the room at the time is, we understand, being 'spoken to'.

It's probably not been a great week for party morale - but has any of it hit Labour's poll lead?

And will any of it translate into actual voting in the by election results tomorrow? We talk to pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common.

Later - rats, open sewage, cockroaches and drugs. Chief Inspectorate of Prisons Charlie Taylor talks us through the worst report he's ever penned on our prison system as we ask whether the justice system or the accommodation limitations dictate who is put behind bars.

A Prison Service Spokesperson said:

“The findings of this inspection are unacceptable which is why we’re taking urgent action to address the concerns raised. This includes deploying extra frontline officers to reduce violence and improve safety, undertaking refurbishments to improve living conditions, and ensuring offenders get greater access to the education and skills they need to turn their backs on crime.”

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Could the weirdest ever by-election be won by George Galloway? Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Keir Starmer insists he took "decisive action" by suspending the Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali from the Labour party.

Should it have come quicker? How damaging has it been to the wider party? And what on earth is going to happen in what's fast becoming the weirdest by election in modern history - with not one but three former Labour candidates.

Later, we look at Rafah, in Gaza - now bracing itself for a ground incursion from an Israeli government that seems hell-bent on finishing a military mission. What does it take to get Netanyahu to stop? Will the US cease selling him weapons? And how does this sit alongside international negotiations for a prolonged ceasefire.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Does the Labour Party still have an anti-Semitism problem? Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

Keir Starmer has gone out of his way to break with his party's antisemitic past and to reshape the Labour parliamentary party.

But this weekend, shadow ministers found themselves in the unenviable position of having to defend the Labour candidate for Rochdale for 'mistakenly believing a conspiracy theory' instead of calling him out for his antisemitic remarks about whether Israel had turned a blind eye to the Hamas atrocities as 'a green light for a full on Gaza invasion'.

Azhar Ali is standing against George Galloway which is perhaps why Labour is nervous. What should happen to all those other MPs suspended by the party leader for antisemitic remarks?

And where does this leave Keir Starmer on his Middle East foreign policy more widely?

Also, Trump has encouraged Russia to invade NATO countries that dont pay their bills. Well of course he has. Why is Europe surprised? And has it figured out America under Trump is not going to care about our security? We discuss why we've been so slow to listen to what he's saying.

**This episode was recorded before Labour withdrew their support for Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali**

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Mick Lynch on Starmer, strikes and a united Ireland Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

When will strikes end - and are Labour the party to stop the constant drumroll of them?

We're joined by the most charismatic man on the left of British politics - who has become synonymous with the public sector striking. Mick Lynch.

And later, we talk all things Biden as he hits back against accusations that his mind is ailing - only to then make yet another gaff.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Why is Starmer running scared of his own policies? Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

The worst kept secret in politics was freed from its shackles today as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed Labour would drop their 28 billion pound spending pledge on the green economy.

It will confirms Rishi's criticism of a flip-flop leader. Why is Keir running scared of spending?

Later, is Rishi's own party calling on him to apologise for his trans gag in the Commons yesterday? Why won’t he? We discuss where it’s left him.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & 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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected