1 in 5 local councils in England is in danger of going bankrupt within the next two years - it’s a growing crisis that Westminster has done its best to ignore. With their budgets continually slashed, council leaders are faced with sometimes impossible choices about which services can be funded and which have to be axed. Nish and Coco discuss the crisis with a council leader, Joe Harris, and a ‘policy wonk’ Zoe Billingham. As they chat it emerges that Michael Gove has committed an extra £500 mill...
Jan 25, 2024•52 min
It’s groundhog day at Westminster as Rishi Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill returns to the Commons - will all the talk of rebellion come to anything this time? Nish and Coco discuss whether an opinion poll in the Telegraph was used to try to influence the debate and encourage the rebels. Plus they ask how it is that the UK has granted asylum to Rwandans AFTER signing a deal that deems the country safe. Labour MP Clive Lewis and journalist Laura Trevelyan went on a fascinating journey together, afte...
Jan 18, 2024•57 min
Why did it take a TV drama to wake politicians up to what’s been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British legal history? More than 700 sub-postmasters were convicted of theft, due to accounting discrepancies caused by the Post Office’s faulty computer system. ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office caused public outrage and has forced the Government into taking unprecedented action. James Harding, former BBC director of News and Current Affairs, joins Nish and Coco to discuss...
Jan 11, 2024•57 min
Comedians Andy Zaltzman and Catherine Bohart return to help Nish and Coco try to predict what politics has in store for us in 2024. There’s much debate about the possible date of the next general election…with arguments made for both November 5th and December 25th! The panel also considers whether the electorate will warm to Keir Starmer. Plus there’s also the prospect of another Trump presidency to terrify us all. Andy and Catherine also help Nish and Coco field listeners' questions, with discu...
Jan 04, 2024•35 min
Comedians Andy Zaltzman and Catherine Bohart take up Nish and Coco’s challenge, to find the laughs in another chaotic year in British politics. Is it cheating that they had to deploy novelty Christmas hats? You decide. Our review of 2023 starts with a fresh-faced and optimistic Rishi Sunak making his five pledges, and ends with the Conservatives tearing themselves apart over Rwanda. In between, we take in King Charles getting his fancy new hat, Nicola Sturgeon’s shock exit, Boris Johnson getting...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Rishi Sunak endured one his toughest weeks yet as Prime Minister, as he faced the Covid Inquiry and tried to placate rebellious MPs. But he lived to fight another day - as does his controversial Rwanda Bill. For Westminster watchers it was all about the mooted rebellion that didn’t materialise, but for Nish and Coco, the real story was the death of an asylum seeker aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge. For Nish, this stark warning about the potentially tragic effects of inhumane policies, should be ...
Dec 14, 2023•57 min
Please note: This podcast includes a description of a death from Covid, that some may find distressing. This week saw arguably the most anticipated moment of the Covid Inquiry so far, the first appearance of Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister during the pandemic. Over two days at the hearing, he offered an apology and admitted some mistakes were made, but defended his overall approach. In this bonus episode, Nish and Coco find out how his words went down with those most deeply affected by the...
Dec 08, 2023•28 min
It’s been a big week in the Tories’ war on foreigners. While efforts to resuscitate the Rwanda plan continue, Nish and Coco pick over the Government’s five-point plan to reduce legal immigration. For Nish, these are measures produced by people who clearly have no lived experience of relying on the NHS or on social care. Coco points out the cruelty of minimum income plans that could split families up, and also discriminate against women. Former National Security Adviser to Obama, and co-host of P...
Dec 07, 2023•57 min
Rishi Sunak’s decision to publicly snub the Greek Prime Minister in a row over the Parthenon Marbles, has left Nish and Coco wondering whether he possesses any of the skills to be a global statesman? Worrying then, that his next stop is the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Politico’s Karl Mathiesen joins us to talk about the UK’s place in the climate debate, and the contradictions of a COP hosted by an oil-rich state. Sunak, Cleverly, Braverman, Patel, Javid…the Conservative governments of the las...
Nov 30, 2023•59 min
This week the attention of British political journalists was firmly fixed on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who unveiled big tax cuts in his much-anticipated Autumn Statement on Wednesday. The Conservative government’s cuts to National Insurance will put a few more pounds into UK payslips starting January– but at what cost? The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey joins Nish and Coco to explain what these cuts mean for public services (spoiler alert: it’s not good), and to explain why these proposals look like the ...
Nov 23, 2023•53 min
A frantic week in UK politics, that started with the sacking of Suella Braverman and the shock return of David Cameron, took another huge twist as the Supreme Court ruled that the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful. Rishi Sunak however came out fighting, announcing an emergency bill to keep the policy alive. Plenty then for Nish and Coco to get their teeth stuck into with guest, LBC presenter and “conscience of liberal Britain” James O’Brien. His book ‘How they broke...
Nov 16, 2023•57 min
Nish and Coco jump on for an emergency bonus episode to reflect on a day of high political drama. Rishi Sunak reshuffles his top team, with the axe finally falling on his controversial Home Secretary Suella Braverman. That was followed by an even bigger shock…the appointment of former Prime Minister David Cameron as Foreign Secretary. Nish and Coco reflect on Cameron’s questionable legacy since leaving politics, and wonder what it means that he’s been appointed to the House of Lords in order to ...
Nov 13, 2023•32 min
King Charles’ first State Opening of Parliament as monarch, provides plenty of pomp, pageantry and politics for Nish and Coco to get stuck into. It’s a spectacle that throws up lots of questions, including who is Black Rod, and why does an MP get taken hostage by the Palace? As the Government presents its legislative agenda for the year ahead, we ask why is it so slim? Could it signal an early election? Nish and Coco are also incredulous as to why, with so much that needs fixing in this country,...
Nov 09, 2023•56 min
The latest hearings at the Covid Inquiry reveal chaos and dysfunction at the heart of Government during the pandemic. Did Boris Johnson really think Covid was nature’s way of dealing with old people? Nish and Coco sift through the swearing and the gossip to get to the heart of what really matters about the latest revelations. Coco tells Nish about her experience attending the huge rally, calling for a ceasefire in the Israel Gaza crisis, in London last weekend. How does she feel about Suella Bra...
Nov 02, 2023•52 min
As the Israel Gaza crisis continues, pressure grows on both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to back calls for a ceasefire. Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, explains why he supports it and what else needs to happen for it to be meaningful. He also has advice for how you can help, either through safe protest, or through donation. Nish and Coco also ‘celebrate’ Rishi Sunak’s year at Number 10, revealing their highs and lows of 12 months of Sunak. Is the Government’s promise...
Oct 26, 2023•57 min
The crisis in Israel and Gaza presents a huge challenge for our politicians, both internationally and at home. With protests on the streets and spikes in religious hate crimes, every word uttered by our leaders is diplomatically loaded. Nish and Coco discuss the difficulties of Labour’s position, and then return to record a fresh section at the start of this podcast in reaction to Rishi Sunak’s surprise overnight visit to Israel. Pia Sinha of the Prison Reform Trust helps us understand why our p...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Despite being an American, who can’t even vote in this country, Rob Delaney has become an outspoken champion of the NHS. His love for our health service was born from tragedy: losing his young son Henry to cancer. He tells Nish and Coco why we have to fight for the NHS, and compares it to an American system which enriches CEOs and advertising execs. Find out why he thinks Joe Biden is the best president of his lifetime, and what he thinks of Keir Starmer. Plus with a cameo in the new Mission Imp...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Coco and her special guest Femi Oluwole pore over the bin fire that was the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Was Sunak strengthened or weakened by the whole HS2 fiasco - and what was the thinking behind wheeling out his wife for a surprise appearance? With the likes of Braverman, Truss - and even Farage - being feted by the party faithful, Coco and Femi discuss the party’s lurch to the right. Plus Femi on playing real-life Pokemon Go in Manchester…only with Tory Ministers. What’s it ...
Oct 05, 2023•55 min
The Conservative Party heads to Manchester for its Conference as rumours swirl that Rishi Sunak is going to axe the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the HS2 high speed rail line that was supposed to unlock the potential of The North - a bit awkward then! Coco and her special guest Grace Blakeley discuss why it’s all gone wrong and what it says about us as a country that we can’t seem to deliver big infrastructure projects on budget, on time, or at all. With party conference season in full swing, ...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min
In the wake of the allegations of rape and sexual assault against Russell Brand, Nish says his behaviour was an open secret, and Brand’s TV work dried up as people refused to work with him. Nish also reveals that there are others still working in the industry about whom production staff will say “oh we don’t send young women into their dressing rooms”. Coco highlights the wider cultural issues that lead to women feeling unsafe in the workplace and also unwilling to report assaults to the police....
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy reveals what it was like in Westminster when the news broke that a parliamentary researcher, with close links to leading Tory politicians, had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. Mr Lammy tells Nish and Coco that the atmosphere at Westminster is “febrile”, with MPs having to think carefully about who they rely on for advice and research. He also sets out Labour’s position on the threat posed by China. Plus as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jung U...
Sep 14, 2023•54 min
Nish and Coco reflect on a scandal they think is a perfect metaphor for Tory-led Britain. Schools have had to close because they’ve been built using cheap and unstable concrete (called RAAC), while there are also concerns over hospitals and other public buildings. So as the country crumbles around us, who’s to blame? Labour leader Keir Starmer has reshuffled his top team ahead of next year’s expected general election. Coco welcomes brand new Shadow Minister for Creative Industries and Digital, C...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 11 min
More 16 to 17-year-old boys recognise Andrew Tate than Rishi Sunak - have we been guilty of underestimating the influence of Tate’s brand of toxic masculinity? Nish and Coco speak to journalist Matt Shea, who has spent years investigating the notorious misogynist. His new documentary uncovers the truth behind Tate’s ‘War Room’ club, and investigates claims members are taught how to groom women into online sex work. We also learn about the mysterious mastermind behind Tate, who has so far remaine...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min
With the headlines dominated by Lucy Letby, the most prolific child killer in modern British history, Nish and Coco reflect on the proper role for politicians in cases like this. While we crave reassurance from figures in authority, should they resist the urge to wade in with an easy soundbite? Plus we also reflect on the other big story of the week, the women’s World Cup final, and ask why it’s always men in suits who have to spoil things? With music venues and nightclubs shutting at an alarmin...
Aug 24, 2023•56 min
Returning from their summer holidays, Nish and Coco reflect on the failure of the Government’s ‘small boats week’. It was supposed to showcase progress but, instead it ended in the tragic deaths of a number of people trying to cross the Channel. An interesting time then for Tory HQ to step up their war on so-called ‘lefty lawyers’. We hear from immigration lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie, who was the target of a Conservative smear campaign. She tells Nish and Coco how right wing newspapers were given...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min
In a politics increasingly dominated by ‘wedge issues’ and the ‘woke’ divide, Nish and Coco explore whether it’s possible to have constructive conversations on social issues with people with whom you disagree. The activist and author Gina Martin reveals the lessons she’s learnt from her career as an activist, which started when she was a victim of upskirting. Her campaign ended up changing the law to make upskirting a specific sexual offence. Gina also has lots of tips for Pod Save The UK from h...
Aug 10, 2023•45 min
Is a combination of a progressive alliance, tactical voting and proportional representation the way to save the UK from Tory rule? Neal Lawson, founder of the pressure group Compass, argues that there would have been no Boris Johnson or Liz Truss if left-leaning parties had been able to work together. Neal, who’s been a Labour member for 44 years, also explains why he’s facing possible expulsion from the Labour Party for tweeting in favour of tactical voting. Have Labour fallen into a Tory trap ...
Jul 27, 2023•55 min
Nish and Coco can’t resist popping up for a special bonus mini-episode to discuss the Super Thursday by-election results. A revolt against Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Ulez low emissions policy hands the Tories a lifeline to hang on to their seat in Uxbridge and Ruislip - Coco hopes that doesn’t encourage Labour HQ to sideline their green agenda. Better news for Labour in Selby and Ainsty where Kier the Younger - Labour candidate Keir Mather - successfully overturns the biggest majority ever in a b...
Jul 21, 2023•15 min
Nish and Coco ask “what’s going on with Labour?” Sir Keir Starmer caused consternation within his own ranks, by saying he wouldn’t abolish a two-child limit on claiming some benefits - a Tory policy that many of his frontbench colleagues have condemned. Nish and Coco wonder why politically tough decisions only ever seem to come at the expense of the poorest in society. SNP MP Mhairi Black tells Nish and Coco about dodging falling masonry, sociopaths and bullies in the corridors of Westminster - ...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 9 min
While the UK was losing its senses over a sex scandal, the BBC and a tabloid newspaper, Nish brings some sanity. His advice to journalists and politicians: if you know nothing, why not shut up? What we learn from the story is that the UK needs more facts and less speculation. In Nish’s crosshairs is Tory MP Lee Anderson. He called the BBC a “safe haven for perverts” while his party and Westminster faces an epidemic of sexual harassment allegations. Carla Denyer - co leader of the Green Party in ...
Jul 13, 2023•59 min
