What tips would you give a government minister ahead of a Today programme interview? What was the best advice you got when you first became a Today presenter? And how do you get up so early? In this special summer edition of The Today Podcast, Amol and Nick take on questions from some invited guests and friends of the podcast, including the queen of the high street Mary Portas, historian Greg Jenner, TV’s Kirstie Allsopp, Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight, journalist Helen Lewis and comedian...
Aug 22, 2024•26 min
Amol and Nick use their decades of experience as journalists to discuss the future of news in this special episode of The Today Podcast. Joining them are Sun editor David Yelland and former No10 communications director Simon Lewis – the duo behind Radio 4’s When It Hits The Fan – to look at what’s happening in journalism, where the future lies for the profession... and why it really matters for us all. If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a mes...
Aug 15, 2024•45 min
Elon Musk has repeatedly attacked Sir Keir Starmer on his platform ‘X’ this week over the handling of riots in England and Northern Ireland. The disorder follows the fatal stabbing last week of three young girls in Southport and has been fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment. This week Amol looks at whether social media companies should be forced to go further in stopping the spread of misinformation online. He is joined by David Wilding, a former directo...
Aug 08, 2024•46 min
Every week on The Today Podcast Amol and Nick share something significant that’s happened to them that week and they call it their ‘moment of the week’. But as Nick’s on holiday, Amol invited one of Britain’s best known comedians, Frank Skinner, to The Today Podcast studio to help him out. And they ended up talking for so long about faith, class, parenthood, grief - and, of course, poetry, we’ve made it into a bonus podcast. Frank Skinner has been a stand-up comedian for 30 years. He presented F...
Aug 01, 2024•39 min
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner have been championing growth this week. But will their plans actually work? Amol has assembled an expert panel to provide their take on how to generate more wealth in the UK – Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson and venture capitalist and co-founder of Lovecrafts, Cherry Freeman. And comedian Frank Skinner joins Amol with his moment of the week – watch out for a bonus episode with much more of their chat coming to th...
Jul 31, 2024•40 min
Amol and Nick take on more questions from listeners – such as whether having younger MPs will lead to a change in policies and why do politicians sound more sensible when ejected from office? Plus they answer questions on the state of political journalism and whether podcasting makes it easier or more difficult to maintain impartiality. If you have a question you’d like to Amol, Nick and the Pod Squad to answer get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 o...
Jul 29, 2024•25 min
This week Keir Starmer dealt with a Labour rebellion on the two-child benefit cap that saw the whip removed from seven of his MPs. Meanwhile in America, Kamala Harris has moved quickly to mobilise her campaign and define her Republican rival. To make sense of it all, Nick and Amol turn to Prof Mary Beard for a classical perspective on power, succession, and rebellions. What was Cicero’s advice for winning elections? Which Latin quote did John F Kennedy incorrectly use in a famous speech? And why...
Jul 25, 2024•39 min
Joe Biden is out and has endorsed his vice president. But will Kamala Harris win the Democratic nomination – and can she beat Donald Trump in November? Amol and Nick are joined by fellow Today presenter and Americast host Justin Webb for his take on the big news. Who might Harris pick as her running mate? How will she frame Trump in the contest? And why might it all come down to the voters of Omaha, Nebraska? If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to answer get in touch by sending us...
Jul 22, 2024•35 min
Sir Keir Starmer has been quick to meet with a host of world leaders since entering Downing Street. After his in-person meeting with Joe Biden, and a personal phone call to Donald Trump, Amol and Nick dissect how the new PM will navigate ‘the special relationship’ in turbulent times. And closer to home, European leaders are meeting this week in Blenheim Palace. Baroness Cathy Ashton, the EU’s former foreign policy chief, joins Nick and Amol in the studio to give insight on Starmer’s strategy. Ho...
Jul 18, 2024•50 min
Amol and Nick look at whether the language of politics might now grow less heated after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump – and what effect the shooting will have on the US election. Keir Starmer will put the disappointment of the European Championships result behind him and look forward to this week’s King’s Speech – but will he face his own problem from the left wing? Plus, pollster and friend of the podcast James Kanagasooriam joins Amol to get into the data and dispel the myths surro...
Jul 15, 2024•35 min
It’s Keir Starmer’s first full week in government and he’s already facing an impending crisis: overflowing prisons. Amol and Nick speak to the former justice secretary Alex Chalk, who tells us what his successor, Shabana Mahmood, should do to fix it. Journalist and podcaster Helen Lewis swings by to assess Labour’s first week and the Conservative leadership race. And – what a row over an AI candidate who turned out to be real says about the way rumours circulate via direct messaging. If you have...
Jul 11, 2024•1 hr
Amol and Nick are back for Labour’s first week in government to look at Rachel Reeves’ plan for growth and how Keir Starmer can position himself on the world stage as he jets off for a Nato summit in the US. Plus, Nick is in Normandy to provide his assessment of what the final round of the French elections might mean for Emmanuel Macron’s political future. And they answer listener questions – should 16-year-olds get the vote and can politicians ever hold back the tides of change? If you have a q...
Jul 08, 2024•33 min
It’s the afternoon after the night before and Amol and Nick are back after 14 hours of live radio for a post-election podcast. How will Keir Starmer govern as prime minister? Will the Conservative leadership contest be taken over by Nigel Farage? How did the Liberal Democrats do so well? And why has there been such a pronounced splintering overnight in British politics? Plus – an update on pod squadder Alex’s election night cross stitching! If you have a question you’d like to Amol and Nick to a...
Jul 05, 2024•36 min
Amol and Nick look ahead to election night, with a run down of the key moments and the best time to get some sleep (if you must!) They also discuss one of the big challenges the next government faces - whoever enters Downing Street on Friday - what to do about small boats crossing the Channel. What could the elections in France mean for any future agreement? Lord Ricketts, former ambassador to France and former National Security Adviser gives his take. Plus the Pod Squad have a special birthday ...
Jul 03, 2024•54 min
Should there be an alternative to voting for the least-worst candidate? Why are we obsessed by cult of personality politicians? And what are the election night words to avoid? Amol and Nick return with another bonus question and answer episode as The Today Podcast prepares for polling day. If you have a question you’d like to Amol, Nick and the Pod Squad to answer get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk Episodes of The Today...
Jul 02, 2024•27 min
With just a few days to go before people go to the polls, Amol and Nick reflect on the strategies behind the parties’ get-out-the-vote messages. And they reflect on the shift to the far right in the French elections with Justin Webb, who joins them from the Paris café he presented Radio 4’s Today from. Plus Amol and Nick answer a listener question – how do they prepare for political interviews? Episodes of The Today Podcast land twice a week during the election campaign – and watch out for bonus...
Jul 01, 2024•42 min
There’s a week to go before votes are counted and barely a day goes by in the campaign without a new poll. So are the Conservatives really on course for an election "wipe out"? Are Labour set for a so called ‘supermajority’? Where did the term ‘supermajority’ even come from and should we be sceptical about poll findings? Amol and Nick are joined by the doyenne of polling, psephologist Prof Sir John Curtice, to interrogate the numbers and the algorithms that generate them. And they assess how the...
Jun 26, 2024•57 min
The Today Podcast, Newscast and When It Hits The Fan have come together for a special episode, to look at the role of the media in the general election campaign. Alongside The Today Podcast's Amol Rajan are Adam Fleming and Alex Forsyth from Newscast; David Yelland and Simon Lewis from BBC Radio 4 podcast When it Hits the Fan and Marianna Spring, the BBC's Disinformation and Social Media correspondent. They discuss the declining role of newspapers and how social media is being used by the campai...
Jun 25, 2024•39 min
With ten days until polling day Amol and Nick look at the ongoing betting crisis for the Conservatives and discuss why gender is back in the headlines for Labour. They dissect Nick’s TV interview with Nigel Farage, which dominated the news over the weekend after the Reform UK leader said West provoked the war in Ukraine. Plus, pollster and friend of the podcast James Kanagasooriam is in the studio to analyse the results from his latest poll and answer your questions. Episodes of The Today Podcas...
Jun 24, 2024•39 min
Why do politicians use big numbers in interviews? How will political reporting change in the future? And why do we vote using pencils? Amol and Nick answer these questions and more in this bonus episode of The Today Podcast. If you have a question you’d like to Amol, Nick and the Pod Squad to answer get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk Episodes of The Today Podcast during the election campaign will land on Mondays and Thu...
Jun 21, 2024•28 min
Amol and Nick take a look at why politicians are so keen to talk about economic growth in this election campaign – and whether any have the right policies to deliver it. They’re joined by professor of economics at the LSE, Tim Leunig, who worked as an advisor to the Lib Dems during the coalition government and went on to formulate the furlough scheme for Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor. They assess Labour’s pledge to jumpstart the economy via planning reforms, and the Conservatives’ promise o...
Jun 19, 2024•55 min
With the first postal votes being cast this week, Amol and Nick look at how parties are hoping to change voters' minds at a crucial point in the campaign. They assess Nigel Farage’s chances of winning seats with Reform UK, whether Keir Starmer is running out of things to say – and Amol has a theory about Jeremy Corbyn and the Green Party. Plus, they answer your listener questions: what will Boris Johnson do next? Episodes of The Today Podcast during the election campaign will land on Mondays and...
Jun 17, 2024•39 min
It’s the second part of The Today Podcast Live! Recorded in the BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House in London in front of a live audience, Amol and Nick answer more listener questions and they’re joined by former Today programme guest editor James May. James shares his moment of the week and talks about his love of cycling and what’s next as the Amazon series The Grand Tour draws to a close. And Roger Tilling, the voice of University Challenge, was on hand for all the announcements. Episodes...
Jun 14, 2024•38 min
Hundreds of our listeners assembled in the BBC Radio Theatre for the first ever live recording of The Today Podcast! Nick and Amol were joined on stage by a panel of experts: former Labour deputy prime minister Lord Mandelson; Fiona Hill, Theresa May’s former chief of staff in Downing Street and founder of the Future Resilience Forum; and University of Oxford Professor Jane Green, co-director of the British Election Study. The panel dissected the latest election news and answered listener questi...
Jun 12, 2024•59 min
Amol and Nick look ahead to the week in which the release of party manifestos could well reset the narrative of the election. They consider what the rise of the right in European elections might mean for the UK with the help of friend of the pod, pollster James Kanagasooriam. Plus Nick talks tactics ahead of his TV leadership interview with Rishi Sunak. Episodes of The Today Podcast during the election campaign will land on Mondays and Thursdays. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's ta...
Jun 10, 2024•43 min
Amol and Nick look at two possible game-changers in week two of the election campaign: Nigel Farage returning to lead Reform UK, and Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer facing off in the first head-to-head debate of the campaign. They’re joined by Cleo Watson – a former deputy chief of staff to Boris Johnson in No10 and now a novelist - and Peter Kellner, former president of pollsters YouGov. Episodes of The Today Podcast will land twice a week during the election campaign. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to g...
Jun 05, 2024•53 min
In the first of our election campaign Monday bonus episodes, Amol and Nick look ahead to the head-to-head television debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. What can the two leaders learn from previous election debates? How do they deploy the perfect zinger? And how will they judge their performance a success? And they answer a listener question on how much influence the media will play this election. Episodes of The Today Podcast during the election campaign will land on Mondays and Thursd...
Jun 03, 2024•36 min
Nick has long thought that the most important question in politics is ‘whose side are you on?’ It turns out Keir Starmer might think the same. On The Today Podcast this week Nick looks into why the Labour leader highlighted that question in his first big speech of the election campaign. Also – why did Starmer tell the BBC that he identifies as a socialist? And what will Diane Abbott do next? And in a week when the Conservatives have promised national service for 18-year-olds and a pensioners’ ‘t...
May 30, 2024•50 min
Less than a day after calling the general election, Rishi Sunak kicked off his campaign with a set-piece interview with Nick on Today. Amol and Nick explore what clues it provides for the coming campaign – and Nick talks though his interview strategy. Also, with inflation now down to 2.3% we bring together two of the leading economic thinkers from the left and the right to talk tax-and-spend: Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the TUC, and Robert Colvile, director of centre-right think ta...
May 23, 2024•50 min
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called an election on July 4th. But why did he choose today to do it and what can we expect in the coming weeks? Amol and Nick consider the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s calculation on an announcement that took both of them by surprise. Episodes of The Today Podcast usually land on Thursdays. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news program...
May 22, 2024•23 min
