You’re going to hear from a staunch Burnham ally today - a blunt speaking man at the heart of his last leadership campaign - and an MP who recently lost the whip from Keir Starmer. Can Karl Turner tell us what Andy Burnham thinks? And what he wants to do? And isn’t there hypocrisy in anointing another leader without going to the country first? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/...
Jun 23, 2026•39 min
And just like that, Keir Starmer became the sixth British prime minister to resign in ten years - triggering a leadership contest it’s increasingly likely no one will enter. Wes Streeting has pulled out of the race. Andy Burnham is arriving at Parliament where he will be sworn in as MP. If there is no challenger, he could be PM in just over two weeks' time. Is this the most perfect heist in political history? Does Starmer have a right to feel aggrieved? And does Burnham have an actual plan? The ...
Jun 22, 2026•51 min
Overnight in Makerfield, Andy Burnham showed how to win more than fifty percent of the vote on the Labour ticket. It was political smack for his party. A reminder that they still have the electoral chemistry to win decisively in tight races where Reform has stormed in the past. Keir Starmer is pretending nothing big has happened - and said Reform were already on the wane. He is refusing to make way for Burnham - who is rather hoping for a coronation rather than a bloody contest. So who will fire...
Jun 19, 2026•42 min
Once you’ve listened to Trumps friends slag off his deal with Iran , you can’t help wondering what his critics will say. In one fell swoop, Trump has lifted sanctions on Iran, invited investment into the country to help the same old regime recover, agreed to a sixty day trial period on the reopened Strait of Hormuz, and "moved on" from his wish to help the Iranian people escape their tyrants. What has he achieved in this war? Precisely nothing. Who knows that? Practically everyone. Later, we spe...
Jun 18, 2026•34 min
England are used to a winning start in tournaments... but are we used to it being this... FUN? The 3 Lions beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener and Thomas Tuchel's 'entertainers' have seemingly already captured the nation. A now famous half-time team talk is said to have inspired the players. Is Tuchel's emotional and tactical management style what England need to get over the line? And on the players themselves, are we going to witness a tournament where Harry Kane has his name up with Me...
Jun 18, 2026•23 min
Whatever happens in Makerfield in the next 24 hours, the outcome will be momentous. If Andy Burnham wins, we could see him challenge Keir Starmer for Prime Minister by the end of the week. If Burnham loses, then Labour are plunged into a whole new level of existential crisis. Either way, this will be one of the most significant by-elections in British electoral history - the stakes could hardly be higher. Jon, Emily and Lewis have this special report from the constituency. What do the people of ...
Jun 17, 2026•53 min
10 years on from the murder of MP Jo Cox, there is a grim warning from her sister Kim Leadbeater: the atmosphere in politics now is "probably worse". Leadbeater warns of people trying to "sow division" in our country - and that's a division that Russia is seeking to exploit. One of the arsonists convicted of trying to firebomb Keir Starmer's house had also been tasked by Kremlin-linked actors with putting up far-right posters, seeking to stoke community tensions. How can it be that, after the tr...
Jun 16, 2026•51 min
In what feels like one of the few genuinely radical decisions of his premiership, Keir Starmer has announced an almost complete ban on social media for the under 16s, starting next spring. Messaging apps will not be included, but YouTube (ie “television”) will. Does the ban make sense? Will it actually happen? And is Starmer now thinking about legacy projects at this febrile moment of his leadership? We speak to the AI minister Kanishka Narayan. Later Jess Asato MP found herself undressed by Gro...
Jun 15, 2026•44 min
Armed Forces minister Al Carns and a couple of junior frontbenchers followed the Defence Secretary John Healey in resigning from government last night. Healey's accusation was a stinging one - that Keir Starmer is failing to commit to keeping the nation safe from attack. That, after Starmer pledged only a few months ago to put "petty politics" to one side and be bold on British defence. He now faces a testing week like no other. His Defence Investment Plan, long delayed. is due to be launched on...
Jun 12, 2026•41 min
Around lunch time today, as The News Agents were battling their own excitement in the shape of a fire drill, the Defence Secretary suddenly resigned without warning. He left with a devastating critique of the Starmer government failures in his wake. The loyal and highly regarded Healey resigned out of frustration that promises made on defence spending weren’t being kept. And that the Prime Minister wouldn’t even set a date for the increases to happen. Has Starmer “failed to keep the country safe...
Jun 11, 2026•34 min
Nedum touches down in USA and joins Gabby & Mark to discuss the opening game of the World Cup 2026 ; How excited are the locals, dark horses for the tournament & more... But with such a constant stream of controversy in the days leading up to the first match - fans fleeced for tickets , a Somali referee banned from entering US, national teams greeted by ICE on arrival and FIFA President Gianni Infantino 's call for everyone to just "chill out" - has a World Cup ever been harder to love? ...
Jun 11, 2026•40 min
Belfast was ablaze last night, 24 hours after the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie. Houses, cars and buses were set on fire during riots across the city. It has since been announced that Ogilvie has lost an eye in the attack and 30-year-old Hadi Alodid has been charged with his attempted murder. The British government are laying at least some of the blame at the door of X owner Elon Musk, accusing him of whipping up tensions online ahead of the disorder. Lewis is on the ground in Belfast with...
Jun 10, 2026•55 min
This morning Kemi Badenoch put equality laws at the centre of a new political dividing line, pledging that a future Conservative government would scrap the Public Sector Equality Duty. She says that “modern Britain is the least racist country on earth” and warned that fears of being accused of racism are leading authorities to not intervene to prevent crime. What is Badenoch’s evidence that equalities duties are pushing “divisive” agendas? When did ‘common sense’ become satisfactory guidance? An...
Jun 09, 2026•43 min
President Trump told the FTs' Edward Luce that he "called all the shots" over the Iran ceasefire. Shortly before he spoke, Iran had launched missiles at Israel. "He [Netanyahu] won’t have any choice... He doesn’t call the shots", the President insisted. He told Fox that he was going to instruct Israel's PM not to retaliate. Netanyahu pointedly ignored those comments and started bombing Iran back. So is Trump becoming increasingly impotent in the Middle East crisis? And what part does the upcomin...
Jun 08, 2026•35 min
It is now hard to imagine that just three weeks ago, Wes Streeting was still serving in Keir Starmer's cabinet. As Health Secretary, Streeting gave the PM one of his biggest success stories from Labour's so far deeply troubled time in government - getting waiting lists down, and dragging the NHS into the 21st century. In the short time since he left role, he has become one of Starmer's biggest problems. His criticism of the PM is blistering, his analysis of where Labour has gone wrong is compell...
Jun 05, 2026•1 hr 24 min
Two police officers - both nominated for bravery awards - have been doxxed on the internet through a Musk disinformation campaign, where he called one a "scumbag" who should be in prison. One former officer is now in hiding, fearing for her safety after death threats. Neither was anywhere near Henry Nowak on the night he died. Musk famously supports Rupert Lowe over Nigel Farage. Is the Right of British politics now tearing itself apart over who gets to sound more extreme? Is any of this helping...
Jun 04, 2026•40 min
On Sunday the first contested Presidential elections at Real Madrid for 20 years will take place, so Gabby, Mark & Nedum are joined by Spanish football writer Guillem Balague to discuss some of the false promises being made on the campaign trail... Will any of Erling Haaland , Rodri , Jose Mourinho or Jurgen Klopp head to the Bernabeu this summer? And as Liverpool edge closer to appointing Andoni Iraola - four of the biggest clubs in the Premier League will be managed by coaches from the Bas...
Jun 04, 2026•39 min
Nigel Farage was accused by many in the Commons today of inciting violence with his call for people to respond to a young man’s murder with "pure cold rage". The Reform UK leader explicitly ignored the wishes of Henry Nowak's family - who had urged politicians not to use Henry's death to ramp up tensions - to suggest that the anger seen in Southampton last night could even get worse. As he spoke, he was jeered and accused of hijacking a personal tragedy for political gain. The question perhaps i...
Jun 03, 2026•49 min
The footage is almost unbearable to watch. 18 year old Henry Nowak, stabbed and bleeding to death on the floor - telling officers he couldn't breathe - being handcuffed by police responders rather than treated. Bodycam footage, released with the consent of Henry's family, shows that as Henry shouts out that he has been stabbed, one officer responds: "You’ve been stabbed? I don’t think you have, mate." The killer, Vickrum Digwa, had lied and claimed that Henry had racially attacked him. How did t...
Jun 02, 2026•43 min
America is the only major country where visitor numbers fell last year. In fact it had its worst year for international tourism since 2008- barring the pandemic. Are tourists scared? Or has Trump put them off? Is this why Trump's Ambassador for Tourism is on a whistle stop tour of Europe drumming up business before the World Cup? We speak to the US Special Envoy. Later why was a Facebook whistleblower silenced on stage at Hay Festival? We bring you Sarah Wynn-Williams - full throated and in visi...
Jun 01, 2026•37 min
In his essay this week on the way forward for Britain, Tony Blair posits that "governing in the age of AI will be the principal challenge. And opportunity" for our political class. Karen Hao certainly agrees that it will be one of the defining challenges of our lives. An MIT grad, she started off in Silicon Valley, before turning to journalism and becoming one of the most authoritative reporters on the new world of AI. She is deeply alarmed by the AI race, and by the companies - and men - leadin...
May 29, 2026•51 min
The day after Tony Blair spoke to The News Agents we ask whether his comments have started a healthy debate, changed the leadership race, or galvanised the whole party against him. The only man to win three elections for Labour speaks from experience and confidence. But is his diagnosis right for today? Will he ever be trusted on foreign affairs? And is efficacy more important than Democracy in 2026? Later, we talk to Alan Milburn who’s basically diagnosed that Britain is pretty f****d for young...
May 28, 2026•43 min
Mark & Nedum are joined by West Ham 's all-time Premier League goalscorer Michail Antonio , days after the club's relegation - ending a 14-year stay in the top flight. Michail lifts the lid on major decisions which he feels contributed to the club's decline in recent years; the controversial move to the London stadium , club training facilities, the appointment of Graham Potter as manager and how the club handled his exit last year following a very public car accident . Plus, Jarrod Bowen 's...
May 28, 2026•39 min
Since Keir Starmer took office almost two years ago - the first Labour Prime Minister in 14 years - Tony Blair has been holding his tongue. But that has all changed in a dramatic fashion. Blair is profoundly concerned, about the UK's future, the leadership of his party, and of the wider political conversation taking place. In a 5,700 word essay, he lays out a brutal assessment of the lack of serious policy thinking going on in government, warns of a "slide towards relegation from the Premier Lea...
May 27, 2026•33 min
Robert Kenyon, Reform's candidate in Makerfield, was a week on from defending his Facebook Nazi friend when things got ugly. Over the sunny bank holiday weekend old tweets resurfaced showing not only his utterly creepy views about women but also his original anti-Brexit stance. And yes, you can guess which one is the real headache for Reform. Polls suggest they are currently in second place behind Andy Burnham, with the even harder right Restore party snapping at their heels and threatening to e...
May 26, 2026•44 min
As billionaire wealth soars to unprecedented heights, calls to “tax the rich” are getting louder across the world. But while politicians on the left often champion wealth taxes, governments have repeatedly struggled to make them work in practice. So why have they failed? And could that finally be changing? This Friday, Lewis is joined by French economist Gabriel Zucman, the architect of the so-called “Zucman Tax” and one of the most influential voices in the global debate on inequality. Drawing ...
May 22, 2026•41 min
Before he was ever taken seriously as a politician, Donald Trump was very much taken seriously in the world of wrestling. His relationship with WWE stretches back as far as the 1980s - he went on to headline Wrestlemania and even challenged founder Vince McMahon to a match during a running feud. But what if wrestling was where Trump learned how to win the White House? Reality-defying performances, smack talk, and stunts are, after all, quintessentially Trumpian techniques. Munya Chawawa thinks t...
May 21, 2026•44 min
Southampton's failed attempt to appeal their expulsion from the final for spying means that it will be Middlesbrough heading to Wembley to take on Hull in football’s richest game. Espionage that could ‘cost’ upwards of £200 million … normally a story for Ian Fleming but in an end of the season that keeps on giving, this is the tale of the Championship play offs. But what is the legality surrounding the decision? Is Tonda Eckart's sacking inevitable? and is there a case for the final to be voided...
May 21, 2026•28 min
You might not know the name Thomas Massie. But you will know what he did. The Kentucky Republican congressman was one crucial part of the campaign that forced Trump to release the Epstein files last November. Last night, he lost his chance to fight his seat again - against a challenger endorsed by Trump. Is Trump still worrying about Epstein? Or does he just hate dissent? And why did he take Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth out of an actual war with Iran to make him campaign in Kentucky? This does...
May 20, 2026•51 min
Andy Burnham has launched his campaign video for the Makerfield by-election. The first thing you notice is how comfortable he sounds in it. It’s a level of human communication almost unfamiliar in today’s politics - with a pitch not just to the constituency but to the nation. But is there more to him than the chips and gravy good vibes? And does he have an actual plan not just for Makerfield but for the country? We speak to Neal Lawson - who is inside the Burnham camp - about how he thinks about...
May 19, 2026•49 min
