In the Spring on 2018, a man and a young woman were found slipping in and out of consciousness on a public bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire. What would follow was an incredible story of espionage, poisoning, and political vendettas. As the world was gripped by the botched assassination of Sergei Skripal, news rooms and crisis rooms here in the UK were reeling with the implications of the Russian attack on British soil. The attempted killing of the double agent who'd turned to work for UK intelligen...
May 30, 2025•43 min
This week on The Sports Agents... Gabby and Mark get a rare access all areas pass to go behind the scenes at Sale Sharks rugby club, from training to the team meeting to interviews with Lions and England players Tom Curry , Ben Curry and George Ford. (02:45) Four-time Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson has launched a new league to make athletics popular outside the Olympics, he tells us how it's going so far. (08:15) Britain's most decorated Paralympian, Sarah Storey , joins Professor Kir...
May 30, 2025•26 min
A trade court has smacked down Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" sweeping tariff plans. Three judges ruled that the US president had pushed the boundaries of his own executive authority beyond its limits when implementing broad tariffs. Members of Trump's camp have already labelled it a "judicial coup" and insisted the decision will be overturned quickly. But this is another hammer blow to his economic plan - can he restore his credibility with the markets after months of relentless uncertainty? L...
May 29, 2025•43 min
The age old "should we decriminalise cannibis?" conversation has reared it's head again, this time with the London Mayor Sadiq Khan backing the calls to decriminalise for possession of small amounts. How are drug laws in the UK damaging police relations with ethnic communities? What would decriminalisation it mean for stop and search? And, with so many countries around the world having already legalised cannibis, how will it change things here in the UK? Former head of Counter Terrorism for the ...
May 28, 2025•32 min
It took Merseyside police less than two hours to release information about the suspect who'd been arrested in the Liverpool parade crash which injured close to 50 people. The force told the public that it was a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area who had been detained. Right wing commentators and conspiracy theorists had already started speculating about the potential ethnicity and the motives behind the man alleged to have been involved. So was it sensible policing aimed at qu...
May 27, 2025•43 min
Jake Tapper of CNN is one of America’s most famous newsmen, someone who knows Washington inside and out. He - quite literally - had a ringside seat at the most consequential presidential debate in American history, as the presenter in charge as President Joe Biden melted down before the eyes of the world; his frailties and diminishment on display for all to see. Along with Alex Thompson of Axios, he has written a new book 'Original Sin' which, through conversations with over 200 White House and ...
May 23, 2025•33 min
This week on The Sports Agents... England captain Leah Williamson , who lifted the Euros trophy at Wembley, talks to us about her 19-year Arsenal career culminating in the Champions League final this weekend. (03:00) We have a laugh with the man responsible for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking over Wrexham , Humphrey Ker. (07:30) As Netflix launch a new Drive to Survive series for the F1 Academy, where 18 women compete to make a name for themselves in motorsport, we speak to Susie Wolff ,...
May 23, 2025•25 min
Two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead outside the Jewish museum in Washington DC. The suspect chanted "Free Palestine" as he was taken into custody. World leaders - including the PM - have condemned the killings. He said in a statement: "Antisemitism is an evil we must stamp out wherever it appears." Earlier this week, the UK, France and Canada issued a statement about the "intolerable" humanitarian situation in Gaza, and threatened sanctions against Israel. That response has led to some Isra...
May 22, 2025•37 min
At PMQs, Kemi Badenoch asked Keir Starmer when “the inevitable U-turn on winter fuel" would come. Unfortunately for her, he’d already announced it. Admittedly, it was quietly done. With a bit of hedging and fudging. But if you were following closely, you’d have heard him commit to a rethink at "the next fiscal statement" to a Labour MP who stood up before the Tory leader. When will the backtrack come into force? And does this alleviate pressure on the Treasury on benefits - or just ramp it up? W...
May 21, 2025•38 min
The frustration in Keir Starmer's voice was palpable. He’s joined forces with France and Canada to pressure Israel to stop the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. How far are these leaders prepared to go? And will Trump support them? Later, what is the political fallout from the EU trade deal? And what would the Lib Dem’s do differently? We hear from Ed Davey on Brexit, Nick Clegg and his new book “Why I care“. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/...
May 20, 2025•41 min
Late on Friday, the Newsagents learnt that Gary Lineker could part ways with the BBC as soon as Monday. On today’s episode we piece together the conversations that explain the timing, and ask where it leaves both parties. More widely, do the BBC rules work when it comes to talent tweeting? And was this relationship already over? Later, the big EU - UK reset has provoked a lot of white flag rhetoric of surrender and defeat. But 8 years on from Brexit, might the problem really be that the governme...
May 19, 2025•37 min
Jon and Lewis are back for a second News Agents live Q&A taking your questions. In the week of the PM's "island of strangers" speech, they discuss why some voters feel "hoodwinked" by Keir Starmer's government, who in Labour ranks is in prime position to succeed him when the moment arrives, and whether the media is responsible for the spike in Reform's poll numbers - or if liberals need to figure out a better way to take the fight to the populist right. They also reveal the weirdest places t...
May 16, 2025•42 min
Two big exclusive interviews this week on The Sports Agents... The new face of rugby, Henry Pollock , joined us in the studio. With two tries from one England cap, and now a Lions call up - this 20-year-old is on a rapid rise, and he’s using that fame to make rugby cool again with his try celebrations. (03:45) Gabby and Mark also sat down with Bournemouth manager, Andoni Iraola . Under his guidance the club could qualify for Europe for the first time ever, and he and his players, like Dean Huijs...
May 16, 2025•24 min
MP Rupert Lowe was kicked out of the Reform party earlier this year after a very public spat with Nigel Farage. He claims “lawfare“ and says Farage was trying to jail a political opponent. Reform say he was dropped for his behaviour after bullying allegations came to light. Yesterday the CPS announced no further action would be taken against Lowe, concluding that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. We speak to him on today’s episode about bullying, groom...
May 15, 2025•40 min
Sean Combs, P Diddy and Puff Daddy - the names are as numerous as the allegations. The hip hop star is standing trial for sex trafficking and racketeering in a legal suit that’s captured America. On today's show we bring you everything you need to know about the biggest trial since Weinstein. Later, we ask whether Keir Starmer is now treating Reform as the main party of opposition. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/...
May 14, 2025•33 min
In the 24 hours since giving his hard hitting speech on immigration, Keir Starmer and his cabinet have faced accusations his language was channeling that of the far right 1960s politician Enoch Powell. He of the 'River of Blood' speech, in 1968. We talk to Lord Alf Dubs, the child refugee and moral conscience of the nation, about how he sees the Prime Minister's language. And why the words matter. Later, Christiane Amanpour launches her new global podcast 'The Ex Files' with her Ex Husband, Jami...
May 13, 2025•40 min
Keir Starmer, sounding in tone closer to Nigel Farage than previous Labour prime ministers, has called immigration a failed lab experiment and decreed it’s time to take back control. Introducing the government's immigration white paper, the PM says that high net migration has done "incalculable damage" to the country. It’s language that suggests he has been spooked by Reform's recent successes. But language, he presumes, voters now want to hear from their leader. Is he right? And what happens to...
May 12, 2025•43 min
For half a century, Tina Brown has been a titan of journalism both here in the UK and in America. Editor of Tatler at just 25, she continued to take on Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, moving now into the digital age of journalism. Through the Reagan era to Trump, Tina Brown has seen it all. This Friday, Lewis is joined by Tina in the studio to talk about her vast career, Trump's drive for payback, and the future of journalism in the digital age. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - htt...
May 09, 2025•51 min
This week on The Sports Agents... After two dramatic Champions League semi-finals we caught up with European Football Journalist Guillem Balagué (03:45). World number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner , returned from a three-month doping ban this week. His lawyer Jamie Singer came into the studio (12:15). With young superstars lighting up sport recently like Lamine Yamal and Luke Littler , we spoke to skateboarder Sky Brown , who became Britain's youngest Olympic medallist aged 13 (16:15). The ne...
May 09, 2025•25 min
Keir Starmer could only dial in to Donald Trump's press conference, hailing the new US-UK trade deal, but that didn't stop an Oval Office love in between the two leaders. Starmer praised a "historic" day for both countries, as Trump thanked Starmer, speaking warmly of the special “external and internal bond” between the two countries. The timing could hardly be better for the Prime Minister, some much needed good economic news after a brutal set of local election results and growing unease on hi...
May 08, 2025•36 min
For nearly a decade, Harvey Weinstein's former assistant, Zelda Perkins, has been exposing the way NDAs are abused by people of power, and trying to bring about change in how they are used in the workplace. Later in today’s episode we ask her why employers are still using NDAs to gag employees and why the government STILL hasn’t banned this practice. But we start on the border of India and Pakistan where shots have been fired between two nuclear powers. We’re going back to the start with Tim Mar...
May 07, 2025•33 min
In the latest round of “did I hear that correctly?“, the Prime Minister's spokesman has refused to rule out housing asylum seekers in tents. It’s a policy that's been touted by Reform's new mayor for Greater Lincolnshire, and, you'd think, should be an easy one for Labour to knock down. The fact they can’t - or won’t - speaks to a larger issue about how Labour deals with the Reform party in Britain and how progressive parties more generally should approach populist ideas. Should mainstream parti...
May 06, 2025•49 min
For the last decade, the spectre of Nigel Farage has been haunting British politics. From UKIP to the Brexit Party, he has loomed in the background of Westminster, threatening but never quite managing to pose a real threat to the two major parties. All that changed today. With just six votes in it, Reform took their first seat from Labour, in Runcorn - which had been one of the safest seats in the country. The party has secured other big council and mayoral wins too. Farage now claims that he, n...
May 02, 2025•41 min
This week on The Sports Agents... Gabby and Mark were live from L ords Cricket Ground this week for the launch of the 2026 Women's T20 Cricket World Cup in England and Wales. They spoke to World Rugby Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne , about their own home World Cup this summer, the new trend for celebrations, and the cowboy craze (01:15). At Lords we also caught up with the new Head Coach of the England women's cricket team, Charlotte Edwards . Her task is to take the team from an Ashes white...
May 02, 2025•25 min
Trump has sent 50 million dollars of military aid to Ukraine - the first shipment of aid since he took power. The money started flowing after Ukraine signed that much discussed minerals deal: in it, America recognised Russia's “full scale invasion of Ukraine". So has the minerals deal finally made peace possible? Or is it little more than a shakedown of the Ukrainians? Later, the Labour MP who says he wouldn’t be disappointed if more UK universities closed. Do we have too many universities? And ...
May 01, 2025•41 min
Today, America's GDP figures show the economy is dramatically contracting, and recession continues to loom. It’s not an ideal backdrop for Trumps 100 day celebration. Jon has been in Detroit, where Trump has been addressing autoworkers terrified by Trump's tariffs. So, with 100 days of Trump 2.0 under our belts, we answer your most pressing questions about how it's gone so far, and whether things are only going to get crazier. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk...
Apr 30, 2025•41 min
Mark Carney’s election win in Canada has shown what a potent political force Trump can be - to those campaigning against his economic bullying. But could it have wider implications at home for Keir Starmer? Will the PM now feel more comfortable prioritising a trade deal with the EU over the US? And what does having an ally on America's border mean for the way the UK Government now deals with Trump? Jon's been at an election watch party and is now headed to Detroit across the border - as Donald T...
Apr 29, 2025•32 min
Polls have narrowed as Canadians head to the ballot box. Mark Carney has led a remarkable fightback for the Liberal party, driven in no small part by a newfound sense of Canadian nationalism - determined not to be cowed by Donald Trump, disgusted by his overtures to turn the country into America's 51 state. But with the election looking tightly contested, Jon's been on the Conservative party campaign trail in Oakville, Ontario, where "Maple Leaf MAGA" is also coming out in force - could Donald T...
Apr 28, 2025•44 min
A special edition of The News Agents this weekend as Canadians head to the polls for an election which may be decided by anti American antipathy for Donald Trump. But we begin in Rome after that meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. Big questions for both leaders. Has Trump now recognised he’s been played by Putin? And will Zelenskyy have any choice but to agree to concede sovereign Ukrainian territory to bring the war to an end? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co....
Apr 27, 2025•38 min
Over ten years ago, Black Mirror burst onto our screens, bringing with it dystopian futures and exploring themes of how humanity would deal with rapidly evolving technology. Now in its seventh series, how much of this is a far-off future? And in 2025, are we now closer to the world of Black Mirror than ever before? Charlie Brooker joins Emily and Lewis in the studio to talk about how his own anxieties shape Black Mirror, the future of TV in a world of AI, and why he believes humanity will triump...
Apr 25, 2025•36 min
