There are an estimated 150 hostages in Gaza - all ages, all nationalities, some taken from their beds as they slept. How does Israel even begin to contemplate ground war when so many of its people are the other side of that border? And how do you begin to negotiate with terrorists when they've broken every rule of war with the sheer evil of their acts? We speak to an expert in hostage negotiation Rachel Briggs OBE. Later, we discuss the SNP defection to- checks notes - the Conservative party, an...
Oct 12, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Keir Starmer was asked live on LBC how far he'd be prepared to see Israel go in response to Hamas. Would he support a blockade? A siege of Gaza? And that's where the questions get tough. Israel has the world's sympathies right now - but no one wants to see this escalated into an existential middle east war. Who is prepared to say so? And later, we talk about the new BBC drama about Jimmy Savile and "hiding in plain sight" with Meirion Jones, the journalist who first tried to tell the world Jimmy...
Oct 11, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 2 If Sir Keir Starmer was looking for a bit of sparkle today in his Leader's speech he shouldn’t have worried: it came to find him in the shape of a glitter-throwing protestor before he’d had the chance to say a word. Undeterred, he took to shirt sleeves and spelled out a working class mantra of aspiration and renewal for a country on its knees. Was it enough? Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura FitzPatrick Plannin...
Oct 10, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you. Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player. Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.
Oct 10, 2023•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 1 The Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves joins The News Agents following her speech in Liverpool. We discuss her plans to tax tech firms, her unwillingness to tax the rich and the Labour members carrying Palestinian flags outside the conference centre. We also talk about the war that has begun formally today in Israel, after Hamas carried out a series of terror attacks this weekend. Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura...
Oct 09, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the biggest story of the past week - a flagship, important, party conference week for the Prime Minister, he announced the scrapping of the biggest infrastructure project in Britain in a decade. A project that many saw key to levelling up the north of the country. But, is 'scrapping' it even that easy, that possible? And what's to say what they've promised in its place will come to fruition? We then go to Scotland and a seismic result in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, where the Labour Party ha...
Oct 06, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Tory conference is over, but the next one - Labour - looms large. What will Sir Keir Starmer do with the new look rail plans? Will they resurrect HS2 or get into line behind Sunak's plans? And whilst the mood of the country may demand change, how confident is Labour or bringing them on side? Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura FitzPatrick Planning Producer: Alex Barnett Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell Video Producer: Will Gibson-Smith You can listen to this...
Oct 05, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rishi Sunak was on his feet in a speech that was frankly too long. It ripped up HS2 and replaced it with a nebulous Northern Network pledge. It promised to rethink A levels and ban young people from smoking. There was nothing on housing, energy, social care , the environment - it felt, indeed, like the end of the road. Has he convinced anyone he is the future ? And what will Labour do with the cancelled project now? Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura FitzPatrick Pl...
Oct 04, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you. Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player. Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.
Oct 04, 2023•53 sec•Transcript available on Metacast The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 2 What does Conservatism look like in 2023? At their party conference in Manchester this year, the right of the party are being very vocal about redefining how their party looks. We hear from the politican whose drawn the biggest crowds at the event this year... not a government monster but former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage. And the PM still hasn't announced his decision on the northern leg of HS2 - we talk to West Midlands Mayor Andy Stre...
Oct 03, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 1 The queue to see the former PM stretched right the way through the Midland Hotel in Manchester. And it wasn’t to see her apologise for the chaos she caused to the economy a year ago. No, these are die hard Trussites. They love her, hate taxes and want to rip up regulation. She’s the most popular politician here - and that’s a headache for the PM who still hasn’t got his lines straight on major policy announcements that appear utterly mu...
Oct 02, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Northern France is full of the ghosts of British history. Today it haunts our present. The News Agents went undercover and spoke directly to a people smuggler - who traffics asylum seekers across the Channel in small boats for thousands of pounds a traveller. Lewis reports from the beaches of Dunkirk. Field Producer & Newsgathering Producer: Rory Symon Editor: Gabriel Radus Executive Editor: Tom Hughes Commissioning Editor: Vicky Etchells The News Agents Investigates is presented by Lewis Go...
Sep 30, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Heseltine is a politician with a long political memory. He heard Neville Chamberlain declare war on Germany in 1939. He saw Suez unfold. He attended Churchill’s funeral. He’s served Conservative prime minister after Conservative prime minister and became the man who eventually even brought down Margaret Thatcher. He never reached the highest office himself, but having seen so many who did up close, and witnessed so much of Britain’s political journey over the last century, there can be f...
Sep 29, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rishi Sunak has refused to answer whether his government is set to scrap the Northern leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester. The indecision is already creating division within the Conservative Party ahead of the party conference next week. So today we ask whether Rishi Sunak really cares about the north of England. And we look at the latest "flip-flop" from Labour leader Keir Starmer. Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura FitzPatrick Planning Producer: Alex Bar...
Sep 28, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you. Episodes are available every Tuesday, on Global Player. Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.
Sep 28, 2023•55 sec•Transcript available on Metacast Laurence Fox's weird sexist rant last night on GB News got short shrift from the organisation which immediately suspended him from the platform, and followed on later by suspending their presenter, Dan Wootton. But GB news has still got plenty of presenters on its books who spout conspiracy, confect outrage, and misinform. This didnt come from nowhere - so why is everyone suddenly arguing this is a turning point for the fledgling broadcaster? We discuss the growth and the direction of GB News. L...
Sep 27, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Suella Braverman wants to make it harder for people to call themselves a refugee. She's in Washington setting out her case for a major overhaul of the UN Refugee Convention - signed in 1951 in the aftermath of the Second World War (but updated continually since). She says the numbers of people crossing the channel now make it unsustainable. Is she right? And where are her numbers coming from.... Also today we speak to Naomi Klein on the war against objective truth - her new book is about being c...
Sep 26, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rishi Sunak and his lectern are promising 'long term decisions for a brighter future'. But just whose future is getting brighter? Plans for HS2 are in chaos after rumours the PM might be about to ditch the wildly over-budget rail project. He's called environmental policies heavy handed - and ditched some of those targets. And now his ministers are starting to suggest that inheritance tax could be 'deeply punitive'. Will that be axed too? And we discuss the outlier poll for ABC news which gives T...
Sep 25, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gordon Smart was the editor of The Scottish Sun, and deputy editor of the Sun. But before that, he was the paper's showbiz editor who got to know very well, among others, Russell Brand. He sits down with Emily and Lewis to talk about the man that's been accused of sexual assault and rape, as well as debauchery in tabloid journalism and showbiz in the 2000s and 2010s. Russell Brand denies all allegations of sexual impropriety. Editor: Tom Hughes Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus Producer: Laura Fitz...
Sep 22, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 92 year old Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of News Corp, the owner of The Sun, The Times and Fox News - he was in charge of his media empire for 70 years. In true Succession style, his eldest son, Lachlan takes over. Emily and Lewis ask one of his former prodigal sons, Gordon Smart - who once was deputy editor of The Sun and editor of The Scottish Sun - about the man who used to be his boss. And later, we discuss the ramifications of Rishi Sunak's changes to his net-zero policies. E...
Sep 21, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Zac Goldsmith, one time energy minister, who resigned from Rishi Sunak's government, has accused his old boss of delivering a 'moment of shame' after he revealed plans to adjust (water down) his commitment to green policies. Rishi Sunak was propelled into explaining his new position in a hastily arranged press conference after details were leaked to the BBC. What effect will these changes have environmentally, economically, and politically. And why are Tory MPs now tearing strips off each other?...
Sep 20, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Youtube has announced it's demonetising Russell Brand's video content on its site - in other words, pulling the ads from the content he makes. The BBC and Channel 4 have said they are withdrawing 'some' Russell Brand content. But in an age where Brand can reach 6.5 million subscribers and sell out Wembley, does any of this stuff really hurt him? Also today, we hear from the son of Jimmy Lai - the world's richest political prisoner -and British citizen - who has stood up for Democracy against Chi...
Sep 19, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you. Episodes are available every Tuesday exclusively on Global Player and all other platforms every Wednesday. Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.
Sep 19, 2023•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast **CW: This podcast includes discussions of rape and sexual assault** This weekend saw the culmination of an extraordinary piece of investigative journalism that began four years ago. In 2019 Russell Brand - now accused of rape and sexual assault by women featured in the Sunday Times and Dispatches investigation - began a path of reinvention as a “ wellness guru “, eschewing main stream media platforms for a YouTube following of over six million. So was the defensive reaction by so many of his fa...
Sep 18, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast There is no money left. The reason Britain can afford less and less is apparently because we have no money. It's why we can't spend on schools, on hospitals, on defence. But what if it's not actually about scarcity at all? Today, Lewis reimagines our state's finances and argues why we need to talk about wealth. And - it's the first time in US history that a sitting President's child has been criminally prosecuted. Lewis talks to Olivier Knox of the Washington Post about what it means for Joe Bid...
Sep 15, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, has accused the Leader of the Opposition of having no balls. No, she seriously did - comparing Sir Keir Starmer to flip flop beach Ken. But beach Ken, as it happens, is currently talking to Europol at The Hague trying to work out a plan to stop small boats by treating people smugglers like terrorists. The Tories say it will make us a dumping ground for migrants. We discuss. And as former presidential candidate Mitt Romney quits the US Senate, w...
Sep 14, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast BREAKING NEWS: Rishi Sunak’s SpAd has hit back at Keir Starmer's ‘Inaction Man‘ gag and called him - wait for it - a ‘man of action’. But first, Labour is voting against the government’s bill to build more new homes. Why? Because the Tories say they would rip up old EU environmental regulation to get morew homes built. Do we really have to choose between the two? Conservatives argue the ‘nutrient neutral ‘ regulations are out dated. Labour says it’s ridiculous to wait 13 years for a solution whi...
Sep 13, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast "The battle for the General Election is getting started" - that was the message from Labour's Deputy Leader today. Angela Rayner made also a promise to change anti-strike laws within the first 100 days of a Labour government, in her speech to the TUC. So on the day that Labour gets serious about the next election, Emily hears from Labour's Peter Kyle - the new Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology. He's also running their campaign in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election and claims t...
Sep 12, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily and Jon host a weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you. Episodes are available every Tuesday exclusively on Global Player and all other platforms every Wednesday. Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.
Sep 12, 2023•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast *CW: This episode contains discussions about suicide* More than a hundred of you - our listeners - have been in touch to share your own experiences with mental health care (or lack of it) in this country. Collectively, you paint a picture of a system in crisis, a pandemic particularly amongst the young which we cannot deal with. We hear from Roman Kemp - who's called on the government to put mental health provision in all our schools. And we talk to those working on the front line who offer thei...
Sep 11, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
