It’s been a chaotic week in British politics. The slide of sterling, Bank of England interventions and a record poll showing a 33-point lead for Labour. Prime Minister Liz Truss is just three weeks into the job, and next week she'll have to face the party, and nation, at Conservative Party Conference. Can she survive this? Lewis is joined by former Conservative MP David Gauke and former advisor to Tony Blair, Baroness Sally Morgan. And, across the Atlantic, a left-wing politician is vying to ous...
Sep 30, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The prime minister crashes the airwaves after crashing the economy. We take stock of how bad this morning's regional morning round was for Liz Truss, and what this says of her ability to communicate to the public on a local and national level. Between The News Agents, they have interviewed every prime minister since and including Margaret Thatcher- discuss the quirks of the trade - and whether Truss' style will bode well, or ill, for the rest of her premiership. All this comes just before the Co...
Sep 29, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Make no mistake - the UK economy is crumbling. And this is not at the hands of a crisis beyond these shores. The Prime Minister and her Chancellor's decisions last Friday have sent the British economy into total freefall. In the last 24 hours, the IMF, a monetary body that only ever springs into action for countries in crisis have issued stark warnings against 'Trussonomics', and the Bank of England have made emergency interventions. What now? We try and make sense of it all. Later on in the pod...
Sep 28, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Keir Starmer has just made his bid to be the next UK prime minister - against a backdrop of severe economic chaos. It was a speech heavy on patriotism, green policy and the promise to fix Britain. And he even mentioned the B word - Brexit - looking to pull in leave voters lost to the Conservatives at the last election. It landed well in the hall (of course), but how will it land outside the conference bubble? And is the public ready for PM Starmer? We analyse the speech and talk to a former Labo...
Sep 27, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's a blustery day in Liverpool and the Labour Party, hosting their conference here, is hoping that means winds of change. The pound fell to its lowest level against the dollar this morning. What happens now? And which party can claim to be the one of economic competence? We ask Gary Neville why he wants to pay more tax, speak to business leaders at the labour conference for the first time. And we ask David Lammy, Shadow Foreign Secretary, whether Britain should open its doors to Russian men fl...
Sep 26, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kwasi Kwarteng announced a not-so-mini budget today, his first as chancellor. In it, he laid out the Truss government's plans for low taxes and big growth. In today's episode Salma Shah, former Conservative Special Adviser and Lord Stewart Wood, former advisor to Gordon Brown join Lewis to ask if this new budget will work, and whether it has made us all a good deal poorer? Producers: Gabriel Radus & Ellie Clifford Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Social Editor: Rory O'Connor For exclusive daily...
Sep 23, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen". Emily, Jon and Lewis are back in News Agents HQ to pour over some of the major stories around the world. They talk Iran and the death of a 22 year old woman at the hands of the morality police which has sparked massive protests across the country, Italy being on the brink of their first female (and first 'neo-fascist') prime minister, and Donald Trump and yet another lawsuit. The team also welcome Russian analys...
Sep 22, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast A big day for the UK, at home and abroad and Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner joins us in The News Agents HQ. She talks about her relationship with Labour Leader Keir Starmer, whether Labour is still the party of trade unions and what happened in the House of Commons the moment she found out the Queen was gravely ill. And, reaction to Vladimir Putin's early morning televised address. Did he just threaten the world with nuclear war? Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Video En...
Sep 21, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hours before meeting Liz Truss, Biden tweets that he’s “sick and tired of trickle down economics”. Awkward! We’re joined by Lord Peter Mandelson who tells us why the PM is heading for a car crash. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Social Editor: Rory O'Connor Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/ The News Agents is a G...
Sep 20, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have the monarchy and the media got this last week right? And how are we all left feeling now, a week or so on? The last seven days have seen the country divided on how to respond to The Queen's death. Emily, Jon, and Lewis reflect on how they felt when they heard the news, and whether the media coverage has changed their feelings about the monarchy. And who will North Korea sit next to at the state funeral on Monday? Former top Foreign Office civil servant Sir Simon Fraser joins us in the studi...
Sep 16, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is it a good idea to end the cap on bankers' bonuses? The new chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng seems to think so - why? Would it be grossly unfair when so many face such hardship? Or is it the best way to energise the economy? We discuss. And Lewis is back after days glued to Swedish TV. He catches us up on what's happened since Monday in the fallout of the tightest of general elections. He also explains why, unusually, young Swedes rebel to the right-wing, not the left-wing. Producer: Gabriel Radus Pl...
Sep 15, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have the Republicans scored a massive own goal in their attempts to limit women's rights to abortions in the United States? And will this fatally damage their chances of success in November's midterm elections. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Video Engineer: Ioana Barbu Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/ The News ...
Sep 14, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The police have been cracking down on anti-monarchists protesting across the UK. Why? And what does this have to do with Priti Patel's highly controversial Policing and Crime Act when she was Home Secretary? We talk about the links between the police, the policed and the powerful with civil liberties expert Adam Wagner. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Video Engineer: Will Batchelor Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The ...
Sep 13, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is Ukraine about to win a war no-one thought they could? And, consequently, are Vladimir Putin's days numbered? The tide seems to be turning Europe's most significant war in eight decades. Ukrainian forces moved at lightning pace over the weekend to recapture their towns from a beleaguered Russian army in the north-east of the country. But are we sure this is really all that significant? We speak to broadcaster and journalist Gabriel Gatehouse. And, we look across the North Sea to Sweden, and th...
Sep 12, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast For the first time in over 70 years, the United Kingdom's head of state is a King, not a Queen. Charles III begins his reign as a monarch already well known to his public. His long held views have been aired, his life documented by television and tabloids, his relationships picked over through fifty years of adult life. How will this change the type of monarchy we have and the connection the king and his country share? We hear from eminent historians, civil servants, thinkers about the challenge...
Sep 09, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast We reflect on Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and discuss King Charles III’s accession to the throne. Producer: Gabriel Radus Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/ The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
Sep 08, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Queen is under close medical attention and with family in Balmoral. We're joined by Andrew Marr, LBC Presenter and the author of The Diamond Queen - the definitive book on the life of Her Majesty. And later in the show, we discuss Liz Truss' energy price plans announced in Parliament this morning. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globa...
Sep 08, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Liz Truss faces Keir Starmer in Parliament for the first time, and there’s a notable shift in tone at Prime Minister's Questions. Gone is the bluff and bluster of the Johnson era - arguments over policy and ideology are back. We analyse that, and discuss diversity on the Tory frontbench. And we need to talk Donald Trump again - classified details of foreign nuclear weapons have been found in the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Sound Engineer: Ioana B...
Sep 07, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast A drought ends in a downpour, and Prime Minister Truss emerges outside Number 10 to deliver a dry economic message. Lewis is in Downing Street, and we discuss her early pledges and what we know of her so far. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Sound Engineer: Ioana Barbu Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/ The News Ag...
Sep 06, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Liz Truss becomes UK Prime Minister with just 81,326 votes of Conservative party members. Has any leader ever come to power with such an array of problems? What will her first government look like? And can she solve Britain’s energy crisis? We’re joined by the former Tory Chancellor and "frenemy" of Boris Johnson, George Osborne, who knows Liz Truss well. He also has some thoughts on what the former PM might do next. Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Sound Engineer: Ioana Bar...
Sep 05, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia's invasion of Ukraine has plunged millions into a profound energy crisis. But Russia's war was just the catalyst. What has led us here is a much longer, and more complex story of political failure in Britain and Europe. Today, we dig deeper into why we are where we are. And The News Agents speak to businesses in the North-West, about how that failure is already costing us, leading to business closure and job losses. Producers: Ellie Clifford and Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi...
Sep 02, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the final showdown between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. We’re back stage at Wembley for the final Tory leadership hustings, hosted by LBC as this interminable contest finally comes to an end. But what, if anything, have we learnt? When the whole country is worried about paying their bills, can the Tory party really justify the time and money spent on this level of introspection? Producer: Gabriel Radus Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Sound Engineer: Ioana Barbu Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executi...
Sep 01, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak cross the Downing Street threshold, Britain’s most senior civil servant will take them into the cabinet room to brief them on nuclear codes, critical national security threats and vital economic data. Gus O’Donnell was that civil servant and oversaw the transition from Blair to Brown, and Brown to Cameron. Lord O’Donnell has some candid advice for the next PM on how to rebuild trust with the British people. And following his death, can a line be drawn from Mikhail G...
Aug 31, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is being investigated by the FBI over a cache of secret documents he squirrelled away at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago. He says he’s cooperating but last night senior Republican Lindsey Graham warned there will be riots on the streets if Trump is charged. So could Trump really go to jail? And if he’s not convicted, could that relaunch him as America’s most likely next President? On our first episode of The News Agents, we hear from two people who know Donald Trump inside out -...
Aug 30, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast We’re launching for real on Tuesday 30th, but for now listen to Emily’s keynote lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, with some post-match analysis from Emily and Jon. The speech looks at the challenges and solutions for good journalism in the age of populism. Speech Copyright: The Edinburgh International Television Festival
Aug 25, 2022•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast A sneak peek of what's to come on The News Agents. See you next Tuesday!
Aug 22, 2022•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to The News Agents - a new daily podcast beginning August 30th hosted by journalists Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel & Lewis Goodall.
Aug 22, 2022•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
