Nearly two years on from the January sixth riots, a cross-party committee is uncompromising in its findings: Donald Trump assisted in insurrection, obstruction, conspiracy to defraud and deceive. Now it’s over to the US Department of Justice. Will they make criminal charges against a president for the first time in the country's history? And what happens to the Republican Party and its leaders now? Socials: Georgia Foxwell Video: Will Gibson-Smith Production: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom Hug...
Dec 20, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, the UK High Court ruled that the UK's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful. Don't expect flights to Kigali filled with asylum seekers to take off tomorrow though; they'll be plenty of appeals and cases will need to be considered case by case. And Jon and Lewis are joined by Suzanne Lynch, of POLITICO, and Nigel Gardner, formerly a European Commission spokesman. They talk Qatargate - the cash for access scandal rocking Brussels. Socials: Georgia Foxwell Video: Will Gibson-Smith ...
Dec 19, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Liz Truss' leadership was marred by chaos. Now, Asa Bennett, her speechwriter is in News Agents HQ, to lift the lid on the rollercoaster 49-day Truss premiership. And Lewis is joined by comedian and host of The Political Party and British Scandal podcasts Matt Forde to digest Labour's overnight by-election win and the state of the Labour party at the moment. Video: Will Gibson-Smith Production: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford For exclusive daily videos ...
Dec 16, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are striking for the first time in over a century. Lewis has been down to the picket line at St. Thomas' Hospital - just opposite the Houses of Parliament - to ask what the political and economic consequences of this strike could be. And the last three parts of Harry and Meghan's Netflix doc take us inside a world of death threats, public birth, online harm and press management as we're taken behind the scenes of the row that spilt the two prince...
Dec 15, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Four people, at least, died this morning, after their dinghy capsized in the freezing waters of the English Channel. The more than 40 on board were trying to travel from France to England, presumably in search of a better life. And yet, the Government could stop Channel crossing deaths tomorrow or at least substantially reduce the numbers and risk of death. And Labour, the party in opposition, could try and push that agenda. But neither do. Why? Well, because it's deemed politically unpalatable....
Dec 14, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the next election we will all be expected to show voter ID. Which is fine if you have a passport or a driving licence - but much much harder if you don't. The Conservative party believes the change is important to counter voter fraud -and say it's really not a big ask to get people to ID themselves at the polls when they do for so much else. Opposition parties say they are trying to find a solution to a problem that doesnt exist. And worse, that the people they will disenfranchise will be the...
Dec 13, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast The funding model of the NHS has always seemed sacrosanct, untouchable. We boast about having the finest service in the world - free at the point of demand to everyone. But - it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see the service is now at breaking point. The waiting lists, the A&E queues, the morale of doctors and nurses, the impending strikes and the shortage of staff more generally. So is anyone brave enough to start talking about alternatives? And does private investment in the NHS - as demo...
Dec 12, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lewis heads to the scene of a raucous picket line to speak to CWU union members on strike. But how much worse will strikes get this winter? Lewis casts an eye over all sectors taking industrial action over pay, workers rights and terms and conditions. And then, we talk to England vs. France. But not the football. We're joined by two French people who have lived in the UK for decades; and they discuss the complex relationship between England and France; culturally, historically and in the present...
Dec 09, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Joe Lycett joins Emily and Jon in News Agents HQ. He tells us why being so angry with the government makes him do 'silly' things, 'shredding' £10,000 in a stand-off with David Beckham, and whether he'll replace Matt Lucas as the presenter of The Great British Bake-Off. Social Media: Georgia Foxwell Video: Will Gibson-Smith Production: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.gl...
Dec 08, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Overnight in Germany three thousand police have made two dozen arrests after uncovering a far right plot to overthrow the German state. The group were preparing for Day X- and an attempt to storm the Bundestag, the German parliament, taking MPs hostage. It’s the stuff of horror, nightmare and fantasy - conspiracy rooted in Germany's pre-war history and America's modern QAnon movement. Today we speak to a senior MP from Germany’s governing SPD party, Nils Schmid, and from the author of Going Dark...
Dec 07, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Tory Peer Michelle Mone is to take a leave of absence from the House of Lords to 'clear her name' from the allegations she profited to the tune of more than £20 million from a PPE Covid contract. She hasn't voted in the Lords since the end of April - just days before her home was raided by the National Crime Agency. And today, Labour has urged the lower chamber, the House of Commons to vote to secure the release of secret texts, emails and documents relating to the 200 million pounds of cont...
Dec 06, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today's episode we launch the Christmas Countdown - our (and your) favourite soundbites of political inanity of 2022. Please send in the moments you want us to revisit and react to. But before we get there, we talk about Sir Keir Starmer's plans to abolish the House of Lords and redistribute the economy more faithfully around the country. Is it justifiable to have an unelected upper chamber in 2022? And what would the replacement actually look and sound like? We speak to Baroness Hilary Armst...
Dec 05, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast You're 30 years old, worth billions as a result of a crypto exchange you've set up - and in the space of one Sunday afternoon it all turns to dust. What must that feel like? On this episode of The News Agents we speak to someone who's been there, done that and has got the badge (the prison sentence). Nick Leeson single-handedly brought down one of Britain's most famous financial institutions in 1995 - Barings Bank - and spent four years in a Singapore jail as a result. He speaks to us about the ...
Dec 02, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is insisting he was set up by Kanye (Ye) West over that dinner party he accidentally hosted for a white supremacist leader. NBC News is reporting Trump's fury at West - who he thinks is deliberately trying to embarrass him off the electoral map. But some think Trump can do that all by himself. Today, we hear from a former advisor to two Bush presidents (George H.W & George W.) who tells us the stringent security around ex-presidents means NO ONE could turn up to dinner without c...
Dec 01, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sir Keir Starmer wants private schools to pay more tax. He's also talking about removing their charitable status. Today at PMQ's he asked the PM why Winchester deserved 6 million pounds to spend on rowing clubs and rifle clubs which could be going to fund the state sector instead. Is the country where Starmer is now - or does this policy represent a polemic talking point which creates more class warfare than cash? And what do head teachers think about it? Today, we hear from the state sector, th...
Nov 30, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast 12 Tory MPs have already announced they're standing down at the next election. That includes some young politicians who would once have represented the party's future. Today, we look at how many more are likely to follow - with a looming December 5th deadline by which they need to submit their names. We speak to Seb Payne - author of Broken Heartlands - and the Tory Peer and Pollster Robert Haywood . And also to China - where police are now checking the apps on people's phones to learn of planne...
Nov 29, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sir Tony Blair speaks exclusively with The News Agents. He has words that may surprise Matt Hancock and Liz Truss, and a gentle message for Keir Starmer to go further. He talks about gesture politics over the banning of Qatar state advertising - and he tells us he thinks he's kissed at least one Tory. Watch the full interview with Tony Blair exclusively on Global Player. https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/2JsSYUgsZkC/?category=the-news-agents/ Video: Will Gibson-Smith Social Media: Georgia Foxw...
Nov 28, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are thousands of homes in Britain not fit for purpose with people living in neglected and dangerous conditions - with damp, mould and vermin. Lewis talks to social housing campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa, former Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Simon Clarke to get to the heart of what needs to change. And playwright James Graham talks to us about the art of bringing to life political events. Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Socials: Georgia Foxwell Video: Will Gibson-Smith Production: Gabriel R...
Nov 25, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bird Flu is bringing Britain's farmers to their knees. The disease has killed nearly a hundred million birds world wide - nearly 4 million of them in the UK - and it poses a serious threat to our food supply. So today we're on a farm talking to a twitcher, a farmer and erm a motoring journalist. And it's all the same bloke. Jeremy Clarkson talks about the dearth of birds, the cost of feed and how hard it is to get pigs to make other pigs. We also hear from a poultry farmer who's had to slaughter...
Nov 24, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Supreme Court has ruled against the Scottish Parliament holding a new independence referendum without approval from Westminster. Is this the end of the fight for Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party? Lewis is joined by SNP MP Stewart Hosie and Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, to pick apart both sides of the debate. He's also joined by Financial Times’ journalist Sebastian Payne to discuss PMQs, as well as his new book ‘The Fall of Boris Johnson: The Full Story...
Nov 23, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dominic Raab is facing renewed allegations of bullying behaviour. In this episode we turn the clock back to the time he took out a 'confidentiality agreement' -which lawyers tell us is EXACTLY the same as an NDA; a non-disclosure agreement. In 2011 he refused to release the woman who signed it from being able to tell her side of the story. We hear from Mark Stephens, a solicitor, who shows us how NDAs are being used and abused in the corridors of power. And from Zelda Perkins - former personal a...
Nov 22, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Qatar has gone from being a quietly successful, enormously rich, largely anonymous speck on the world map to being a pariah of the Middle East. It had hoped hosting the World Cup would bring fame and more fortune - not the unedifying stink of corruption and rows about workers, women and LGBTQ+ rights. Are they wondering if it was all worth it? And will a gratifyingly rampant England victory finally stir the relatively subdued fans watching back home? Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Socials: Georgi...
Nov 21, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Poverty in Britain is bad and it’s getting worse. And yet, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has set out plans to tax the British public more than ever before. Lewis travels back to Birmingham to visit a community centre which provides food and warmth for the local community, and he’s joined back in News Agents HQ by Torsten Bell, of the Resolution Foundation, and Duncan Robinson from The Economist to unpick the structural reasons of how it can be that the government is taxing more than ever before, yet pu...
Nov 18, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast The highest tax burden in decades. The biggest drop in living standards on record. The UK and its economy is stuttering into a second recession in a decade. The news today delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was not good. Emily, Jon and Lewis unpack the Autumn Statement on today's episode. Planning: Melissa Tutesigensi Socials: Georgia Foxwell Video: Will Gibson-Smith Production: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom Hughes Executive Producer: Dino Sofos For exclusive daily videos from The News Agent...
Nov 17, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump is running for president again... to the surprise of no one. Not even the legion advisors telling him now was a really really bad time to announce it. He's on a bit of a low - the midterm results were a stinging rejection of the candidates he backed - and the election deniers were - ultimately - rejected at the polls. You can hear a very on-message, subdued Trump in the speech he made last night. We thought we'd speak to someone who's rarely on message - one Piers Morgan -about his ...
Nov 16, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast A second minister in two weeks faces serious allegations of bullying. Are our corridors of power a breeding ground for bullyboy behaviour? We speak to Liz Bates, political correspondent at Sky News, who has delved deep into the alleged toxic culture that appears endemic in Westminster. And we're joined by the former Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, George Eustice, who stood up in the House of Commons yesterday to brandish a trade deal he endorsed la...
Nov 15, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Joe Lycett is offering ten thousand pounds to an LGBTQ+ charity if David Beckham pulls out of his multi-zillion dollar ambassadorial role in Qatar's World Cup. He calls on Beckham as a role model and ally to think about gay football fans in a country that criminalises homosexuality. The News Agents have been hearing of the growing unease from members of the LGBTQ+ community who feel a deep disquiet from prominent figures in the world of entertainment prepared to take the Qatari dollar. ...
Nov 14, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast We often hear about mortgage rates going up, but perhaps not enough scrutiny is paid on the private renting sector... a sector that has enormous demand, and next to no supply. It's a sector that burns a mile-wide hole in the coffers of students, young professionals, families and many more. The Mini-Budget just seven weeks ago exacerbated the crisis to near breaking point. But who's to blame? And how do we fix it? We speak to an estate agents in London, a landlady with half a dozen properties, an...
Nov 11, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Major TV series The Crown is back - series five - and it deals with one of the most painful and excruciatingly public decades of recent Royal history. Diana's tell-all book with Andrew Morton, Charles's intimate phonecalls with Camilla, the Queen's popularity with her public and the early years of the young Prince William and Prince Harry. Every new season brings with it questions as to what is fact in the show, and what is fiction. So today, we look at not just the drama, but the political, soc...
Nov 10, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast We've been up all night waiting for the US midterm election results to come through so you could wake up at your leisure. TLDR: Trump-backed candidates didn't really take off, Trump's Republican rival soared to victory and the Democrats look - at the time of recording - as if they've emerged with less damage than they might have feared. What does that mean for the next presidential contest? Does it allow Biden to seek a second term? Will it put Trump off his BIG ANNOUNCEMENT next Tuesday? And wh...
Nov 09, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
