A shouting match in the Oval Office probably should have been on everyone’s Trump 25 bingo card - but the extraordinary breakdown in relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy shocked the world. Keir Starmer rolled up his sleeves and spent the weekend in full-blown diplomacy mode - leading to Politico calling him the “unlikely leader of the free world”. But with Trump pulling the plug on military aid to Ukraine, leaving the UK and Europe scrambling to increase defence spending - will...
Mar 06, 2025•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast War - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. But this week we found out that defending the UK from it is going to cost us a lot of money. And the losers will be the world's poorest people - the money for Britain's boosted defence budget will come from foreign aid. Sir Ed Davey - leader of the Lib Dems - tells Coco he has an alternative: bigger taxes on big tech (and some other ideas). And Coco goes a bit Yoko Ono, wondering how we give peace a chance. Zoe Grunewald steps in for Nish as the pod...
Feb 27, 2025•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Europe looks on in disbelief, Donald Trump has been throwing his geopolitical weight around. A monumental meeting with Russia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine was held without Ukraine or Europe.Trump then branded Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and accused Ukraine of starting the conflict. Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine. But is this the answer? And as shares in major arms manufacturers soar, who’s profiting? Nish...
Feb 20, 2025•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast The government has spent the week trying to out-Reform Reform by stirring up yet another moral panic about immigration. The Home Office has been boasting about its crackdown on “foreign criminals and illegal immigrants” and filming immigration raids and deportations. At the same time, it has toughened up rules to make it almost impossible for refugees who arrive in the UK via illegal routes to become British citizens. Contributing editor of Novara Media Ash Sarkar joins Nish and Coco to discuss ...
Feb 13, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump has left the world reeling with a plan to turn Gaza into *checks notes* “the Riviera of the Middle East”. He vowed that the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza strip, effectively endorsing the ethnic cleansing of 1.8 million Palestinians who would have “no alternative” but to leave. With rumours circling that his inner-circle are calling him an “HR manager” rather than a leader, in classic style, Keir Starmer has pushed back but avoided directly criticising Trump. News Agents co-...
Feb 06, 2025•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: this episode contains strong language and a term of racist abuse. Nish and Coco dig into some scary data about Gen Z. A poll of 13-27 year olds this week suggested nearly half of them favour authoritarian government. And nearly half of young men think women have been given too many rights. Youtuber JimmyTheGiant joins the pod to tell us about this mindset and how he disappeared into the right wing wormhole, and came out the other side. And newts v planes: Nish and Coco check out Rachel ...
Jan 30, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast A trigger warning for progressives: this episode contains explicit Trump content. Nish and Coco’s nightmare begins with inauguration Trump meme coins, grinning tech bros and disputed Nazi salutes. Then comes the blizzard of executive orders targeting migrants and freeing rioters. But this is not just a bad dream for our liberal hosts. This is the reality of Trump world. The groundwork of MAGA 2.0 has been laid. How should Britain react? The UK’s very own “basket of deplorables” including Farage,...
Jan 23, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Artificial intelligence will be “mainlined into the veins” of the nation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared, with a multibillion-pound investment and huge public rollout. Amid bond market chaos and a falling pound, the Government is pinning its hopes for growth on the AI revolution - what could possibly go wrong? To unpick the technogobledigook with Nish and Coco is technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker. They drill into the Government's AI action plan and the potential pitfalls of thi...
Jan 16, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year - is 2025 going to be the year of disinformation? Elon Musk started in attack mode with a flood of vitriolic and false tweets about UK grooming gangs. In Musk’s crosshairs: Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. He accused them both of cover ups. Can Nish and Coco survive a year of Musk madness - the man who already makes Nish want to “eat his own anus”? We’re joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald to discuss how to fight the disinformation invasion and what e...
Jan 09, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast What a year! While Rishi Sunak held true to his January commitment to hold the election in the second half of the year - the spectacle that followed couldn't have been predicted as 2024 dawned. Nish and Coco are joined by Sky News’ political correspondent Liz Bates and comedian Desiree Burch to chew over the gristle of the year that was. From racist Tory donors, to milkshaked MPs, creative political stunts and Rishi Sunak’s D-Day disaster - the first half of the year had plenty to keep us entert...
Dec 19, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the same week FIFA decided an appalling human rights record is no obstacle to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, Keir Starmer was schmoozing the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What lengths will our former human rights lawyer PM go to in his pursuit of growth? Joey Shea from Human Rights Watch takes us through what went down during the visit. Back home, the government is talking up its plans to build 1.5 million new homes. Housing journalist Vicky Spratt joins Nish and Coco ...
Dec 12, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace faces a stream of allegations about inappropriate behaviour at work, Nish and Coco take on the entertainment industry’s toxic culture. Nish gives an insider’s view of why change is long overdue in an industry that enables massive egos, bad behaviour, even abuse. And Coco argues that to take women’s safety seriously we need to start with zero tolerance on bullying banter. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s reset this week promises to focus on working people’s priorities but i...
Dec 05, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This Friday, MPs are challenged with an enormous question of conscience - should we allow people with six months left to live the right to die at a time of their choosing? Joining Nish and Coco is Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting and A&E Doctor, to help us understand the strong feelings on both sides of the debate, the difficult decision that MPs are grappling with and how she decided which way she will vote. As the UK reels in the wake of Storm Bert, climate change lawyer Tessa Khan cel...
Nov 28, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia’s war with Ukraine is escalating dramatically - as we record reports have begun to emerge about Ukraine firing British long-range “Storm Shadow” missiles into Russia. Nish and Coco are joined on the couch by Stephen Bush, associate editor at the Financial Times, to discuss the chance of...World War Three? Meanwhile - closer to home - we find out why farmers are descending on Westminster. How big a blow is the Government’s budget for farmers and will Labour face a wipe out of rural support...
Nov 21, 2024•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast President-elect Donald Trump has a strong stance on many issues, from isolationism to border control, not to mention he’s an open climate change denier. Is his political platform already shaping UK party politics? Nish and Coco chat to Sky News Political Editor and host of Electoral Dysfunction Beth Rigby about what his looming second-term means for the UK. And with changes to university tuition fees in England for the first time in eight years - we dissect the crisis in higher education with Pr...
Nov 14, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a dark, dark day for the world. Donald Trump - a convicted criminal no less - has been elected 47th US president in a shocking political resurrection. Nish and Coco are joined by the Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to discuss just how ready the UK Government is for Trump’s comeback and Kemi Badenoch’s leadership win. Later, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations, calls in to discuss her dismay at the US news and to Foreign...
Nov 07, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Double, Double, toil and trouble…the Government’s first budget has been unveiled on the eve of Halloween, and Nish and Coco are peering into chancellor Rachel Reeve’s cauldron. It’s a spooky episode, so buckle up, we find out if the Halloween budget is the horror show it’s been predicted to be. A seance with economic and political journalist Grace Blakeley helps us break down the raft of tax rises, loosened borrowing restrictions, and investment in public services. But what about the skeletons i...
Oct 31, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Government’s rallying cry to the nation to help fix the NHS via a public consultation has not disappointed. In what is fast becoming the National Health Service’s very own Boaty McBoatface moment, Nish and Coco dissect the wild and weird policy suggestions flooding the website. Then Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Party leader and Independent MP for Islington North, joins to tell us how the left can make their voices heard in Parliament and whether a new leftwing political party could be on the...
Oct 24, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast With just two weeks to go until the Autumn budget, the Labour government is preparing to make some huge reforms. But just how ruthless is Keir Starmer willing to be in reshaping the UK? Coco and Nish dig into it with Anushka Asthana, ITV’s political editor and author of “Taken as Red: How Labour won big and the Tories crashed the party”. Later, in the wake of the Tories latest round of madness, Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde calls in from parliament to discuss how the Government can be held ...
Oct 17, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Tory party have once again chosen violence against themselves, as Keir Starmer’s Labour party are languishing in the polls after 90-something days of a lack of action. Nish and Coco burst the bubble on the news that Starmer’s Chief of Staff has been replaced by his election guru, joined by political journalist Ian Dunt to find out just how big a deal this backroom reshuffle is for the machinations of government. Ian also unravels the ideology of centrism - explaining why it was a huge part o...
Oct 10, 2024•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new Labour government has promised bold action to fix Britain’s benefit system. Last week, Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on benefit fraud and said people on long-term sickness benefits should look for work. But is this the answer? To chew over the Government’s plans, Coco and Nish are joined by Caroline Selman, senior research fellow at the Public Law Project, and John Pring, the founder and editor of Disability News Service and author of “The Department: How a Violent Government Bureau...
Oct 03, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer gave his first Labour Conference speech as Prime Minister this week - but his message of “national renewal” was slightly spoiled by a backdrop of poor polling, infighting and their never ending “garm drama”. Journalist Zoë Grünewald joins Nish and Coco on the couch to search for the “light at the end of the tunnel” promised by the new government. Later, Simon Kuper, Financial Times journ...
Sep 26, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer promised a Labour government would “turn the page” on scandal - but he’s already under fire after a late declaration of thousands of pounds of gifts. As the Tories clamour for an investigation, Nish and Coco take to the PSUK couch to weigh in on the row. Later, they’re joined by independent researcher on migration policy Zoe Gardner to discuss why Starmer is seeking immigration lessons f...
Sep 19, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! The government has won a vote in the commons over its controversial winter fuel payments - but Keir Starmer knows he’s not winning over the public. Unpopular decisions are the theme of the day as Nish returns to join Coco on the PSUK couch. Later, our hosts are joined by former inmate turned podcaster and TV host David Navarro, alongside CEO of the Prison Reform Trust Pia Sinha to discuss the disastr...
Sep 12, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Parliament is back in session and so is Pod Save the UK! Coco is joined by Zoë Grünewald, filling in for Nish, to discuss Keir Starmer’s gloomy new lines trailing what’s shaping up to be a miserable Autumn budget. Free political point scoring around the Oasis/Ticketmaster fiasco probably isn’t going to be enough to offset the grim energy emanating from the Government’s plan to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners, despite some glints of hope in other policy areas. Coco and Zoë als...
Sep 05, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, recorded on 07/08/24, Nish and Coco are joined by comedians Adam Hills and Kemah Bob to talk about how political comedy offers relief in dark times, while still holding power to account. The gang reflect on political flashpoints and what they learned from it, from dropping a spoonful of sugar to the unique lens that comedy can lend while reporting devastating events. Once again, Nish is confounded by Brat Summer. Later, in a special Q&A ses...
Aug 15, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, Nish and Coco bring two special guests to talk about the racist riots tearing Britain apart. **CORRECTION** This episode incorrectly states that the Baha Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out" has a sexist subtext, when it is in fact a song criticising misogyny. We regret the error. Nish, Coco and Ahir reflect on their personal feelings and experiences of racism in the UK in the wake of the violence, while sharing some advice for anyone feeling distu...
Aug 08, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s been a tough few weeks for new Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In a speech to the House of Commons on Monday, Reeves declared that despite going in to government with gloomy prospects, the financial inheritance was much worse than she had expected. Naturally, this didn’t go down particularly well with the now Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, as the two traded barbs whilst invoking the opinions of THE name in British economics - Paul Johnson. Nish and Coco sit down with the man himself, Paul, to tal...
Aug 01, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Three weeks haven’t yet passed since the election, but Keir Starmer’s Government has faced its first rebellion. The response to seven Labour MPs breaking rank over the Government’s stance on the two child benefit cap was swift and fierce, leading to the whip being removed and anger inside and outside the party. Nish and Coco ask if Starmer has only stoked further division within the party. Clare Farrell drops in to discuss the landmark sentencing of five Just Stop Oil protesters and how the prev...
Jul 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast As parliamentarians were ironing their robes in preparation for the King’s Speech, Trump’s new running mate JD Vance shocked the UK with flippant remarks that have sent a shiver down the spine of the New Government. Nish and Coco are joined by Liz Bates to discuss Vance’s comments, the themes behind the surprise-free King’s Speech and two shock resignations - those of Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething and England manager Gareth Southgate. Later, Nish and Coco catch up with two young people wi...
Jul 18, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
