The News Agents

This week on The News Agents USA: Can any other Republican beat Donald Trump? The second debate

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 avai...

We need to talk about GB News

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Is it too easy to be considered a refugee? Suella says so.

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Is Rishi ditching a tax that would make him and his mates richer?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Who is the real Russell Brand? An interview with Gordon Smart

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Rupert Murdoch resigns

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 emp...

Is this Sunak's 'moment of shame'?

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Can you really cancel Russell Brand?

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Will America continue to make Russell Brand rich?

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 avai...

Bringing down Russell Brand

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

**CW: This podcast includes discussions of rape and sexual assault**This weekend saw the culmination of an extraordinary piece of investigative journa...

Why we need to talk about wealth

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 hosp...

Could Starmer make Britain “a dumping ground” for migrants?

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why do we have to choose between new homes and clean water?

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 fi...

Let the election battle begin: can Labour actually win?

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"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 t...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Vladimir Putin: Trump's Russian running mate?

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 avai...

What is behind our mental health pandemic?

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

*CW: This episode contains discussions about suicide* More than a hundred of you - our listeners - have been in touch to share your own experiences wi...

David Lammy on Brexit, Trump and beers with Keir

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Lammy, the next Foreign Secretary?This felt like the week when Labour really began to be treated as a government-in-waiting. One area which has ...

So, how do you catch a prisoner on the run?

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does a man wearing red and white check trousers escape from a prison underneath a moving truck?Daniel Khalife - as we record - is still on the run...

Suella’s own goal

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could Suella's new Illegal Immigration Act be about to backfire horribly on the Home Office? Over the last year, money to house asylum seekers has com...

Don't panic! Gillian Keegan says only SOME of our schools are unsafe

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A government poster warning us "MOST SCHOOLS ARE UNAFFECTED" by lethal crumbling concrete may not offer the reassurance the Department for Education i...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Could a 'treason clause' kick Trump off the ballot?

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 avai...

Why has everyone sat on their arses instead of thanking Gillian Keegan?

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The blame for the school concrete scandal has landed right at the Prime Minister's feet - after a former civil servant from the Department for Educa...

Broadcasting's past, present and future - with David Dimbleby

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Dimbleby is one of the biggest names in the history of broadcasting. From election nights, to iconic political panel shows, to huge Royal occasi...

Is Rishi "rearranging the deckchairs" on the Titanic?

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The PM announces a mini-reshuffle, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace leaving the post and Grant Shapps warming a new Cabinet seat for the fifth time ...

1st Birthday Special: Your questions answered

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's The News Agents' first birthday. So we open the floor for questions from you, the listener. Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProdu...

It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? The Spanish sexism row.

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A tumultuous week in Spain continues as Luis Rubiales, the Head of the Spanish FA, refuses to resign after kissing footballer Jenni Hermoso on the lip...

This week on The News Agents: Why are there still racist killings in America?

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 avai...

The Donald Trump mugshot

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has been indicted again. But this time, it was the full works, including obligatory mugshot. This mugshot, of a scowling, glowe...

Prigozhin dead: Is Putin stronger than ever?

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yevgeny Prigozhin is apparently dead, two months after he marched the Wagner mercenary group to Moscow in a mutiny that appeared to be a very embarras...

Where the f*** is Nadine Dorries?

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's 75 days since Nadine Dorries announced she was standing down as an MP with "immediate effect"... but she's still the MP for Mid Bedfordshire and ...

Manchester United's Greenwood U-Turn: The inside story

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mason Greenwood won't play for Manchester United again. Greenwood was one of the most exciting talents in world football two years ago, before he was ...

This week on The News Agents: USA - the big debate, coming soon

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's debate night in Milwaukee tonight. The big hitters of the Republican Party will all be there, fighting it out in the first chance to be on the sa...

Should Lucy Letby have been made to go to court?

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Letby has been given a whole life order for her crimes. She joins only a small group of prisoners to be given a sentence so severe that they can ...

Did Covid-19 leak from a lab?

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Covid is back in the news - there is a new mutation of Omicron which is potentially more infectious than the last. Some are sounding the ala...

Are ministers right to say: don't worry too much about exam results?

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's A-level results day and the message from the Education Secretary is to urge students not to worry too much about the results, that no-one will as...

A financial turning point for women's football? The Lionesses reach the WC final

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

England's women's football team reach the World Cup final, beating the hosts Australia. But with the highest paid footballer in the equivalent of the ...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Why is Donald Trump being charged like a mafia boss?

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

How many suspected spies are there in the UK?

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What were three spies living in Great Yarmouth and Harrow doing in the UK? Today it was revealed that three Bulgarian nationals were arrested in Febru...

Morality in football: should Manchester United bring back Mason Greenwood?

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mason Greenwood was one of the most exciting talents in world football two years ago. A superstar in the making. But in January 2022, a social media v...

Has 'Small Boats Week' been a disaster for the Tories?

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A week that was dedicated to show that the Conservatives have a plan on how to 'stop the boats' has instead been dominated by tragedy - the death of 4...

How students are getting screwed…again

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generation screwed. A hoard of students tens of thousands of pounds in debt, but with nothing to show for it. We speak to students who've been affecte...

Will Rishi Sunak now tell Lee Anderson to "f*** off"?

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party Lee Anderson went on TV last night and openly admitted that his own party are failing to 'stop the boats'. That...

The man jailed for 17 years for a crime he didn’t commit

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Malkinson was convicted of rape in 2003 and it took nearly two decades for this miscarriage of justice to be corrected. But it could have happe...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Trump, the law, and The Lord

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

So Suella's putting asylum seekers on a barge

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's "small boats week" on the government media grid; or that was the idea.It looks like it could have been over before it began. Jon is back, and wit...

Will the indictments actually help Donald Trump?

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump was indicted for a third time this week and a fourth is on the way. He emerged from a DC courthouse this week actually inviting more - he...

Sunak, Starmer, and the death of the political interview

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak isn’t much good at interviews. Sir Keir Starmer isn’t that much better. It follows a pattern of politicians become less and less willi...

Donald Trump vs. The United States

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has been indicted. Again. But this is the most serious of the lot - a series of conspiracies against the republic itself and an attempt t...

Are house prices about to plummet?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

House prices have fallen an average of 4% in the last year due to rising interest rates and the knock on effect on mortgages. How low will they go and...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Has the Republican party become 'a cult'?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

Is Rishi on 'the wrong side of history'?

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak is handing out around one hundred new oil and gas licences for North Sea drilling and says it is entirely consistent with his plans for ne...

Andy Burnham on Keir Starmer, Manchester United, and the police

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says he is a "place first" not a "policy first" politician.In a week where the Greater Manchester Poli...

How could an innocent man spend 17 years in prison?

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Malkinson spent 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Yesterday the Court of Appeal finally cleared his name. It is a failure so s...

The climate crisis - is it already out of control?

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is the global climate crisis already out of control? Lewis' special report from Southern Spain. And, as the boss of NatWest resigns over the Farage - ...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Why is Ron DeSantis sinking?

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

Why have Labour changed their position on trans rights?

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Labour have promised to simplify and reform the Gender Recognition Act that helps trans people officially change their gender identity. Self ID will ...

Europe's on fire - so why are politicians scared of green policies?

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pictures from Greece tell a horrifying story of people running for their lives from the wildfires. Southern Europe is locked in unprecedented heat...

Why is Rishi Sunak acting like he won?

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three by-elections and a win each for the three main parties. Labour won with the biggest electoral swing in their history in Selby and Ainsty, the Li...

Why is Nigel Farage at war with his bank?

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is really up with Nigel Farage's bank account? We discuss, and hear from the man at the centre of what's quickly become a national banking storm....

Three by-elections and a Barbie movie

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow voters in three English constituencies will head to the polls. Will the good news on inflation and car plants help Rishi Sunak? Will the back...

Is Rishi's reshuffle imminent?

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has been one of the stalwarts of this government at a time when many cabinet positions have been musical chairs. But las...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Is Trump about to be charged for citing the January 6th riots?

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

Another pledge broken: will Starmer face a backlash from his party?

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's happening to Keir Starmer's policies? Yesterday he ditched another one, confirming that he would maintain the Conservative austerity policy tha...

Wes Streeting on class, trans rights and binge drinking

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, grew up in poverty with his single mother on an east London council estate. But if Labour win the next electio...

Could Huw Edwards have a case for libel?

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world's worst kept secret was revealed last night when Huw Edwards was named as the BBC presenter at the centre of the media storm. In an emotiona...

Why hasn't Boris Johnson handed over his phone to the Covid inquiry?

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

'I love deadlines ... I love the whooshing sound they make when they go by.' Monday 4pm was the cut off for Boris Johnson to hand over his phone and W...

Naming, shaming and a second allegation

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Another day of stories about a high profile BBC presenter at the centre of a sex scandal and and still no name. Come 4pm, BBC News announced a second ...

This week on The News Agents: USA - Is Biden really that 'rock-solid' with the UK?

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily and Jon host a new weekly podcast; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.Episodes are ava...

The Sun, The Scandal and the BBC

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The front pages proclaim just one story in town: the sex photos that were allegedly sold by an underage crack addict to a top BBC presenter. But look ...

Zuckerberg v Musk: it's war

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Zuckerberg launched his new platform, Threads, this week. It's designed to knock Twitter - owned Elon Musk - off of its perch. This story is a pa...

Perverts, weirdos and by-elections

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The prospect of another by-election looms after Parliament's standards committee recommended an eight-week suspension of former Conservative whip, Chr...

The interview Boris Johnson won't want you to see

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Exclusive footage of Boris Johnson from the One Decision Podcast has been shared with The News Agents. He was facing questions from hosts Julia Macfa...

The toxic culture of Westminster: An MP resigns on air

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The SNP's deputy leader in Westminster, Mhairi Black MP, joins us exclusively in News Agents HQ to announce she's stepping down at the next election.W...

Are the 'New Conservatives' a help or a headache for Rishi Sunak?

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you landed in this country and wondered what its problems were you might see the long queues for the health services, the high inflation, the short...

Does Rishi Sunak care about climate change?

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak and now former government minister Lord Zac Goldsmith have a war of words over why Goldsmith resigned this morning. Sunak says its because...

A nightmare verdict for Suella's dream

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Court of Appeal thwarts Home Secretary Suella Braverman's eye-wateringly expensive Rwanda plan (for now) - cue a government appeal and derision an...

How water became a dirty word

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As we record, the government is on standby in case Thames Water collapses. The country's largest water company has £14billion of debt, and is rudderl...

Matt Hancock says sorry for Covid

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hancock appeared before the Covid inquiry to offer a profound apology. He threw the government pandemic strategy under a bus with his assessment ...

Has Putin lost control?

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday morning it looked like we might see the collapse of one of the world's longest standing dictators, Vladimir Putin. By Monday things were s...

The Titan submersible: when is tourism too extreme?

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the world has been captivated ( and wrapped up in hope) by the tragedy of the five people who've died in an attempt to visit the wreck of t...

Who's to blame for this mortgage pain?

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the thirteenth time in a row interest rates have gone up. They’re now at 5% - the highest level since 2008. What is the knock on effect for all ...

Lost at sea - why are we obsessed with the sunken sub?

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world is watching a vessel we cant even find. Newsrooms are counting down the hours of oxygen they think are left in the Titan capsule. Internatio...

Will Rishi regret running from the vote?

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have now learnt that just seven MPs supported Boris Johnson in last night's vote in parliament. But 235 of his colleagues abstained from it all tog...

Why are Tories bottling the 'Partygate' vote?

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has just confirmed to The News Agents that the Met are looking at the video evidence of a party during lockdown -...

Why Boris is the least of Rishi's problems

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has dominated the headlines this week. But, peek behind the bluster and noise, and the country has far bigger fish to fry. The question ...

The many lies of Boris Johnson

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson repeatedly knowingly misled the House of Commons, in other words he repeatedly lied.These are the conclusions and findings of Parliament...

In prison and running for President - is this the future for Trump?

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the small matter of his federal indictment, Trump went back to doing what he does best - fundraising and shouting about witch hunts and pretendi...

The News Agents USA - Trailer - The News Agents USA

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to The News Agents USA - a new weekly podcast hosted by Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. Episodes are available every Tuesday on Global Player and...

The Fury of Trump (and Nadine Dorries)

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The News Agents are on the move this week. Jon is in Miami, where Donald Trump is due to be formally arraigned by a federal court. The man in the golf...

Sunak v Johnson: it's war

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How should an incumbent handle their big beast predecessor? Rishi Sunak discovered the satisfaction of a drive by shooting - accusing Boris Johnson of...

EMERGENCY EPISODE: Boris Johnson Quits Parliament

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson quits as an MP after being handed the findings of the Privileges Committee report into whether he knowingly misled parliament.In this em...

Labour's disappearing £28bn... and Nadine resigns

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson's long-awaited resignation honours list has been published. It means some of his closest aides throughout the partygate scandal will sit...

Lords, Ladies, and Boris Johnson's honour

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak has reportedly waved through Boris Johnson's controversial and much-talked about honours list. Why? And what does this mean at the slightl...

Saudi Arabia: The Golf State?

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Golf as we know it has just been sold, kind of wholesale, to Saudi Arabia. The gulf state is acquiring lots of high end sports brands right now. And i...

Prince Harry takes the stand

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prince Harry has blamed the tabloid press for the rift with his brother, the break up of former relationships and what he describes as a narrowing cir...

Why did Rishi Sunak donate $3m to a private school in California?

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

MPs are allowed to donate however much they wish of their private money to whomever they chose. In 2018, as per The Mirror, when Rishi Sunak was ju...

Why is Rishi Sunak taking the Covid inquiry to court?

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The government has taken the Covid inquiry, that it set up and poured so much public and private faith in, to court. What the f•••?!We try to ma...

What's up with Boris Johnson's WhatsApps?

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has, finally, and perhaps reluctantly, handed over a ton of WhatsApp messages between him and others while he was PM at the height of th...

Keir Starmer: born again Brexiteer?

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer's column on Wednesday morning in right-wing tabloid newspaper The Express is another step in the Labour leader's transformation from all ...

The Phillip Schofield scandal and the future of ITV

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It started with a tabloid story that a male and female presenter on daytime TV were no longer getting on. Big deal. It was accompanied by darker rumou...