The News Agents

Why is Rishi Sunak less popular than Liz Truss?

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Conservative Party has lost half a million voters since their October party conference - according to a brand-new poll of polls. They suggest Rish...

Matt Hancock takes the stand

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hancock has had his moment in the Covid Inquiry's sun. In characteristic form, he's been an appropriate mix of quoteworthy, weird and often both....

2008, Alistair Darling, and the day the world changed forever

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On 15 September 2008 the world changed forever. The collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank heralded the financial crash and the worst recession in 60 years....

Does it matter who owns our news?

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With The Telegraph newspaper up for sale we are asking a wider question about who owns our news. Does it matter if foreign parties have a stake ? Does...

Why has Rishi snubbed the Greeks?

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak has cancelled a meeting with the visiting Greek PM. Downing Street says it was because he raised the issue of the return of the Elgin Marb...

This week on The News Agents USA: Sean Spicer: Trump's Press Secretary on Trump, truth and 2024

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

Why are the Tories arguing over immigration?

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Net migration is at an all-time high. Almost three times higher - ironically - than before the Brexit vote. If everyone agrees it’s unsustainable th...

Olivia Colman on domestic violence, paparazzi and The Crown

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oscar-winning and BAFTA-winning actress Olivia Colman joins The News Agents in a rare broadcast interview to talk about her work: on screen, and off-s...

Hostages in Gaza, riots in Ireland and (election) shockwaves in the Netherlands

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Israel and Hamas exchange hostages for prisoners, the worst riots in decades break out on the streets of Dublin (at the egging on of one Conor McGr...

Is worrying about public service cuts “left wing"?

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A quick trip to Downing Street for The News Agents today and an interview with the Chancellor fresh from his Autumn Statement. How does he explain tho...

Is Jeremy Hunt really cutting our taxes?

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The government is running out of chances to change the course of politics. Today’s Autumn Statement was one of them. It was billed by PM Rishi Sunak...

Is the Covid Inquiry coming for Rishi Sunak?

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the past couple of days, the Covid Inquiry has seen the two most powerful scientists in the country during the height of the pandemic - Professor C...

This week on The News Agents USA: Why is Joe Biden haemorrhaging support from young voters?

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

Is the 'Suellafication' of the Tory party over?

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What should the government do if the Supreme Court calls their policy unlawful? Simples. Just change the law.It’s not the Christmas cracker joke ans...

Sir Keir Starmer on Cameron, a Gaza ceasefire and Rwanda

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lewis travels up to Aberdeenshire to speak exclusively - and at length- to the Leader of the Opposition - Sir Keir Starmer after the mother of all Bri...

Has Labour's rebellion weakened Keir Starmer?

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jess Philips - one of the 8 frontbenchers who voted against the Labour whip last night - gives her first interview to us since resigning last night fr...

Is the illegal Rwanda plan dead for good?

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Within minutes of the Supreme Court ruling - that the government’s Rwanda scheme was ’unlawful’.Deputy chairman Lee Anderson was out of the trap...

This week on The News Agents USA: Are Republicans changing their stance on abortion?

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

One cabinet, two prime ministers

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who is in charge of cabinet now, with two prime ministers sitting around the table? And are they aligned on domestic, as well as foreign policy? One d...

Cameron in, Suella out

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

By 9am this morning, Suella began her own lifestyle choice of homelessness - sacked as Home Secretary. But the big news was still to come. David Came...

USA Special: Dispatch from the Deep South - is the US about to give Trump a second chance?

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emily reports from Georgia, the eye of the Donald Trump legal storm, where he was caught on tape trying to get an election official to 'find' him more...

Who does Suella really speak for?

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Suella Braverman is (still) the Home Secretary.That's despite ongoing calls from within her own party for the Prime Minister to sack her for comments ...

Is Suella trying to get the sack?

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Suella Braverman is in trouble- again. It's almost like she invites it. This time she's written a piece for The Times which is being slammed as i...

How Putin is betting everything on Trump

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fiona Hill is one of the most powerful British people of the 21st century but the chances are you haven’t even heard of her. She’s advised three p...

The King’s Speech and Suella’s disappearing tents

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we examine what was in the King's Speech - and what was left out. Suella's controversial "lifestyle choice" tents for the homeless were dropped....

Why is Trump beating Biden in the polls?

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are tremors amongst Democrats today - and the makings of a victory lap for Trump fans - after polling one year out from a Presidential election ...

Is there hope for peace in the Middle East?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In an extended interview, Jon speaks to Layla Moran, the only MP with Palestinian heritage and the Lib Dem MP for West Oxford and Abingdon.She talks a...

Covid inquiry: Was Matt Hancock "playing God”?

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did former Health Secretary Matt Hancock think the best person to decide who should live and die during the pandemic was... Matt Hancock? That was the...

Are the police getting the protests right?

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How should the police be responding to the government’s call to arrest more people on "hate marches" (sic Suella). Do laws need to change? Do specif...

The Covid Inquiry: F***pigs, morons and c***s

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So, three guesses whose WhatsApps gave us our episode title today. That’s right, Dominic Cummings was up in front of the Covid inquiry where we were...

This week on The News Agents USA: America’s most conservative senator: The Exclusive

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

What is Israel’s endgame?

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israel began a prolonged ground invasion in northern Gaza this weekend, it continued targeted airstrikes in the region and temporarily cut off communi...

Your questions answered: a listener special

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is Suella Braverman nailed on to be the next Tory leader?Will Donald Trump win the presidency from a prison cell?And...when are The News Agents going ...

What is Netanyahu's next move?

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last night - after Israel's Prime Minister addressed the nation - the troops went into Gaza. It was a raid that paved the way for what Netanyahu promi...

Why is pressure mounting on Keir Starmer to call for a ceasefire?

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Labour Muslim MPs have had a long meeting with leader Keir Starmer in which they expressed their discontent with their leader for not explicitly calli...

A year of Rishi - can he keep the Tories in power?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak’s premiership is almost one year old. Is this where the Tory party wants to be 12 months out from an election? Can a party that’s been...

This week on The News Agents USA: Is Liz Cheney coming for Donald Trump?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

Should it be a crime to shout "jihad"?

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should it be a crime to shout "jihad" on the streets of London during a protest to support Palestinian rights? The Home Secretary had a meeting with M...

Are the Tories heading for extinction?

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two massive by-election losses in Tory heartland. Are Rishi Sunak's hopes of holding onto his premiership next year in tatters?They may still win Tamw...

The rise and fall of a crypto billionaire

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just one day after the US president Joe Biden, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is on the ground in Israel pleading for the lives of British hostages and fa...

The misinformation of war

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A deadly inhumane attack on a Gazan hospital by Israeli forces killing hundreds. Or, a failed rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, aimed at Israel, la...

Can there ever be peace in the Middle East?

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Israeli military has denied that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but there are now reports of people drinking toilet water to survive.So w...

This week on The News Agents USA: Is Biden going to Israel a bad idea?

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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

The UK politics of Israel-Palestine

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, Palestinian flags flooded central London as thousands marched for 'Free Palestine'. But has legitimate support for the rights of Pal...

Is Israel about to commit war crimes?

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli officials have told Gazan citizens to leave the north and head south ahead of a potential ground invasion - retaliating after a week of war cr...

How does Israel get its hostages back?

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 con...

How far will Israel go in response to Hamas terrorism?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Starmer's speech: has he done enough to win a majority?

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 2If Sir Keir Starmer was looking for a bit of sparkle today in his Leader's speech he shouldn’t ...

This week on The News Agents USA: A power vacuum in Washington and chaos in the Middle East

10 Oct 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 availab...

War in Israel, and an interview with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The News Agents at the Labour Party Conference: Day 1The Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves joins The News Agents following her speech in Liverpool.We di...

Rishi Sunak’s Great British Train Robbery

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Sunak suffers a Tory backlash - but what will Labour do next?

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Sunak's speech: Has he cost himself the next election?

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 promis...

This week on The News Agents USA: MCCARTHY SACKED: Why is the Republican Party eating itself alive?

04 Oct 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 availab...

The Radicalisation of the Conservative Party

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 2What does Conservatism look like in 2023? At their party conference in Manchester this year...

One year on: Are the Tories still Liz Truss' party?

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The News Agents at the Conservative Party Conference: Day 1The queue to see the former PM stretched right the way through the Midland Hotel in Manches...

The News Agents Investigates: Hunting A People Smuggler

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Michael Heseltine on Suella, Enoch Powell and saving Liverpool

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 at...

Does Rishi Sunak care about the North?

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

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...