Pod Save the UK

Keir Starmer is not afraid of a U-turn. From abandoned policy pledges to reinstating the winter-fuel allowance, the list is growing. To add to this - this week, the PM has expressed his support for Israel's military action against Iran, despite criticising Israel's actions in Gaza. Then he caved in to calls for a full national inquiry into grooming gangs, despite earlier dismissing them as amplifying far-right demands. Whether you think these are sensible or sly, these political backflips have certainly led to a lot of headscratching when it comes to one question: what does our Prime Minister actually stand for? Nish and Coco sit down with New Statesman Editor in Chief, Tom McTague, who has spent months with Starmer trying to find out what lies beneath the title. The Government's new Welfare Reform Bill is introduced in Parliament this week, which experts say will lead to nearly a quarter of a million more families being pushed into poverty. Nish heads down to Westminster to meet with hundreds of people who have gathered to call for an end to the rising tide of hunger and hardship in the UK. Nish speaks to Labour MP Brian Leishman, Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain and Green Siân Berry about the calls for an essentials guarantee - while hearing from the lived experience of people working at food banks around the UK.  And as the Government's new data bill finally passes in the House of Lords, Nish and Coco voice their concerns about what it means for the creative industries. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR  https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Guests: Tom McTague Siân Berry Brian Leishman  Wendy Chamberlain Helen Barnard Emma Revie Useful links: Tom McTague's profile of Keir Starmer https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/what-keir-starmer-cant-say Support the Trussell Trust's call for an Essential Guarantee! https://www.trussell.org.uk/support-us/guarantee-our-essentials Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Audio Credits: BBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Reeves has delivered her very first spending review, promising to ‘renew Britain' with big cash boosts for the NHS, housing and defence. It's a marked change of tone but the Tories are calling her approach “spend now, tax later”.  Nish and Coco dig into the details and are left with some questions. Are tax rises in the Autumn inevitable? Are high-stakes promises, like vowing to end spending on controversial asylum hotels, ill-thought-out? Will all this be enough to change the public mood?  And as we've seen across the pond in LA this week, face masks have been critical to protect the identity of protestors demonstrating against immigration raids and deportations. But the UK government plans to ban them. Nish and Coco speak to Akiko Hart, director of human rights organisation, Liberty, about how we can uphold the right to protest and the latest on challenging the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. And finally - it gives us great joy to announce - Reform UK is in meltdown with (now former) party chairman Zia Yusuf performing the political equivalent of the hokey-cokey… is he in or out? CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Useful Links: See us live!  https://crossedwires.live/podcast/pod-save-the-uk Liberty Human Rights https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/ Guests: Akiko Hart Audio Credits BBC Parliament TV Instagram / Richard Tice Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

England and Wales is still - unbelievably - operating under an 1861 law that criminalises abortion access. An unprecedented rise in prosecutions and the rise of an aggressive US-style anti-abortion movement in the UK have triggered calls for change. Labour MP Stella Creasy joins Nish and Coco to break down her bill to decriminalise abortion and make it a protected human right.    Over in Scotland - Reform and Labour are battling against the SNP in a crucial by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on the outskirts of Glasgow. Former First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP shares his thoughts on this two-horse race, the Government's complicity in genocide in Gaza, and what his next career moves might be. And finally - is Dominic Cummings, former special advisor to Boris Johnson - yes, the one who broke lockdown rules driving to Barnard Castle to “test his eyesight” - worth paying attention to… Stay tuned after the credits for a trailer for a special crossover with The News Meeting from the Observer, featuring our very own Coco Khan. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Useful Links: See us live! https://crossedwires.live/podcast/pod-save-the-uk Sign Stella Creasy's petition! https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/decriminalise-abortion-and-make-it-a-protected-human-right Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Guests:  Stella Creasy MP Humza Yousaf MSP Audio Credits STV Piers Morgan Uncensored Sky Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay out of wombs Nigel! Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wants us to have more babies - which for new mum Coco feels like being bamboozled into being rightwing. Not only this, Farage is even coming for abortion - saying it's “utterly ludicrous” to allow abortion up to 24-weeks. Keep your wits about you! From leaked memos and inner-circle beef to U-turns and rumoured U-turns - Keir Starmer is feeling the pressure. Nish and Coco dive into the Westminster bubble to find out why the Government has become a leaky ship with Politico reporter Bethany Dawson. Half a decade on from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that shook the world, only one third of the recommendations of major reports to tackle endemic racism in the UK has actually been implemented and equality initiatives are facing a rightwing backlash on both sides of the Atlantic. So, is the UK backsliding on racial justice?  Guardian community affairs correspondent and author Aamna Mohdin reflects on the personal and political legacy of the largest anti-racism rallies in the UK since the abolition of slavery. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Guests: Bethany Dawson Aamna Mohdin Useful Links: Scattered: The making and unmaking of a refugee by Aamna Mohdin https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/scattered-9781526652591/ Politico's London Playbook  https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/page/109/ Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reunited, Coco and Nish are finally back together in the studio to talk U turns, disability benefits, Brexit and… gimp masks? There's a lot of politics to catch up on including some big shifts from the Labour government.  First on Gaza - Keir Starmer and David Lammy changed tack with fierce criticism of the Israeli government. But critics argue that without an actual arms embargo talking tough with Israel is inadequate. So is it all too little, too late?  And in another change of direction, the Prime Minister has been listening to voters and his own disgruntled MPs on benefits. He signalled a rethink on one of Labour's most unpopular moves - cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners. But reforms of disability benefits are still on the cards so Nish heads to Westminster where disability activists gathered to lobby their MPs. With a major rebellion on the cards from Labour MPs, can Starmer be steered into a U-turn on this too? Employment minister Alison McGovern explains how she's going to get more young people into work and she has a message for Pod Save the UK's disillusioned Labour voters.  And did you think Brexit bollocks was in the rearview mirror? Well sorry - this week the Brexit undead returned with nonsense we thought was safely consigned to the dustbin of history.  Guests: Alison McGovern MP Ellie Chowns MP Nadia Whittome MP Meg Thomas, Disability Rights Campaigner  Audio Credits: Parliament TV BBC GB News Useful Links:  https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/mass-lobby-against-benefit-cuts-21st-may-be-there Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coco's back! She's both sleep and politics deprived, but Nish is ready to fill her in. The government's shake-up of legal migration laws landed this week - but the news has been dominated by one question. Is Keir Starmer Enoch Powell incarnate? His speech warned that we ‘risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks together' - a careless comment or a reaction to Reform gains? Nish and Coco dissect and take a deep dive into the government's plans with Minnie Rahman, CEO of migrants' rights charity Praxis.  Next up, the Government are jumping for joy about the US-UK trade deal, but Nish struggles to find anything to say… is this just a downgrade portrayed as an upgrade?  The race for the next leader of the Greens is on, and will Youngblud make a foray into politics? Nish and Coco discuss how to capture the youth vote. And grassroots football teams are fighting back against the FA's ban on trans women playing football.  CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR  Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Useful Links:  To find out more about how people will be impacted check out Praxis' socials and ⁠sign up to their emails⁠ for campaign actions.' https://everpress.com/gdfc-let-the-dolls-play https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/nish-kumar-nish-dont-kill-my-vibe Guest:  Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis  Audio Credits:  BBC Parliament TV Kemi badenoch / X Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's no ifs or buts - Reform had a won big in last week's local elections - but it's not all bad news. Near-total Tory wipeout, positive signs for the Liberal Democrats and Greens and a lesson for Labour: acquiescing to Nigel Farage will only empower him.  A slightly jetlagged Nish and a fresh as a daisy Zoë digest the results before diving into demands to end Israel's occupation of Gaza… Led by, of all people, rebel tories? In the wake of the Netanyahu's latest actions, why isn't the British Government speaking up more?  Later, the pair are joined by climate activist Patience Nabukalu, for an injection of hope following her direct action calling for an end to fossil fuel investment from one of the UK's biggest banks.  **Comment was sought from HSBC regarding claims of dismissing voices at their AGM but was not received in time for publication. We will update this podcast if we receive a reply** CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  SKY SPORTS F1 https://www.sky.com/tv/sports  Useful Links  https://www.instagram.com/patiencenabukalu Guests Patience Nabukalu Audio Credits Number 10 Downing Street Zack Polanski Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of woman should be based on biological sex, Nish and Zoë speak to LGBTQ+ activist Ellen Jones, author of "Outrage: Why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is not yet won and what we can do about it" about the implications for trans people and what we can do about it.  They discuss how the campaigning of reactionaries like billionaire author JK Rowling led to the decision that has seen Prime Minister Keir Starmer backflipping on his support for the trans community. Ellen speaks on the dangers of the recent ruling and practical ways to resist and support the trans community. Then, as the Tories flounder ahead of the local elections, Zoë hedges her bets. And we take a look at two shocking attempts to seize the limelight by Liz Truss and Tony Blair. Plus, ahead of the Australian election this weekend, Nish speaks to former Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan about how, in the wake of Trump's tariffs and attacks on allies, the commonwealth might be more important than ever and what the US and UK could learn from Australia's compulsory preferential voting system. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com CODE: PSUK SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Guests: Ellen Jones Wayne Swan Useful links: Outrage: Why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is not yet won and what we can do about it by Ellen Jones https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/ellen-jones/outrage/9781035030606 The Good Law Project Crowdfunder to legally challenge the Supreme Court Decision https://goodlawproject.org/crowdfunder/supreme-court-human-rights-for-trans-people/ Compilation of protests against the Supreme Court Decision https://whatthetrans.com/compilation-of-protests-against-the-supreme-court/  Volunteer at your local trans pride - London Trans Pride call for stewards https://www.instagram.com/londontranspride Write to your MP https://transactual.org.uk/change-actions/write-to-your-mp/ Reclaim the framing of UK trans rights https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTWR6sdj_xWKoOGLmwp0JotSL3NBrYSd1Dy3VZOIIKJKy0Ej6cFPt32IIKan3qCq6fG4lpgrw46ewO0/pub?urp=gmail_link Protect the Dolls T-shirt in support of Trans Lifeline, a US-based charity https://connerives.com/products/pre-order-protect-the-dolls-t-shirt Info on voting in the Australian Election abroad: ALPABROAD.ORG  Audio Credits Sky News ITV News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk BlueSky: @podsavetheuk.crooked.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Parliament sits for Easter Recess, Nish and Coco dive into the PSUK mailbag to answer your burning questions.  There's the serious political questions - who are the real progressive party? How can we fight Reform? Should we all just leave the UK?? But there's some curveballs, too - like what's up with Bob Dylan's instagram posting? Boxers or briefs? And most importantly… Has Nish Kumar ever eaten a pot noodle in the bath?  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UPDATE: 10/04/25: President Trump has planned to pause extended tariffs on most countries for 90 days, while pushing ahead on plans to implement a 104% tariff on Chinese goods. A flat 10% tariff remains in place. Trump's tariffs continue to cause chaos in the stock markets and the threat of a recession looms. As Rachel Reeves put it in her Spring Statement - the world is changing before our eyes - but is it enough to see her back down on her precious fiscal rules? Co-host Zoë Grünewald joins Nish to make sense of it all. Can ‘the most dangerous man in Britain' shed light on this moment of global chaos? Author and education campaigner Melissa Benn, daughter of the late great politician Tony Benn, reflects on her father's relevance today and the future of the left.  Plus, Melissa takes a look at what's in Labour's new education bill. Kemi Badenoch has labelled it “an act of vandalism” - but are the reforms as revolutionary as critics claim? And a couple of monumental WTF's for you this week - Israel has barred two Labour MPs, just as human rights lawyers deliver a landmark report to the Met Police's War Crimes Team, making accusations of war crimes against 10 Britons, who served in the Israeli military in Gaza. It's chilling stuff. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  Shopify https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk  VOY https://www.joinvoy.com/psuk Useful Links The Most Dangerous Man in Britain?: The Political Writing by Tony Benn https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3318-the-most-dangerous-man-in-britain?srsltid=AfmBOoqeWPvXcuRrm3zzK1FZ0GZ0JYD7BY6lSBtIpztZdp5gR12u7fmr Guests Melissa Benn Audio Credits CBS News Sky The Guardian Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of sexually explicit and sexist song lyrics. While we wait to see if Trump's tariff juggernaut is going to squash our fragile economy, Nish and Coco count the cost of the “bill-mageddon” we already face. It's a perfect storm of steep rises in household bills and a bonkers global trade war.  While we're staring economic apocalypse in the face, we seem to be losing our rights to protest. If the Quakers get raided, who's safe from heavy handed policing and draconian laws? And have you prepared yourself for food shortages? Your stash of beans might not cut it. Professor Tim Lang - author of a major report on food security- has a plan we all need to hear.  On the bright side, 2025 is the year the Labour Party has decided to embrace social media and podcasts. What can possibly go wrong?  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  VOY https://www.joinvoy.com/psuk  Guests Tim Lang Zoë Grünewald Audio Credits C4 Garys Economics Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First the good news: we might just manage to build a lot of new houses. And the bad news? Millions of people will be worse off and about fifty thousand children will be pushed into poverty by welfare reform.Nish and Coco unpack Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement with the help of economist James Meadway, former advisor to John McDonnell. It was pretty bleak stuff from Reeves: the world is scary, growth is low, and cuts are coming. All with a strong whiff of austerity 2.0.The Chancellor says her fiscal rules are “non-negotiable”. But James has an alternative Spring Statement to banish the gloom and challenge the way we think about growth.Plus, as the great Signal security cock up rumbles on in the US, Nish and Coco wonder why they've never been included in a top-secret military chat. It's just not fair.And it's got the UK talking, but will the Netflix drama ‘Adolescence' make a difference in the real world?CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SKY SPORTS F1 https://www.sky.com/tv/sports Guests:James Meadway Audio CreditsParliament TV Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 

After weeks of speculation, Liz Kendall has confirmed what benefits are to be axed in order to save £5 billion from the welfare bill - but at what cost for sick and disabled people?Keir Starmer says the rising benefit bill is “devastating for public finances” and has “wreaked a terrible human cost”. But many of his own Labour MPs have accused him of selling cuts as compassion and in the words of Clive Lewis “causing pain for millions”. Zoë Grünewald steps in for Nish to survey the fallout with Coco. And the cuts don't stop there - NHS England's abolition and unprecedented cost-cutting could see up to 30,000 jobs lost. Zoë and Coco discuss the “high-stakes” move, which the Institute of Fiscal Studies has said is “not fully thought through”.Next up, the Tories and Reform are trying to seize the news-agenda with a pair of not-so special special announcements. And Coco has one of her own… CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VOY https://www.joinvoy.com/psukSHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GuestsMikey ErhardtZoë Grünewald Audio CreditsSky NewsBBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

Today we're excited to bring you the first episode of Shadow Kingdom: God's Banker. In the summer of 1982, the Vatican's top money man was found dead. Roberto Calvi was at the center of a prolific money laundering scheme that put him in the crosshairs of the Sicilian mafia, a secret far-right chapter of the Freemasons, and the Catholic Church. Forty years after his death was ruled a suicide, Shadow Kingdom host Nicolo Majnoni got a tip that there was more to the story. So who killed God's banker?  Shadow Kingdom is a new series from Crooked Media and Campside Media. Each season starts with a crime, and as the layers are peeled back to find out who or what is at the center of it, a larger system at play is revealed.  Subscribe to Shadow Kingdom: God's Banker wherever you get your podcasts or join Crooked's Friends Of The Pod subscription community to hear the full season right now. Join Friends Of The Pod at crooked.com/friends or subscribe through the Shadow Kingdom Apple feed. 

We'll start with the good news - Reform UK appears to be imploding. Nigel Farage has had a wildly public fallout with (now former) Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who was stripped of his whip and investigated by the police over alleged workplace bullying and “verbal threats” against the party chairman.As Reform flounders, the Government is busy making itself even more unpopular - if that's possible - by trailing a series of public sector cuts ahead of the Spring Budget. There are plans to cut half of the staff in NHS England and thousands of jobs in the civil service, not to mention impending benefit cuts. Keir Starmer is expected to announce £5 billion of cuts to personal independence payments - commonly known as PIPs - the main disability benefit. Mikey Erhardt from Disability Rights UK speaks to Nish and Coco about the devastating impact this could have on 3.6 million claimants across the UK.Next up, over the past few years we've seen waves of strikes by warehouse workers for the likes of Amazon, Tesco, Argos and others - but what exactly is it like to work in this algorithm-driven gig economy? Coco speaks to Laura Carreira, the director of a new film about the hidden lives of warehouse workers in the UK.Finally, here's something nobody wants to hear. King Charles has launched a personal playlist to mark this year's Commonwealth Day. Nish and Coco strike back with their own playlist. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SKY SPORTS F1 https://www.sky.com/tv/sportsSHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Useful LinksPSUK Alternative King's Playlist Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/pod-save-the-uks-alternative-kings-playlist/pl.u-b3b8V47tgYEzzSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10MMDAPgitIYDgImod7C4T?si=bCtep-upSIyH2SXbbqQ1XQ&pi=2GVMWqSIQlyjq GuestsMikey ErhardtLaura Carreira Audio CreditsBBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 Starmer's peace plan work? And what does it all mean for the future of the war? Coco and Nish discuss.With International Women's Day this week, Political Editor at PoliticsJoe Ava-Santina Evans calls in to discuss what the government has achieved when it comes to women's equality.And with less than one in five young women identifying as a feminist and self-described feminists like Kemi Badenoch calling maternity pay ‘excessive' - Coco wants to know if changing labels and groups would make a difference. Author Sophie Lewis digs into the true heart of feminism and how we can reclaim it. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSSHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukSKY SPORTS F1 https://www.sky.com/tv/sports Useful LinksSophie Lewis - Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen and Girlbosses against Liberation https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2440-enemy-feminisms GuestsAva-Santina EvansSophie LewisAudio CreditsBBCPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 asks what Macron can teach Starmer about Trump wrangling. And we send out a search for Kemi Badenoch… Has anyone seen her? As Ed Davey presents a credible opposition voice to the Government - the Tory leader is missing in action: last seen in a right wing podcast vortex.While Kemi Badenoch struggles to cut through, the Climate Change Commission has thought of an ingenious way to get us to act on net zero. The humble kebab.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSVOY:  https://www.joinvoy.com/psukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKGuestsEd Davey Zoë GrünewaldAudio CreditsUK GovPBS News ABC NewsPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uKInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 and Coco chew it over. And from war to love - loneliness is on the rise but according to journalist and author Shon Faye, the problem isn't us, it's capitalism. Phew! She joins Nish and Coco to discuss the highly politicised terrain of modern romance - and why it eludes us.Later, Tortoise tech reporter Patricia Clarke calls in to discuss what the government can do about our unhealthy social media habits and if the Online Safety Bill holds up.And Starmer has been ambushed by tractor-driving farmers blasting out… “Sandstorm” by Darude. Yes, Darude.CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukUseful LinksLove in Exile by Shon Faye https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453476/love-in-exile-by-faye-shon/9780241605981GuestsShon FayePatricia ClarkeAudio CreditsThe Guardian The White HouseUK Government Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 her new book ‘Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War' - highlighting how a minority elite are profiting from the chaos they create and how the “i” in identity politics can distract and divide progressive movements.And Health Minister Andrew Gwynne and Burnley MP Oliver Ryan - along with 11 Labour councillors - have been suspended from the Labour Party after it was alleged that they'd sent offensive messages to a whatsapp group chat lovingly entitled, “trigger me timbers”.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Useful LinksWrite to your MP about the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Billwww.fighttheantirefugeelaw/org https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ GuestsAsh SarkarNathan Phillips Audio CreditsSkyChannel 5GB NewsITVPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk 

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-host Lewis Goodall joins Nish and Coco to discuss this latest tidal wave of horror and whether Starmer has it in him to stand for something.On a more hopeful note, the decision to greenlight the giant new Rosebank oilfield off Shetland has been ruled unlawful by the courts. At the forefront of the fight has been Uplift Director Tessa Khan, who calls in to celebrate this major win for climate action and let us know how we can stop this oilfield for good.Later, Coco sinks her teeth into our household waste, after Green-led Bristol Council unleashes the wrath of local residents. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukAura Frames: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK  Useful LinksGet involved with the Stop Rosebank Campaignhttps://www.stopcambo.org.uk/https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/GuestsLewis GoodallTessa KhanAudio CreditsThe GuardianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 Reeves plans for growth. Is she pinning her hopes on the tech bros and Heathrow while sticking two fingers up to net Zero? Useful Linkshttps://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTheGiant/videos GuestsJimmytheGiantClare Farrell Audio CreditsToday Programme, BBC Radio 4Clare Farrell Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 

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, Truss and Braverman donned their MAGA caps and descended on the US. But they didn't even scrape an invitation to the main event. Back home Keir Starmer and David Lammy opted for love-bombing the new President. But there is an alternative to a sucking up strategy. Pod Save the UK has spotted some green shoots of resistance.  While Trump has thrown the Paris Climate Agreement out the window - again - the UK has an opportunity to lead the way on the environment. Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer joins the pod to explain how clever cross party collaboration and campaigning could push through the new Climate and Nature Bill.And Jon Favreau, host of ‘Pod Save America' and ‘Offline', joins Nish and Coco from across the pond to find out what's in store for the US, UK and the world.Useful LinksWrite to your MP about the Climate and Nature Billhttps://action.zerohour.uk/https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/GuestsJon FavreauCarla Denyer MPAudio CreditsX / Lawrence FoxChannel 4 NewsSky NewsBBCPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 this silver bullet for society, jobs and the environment. With the far right surging across the world - it's important to know when you can call a fascist a fascist. No one knows this better than Nafeez Ahmed, investigative journalist and author of “Alt Reich: The Network War to Destroy the West from Within”. He breaks down the scale of the threat we are facing and how we can fight it.And with so much Billionaire BS flying about, we debut “Facts versus Fuckwits”, debunking some prime fuckwittery from a painfully out-of-touch Tony Blair. Useful Links“Alt-Reich: The Network War to Destroy the West from Within” by Nafeez Ahmedhttps://www.waterstones.com/book/alt-reich/nafeez-ahmed//9781916754140Mental Health Services:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/https://www.samaritans.org/https://www.youngminds.org.uk/https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/ GuestsChris Stokel-WalkerNafeez Ahmed Audio CreditsSky NewsJimmy's Jobs for the Future Podcast Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 else might be in store in 2025 - from Reform eating the Tories to Labour delivering some much-needed change. And just when we thought we were done with billionaire BS - Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta is scrapping its fact-checking service and Andrew Tate launched a new political party. And poor Nish is under fire from GB News for “unnecessary political swipes”on the BBC. A word to GB News - unnecessary political swipes is what Nish does! Brace yourselves - it's a wild first show back. Guests: Zoë GrünewaldAudio credits: The GuardianBBC Sky NewsMark ZuckerbergPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 entertained. But once Labour took power - optimism quickly turned to gloom. The seven week garm-drama saga took the sheen off Keir Starmer's newly minted cabinet, while the endless don't-call-it-austerity chat has jaded people across the country.As 2024 draws to a close - there's still plenty to laugh about - including the best of the worst political pop songs of the year. Prepare to cringe. Useful Links: https://choose.love/ - make a donation now!  Ed Davey and the Bath Philharmonic Carer's Choir - Love is Enough https://linktr.ee/love.is.enoughGuests: Liz BatesDesiree Burch Audio credits: Sky NewsBBCITVChannel 4 Tiktok / Dawn ButlerLiberal DemocratsTalk TVFox News Via Channel 10 Australia Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 to assess whether  Labour can pull off  the biggest home building initiative since the second world war.And Pod Save The UK has found the perfect job for the royal family: Trump whisperers. Prince William was hastily wheeled out in Paris to charm the President and Nish and Coco explore why Trump has a weird soft spot for the Windsors. Guests:Vicky SprattJoey Shea Audio Credits:Sky NewsUK Government Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 is this going to deliver results. And is Labour missing a trick? Journalist Zoë Grünewald on why the government needs a big vision for young people.And with Reform UK support on the rise and soaring youth unemployment, is the left in danger of losing young voters to the right? Jacob Diggle of UK Youth joins us with solutions to get young people into work or study.Guests:Zoë GrünewaldJacob Diggle Useful Links:UK Youth https://www.ukyouth.org Audio  Credits:Sky NewsBBC Radio 4Parliament TV Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 celebrates a victory in the legal fight against fossil fuels and tells us why the UK could lead the world on the environment.A petition calling for a General Election only months after the last one makes Nish's blood boil. And have you ever wondered what  Keir Starmer likes to cook? A clue: it involves pasta, and it's not very exciting. ** We have a special competition for listeners to win tickets to a special preview screening of the film Rumours, starring Cate Blanchett, next Thursday 05/12/24. To win up to two tickets,  we're asking what your political highlight was this year - they can be funny, sad, insightful or inspiring. To enter, fill in this form: https://tinyurl.com/45s5uz7t   ** Guests:Rosena Allin-KhanTessa Khan Useful Links:Stop Rosebank - https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/ Audio Credits:ITV NewsLBCBBC Sky News  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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 supporters?And as Elon Musk is summoned to testify about X's role in the UK summer riots, we'll be speaking to Jamie Bartlett misinformation expert and host of hit podcasts “The Missing Cryptoqueen” and “The Gatekeepers” about Musk's influence in politics and if we should all be quitting X.Guests:Stephen BushJamie Bartlett  Useful Links:Jamie Bartlett's Substack - How to Survive the Internethttps://substack.com/@jamiejbartlett Jamie Bartlett's BBC Radio 4 podcast on the rise of social media's power - The Gatekeepers https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w207  Audio Credits:Sky NewsBBCInstagram / Rebecca WilsonITV News  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk 

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 President of the National Union of Students Amira Campbell and General Secretary of the University and College Union Jo Grady. Nish and Coco also dig into the mailbag to find out what you think. Plus - some essential listening - does Coco not understand what a mullet is?Guests:Beth RigbyAmira CampbellJo Grady Useful Links:Christmas Comedy in aid of Women and Children First ft. Nish Kumarhttps://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/show/christmas-comedy-in-aid-of-women-children-first/ Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk

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 Secretary David Lammy ruling out cash-based reparations for countries blighted by slavery.And with the Government announcing the first hike in tuition fees since 2017 - we want to hear from you. Are the increased fees or maintenance loans affecting you? Are you sick of paying off student loan repayments? How can we fix the crisis in higher education? Email us at psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk as we'll be chewing this over with some special guests next week.  Guests:Katy BallsBell Ribeiro-Addy MP Audio Credits:BBCSky NewsGB News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheuk

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 in the closet? Principal policy advisor at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Katie Schmuecker drops in to chat about reforms to benefits for sick and disabled people, as well as private renters on low incomes.And finally Torsten Bell, Labour MP and former head of the Resolution Foundation, reveals if he's going to sleep easy or if he's worried about any market monsters emerging overnight… Guests: Grace BlakeleyKatie SchmueckerTorsten Bell MP Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 horizon.Later, with the US elections looming, co-host of our sister show Pod Save the World Tommy Vietor calls in to discuss why the Labour party is under fire for sending hundreds of staffers to canvas for the Democrats and what the result next month might mean for US-UK relations.Finally, Nish and Coco discuss a protest from an Australian Senator who shouted directly into the ears of King Charles, which comes as the Government resists paying reparations - or even apologising for - slavery and the actions of the British Empire. Useful links:https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/ Guests: Jeremy Corbyn MPTommy Vietor Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 to account in the absence of a sane opposition.And speaking of political ruthlessness, we find out why Labour are demanding a police investigation into the Monster Raving Loony Party's role in unseating Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth in Leicester South. Useful links:Taken as Red: How Labour won big and the Tories crashed the party. Guests: Anushka Asthana Josh Babarinde MP  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 of the Labour Party's success at the general election and why it might not be enough to keep the electorate happy without some actual policy to back it up. Later, Labour MP Nadia Whittome calls in from Portcullis House to talk about why she's still hopeful for what the new government can deliver, before the biggest WTF moment since Rishi Sunak walked out in the rain - the Tory Party eliminating centrist candidate James Cleverly from the leadership. Guests: Ian Dunt Nadia Whittome MP  Audio Credits: LBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan!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 Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence”. With some help from our listeners, they tell us how broken the benefit system is and how we can fix it.Then, to mark the Conservative party conference, we have the return of the section we like to call WTF. Some absolute shockers from the Tory leadership hopefuls remind us why they are no longer in power.Useful Links: For advice on benefits https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/how-deal-universal-credit-overpaymentContacting your MPhttps://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/Guests: John Pring https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349893/the-department/Caroline Selman https://x.com/publiclawprojctVideo Credits: Times RadioSkyBBCDaily ExpressPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 journalist and author of Good Chaps: How corrupt politicians broke our law and institutions - and what we can do about it, joins the show to  delve into the government's first scandal-not-scandal. They discuss how donations have infected our politics and why there's no such thing as a free box at the Arsenal game.Guests: Simon Kuper https://x.com/KuperSimonZoë GrünewaldAudio Credits: ITV NewsPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 from Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni. Zoe tells us about Italy's controversial migration deals with North African countries and Albania, as well as what a migration system with a degree of humanity might look like.Next we open the mailbag to hear your unpopular policy suggestions - ranging from taxes on second homes to a maximum wage cap.Useful Links: Tickets for Nish Kumar: “Nish, don't kill my vibe” https://www.nishkumar.co.uk/Guests: Zoe Gardner https://www.tiktok.com/@zoejardiniereAudio credits:The TelegraphTimes RadioX / Ed MilibandPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 disastrous state of the UK's prisons. It's an eye opening chat - through David's lived experience and Pia's knowledge of the system we gain a better understanding of where our justice system is going wrong and how we can begin to fix it. Nish fights sleep as we're brought up to speed with the Tory leadership latest, before firing up in disappointment at misguided comments on the Grenfell disaster from two former Prime Ministers. Coco lightens the mood with the unexpected love story between two of Westminster's best known MPs.  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Useful Links: David's Channel 4 Documentary https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-secrets-of-uk-prisons-untoldPrison Reform Trust https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Guests: Pia Sinha, CEO Prison Reform TrustDavid Navarro, Host, Delinquent Nation Audio credits:Sky NewsBBCContact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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 also discuss Jeremy Corbyn's new political alliance, restrictions on arms sales licences to Israel and Labour's mooted outdoor smoking ban. Later, they're joined by James Riding, Chief Reporter at Inside Housing, to discuss the final report from the Grenfell Inquiry, exploring the “Decades of failure” and “systematic dishonesty” behind the disaster. Finally, they check in on the Tory leadership race, where the five remaining candidates are struggling for recognition within the public eye. Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworldGuests: Zoë Grünewald, Political JournalistJames Riding, chief reporter at Inside HousingAudio credits:Sky NewsNumber 10 Downing Street

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 session with our live audience, we resurrect Pod Shag the UK and hear about some of the things bringing hope to our listeners, with a special appearance from Nish's mum. Guests: Adam Hills - Comedian Kemah Bob - ComedianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld

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. 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 disturbed. Later, Tom Ballard jumps on stage to share how the UK took some of the worst possible inspiration from his home country of Australia. The gang turn to the audience - while sharing advice for wearing sunscreen… And burrito-based magic.  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07494 933 444 (UK) or + 44 7494 933 444 (internationally)Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld Guests: Ahir Shah - Comedian Tom Ballard - Comedian  Useful Links: ahirshah.comtomballard.com.au