The News Agents

It's a 2025 royal knockout. After sustained and mounting pressure, the King took drastic action last night, stripping his brother of his prince title and turfing him out of Royal Lodge. Prince Andrew becomes Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Why has King Charles moved so decisively against his brother now? And will this draw a line under the Epstein scandal that has dogged the Palace - or are there still questions that remain unresolved?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Did you know the government doesn't fund deaf athletes, because they aren't allowed to compete at the Paralympics? For 100 years now they've been holding their own competition - the Deaflympics - where referee whistles are replaced by flag signals, and starting guns by flashing lights. But no Paralympics means no funding. All because they were born with the so-called “wrong” disability. Team GB medal hopefuls Charlotte Gower and Nathan Young join Gabby. Plus we look back at the best bits from this week on The Sports Agents from the NBA gambling scandal featuring the mafia and x-ray glasses with Andy Hughes (Co-Host of The Crime Agents podcast) and The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov; to a love letter to the Ashes with some hilarious stories from Phil Tufnell. You can watch the Deaflympics live on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TOKYO2025DEAFLYMPICS And find out more information about DeaflympicsGB here: https://www.deaflympicsgb2025.co.uk/

Why are British-made military items being found on the killing fields of Sudan? It's a question that the government has been asked in parliament today, amid escalating reports of the most brutal mass killings of civilians. The Guardian revealed this week that UK-manufactured military equipment is being used by the RSF militia in Sudan - who are accused of committing genocide in the country by the USA. So what's going on? And could it prompt a rethink of where we sell our military equipment?Later - is Geert Wilders returning to the wilderness? The Dutch electorate seem to have dealt him a blow with a centrist candidate now the favourite to become the country's next PM. Are there lessons for the PM here in the fight against populism?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

With the budget looming next month, Keir Starmer has refused to stand by his manifesto commitments not to raise income tax. It comes as Labour's poll rating hits an all time low - so will this be the final blow for voters? Later, after admitting he won't (probably) won't be seeking another term, was Trump ever serious about a third run at President? And what is the future for MAGA when he leaves office? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Donald Trump is declaring his actions in the Caribbean a war on drugs. Democrats are calling it "state-sanctioned murder". What is Trump's game plan for Venezuela? Is it about fentanyl? Oil? Or regime change? Later - the latest YouGov poll has put four major parties all within two points of each other. What does it tell us about the state of UK politics? And what can we learn from Plaid Cymru's success in last week's Caerphilly by-election ?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Why was the king heckled outside Litchfield Cathedral? Will Andrew vacate Royal Lodge for two other royal homes? And when will the public appetite be satisfied that the palace has done enough? We take you behind the curtain to the events at the end of last week and the key conversation that never happened. Later, was Reform MP Sarah Pochin racist in her comments about TV adverts? And is she a danger to Reform, or an asset?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Thank you for all the positive reactions to Global's latest unmissable podcast series, Coining It. This is episode 4. If you don't want to wait for episode 5 on this feed, the entire series is available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.In this episode... James Parker's secret has been rumbled. But he's not about to give up his millionaire spending. And instead of handing back all his glitched bitcoin, he and his financial advisor have come up with a deal to broker. Meanwhile, James' friends realise the depth of the trouble they're all in... James wants his Bitcoin back.

As Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on and populist politics shake Western democracies, NATO is facing one of the most turbulent moments in its 75-year history. This Friday the former NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, joins Lewis to talk about the war in Ukraine, the rise of populism in the West, and how to deal with Trump. The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Formula One might be about to witness a comeback worthy of a Drive to Survive Hollywood film. With five races to go, the McLaren driver win that seemed as certain as death and taxes, has suddenly been put in jeopardy by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Could they pull off the impossible? Gabby and Mark are joined by 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, who has history with both teams as a world championship runner-up with McLaren, who became the highest scoring British driver of all time while at Red Bull. Plus, we look back at this week on The Sports Agents. Andy Cole, the Premier League's fifth top goalscorer of all time, revealed what it was like being one of four top strikers at Man United, and his reaction to the managerial merry-go-round at Nottingham Forest. And as basketball finds itself in big trouble with the GB men's team banned from international competition, we spoke to the first Brit to play in the NBA, Professor John Amaechi, as well as the leaders of the two warring sides, Sanjay Bhandari, Chair of Super League Basketball, and Chris Grant, who recently stepped down as Chair of the British Basketball Federation.

Keir Starmer came to power vowing to smash the gangs and stop the boats. He believes in the power of returns agreements to solve the problem - and established the 'one in - one out' system with France. An irregular migrant is returned for each refugee who has gone through the process properly. But, in a moment of low farce and high tragedy, an Iranian man - one of the very first to be sent back to France - turned back up on these shores on a small boat for a second time. So much for a deterrent, it would seem. So is the system broken? And could Labour now be thinking the unthinkable about the cancelled Rwanda plan? Later, Wikipedia is reaching its 25th anniversary. The total sum of human knowledge freely available online - and powered by volunteers. How did such a vast, ambitious and optimistic idea ever come off? We speak to founder Jimmy Wales about tech billionaires, trust and human nature.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The pressure is mounting on Parliament to scrutinise the housing arrangements of our Royal family after the times revealed this week Prince Andrew pays a mere peppercorn rent on Royal Lodge. Could he be called before MPs to explain his finances? Does the tax payer still fund this disgraced Royal? And what is the nature of the relationship between Parliament and palace that makes them so unwilling to ask?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Amy Wallace, the co author of Virginia Giuffre‘ s memoir - which is published today - has told Emily it's possible more women will now come forward to reveal what they know about Prince Andrew's actions on Epstein's island. She calls on Andrew to “name names” of other abusers around Epstein. And she speaks for the first time about what Virginia believed happened on the night Epstein died.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Virginia Giuffre is speaking to us from beyond the grave - with her memoir about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and - she claims - Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew continues to deny those allegations.The book is a harrowing account of abuse, pain and control. Does it change how we see Andrew? Should he now stand trial? And what does it tell us more widely about complicity and power?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

You've loved Coining It, so it's back for episode 3. Thank you for the brilliant response to the first two episodes. If you don't want to wait for episode 4 on this feed, the entire series is available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.In this episode... Destination: Dubai. James Parker and his newly hired financial advisor are on the trip of a lifetime - to meet a man who can turn their glitched Bitcoin into gold and cash. But just as they're about to board the plane, James gets a call. It's the owner of the trading platform… and he wants his money back. Now.From Global and Free Turn, Lewis Goodall uncovers the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it.

It's just six weeks since Zack Polanski became leader of the Green party. He's not even an MP. And yet, in that short space of time, he's become something of a political rockstar for those on the left of British politics. His party is shooting up in the polls, he's attracted a devout and growing following on social media, and his modern style of communication is marking him out against what can at times feel like a rather stale political establishment in Westminster. In this extended interview, Lewis speaks to Polanski about his political journey and about his radical vision. Why does he support the break up of the United Kingdom? Does he recognise his stance on NATO sets him at odds with the public? And could Labour MPs be about to join him?Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

British Gymnastics has been on a journey of root and branch reform since the damning 2022 ‘Whyte Review' exposed systemic abuse and cultural failings.We are now three years into its "Reform 25" plan, which was designed to "create safe, positive and fair experiences for all in gymnastics by 2025" by implementing the Whyte Review recommendations. So as the World Artistic Gymnastic Championships starts, has enough progress been made? Gabby and Mark are joined by Joseph Carr, Senior Associate in the Abuse Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, who has acted for around 40 clients bringing abuse cases in gymnastics. British Gymnastics have yet to respond to The Sports Agents' request for comment. Their latest progress report can be found here: https://a.storyblok.com/f/83342/x/f0b8c9f937/british-gymnastics-reform-25-final-progress-report-v4.pdf If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast help is available at charities such as Gymnasts for Change (https://www.gymnastsforchange.com/)

Zack Polanski is riding high right now. The polls have buoyed since he became leader of the greens. And membership has significantly increased too. Today he suggested to Lewis that Labour MPs might defect to his party. Is that going to happen? And what does it tell us about the way left wing populism is mimicking the style of right wing populists in 2025? Later, France's new prime minister looks ravishingly similar to France's new prime minister. Because it's the same man. Will he stay in the job longer than a month? And what is the structural problem France is battling right now which make its politics so febrile?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

JD Vance has had his sights on the UK since becoming vice president - fixating on our free speech laws, criticising Britain in strong terms.But is that part of a wider movement? There is evidence of a growing concerted effort, by rich and organised American advocacy groups, setting their sights on the UK, trying to influence public mood and indeed politics itself.Tommy Robinson is claiming that his legal bills are being funded by Elon Musk, and a new report from the New York Times suggests that one American organisation is set on shifting opinions here on abortion. We speak to the investigative reporter Jane Bradley.Lewis and Emily dissect a combative PMQs over the China spying row - is this now a he said-she said row or is there more serious jeopardy for Keir Starmer?And lastly, Emily asks why the toilets are being reinforced at The Royal Albert Hall...The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The Conservatives have accused Keir Starmer and those around him of wilfully forcing the collapse of a trial involving two young British men accused of spying for the Chinese government - allegations they deny. Security minister Dan Jarvis got to his feet in the Commons last night to angrily deny Kemi Badenoch's attacks - it's all the fault of the last Conservative government was his counter charge. So why exactly did the case collapse? Did those in government really choose to protect economic interests over national security? Or could this be a case of cock up rather than conspiracy?Later, which party leader emerged best from the conference season. And what might this tell us about the public hunger for change?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The 20 living hostages, taken captive on October 7th two years ago, have been freed from Gaza and now begin to try and piece together shattered lives. In Gaza, Palestinians are returning to homes of rubble - free of gunfire - but displaced and dispossessed. The politicians are telling a different story today, full of victory laps and self praise. In Israel's Knesset, Donald Trump spoke of a "new dawn of the Middle East", and even "peace for all eternity". Are leaders really committed to the long haul of peace? And what part did the UK play in bring the plan about? Later, why was Prince Andrew still writing emails to Epstein after he promised he'd broken off communication for good? And why was he reportedly signing them off with the phrase promising to "play some more soon"?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

After the brilliant response to episode 1 of Coining It, here's episode 2. If you don't want to wait for episode 3 on this feed, all episodes are available now, on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.James Parker has turned a digital glitch into a fortune. Most would keep it quiet - but not James. The newly minted millionaire flaunts his wealth across Blackpool, playing Robin Hood to a tight-knit circle who share his secret. But his spending spree hasn't gone unnoticed. One cop is watching, puzzled by the sudden riches of a man who, until recently, had nothing.From Global and Free Turn, Lewis Goodall uncovers the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it.You can listen, for free, to all episodes of Coining It with Lewis Goodall on Global Player.

As this year's party conference season draws to a close, Lewis sits down with Neil Kinnock to reflect on his iconic 1985 Labour Conference speech. They discuss leadership, the power of political courage, and what the future holds for the Labour Party.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Gabby and Mark answer all of your questions from building their 'dream athlete' and their favourite Match of The Day moment so far, to England winning a home Rugby World Cup and the Ryder Cup crowds.Plus, we look back at this week on The Sports Agents. Double Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas joined us in the studio to talk about how recent pro-Palestinan protests might change the future of cycling. Former Bournemouth Chairman, Jeff Mostyn, discussed saving the club and whether Eddie Howe is England manager material. And after former England rugby captain Lewis Moody announced his motor neurone disease diagnosis Professor Dame Pamela Shaw explained whether or not there is a link between exercise and MND.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the initial phase of a ceasefire plan in Gaza.Donald Trump announced the agreement saying all hostages would be released, and Israel would withdraw troops.There have been celebrations on the streets in Gaza and Israel, but is the peace plan going to last? And does the President now have an outside chance of securing the Nobel Peace Prize?Later in the show we speak with Lucy Powell, one of the two contenders for the Labour deputy leadership, who struggles to tell us what she really thinks of Keir Starmer.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

To rapturous applause and a full throated national anthem, Kemi Badenoch delivered the speech that may just have saved her job. She promised to end stamp duty, abolish VAT on private schools and scrap farmers inheritance tax. She will also ban doctors from striking, cancel university courses she doesn't rate, and dismantle the structure of Britains human rights protection. Will this move the dial for a party struggling to make its voice heard? Emily, Lewis and Jon discuss from inside and outside the conference hall. And we talk to John Glen - Kemi's right hand man in parliament.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Robert Jenrick has doubled down on remarks - from a speech he made in March - just leaked to The Guardian. In it he rued the 90 minutes he spent in Handsworth saying it was “like a slum” and wondering “where all the white faces were”. He insists he's talking about the need for integration and community cohesion. So how's that working out? Later we report live from Manchester on the new Conservative policy to remove judges. What are they lining up next for the rule of law? And does anyone mind that it's straight from the Trump playbook? Emily caught up with Robert Jenrick to ask him.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

This week at a depleted Tory conference Kemi Badenoch must try and convince her party of its need to exist and of her own place at the top of it. The problem, though, is many voters simply haven't heard of her. Is anonymity worse than unpopularity? And how does she make new policy announcements without sounding like Reform-lite? We talk to Luke Tryl from More in Common. Later, what does the ECHR really do, and what would happen to Britain if we left it? Joshua Rozenberg gives us the lawyers lowdown.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Here's a new podcast you might like - this is episode 1 of Coining It. All episodes are available now, on Global Player or search for 'Coining It' wherever you get your podcasts. In a damp Blackpool flat, James Parker is broke, restless, and stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account.Most people would keep it quiet. James doesn't.He starts handing out money, buying cars for mates, throwing lavish parties in a town where fortunes are rare. To some he's a hero, a modern-day Robin Hood. But as the spending spirals and the police start asking questions, cracks begin to show. Deals get darker, loyalties shift, and James is left chasing the very people he once made rich.How far would you go if the money felt endless?And what would it cost when it finally ran out?From Global and Free Turn, Lewis Goodall uncovers the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it.

Should pro-Palestine protests be going ahead in the immediate aftermath of the attack on a north Manchester synagogue? Could Keir Starmer's days be numbered? Is Nigel Farage a snowflake for his response to claims that his deportations policy is racist? And has the Tory party ever felt this irrelevant? Lewis and Jon answer your questions in this Q&A episode.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker joins Gabby and Mark on The Sports Agents to talk about his time in prison. The former world number one was sentenced to over two years in jail after going bankrupt. So how did he go from tennis glory to prison? What was it like living with murderers and drug dealers? And how did he feel watching Wimbledon from a jail cell? Plus, we look back at the best bits from this week's shows about England winning the Rugby World Cup, Europe storming to Ryder Cup glory and the fight to become one of football's top managers. Boris Becker's memoir, “Inside: Winning, Losing & Starting Again” is out now . If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast help is available at Samaritans (call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org), Prison Reform Trust (https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk) and other charities.

A terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester has left two people dead and several others fighting for their lives on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.The prime minister has cut short his trip to Denmark to chair Cobra - as police investigate whether the perpetrator was known to security. Manchester is sadly once again coming together to reject hatred in the aftermath of appalling violence.Andy Hughes, presenter of The Crime Agents podcast, talks through the police response and the changing nature of terrorism in the UK.Later, David Yelland, former editor of The Sun, speaks to Jon and Emily about why some instinctively leap to sowing divisiveness in the aftermath of these events and how to confront it. We discuss the political - and personal significance - of a terror attack on Yom Kippur.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Earlier this week President Trump announced his so-called "Board of Peace", to help bring an end to the war in Gaza. He also announced that Tony Blair would be a member. He's a "very good man", Trump said. But considering his legacy in the region, is the former Prime Minister really the person to work alongside Trump and Netanyahu to bring about peace?Later in the show, Emily speaks with the playwright Suzie Miller, who discusses how we should be educating young men to help them avoid a growing culture of toxic, abusive and misogynistic behaviour.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The PM took on what he called the "enemies of national renewal" in his conference speech today - accusing Nigel Farage of exploiting the “politics of grievance”.Keir Starmer instead pledged a Britain "built for all" - he spoke of the fight for the "soul" of the country. It was all spelt out in quite stark terms, and Starmer's clearest enunciation yet that he sees Farage and Reform, not Badenoch and the Conservatives, as his main threat. He portrayed a new political clash - between decency and division. The Labour faithful lapped up his patriotic lines, and cheered his attacks on Reform. He nodded to Oasis and the Lionesses in declaring that Britain isn't broken. Is that a smart strategy? Or is he risking painting Labour as defenders of the status quo? Is he making the same mistakes as Joe Biden?Jon and Lewis speak to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, about whether the PM is getting his message across to voters. Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Labour politicians are upping their attacks on Nigel Farage and Reform UK in Liverpool. Rachel Reeves took to the conference stage to brand Farage "the single greatest threat to our way of life". And over the weekend, Keir Starmer levelled the accusation that Reform's policy on deporting migrants with indefinite leave to remain was "racist". The shift in tone is not without risk - with the tabloids already accusing the PM of labelling voters more generally who are concerned about migration as racist. But so far at party conference, cabinet ministers appear to be more comfortable defining themselves against their enemies and making the moral case for Labour in government.Is that what the party activists, and the public, need to hear? And are there still inherent contradictions with that Labour is saying about its plan in office?Later, Lewis and Jon speak to Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary also vying to be deputy leader of the party. She had a major announcement today about bringing back maintenance grants to some working class university students - and she came over to the News Agents stand to talk about that, Nigel Farage, Andy Burnham and the case she's making for deputy. Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Cast your mind back to last year in Liverpool and it's hard to imagine much more of a contrasting picture to this year's Labour party conference. Then, party members were still basking in the glow of the election victory, Keir Starmer applauded as the leader who'd defied the odds and returned Labour to power. Now? Leadership jockeying is well underway, a deputy leadership battle could further divide the party, and there is widespread dismay at the speed with which Labour's honeymoon period in office ended - if it ever existed at all. Is this crunch time for Keir Starmer to reassert his vision as PM and give party activists something to feel good about? Why are some senior figures now openly questioning whether he can lead the party into the next election? Has Burnham made his play too early? And could a new message on Reform and Farage be part of Labour's comeback strategy?Lewis and LBC's political correspondent Aggie Chambre have your conference preview from Liverpool.

In many ways, Leo Varadkar was a historic Taoiseach. The youngest Irish PM, the first from an ethnic minority, and the first openly gay head of government. His time at the top of Irish politics was also historic - he grappled with Trump's first term, the Brexit years, and the Covid pandemic. At just 44 years of age, he walked away from politics. But he is still fascinated - even obsessed - by the political arena. He's written a memoir, 'Speaking My Mind', about his rise to power and his time at the seat of government. He came into The News Agents studio to speak to Lewis about the populist surge and where Starmer is failing in his efforts to curb it here, what it's like dealing with Donald Trump up close and personal, and why he found Boris Johnson easier to deal with than Theresa May - even though he couldn't trust him.

Gabby is joined by Ruby Tui - the nation has fallen in love with this World Cup winner and Olympic medallist over this Women's Rugby World Cup. She tells her story, from calling King Charles "bruv", to escaping domestic abuse, and getting 40,000 fans to sing a Maori folk song after winning a home World Cup. Ahead of Saturday's final, Ruby says it's an honour to witness this moment in sporting history. England haven't lost since the last World Cup Final... no pressure then! If you have been a victim of domestic abuse, help is available from charities like Refuge: https://refuge.org.uk/

It feels like Andy Burnham is everywhere right now. Interviews in the New Statesman and The Telegraph have propelled the question of his leadership ambitions into Keir Starmer's face. Does he have a really chance of challenging the PM? And what is his vision for Labour if so? Later, we interview comedian and director of The Producers, Patrick Marber, about Nazi satire, Jimmy Kimmel and Tommy Robinson's march.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Ed Davey closed the Lib Dem conference with a warning not to let Trump's America become Farage's Britain. What might have sounded hyperbolic 24 hours ago sounded prescient by 8 am this morning - after Farage went on LBC and refused to distance himself from Trump's Tylenol conspiracy and then segued neatly into a discussion about immigrants eating swans (the Royal Park's police deny all knowledge of this). Opinion polls suggest the Brits are not big fans of Trump. Has Ed Davey spotted political opportunity in exploiting this fully? And is Farage going off the boil? Later, we sit down with novelist Ian McEwan to discuss memory, metaphysical gloom and modern Britain - which he gets to grips with in his new book 'What We Can Know'.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The US president is pushing his health secretary's latest conspiracy theory from the White House. This one links a paracetamol painkiller with autism in pregnant women - a claim which has been discredited by numerous large scale studies and scientists. But is the damage already done? Today our own health secretary took to the television to warn women not to listen to the US president. How damaging will Trump's words be? And is it all part of a larger movement to discredit science and expertise? Later, Reform UK are being told their "numbers don't add up" on their latest plans for mass deportation. Is that the only push back the government has to offer? Have they ceded the argument by merely talking about the maths? And lastly, why is America having to bail out Argentina when they've all been praising President Milei's immense cost cutting capabilities? Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/ The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The PM's recognition of a nominal state or Palestine has provoked a furious response from the right flank of the Israeli government - several members of which are openly calling on their own government to now seize the occupied West Bank in retaliation. Israel says this is a reward for Hamas and that Keir Starmer is concerned with his own party management - is there any truth to any of that? Why is Netanyahu unable to see the part he himself has played in bringing this historical move about? Will any of the rhetoric bring salvation to starving people in Gaza or the hostages in their midst? And is this move a tacit admission from the British government that it is powerless to change the situation there?Later, what does the memorial for Charlie Kirk tell us about Christian nationalism and the MAGA movement?Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Imagine if the Industrial Revolution took place over 10 years instead of 100. Imagine if most human labour was about to become redundant. Imagine if machines transformed our economy, our society, our politics. You'd think politicians would be talking about it, making policies to manage it - leading a critical national conversation, perhaps even raising the alarm. Well you don't need to imagine it. It's already happening. And our politicians are, almost entirely, silent. In this special report, Lewis sees firsthand the almost unbelievable changes already afoot on America's west coast, at the pioneering forefront of the AI revolution. If AI is about to overtake our politics, why aren't our leaders talking - or even thinking - about it?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Eddie Hearn sits down with Gabby & Mark to talk about the evolution of Matchroom from a £100 sports promotion company, formed under under the staircase of the Romford Snooker Club, to a billion pound global behemoth.Eddie speaks openly about still trying to impress his Dad, Matchroom founder Barry Hearn, planning for life after Anthony Joshua and his pain at how much more profitable the darts is than the boxing! And in the week we lost ‘The Hitman' Ricky Hatton - Eddie also pays tribute to one of the most loved boxers this country has ever produced. New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.

Overnight, the late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was literally cancelled - taken off air and his show suspended, for what his ABC network bosses called "insensitivity" over Charlie Kirk's death. The firing came after comments from the broadcast regulator suggesting he would revoke licences if the show wasn't stopped. Are media companies now complicit in Trump's plan to silence them? And why isn't anyone in MAGA calling out this version of cancel culture now? Later, we are with Trump and Starmer in the Chequers press conference as they face questions on Epstein, Mandelson, Putin and Gaza.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

POTUS has landed in the UK - where he's been so effectively directing public conversation and with increasing noise on the Right about the need for Britain's own MAGA movement. What do the British public really think about Trump? Do they welcome or resent this "unprecedented" state visit? And will it make Keir Starmer's own position stronger or weaker? We speak to More in Common's Luke Tryl.Later, why are British MPs getting barred from Israel? And what do they want the PM to say to Donald Trump on Gaza? We speak to Dr Simon Opher, one Labour MP recently turned away at Israel's border.Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Last night, JD Vance appeared as guest host on Charlie Kirk's podcast. He took the opportunity to use the platform and vow to "dismantle institutions on the left that promote violence and terrorism." He used the death of his good friend, Charlie Kirk, to warn that “an incredibly destructive movement of left wing extremism“ contributed to his killing. Is the Trump administration genuinely blind to the violence also coming from the right? Or are they using this high profile tragedy as a way to justify a crack down that was always part of their plan? Later, what did the Prime Minister know about the Mandelson-Epstein friendship before he was appointed? As an emergency debate takes place in the commons today, what does this all spell for Starmer? Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Elon Musk popped up at Tommy Robinson's march in London on Saturday, calling for parliament to be dissolved, overthrown and for people to fight or die. So, that's all normal. UK Politicians by and large seemed to think that was all fine. So is the far right now normalised to such a degree even the government won't properly call it out? And who are all these people lining up alongside Tommy Robinson - a man once considered a racist and a thug by many? Later, the MP for Wiltshire Devizes has just switched parties without a by-election. Conservative Danny Kruger, formerly a mate of both Boris Johnson and Robert Jenrick, declared his party dead. And has joined Reform. How will his constituents feel about that? And how can you blame "successive government failure" when you have been part of it?You can listen to Andy Hughes report from Tommy Robinson's rally here: https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/episodes/7DrtP74/Visit our new website for more analysis and interviews from the team: https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Nicola Sturgeon has a message for Keir Starmer. Stop legitimising Nigel Farage - or you'll make him the next PM.Scotland's former first minister has done a lot of reflecting since she left office. In an extended interview we talk about her fractious relationship with Alex Salmond, her conclusions on her gender ID policy, the police investigation that saw a blue “murder tent“ erected in her garden, and whether she could have won Scottish independence if she'd led the campaign.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

A special interview today with a sprinter - who ironically - is living proof that it's NEVER too late to start! Eugene Amo-Dadzie has shot to stardom as ‘The World's Fastest Accountant', literally balancing spreadsheets with sport until he was 26 years old! Last month he tied his hero Linford Christie's 100M time and became the joint second-fastest British man over 100m (9.87). It's an amazing story that has led all the way to the start line at this weekend's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and you're gonna love him! Plus we'll look back on another star-studded week on the show as Gabby hit the trading floors of the City at a charity event to catch up with the likes of John Terry, Michael MacIntyre, Maro Itoje, Keira Walsh and many more. Earlier in the week we reflected on Daniel Levy's legacy in North London after he was 'removed' as Spurs' Chairman after 24 years!

American flags are flying at half mast today to honour the memory of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and MAGA influencer shot dead at a university event in Utah. It is hard to state how influential Kirk was in attracting younger voters towards the Republicans. Donald Trump has said he was influential to his 2024 election campaign. In a White House video, Trump said the “radical left” were "directly responsible" for the "terrorism" now present in America, by comparing “wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers”. He pledged that it would be put to a stop. Other MAGA commentators have gone further, claiming that the US is at war and that American conservatives cannot co-exist with liberals. What does Kirk's death mean for American politics now? And why are some British politicians claiming that Kirk spoke "common sense", when his views were so out of kilter with public opinion?Later, how damaged is Keir Starmer by Peter Mandelson's resignation as our man in DC - less than a week out from Trump's state visit?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Lord Mandelson has admitted there may be more embarrassing emails and correspondence between himself and the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The US ambassador was speaking to The Sun the day after a birthday message emerged calling Epstein his “best pal“, and just as the Telegraph revealed details of a business deal that Mandelson worked on with Epstein AFTER he had been convicted. Keir Starmer has stood by his ambassador but failed to answer Kemi's PMQs question - did he know about these dealings when he originally signed off the job? Can Mandelson stay in his role? And why is Starmer determined to defend him.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee