Pod Save the UK

This week, with Andy Burnham’s coronation just days away, Coco & Zoe dig into why the whole thing felt like such a foregone conclusion, and unpack what we might expect from Burnham’s summer season.Speaking of Burn-ing, the UK is literally on fire… so why are some politicians urging us to drop net zero targets altogether as we swelter through another heatwave? Also on the show: CEO of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer, joins to talk about their World Cup campaign, ‘The Other Kick Off’, and how we need cultural and structural changes to meaningfully move the dial on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. Plus, as the news of Ann Widdecombe’s death shocks us all, Coco & Zoe discuss the reality of being a woman in the public eye. Content note: This episode contains discussions of rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse.  GUESTS Farah Nazeer USEFUL LINKSWomen’s Aid Refuge Research Digital Misogynoir Report — GlitchWomen’s Aid Reveals ‘The Other ‘Kick Off’ Time Thousands of Women Dread During the World Cup CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: [email protected] if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

This week, we cancel our early celebrations at the news of Nigel Farage’s resignation, given that he announced in the same breath he would be standing in the very by-election he triggered… Another one?! While Nish is off on a glamorous sidequest, Coco’s joined by guest host journalist Zoë Grünewald to make sense of this latest stunt from Nige. Is this a political gamble that will pay off, or a final act of desperation?Also on the show, we look to Ankara, where world leaders have descended for the latest NATO summit amidst rising geopolitical tensions... Author and foreign correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith breaks down how warfare has changed, why we should be investing more in defence, and what the presumptive PM Andy Burnham could do to get Britain back on track on the world stage. USEFUL LINKSBuy Hannah’s book! https://www.waterstones.com/book/hinterlands/hannah-lucinda-smith/9781805225416 Sunday Times Investigation into ‘Daddy’ Farage and ‘Posh George’:  https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/revealed-nigel-farage-secretly-funded-by-convicted-criminal-j0brtrlnk GUESTS Hannah Lucinda Smith CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: [email protected] if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

“Are you ready for this?” Following Andy Burnham’s first big policy speech since becoming an MP, and with his sights set firmly on the top job, Coco & Nish dig into his promises of regeneration, reindustrialisation, and…a new pair of running shorts. From No10 North to nationalisation and the biggest council house building programme since the postwar period, they discuss their unanswered questions and first impressions of the Manchester man offering “growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart.” Plus, they’re joined by journalist and campaigner Adele Zeynep Walton who shares her first-hand experience of the consequences of online harms. We ask whether the proposed social media ban for under-16s really gets to the heart of the problem (spoiler alert: no), and how we can truly hold the tech industry to account. Content note: this discussion includes references to suicide. USEFUL LINKSBuy Adele’s book: “Logging Off: The Human Cost of our Digital World” https://www.waterstones.com/book/logging-off/adele-zeynep-walton/9781398722941 Write to your MP and support the call for a public inquiry into the scale of harm facilitated by online suicide forums: https://mollyrosefoundation.beaconforms.com/form/90ddb8e4  https://mollyrosefoundation.org/campaigns/campaign-against-pro-suicide-forums/  GUESTS Adele Zeynep Walton CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.HRF Power Plays: Search Power Plays wherever you get your podcasts.WISE: https://www.wise.comPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: [email protected] if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

As Ben Rhodes says on this week’s episode, “we’re in a revolutionary moment globally”. Joining Nish and Coco from sister show Pod Save the World, Ben shares (and despairs) about the state of UK and US politics, and tells us what we can take from the Democrats’ disaster of 2024. Isn’t it time that progressives got their own populist?Plus, we hear about Ben’s new book, ‘All We Say’, tracing American history through some of its most famous–and infamous–speeches. We talk to him about the similarities between Britain and America both losing their way when it comes to national identity, and how our leaders need to tell it like it is. We can handle the truth! Also on the show: New Statesman Editor Tom McTague dissects Starmer’s swan song, explains his last minute decision not to challenge Burnham for leadership, and sets out why it all went wrong for a man who won a landslide victory less than two years ago. USEFUL LINKSGrab a copy of Ben’s new book, All We Say: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470622/all-we-say-by-rhodes-ben/9781847928887 Ailbhe Rea’s recent piece in the New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2026/06/what-happens-now Tom McTague’s interview with Keir Starmer: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/what-keir-starmer-cant-say GUESTS Ben Rhodes Tom McTague CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SAILY: https://www.saily.com/podsave HRF Power Plays: Search Power Plays wherever you get your podcasts.VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKWISE: https://www.wise.comBT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] we’d love to hear from you as we plan to do a mailbag episode soon: end any questions, thoughts, or musings our way!Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https

As Makerfield goes to the polls today, Nish and Coco take a look back at Andy's campaign. They interrogate Burnham’s ‘King of the North’ brand, and dig into what ‘Manchesterism’ actually is —asking how it could work on a national scale. They’re joined by Jack Dulhanty, journalist at Manchester Mill, to break down whether we can expect a people-pleaser for our next Prime Minister, how voting intentions have split households, and why a four-month old political party has given Reform a run for its money. Plus: following the Court of Appeal’s ruling upholding the ban on Palestine Action and the terror sentencing of the ‘Filton 4’ activists, we speak to Akiko Hart, director of Liberty, the UK’s oldest human rights organisation, to understand the consequences of applying such a broad definition of terrorism.  And, as a social media ban looms for under-16s, what could this mean for the future of digital privacy in the UK? USEFUL LINKSSee Ben Rhodes and Coco Khan live! Tickets here.Liberty breaks down the Palestine Action ruling: https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/breaking-down-the-court-of-appeal-judgment-on-palestine-actions-proscription/#:~:text=On%2015%20June%202026%2C%20the%20Court%20of%20Appeal%20ruled%20in,proscription%20was%20lawful%20and%20proportionate. GUESTS Akiko Hart Jack DulhantyCHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SAILY: https://www.saily.com/podsave BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukVANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk</div

This week, as the far-right continues to fan the flames of violence and division, Coco and Nish are joined by Hasan Piker: Twitch streamer, influencer, and left-wing political commentator who was recently blocked from entering the UK. They dig into what makes him “not conducive to the public good”, and why it’s important to speak the truth–however that comes across. They also talk about political allegiances, the future of progressive politics, and the worrying rise of far-right MAGA movements across the world. Does a Labour government have the answer?GUESTS Hasan Piker CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES:https://www.auraframes.co.uk Code: PSTUKWISE: https://www.wise.comBT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more. Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

This week, Nish and Coco dig into the latest release of files around Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the US, and what the hundreds of emails and WhatsApps reveal about Labour’s internal panic, Keir Starmer’s leadership, and a government that seems increasingly unsure of itself.They also unpack Alan Milburn’s major review into youth unemployment. Is Britain dealing with a generation that doesn’t want to work, or a broken system that has stripped away routes into jobs, training and support?Plus: Nish and Coco are joined by Sabah Choudrey, speaker, consultant and founder of Trans Pride Brighton, to discuss the EHRC’s new guidance on single-sex spaces, the worsening climate for trans people in the UK, and how a small network of gender-critical organisations has helped push trans rights into the centre of the culture war.GUESTS Zoë CrowtherSabah ChoudreyUSEFUL LINKSUpdated EHRC Code of Practice: GI’s response | Gendered IntelligenceJoin the trans lobby on the 25th June: Mass Lobby for Trans Equality CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukVANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK AURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: ht

This week, Nish and Coco head back to Makerfield, where the by-election campaign is already turning into a political demolition derby; Andy Burnham is just ahead of Reform, the far right is fighting itself, Elon Musk has wandered into the discourse, and Nigel Farage has reappeared after questions over his £5 million gift.Plus: they’re joined by Hettie O’Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class, to break down how private equity quietly bought up the services we rely on, from nurseries and care homes to vets and water companies, and why that matters for the broken economy we’re all living in.GUESTS Hettie O'Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against ItselfUSEFUL LINKSAmnesty Report | Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UKTony Blair Article | The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country by CLIP CREDITSCarol Vorderman via Instagram, (@carolvorders)CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsav

This week, Nish and Coco make sense of another chaotic week in Westminster, as Keir Starmer clings on in Downing Street, Wes Streeting resigns, and Andy Burnham’s route back to Parliament suddenly becomes very real.They’re joined by Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East and one of the earliest MPs to call for Starmer to go, to unpack the mood inside the Labour Party, whether Burnham is really the answer, and what Labour needs to do to win back progressive voters. Plus: after Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson’s latest rally in London, how should progressives respond to the far right without simply echoing its politics?And: Nigel Farage faces questions over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. Does the man of the people have some very expensive explaining to do?CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheukSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Nadia Whittome MPUSEFUL LINKS@Femi_Sorry: Tommy Robinson supporters expose themselves so fast! - Unite The Kingdomhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdc_HsSA5Y CLIP CREDITSFemi OluwoleNigel Farage Interview: The SunPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

This week, as Labour reels from a brutal set of election results, Nish and Coco try to make sense of Keir Starmer’s fight to stay in Downing Street, a story moving faster than political journalists can refresh their phones. They’re joined by Helena, aka NoJusticeMTG, Twitch streamer, YouTuber and Novara Media contributor, to break down Labour’s post-election meltdown, the rise of Reform, and whether the Greens’ surge points to a more hopeful progressive future. They also dig into who might replace Starmer, from Angela Rayner to Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting.Plus, what should we take from Plaid Cymru’s win in Wales, Reform’s new foothold, and the Greens breaking through in places Labour once took for granted?And former Google executive Mo Gawdat joins to discuss Chasing Utopia, the new documentary asking whether AI is about to transform our lives, our politics, and possibly the future of humanity itself.Watch Mo Gawdat in Atlantic Studios new release Chasing Utopia from Friday 15th May 2026 at Everyman Cinemas. Book tickets at everymancinema.com.GUESTS Mo GawdatNoJusticeMTGUSEFUL LINKSRaphael Behr https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/13/labour-battle-of-ideas-no-10-keir-starmer-leadership  CREDITS BBC ONE: Sunday with Laura KuenssbergYoutube: Novara MediaPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

This week, Nish and Coco make sense of a bruising local election week, as Labour braces for heavy losses, Reform eyes major gains, and the Greens look to break through in London.They’re joined by Will Hayward, award-winning investigative journalist and expert on Welsh politics, to break down what’s happening in Wales, where Labour’s century-long dominance could be coming to an end. He explains the new Senedd voting system, the rise of Plaid and Reform, and what this election could mean for the future of devolution.Plus: Zoë Grünewald joins to unpack Reform’s latest migrant detention centre proposal, Green hopes in the capital, and what a bad night could mean for Keir Starmer.And: should MPs be allowed to drink on the job, or is Parliament’s bar tab finally becoming a political problem?GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, political journalistWill Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalist USEFUL LINKSGuide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/CREDITSRadio 4, Today Show Tiktok, Zia Yusef (@ziayusufuk) Instagram, Hannah Spencer (@hannahtheplumbermcr)Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

British politics was shaken to its core this week when we all realised that, maybe, Keir Starmer isn’t as quite across the detail as he tries to make out. He had to explain exactly what he did and didn’t know about the developed vetting carried out for Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s Ambassador to the US.Right on the heels of that, came Olly Robbins, who was sacked last week from his role as the chief official at the Foreign Office. In a very civil servant way, he revealed the internal pressures and machinations that were happening during the appointment process.Both men had serious questions to answer about what they did but Coco and Nish are joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald to ask why everyone is obsessing over the process while almost totally ignoring the larger, moral decision to make the appointment in the first place.Plus the comedian Rosie Jones arrives to totally derail the whole podcast with a mix of funny jabs at Nish while still telling us about the work of her brilliant foundation which is celebrating its first birthday!  Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.**Warning: use of a racial slur during the Labour May election segment**CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheukWISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK SHIPSTATION: https://www.shipstation.com Code: PSTUKGUESTS Zoë Grünewald - Journalist, broadcaster and political commentatorRosie Jones - ComedianUSEFUL LINKSThe Rosie Jones Foundation: https://www.rosiejonesfoundation.com/CREDITSSir Keir Starmer MP - Parliament TVEmily Thornberry MP - The Mirror, YouTube Sir Oliver Robbins - Parliament TV David Miliband MP - Mornings with Ridge and Frost, Sky News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https

Who says the special relationship is on the ropes? Coco and Nish are joined by Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor to showcase transatlantic co-operation at its very best. From the battle of slopaganda to the real war in Iran - there’s a lot to talk about.Donald Trump deleted a Truth Social post because he looked a little bit too much like Jesus for the Christian community - many of them have been some of his biggest supporters. Meanwhile Iran has released a series of sometimes-antisemitic, AI, Lego rap videos. In the UK, Keir Starmer is being criticised for not spending enough on defence at a time when the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are focusing minds.Plus - Your Party hits the skids in Scotland - we hear from an insider about what went down.Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukSHOPIFY: https://www.wise.comWISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Tommy Vietor, Host, Pod Save America and Pod Save The WorldUSEFUL LINKSHow to email your MP about NHS Palantir contracts - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/sign-a-petition/mp-demand-no-palantir-in-our-nhs/CREDITSDonald Trump - @rapidresponse47, X Iranian Propaganda Video - Explosive MediaOwen Maitland, Former Your Party Scotland executive committee memberFaiza Shaheen, Director, Tax Justice UK - ‘Politics Live’, BBC OneSaturday Night Live UK, Sky OnePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Coco and Nish are joined by top author and tech expert Jamie Bartlett. His new book is a deep dive into the ways AI is being used - highlighting its pitfalls and also where it might be beneficial.Jamie even created an AI alter-ego to help people understand how the technology really works, its strengths and its limitations. Plus, your questions, answered! From the new electoral system in Wales to favourite conspiracy theories - you’ll learn and you’ll laugh!Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukWISE: https://www.wise.comGUESTS Jamie Bartlett, Author, ‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’ and Host of Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares) on BBC SoundsSpecial guest appearance: Jimmy BotlettUSEFUL LINKS‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’: Out April 9th. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/475950/how-to-talk-to-ai-by-bartlett-jamie/9780753561980Welsh Assembly election guidehttps://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/senedd-election-2026-what-is-the-d-hondt-formula-and-how-does-it-work/Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Comedian and columnist Stewart Lee joins Nish and Coco to discuss the week’s big stories.They talk about Donald Trump’s deadly and yet utterly confusing war with Iran, as the US President continues to contradict his own statements about the Strait of Hormuz and peace talks, almost in the same breath. It certainly means a new, live, UK sketch show has plenty of material - but how should comedy respond to the challenging times we are all living through?Plus - why having a weekly opinion column is good for your mental health and why news organisations need to do more to tackle the lies and extreme rhetoric coming from politicians.Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukINCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheuk GUESTS Stewart Lee, Comedian and columnist for The NerveUSEFUL LINKSGuide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/CREDITSSaturday Night Live UK, Sky OnePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Last summer - fuelled by the far right - a rash of St George and Union Jack flags spread across the country. Flag-waving became a symbol of prejudice, not pride. In that context it's hard as progressives to feel particularly patriotic. So what is Britishness… and does it even matter?Someone who is hopeful that our national identity is worth saving is writer, a DJ and broadcaster Zakia Sewell. In this bonus episode of PSUK, she tells Nish and Coco about her journey to uncover an alternative version of Britishness - one that unifies rather than divides.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTZakia Sewell, writer, DJ & broadcasterUSEFUL LINKS“Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for Hidden Britain” - out now.https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-albion/zakia-sewell/9781399735902Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Reform UK is getting into the lottery business - inviting people to sign up for a chance to have their energy bills paid for a year. But is the real prize a massive database of voters ahead of the next General Election? Plus - party leader Nigel Farage has been caught saying some pretty questionable stuff for money on Cameo. Is that really the kind of thing we should expect from someone who plans to be our next Prime Minister?Nish and Coco are joined by authors Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff. Their new book Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed looks at the billionaire manbaby in a whole new way. If you want to understand what’s driving Musk and what it could mean for all of us - this is the chat for you.And POLITICO’s Anne McElvoy is on hand as the former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner pops up to point out all the ways Labour is getting it wrong at the moment - subtext: without her they’re lost.Reminder to send in your burning questions for Nish and Coco to [email protected] OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, Authors. Muskism: A Guide for the PerplexedOut on March 24thAnne McElvoy, Executive Editor, POLITICO and co-host Politics at Sam and Anne’sUSEFUL LINKSThe Podcast Show - https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/explore-passesMuskism: A Guide for the Perplexedhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477340/muskism-by-tarnoff-quinn-slobodian-and-ben/9780241805114CREDITSThe Guardian - YouTubeThe Independent - YouTubeReform UK - YouTubeToday in Focus - The GuardianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk

The first wave of Mandelson files have been published. We all wanted to know what Keir Starmer knew, and when he knew it. Now we can see it in black and white. And as it turns out - Starmer was warned there was a “general reputational risk” over Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of his confirmation as US ambassador. Nish and Coco make sense of this perilous moment for the PM.Then critical theorist and viral creator Louisa Munch helps us make sense of the government’s new social cohesion strategy. But is tackling extremism and yet more surveillance the answer to fraying social ties?Plus - as Iran names its new supreme leader oil prices skyrocket - for a PM obsessed with the cost of living, this is shaping up to be a bit of a nightmare.Remember to send your questions in for Nish and Coco to [email protected] and they’ll spill the tea! CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKBABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKGUESTS Louisa Munch, Critical TheoristMinnie Rahman, CEO PraxisUSEFUL LINKS“Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe” + Q&A with James Acaster at The Ritzy, Brixton - 18th Marchhttps://picturehouses.com/movie-details/000/HO00017471/nish-kumar-nish-don-t-kill-my-vibe-q-a?filter=Open letter opposing planned changes to the immigration settlement routes: https://act.praxis.org.uk/open-letter-earned-settlementCREDITSDarren Jones MP, Cabinet Office minister - Parliament TVSteve Reed MP, Communities Secretary - Parliament TVMike Tapp MP, Migration minister - Parliament TVMinnie Rahman, Praxis CEOFrederik Pleitgen, CNN International Senior Correspondent - CNNPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com<

A world leader has been assassinated, schools and hospitals have been hit, and Donald Trump thinks that Keir Starmer is no Winston Churchill. It’s all kicking off as the US and Israel’s illegal war escalates across the Middle East. All of this with the open admission of no real plan for what comes next. Struggling to absorb it all? Wondering if there’s another way? British-Iranian peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE is here to fill us in. She joins Coco and comedian Sophie Duker, who is in the hotseat for Nish this week.Soaring oil prices was not the backdrop Chancellor Rachel Reeves was hoping for ahead of her second Spring Statement. Finalised before the conflict broke out, her economic plan was “Trumped” before it was even delivered - so where does this leave the UK?Plus - just as the UK gets dragged into this latest destabilising conflict, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood rips up the rules on UK asylum. Got a burning question for Nish or Coco? Big or small - they will be answered in a special episode! Email: [email protected] CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISEhttps://www.wise.comSHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk SURFSHARKhttps://www.surfshark.com/podsave Code: PODSAVEGUESTSanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, founder and CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)USEFUL LINKSSophie Dukerhttps://thesophieduker.com/If You Were In Charge with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini and Kavita Nandini Ramdas.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/if-you-were-in-charge/id1770618616CREDITSSophie Duker - Live at the Apollo / BBC One Keir Starmer / XParliament TV PBS News Hour / YouTubeBBC News Zoe Gardner / IGManchester Evening News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtu

This week Nish and Coco are joined by friend of the pod, Ash Sarkar from Novara Media to talk about political scandal, trust and compromise. Ash’s book, Minority Rule, has a new afterword which talks about two progressive movements which have tried to build different kinds of relationships with voters. Is that the way forward - or are we stuck in an endless cycle of broken promises from our leaders? One of those leaders - Keir Starmer - seems to be lurching from crisis to nightmare, so can he rise above the latest headlines about Peter Mandelson’s arrest and the Labour Together scandal?Plus Reform’s new immigration policies, the new proposals to change the SEND system - and some good news about two protest groups.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSURFSHARK: https://www.surfshark.com/podsave  CODE: PODSAVE  GUESTS Ash Sarkar, Contributing Editor at Novara Media and author of Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War - out now in paperback.USEFUL LINKSJumaane Williams’ thoughtful response following the outcry about the handling of a racial slur at the Baftas.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgaqKIxS4Hs&t=1sCREDITSDaily Express - YouTubeNigel Farage - [email protected] - InstagramNida JafriPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

This week Coco is joined by the comedian Cody Dahler while Nish takes a brief break and there’s so much to talk about!The Greens' Hannah Spencer has become the unexpected bookies favourite to win the Gorton and Denton by-election but does she have what it takes to turn good odds into a win at the ballot box? We speak to her about the importance of fighting to improve lives, her favourite false rumour and why walking her dogs helped form her political outlook.Plus Keir Starmer is back with another U-turn and another inquiry. We try to work out what he’s hoping to achieve this week. And Amnesty International’s UK Director of Law and Human Rights, Tom Southerden, updates us on their High Court victory as they challenge the proscription of Palestine Action.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate, Gorton and Denton by-electionTom Southerden, UK Law and Human Rights Director, Amnesty InternationalUSEFUL LINKSGorton and Denton by-election candidate list https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/parl.gorton-and-denton.by.2026-02-26/gorton-and-denton/CREDITSTikTok / @mrcodydahlerGreen Party of England and Wales / FacebookHannah Spencer / InstagramPaul Holden, Investigative journalist and author of "The Fraud"High Court protest reaction - Amnesty International footage@mrcodydahler / InstagramOtto, Budding ComedianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet circles the wagons as he survives another hellish week in office. One that saw the loss of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his director of communications, Tim Allan, as the scandal over Peter Mandelson's ties to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein rages on. Nish and Coco are joined by Paul Holden, the “unofficial biographer” of Morgan McSweeney, to discuss his key role in the rise of Keir Starmer to power and his close relationship with Mandelson. Plus - reports that Labour Together hired a PR firm to investigate Paul and others looking into its funding under McSweeney.Also, comedian Stuart Goldsmith on the serious business of being funny about climate change and why it goes all the way to the top of British intelligence.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKWISEhttps://www.wise.comGUESTS Paul Holden, Investigative Journalist and author of The FraudStuart Goldsmith, Climate ComedianUSEFUL LINKSThe Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracyhttps://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/Stuart Goldsmithwww.stuartgoldsmith.comCREDITSSky News / YouTubeSky News / YouTubeGOP Oversight / YouTubeSky News Australia / YouTubePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

The release of the latest Epstein files triggered a deluge of revelations, spelling the end for one of UK’s biggest political characters. Nish and Coco chat about Lord Mandelson’s fall and the damage done to Keir Starmer and his government as well as the new police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.Economist Ann Pettifor, one of the few who predicted the 2008 financial crash, is the author of a new book “The Global Casino”. She has a lot to say about the Mandelson scandal, the financial systems that control our lives and what governments need to do to challenge the global billionaires who speculate with our money every day.Plus - move over Barbenheimer, Nish and Coco give their take on two premieres: The Moment and Melania.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKGUEST Ann Pettifor, economist and author of ‘The Global Casino’USEFUL LINKSNish Tour Ticketshttps://www.nishkumar.co.uk/gigs/The Global Casino: How Wall Street Gambles with People and the Planethttps://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3258-the-global-casinoCREDITSKeir Starmer MP / Parliament TVLord Mandelson / ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ BBC OneMelania Trailer Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Keir Starmer jets off to Beijing, leaving Westminster - once again - bubbling with rumours about his future. The King of the North might be off the cards, but Angela Rayner and even Ed Miliband are eyeing up the top spot. Reform thinks GB News Presenter and right-wing activist Matt Goodwin is the right man to be their MP candidate in Gorton and Denton - if only he can shelve his disdain for Manchester… Nish and Coco chew it all over with political journalist Zoë Grünewald.Away from the psychodrama, controversial plans to overhaul special educational needs education in England risk children’s legal rights to cut costs. Campaigners Rachel Filmer and Carrie Grant share their concerns with Coco.And surveillance firm Palantir is using medical records to target people for ICE in the US - could the UK be next?This podcast has been edited to remove a story about Matt Goodwin after he clarified the context of his comments about Manchester. We regret the error.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, journalist, broadcaster and political commentatorDr Carrie Grant MBE, TV presenter and voice coachRachel Filmer, SEND campaignerUSEFUL LINKSSave Our Children’s Rights Campaignhttps://www.saveourchildrensrights.org.uk/Stop Palantir in the NHShttps://goodlawproject.org/campaign/stop-palantir-in-the-nhsCREDITSKeir Starmer / TikTokPod Save America / XGood Law Project / InstagramSky News / YouTubeUKLabour / XPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

Donald Trump brings his particular brand of terrible speeches to the billionaires and bankers at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Nish and Coco try to work out how Keir Starmer can keep on track when facing the threat of US tariffs over Greenland as well as criticism of a lease deal with the Chagos Islands - which the US had previously praised.Liam Thorp, the Liverpool Echo’s Political Editor, is on hand to break down Labour’s big plan to make homes warmer, the fortunes of Reform and the latest delay to the Hillsborough LawPlus comedian Alaa Shehada, fresh from his show ‘The Horse of Jenin’, talks to Nish and Coco about the ‘Palestine Comedy Club’, a documentary which follows a group of Palestinians as they take their comedy show on tour in an occupied state.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFYShopify.co.uk/podsavetheukWISEWise.comGUESTS Liam Thorp - Political Editor, Liverpool EchoTess Ingram, UNICEFAlaa Shehada - ComedianUSEFUL LINKSPalestine Comedy Club collectivehttps://www.palestinecomedyclub.com/Palestine Comedy Club documentaryhttps://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/palestine-comedy-clubStarting Feb 27th:London - Rich Mix and Bertha Doc House Tywyn - Magic Lantern Cinema Birmingham - Mockingbird Cinema Brighton - Komedia Gloucester - Guildhall Belfast - Queen’s Film TheatreCREDITSDonald Trump - BBC Online‘Palestine Comedy Club’ - Tough CrowdPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: <a href="https://twitt

X has been firmly in the firing line after its Grok AI tool was used to create sexualised images of women and children. Elon Musk’s company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global earnings by internet regulator Ofcom, or a ban in the UK. He denies that the AI has done anything illegal and says users are responsible for the images they create.How can we regulate AI? Nish and Coco speak to Rutger Bregman, historian and author who called out billionaires at Davos. He argues Big Tech should be treated like Big Tobacco, and gives his take on Iran, as thousands of protestors take to the streets, and what a radical policy platform looks like for the UK Left today.Plus - what on earth is UKIP proposing as a terrifying rebrand? *Update on Palestinian Hunger Strikers*: On 14th Jan Heba, Kamran, and Lewie collectively paused their hunger strike. They made British history, lasting 73 days.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFYShopify.co.uk/podsavetheukBABBELhttps://www.babbel.com/PSUK GUESTS Rutger Bregman - Historian and Author of Moral Ambition, out in paper back on 15th JanUSEFUL LINKShttps://www.moralambition.org/bookLet us know your experiences of SEND support in schools - or any other stories.CREDITSLiz Kendall MP, Technology Secretary - Parliament TVRutger Bregman - Publicae   Rutger Bregman and Tucker Carlson - Now ThisTehran protests - Shaparak Khorsandi/InstagramDonald Trump - New York TimesLaila Cunningham - Daily Express/YouTubeNadim Zahawi - Sky NewsPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho

The US President put the season of goodwill behind him with a New Year Venezuelan coup and the threat of further action across Central America and the Caribbean. Then there’s the little matter of his promise to seize control of Greenland.Nish and Coco try to make sense of the senseless - and to assess the possibility that Donald Trump could end up destroying NATO - with Tommy Vietor from our sister podcasts Pod Save America and Pod Save the World. Plus, comedian Cody Dahler gives us his take on how 2026 will shape up for politicians and satirists. How easy is it to make jokes while the world - literally and metaphorically - is on fire? CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISEhttps://wise.com/BABBELhttps://www.babbel.com/PSUK GUESTS Cody Dahler, Comedian and Presenter of The Truth (In My Opinion)Tommy Vietor, Co-Host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the WorldNida JafriUSEFUL LINKSPalestine Action Hunger Strikers:How to write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/Petition calling for action from the Justice Secretaryhttps://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-on-mp-and-secretary-of-justice-david-lammy-to-intervene-and-protect-the-hunger-strikers/CREDITSParliament TVCody Dahler/TikTokSunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBC OneTonight with Andrew Marr/LBCPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected] and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukTwitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/podsa

You asked, Nish and Coco answered!What are their most conservative opinions? Why do both the left and right hate NATO so much? Should we ditch GDP? Why doesn’t the UK have compulsory voting and why do some many progressives stay true to Labour when the party is failing to measure up?All that plus the latest on Coco’s love-hate relationship with AI and a quickfire round to make sure no question is left unanswered.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBELBabbel.com/PSUK SHOPIFYShopify.co.uk/podsavetheukCALMCalm.com/PTSUKPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected] PSUK! Don’t forget to like and subscribe.Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warning: this episode contains a use of a racial slur.From the rollback of human rights and Trump’s BBC lawsuit to AI slop in politics - what the %@£! was that? Nish and Coco are joined by comedian Shappi Khorsandi and political commentator Jovan Owusu-Nepaul to make sense of the wild year that was. Labour’s first full year in office was marked by u-turns and an inability to use the word ‘genocide’ but there were some significant new bills that boosted the rights of renters and employees. Reform’s polling and local election success had mainstream parties running scared - but the reality of actually running stuff may have revealed the party’s limits. While Starmer focused on the threat from the right, the left was revitalised by the resurgence of the Greens and the (albeit chaotic) energy of Your Party - can they shift the political dial?As 2025 draws to a close - Nish and Coco hand out some very special awards and can we get a Palestinian lullaby to Christmas No.1?CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUKCALMcalm.com/PTSUKSHOPIFYShopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Shappi Khorsandi, ComedianJovan Owusu-Nepaul, Co-Host of What’s Left? USEFUL LINKShttps://togetherforpalestine.bandcamp.com/album/lullabyCREDITSLabour Party/TikTok Parliament TVSky News/YouTube  Channel 4 News/YouTube Channel 4 News/YouTube BladeoftheSun/X Shaparak Khorsandi/TikTokThe Last Leg/Channel 4Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBCBasil the Great/XSky News/YouTube5 Live/BBCPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitte

Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Europe’s “weak” leaders over Ukraine and immigration including a special mention for - surprise surprise - Sadiq Khan, who got a shout out for being a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”. Honestly, why is he SO obsessed?! But a Labour government trying to convince European allies to water down human rights law to deport people faster seems perfectly in line with Trump's vision. Nish and Coco are joined by Sky’s Deputy Political Editor Sam Coates.They also take a dive into the latest allegation swirling around Reform UK - this time the party’s election spending in Nigel Farage’s Clacton constituency is under the spotlight.And the scale of the homelessness crisis always seems more acute at this time of year - so the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern, joins PSUK to explain how their new plan will be the one to finally make a difference.Finally - PSUK has watched the first episode of the Liz Truss Show, so you don’t have to. Nish and Coco give it a rating out of one to limp lettuce.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBELhttps://www.babbel.com/PSUK AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUKSHOPIFYShopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor at Sky NewsAlison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and HomelessnessUSEFUL LINKS: Nish’s Carol Performance CREDITSPolitico The Liz Truss Show / YouTubeKeir Starmer MP / TikTokRishi Sunak MP / TikTokPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Dead and rotting seagulls within the roof insulation” and “maggots literally raining down on to the lobby” - this quote from a court in South Tyneside sums up the state of our creaking judicial system. So what are we going to do about it? Cut jury trials.Deputy PM and Justice Secretary David Lammy is hoping to clear the court backlog by scrapping jury trials for crimes with sentences of less than three years - but stories like these make Nish and Coco doubtful it will be the silver bullet Lammy hopes. Is removing one of the fundamental building blocks of our justice system worth some sweet sweet efficiency gains? Then - is this the next post office scandal? Nish and Coco are joined by Liz Sayce OBE to discuss her damning report into how the Department of Work and Pensions failed to notify unpaid carers that they were accruing enormous debt for years. And Your Party had its founding conference this weekend… and surprise surprise… it was a spicy one. In the end, Team Zarah’s collective vision for the party defeated Team Jeremy. Will this be a new chapter or - for a party prone to in-fighting - will this leadership model trip them up from the get go?Reminder to send in your questions for our mailbag special to [email protected] OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUKBABBELhttps://www.babbel.com/PSUK WISEhttps://www.wise.comGUESTS Liz Sayce, OBECREDITSBBC NewsTurn Left MediaThe Mirror Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coco and Nish listened to Rachel Reeves' budget so you don't have to. But hang on, we could all have skipped the speech and read it online. Someone screwed up big time, pressing a button and releasing the budget before Reeves even stood up. That cock up was possibly the most exciting thing about Labour's second budget. A bit vanilla for you? Too much tax for ordinary workers? Too little for the wealthy?Journalist Zoë Grünewald tells Pod Save The UK why this budget might have done enough to pacify the Labour backbenches by lifting the two child benefit cap while soothing the markets with tax and spend plans...Dr Faiza Shaheen, Director of Tax Justice UK, was hoping for bolder action on wealth taxes, but she spots some reasons to be cheerful in the mix. In other news, Nigel Farage gets rattled by questions about his past. Nish and Coco enjoy the novelty of seeing him squirm but wonder if it will harm his electoral chances. And bring a bottle and bury the hatchets, can 'Your Party' make this weekend their kiss and make up moment?Send in your questions for Nish and Coco and they’ll answer them in our mailbag special. Email us at [email protected] OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk CALM https://www.calm.com/PSTUK AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUKGUESTS Zoë Grünewald, Journalist Faiza Shaheen, Director of Tax Justice UKUSEFUL LINKS https://www.yourparty.uk/founding-documents/ Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian articlehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/wealth-tax-left-super-rich-britain-budget-2025CREDITSHouse of Commons LiveSky NewsThe New Statesman Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comInsta:

Warning: this episode contains strong language and a term of racist abuse. Just when we thought the disasters of the government couldn’t get any worse… New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has made it her “moral mission” to raise Nish and Coco’s blood pressure. Cruel new plans to end the permanent status of refugees and curb housing and support for asylum seekers do perhaps justify the government’s slogan of the biggest overhaul of the system “in modern history” - but at what cost?But - not to be outdone in terms of parties completely out of touch with reality - Your Party’s latest act of in-fighting leaves Nish and Coco with palms glued to their faces. Let’s face it - things have never been anything but fractious within the upstart political movement, but as their conference approaches the wind has never seemed further from their sails. And ahead of the budget next week Chancellor Rachel Reeves is entertaining big cuts to the Warm Homes Plan in efforts to bring down energy bills. Nish and Coco chat to Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of environmental organisation Uplift, about why this quick fix is wrong-headed and short sighted. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUKCALMhttps://www.calm.com/PSTUK GUESTS Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of UpliftUSEFUL LINKS Claims of racism and antisemitism in Nigel Farage’s adolescence https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2025/nov/18/deeply-shocking-nigel-farage-faces-fresh-claims-of-racism-and-antisemitism-at-schoolCREDITSShabana Mahmood / XReform UKParliament TV Ed Miliband / IGPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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

Are knives being sharpened by disgruntled MPs planning a coup against the PM? As Keir Starmer’s team dig in against a supposed threat to the Prime Minister from Health Secretary Wes Streeting - has the Tory-brand of Westminster psychodrama come back for a new series? Meanwhile the BBC is under fire from the left, the right, the centre and the US president. Nish and Coco dig into an existential crisis for the public broadcaster. And as COP30 kicks off in Brazil - can we rescue the 1.5C climate target? Alex Reid from Global Witness drops in to give us a reality check. Later - as Robert Jenrick begins posting AI generated slop to attack his political rivals -  Coco speaks to the AI and Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSSHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk BABBELhttps://www.babbel.com/PSUK AUDIO CREDITS BBC Radio 4GUESTSAlex Reid, Head of Forests team at Global WitnessKanishka Narayan MP, AI and Online Safety Minister Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nish and Coco celebrate the win of Progressive New York Democratic Mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani - and ponder what British lefties can learn from his social-media friendly campaign. And is Chancellor Rachel Reeves about to rip up Labour’s manifesto promise not to introduce any new taxes on “working people”? She certainly seems to be laying the groundwork for it, after an unusual pre-budget speech on Tuesday. Nothing was announced - but it’s what wasn’t denied that tells a story… Later - Nish and Coco discuss the disturbing influence of American anti-abortionist lobbies on the UK’s political system and what we can do about it with New York Times investigative reporter Jane Bradley and campaigner for sexual and reproductive health and rights Lisa Hallgarten. To nobody’s surprise, Nigel Farage is involved. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSBabbel https://www.babbel.com/PSUK Calm https://www.calm.com/PSTUK Wisehttps://www.wise.comGUESTSLisa Hallgarten - advocate, educator and campaigner for sexual and reproductive health and rights with a recent focus on young people’s right to better sex education. You can follow her on Instagram and Bluesky @FundamentalWrites Jane Bradley - UK investigative reporter at the New York Times USEFUL LINKSCrooked Christmas Gear http://crooked.com/storeJane Bradley's NYT articlehttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/world/europe/uk-abortion-farage.htmlAUDIO CREDITSCNNSky NewsReform UKPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a h

It’s been a painful week for the government, with a migrant sex offender accidentally released from prison and a damning report on the spiralling costs of the asylum system. But is a plan to house asylum seekers on military sites really the answer? Political journalist Zoë Grünewald - standing in for Coco as Nish’s co-host this week - dives into how this re-hashed Conservative plan has managed to piss off, well, just about everyone. In better news - it’s curtains for the hated section 21 ‘no-fault evictions’ notices. The long-awaited Renters’ Rights Act has become law! Nish and Zoe talk to housing journalist Vicky Spratt about how big a deal this is for renters across England. Plus - why Housing Secretary Steve Reed's Maga-style 'build, baby, build' crusade looks likely to end in affordable housing targets more pathetic than they are now. Then later – from spending £75,000 on flags to their only black party chair quitting - is Reform out-reforming Reform? And why is Jeremy Corbyn swapping parliament for panto this Christmas.GUESTSVicky SprattUSEFUL LINKSPeckham Not For Salehttps://www.crowdjustice.com/case/acapeckham/CREDITSSky NewsX / Steve Reed Talk TVLBCReform UKITV NewsIG / Pleasance Theatre Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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/@PodSavetheUKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enough is enough! Nish stages an intervention with Coco about her troubling relationship with Chat GPT. Or as Coco puts it: her mate “Chatty G”. But Coco’s not the only one embracing generative AI - it’s creeping into politics. From MPs using it in their daily work to the Swedish prime minister turning to it for a second opinion on running the country. Is AI a useful and harmless political tool or will it erode trust even further?Despairing, Nish catches up with internet pioneer and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. What can our increasingly polarised and trust-depleted world learn from the man who turned a crazy idea into one of the most popular websites in the world? Nish and Jimmy cover Musk’s “Wokepedia” attacks, the rise of AI and the Online Safety Act. And Nish and Coco check in on some other questionable distortions of reality - featuring everyone’s favourite charlatan Nigel Farage and Prince Andrew’s infamous inability to sweat.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORSCALMhttps://www.calm.com/PSTUK SPOTIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTSJimmy WalesCREDITSAl ArabiaBBCThe Sun Reform UKDonald TrumpBloombergPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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/@PodSavetheUKLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been an emotional week after the arrival of a Hamas-Israel ceasefire. This is good news - but issues of humanitarian aid, human rights, and accountability are all still up in the air. The struggle for a lasting peace continues... Closer to home - Nish and Coco check in with Plaid Cymru's leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, to talk about seeing off Reform, what a new co-operative era in Welsh politics might look like and why voters may find themselves a little "indie-curious".If Oasis can bury the hatchet, so can we! That's Your Party's message, but Nish and Coco aren’t  totally sold on the Corbyn-Sultana reunion. In the wake of a Green membership surge, the party without a name is drawing dividing lines…  But are they picking the right battles?  And - the Iron Lady turns 100 - as lavish celebrations begin Nish and Coco ask why the UK is soooooooooo obsessed with Mags. From Right to Buy to Section 28 - her legacy isn't looking so great in 2025. And a scary revelation that Coco is spookily good at imitating her.NB. A previous version of this episode contained an incorrect fact about Katy Perry. We regret the error. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORWISE - https://www.wise.comGUESTSRhun ap Iorwerth CREDITSThe World TransformedTurn Left MediaCNBCUSEFUL LINKS Medical Aid for Palestinianshttps://www.map.org.ukPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Shocking... but not surprising” - the words of Stephen Bush, Associate Editor at the Financial Times and Chair of the Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community  for the Board of Deputies of British Jews in 2020. Stephen joins Nish and Coco to discuss the fallout from the shocking attack on a synagogue in Manchester last week. The trio discuss solidarity and protest, and why the government’s response to the Manchester attack is not making all British Jews feel safer. Stephen has also spent the weekend in an all-but empty exhibition hall, at Tory conference in Manchester. It’s a land of misspelt chocolate bars and retro racism - have the Tories given up the ghost? Later - Coco and Nish try their hand at some data analysis - introducing Pod Save the UK’s brand-spanking-new diarrhoea index - before checking in on a bold new idea straight out of the Green’s conference - abolishing landlords. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTSStephen Bush CLIP CREDITSITVThe Green Party of England & WalesBBCThe Guardian Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s conference season, and at the Labour conference in Liverpool - flagshagging, snake-oil merchants and leadership jockeying - is it Keir Starmer’s final chance for a reset? Nish and Coco are joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald.And later - as Trump reveals his plans for peace in Gaza, including a bizarre role for former PM Tony Blair - is the UK doing enough for Gaza? Nish speaks to Labour MP for Stroud, Dr Simon Opher, who earlier this month was denied entry into the occupied West Bank. Simon also fills Nish in on an innovative new prescription medicine - Laughter. Finally - we open the mailbag to share your wonderful stories of immigration in the UK - and Nish furthers his feud with a beloved British comedy icon.CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTSZoë GrünewaldSimon Opher MPUSEFUL LINKSI am an Immigrant Podcasthttps://iceandfire.co.uk/project/i-am-an-immigrant/Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh dear lefties… We just can’t stop tearing each other apart, huh? One short month into the evolution of the new political party experiment undertaken by independent MPs Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn - and the whole thing has descended into acrimony. After a weekend of legal threats, “your” party is suddenly seeming to be a house of cards built amidst a hurricane. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has seized the moment to vomit out a new wave of inflammatory anti-migrant rhetoric. The need for a unified left movement has never been more urgent - and new Green Party leader Zack Polanski is ready to meet the moment. Zack joins Nish and Coco in our (fully powered) studio - to talk about his vision for the future of the left, his plans to fight inequality and why he’s not actually thrilled to see Zarah and Jez at each others throats. He also brings up his ever-so-slightly hypnotherapy boobjob and in revenge, helps us pip the Sun to the post on a saaaaaucy exclusive. Later - Nish weighs in on the Jimmy Kimmel saga… It couldn’t happen here, right? Oh, wait… CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTSZack Polanksi - Green Party LeaderPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a hellish week for our Disunited Kingdom. First Tommy Robinson mobilised ten of thousands in his ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march. Before we could recover from that toxic side show,  the headline act arrived: President Trump.  He was kept behind a ring of steel in Windsor where he enjoyed British brown nosing at its best from flatterers-in-chief, the Royal Family. What a state we’re in. Coco and Nish reflect on what they learned about their fellow Brits this week and the conclusion is scary. But before they abandon hope there was another march. Thousands of ‘Stop Trump’ protestors came out onto the streets of London - to hear from a range of the UK’s  loudest progressive voices, from Zarah Sultana, to Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn. Two protests, two faces of Britain. Can we ever bridge the divide? Finally - to round off the show, an injection of hope. Josie Naughton CEO of charity ‘Choose Love’ joins the pod to show us that there definitely is a way through this.USEFUL LINKS Choose Lovehttps://choose.love/ Stop Trump Coalitionhttps://stoptrump.org.uk/protest/ GuestsJosie Naughton Zarah SultanaZack PolanskiJeremy CorbynGeorge MonbiotZoe GardenerPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chaos, what chaos? Rayner's out. The cabinet's reshuffled. The lurch to the right hasn't stopped. But in the words of Homer Simpson, could Keir Starmer's shit show be a "crisitunity" for the left? To tell us how we can seize this moment, Nish and Coco are joined by leftwing royalty - Zarah Sultana MP and Bimini Bon-Boulash - live at the London Podcast Festival. Zarah shares why she feels liberated from Labour, has zero sympathy for Angela Rayner and zero tolerance for colleagues who don’t agree on trans rights. And as the government goes flag crazy, the gang reclaim some patriotic merch for the left. Zarah champions her Princess Diana mug and Bimini channels their inner Spice Girl by reclaiming the Union Jack.CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS:Zarah Sultana Bimini Bon-BoulashIMAGE CREDIT: Kings Place / Monika S. JakubowskaPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pod Save the UK teamed up with Amnesty International UK for a powerful live recording to raise awareness and support to end the genocide in Gaza.Nish and Coco are joined by Palestinian journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh, Gaza Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera, who shares first-hand experiences of reporting under unimaginable circumstances in Gaza and the deadly toll on journalists.Comedians and activists Jen Brister and Alexei Sayle join the stage to reflect on the importance of speaking truth to power in a time of immense crisis and a dangerous escalation in the criminalisation of dissent.It’s an urgent and timely discussion that delves beyond the headlines, exploring the personal stories of those that have lived through the genocide in Gaza. It highlights the devastating realities and the glimmers of resilience and solidarity that persist and the urgent need to raise our collective voices to demand an end to the genocide.The conversation is book-ended with live performances from internationally acclaimed Palestinian musician Adnan Joubran, who brings the spirit and sounds of Palestine to life through his playing.USEFUL LINKS Sign Amnesty International's petition to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza!https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/demand-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire-psukDonate here to support Amnesty’s work on the ground in Gazahttps://www.amnesty.org.uk/giving/donate/help-protect-civilians-gaza-PODCome to our next live show w/ Zarah Sultana and Bimini Bon-Boulash - this Sunday!https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/GUESTSWael Al-DahdouhJen BristerAlexei SaylePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/podsavet

PSUK is taking a week off - so we’re bringing you a podcast from some of our friends - Sara and Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club! In this first episode - PSUK’s very own Nish Kumar turns up to discuss the internet, vegetables, wet boyfriends and so much more!USEFUL LINKS Stop the Genocide Special W/ Amnesty International- Tuesday 2nd https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/pod-save-the-uk-x-amnesty-international-uk-stop-the-genocide/Future of the left - Sunday 7thhttps://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club Live! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/sara-cariads-weirdos-book-club/Follow Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub and Twitter @weirdosbookclubRecorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive.Artwork by Welcome Studio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High streets across the UK are being overwhelmed by betting shops. They gobble up £4.6 billion from punters every year - and local councils have almost no powers to block them. Labour MP Dawn Butler’s constituency, Brent East in North-West London, has 81 licensed enterprises alone. Jumping into “Betsy”, Dawn’s prized old-banger, Coco is taken out and about in Willesden to see first hand how betting shops are popping up everywhere and hear what local residents think. Along with 37 council leaders and mayors, Dawn is calling for a reform of the Gambling Act 2005 and a hike in gambling duties. With hints she might stand to be London mayor at the next election - could this be the first glimpse of her campaign?Then, Nish and Coco give their assessment of Keir Starmer and the European moral support squad’s visit to the White House - is Putin still calling the shots on Ukraine? And as Starmer’s Government slumps to an all-time low in the polls, Sadiq Khan has a spicy take on Labour’s first year in power. But a glimmer of hope: is that a don’t-call-it-a-wealth-tax on the horizon?On a less hopeful note, what on earth is going on with Labour’s social media account? And Nish and Coco struggle to get their head around the new Gen Z additions to the Cambridge Dictionary. Is politics all “delulu with no solulu”?CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.wise.comUSEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! Stop the Genocide Special - Tuesday 2nd https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/pod-save-the-uk-x-amnesty-international-uk-stop-the-genocide/Future of the left - Sunday 7thhttps://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/Sign Dawn Butler’s Petition for Gambling Reform https://www.dawnbutler.org.uk/gambling_reform_petitionGambling Supporthttps://www.gamcare.org.uk/ GUESTSDawn Butler MPCREDITS IG / @UKLabourTikTok / @politicsprincessPod Save the UK

Three thousand riot police were put on standby after Friday was dubbed “anti-asylum day” by far-right organisers, with 14 protests scheduled nationwide outside of suspected asylum hotels. Tensions are high but with Keir Starmer constantly boasting about cracking down on “illegal” migrants - is the Government simply fanning the flames of unrest?The New Statesman’s Britain Editor Anoosh Chakelian has been speaking to locals and asylum seekers at asylum hotels. She joins Nish and Coco to discuss why they’ve become such a lightning rod and what else the Government could be doing.And Labour Minister Chris Bryant has had an unorthodox path into politics - from growing up in Franco’s Spain to being ordained as an Anglican priest. He answers some tricky questions on the Palestine Action arrests and landlord MPs.And digging into the mailbag, Nish gets an education on audio porn.CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/Chris Bryant - A Life and A Half: The Unexpected Making of a Politicianhttps://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/life-and-a-half-9781526680914/National Youth Theatre Statementhttps://www.nyt.org.uk/news/nyt-statement-3-august-2025 Girl On The Net - blog https://www.girlonthenet.com/blog/age-verification-whats-the-harm/Paid Parental Leave Reviewhttps://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/parental-leave-and-pay-review-call-for-evidenceGUESTSAnoosh ChakelianChris Bryant MPCREDITS Twitter / White HouseTwitter / Keir Starmer Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comInsta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/podsavet

This week - we’re talking about the internet, Coco’s proclivities toward the disembodied voice of Pedro Pascal and Nish’s struggles to find any time to work on himself. Strap in - it’s a juicy one. Nish and Coco are joined by technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker to make sense of the UK’s new online safety laws - which restrict access to harmful and inappropriate content for young people - while simultaneously clamping down on free speech and digital privacy. The conversation is becoming a culture war topic - but are the political class actually having a sensible discussion about this seismic, world’s-first legislation? And - guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission could see trans people excluded from public life. And now it might become law - with no debate, no scrutiny and no vote. We’ll be speaking to journalist Freddy McConnell about the risk to all of our rights and how we can fight back.And later - we’re getting Jezzy with it - we dive into the mailbag to hear your thoughts on the party definitely not called “your party”. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/Trans Solidarity Alliancehttps://www.transsolidarityalliance.com/ehrc-codeFreddy’s latest articlehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/31/transgender-rights-ehrc-guidance-single-sex-spaces Guardian article about Lord Dannethttps://www.

PSUK is back - and this week Keir Starmer has swung open the door to recognising Palestinian Statehood - with caveats. Nish and Coco discuss the massive change in the UK’s foreign policy stance. Later, they’re joined by suspended Labour MP Brian Leishman (and his Dachshund Hugo) who voted against the government’s welfare cuts, to discuss the direction of Labour and Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn’s new political party. And - since Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist organisation back in July, more than 100 people have been arrested across the UK in protest. Nish and Coco discuss the future of civil disobedience with former Government lawyer and member of Defend Our Juries, Tim Crosland.CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSORhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKSSee us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/Guests:Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa & Grangemouth Tim Crosland, Former Government Lawyer and Founder of Plan B Audio Credits:The White HouseSky NewsChannel 4 News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The co-Leadership bid of Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay represents continuity for the Greens - they sit in Parliament and have proven they can win seats, but is their friendly language enough to cut through to the British public? Rival Zack Polanski says his alternative “eco-populist” vision can bring the fight to Reform and win. Ellie and Zack sit down with Nish and Coco to make the case for their competing visions for the future of the Green Party - and answer your questions.Elsewhere - Nish and Coco dive into Labour’s union troubles and take a peek at Ed Miliband's “radical truth telling.”CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISE https://www.wise.comSHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Guests:Ellie ChownsZack PolanskiUseful links:Join the Green Partyhttps://join.greenparty.org.uk/Audio CreditsBBCParliament TVPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Contact us via email: [email protected]: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices