Pod Save the UK

This week, Nish & Coco are left reeling from the news that Tom Watson is the latest in a long line of politicians swapping the ballot box for big tech bucks. They consider the implications of Palantir’s cosy relationship with former government officials, and ask where the line is with lobbying. Also, we’re joined by 33.3% of the hosts of Crooked’s new podcast, ‘Still Counting’ - Galen Druke. He demystifies all things polls, explaining the methodology in the madness and how much we can learn from all these numbers. Plus, have you ever wondered who’s the most optimistic about fighting a bear? And, Coco & Nish reunite with Nikesh Shukla, ten years after the publication of The Good Immigrant. They consider the role identity politics has played in the last decade, and how we can stay optimistic–and active–members of our communities during increasingly scary times. USEFUL LINKS Read the Nerve’s excellent reporting on Palantir poaching government officials: https://www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-revolving-doors-peter-thiel-transparency-corruption-risk Listen to Still Counting: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/still-counting/ Buy Nikesh’s book (10th anniversary edition)! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Immigrant-writers-reflect-contemporary/dp/1837266220 CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheuk SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, journalist and friend of the show Will Hayward joins to unpack a landmark summit between the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. With pro-independence parties joining forces and declaring that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end” – bold words, but what does it really mean? Plus, Jordan Stephens, musician, writer and one half of Rizzle Kicks, joins Nish and Coco to discuss the rise of hyper-masculine figures online, and whether human connection can offer a healthier model and an alternative to the politics of division. USEFUL LINKS Subscribe to Will Hayward’s substack here Watch Jordan Stephens ‘In Search Of Peace’ here CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BETTERHELP: https://www.betterhelp.com/psuk SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, there’s a lot of news! Nish & Coco react to the announcement of sanctions on the West Bank, after Ed Miliband accuses Israel of turning a blind eye to the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by illegal settlers. As Andy Burnham wrote in the Guardian, it’s time for Britain to ‘stand for something’...finally. Also, are we taking the threat of the far right seriously enough? Following a series of anti-migrant ‘protests’ by a self-styled ‘Patriot Army’ helmed by yet another ‘Tommo’, Nish & Coco ask why we don’t call out these radicalised groups for what they are. And despite Nigel’s best efforts to distance himself from the balaclava-wearing vigilantes, Reform UK knows that this is the support they need to make it to Number 10. And, the King of enshittification, Cory Doctorow, joins us to talk about the AI bubble and why it’s going to burst. Meanwhile, these tech bros are blowing smoke up each other’s share prices, and we’re all inadvertently part of the marketing machine. Cory tackles the ‘collective action problem’ and what we can actually do to change the narrative. Just because there’s a huge pile of s**t, doesn’t mean there’s automatically a pony underneath it… There's an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for a national moratorium on new AI data centres, put forward by Richard Burgon, the MP for East Leeds. You can ask your local MP to support the new national moratorium. You can also read up on the campaign and sign Global Action Plan’s petition: globalactionplan.org.uk. USEFUL LINKS Check out http://noleedsdatacentre.com/ and sign their petition. Buy Cory’s book! The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It's Too Late | Verso Books Andy Burnham’s Guardian op-ed: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/08/uk-sanctions-israel-two-state-solution-middle-east-palestinians-andy-burnham CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, Nish is back from his fringe frolics, and joins Coco to talk about parliament’s return from summer recess. The revolving door continues as Keir Starmer resigns, Nigel Farage gets sworn in (again) and Andy Burnham tests his stamina with nearly three and a half hours’ worth of questions in the commons. With Zack Polanski rumoured to run in St Pancras and Holborn, how might the next by-election (another one?!) play out? Also on the pod, we’re joined by journalist and historian Taj Ali. He unpacks what we can learn from grassroots organising and community resistance in the 1970s, shares reflections from the worst racist violence in over a century, and explains why the white working class has more in common with the South Asian community than they might think. Also, PSUK exclusive: fellow Luton native Stephen Yaxley-Lennon eats halal? Content note: the conversation between Nish, Coco and Taj is a full and frank discussion of racism, and includes the use of a racial slur that’s historically been used towards the South Asian community. USEFUL LINKS Taj’s book is out on the 15th September: https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/come-what-may-were-here-to-stay/taj-ali/9781526177582?srsltid=AfmBOoqg8Daxime9FB1T9FFCKNn6tUFY2bAbY75ybjQm_J4PKibB_KX4FB0 Anti-racist RADAR: https://antiracistradar.co.uk/ - report an incident of racism here. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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 take a minute to remember dear Dolly Parton (Comrade Dolly!); an extraordinary force of nature, talented musician, incredibly generous person and fierce ally, whose kindness and positivity inspired millions across the world–we’ve lost one of the good ones. Meanwhile, Coco gets the lowdown from Cody about his latest video being flagged for bullying (billionaire Mark Zuckerberg?!) during Meta’s child privacy trial. Since we recorded this episode, Meta has settled for $17bn, agreeing major changes to its platforms including usage limits and nighttime blocks. Also, Reform is at it again, unveiling a policy to prioritise social housing for ‘British born workers’ and married couples. But…you have to keep your gardens tidy? Coco & Cody discuss what sits at the heart of this latest divisive declaration. And: are we living in a Corrupted Kingdom? Robert Barrington thinks so. As the former head of Transparency International and professor of Anti-Corruption, he joins us to talk about why we’re reluctant to use the ‘C’ word in the UK, and what we can do to safeguard against corruption across all aspects of British society. USEFUL LINKS https://www.transparency.org/en https://antislapp.uk/ Buy Robert’s Book! https://www.waterstones.com/book/corrupted-kingdom/robert-barrington/9781805223153 CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheuk HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, it’s Coco & Cody Dahler while Nish is away at the Fringe! With the recent, shocking news of Jason Arday’s death, they’re joined by broadcaster and writer Natasha Devon to reflect on the role of legacy media, and where the line is drawn between public interest and pile ons. Also: is Britain living through a ‘nuance drought’? Coco, Cody, and Natasha wrestle with the decline of the ‘critical friend’ perspective, and ask how we can bring back the grey area when people are encouraged to pick a side–not just in politics, but wider society. And when pain is preferred to certainty, is Farage the devil we know? They discuss ideological fault lines, false binaries, social media bans, and burning everything down… USEFUL LINKS If you have been affected by any of the issues raised during this episode, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org Pre-order Natasha’s book here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-nuance-drought/natasha-devon/9781837733170 Petition demanding a public inquiry into Jason Arday’s death: https://goodlawproject.org/petition/jason-arday-letter/ ‘Farage Fest’ AI music video: https://x.com/reformparty_uk/status/2089464382925205526 CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, it’s just Nish, Coco, and you! You asked, they answered – thanks to everyone for their questions! Nish and Coco discuss how to stay positive amidst all the current political noise, how hopeful they are about our new Prime Minister, and what their favourite films have been this year…Plus, should we publish the faces of people who earn over a certain amount of money in the UK? Also: you listen to Nish & Coco every week, now we want to hear from you! We’re launching an audience survey to hear about what you like, dislike, and want to see more of from PSUK. Guests! Live shows! Topics! Explainers! And did we mention there’s a prize draw? You’ve got to be in it to win it - so fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 USEFUL LINKS Audience survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 Nish’s ultimate taskmaster episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENMjwuvNZsA CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, as Britain enters its fourth heatwave amidst blazing wildfires across Europe, Coco & Nish are joined by Climate scientist and educator Simon Clark to ask: is this the new normal? They discuss rising temperatures, online misinformation, fire clouds(!) and which policies the UK government could be championing to both mitigate and adapt to a warming climate–listen up, Andy! Also on the show: as Exeter proposes 150 job cuts which are expected to fall disproportionately on the humanities, Nish speaks to his friend and staff member at Exeter University, Dr Peter J Riley. They dig into the value of a humanities degree and what we’re missing when we make everything about money. And: Coco & Nish reflect on the UK’s first week with Burnham at the helm, as Labour leads Reform in the polls for the first time in almost 18 months. Is it too early to be optimistic? Plus - bonus content! We bring you a clip from a conversation with actor Siobhan McSweeney and Gazan student Mahmoud Hasanain as they discuss the government’s renewed scheme to evacuate Gazan students to study at UK universities–but only if they have fully-funded places. Siobhan, along with many other well-known faces from stage and screen, is auctioning off personal items in a bid to raise funds to support these students. You can catch the full episode on YouTube, and bid online here - until Friday 7th August! Plus: you listen to Nish & Coco every week, now we want to hear from you! We’re launching an audience survey to hear about what you like, dislike, and want to see more of from PSUK. Guests! Live shows! Topics! Explainers! And did we mention there’s a prize draw? You’ve got to be in it to win it - so fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 GUESTS Simon Clark Dr Peter Riley USEFUL LINKS Audience survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 University Cuts Petition to stop redundancies at Exeter University: https://www.change.org/p/stop-redundancies-at-the-university-of-exeter-706befbf-8195-4b87-a96c-13666e695878 Exeter UCU: https://www.instagram.com/uniexeterucu/ Climate Crisis DeSmog: https://www.desmog.com/2026/04/30/reform-uk-nigel-farage-millions-donations-fossil-fuel-interests-climate-science-deniers/ Matt Hughes and Nick Ames - Uefa accuses Fifa of ‘enriching themselves and their friends’ over World Cup sell-off Share Action: https://shareaction.org/ Cool Earth: https://www.coolearth.org/ Fossil Free Media: https://fossilfree.media/ Gaza Auction: https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/ScholarshipsForGaza Keir’s goodbye video: https://www.tiktok.com/@keirstarmer/video/7664565924204203286?lang=en-GB CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, Nish & Coco do a deep dive into the beginnings of Burnham’s Britain. He’s only been Prime Minister for a few days, but Andy has already pledged to end rough sleeping, cut electricity bills, and cap bus fares, as his new ‘cost of living government’ takes shape. They’re joined by Anoosh Chakelian, the New Statesman’s Britain Editor, who has interviewed Burnham several times over the last decade. Is he the flip-flopping, people-pleasing Prime Minister his critics say he’ll be, or do these early signals from No.10 suggest a clean break with the politics of the past? Anoosh, Coco & Nish talk through cabinet picks, what Trump might make of ‘Red Ed’ as foreign sec, and how social care reform–if done right–could be good for us all. All eyes on the seventh Prime Minister in a decade… Plus: you listen to Nish & Coco every week, now we want to hear from you! We’re launching an audience survey to hear about what you like, dislike, and want to see more of from PSUK. Guests! Live shows! Topics! Explainers! And did we mention there’s a prize draw? You’ve got to be in it to win it - so fill out the survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 GUESTS Anoosh Chakelian USEFUL LINKS Audience survey here: https://forms.gle/fWp9xXb6tcWhPxSm8 CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK WISE: https://www.wise.com SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. We’ll be filming another mailbag episode next week so get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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 LINKS Women’s Aid Refuge Research Digital Misogynoir Report — Glitch Women’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/podsavetheuk Pod 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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 LINKS Buy 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.com SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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 LINKS Buy 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.com Pod 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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 LINKS Grab 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/PSTUK WISE: https://www.wise.com 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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://x.com/podsavetheuk

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 LINKS See 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 Dulhanty CHECK 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/podsavetheuk VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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: PSTUK WISE: https://www.wise.com 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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 Crowther Sabah Choudrey USEFUL LINKS Updated EHRC Code of Practice: GI’s response | Gendered Intelligence Join the trans lobby on the 25th June: Mass Lobby for Trans Equality CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk VANTA: 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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 Itself USEFUL LINKS Amnesty Report | Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UK Tony Blair Article | The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country by CLIP CREDITS Carol Vorderman via Instagram, (@carolvorders) CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk 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: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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: podsavetheuk SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Nadia Whittome MP USEFUL LINKS @Femi_Sorry: Tommy Robinson supporters expose themselves so fast! - Unite The Kingdom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdc_HsSA5Y CLIP CREDITS Femi Oluwole Nigel Farage Interview: The Sun Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com 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, 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 Gawdat NoJusticeMTG USEFUL LINKS Raphael Behr https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/13/labour-battle-of-ideas-no-10-keir-starmer-leadership CREDITS BBC ONE: Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Youtube: Novara Media Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. 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, 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 journalist Will Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalist USEFUL LINKS Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/ CREDITS Radio 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/@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

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: podsavetheuk WISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk AURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK SHIPSTATION: https://www.shipstation.com Code: PSTUK GUESTS Zoë Grünewald - Journalist, broadcaster and political commentator Rosie Jones - Comedian USEFUL LINKS The Rosie Jones Foundation: https://www.rosiejonesfoundation.com/ CREDITS Sir Keir Starmer MP - Parliament TV Emily 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: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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/podsavetheuk SHOPIFY: https://www.wise.com WISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Tommy Vietor, Host, Pod Save America and Pod Save The World USEFUL LINKS How 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/ CREDITS Donald Trump - @rapidresponse47, X Iranian Propaganda Video - Explosive Media Owen Maitland, Former Your Party Scotland executive committee member Faiza Shaheen, Director, Tax Justice UK - ‘Politics Live’, BBC One Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk WISE: https://www.wise.com GUESTS Jamie Bartlett, Author, ‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’ and Host of Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares) on BBC Sounds Special guest appearance: Jimmy Botlett USEFUL 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/9780753561980 Welsh Assembly election guide https://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: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheuk GUESTS Stewart Lee, Comedian and columnist for The Nerve USEFUL LINKS Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/ CREDITS Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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/PSUK WISE: https://www.wise.com SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUEST Zakia Sewell, writer, DJ & broadcaster USEFUL LINKS “Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for Hidden Britain” - out now. https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-albion/zakia-sewell/9781399735902 Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUK WISE: https://www.wise.com SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, Authors. Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed Out on March 24th Anne McElvoy, Executive Editor, POLITICO and co-host Politics at Sam and Anne’s USEFUL LINKS The Podcast Show - https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/explore-passes Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477340/muskism-by-tarnoff-quinn-slobodian-and-ben/9780241805114 CREDITS The Guardian - YouTube The Independent - YouTube Reform UK - YouTube Today in Focus - The Guardian Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk and they’ll spill the tea! CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUK GUESTS Louisa Munch, Critical Theorist Minnie Rahman, CEO Praxis USEFUL LINKS “Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe” + Q&A with James Acaster at The Ritzy, Brixton - 18th March https://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-settlement CREDITS Darren Jones MP, Cabinet Office minister - Parliament TV Steve Reed MP, Communities Secretary - Parliament TV Mike Tapp MP, Migration minister - Parliament TV Minnie Rahman, Praxis CEO Frederik Pleitgen, CNN International Senior Correspondent - CNN Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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: psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISE https://www.wise.com SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk SURFSHARK https://www.surfshark.com/podsave Code: PODSAVE GUEST Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, founder and CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) USEFUL LINKS Sophie Duker https://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/id1770618616 CREDITS Sophie Duker - Live at the Apollo / BBC One Keir Starmer / X Parliament TV PBS News Hour / YouTube BBC News Zoe Gardner / IG Manchester Evening News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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 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/PSUK WISE: https://www.wise.com SURFSHARK: 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 LINKS Jumaane Williams’ thoughtful response following the outcry about the handling of a racial slur at the Baftas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgaqKIxS4Hs&t=1s CREDITS Daily Express - YouTube Nigel Farage - YouTube @sendra.uk - Instagram Nida Jafri Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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 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/PSUK SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate, Gorton and Denton by-election Tom Southerden, UK Law and Human Rights Director, Amnesty International USEFUL LINKS Gorton and Denton by-election candidate list https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/parl.gorton-and-denton.by.2026-02-26/gorton-and-denton/ CREDITS TikTok / @mrcodydahler Green Party of England and Wales / Facebook Hannah Spencer / Instagram Paul Holden, Investigative journalist and author of "The Fraud" High Court protest reaction - Amnesty International footage @mrcodydahler / Instagram Otto, Budding Comedian Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK WISE https://www.wise.com GUESTS Paul Holden, Investigative Journalist and author of The Fraud Stuart Goldsmith, Climate Comedian USEFUL LINKS The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/ Stuart Goldsmith www.stuartgoldsmith.com CREDITS Sky News / YouTube Sky News / YouTube GOP Oversight / YouTube Sky News Australia / YouTube Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK GUEST Ann Pettifor, economist and author of ‘The Global Casino’ USEFUL LINKS Nish Tour Tickets https://www.nishkumar.co.uk/gigs/ The Global Casino: How Wall Street Gambles with People and the Planet https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3258-the-global-casino CREDITS Keir Starmer MP / Parliament TV Lord Mandelson / ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ BBC One Melania Trailer Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, journalist, broadcaster and political commentator Dr Carrie Grant MBE, TV presenter and voice coach Rachel Filmer, SEND campaigner USEFUL LINKS Save Our Children’s Rights Campaign https://www.saveourchildrensrights.org.uk/ Stop Palantir in the NHS https://goodlawproject.org/campaign/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs CREDITS Keir Starmer / TikTok Pod Save America / X Good Law Project / Instagram Sky News / YouTube UKLabour / X Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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

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 Law Plus 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 SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk WISE Wise.com GUESTS Liam Thorp - Political Editor, Liverpool Echo Tess Ingram, UNICEF Alaa Shehada - Comedian USEFUL LINKS Palestine Comedy Club collective https://www.palestinecomedyclub.com/ Palestine Comedy Club documentary https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/palestine-comedy-club Starting Feb 27th: London - Rich Mix and Bertha Doc House Tywyn - Magic Lantern Cinema Birmingham - Mockingbird Cinema Brighton - Komedia Gloucester - Guildhall Belfast - Queen’s Film Theatre CREDITS Donald Trump - BBC Online ‘Palestine Comedy Club’ - Tough Crowd Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK GUESTS Rutger Bregman - Historian and Author of Moral Ambition, out in paper back on 15th Jan USEFUL LINKS https://www.moralambition.org/book Let us know your experiences of SEND support in schools - or any other stories. CREDITS Liz Kendall MP, Technology Secretary - Parliament TV Rutger Bregman - Publicae Rutger Bregman and Tucker Carlson - Now This Tehran protests - Shaparak Khorsandi/Instagram Donald Trump - New York Times Laila Cunningham - Daily Express/YouTube Nadim Zahawi - Sky News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk 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/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 WISE https://wise.com/ BABBEL https://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 World Nida Jafri USEFUL LINKS Palestine 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 Secretary https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-on-mp-and-secretary-of-justice-david-lammy-to-intervene-and-protect-the-hunger-strikers/ CREDITS Parliament TV Cody Dahler/TikTok Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBC One Tonight with Andrew Marr/LBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 BABBEL Babbel.com/PSUK SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk CALM Calm.com/PTSUK Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk Support PSUK! Don’t forget to like and subscribe. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk Facebook: 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 FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUK CALM calm.com/PTSUK SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Shappi Khorsandi, Comedian Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Co-Host of What’s Left? USEFUL LINKS https://togetherforpalestine.bandcamp.com/album/lullaby CREDITS Labour Party/TikTok Parliament TV Sky News/YouTube Channel 4 News/YouTube Channel 4 News/YouTube BladeoftheSun/X Shaparak Khorsandi/TikTok The Last Leg/Channel 4 Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBC Basil the Great/X Sky News/YouTube 5 Live/BBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUK SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor at Sky News Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness USEFUL LINKS: Nish’s Carol Performance CREDITS Politico The Liz Truss Show / YouTube Keir Starmer MP / TikTok Rishi Sunak MP / TikTok Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/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 psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUK BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK WISE https://www.wise.com GUESTS Liz Sayce, OBE CREDITS BBC News Turn Left Media The Mirror Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/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 psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK 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: PSUK GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, Journalist Faiza Shaheen, Director of Tax Justice UK USEFUL LINKS https://www.yourparty.uk/founding-documents/ Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/wealth-tax-left-super-rich-britain-budget-2025 CREDITS House of Commons Live Sky News The New Statesman Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSUK CALM https://www.calm.com/PSTUK GUESTS Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of Uplift USEFUL 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-school CREDITS Shabana Mahmood / X Reform UK Parliament TV Ed Miliband / IG Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 SPONSORS SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK AUDIO CREDITS BBC Radio 4 GUESTS Alex Reid, Head of Forests team at Global Witness Kanishka Narayan MP, AI and Online Safety Minister Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/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 SPONSORS Babbel https://www.babbel.com/PSUK Calm https://www.calm.com/PSTUK Wise https://www.wise.com GUESTS Lisa 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 LINKS Crooked Christmas Gear http://crooked.com/store Jane Bradley's NYT article https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/world/europe/uk-abortion-farage.html AUDIO CREDITS CNN Sky News Reform UK Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. GUESTS Vicky Spratt USEFUL LINKS Peckham Not For Sale https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/acapeckham/ CREDITS Sky News X / Steve Reed Talk TV LBC Reform UK ITV News IG / Pleasance Theatre Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices