The News Agents

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

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

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

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

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

Gabby is joined by Ruby Tui - the nation has fallen in love with this World Cup winner and Olympic medallist over this Women's Rugby World Cup. She tells her story, from calling King Charles "bruv", to escaping domestic abuse, and getting 40,000 fans to sing a Maori folk song after winning a home World Cup. Ahead of Saturday's final, Ruby says it's an honour to witness this moment in sporting history. England haven't lost since the last World Cup Final... no pressure then! If you have been a victim of domestic abuse, help is available from charities like Refuge: https://refuge.org.uk/📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6 🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod 📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/ X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com Executive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam Trudgill Social Media Editor: Calum ScotlandGuest Booker: Kirsty GiddingsTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A special interview today with a sprinter - who ironically - is living proof that it’s NEVER too late to start! Eugene Amo-Dadzie has shot to stardom as ‘The World’s Fastest Accountant’, literally balancing spreadsheets with sport until he was 26 years old! Last month he tied his hero Linford Christie’s 100M time and became the joint second-fastest British man over 100m (9.87). It’s an amazing story that has led all the way to the start line at this weekend’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and you’re gonna love him! Plus we'll look back on another star-studded week on the show as Gabby hit the trading floors of the City at a charity event to catch up with the likes of John Terry, Michael MacIntyre, Maro Itoje, Keira Walsh and many more. Earlier in the week we reflected on Daniel Levy's legacy in North London after he was 'removed' as Spurs' Chairman after 24 years! 📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6 🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod 📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagents Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/ X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.com Executive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam Trudgill, Sam Folayan and Rory Simon Social Media Editor: Calum ScotlandGuest Booker: Kirsty GiddingsTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

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

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