The News Agents

Late yesterday afternoon Peter Mandelson was led from his London house by two plain clothes police officers with very visible body cameras into an unmarked police car. In the bland euphemism that followed a Met statement told us a 72 year old man had been arrested in Camden. Today we discuss what this move does to Starmer, his party, and the wider reputation of New Labour. And we have insight into Mandelson’s own state of mind at 4 am this morning. He has denied all criminal wrong doing. Later, we speak to education secretary Bridget Philipson about the last 24 hours, the last 12 months and her own reforms to special educational needs.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Trump is not a happy bunny. It all started on Friday when the Supreme Court declared his tariffs - the backbone of his economic policy - illegal. By this morning it was worse. He’s stomping around threatening the Supreme Court with a lower-case, no caps name (seriously) and warning his tariffs policy is about to get "more obnoxious".Has the ruling delivered a fatal blow to his authority? Can leaders around the world see that? And will they respond by toughening up their own stance on trade?Later, Australia confirms it’s ready to drop Andrew from the line of Royal succession. The first of 14 commonwealth countries that need to give sign off to the act of parliament. Is this a help or a hindrance to Keir Starmer ?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The tentacles of Epstein’s billionaire paedophile ring crossed continents, age, political persuasion and profession. That much is all clear from the files. But what we are still piecing together is how Epstein made his millions in the first place. Was it endowed? Stolen? Invested? Or blackmail?This Friday, Jon and Emily speak to American journalist, Anand Giridharadas, about the 'Epstein class' and how it was allowed to flourish. And ask whether it still exists?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to represent their countries at the upcoming Winter Paralympics. For the first time since 2014, since Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme and the war with Ukraine, we will see the Russian flag and potentially hear the anthem.Ukrainian officials are boycotting, but FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has also recently said he wants to lift football’s ban on Russia.This all comes after Ukrainian skeleton athlete, Vladyslav Heraskevych, was disqualified from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet showing Ukrainians killed in the war.So, is this the beginning of something? Could we see Russia compete at the LA Summer Olympics in 2028? Or even the World Cup? Mark and Gabby speak to The Athletic's Matt Slater. Plus, we look back at the best bits on The Sports Agents this week, from welcoming double Winter Olympic gold medallist Matt Weston, to discussing abuse in football with former England striker Emile Heskey. 📩 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/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Becky ThompsonTom 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

A man in his sixties has been arrested in Norfolk. The mundanity of the police statement belies the monumental significance of what just happened. The eighth in line to the crown, the former Prince Andrew, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.The arrest centres around the alleged exchange of confidential emails between him and Epstein in his role as trade envoy. What happens now to the former royal, and to the family that’s trying so hard to distance themselves from him?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

News Agents listeners, we've got a new podcast we think you'll love.Step inside sport’s greatest soap opera, Formula One, with a brand-new podcast Up To Speed. Hosted by Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, racing driver-turned-broadcaster Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 content creator Jolie Sharpe.Expect razor-sharp reaction, behind-the-scenes insight, blockbuster interviews and answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask! With their deep knowledge, expert analysis and infectious love for racing, Will, Naomi, DC & Jolie dive into the stories that matter - on and off the track.It’s fast-paced, unfiltered and full of the gossip that keeps the paddock buzzing.They’ll react to the weekend's race drama every Monday. On Thursday they’ll deep dive into the biggest stories of the week. Watch and listen to episode 1 now on Global Player, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Prince William gave an interview to BBC Radio 1 to talk about men’s mental health and the importance of speaking out. It’s a vital topic - and it affects millions of people.What was noticeable, however, was that in the course of the hour long discussion there was not a single mention of the man at the centre of our national discourse - and of his own family - Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.Is it still sustainable to protect the royals from awkward questions? Or does something need to change in the dialogue between press and monarchy? Is it all over if we treat them like politicians, door stepping them on the issue of the day?The BBC told us that the programme was "a panel discussion - not a news interview", and that "as is the case with any of our programmes, the BBC had full editorial control and to suggest the presenter was told what he could - or could not ask - is incorrect.”Later - why has a lesser known Texas state representative garnered five million YouTube views overnight? Does he have Trump to thank for trying to cancel him?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Today we have an exclusive investigation into the relationship between the Metropolitan Police Royal Protection officers and the royals they served. Did things become too cosy? Were they encouraged to ignore wrong doing? And why did none of them want to work for Prince Andrew?LBC crime correspondent and The Crime Agents host, Andy Hughes, has a story from inside the force.And later, we speak to Virginia Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts about why he thinks the Met needs to move faster and call Andrew in for questioning.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The Prime Minister has called for an investigation by the Cabinet Office into the campaign group Labour Together which helped get him into power. The think tank is accused of having dug up dirt on journalists investigating its use of political donations. Who signed off the dark arts smear campaign? And why are we just hearing about it now? Later, is Trump’s attorney General part of that Epstein cover up? Why is she so resistant to getting to the bottom of the crimes it reveals? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It has been a dizzying week in UK politics since the publication of the latest of the Epstein files, and the revelations of his links to Westminster. But as the politics took over, it is the voice of survivors that is the centre of this story.This Friday Lewis is joined by Natalie Fleet, Labour MP for Bolsover, to discuss the politics of the last week, finding a voice for the women and victims of grooming, and whether she trusts the Prime Minister to deliver.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

What a week we’ve had here on The Sports Agents, from penis-gate, to Winter Olympics heartbreak and Premier League managers getting sacked.This weekend sees Scotland host the Auld enemy at Murrayfield as they take on England for the Calcutta Cup.Love might not be in the air north of the border, but there were remnants in the studio - as Gabby welcomed her husband and former Scottish winger Kenny Logan onto the show.England’s Six Nations title charge, mounting pressure on Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, and what does Valentine's Day look like in the Logan household?📩 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/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyProducer: George Sexton-KerrVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Becky ThompsonTom 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

Jim Ratcliffe, the part owner of Manchester United, multi-billionaire and Monaco based non dom, has taken the government to task for allowing immigrants to “colonise“ the U.K. Does he realise he’s using a far right trope? Have we become immune to racism in the immigration debate? And why did a successful businessman not even check his facts on the numbers?Later - why has a foreign office civil servant lashed out at the woman primed to become Keir Starmer’s cabinet secretary? Does he know something we don’t or is this the “boys club” mentality in action?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Keir Starmer came away from a bruising Prime Minister's Questions encounter having to explain why he appeared to make the same mistake twice. No sooner had the fallout from the Mandelson appointment settled (briefly) than the question of why he’d sent another friend of a paedo to the House of Lords.This time it’s his former comms director Matthew Doyle who admitted his error of judgment in campaigning for a sex offender after he was charged by police. What does it tell us about Downing Street, vetting and the House of Lords?Later, is the story of the Murdoch dynasty essentially one of emotional abuse? We’re with author and insider Gabriel Sherman.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

What was the moment of maximum jeopardy for the Prime Minister on Monday? And how did he turn it around? Was there more than one plotter? And what brought the party back from the brink?We dissect what we know about the coup that went wrong.Later, why is Congress talking about the perilous state of our monarchy? And is the King doing enough to set the Andrew Mountbatten record straight?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Another head spinning day in Westminster. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on Starmer to stand down as Prime Minister, saying "the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change."Many Cabinet Ministers were quick to jump to Starmer's defence. Some were notably slow to back the Prime Minister. With the drama coming just a day after Starmer lost his right-hand-man, Morgan McSweeney, the question today is whether this is the beginning of the end for Keir Starmer?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Imagine a loan where the Government sets the terms. It can change the terms at any time, and you have no recourse to alter them yourself.A loan designed so most people never clear it, but pay for it anyway. Not because they failed, but because that’s how it was built.This is the system successive British governments have built. In this episode of The News Agents, we examine the relations of our student loan system and ask how can it be that the UK government has built a system that you might say would make a loan shark blush? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The Winter Olympics are here! What sport are we all going to pretend to be an expert at? Curling maybe? Today Gabby and Mark are joined by one of Great Britain’s biggest medal hopes, freestyle skier Kirsty Muir.She started skiing at 3 years old on the dry slopes of Scotland - imagine the carpet burn doing flips on that surface! Her nan can’t even watch when she does the huge tricks. This year she’s already won gold at the X Games and her third World Cup title. So can she win gold in Italy?Plus, we catch you up on the best bits from The Sports Agents this week, from Carlos Alcaraz's historic victory in Australia, to Gabby being pranked by Roger Federer at Wimbledon, and a big look at the Super Bowl this weekend.📩 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/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: thesportsagents@global.comExecutive Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducer: Sophie PenneyVideo Producer: Sam TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Calum ScotlandTom 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

Keir Starmer apologised this morning for appointing Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US. He said he should never have believed "the lies" of Mandelson.He says he understands the "anger and frustration" of Labour MPs. But is he in a position to win back the support of his own party? How close is he to the brink? And - if Mandelson's relationship with Epstein was widely known at the time of his appointment - what is the PM actually apologising for?One of those concerned Labour MPs, Brian Leishman, tells us that Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney needs to leave Downing Street, and serious changes need to take place if Starmer is to stay on as Prime Minister.Later, Emily discusses the infamous Andrew Mountbatten Windsor photo with Virginia Giuffre. It was real after all and the former Prince lied to her when he said he'd never seen it. So what next for Andrew?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Keir Starmer says Peter Mandelson "lied repeatedly" about the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and said that he regrets appointing the Labour Peer as US ambassador in 2024. But with the relationship between the men well known, questions about the Prime Minister's political judgement are looming. Could this be the moment that brings down the Prime Minister?Later, Sir Brian Leveson on why the courts system faces potential collapse without major reform - and the calls to resurrect his investigations into phone hacking and the media.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Things are moving at quite a pace these days, but at the time of writing Peter Mandelson has relinquished his peerage and the Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Office to hand over Mandelson's emails to the police. The Republican campaign group has also called on the police to investigate Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Will any of this lead anywhere? Or is it all just noise? And why have the Clinton’s now decided to testify before Congress on what they knew about Jefrey Epstein?The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/