Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, following Reform's announcement they will remove all flags from all council buildings under their jurisdiction - other than the Union Flag and the St George's Cross - Helen and Armando are joined by Phil Wang to discuss Britishness, Englishness, Scottishness, Irishness, Welshness and Malaysianess.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Chris Maclean

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, a look over the pond at Trump's first 100 days. How have his administration used language to further their agenda? From the Gulf of America, to Making Showers Great Again, Helen and Armando examine how the US government is finding linguistic tricks to set the terms of debate.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Chris Maclean

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci are joined by the BBC's former Live Political Editor to discuss the art of the political interview. What's a valid question? What's a cheap gotcha?

They also discuss Paxman's beard, the best political interviews and how to get the most out of a politician who is bending over backwards to say absolutely nothing.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Chris Maclean

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, Helen and Armando are joined by economist and journalist for the Financial Times, Soumaya Keynes. They take a look back on Liberation Day - what exactly was America being liberated from? What was the response in China to the tariffs? and Soumaya wades into the murky waters of Truth Social.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Pete Strauss. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, Helen and Armando are joined by author, broadcaster and former adviser to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, Cleo Watson. Taking a look back at the three word slogans that defined politics in recent years, especially those that relate to Cleo's time in number 10.

Why are they so catchy?

Hands Face Space...

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

Following the remarkable security breach dubbed 'Signalgate', Helen and Armando are joined by political editor of Politics Joe, Ava Santina Evans, to discuss how casualness has crept into political communication. Is it a threat? Is it just cringe? And why oh why do we still use the suffix 'gate' for a scandal, given its origins are over 50 years old?

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

Are Labour telling a good enough story? Who is the best storyteller in politics? How do you establish a narrative to take control of events, rather than let events define you? To answer these questions, Helen and Armando are joined by Associate Editor and Columnist for The Financial Times, Stephen Bush.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, the Government announced their plans for welfare reform, so we take a look at the language around welfare, around benefit claimants, and how it's changed over the years. Gone are the 'strivers vs shirkers' of the 2010s or even Peter Lilley's infamous 'little list' of the early 90s. This government talks of 'supporting people into work' and 'right to try', but with the savings they are making, do their actions match their rhetoric?

This episode has been edited to remove an inaccurate statement about the relative size of tax fraud compared to benefit fraud.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

This week, Musk has been threatening a former astronaut (no, not the one he threatened the other week - another one), Trump has been talking tariffs, and Rupert Lowe took on his party's 'Messiah', Nigel Farage. What does all this tough talk mean in politics? Does projecting strength always work?

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

Hot mics, leaks, tell-all books. We find out a lot about how politicians talk in private. How does it differ from their public pronouncements? And are politicians less careful about how they come across in public these days? Helen and Armando survey the lay of the linguistic land.

Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at [email protected]

Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.