The News Agents

Matt Hancock appeared before the Covid inquiry to offer a profound apology. He threw the government pandemic strategy under a bus with his assessment that the covid strategy had been “completely wrong“.

Two years ago our gratitude to health workers knew no bounds.

This week the harsh reality set in: as the PM confirmed he wouldn’t be able to meet the public pay review recommendations for wage rises. What does that say about our relationship with the NHS?

And we talk to actor Tom Hollander currently staring in The Patriots - a play about Putin and modern Russia when the country itself is shifting.

On Saturday morning it looked like we might see the collapse of one of the world's longest standing dictators, Vladimir Putin. By Monday things were suspiciously calm, and the uprising against him - by his own former chef - was being flat out denied.

So what just happened in Russia? Was it the start of a revolution? Or a massive mistake? Will this weaken Putin's grip or strengthen his hand?

And what to make of the mercenary leader - Prigozhin- who is literally in it for the money? We talk war tactics and the psychology of an autocrat.

This week, the world has been captivated ( and wrapped up in hope) by the tragedy of the five people who've died in an attempt to visit the wreck of the Titanic.

Jon sits in for Lewis this week and asks whether extreme tourism is going too far - whether we should push the boundaries of exploration (even if at potential great cost to others) and why the public; and the media, have been transfixed by the story.

And we speak to Peter Kyle, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, on the anniversary of Brexit.

For the thirteenth time in a row interest rates have gone up.

They’re now at 5% - the highest level since 2008.

What is the knock on effect for all of us paying mortgages?

Why are we struggling so much more than other countries to bring down inflation?

And what will the political ramifications to all this be - will it make it easier for Labour to win an election - or will people rally to their government at a time of crisis and prefer the devil they know, to the devil they don't?

The world is watching a vessel we cant even find.

Newsrooms are counting down the hours of oxygen they think are left in the Titan capsule. International rescue teams are putting resources and lives at risk to bring back the missing five. What drives our obssession with this story? And how comfortably does it sit when we know thousands of people die at sea every year.

We hear from a former NASA Astronaut and accident investigator. We also talk to Spencer Matthews - his brother Michael died climbing Mount Everest - he explains the adventurers' mindset and tells us how important it was to bring Michael's body home.

Later we discuss the downfall of Crispin Odey - named the Harvey Weinstein of the City of London - by his alleged victims of sexual assault - with one of the women who broke the story, the Financial Times' Madison Marriage.

When approached by the Financial Times for comment, Crispin Odey denied the claims against him and a law firm representing Odey Asset Management declined to comment in detail on the allegations.

We have now learnt that just seven MPs supported Boris Johnson in last night's vote in parliament. But 235 of his colleagues abstained from it all together.

Why was this so hard for the governing party? What does this tell us about the relationship between Rishi Sunak and his predecessor? And why was Theresa May the only former PM to make the case for its importance?

We also ask the Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley how many criminals he believes are still working within the police force - and what he's doing about it.

The Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has just confirmed to The News Agents that the Met are looking at the video evidence of a party during lockdown - (thank you Sunday Mirror) with a view to opening another investigation.

We have the full exchange on today's episode - and hear his views on politicians telling the Met how to do their jobs.

Suella Braverman just suggested she'd fully support the Met 'ramping up stop and search'. Hmmm.

We also ask why Rishi Sunak is trying to be anywhere else but the Commons tonight for that vote on the Privileges Committee report into Boris Johnson. What does it say when our leaders dont like showing...erm...leadership.

Particularly one's who've promised to restore integrity and transparency to the job...

Boris Johnson has dominated the headlines this week. But, peek behind the bluster and noise, and the country has far bigger fish to fry. The question is whether Rishi Sunak's government, his five point plan, is more sashimi than seared.

Boris Johnson distracts everybody. He's hard to avoid. But there's a cost- we ignore what is really driving our politics and voters. The truth is, when you dig down into the problems Rishi Sunak himself identified, many are worsening. In this episode, we go beyond the Boris Johnson roadshow and examine the big structural forces driving British politics which largely explain why Sunak can't seem to shift the polls.

Meanwhile, Emily has turned up at a tech conference, which will amuse anyone who has ever watched her try and work out how to use her iPad. Aside from trying to get tech support she's been talking to tech entrepreneur Euan Blair (yes, of the Blair's).

And we get an update on a tragedy in the Med with C4 News Foreign Correspondent, Secunder Kermani.

Boris Johnson repeatedly knowingly misled the House of Commons, in other words he repeatedly lied.

These are the conclusions and findings of Parliament's Privileges Committee, established unanimously by MPs to investigate claims Johnson knowingly misled them over partygate, thereby breaking rule no 1 of the British constitution: never *ever* lie to the Commons.

It's a huge political day and although Johnson has already fled Parliament by resigning, the consequences are still massive. Johnson wanted his place in the history books, in becoming the first PM to be found to have lied to the Commons, judged by his own peers, he's finally got it.

Emily, Lewis and Jon talk through this latest day in the lows and lows of Boris Johnson's recent political career: what it means for Sunak, for the Tories, for the man himself and for Parliament.

The agents are joined by the woman who brought Johnson down, Guardian Political Editor Pippa Crerar; former Chief of Staff to Theresa May, Lord Gavin Barwell and Johnson defender and ally, former Tory MEP David Campbell-Bannerman.

PS Jon came straight to News Agents HQ off the red eye from Miami, so forgive any lapses. Now a News Agent, always a trooper.

After the small matter of his federal indictment, Trump went back to doing what he does best - fundraising and shouting about witch hunts and pretending to be a political prisoner of sorts.

Jon is in Miami, James Comey - the former FBI Director who created such a stir in the 2016 presidential election with his reinvestigation into Hillary Clinton - is in News Agents HQ.

And Lewis has been catching up with PMQs and Peerages.