The News Agents

In a week of endless rumours and leadership speculation, Westminster is once again in turmoil - with both everything and nothing seeming to happen at the same time.

Yesterday saw the resignation of Makersfield MP Josh Simons, opening the door for Andy Burnham to pave his way back into government.

It will be a tough battle for the Makersfield constituency, but Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday, says Burnham has “the best chance of winning” the by-election.

So, could the Mayor of Manchester be our next Prime Minister?

The News Agents is a Global production.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Gabby is joined by rugby legends Ugo Monye and Katy Daley-McLean ahead of Red Roses' Grand Slam decider this weekend - 37 games unbeaten, on the cusp of their 8th Six Nations in a row - does the sport actually need England to lose?

The trio also react to a fascinating developing football story - dubbed 'Spygate 2.0' - with Southampton's Championship Play-Off final place in doubt after an analyst was spotted recording opposition training sessions!

And they go head to head over World Rugby's decision to trial smaller balls in the women's game.

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".

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Wes Streeting cited the unprecedented local election results and the unpopularity of the government as his reason for resigning as health secretary this lunch time. What he did NOT say was that he was directly running for the leadership - and now allies of the PM are saying he has bottled it because he doesn't have the support. Has today strengthened Keir’s hand? Or just drawn out a slow death?

Later - Nigel Farage managed to buy a £1.4m house in cash just weeks after receiving a £5m donation from a crypto billionaire. He told us last week it was for his personal security. Today he described it as a reward for delivering Brexit. Which was it?

The News Agents is a Global production.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

A key cabinet member, Hilary Benn, was asked this lunch time if Wes Streeting was still the Health Secretary. Astonishingly he said he did not know. Is Streeting about to launch a leadership campaign? is Starmer preparing to fight him? And could all this chaos somehow leave Ed Miliband in poll position as PM?

Later, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launches an investigation into Nigel Farage's undeclared 5 million pound donation from a crypto billionaire. What will they find?

The News Agents is a Global production.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Anyone who thought Keir Starmer was about to succumb to pressure from the 80 strong list of MPs who turned against him were in for a shock this morning when they found a PM defiant and refusing to even discuss a leadership challenge. Can he hold them off? Is his position more or less perilous today? And what is Andy Burnham doing at Euston?

Jess Philips has become the most senior minister to resign - leaving a devastating letter in her wake. Will the King's speech stop the political regicide for 24 hours? Or are Starmer’s critics just building up steam?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It's always risky when a Prime Minister's speech becomes billed as a 'reset' and 'make or break' but Keir Starmer's address this morning was exactly that.

Facing a surprise possible leadership challenge from backbencher Catherine West - and a growing number of MPS in open mutiny - Starmer insisted he would prove his doubters wrong, face any contest head on, and keep Britain from ushering in "dangerous opponents".

It didn't seem to win too many of his parliamentary colleagues round - indeed as soon as he'd finished the drip drip of MPs demanding he set a timetable for his departure continued. But has it been enough to stop serious contenders - like Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner - from coming forward? Or are they just waiting for the right moment?

Later, Emily and Lewis speak to London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan about where Labour goes now.

The News Agents is a Global Prodcution.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

The morning after elections, political parties send their leaders out to areas where they outperformed expectations to try and sell a narrative about their results, even on the bruising nights.

Such was the scale of Labour's defeat that for much of the night, it wasn't clear whether there was anywhere they could send Starmer. Eventually, he headed to Ealing where Labour kept control of the council. In West London, Starmer insisted he isn't "going to walk away". He acknowledged that "voters have sent a message about the pace of change". But isn't that message that they would like a Reform government? Isn't it at the very least that they do not want him to remain in Downing Street?

Where does Labour go from here - and is Nigel Farage now measuring the curtains in 10 Downing Street?

Later, Luke Tryl on the complete collapse of the two party system.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It’s polling day in elections across Great Britain. Labour is braced for a battering, at the hands of insurgent forces on every side. Birmingham is a microcosm of that picture: an unloved Labour administration dealing with complex problems and complex politics.

But here it’s not just the Greens and Reform the party must contend with, but the rise of the so-called Gaza independents. A new political force appealing largely to British Muslims who, like everyone else, are disatissfied with the status quo.

Is this really a new sectarian politics, as the newspapers suggest? And if it is - should we be concerned about who is propelling those forces? With the control of the biggest local authority in Europe up for grabs, Lewis has gone home to England’s second city to find out.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Brighton are known as one of football's best run clubs with a seemingly constant yearly profit margin above £100 million... and today they have officially announced that their 33 year old manager Fabian Hürzeler has signed a new contract.

A club on the verge of a second season playing European football and that has recently announced they are the first club the world to have a purpose built women's football stadium.

Their CEO Paul Barber joins Gabby and Mark to give us insight on what really happens behind the scenes to keep it so successful.

Paul also tells all about his relationship with former managers Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi - followed by his history with Spurs, working under Daniel Levy.

📩 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: [email protected]

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-Kerr

Video Producer: Samuel Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

You 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

Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, is back asking questions of those in power. His new best-seller investigates the mysterious death of young Zac Brettler in the heart of London. What does it tell us about dark money, lies and corruption in this gilded city - now home to the world’s billionaires? And why were the police either unwilling or unable to provide his family with answers? We talk about identity, reinvention and oligarchs in his latest book, London Falling.

Later, Trump's Project Freedom in Hormuz ends on day one - has Trump capitulated or is a deal, finally, in sight?

The News Agents is a Global Production.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/