The News Agents

Welcome to The Sports Agents, a brand-new twice-weekly addition to The News Agents podcast family, hosted by Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman...

This week Gabby & Mark explored the big scandal in Formula One surrounding Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, found out a little more about Manchester City and England star Phil Foden and discussed Saudi Arabia's increasing influence in heavyweight boxing.

Here's a little flavour of what you can expect.

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

There is fury surrounding a bid by the former head of CNN to buy The Telegraph and The Spectator due to the involvement of the Abu-Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI investment group

In an exclusive interview, media executive, Jeff Zucker - who is leading that group - tells us about a "serious campaign" against his bid, and that the Chair of The Spectator Andrew Neil, is a "hypocrite" in his opposition to the takeover bid, because he says Mr Neil wanted to be at the heart of the deal.

In response, Andrew Neil refuted Mr Zucker's claims about him, saying "his memory is playing tricks on him." He added: "I have made it clear I will have nothing to do with [the group] and will walk away in the unlikely event [Mr Zucker] succeeds in acquiring The Spectator.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly

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

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

Michelle Donelan is Rishi Sunak’s Science Secretary. She has accepted that she libelled an academic. That’s unusual. It’s even more unusual that the taxpayer is paying her libel bill.

Lewis asks, why this has come about? Discover that to some extent, as always, all roads lead to Boris Johnson. We also ask whether we need to look at this through a different lens- whether this weird episode is part of the Conservative Party’s “Islamist” obsession.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly

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

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

The Chancellor of the Exchequer made a fat joke about the Leader of the Opposition on the floor of the House of Commons as he delivered his Spring Budget today.

It was one of the only things he said that wasn't pre-trailed, making for an unremarkable speech about further temporary fuel duty freezes, National Insurance cuts and the creation of the Great British ISA.

Lewis has all the details with LBC's Poilitical Editor Natasha Clark and The Times' Economics Correspondent Jack Barnett.

Meanwhile, Emily has been locked in a battle with Trump's most die hard conspiracy theorist, Marjorie Taylor Green. They spent Super Tuesday in Trump's Mar-a-Lago ballroom, where the former President sped to victory.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Rory Symon and Shane Fennelly

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

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

The Conservative Party have just received their worst polling results of all-time, with Ipsos now showing Tory support at just 20 points.

It's the worst Tory numbers since polling began in 1978, so Lewis picks it all apart and analyses how bad things have got for Rishi Sunak on the eve of the budget.

Later in the show we're in Washington DC with Jon and Emily for Super Tuesday.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Rory Symon and Shane Fennelly

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

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

After everything that’s happened - the million plus deaths from Covid, the January 6th insurrection, the indictments, the law suits the debts and the sexual abuse - why are we even talking about a Donald Trump comeback?

Britain doesn't get it, most of Europe doesn't. But America does. Today, we take you -not just behind the curtain, but right into the heart of the MAGA bunker - and the strategy for 2024.

Which voters do they need? Who have they lost? And what’s the plan if Trump wins?

Later, in the least surprising news ever, the Supreme Court has ruled Donald Trump MUST stay on the ballot in Colorado. What will Nikki Haley voters do once her path to the nomination closes?

And who is the third Republican nominee for President? We have the interview.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Rory Symon & Shane Fennelly

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

The News Agents: USA, on Global Player

We're in Richmond, Virginia for Donald Trump's last rally before he is almost certainly crowned the Republican candidate for president. But who are the voters queuing for miles to get into the sold-out event? What do they think - and what motivates them to vote for a man indicted 91 times?

We're the only foreign press able to get into the rally. The Trump team wouldn't let anyone else in. Listen to find out what it's like at the heart of MAGA America.

Click here to find us on Global Player

George Galloway has said that Keir Starmer’s woken up to his “worst nightmare”, after the former Labour MP won the Rochdale by-election by almost 6,000 votes.

Jon and Lewis analyse Galloway’s victory, and ask what this means for Keir Starmer ahead of this year’s General Election. Is it really the nightmare scenario Galloway is making it out to be?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Shane Fennelly

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

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

Clips:

GB News, George Galloway

LBC, Ellie Reeves

Cherwell, Oxford University, George Galloway

Right now the Treasury are flying more kites than you would see on top of Parliament Hill on a windy day.

This comes ahead of next week’s budget - the last before the general election.

But one policy is particularly eye-catching. It's the idea that the Tories are about to tax non-doms - the flagship Labour policy. Whether you want to call it shooting Keir’s fox or stealing his clothes, it would be an audacious move.

Also, how do the Royal family square the circle of remaining in the public eye while wanting maximum privacy at this difficult time? Couldn’t their communications be more effective?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Shane Fennelly

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

Liz Truss was doorstepped by the BBC in Westminster today and asked to explain why she'd been talking about the dangers of the 'deep state' at a Washington Conference over the weekend.

Keir Starmer went one step further in his Commons questions - asking Rishi Sunak why he hadn't kicked her out of the party for her 'tin hat' conspiracy theories?

Keir Starmer loves Liz Truss as he's seen polling showing just how unpopular she is with the public. He's trying to tie her travails to those of a weak leader, too scared to move against the former PM.

Later, is it the Home Secretary's job to tell Gaza protesters to go home? James Cleverly gave The Times an interview to say it was stretching police resources, and everyone already understood their message. Is that how protesting works? Is that how politics work?

We speak to the former Met Assistant Commissioner Helen King and Liberty - who's taking Suella to the High Court today.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Video Production: Shane Fennelly

Clips:

BBC, Liz Truss

Sky News, Chris Philp

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