The News Agents

It’s been four years since we formally left the EU - and its been eight years of trying to square an impossible circle. How do you keep Brexiteers happy, the EU on board and Northern Ireland’s government up and running, all at once?

Well today Rishi came through with a deal which might - big emphasis MIGHT hit the spot.

We take you through what we know.

Later, Nicola Sturgeon explains to the Scotland Covid inquiry which she didn’t, sorry did, sorry didn’t really delete her WhatsApp messages. It all gets a bit emotional.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Last weekend the Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch made clear - in her trademark no nonsense style - that she wished all those trying to plot against and undermine Rishi Sunak would shut up and go away.

In unrelated news, the Guardian revealed last night she's part of a Whatsapp group called.... The Evil Plotters. Are the rumblings of Prime Ministerial removal getting louder? Is policy being dictated by those he fears? And what to make of the IMF warning his chancellor NOT to cut taxes at the next election because our public services can;t afford it?

Later, we look at the power sharing deal in Northern Ireland - could this be Rishi's legacy?

And we ask whether Laurence Fox, who lost his libel case at the High Court, can or cannot be called 'a racist'.

We approached Mr Fox for comment and he had nothing to add.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Emily and Jon host a weekly US politics podcast in the run-up to the 2024 US presidential election; giving you everything you need to know about the world of US politics and how it affects you.

Episodes are available every Tuesday or Wednesday, on Global Player.

Find the latest episode of News Agents USA here on Global Player.

The Telegraph editor began the morning by asking how ‘everyday British life would change in a global conflict’. Trump has already called it for WW3.

On today’s episode we ask why the language has ratcheted up and whether we are already in a war without fully realising.

How will President Biden respond to the deaths in Jordan of US servicemen?

And is this all part of the Israel-Hamas war - or is Iran using that as a pretext to provoke America?

Later, why is Truss at war with Rishi-again - this time, over vaping.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Alabama has executed convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith with nitrogen gas, the first time this method of capital punishment has been used anywhere in the world.

On today's show Lewis asks how it has come to this, and whether the US government will be gassing more of its criminals

Later, we take a huge handbrake turn to talk to the creator of the year's biggest TV show and cultural phenomenon - The Traitors. He tells Lewis how they choose the Traitors and even hints at a celebrity version.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The head of the army - General Sir Patrick Sanders - has said the UK needs to train and equip a citizen army to be on the front door for any future war with Russia.

The PM has hastily ruled out conscription but on today's episode, we consider whether the era of peace is over. And ask what we are prepared to do if the threats deepen.

Later, election denier Trump has talked up a purge of bureaucrats and security forces. Are we happy to nod Trump through as he advocates a police state? And why are senior politicians here cheering him on?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

The week started with Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary calling out the BBC for bias and a failure of impartiality.

She struggled to give many examples of either.

Today, Prospect magazine has done a deep dive into what it calls ‘the right-wing cabal waging war on the principles of our public broadcaster‘.

Is the BBC in thrall to the government? Or is it another institution the government is fighting?

Later, What was Sir Simon Clarke hoping to achieve by calling for the PM to go?

And is the rebellion now dead - or just getting going.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

Today we hear from Ziv, who was at the Nova music festival and saw her friends die. Her boyfriend is a hostage. And from Eli whose 18 year old daughter Liri is being held by Hamas.

And we ask the Israeli government why they’re so convinced their plan is working.

The Israeli government insists their war against Hamas is working. But there are 130 Israeli hostages still in Gaza, and many many thousands of dead civilians.

Later, we discuss voter ID and whether the Tories are disenfranchising the young from voting.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

PSA: If you want all the latest on the departure Ron de Santis and the Republican Presidential primary race we have a full bonus episode for you on The News Agents: USA. Find it here.

Keir Starmer has accused the Conservative Party of 'desperate, divisive and damaging' politics by picking fights with British instutitions like the National Trust and the RNLI.

The Labour leader has previously stayed clear of the culture wars and stuck on the hard-fought territory of the economy and the new shape of the Labour Party.

But today's speech placed charities and cultural insititutions at the heart of British life as something he was prepared to defend.

Has he given the Tories new amunition? Or found a whole new constituency of voters?

Plus - PopCon - not the fantastic snack but the new Tory group headed up by one Liz Truss. But will the most unpopular British leader of modern history be able to make the Popular Conservatives at all relevant as he gear up to this year's election?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Planning Producer: Alex Barnett

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

2024 is still young but from Gaza to Ukraine to Pakistan, somewhere new is seemingly pulled into the mire of geopolitical clashes what seems like every day.

In an extended interview, Lewis asks Lord David Owen - Britain's oldest foreign secretary - about the state of the world and where we fit in.

And, ahead of an election that could see Labour and Lib Dems play a prominent role in the balance of Westminster power, we ask the man who left the Labour Party to found the SDP party - the precursor to the Liberal Democrats what he makes of the parties, and of Westminster today.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Planning Producer: Alex Barnett

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

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/

And, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents