Three Old Hacks

“No nation in Europe is more haughty and disdainful, nor more conceited in an opinion of its superior excellence.”

This quote from a French Viscount about Britain some 400 years ago reminds us nothing much has changed, says political analyst Nigel Dudley.

He’s been reading “a wonderful book about the Stuarts”, Devil-Land by Dr Clare Jackson.

In the first podcast of 2023 Nigel and his two old mates, sports journalist Mihir Bose and Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith discuss the Christmas books they were given and are now reading, the state of the nation and whether they should have a flutter on the next election.

The English are inclined to “adore all their own opinions and despise those of every other nation” and had “contracted all the instability of the element by which they are surrounded, namely water.”

The podcast seems the perfect medium.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

A football World Cup and a Budget, what better subjects could Mihir Bose, former sports news editor at the BBC, Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith and political analyst Nigel Dudley wish for, to talk about?

Let's just say, in a pub quiz if either of those subjects came up, you would want these guys on your team.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith was with fellow ‘old hacks’ Mihir Bose, former sports news editor at the BBC, and political analyst Nigel Dudley recording their podcast for The Chiswick Calendar when the news broke on Friday that Kwasi Kwarteng had been jettisoned.

New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already unpicked the growth strategy which David described as “a gamble that had failed spectacularly.

“It was obvious to me it would go wrong” he said.

“The lesson is to listen to your institutions – the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility.”

Mihir asked him how key economic advisers had felt about being sidelined.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Three Old Hacks, who regularly review the week's news for us, recorded a podcast on Thursday morning, before the Queen's death was announced.

"Spare us from this false positivism", says Nigel Dudley, commenting on Liz Truss's keynote speech after she was elected Leader of the Conservative Party and our new Prime Minister.

"She sounded like a midwife on speed" he said.

Political commentator Nigel Dudley joins Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith and former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose to discuss Trussonomics and whether she should be Trussssted.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

In their previous podcast Mihir Bose said he thought Boris Johnson would lead the Conservative Party into the next election and not only that, but he would win it.

David and Nigel remind him of that as this week they discuss whether it will be Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak who will replace him.

Former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discuss the week’s news.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

Mihir Bose thinks he will and not only that, he will lead the Conservative party to win it. David and Nigel disagree. What will be the deciding factor? It's the economy, stupid. 

Former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discuss the week’s news.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Three Old Hacks discuss Partygate, racism in sport and the cost of living crisis.

"We've never had a situation in the UK where job vacancies are greater than the number of unemployed" says David Smith. "Inflation is the highest it has been since the 1980s."

Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discussing Putin's war and their memories of the Falklands war, 40 years ago.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Three Old Hacks discuss the world's response to Putin's war. UK journalists give the impression the whole world was pro-Ukraine, but that is not the case, says Mihir Bose.

Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discussing the week’s news with the jaundiced eye of those who have been doing it for forty years.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Three Old Hacks discuss the war in Ukraine, President Zelensky’s moving speech to the British parliament and Britain’s “mean-spirited” approach to refugees.

Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley on the events of the past week.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!

The Three Old Hacks are back, raising a glass to celebrate the work done by journalistic colleagues in unveiling the various parties that took place at Downing St during lockdown. Sky TV, the Mirror and the Daily Telegraph all come in for special mentions, as does Liz Truss, but she gets a special mention for rather a different reason: as the Foreign Secretary who didn’t know Rostov was in Russia.

The Three Old Hacks, not so much setting the world to rights as lamenting Britain’s ignominious position in it.

Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley on the events of the past week.

Get in contact with the podcast by emailing [email protected], we’d love to hear from you!