Full-on, dirty political gossip

It's been said for years that Labour have been too scared to touch the political lightning rod of Brexit, for fear of losing yet another general election. But, what if that dial is shifting now? What if Keir Starmer's party feel so comfortable in their lead in the polls that the question of Brexit is reopened? He's been in Belfast, today, outlining measures that would soften the terms of the Brexit the UK subjected itself to two years ago. We talk to Labour MP Chris Bryant, and political commentator Steve Richards about whether Starmer is playing his cards right. And, the epidemic of homelessness gets worse. Lewis visits a food station in Central London to talk to the homeless about a crisis and speaks to the CEO of Shelter Polly Neate about the increase of families without a permanent home.Research: Megan McElroySocials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel Radus & Ellie CliffordEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.

13 Jan 202341min

Keir Starmer is heading to Belfast and believes his party can help unlock the stalemate there. What does it take to make Brexit's biggest headache - the question of Northern Ireland - go away?And could you explain it if you needed to ? We set Lewis Goodall to the challenge with a list of banned words...And Tony Blair's former Chief of Staff in No.10, Jonathan Powell, helps demystify one of the sharpest political thorns in the British Isles.Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel RadusEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.

12 Jan 202327min

If you thought it was safe to go back to The Twiglets - hang fire. New revelations about what Boris Johnson knew - and what he said - have emerged which throw the inquiry into whether he misled Parliament into focus. We ask Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan whether she's ready for a Boris return, whether her Online Safety Bill would make people any safer, and what she makes of Elon Musk at the helm of Twitter.Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel RadusEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.

11 Jan 202328min

Do we mind if our Conservative prime minister takes a private jet (to Leeds), if has a private GP, if sends his kids to private school? Are you outraged or happy that he's using his time (and frequently his own money) more efficiently? We discuss. Also, Kevin McCarthy now finally controls the US House of Representatives for the Republicans. What will change on their international commitments? Will less spending reach Ukraine as a result?Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel RadusEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.

10 Jan 202326min

The creator of The Thick of It, Veep and Alan Partridge Armando Iannucci joins us to talk about the current state of politics and his popularisation of its dirty underbelly. Jon and Emily disagree about Harry’s attack on the media. And we discuss the attempt to upend democracy in Brazil and its echoes of Jan 6th riots, just over two years ago.Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel RadusEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.AUDIO CREDIT:Veep, HBO EntertainmentThe Thick of IT, BBC Productions

9 Jan 202335min

Prince Harry has taken aim at the Palace in his new memoir ‘Spare’. Is the institution of the monarchy working for those born into it, or for us? And how does this very public family feud end?And the US Congress remains in gridlock after representatives failed to elect a speaker for the eleventh time (and counting). On the second anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, Lewis asks how much this is a product of Trump-era politics, and speaks to his former Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney about whether the Republican party are split beyond repair.Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithProduction: Gabriel Radus & Ellie CliffordEditor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.The News Agents is executive produced by Dino Sofos.

6 Jan 202332min

Keir Starmer says you can’t legislate your way out of a dispute with new laws against strikes. But today on the News Agents we hear from the cabinet minister in charge of industrial relations. Grant Shapps says it’s all about ensuring “minimum safety [and service] levels”. What does that even mean? And how does that work when we haven’t got enough people on the frontline anyway? We discuss. Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom HughesExecutive Producer: Dino SofosFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

5 Jan 202334min

A letter sent from Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was intercepted by our very own Lewis Goodall before it was ever made public. In it, she sets out her reasons for ditching Boris Johnson and Nadine Dorries' plan to privatise Channel 4. Cue sighs of relief at Channel 4 and howls of frustration from a previous culture secretary who saw her own work being undone. We discuss what the move says about this government's direction of travel - and take in Rishi Sunak's first big speech of 2023.Also - what on earth is going on in the US Congress? Absolute scenes as the Republicans struggle to complete the first and fundamental act of Congress: the formality of choosing a Speaker of the House.Socials: Georgia FoxwellVideo: Will Gibson-SmithPlanning: Alex BarnettProduction: Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom HughesExecutive Producer: Dino SofosFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.

4 Jan 202337min