The Return of Liz Truss?!

Two of the big conflicts which define British politics- the culture war and the war for the Union, have fused together. The Scottish government's controversial Gender Recognition Bill, which would make it easier for people to legally change their gender and hailed by some as a great advance for trans rights, has been blocked, vetoed by the UK government. UK ministers claim it would impact UK wide equalities legislation. In this episode, Lewis takes you through both the substance of the issue at hand but also how it is just the latest staging post on a constitutional clash of wills between Westminster and Holyrood, and how both issues, already fraught and volatile, are becoming interwoven making both all the more unstable still.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.

17 Jan 202331min

It's quite a thing to pick a fight with a Holocaust survivor. But this weekend, The Home Office asked for the removal of a social media clip that showed Joan Salter MBE confronting Home Secretary Suella Braverman over what she called 'dehumanising' rhetoric around refugees. The Home Office said the clip did not show the full exchange and had been heavily edited. Was the clip unfair? In stepping in, did the Home Office act out of order? And what does it tell us more widely about the government's communications issues after a weekend where Rishi Sunak also came unstuck with questioning over Scottish independence. We talk to former Director of Comms at Downing Street Sir Craig Oliver about how you get this stuff right.And, classified documents at three of Biden's residences. Is this any different to Trump's document hoarding at Mar-a-Lago? And does this reinvigorate Trump's 2024 presidential bid and stymie Biden's re-election tilt? 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.

16 Jan 202336min

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