Why Robert Jenrick wants to see more 'white faces'

In the past 7 days Sir Keir Starmer has had to face down a leak over his big policy U-turn, a policy U-turn and the suspension of two Labour candidates for anti-Israel and/or anti-Semitic comments. A third person in the room at the time is, we understand, being 'spoken to'. It's probably not been a great week for party morale - but has any of it hit Labour's poll lead? And will any of it translate into actual voting in the by election results tomorrow? We talk to pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common. Later - rats, open sewage, cockroaches and drugs. Chief Inspectorate of Prisons Charlie Taylor talks us through the worst report he's ever penned on our prison system as we ask whether the justice system or the accommodation limitations dictate who is put behind bars.A Prison Service Spokesperson said:“The findings of this inspection are unacceptable which is why we’re taking urgent action to address the concerns raised. This includes deploying extra frontline officers to reduce violence and improve safety, undertaking refurbishments to improve living conditions, and ensuring offenders get greater access to the education and skills they need to turn their backs on crime.”Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

14 Feb 202441min

Keir Starmer insists he took "decisive action" by suspending the Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali from the Labour party. Should it have come quicker? How damaging has it been to the wider party? And what on earth is going to happen in what's fast becoming the weirdest by election in modern history - with not one but three former Labour candidates. Later, we look at Rafah, in Gaza - now bracing itself for a ground incursion from an Israeli government that seems hell-bent on finishing a military mission. What does it take to get Netanyahu to stop? Will the US cease selling him weapons? And how does this sit alongside international negotiations for a prolonged ceasefire. Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

13 Feb 202436min

Keir Starmer has gone out of his way to break with his party's antisemitic past and to reshape the Labour parliamentary party. But this weekend, shadow ministers found themselves in the unenviable position of having to defend the Labour candidate for Rochdale for 'mistakenly believing a conspiracy theory' instead of calling him out for his antisemitic remarks about whether Israel had turned a blind eye to the Hamas atrocities as 'a green light for a full on Gaza invasion'. Azhar Ali is standing against George Galloway which is perhaps why Labour is nervous. What should happen to all those other MPs suspended by the party leader for antisemitic remarks?And where does this leave Keir Starmer on his Middle East foreign policy more widely? Also, Trump has encouraged Russia to invade NATO countries that dont pay their bills. Well of course he has. Why is Europe surprised? And has it figured out America under Trump is not going to care about our security? We discuss why we've been so slow to listen to what he's saying.**This episode was recorded before Labour withdrew their support for Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali**Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

12 Feb 202438min

When will strikes end - and are Labour the party to stop the constant drumroll of them?We're joined by the most charismatic man on the left of British politics - who has become synonymous with the public sector striking. Mick Lynch.And later, we talk all things Biden as he hits back against accusations that his mind is ailing - only to then make yet another gaff.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

9 Feb 202441min

The worst kept secret in politics was freed from its shackles today as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed Labour would drop their 28 billion pound spending pledge on the green economy.It will confirms Rishi's criticism of a flip-flop leader. Why is Keir running scared of spending? Later, is Rishi's own party calling on him to apologise for his trans gag in the Commons yesterday? Why won’t he? We discuss where it’s left him.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

8 Feb 202438min

How has Rishi Sunak shown so little emotional intelligence that he ended up making his customary 'trans joke'?In the presence of the mother of a brutally murdered trans teenager. What does this tell us about the disconnect between his politics and the people he serves? And what does it mean for the divisive culture war that has formed the rump of so much recent conservative campaigning?Today we discuss decency, standards in public life and leadership with Lord Simon McDonald, and ask whether we've allowed intolerable rhetoric to become normalised in the slapstick of party politics.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

7 Feb 202441min

Liz Truss and her mates have been selling their version of popular conservatism in central London this morning. They were delighted to see Lewis at their launch who spoke to Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nigel Farage about both their vision and their seeming hypocrisy. We ask Sir Charles Walker, of the same party, if he recognizes this brand of conservatism or if they are in fact “useful idiots“ for the right-wing fringe Reform UK party .Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

6 Feb 202432min

Northern Ireland's new first minister Michelle O'Neill has had her knuckles metaphorically rapped by the PM - who's warned politicians to "focus on the day to day" of the brand new power sharing deal - and not start conversations about a united Ireland. Could Ireland really unite within he decade? How many voters want to see that happen? And are we missing the bigger picture of what this deal actually means and where the vulnerabilities still lie? Later, Chris Steele is the former MI6 officer sued by Trump over the 'pee pee gate dossier'. That case has now been thrown out by a judge. He talks us through what it was like being sued by the former president and his fears that the US security services will be cowed into covering up what they know - if Trump returns.Editor: Tom HughesSenior Producer: Gabriel RadusProducer: Laura FitzPatrickSocial Media Editor: Georgia FoxwellVideo Production: Shane Fennelly & Arvind BadewalYou 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/EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thenewsagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaranteeAnd, The News Agents now have merch! To get yours, head to: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents

5 Feb 202444min