'The Lady's not for turning up'
Today saw one of the biggest political U-turns in the UK for decades. The new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt appeared on our TV screens announcing a raft of economic changes. Liz Truss, our Prime Minister, was nowhere to be seen.We ask four questions today:1) What just happened?2) Why has the Government done it?3) What does it mean for you, the listener? 4) And what does it mean for Truss and the chances of premiership?Planning: Melissa TutesigensiVision Mixer: Will Gibson-SmithProduction: Gabriel RadusSocial Editor: Ollie McGrathDeputy 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/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
17 Okt 202230min
What is the point of Liz Truss now?
Liz Truss has sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, and u-turned on her corporation tax cut. But without him, and the economic policy which defined her premiership, what does she stand for now? How long will she survive as Prime Minister and will she lead the Conservatives into the next election? Lewis is joined by Katy Balls, Deputy Political Editor of The Spectator, and Michael Jacobs, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Sheffield, and former Special Advisor to Gordon Brown. Production: Ellie Clifford and Gabriel Radus Deputy Editor: Tom HughesFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
14 Okt 202229min
Dear oh dear
It's so bad for our prime minister that even the King seemed to express dismay when he was caught on mic saying "dear oh dear" to his PM. As half the government briefs journalists that U-turns are on the horizon, and the other half refutes the concept as preposterous, the only thing that's clear is that it is dark days for this Conservative government, and for Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng. Could we be seeing the Kwarteng/Truss endgame? And maybe even Mordaunt/Sunak resurrections?And in the second half of the show we speak to two people of Iranian heritage on what they call the biggest mood change in Iran since the revolution in 1979. Christiane Amanpour and Omid Djalili join us to tell us more.Production: Gabriel RadusDeputy 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/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
13 Okt 202235min
Just don't call it a U-turn
More government U-turns, gossip from an Anti Growth Coalition drinks party, and a PMQs debrief. Ian Blackford, SNP’s leader in Westminster also pops in to News Agents HQ for a chat.Production: Gabriel RadusDeputy 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/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
12 Okt 202226min
"Dark arts" at the Daily Mail?
The Daily Mail Group - Associated Newspapers - has been accused of 'abhorrent criminal activity' by Doreen Lawrence - mother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence. She's lodged a claim in the High Court along with Prince Harry, Elton John, David Furnish, Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and former Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes. They allege the papers engaged in unlawful acts - including the hiring of private detectives to hide listening devices inside people’s cars and homes. On today's episode of The News Agents we take our listeners into the 'dark arts' of journalism from the people who actually exploited others to get their stories. One is a private investigator who hacked Meghan Markle's data. One was a reporter for the News of the World who was convicted of phone hacking, blew the whistle on his bosses, and now campaigns for better press regulation. We ask what has happened in the decade since the Leveson enquiry threw a spotlight onto the unscrupulous and illegal way that so many tabloid stories were obtained. The government has lost its appetite for any further press regulation. But has the public? And how likely is it that further allegations will emerge of as a result of this new case?Production: Gabriel RadusDeputy 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/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
11 Okt 202237min
Putin's Revenge
Kyiv awoke to bombs, explosion and the sour smell of retaliation. Putin had spent his 70th birthday weekend watching his precious road bridge that linked Crimea to mainland Russia blown to pieces. And today was his fightback. Revenge served just two days cold. 75 missiles launched at targets across Ukraine. Poeple on their way to work. Parks, children’s playgrounds all the seemingly pointless target of Putin’s anger. We hear from John Sweeney - in his shower as the shells hit Kyiv - and from the US special envoy to Ukraine and former NATO Ambassador Kurt Volker. And - for a bit of light relief we return to domestic politics, where the guilts are soaring, the new date for the fiscal budget has been set and the personal changes are multiple. We hear it from the scoop monster that is George Parker, Political Editor of the FT.Production: Gabriel RadusDeputy 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/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
10 Okt 202231min
Will the lights go out on us and Truss?
The National Grid has warned that British households could face power blackouts this winter, if the energy crisis exacerbates. But Liz Truss' government has ruled out any energy conservation campaign. Why?And it's been a hectic few weeks at the major party conferences, but what do the voters really think of the state of politics? Lewis went to a focus group in Swindon to ask what they make of Liz Truss and her opposite number Keir Starmer. Polly Billington, former Special Advisor to Ed Miliband, and Luke Tryl, former special advisor to ex-Conservative minister Nicky Morgan, and current director of public opinion research agency More in Common are with him to dissect the results.Production: Gabriel Radus & Ellie CliffordPlanning: Melissa TutesigensiFor exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
7 Okt 202231min
Suella has a dream
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has given us her 'I have a dream speech'. She got misty eyed as she imagined a newspaper front page showing a plane full of asylum seekers being deported to Rwanda. We seem to have come a long way from Martin Luther King.But as the PM heads off to Prague to talk migrant crossings with her friend-or-foe Emmanuel Macron, we thought we'd take a look at the plan for Tory immigration - and ask whether the PM and her Home Secretary even agree.And we get Craig Oliver and Andrew Cooper back by popular demand to take us through what just happened at the Conservative Party Conference.Production: Ellie Clifford and Gabriel RadusPlanning: Mellisa TutesigensiDeputy Editor: Tom HughesExecutive Producer: Dino Sofos
6 Okt 202234min
