Pod Save the UK

Epizodai

• We Read Tony Blair So You Don’t Have To. Plus: Who Really Owns Britain? w/Hettie O’Brien 28.05.2026 1val 6min

  This week, Nish and Coco head back to Makerfield, where the by-election campaign is already turning into a political demolition derby; Andy Burnham is just ahead of Reform, the far right is fighting itself, Elon Musk has wandered into the discourse, and Nigel Farage has reappeared after questions over his £5 million gift.Plus: they’re joined by Hettie O’Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class, to break down how private equity quietly bought up the services we rely on, from nurseries and care homes to vets and water companies, and why that matters for the broken economy we’re all living in.GUESTS Hettie O'Brien, journalist and author of The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against ItselfUSEFUL LINKSAmnesty Report | Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UKTony Blair Article | The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country by CLIP CREDITSCarol Vorderman via Instagram, (@carolvorders)CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.comLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Starmer clings on, Burnham steps up w/ MP Nadia Whittome 21.05.2026 1val 6min

  This week, Nish and Coco make sense of another chaotic week in Westminster, as Keir Starmer clings on in Downing Street, Wes Streeting resigns, and Andy Burnham’s route back to Parliament suddenly becomes very real.They’re joined by Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East and one of the earliest MPs to call for Starmer to go, to unpack the mood inside the Labour Party, whether Burnham is really the answer, and what Labour needs to do to win back progressive voters. Plus: after Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson’s latest rally in London, how should progressives respond to the far right without simply echoing its politics?And: Nigel Farage faces questions over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. Does the man of the people have some very expensive explaining to do?CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheukSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Nadia Whittome MPUSEFUL LINKS@Femi_Sorry: Tommy Robinson supporters expose themselves so fast! - Unite The Kingdomhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdc_HsSA5Y CLIP CREDITSFemi OluwoleNigel Farage Interview: The SunPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.comLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Starmer’s Survival Week w/NoJusticeMTG, plus Mo Gawdat 14.05.2026 1val 17min

  This week, as Labour reels from a brutal set of election results, Nish and Coco try to make sense of Keir Starmer’s fight to stay in Downing Street, a story moving faster than political journalists can refresh their phones. They’re joined by Helena, aka NoJusticeMTG, Twitch streamer, YouTuber and Novara Media contributor, to break down Labour’s post-election meltdown, the rise of Reform, and whether the Greens’ surge points to a more hopeful progressive future. They also dig into who might replace Starmer, from Angela Rayner to Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting.Plus, what should we take from Plaid Cymru’s win in Wales, Reform’s new foothold, and the Greens breaking through in places Labour once took for granted?And former Google executive Mo Gawdat joins to discuss Chasing Utopia, the new documentary asking whether AI is about to transform our lives, our politics, and possibly the future of humanity itself.Watch Mo Gawdat in Atlantic Studios new release Chasing Utopia from Friday 15th May 2026 at Everyman Cinemas. Book tickets at everymancinema.com.GUESTS Mo GawdatNoJusticeMTGUSEFUL LINKSRaphael Behr https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/13/labour-battle-of-ideas-no-10-keir-starmer-leadership  CREDITS BBC ONE: Sunday with Laura KuenssbergYoutube: Novara MediaPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Last orders for Labour? Starmer’s election nightmare and Westminster’s booze problem w/Will Hayward and Zoë Grünewald 07.05.2026 1val 3min

  This week, Nish and Coco make sense of a bruising local election week, as Labour braces for heavy losses, Reform eyes major gains, and the Greens look to break through in London.They’re joined by Will Hayward, award-winning investigative journalist and expert on Welsh politics, to break down what’s happening in Wales, where Labour’s century-long dominance could be coming to an end. He explains the new Senedd voting system, the rise of Plaid and Reform, and what this election could mean for the future of devolution.Plus: Zoë Grünewald joins to unpack Reform’s latest migrant detention centre proposal, Green hopes in the capital, and what a bad night could mean for Keir Starmer.And: should MPs be allowed to drink on the job, or is Parliament’s bar tab finally becoming a political problem?GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, political journalistWill Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalist USEFUL LINKSGuide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/CREDITSRadio 4, Today Show Tiktok, Zia Yusef (@ziayusufuk) Instagram, Hannah Spencer (@hannahtheplumbermcr)Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Mandelson, May Elections & Rosie Jones Mayhem 23.04.2026 1val 10min

  British politics was shaken to its core this week when we all realised that, maybe, Keir Starmer isn’t as quite across the detail as he tries to make out. He had to explain exactly what he did and didn’t know about the developed vetting carried out for Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s Ambassador to the US.Right on the heels of that, came Olly Robbins, who was sacked last week from his role as the chief official at the Foreign Office. In a very civil servant way, he revealed the internal pressures and machinations that were happening during the appointment process.Both men had serious questions to answer about what they did but Coco and Nish are joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald to ask why everyone is obsessing over the process while almost totally ignoring the larger, moral decision to make the appointment in the first place.Plus the comedian Rosie Jones arrives to totally derail the whole podcast with a mix of funny jabs at Nish while still telling us about the work of her brilliant foundation which is celebrating its first birthday!  Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.**Warning: use of a racial slur during the Labour May election segment**CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS INCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheukWISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukAURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK SHIPSTATION: https://www.shipstation.com Code: PSTUKGUESTS Zoë Grünewald - Journalist, broadcaster and political commentatorRosie Jones - ComedianUSEFUL LINKSThe Rosie Jones Foundation: https://www.rosiejonesfoundation.com/CREDITSSir Keir Starmer MP - Parliament TVEmily Thornberry MP - The Mirror, YouTube Sir Oliver Robbins - Parliament TV David Miliband MP - Mornings with Ridge and Frost, Sky News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Trump's Jesus Meme Chaos w/ Tommy Vietor 16.04.2026 53min

  Who says the special relationship is on the ropes? Coco and Nish are joined by Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor to showcase transatlantic co-operation at its very best. From the battle of slopaganda to the real war in Iran - there’s a lot to talk about.Donald Trump deleted a Truth Social post because he looked a little bit too much like Jesus for the Christian community - many of them have been some of his biggest supporters. Meanwhile Iran has released a series of sometimes-antisemitic, AI, Lego rap videos. In the UK, Keir Starmer is being criticised for not spending enough on defence at a time when the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are focusing minds.Plus - Your Party hits the skids in Scotland - we hear from an insider about what went down.Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukSHOPIFY: https://www.wise.comWISE: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Tommy Vietor, Host, Pod Save America and Pod Save The WorldUSEFUL LINKSHow to email your MP about NHS Palantir contracts - https://www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/sign-a-petition/mp-demand-no-palantir-in-our-nhs/CREDITSDonald Trump - @rapidresponse47, X Iranian Propaganda Video - Explosive MediaOwen Maitland, Former Your Party Scotland executive committee memberFaiza Shaheen, Director, Tax Justice UK - ‘Politics Live’, BBC OneSaturday Night Live UK, Sky OnePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Can AI really be your friend? w/Jamie Bartlett 02.04.2026 58min

  Coco and Nish are joined by top author and tech expert Jamie Bartlett. His new book is a deep dive into the ways AI is being used - highlighting its pitfalls and also where it might be beneficial.Jamie even created an AI alter-ego to help people understand how the technology really works, its strengths and its limitations. Plus, your questions, answered! From the new electoral system in Wales to favourite conspiracy theories - you’ll learn and you’ll laugh!Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukWISE: https://www.wise.comGUESTS Jamie Bartlett, Author, ‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’ and Host of Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares) on BBC SoundsSpecial guest appearance: Jimmy BotlettUSEFUL LINKS‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’: Out April 9th. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/475950/how-to-talk-to-ai-by-bartlett-jamie/9780753561980Welsh Assembly election guidehttps://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/senedd-election-2026-what-is-the-d-hondt-formula-and-how-does-it-work/Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Truth, Lies and Donald Trump w/ Stewart Lee 26.03.2026 52min

  Comedian and columnist Stewart Lee joins Nish and Coco to discuss the week’s big stories.They talk about Donald Trump’s deadly and yet utterly confusing war with Iran, as the US President continues to contradict his own statements about the Strait of Hormuz and peace talks, almost in the same breath. It certainly means a new, live, UK sketch show has plenty of material - but how should comedy respond to the challenging times we are all living through?Plus - why having a weekly opinion column is good for your mental health and why news organisations need to do more to tackle the lies and extreme rhetoric coming from politicians.Don’t forget to leave a review - it gives the show a boost and we love to see your comments.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukINCOGNI: https://www.incogni.com/podsavetheuk Code: podsavetheuk GUESTS Stewart Lee, Comedian and columnist for The NerveUSEFUL LINKSGuide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/CREDITSSaturday Night Live UK, Sky OnePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Can Britain’s myth and magic challenge the far right? w/ Zakia Sewell 21.03.2026 35min

  Last summer - fuelled by the far right - a rash of St George and Union Jack flags spread across the country. Flag-waving became a symbol of prejudice, not pride. In that context it's hard as progressives to feel particularly patriotic. So what is Britishness… and does it even matter?Someone who is hopeful that our national identity is worth saving is writer, a DJ and broadcaster Zakia Sewell. In this bonus episode of PSUK, she tells Nish and Coco about her journey to uncover an alternative version of Britishness - one that unifies rather than divides.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTZakia Sewell, writer, DJ & broadcasterUSEFUL LINKS“Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for Hidden Britain” - out now.https://www.waterstones.com/book/finding-albion/zakia-sewell/9781399735902Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Farage’s Wild Week: Energy bill stunts and questionable Cameo videos 19.03.2026 58min

  Reform UK is getting into the lottery business - inviting people to sign up for a chance to have their energy bills paid for a year. But is the real prize a massive database of voters ahead of the next General Election? Plus - party leader Nigel Farage has been caught saying some pretty questionable stuff for money on Cameo. Is that really the kind of thing we should expect from someone who plans to be our next Prime Minister?Nish and Coco are joined by authors Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff. Their new book Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed looks at the billionaire manbaby in a whole new way. If you want to understand what’s driving Musk and what it could mean for all of us - this is the chat for you.And POLITICO’s Anne McElvoy is on hand as the former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner pops up to point out all the ways Labour is getting it wrong at the moment - subtext: without her they’re lost.Reminder to send in your burning questions for Nish and Coco to psuk@reducedlistening.co.ukCHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, Authors. Muskism: A Guide for the PerplexedOut on March 24thAnne McElvoy, Executive Editor, POLITICO and co-host Politics at Sam and Anne’sUSEFUL LINKSThe Podcast Show - https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/explore-passesMuskism: A Guide for the Perplexedhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477340/muskism-by-tarnoff-quinn-slobodian-and-ben/9780241805114CREDITSThe Guardian - YouTubeThe Independent - YouTubeReform UK - YouTubeToday in Focus - The GuardianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• The Mandelson Files Are Out 12.03.2026 56min

  The first wave of Mandelson files have been published. We all wanted to know what Keir Starmer knew, and when he knew it. Now we can see it in black and white. And as it turns out - Starmer was warned there was a “general reputational risk” over Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein ahead of his confirmation as US ambassador. Nish and Coco make sense of this perilous moment for the PM.Then critical theorist and viral creator Louisa Munch helps us make sense of the government’s new social cohesion strategy. But is tackling extremism and yet more surveillance the answer to fraying social ties?Plus - as Iran names its new supreme leader oil prices skyrocket - for a PM obsessed with the cost of living, this is shaping up to be a bit of a nightmare.Remember to send your questions in for Nish and Coco to psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk and they’ll spill the tea! CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMES: https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKBABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKGUESTS Louisa Munch, Critical TheoristMinnie Rahman, CEO PraxisUSEFUL LINKS“Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe” + Q&A with James Acaster at The Ritzy, Brixton - 18th Marchhttps://picturehouses.com/movie-details/000/HO00017471/nish-kumar-nish-don-t-kill-my-vibe-q-a?filter=Open letter opposing planned changes to the immigration settlement routes: https://act.praxis.org.uk/open-letter-earned-settlementCREDITSDarren Jones MP, Cabinet Office minister - Parliament TVSteve Reed MP, Communities Secretary - Parliament TVMike Tapp MP, Migration minister - Parliament TVMinnie Rahman, Praxis CEOFrederik Pleitgen, CNN International Senior Correspondent - CNNPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• “No Winston Churchill”: is the special relationship over? 05.03.2026 53min

  A world leader has been assassinated, schools and hospitals have been hit, and Donald Trump thinks that Keir Starmer is no Winston Churchill. It’s all kicking off as the US and Israel’s illegal war escalates across the Middle East. All of this with the open admission of no real plan for what comes next. Struggling to absorb it all? Wondering if there’s another way? British-Iranian peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE is here to fill us in. She joins Coco and comedian Sophie Duker, who is in the hotseat for Nish this week.Soaring oil prices was not the backdrop Chancellor Rachel Reeves was hoping for ahead of her second Spring Statement. Finalised before the conflict broke out, her economic plan was “Trumped” before it was even delivered - so where does this leave the UK?Plus - just as the UK gets dragged into this latest destabilising conflict, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood rips up the rules on UK asylum. Got a burning question for Nish or Coco? Big or small - they will be answered in a special episode! Email: psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISEhttps://www.wise.comSHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk SURFSHARKhttps://www.surfshark.com/podsave Code: PODSAVEGUESTSanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, founder and CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)USEFUL LINKSSophie Dukerhttps://thesophieduker.com/If You Were In Charge with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini and Kavita Nandini Ramdas.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/if-you-were-in-charge/id1770618616CREDITSSophie Duker - Live at the Apollo / BBC One Keir Starmer / XParliament TV PBS News Hour / YouTubeBBC News Zoe Gardner / IGManchester Evening News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Are we stuck in never-ending political scandal? w/Ash Sarkar 26.02.2026 56min

  This week Nish and Coco are joined by friend of the pod, Ash Sarkar from Novara Media to talk about political scandal, trust and compromise. Ash’s book, Minority Rule, has a new afterword which talks about two progressive movements which have tried to build different kinds of relationships with voters. Is that the way forward - or are we stuck in an endless cycle of broken promises from our leaders? One of those leaders - Keir Starmer - seems to be lurching from crisis to nightmare, so can he rise above the latest headlines about Peter Mandelson’s arrest and the Labour Together scandal?Plus Reform’s new immigration policies, the new proposals to change the SEND system - and some good news about two protest groups.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKWISE: https://www.wise.comSURFSHARK: https://www.surfshark.com/podsave  CODE: PODSAVE  GUESTS Ash Sarkar, Contributing Editor at Novara Media and author of Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War - out now in paperback.USEFUL LINKSJumaane Williams’ thoughtful response following the outcry about the handling of a racial slur at the Baftas.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgaqKIxS4Hs&t=1sCREDITSDaily Express - YouTubeNigel Farage - YouTube@sendra.uk - InstagramNida JafriPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Can she fix it? Hannah the plumber and politician on tackling Reform 19.02.2026 54min

  This week Coco is joined by the comedian Cody Dahler while Nish takes a brief break and there’s so much to talk about!The Greens' Hannah Spencer has become the unexpected bookies favourite to win the Gorton and Denton by-election but does she have what it takes to turn good odds into a win at the ballot box? We speak to her about the importance of fighting to improve lives, her favourite false rumour and why walking her dogs helped form her political outlook.Plus Keir Starmer is back with another U-turn and another inquiry. We try to work out what he’s hoping to achieve this week. And Amnesty International’s UK Director of Law and Human Rights, Tom Southerden, updates us on their High Court victory as they challenge the proscription of Palestine Action.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS BABBEL: https://www.babbel.com/PSUKSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukGUESTS Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate, Gorton and Denton by-electionTom Southerden, UK Law and Human Rights Director, Amnesty InternationalUSEFUL LINKSGorton and Denton by-election candidate list https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/parl.gorton-and-denton.by.2026-02-26/gorton-and-denton/CREDITSTikTok / @mrcodydahlerGreen Party of England and Wales / FacebookHannah Spencer / InstagramPaul Holden, Investigative journalist and author of "The Fraud"High Court protest reaction - Amnesty International footage@mrcodydahler / InstagramOtto, Budding ComedianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• McSweeney: the man who made Starmer and his ties to Mandelson 12.02.2026 55min

  Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet circles the wagons as he survives another hellish week in office. One that saw the loss of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his director of communications, Tim Allan, as the scandal over Peter Mandelson's ties to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein rages on. Nish and Coco are joined by Paul Holden, the “unofficial biographer” of Morgan McSweeney, to discuss his key role in the rise of Keir Starmer to power and his close relationship with Mandelson. Plus - reports that Labour Together hired a PR firm to investigate Paul and others looking into its funding under McSweeney.Also, comedian Stuart Goldsmith on the serious business of being funny about climate change and why it goes all the way to the top of British intelligence.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKWISEhttps://www.wise.comGUESTS Paul Holden, Investigative Journalist and author of The FraudStuart Goldsmith, Climate ComedianUSEFUL LINKSThe Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracyhttps://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/Stuart Goldsmithwww.stuartgoldsmith.comCREDITSSky News / YouTubeSky News / YouTubeGOP Oversight / YouTubeSky News Australia / YouTubePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Will Mandelson be Starmer’s downfall? 05.02.2026 53min

  The release of the latest Epstein files triggered a deluge of revelations, spelling the end for one of UK’s biggest political characters. Nish and Coco chat about Lord Mandelson’s fall and the damage done to Keir Starmer and his government as well as the new police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.Economist Ann Pettifor, one of the few who predicted the 2008 financial crash, is the author of a new book “The Global Casino”. She has a lot to say about the Mandelson scandal, the financial systems that control our lives and what governments need to do to challenge the global billionaires who speculate with our money every day.Plus - move over Barbenheimer, Nish and Coco give their take on two premieres: The Moment and Melania.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk AURA FRAMEShttps://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUKGUEST Ann Pettifor, economist and author of ‘The Global Casino’USEFUL LINKSNish Tour Ticketshttps://www.nishkumar.co.uk/gigs/The Global Casino: How Wall Street Gambles with People and the Planethttps://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3258-the-global-casinoCREDITSKeir Starmer MP / Parliament TVLord Mandelson / ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ BBC OneMelania Trailer Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Will Starmer’s control freakery deliver victory to Reform? 29.01.2026 52min

  Keir Starmer jets off to Beijing, leaving Westminster - once again - bubbling with rumours about his future. The King of the North might be off the cards, but Angela Rayner and even Ed Miliband are eyeing up the top spot. Reform thinks GB News Presenter and right-wing activist Matt Goodwin is the right man to be their MP candidate in Gorton and Denton - if only he can shelve his disdain for Manchester… Nish and Coco chew it all over with political journalist Zoë Grünewald.Away from the psychodrama, controversial plans to overhaul special educational needs education in England risk children’s legal rights to cut costs. Campaigners Rachel Filmer and Carrie Grant share their concerns with Coco.And surveillance firm Palantir is using medical records to target people for ICE in the US - could the UK be next?This podcast has been edited to remove a story about Matt Goodwin after he clarified the context of his comments about Manchester. We regret the error.CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFYhttps://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Zoë Grünewald, journalist, broadcaster and political commentatorDr Carrie Grant MBE, TV presenter and voice coachRachel Filmer, SEND campaignerUSEFUL LINKSSave Our Children’s Rights Campaignhttps://www.saveourchildrensrights.org.uk/Stop Palantir in the NHShttps://goodlawproject.org/campaign/stop-palantir-in-the-nhsCREDITSKeir Starmer / TikTokPod Save America / XGood Law Project / InstagramSky News / YouTubeUKLabour / XPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukLike and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUKInstagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukX: https://x.com/podsavetheuk
• Starmer’s new Trump headache and making comedy under occupation 22.01.2026 55min

  Donald Trump brings his particular brand of terrible speeches to the billionaires and bankers at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Nish and Coco try to work out how Keir Starmer can keep on track when facing the threat of US tariffs over Greenland as well as criticism of a lease deal with the Chagos Islands - which the US had previously praised. Liam Thorp, the Liverpool Echo’s Political Editor, is on hand to break down Labour’s big plan to make homes warmer, the fortunes of Reform and the latest delay to the Hillsborough Law Plus comedian Alaa Shehada, fresh from his show ‘The Horse of Jenin’, talks to Nish and Coco about the ‘Palestine Comedy Club’, a documentary which follows a group of Palestinians as they take their comedy show on tour in an occupied state. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk WISE Wise.com GUESTS  Liam Thorp - Political Editor, Liverpool Echo Tess Ingram, UNICEF Alaa Shehada - Comedian USEFUL LINKS ...
• Grok AI Scandal: should we treat Big Tech like Big Tobacco? w/ Rutger Bregman 15.01.2026 54min

  X has been firmly in the firing line after its Grok AI tool was used to create sexualised images of women and children. Elon Musk’s company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global earnings by internet regulator Ofcom, or a ban in the UK. He denies that the AI has done anything illegal and says users are responsible for the images they create. How can we regulate AI? Nish and Coco speak to Rutger Bregman, historian and author who called out billionaires at Davos. He argues Big Tech should be treated like Big Tobacco, and gives his take on Iran, as thousands of protestors take to the streets, and what a radical policy platform looks like for the UK Left today. Plus - what on earth is UKIP proposing as a terrifying rebrand?  *Update on Palestinian Hunger Strikers*: On 14th Jan Heba, Kamran, and Lewie collectively paused their hunger strike. They made British history, lasting 73 days. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk BABBEL ...
• Trump’s explosive start to 2026 - will Starmer find a backbone? 08.01.2026 55min

  The US President put the season of goodwill behind him with a New Year Venezuelan coup and the threat of further action across Central America and the Caribbean. Then there’s the little matter of his promise to seize control of Greenland. Nish and Coco try to make sense of the senseless - and to assess the possibility that Donald Trump could end up destroying NATO - with Tommy Vietor from our sister podcasts Pod Save America and Pod Save the World.  Plus, comedian Cody Dahler gives us his take on how 2026 will shape up for politicians and satirists. How easy is it to make jokes while the world - literally and metaphorically - is on fire?  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  WISE https://wise.com/ BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK  GUESTS  Cody Dahler, Comedian and Presenter of The Truth (In My Opinion) Tommy Vietor, Co-Host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World Nida Jafri USEFUL LINKS Palestine Action Hunger Strikers: How to write to your MP  http...