The Northern Agenda

Laudable
  • 4.7 (21)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Northern Agenda

The Northern Agenda is a weekly podcast covering politics and public affairs from across the North of England, voiced by journalists who are outside the Westminster bubble, reporting from the other side of the North/South divide. From Blackpool to Barnsley and Bamburgh and everywhere in between, exploring subjects such as levelling up to buses, elections to the latest council scraps, The Northern Agenda brings you discussion and analysis of the North's big political stories, from people experiencing them on the ground. Rob Parsons speaks to politicians, activists, campaigners, experts, community figures, journalists, business leaders, pollsters and more about the political stories that really matter to the North - and from the North - that you won't hear about from the national media in London. The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/

  1. 6 DAYS AGO

    Our Kids in the North: So you've finished school - what next?

    In the final episode of The Northern Agenda's Our Kids In The North podcast, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look at the choices facing young people in our region when they reach 16. That’s the age when they no longer have to stay in school but they do have to stay in some form of education or training until the age of 18, so that opens up options like starting an apprenticeship, taking a vocational course like a T Level or pursuing further education with A Levels with a view to going to university. The aim of all that is to end up with a good job, or at least putting yourself on the path towards getting one. And that’s why their success is something political leaders in the North are taking a keen interest in as they know the young people coming out of schools today will be the ones who in years to come will be helping to grow our region’s economy. We hear from the further education college in Hartlepool whose principal describes it as “overlooked, undervalued, underfunded, yet marvellous” - how is it helping young people to better futures in the face of funding cuts and widespread poverty? Students in the buzzing centre of Manchester talk to Rob about how young people in the city are struggling with bad landlords and poor mental health. The Vice-Chancellor at the University of York talks about the broken funding system for higher education - and how he hopes to use technology to reach students across the world. And Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham describes how we have "an education system built for the third who are going to university and not the two thirds who are not" - and what he's doing to change that. The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 1m

  2. 13 FEB

    Our Kids in the North: It's hard being a kid - life in a Northern school in 2025

    ​"It's really difficult being a kid at the moment. And that's for a whole host of reasons. You see that with the increased mental health problems our children are facing. You see that with the issue of attendance at school. You see that with issues of family breakdown, issues of poverty. And those issues have been worsened by the pandemic." Jim Lauder,​ Assistant Vice Principal, Dixons Trinity Academy This week on The Northern Agenda's series Our Kids In The North, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look at​ what it's like to go to a school in Northern England, where absence and exclusion rates are higher than the rest of the country. ​Jim Lauder, whose trust runs schools in several Northern cities, tells of the challenges he and his colleagues face working with children from deprived communities in places like Bradford. There's exclusive data from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership about the areas of the North where pupils are most likely to miss school. And leaders in one area of our region tell Rob how they're using robots to give emotional support to young people struggling to attend. And at a time when the Labour government is making big changes to our education system, Rob speaks to Yorkshireman Neil O'Brien, the Conservative MP who's leading the attack on Bridget Phillipson's school reforms. And we hear from Jonathan Brash, who has a unique perspective as a Labour MP in Hartlepool who used to work in leading private schools in the North. Does he agree with the move to add 20% VAT to private school fees? The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 18m

  3. 6 FEB

    Our Kids in the North: The children let down by the state

    Most people listening to this podcast will likely have been able to take for granted having a loving family to look after them as they grew up. But for tens of thousands of children in the North, that is not the case. For a host of reasons, whether it’s a risk of harm, their parents being too unwell to look after them or just the absence of any one to take parental responsibility, they have been put into the care of the state. And the North has way more looked after children than it should do. And that’s bad news not just for the children themselves - because children in care tend to have worse health and educational outcomes - but for the local authorities who are responsible for looking after them. In the fourth episode of The Northern Agenda's Our Kids In The North series, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look into why there are so many children in care in the North and what this tells us about the failings of society. We hear from a Northern mayor who grew up in care, an MP from our region wrote an influential report into how to fix our broken care system and a young care leaver from Blackpool, the seaside town with the highest rate of children in care of anywhere in the country. And listen out to hear about a pioneering scheme in Greater Manchester that could finally put an end to the profiteering of private care homes. If you want to read more on this subject, please check out this report by Health Equity North that we leaned on heavily when putting together this episode: https://www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/Children-in-Care-Report-2024-FINAL-2.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    49 min

  4. 30 JAN

    The truth about family abuse and grooming gangs

    The scandal of grooming gangs targeting vulnerable girls in places like Rotherham and Oldham has dominated the news in 2025. But this week on the podcast Rob Parsons sheds a light on a sickening crime that’s had a lot less publicity. Child sex abuse by family members is far more common than most people think. But in one part of the North of England, West Yorkshire, the region’s mayor, a children’s charity and even a leading broadcaster want to help victims talk about their experience to stop other people going through the same ordeal they’ve had to endure. On a visit to the Leeds headquarters of Channel 4, which just hosted a powerful discussion about the need protect children from sexual abusers, Rob speaks to Emily Victoria, a businesswoman who confronted the abuse she suffered at her father's hands for a TV documentary. And Debra Radford of the NSPCC charity and West Yorkshire deputy mayor Alison Lowe talk about the region is aiming to lead the way on keeping girls safe. This episode might make you think a little differently about the recent grooming gangs coverage, particularly whether the media focus on a certain type of offending might be putting off the victims of other types of abuse from reporting what’s happened to them. For help and support on preventing and dealing with child sexual abuse and exploitation, you can visit www.nspcc.org.uk or www.channel4.com/4viewers/help/child-abuse-or-harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min

  5. 23 JAN

    Our Kids in the North: how Northern working parents are being priced out of childcare

    The North in Numbers takes over The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North for this episode, looking at the human stories behind the stats. Annie Gouk, Data Investigations Editor at Reach and host of our sister podcast, explores the data on the rising cost and lack of availability of childcare, and what this means both for working parents, and for kids when it comes to being ready for school.  She speaks to: ⬆️ Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, on the masterplan to tackle staff shortages in Early Years education and childcare in the area. ⬆️ Lydia Hodges. head of Coram Family and Childcare, on the charity's survey charting the cost of a part time nursery place for a child under the age of two in the North ⬆️ Fiona Spellman, the CEO of SHINE, a charity covering the north of England that was set up to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform better in their education, on the growing number of children starting reception not “school ready” ⬆️ Mothers Tui Benjamin Thorp and Katie Jones on trying to juggle work with childcare, especially with the soaring costs The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min

  6. 16 JAN

    Our Kids In The North: fighting back against child poverty

    Our Kids in the North, a new series from The Northern Agenda, launched with a focus on the big societal problem that you can’t escape if you’re talking about children in the North of England: poverty. In the second episode of our podcast, Rob Parsons talks about a part of the country that has so much going for it, but where the high rates of poverty are holding back the potential of tens of thousands of young people. Nearly one in three child are living in poverty in the North East - but local leaders are now taking action themselves to give the region’s children a better chance. Speaking to child poverty campaigners, entrepreneurs, top politicians, and charities who are helping reduce the effects of poverty, The Northern Agenda paints a concerning picture of the scale of the problem in the North East, but also highlights the determination of local leaders and communities to find innovative solutions to this pressing social issue. Rob Parsons speaks to: ⬆️ Kim McGuinness, the new mayor of the North East, about how she plans to tackle the root causes of poverty as well as helping families deal with the short term impacts. ⬆️ Paul Lindley, the Yorkshire-born founder of Ella’s Kitchen, about why as a society we need to be switching our attention to our young people and take a much more entrepreneurial approach to finding the solutions that work. ⬆️ Sophie Balmer, a 21-year-old child poverty campaigner from Newcastle, about when she first realised she wanted to speak up on behalf of young people like her. ⬆️ Beth Major, chief executive of local charity The Junction, about the "multi-bank" that provides people struggling in the Tees Valley with surplus goods from companies and businesses, including clothes and hygiene products The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    42 min

  7. 9 JAN

    Our Kids In The North: the scandal of child poverty

    The Northern Agenda presents Our Kids In The North - a special series of episodes looking at what it's like to be a young person in the North of England. Over six episodes Rob Parsons and data journalist Annie Gouk will be exploring topics like the state of Northern schools, the early years of children in our region, why there are so many young people in care in the North and the options available to pupils after they leave school. There are 3.3 million people under the age of 18 in Northern England - and in this series we talk to articulate young people from places like Liverpool, Newcastle and Blackpool as well as the experts and political leaders who've made it their mission to improve their lives. But with one in three children in the North living below the poverty line - and the rate much higher in some areas - you can't talk about young people without first looking at the impact child poverty is having on our region. Rob speaks to two young people about how poverty is ruining the potential of countless lives across the region as well as a leading expert and medic at a Northern hospital which sees the effects of poverty every day. You can see Save The Children's Potential Not Poverty video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ5YXVenQAc Child of the North is a joint project between Health Equity North and the N8 Research Partnership offering a research and policy-based programme fighting for a fairer future for children wherever they grow up. Read more about it here: https://www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/child-of-the-north/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  8. 19/12/2024 · BONUS

    A Christmas Message from The Northern Agenda

    Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons previews our brand new series, Our Kids in the North. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    2 min
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4.7
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

The Northern Agenda is a weekly podcast covering politics and public affairs from across the North of England, voiced by journalists who are outside the Westminster bubble, reporting from the other side of the North/South divide. From Blackpool to Barnsley and Bamburgh and everywhere in between, exploring subjects such as levelling up to buses, elections to the latest council scraps, The Northern Agenda brings you discussion and analysis of the North's big political stories, from people experiencing them on the ground. Rob Parsons speaks to politicians, activists, campaigners, experts, community figures, journalists, business leaders, pollsters and more about the political stories that really matter to the North - and from the North - that you won't hear about from the national media in London. The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/

Information

  • Creator
    Laudable
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    171
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Laudable
  • Show Website
    The Northern Agenda

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