Pod Save the UK

Pod Save the UK is your weekly fix of political news, big ideas and a shot of inspiration. Each week hosts, comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan are joined by politicians, experts, and famous friends to unpick the latest news, look for solutions, and inspire action. From Crooked Media – the creators of Pod Save America – tune in to new episodes of Pod Save the UK every Thursday wherever you pod.

  1. ‘The Sleaze By-Election’: Farage Resigns…and Runs Again?! Plus, World War Three is here w/ Hannah Lucinda Smith

    15 hr ago

    ‘The Sleaze By-Election’: Farage Resigns…and Runs Again?! Plus, World War Three is here w/ Hannah Lucinda Smith

    This week, we cancel our early celebrations at the news of Nigel Farage’s resignation, given that he announced in the same breath he would be standing in the very by-election he triggered…Another one?! While Nish is off on a glamorous sidequest, Coco’s joined by guest host journalist Zoë Grünewald to make sense of this latest stunt from Nige. Is this a political gamble that will pay off, or a final act of desperation? Also on the show, we look to Ankara, where world leaders have descended for the latest NATO summit amidst rising geopolitical tensions... Author and foreign correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith breaks down how warfare has changed, why we should be investing more in defence and what the presumptive PM Andy Burnham could do to get Britain back on track on the world stage.  USEFUL LINKSBuy Hannah’s book! https://www.waterstones.com/book/hinterlands/hannah-lucinda-smith/9781805225416  Sunday Times Investigation into ‘Daddy’ Farage and ‘Posh George’:  https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/revealed-nigel-farage-secretly-funded-by-convicted-criminal-j0brtrlnk  GUESTS Hannah Lucinda Smith  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  WISE: https://www.wise.comSHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings!  Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

    1hr 16min
  2. No10 in the North: Andy Burnham’s Manchester mission... Plus, is ‘free speech’ just a free pass for tech bros?

    2 Jul

    No10 in the North: Andy Burnham’s Manchester mission... Plus, is ‘free speech’ just a free pass for tech bros?

    “Are you ready for this?” Following Andy Burnham’s first big policy speech since becoming an MP, and with his sights set firmly on the top job, Coco & Nish dig into his promises of regeneration, reindustrialisation, and…a new pair of running shorts. From No10 North to nationalisation and the biggest council house building programme since the postwar period, they discuss their unanswered questions and first impressions of the Manchester man offering “growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart.”  Plus, they’re joined by journalist and campaigner Adele Zeynep Walton who shares her first-hand experience of the consequences of online harms. We ask whether the proposed social media ban for under-16s really gets to the heart of the problem (spoiler alert: no), and how we can truly hold the tech industry to account. Content note, this discussion includes references to suicide.  USEFUL LINKSBuy Adele’s book: “Logging Off: The Human Cost of our Digital World” https://www.waterstones.com/book/logging-off/adele-zeynep-walton/9781398722941  Write to your MP and support the call for a public inquiry into the scale of harm facilitated by online suicide forums: https://mollyrosefoundation.beaconforms.com/form/90ddb8e4  https://mollyrosefoundation.org/campaigns/campaign-against-pro-suicide-forums/   GUESTS Adele Zeynep Walton  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.HRF Power Plays: Search Power Plays wherever you get your podcasts.WISE: https://www.wise.com Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings!  Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

    1hr 20min
  3. Starmer Resigns! Listen up, Labour: Lessons learned from the Trump trap w/ Ben Rhodes

    25 Jun

    Starmer Resigns! Listen up, Labour: Lessons learned from the Trump trap w/ Ben Rhodes

    As Ben Rhodes says on this week’s episode, “we’re in a revolutionary moment globally”. Joining Nish and Coco from sister show Pod Save the World, Ben shares (and despairs) about the state of UK and US politics, and tells us what we can take from the Democrats’ disaster of 2024. Isn’t it time that progressives got their own populist? Plus, we hear about Ben’s new book, ‘All We Say’, tracing American history through some of its most famous–and infamous–speeches. We talk to him about the similarities between Britain and America both losing their way when it comes to national identity, and how our leaders need to tell it like it is. We can handle the truth!  Also on the show, New Statesman Editor Tom McTague dissects Starmer’s swan song, his last minute decision not to challenge Burnham for leadership, and sets out why it all went wrong for a man who won a landslide victory less than two years ago.  USEFUL LINKSGrab a copy of Ben’s new book, All We Say: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470622/all-we-say-by-rhodes-ben/9781847928887  Ailbhe Rea’s recent piece in the New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2026/06/what-happens-now  Tom McTague’s interview with Keir Starmer: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/what-keir-starmer-cant-say  GUESTS Ben Rhodes Tom McTague  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SAILY: https://www.saily.com/podsave HRF Power Plays: Search Power Plays wherever you get your podcasts.VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUKWISE: https://www.wise.comBT: 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.com we’d love to hear from you as we plan to do a mailbag episode soon: end any questions, thoughts, or musings our way! Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

    1hr 5min
  4. Makerfield decides, Labour holds its breath…Plus, Palestine Action & Social Media bans w/ Akiko Hart

    18 Jun

    Makerfield decides, Labour holds its breath…Plus, Palestine Action & Social Media bans w/ Akiko Hart

    As Makerfield goes to the polls today, Nish and Coco take a look back at the campaign, interrogate Andy Burnham’s ‘King of the North’ brand, and dig into what ‘Manchesterism’ actually is–and how it could work on a national scale.  They’re joined by Jack Dulhanty, journalist at Manchester Mill, to break down whether we can expect a people-pleaser for our next Prime Minister, how voting intentions have split households, and why a four-month old political party has given Reform a run for its money.  Plus: following the Court of Appeal’s ruling upholding the ban on Palestine Action and the terror sentencing of the ‘Filton 4’ activists, we speak to Akiko Hart, director of Liberty, the UK’s oldest human rights organisation, to understand the consequences of applying such a broad definition of terrorism.   And, as a social media ban looms for under-16s, what could this mean for the future of digital privacy in the UK?  USEFUL LINKSSee Ben Rhodes and Coco Khan live! Tickets here. Liberty breaks down the Palestine Action ruling: https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/breaking-down-the-court-of-appeal-judgment-on-palestine-actions-proscription/#:~:text=On%2015%20June%202026%2C%20the%20Court%20of%20Appeal%20ruled%20in,proscription%20was%20lawful%20and%20proportionate.  GUESTS Akiko Hart Jack Dulhanty CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SAILY: https://www.saily.com/podsave BT: Search ‘Why BT’ to find out more.SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukVANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media. Get in touch - contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk

    1hr 6min
  5. The Mandelson Files: Chaos Inside Labour? Plus: Sabah Choudrey on the Culture War over Public Spaces

    4 Jun

    The Mandelson Files: Chaos Inside Labour? Plus: Sabah Choudrey on the Culture War over Public Spaces

    This week, Nish and Coco dig into the latest release of files around Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the US, and what the hundreds of emails and WhatsApps reveal about Labour’s internal panic, Keir Starmer’s leadership, and a government that seems increasingly unsure of itself. They also unpack Alan Milburn’s major review into youth unemployment. Is Britain dealing with a generation that doesn’t want to work, or a broken system that has stripped away routes into jobs, training and support? Plus: Nish and Coco are joined by Sabah Choudrey, speaker, consultant and founder of Trans Pride Brighton, to discuss the EHRC’s new guidance on single-sex spaces, the worsening climate for trans people in the UK, and how a small network of gender-critical organisations has helped push trans rights into the centre of the culture war. GUESTS Zoë CrowtherSabah Choudrey USEFUL LINKSUpdated EHRC Code of Practice: GI’s response | Gendered IntelligenceJoin the trans lobby on the 25th June: Mass Lobby for Trans Equality  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY: https://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheukVANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK AURA 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

    1hr 10min
  6. We Read Tony Blair So You Don’t Have To. Plus: Who Really Owns Britain? w/Hettie O’Brien

    28 May

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

    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 Itself USEFUL 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

    1hr 7min
  7. Starmer clings on, Burnham steps up w/ MP Nadia Whittome

    21 May

    Starmer clings on, Burnham steps up w/ MP Nadia Whittome

    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/podsavetheuk GUESTS Nadia Whittome MP USEFUL 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 Sun 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

    1hr 6min

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About

Pod Save the UK is your weekly fix of political news, big ideas and a shot of inspiration. Each week hosts, comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan are joined by politicians, experts, and famous friends to unpick the latest news, look for solutions, and inspire action. From Crooked Media – the creators of Pod Save America – tune in to new episodes of Pod Save the UK every Thursday wherever you pod.

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