Pod Save the UK Crooked Media

Three weeks haven’t yet passed since the election, but Keir Starmer’s Government has faced its first rebellion. The response to seven Labour MPs breaking rank over the Government’s stance on the two child benefit cap was swift and fierce, leading to the whip being removed and anger inside and outside the party. Nish and Coco ask if Starmer has only stoked further division within the party.

Clare Farrell drops in to discuss the landmark sentencing of five Just Stop Oil protesters and how the previous government’s draconian anti-protest legislation led to this moment.

Later, chair of the NHS Federation Victor Adebowale joins Nish and Coco to discuss the National Audit Office’s recent findings into the state of NHS finances and what can be done to fix the service, while taking the pressure off of near-breaking point staff.

As parliamentarians were ironing their robes in preparation for the King’s Speech, Trump’s new running mate JD Vance shocked the UK with flippant remarks that have sent a shiver down the spine of the New Government. Nish and Coco are joined by Liz Bates to discuss Vance’s comments, the themes behind the surprise-free King’s Speech and two shock resignations - those of Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething and England manager Gareth Southgate.

It’s week one in government and Labour have hit the ground running. We’ve got a new cabinet and big moves on planning reform and international relations are underway. But what about the opposition? Nish and Coco check in with Substack superstar Sam Freedman to uncover some of the challenges the new government faces over the course of the parliament and hear who might lead a new-look Conservative Party.

It’s official. The election results are in and we are in the era of a Labour government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stepped up the 10 Downing Street - but one of the key questions for Nish and Coco is will things concretely improve under his leadership? What can we hope for in this new era?

Counting down the last five days until the election results come flooding in, the Conservative Party is still blowing themselves apart from the inside. Why has the Tory campaign been such a clusterfuck and should we care if they implode? Would a Labour supermajority be good or bad for democracy as a whole?

To discuss these points, Nish and Coco are joined by Rory Stewart - hearing what he thinks on both the future of the Conservative party, and the future of British democracy. Now known for hosting the “The Rest is Politics” podcast with former Labour spin-doctor Alastair Campbell, Rory explains why he might return to politics - even going for the top job.

With just one week to go until the election, Rishi Sunak’s chances of avoiding a landslide defeat might have just got slimmer - all thanks to “gamble-gate”.

Nish and Coco are joined by political correspondent Liz Bates to discuss the betting scandal plaguing the government. Sunak vowed to lead the world in “standards of decency” but has been very slow to act. Might this mean a complete wipeout for them?