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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 LINKS
Grab a copy of Ben’s new book, All We Say: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/470622/all-we-say-by-rhodes-ben/9781847928887Ailbhe 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 McTagueCHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS
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Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected] we’d love to hear from you as we plan to do a mailbag episode soon: end any questions, thoughts, or musings our way!
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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 LINKS
See 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
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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This week, as the far-right continues to fan the flames of violence and division, Coco and Nish are joined by Hasan Piker: Twitch streamer, influencer, and left-wing political commentator who was recently blocked from entering the UK. They dig into what makes him “not conducive to the public good”, and why it’s important to speak the truth–however that comes across.
They also talk about political allegiances, the future of progressive politics, and the worrying rise of far-right MAGA movements across the world. Does a Labour government have the answer?
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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 Crowther
Sabah ChoudreyUSEFUL LINKS
Updated EHRC Code of Practice: GI’s response | Gendered Intelligence
Join the trans lobby on the 25th June: Mass Lobby for Trans EqualityCHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS
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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 LINKS
Amnesty Report | Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UK
Tony Blair Article | The Labour Party Is Playing With Fire Over Its Future and the Future of the Country byCLIP CREDITS
Carol Vorderman via Instagram, (@carolvorders)CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS
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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?
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Nadia Whittome MPUSEFUL LINKS
@Femi_Sorry: Tommy Robinson supporters expose themselves so fast! - Unite The Kingdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBdc_HsSA5YCLIP CREDITS
Femi Oluwole
Nigel Farage Interview: The SunPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
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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 Gawdat
NoJusticeMTGUSEFUL LINKS
Raphael Behr
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/13/labour-battle-of-ideas-no-10-keir-starmer-leadershipCREDITS
BBC ONE: Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Youtube: Novara MediaPod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
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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 journalist
Will Hayward, Cardiff-based investigative journalistUSEFUL LINKS
Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/CREDITS
Radio 4, Today Show
Tiktok, Zia Yusef (@ziayusufuk)
Instagram, Hannah Spencer (@hannahtheplumbermcr)Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
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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**
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GUESTS
Zoë Grünewald - Journalist, broadcaster and political commentator
Rosie Jones - Comedian
USEFUL LINKS
The Rosie Jones Foundation: https://www.rosiejonesfoundation.com/
CREDITS
Sir Keir Starmer MP - Parliament TV
Emily 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.
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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.
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GUESTS
Tommy Vietor, Host, Pod Save America and Pod Save The World
USEFUL LINKS
How 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/
CREDITS
Donald Trump - @rapidresponse47, X
Iranian Propaganda Video - Explosive Media
Owen Maitland, Former Your Party Scotland executive committee member
Faiza Shaheen, Director, Tax Justice UK - ‘Politics Live’, BBC One
Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One
Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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.
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GUESTS
Jamie Bartlett, Author, ‘How To Talk To AI (And How Not To)’ and Host of Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares) on BBC Sounds
Special guest appearance: Jimmy Botlett
USEFUL 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 guide
https://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.
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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.
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GUESTSStewart Lee, Comedian and columnist for The Nerve
USEFUL LINKS
Guide to Senedd voting system: https://senedd.wales/senedd-now/senedd-blog/how-will-the-new-voting-system-work-at-the-next-senedd-election/
CREDITS
Saturday Night Live UK, Sky One
Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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.
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Zakia 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.
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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 [email protected].uk
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GUESTS
Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, Authors. Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed
Out on March 24thAnne McElvoy, Executive Editor, POLITICO and co-host Politics at Sam and Anne’s
USEFUL LINKS
The Podcast Show - https://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/explore-passes
Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/477340/muskism-by-tarnoff-quinn-slobodian-and-ben/9780241805114CREDITS
The Guardian - YouTube
The Independent - YouTube
Reform UK - YouTube
Today in Focus - The GuardianPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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 [email protected].uk and they’ll spill the tea!
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GUESTS
Louisa Munch, Critical Theorist
Minnie Rahman, CEO PraxisUSEFUL LINKS
“Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe” + Q&A with James Acaster at The Ritzy, Brixton - 18th March
https://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-settlement
CREDITS
Darren Jones MP, Cabinet Office minister - Parliament TV
Steve Reed MP, Communities Secretary - Parliament TV
Mike Tapp MP, Migration minister - Parliament TV
Minnie Rahman, Praxis CEO
Frederik Pleitgen, CNN International Senior Correspondent - CNN
Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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: [email protected].uk
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Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, founder and CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
USEFUL LINKS
Sophie Duker
https://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/id1770618616CREDITS
Sophie Duker - Live at the Apollo / BBC One
Keir Starmer / X
Parliament TV
PBS News Hour / YouTube
BBC News
Zoe Gardner / IG
Manchester Evening NewsPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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.
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GUESTS
Ash Sarkar, Contributing Editor at Novara Media and author of Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War - out now in paperback.
USEFUL LINKS
Jumaane Williams’ thoughtful response following the outcry about the handling of a racial slur at the Baftas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgaqKIxS4Hs&t=1sCREDITS
Daily Express - YouTube
Nigel Farage - YouTube
@sendra.uk - Instagram
Nida JafriPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected].uk
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK
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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.
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GUESTS
Hannah Spencer, Green Party candidate, Gorton and Denton by-election
Tom Southerden, UK Law and Human Rights Director, Amnesty International
USEFUL LINKS
Gorton and Denton by-election candidate list https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/parl.gorton-and-denton.by.2026-02-26/gorton-and-denton/
CREDITS
TikTok / @mrcodydahler
Green Party of England and Wales / Facebook
Hannah Spencer / Instagram
Paul Holden, Investigative journalist and author of "The Fraud"
High Court protest reaction - Amnesty International footage
@mrcodydahler / Instagram
Otto, Budding Comedian
Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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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.
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AURA FRAMES
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https://www.wise.comGUESTS
Paul Holden, Investigative Journalist and author of The Fraud
Stuart Goldsmith, Climate ComedianUSEFUL LINKS
The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy
https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/Stuart Goldsmith
www.stuartgoldsmith.comCREDITS
Sky News / YouTube
Sky News / YouTube
GOP Oversight / YouTube
Sky News Australia / YouTubePod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
Get in touch - contact us via email: [email protected].uk
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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.
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Ann Pettifor, economist and author of ‘The Global Casino’USEFUL LINKS
Nish Tour Tickets
https://www.nishkumar.co.uk/gigs/The Global Casino: How Wall Street Gambles with People and the Planet
https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3258-the-global-casinoCREDITS
Keir Starmer MP / Parliament TV
Lord Mandelson / ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ BBC One
Melania TrailerPod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
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