Spelade
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Three by-elections and a win each for the three main parties. Labour won with the biggest electoral swing in their history in Selby and Ainsty, the Lib Dems won a huge majority in Somerton and Frome and the Conservatives just about held their seat in Uxbridge.
On the surface, the set of results are better than what the Tories had anticipated. But, better than terrible can still be pretty bad.
And does Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan need to rethink his ULEZ zone if Labour want to avoid struggling in next year's inner city campaigning? It sounds like Keir Starmer and Labour think so.
We're joined in News Agents HQ by Labour's Emily Thornberry and Sarah Olney from the Liberal Democrats to pick apart the results, and what this could mean for Tories, Labour and Lib Dems ahead of next year's general election.
For exclusive daily videos from The News Agents visit Global Player: https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/
You can watch our interviews in full at https://www.globalplayer.com/videos/brands/news-agents/the-news-agents/
The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
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Boris Johnson repeatedly knowingly misled the House of Commons, in other words he repeatedly lied.
These are the conclusions and findings of Parliament's Privileges Committee, established unanimously by MPs to investigate claims Johnson knowingly misled them over partygate, thereby breaking rule no 1 of the British constitution: never *ever* lie to the Commons.
It's a huge political day and although Johnson has already fled Parliament by resigning, the consequences are still massive. Johnson wanted his place in the history books, in becoming the first PM to be found to have lied to the Commons, judged by his own peers, he's finally got it.
Emily, Lewis and Jon talk through this latest day in the lows and lows of Boris Johnson's recent political career: what it means for Sunak, for the Tories, for the man himself and for Parliament.
The agents are joined by the woman who brought Johnson down, Guardian Political Editor Pippa Crerar; former Chief of Staff to Theresa May, Lord Gavin Barwell and Johnson defender and ally, former Tory MEP David Campbell-Bannerman.
PS Jon came straight to News Agents HQ off the red eye from Miami, so forgive any lapses. Now a News Agent, always a trooper.
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After the small matter of his federal indictment, Trump went back to doing what he does best - fundraising and shouting about witch hunts and pretending to be a political prisoner of sorts.
Jon is in Miami, James Comey - the former FBI Director who created such a stir in the 2016 presidential election with his reinvestigation into Hillary Clinton - is in News Agents HQ.
And Lewis has been catching up with PMQs and Peerages.
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How should an incumbent handle their big beast predecessor? Rishi Sunak discovered the satisfaction of a drive by shooting - accusing Boris Johnson of asking him to break the rules. Later on in the day, Johnson told LBC that Sunak's claims were "rubbish".
In Scotland, Humza Yousaf has meanwhile refused to suspend his SNP mentor Nicola Sturgeon - arrested and released without charge over the weekend.
What does this behaviour tell us about the way the parties are handing scandal in their midst?
We talk to Lord Nicholas Soames - grandchild of Churchill about the man who thought he was Churchill. And to Douglas Ross - Tory Leader in Scotland.
We hear from Jon on his way to Miami and reflect on the partygate grandfather of them all - Silvio Berlusconi who has died.
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Boris Johnson quits as an MP after being handed the findings of the Privileges Committee report into whether he knowingly misled parliament.
In this emergency episode, Lewis (yes, him again), Emily and Jon pick apart this extraordinary day in UK politics.
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Penelope Wilton talks about the logistics of filming The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and what it was like working alongside Jim Broadbent. Following their Easter break, Mark reviews ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ - an upcoming British drama film directed by Hettie Macdonald about the lengths one man will go to, to see his dying friend; ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ which depicts the life of Rock n Roll legend; ‘Polite Society’ which covers one sister’s attempt at the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.Time Codes (relevant only when you are part of the Vanguard):11:58 Polite Society Review19:07 Box Office Top 10 (including Pope’s Exorcist review)28:34 Penelope Wilton interview42:20 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Review50:06 Laughter Lift56:26 Little Richard: I Am Everything Review01:08:22 What’s OnYou can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayoEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!A Somethin’ Else & Sony Music Entertainment production.Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcastsTo bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Penelope Wilton is back to answer listener questions and talks about how she started out. Bonus reviews include; ‘Big George Foreman’ follows the journey of the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history, as he steps back into the ring at age 45, plus ‘Rodeo’ - which chronicles a young woman’s passion for riding as she embeds herself in the underground world of dirt biking. One Frame Back looks at Walking Films, inspired by The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Mark almost loses it over this week’s ‘Pretentious, Moi?’ and Take It Or Leave It: You Decide this week is ‘Schitt’s Creek’. Time Codes: Big George Foreman Review Rodeo Review Pretentious, Moi? - Mark and Simon are back! One Frame Back: Walking Films Take It Or Leave It: You Decide – Schitt’s Creek You can contact the show by emailing [email protected] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo A Somethin’ Else & Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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If you thought the overturning of Roe v Wade- the constitutional right to an abortion in the United States was the end of it in 2022, then 2023 has other ideas. Or rather the radical, anti-abortion groups in the United States have other ideas.
Just this week, Florida’s Governor (and presidential hopeful) Republican Ron DeSantis introduced a six week abortion ban in the third biggest state in the country.
And in Texas, a Trump-appointed judge ruled that a drug used in over 50% of abortions in America, should never have been legal in the first place. Chaos reigns and once again, the Supreme Court will decide.
On a special deep dive of The News Agents we explore both of these cases and ask whether, as part of a culmination of a five decade political strategy and movement, abortion in America will be abolished, by stealth.
You can watch our episodes in full at https://global-player.onelink.me/Br0x/Videos
The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
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Ten years on from the horse meat crisis, a new scandal has engulfed almost the entire food retail sector.
Huge quantities of foreign pork - sometimes tens of thousands of tonnes a week - has been passed off, fraudulently as British.
One meat processor - who can't be named for legal reasons - has been accused by former employees of 'washing' hams that are visibly rotten, or mixing bad meat with fresh produce.
They even allege paperwork - which would pick up infections like bacteria or E.coli - was being falsified. We talk to the Farmers Weekly journalist who broke the story Abi Kay. And we dip into the 'vagina-scented' ski slopes of Utah to visit the trial of the century - Gwyneth Paltrow v Terry Sanderson.
At the time of publication, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had not provided us with a comment after we approached them.
You can watch our episodes in full at https://global-player.onelink.me/Br0x/Videos
The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.
[Two hours after the episode was published, the FSA provided us with this statement:
“We are continuing our criminal investigation into how a meat supplier allegedly provided products labelled as British when they were in fact sourced from other countries.
This is a live investigation which means we are looking into all new lines of
inquiry with the relevant local authorities, including investigating potential food hygiene breaches. This is alongside the work we are doing to investigate food fraud.
Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk to consumers.
Criminal investigations take time and need to be done with due process and fairness. The FSA will work tirelessly on behalf of consumers to ensure that this criminal investigation is done to the highest possible standards.
I do want to emphasise at a time when cost pressures and other challenges mean the risks of food fraud might be increasing, it is vital everyone involved in the food chain works to ensure that food is safe and what it says it is.”
Emily Miles, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency]
