The News Agents
Daily News
Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall – three of the UK’s top journalists – host an award-winning daily news podcast: The News Agents. They’re not just here to tell you what's happening, but why. Expect astute analysis and explanation of the day's news – and a healthy dose of scepticism and the ability to laugh at it all when needed. Episodes are available every weekday afternoon. You can listen to The News Agents on Alexa, just say "Alexa ask Global Player to play The News Agents" The News Agents is a Global Player Original podcast. For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: [email protected] You can visit our website here https://www.thenewsagents.co.uk/
Get AI-powered summaries of The News Agents
Never miss key insights. Receive episode summaries straight to your inbox.
Recent Episodes
Opinion polls are supposed to tell us what the public thinks. But what happens when the people commissioning, funding and promoting those polls have a political interest in the results? The latest co...
Summary Preview
The News Agents examines the controversy surrounding polling company JL Partners after revelations they provided an all-expenses-paid trip to Reform UK's former aide Dan Dukes, raising broader questions about polling integrity, methodology, and public trust. The episode features pollster Luke Trill from More in Common discussing the challenges of modern polling, from AI bots to sampling difficulties, and explores how polling shapes political discourse and whether we've become too dependent on it.
- The JL Partners Scandal and Reform UK Connection
- How Polling Actually Works: The Business Behind the Numbers
Meet Hull City's Acun Ilıcalı - The Premier League’s most UNUSUAL owner! - The Sports Agents
Sep 17, 2026The story of Hull City owner Acun Ilicali is one of the most extraordinary in the Premier League. TV star turned media mogul turned football club owner, Acun is a force of nature — and in this spec...
Summary Preview
Hull City owner Ajan Ilijali joins the podcast to discuss his remarkable journey from Turkish TV mogul to Premier League club owner. He shares his philosophy of running a football club like a family, his ambitious vision for Hull City, and the personal tragedy that shaped his approach to life and business. The conversation reveals a passionate, energetic owner who prioritizes enjoyment and relationships while maintaining shrewd business acumen.
- Hull City's Remarkable Start and Ilijali's Dream Realized
- From TV Star to Football Club Owner
Is the King gaslighting Diana's brother?
Sep 17, 2026Buckingham Palace has said it doesn't comment on book releases as a matter of principle. And yet it has commented on a new book - from Princess Diana's brother - in a way that has sparked off a news c...
Summary Preview
The News Agents discusses Earl Spencer's explosive memoir serialization in which he claims King Charles said 'we'll forget Diana soon enough' after her death in 1997. The podcast examines why this 29-year-old family rift is resurfacing now, the palace's rare rebuttal, and how Diana's legacy continues to divide the royal family. They also cover Canada's pivot toward EU associate membership amid Trump's tariff war, and a lighthearted moment from London Assembly proceedings.
- Earl Spencer's Memoir and the Palace Response
- Diana's Funeral and the Spencer Family Rift
Is Andy Burnham just Keir Starmer with TikTok?
Sep 16, 2026Six weeks out from the budget some of the critics are already circling - warning the new Prime Minister not to play it safe as “a traditional tax and spend PM with better TikTok". Is Burnham in contro...
Summary Preview
This episode examines the significant economic challenges facing Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government ahead of the upcoming budget. With the UK facing the highest borrowing costs in the G7, rising energy prices due to Middle East conflicts, and pressure to cut public spending or raise taxes, the podcast analyzes whether Burnham will expend political capital to address these headwinds. The episode also covers the crowded Holborn and St Pancras by-election race and the symbolic referendum in Piddington village.
- The Economic Headwinds Facing Andy Burnham
- The Political Capital Question
It's referendum day in Piddington. A symbolic gesture that would see it "ceding from the UK" over their frustration with the setting up of of an asylum centre on their doorstep. They’ve argued that 12...
Summary Preview
This episode examines the controversy surrounding Piddington, a small Oxfordshire village facing the arrival of an asylum centre housing 1,250 single men. The discussion centers on how far-right activist Danny Tomo and Reform MP Sarah Pochin have inserted themselves into the local opposition, turning legitimate village concerns into a culture war battleground. The hosts also cover Trump's dismissal of AI regulation concerns and Sydney Sweeney's provocative sports betting advertisement that critics say exploits rage-baiting rather than genuine debate.
- Piddington's Asylum Centre Crisis
- Danny Tomo's Intimidation Tactics
Does £72m win you an election?
Sep 14, 2026£36m donations are like busses for Reform - you wait ages for one and then two come along at once. Reform's £72m haul this weekend dwarfs the money raised by all the other parties - it is a simply unp...
Summary Preview
This episode examines the seismic impact of £72 million in cryptocurrency donations to the UK's Reform Party from two billionaires, raising fundamental questions about money in politics and democracy. The hosts dissect Reform's transformation from a grassroots movement to being bankrolled by crypto moguls, while Anthony Scaramucci provides insider perspective on crypto legitimacy, Trump's corruption, and the dangers of oligarchic political funding. The discussion spans political financing reform, AI regulation, and whether concentrated wealth can actually swing elections.
- Reform's Crypto Windfall and the Grassroots Illusion
- Reform's Crypto Policy Quid Pro Quo
How 9/11 changed everything
Sep 11, 2026Is 9/11 the most consequential event of our lifetimes? It's hard to think of another moment that so completely turned the world on its axis and rewired the assumptions that a generation had come to ta...
Summary Preview
This episode examines the 25th anniversary of 9/11, exploring how the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks transformed global politics, security policy, and Western society. Hosts John Sopel, Emily Maitlis, and Miles Taylor share personal experiences from that day and analyze the lasting consequences, from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the erosion of civil liberties, the rise of Islamophobia, and the reshaping of America's role in the world.
- The World Before 9/11: A Year of Hope That Turned to Horror
- The Moment Everything Changed: Watching the Attacks Unfold
The REASON so many boxers take PEDs? Garcia x Benn & Boxing's uncomfortable TRUTH - The Sports Agents
Sep 10, 2026Conor Benn’s super fight against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas has brought the issue of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sport back into the spotlight. While both boxers deny ever having taken PEDs, both ha...
Summary Preview
This episode of The Sports Agents features a candid conversation with Larry Olabamiwa, a former British heavyweight contender who was banned for performance-enhancing drug use. Larry discusses his perspective on PEDs in boxing, explaining why he chose to use them and challenging common moral arguments against doping. The discussion extends to examine the upcoming Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight, where both fighters have previously failed drug tests, and explores how boxing as an industry handles doping issues differently than other sports.
- Larry's Journey from Sprinting to Boxing
- The Decision to Use PEDs in Boxing
Did Trump just try to bribe American voters?
Sep 10, 2026“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000”. That's what Donald Trump told an audience of Republicans in Dallas last night. The 'Trump dividend' would cost America more than a trillio...
Summary Preview
The News Agents dissect several major political developments: Donald Trump's controversial $5,000 cash promise to voters if Republicans win the midterms, the unraveling of Nigel Farage's immigration deal with France's far-right leader, and the controversy surrounding New York's Muslim mayor attending 9/11 commemorations. The episode examines Trump's desperation ahead of midterm elections, translation mishaps in cross-border political agreements, and lingering tensions around Islam in America 25 years after 9/11.
- Trump's $5,000 Voter Bribe at Dallas Rally
- Trump's Desperation and Political Calculus
It’s easy to paint Britain as a post-industrial nation in decline, plagued by crime and high taxes. Indeed, many do. But there’s a new power to Britain’s role on the world stage as America abandons it...
Summary Preview
The News Agents examines the UK's decision to impose sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlers and the surprisingly muted response from the Trump administration. The episode explores whether Britain is successfully 'differentiating' from America on foreign policy without causing a major rift, while also delving into global trade systems and economic challenges facing the UK government.
- UK Sanctions on Israel: The Diplomatic Fallout
- Britain's New Foreign Policy Independence
Has Burnham just started his first row with Trump?
Sep 08, 2026The Israeli government has reacted with anger to the British foreign secretary’s planned ban on products from Israeli settlements. Ed Miliband described himself in the commons as a proud British Jew,...
Summary Preview
The podcast examines the UK government's controversial decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlement goods from the West Bank, announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. The hosts debate whether this symbolic move, made just months before Israeli elections, represents principled action or risky political timing that could inadvertently strengthen Netanyahu. They also discuss the ongoing tensions surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan's return to the UK, with King Charles clarifying they are not working royals, and touch on internal Green Party competition ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
- UK Sanctions Israeli Settlement Goods: A Principled Stand or Political Miscalculation?
- The West Bank Settlement Issue: Historical Context and Current Crisis
"Boo hoo". That was the reaction from Robert Jenrick, who wants to be Reform's Chancellor, to the videos showing a female heckler having her hair pulled and being beaten with a stick by Reform delegat...
Summary Preview
The News Agents discuss the Reform Party conference fallout, including violence against hecklers, Robert Jenrick's controversial responses, and a Channel 4 undercover investigation exposing potential campaign finance violations. The episode also examines the rise of far-right vigilante group Patriot Platform, who blocked Dover port in masks, and explores broader concerns about political violence and extremism in British politics.
- Violence at Reform Conference and Robert Jenrick's 'Boo-Hoo' Response
- Channel 4 Undercover Investigation Exposes Reform Finance Scandal
Another Reform scandal: Is Farage finished?
Sep 04, 2026Reform conference in Birmingham was supposed to revivify Nigel Farage and his party. After unrelenting scrunity over his undeclared £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, a parliamentary standards invest...
Summary Preview
The News Agents provides live coverage from Reform UK's Birmingham conference, where the party faces its biggest crisis yet. Just as Nigel Farage prepares to give what's billed as 'the speech of his life,' a Channel 4 investigation exposes senior aides allegedly conspiring to accept illegal foreign donations and keep money 'off the books.' Two of Farage's closest advisers resign within hours, transforming what should have been a victory lap into a defensive scramble. Despite Reform's professionalization and growing grassroots support, the party's momentum has stalled, with polling dropping from the mid-30s to low-20s. Yet die-hard supporters remain unmoved, viewing scandals as establishment attacks rather than genuine corruption.
- The Channel 4 Bombshell: Caught on Camera
- Farage's Defense: 'Contractors' and Entrapment
Katie Taylor’s Fairytale homecoming | The fight that put women’s boxing on the map - The Sports Agents
Sep 03, 2026Not long ago, women’s boxing was a different sport. Banned in most countries and ridiculed in the rest, female fighters fought in the shadows. Until one night in 1996. That night Deirdre Gogarty, a...
Summary Preview
In this powerful episode, Irish boxing pioneer Deirdre Gogarty shares her remarkable journey from training secretly in her childhood bedroom to fighting on one of the biggest stages in boxing history. Her 1996 fight with Christy Martin at the MGM Grand—watched by 80 million people—transformed women's boxing forever. Deirdre discusses the struggles of being a female boxer when it was considered 'unfeminine,' training in rural Louisiana sheds, and receiving a prophetic letter from 11-year-old Katie Taylor. As Katie prepares for her final fight at Croke Park, Deirdre reflects on how far women's boxing has come and the price she paid to pave the way.
- Growing Up with an Impossible Dream
- First Fights and Leaving Ireland
Can Zack Polanski win Keir Starmer's old seat?
Sep 03, 2026After a bit of will he won't he, Zack Polanski has thrown his hat into the ring and announced he will stand in Keir Starmer's old seat of Holborn and St Pancras (subject to the approval of the local G...
Summary Preview
The News Agents discuss Zach Polanski's decision to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election following Keir Starmer's resignation from his seat. They analyze the high stakes for both Polanski and Andy Burnham's government, the dynamics of the race, and broader implications for UK politics. The episode also covers the rise of Germany's far-right AfD party and features a satirical discussion about the Bayeux Tapestry's arrival in London.
- Zach Polanski Enters Holborn By-Election
- High Stakes Leadership Test for Polanski
Andy Burnham faced Kemi Badenoch for his first PMQs and while she chose to open the session with some innuendo, the hard questions soon came. Burnham has shown himself adept at diagnosis but less quic...
Summary Preview
This episode focuses on the first Prime Minister's Questions between Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch, analyzing their performances amid rising UK government borrowing costs and global debt concerns. The hosts also examine the deeply divided American trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former maternity nurse accused of killing her three children while suffering from postpartum psychosis, and close with a brief update on Apple's capitulation to Trump's renaming of Lake Ontario.
- First PMQs Between Burnham and Badenoch
- The Global Debt Crisis and Fiscal Headroom
Has Keir Starmer performed his final U-turn?
Sep 01, 2026It's the first day back at school - and Keir Starmer suddenly announces he’s out. He'd sad he'd stay as an MP just a few weeks ago - so why the change of heart? Is it a cheeky bid to wrestle the headl...
Summary Preview
Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, just two months after being ousted as Prime Minister and despite previously stating he would remain until the next election. The announcement upstaged Andy Burnham's first major day back in the Commons, creating a potentially tricky by-election for Labour. Meanwhile, in US politics, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned amid tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over military leadership and the handling of the Iran war.
- Keir Starmer's Surprising Resignation
- The Bitter Aftermath of Political Defeat
In this special Q&A edition of the show, Jon and Lewis answer your questions. They discuss how long the Burnham bounce will last, whether Trump will attempt to cancel the midterms, and if Harry and M...
Summary Preview
The News Agents hosts John Sopel and Lewis Goodall tackle listener questions in a wide-ranging Q&A episode covering British politics, the US Supreme Court's mail-in ballot ruling, why the right dominates political influencers, and Andy Burnham's early success as Prime Minister. The conversation meanders through political analysis peppered with extensive tangents about English counties, demonstrating the show's characteristic blend of serious political discussion and irreverent humor.
- Andy Burnham's Early Success as Prime Minister
- Why the Right Dominates Political Influencers
Why does every Transfer Saga need a villain? | Alvarez, Martinelli, Watkins - The Sports Agents
Aug 27, 2026An explosive statement from Atletico Madrid described themselves as the "only victims" in the ongoing transfer saga surrounding their wantaway striker Julian Alvarez. Ian Wright has publicly criticise...
Summary Preview
Frank Warren discusses heavyweight boxing's future with Moses Otoma's upcoming world title fight, while the hosts and football agent Saif Ruby debate transfer window ethics, player power, and loyalty in football. The episode covers everything from Julian Alvarez's failed Barcelona move to Ollie Watkins' controversial exit from Aston Villa, plus the treatment of Arsenal's Martinelli and PFA Awards fallout.
- Transfer Window Drama and Player Treatment
- Player Power vs Club Control Debate
Is this Labour’s first woman leader?
Aug 27, 2026The last two years has seen a meteoric rise for Labour's Miatta Fahnbulleh. From backbench MP, she has just joined Burnham's cabinet as the new Energy Secretary, taking over from Ed Miliband. Today, s...
Summary Preview
Energy Secretary Miata Fambula discusses her remarkable political journey from Liberian refugee to Cabinet minister in just two years, addressing questions about her resignation from Keir Starmer's government, energy policy priorities, and the challenges of balancing net zero commitments with affordability. The interview explores her role in the leadership change, stance on North Sea oil licensing, and personal choices around private education.
- From Backbencher to Cabinet in Two Years
- The Resignation and Leadership Change