Pod Save the UK

It’s conference season, and at the Labour conference in Liverpool - flagshagging, snake-oil merchants and leadership jockeying - is it Keir Starmer’s final chance for a reset? Nish and Coco are joined by political journalist Zoë Grünewald. And later - as Trump reveals his plans for peace in Gaza, including a bizarre role for former PM Tony Blair - is the UK doing enough for Gaza? Nish speaks to Labour MP for Stroud, Dr Simon Opher, who earlier this month was denied entry into the occupied West Bank. Simon also fills Nish in on an innovative new prescription medicine - Laughter. Finally - we open the mailbag to share your wonderful stories of immigration in the UK - and Nish furthers his feud with a beloved British comedy icon. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Zoë Grünewald Simon Opher MP USEFUL LINKS I am an Immigrant Podcast https://iceandfire.co.uk/project/i-am-an-immigrant/ Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh dear lefties… We just can’t stop tearing each other apart, huh? One short month into the evolution of the new political party experiment undertaken by independent MPs Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn - and the whole thing has descended into acrimony. After a weekend of legal threats, “your” party is suddenly seeming to be a house of cards built amidst a hurricane. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has seized the moment to vomit out a new wave of inflammatory anti-migrant rhetoric. The need for a unified left movement has never been more urgent - and new Green Party leader Zack Polanski is ready to meet the moment. Zack joins Nish and Coco in our (fully powered) studio - to talk about his vision for the future of the left, his plans to fight inequality and why he’s not actually thrilled to see Zarah and Jez at each others throats. He also brings up his ever-so-slightly hypnotherapy boobjob and in revenge, helps us pip the Sun to the post on a saaaaaucy exclusive. Later - Nish weighs in on the Jimmy Kimmel saga… It couldn’t happen here, right? Oh, wait… CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS Zack Polanksi - Green Party Leader Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a hellish week for our Disunited Kingdom. First Tommy Robinson mobilised ten of thousands in his ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march. Before we could recover from that toxic side show, the headline act arrived: President Trump. He was kept behind a ring of steel in Windsor where he enjoyed British brown nosing at its best from flatterers-in-chief, the Royal Family. What a state we’re in. Coco and Nish reflect on what they learned about their fellow Brits this week and the conclusion is scary. But before they abandon hope there was another march. Thousands of ‘Stop Trump’ protestors came out onto the streets of London - to hear from a range of the UK’s loudest progressive voices, from Zarah Sultana, to Zack Polanski and Jeremy Corbyn. Two protests, two faces of Britain. Can we ever bridge the divide? Finally - to round off the show, an injection of hope. Josie Naughton CEO of charity ‘Choose Love’ joins the pod to show us that there definitely is a way through this. USEFUL LINKS Choose Love https://choose.love/ Stop Trump Coalition https://stoptrump.org.uk/protest/ Guests Josie Naughton Zarah Sultana Zack Polanski Jeremy Corbyn George Monbiot Zoe Gardener Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chaos, what chaos? Rayner's out. The cabinet's reshuffled. The lurch to the right hasn't stopped. But in the words of Homer Simpson, could Keir Starmer's shit show be a "crisitunity" for the left? To tell us how we can seize this moment, Nish and Coco are joined by leftwing royalty - Zarah Sultana MP and Bimini Bon-Boulash - live at the London Podcast Festival. Zarah shares why she feels liberated from Labour, has zero sympathy for Angela Rayner and zero tolerance for colleagues who don’t agree on trans rights. And as the government goes flag crazy, the gang reclaim some patriotic merch for the left. Zarah champions her Princess Diana mug and Bimini channels their inner Spice Girl by reclaiming the Union Jack. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk GUESTS: Zarah Sultana Bimini Bon-Boulash IMAGE CREDIT: Kings Place / Monika S. Jakubowska Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pod Save the UK teamed up with Amnesty International UK for a powerful live recording to raise awareness and support to end the genocide in Gaza. Nish and Coco are joined by Palestinian journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh, Gaza Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera, who shares first-hand experiences of reporting under unimaginable circumstances in Gaza and the deadly toll on journalists. Comedians and activists Jen Brister and Alexei Sayle join the stage to reflect on the importance of speaking truth to power in a time of immense crisis and a dangerous escalation in the criminalisation of dissent. It’s an urgent and timely discussion that delves beyond the headlines, exploring the personal stories of those that have lived through the genocide in Gaza. It highlights the devastating realities and the glimmers of resilience and solidarity that persist and the urgent need to raise our collective voices to demand an end to the genocide. The conversation is book-ended with live performances from internationally acclaimed Palestinian musician Adnan Joubran, who brings the spirit and sounds of Palestine to life through his playing. USEFUL LINKS Sign Amnesty International's petition to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza! https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/demand-immediate-and-permanent-ceasefire-psuk Donate here to support Amnesty’s work on the ground in Gaza https://www.amnesty.org.uk/giving/donate/help-protect-civilians-gaza-POD Come to our next live show w/ Zarah Sultana and Bimini Bon-Boulash - this Sunday! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ GUESTS Wael Al-Dahdouh Jen Brister Alexei Sayle Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PSUK is taking a week off - so we’re bringing you a podcast from some of our friends - Sara and Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club! In this first episode - PSUK’s very own Nish Kumar turns up to discuss the internet, vegetables, wet boyfriends and so much more! USEFUL LINKS Stop the Genocide Special W/ Amnesty International- Tuesday 2nd https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/pod-save-the-uk-x-amnesty-international-uk-stop-the-genocide/ Future of the left - Sunday 7th https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club Live! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/sara-cariads-weirdos-book-club/ Follow Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club on Instagram @saraandcariadsweirdosbookclub and Twitter @weirdosbookclub Recorded and edited by Naomi Parnell for Plosive. Artwork by Welcome Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High streets across the UK are being overwhelmed by betting shops. They gobble up £4.6 billion from punters every year - and local councils have almost no powers to block them. Labour MP Dawn Butler’s constituency, Brent East in North-West London, has 81 licensed enterprises alone. Jumping into “Betsy”, Dawn’s prized old-banger, Coco is taken out and about in Willesden to see first hand how betting shops are popping up everywhere and hear what local residents think. Along with 37 council leaders and mayors, Dawn is calling for a reform of the Gambling Act 2005 and a hike in gambling duties. With hints she might stand to be London mayor at the next election - could this be the first glimpse of her campaign? Then, Nish and Coco give their assessment of Keir Starmer and the European moral support squad’s visit to the White House - is Putin still calling the shots on Ukraine? And as Starmer’s Government slumps to an all-time low in the polls, Sadiq Khan has a spicy take on Labour’s first year in power. But a glimmer of hope: is that a don’t-call-it-a-wealth-tax on the horizon? On a less hopeful note, what on earth is going on with Labour’s social media account? And Nish and Coco struggle to get their head around the new Gen Z additions to the Cambridge Dictionary. Is politics all “delulu with no solulu”? CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.wise.com USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! Stop the Genocide Special - Tuesday 2nd https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/pod-save-the-uk-x-amnesty-international-uk-stop-the-genocide/ Future of the left - Sunday 7th https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ Sign Dawn Butler’s Petition for Gambling Reform https://www.dawnbutler.org.uk/gambling_reform_petition Gambling Support https://www.gamcare.org.uk/ GUESTS Dawn Butler MP CREDITS IG / @UKLabour TikTok / @politicsprincess Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three thousand riot police were put on standby after Friday was dubbed “anti-asylum day” by far-right organisers, with 14 protests scheduled nationwide outside of suspected asylum hotels. Tensions are high but with Keir Starmer constantly boasting about cracking down on “illegal” migrants - is the Government simply fanning the flames of unrest? The New Statesman’s Britain Editor Anoosh Chakelian has been speaking to locals and asylum seekers at asylum hotels. She joins Nish and Coco to discuss why they’ve become such a lightning rod and what else the Government could be doing. And Labour Minister Chris Bryant has had an unorthodox path into politics - from growing up in Franco’s Spain to being ordained as an Anglican priest. He answers some tricky questions on the Palestine Action arrests and landlord MPs. And digging into the mailbag, Nish gets an education on audio porn. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ Chris Bryant - A Life and A Half: The Unexpected Making of a Politician https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/life-and-a-half-9781526680914/ National Youth Theatre Statement https://www.nyt.org.uk/news/nyt-statement-3-august-2025 Girl On The Net - blog https://www.girlonthenet.com/blog/age-verification-whats-the-harm/ GUESTS Anoosh Chakelian Chris Bryant MP CREDITS Twitter / White House Twitter / Keir Starmer Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week - we’re talking about the internet, Coco’s proclivities toward the disembodied voice of Pedro Pascal and Nish’s struggles to find any time to work on himself. Strap in - it’s a juicy one. Nish and Coco are joined by technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker to make sense of the UK’s new online safety laws - which restrict access to harmful and inappropriate content for young people - while simultaneously clamping down on free speech and digital privacy. The conversation is becoming a culture war topic - but are the political class actually having a sensible discussion about this seismic, world’s-first legislation? And - guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission could see trans people excluded from public life. And now it might become law - with no debate, no scrutiny and no vote. We’ll be speaking to journalist Freddy McConnell about the risk to all of our rights and how we can fight back. And later - we’re getting Jezzy with it - we dive into the mailbag to hear your thoughts on the party definitely not called “your party”. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Trans Solidarity Alliance https://www.transsolidarityalliance.com/ehrc-code Freddy’s latest article https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/31/transgender-rights-ehrc-guidance-single-sex-spaces Guardian article about Lord Dannet https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/05/lord-dannatt-urged-ministers-to-crack-down-on-palestine-action-at-request-of-us-firm GUESTS Chris Stokel-Walker Freddy McConnell AUDIO CREDITS Sky News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PSUK is back - and this week Keir Starmer has swung open the door to recognising Palestinian Statehood - with caveats. Nish and Coco discuss the massive change in the UK’s foreign policy stance. Later, they’re joined by suspended Labour MP Brian Leishman (and his Dachshund Hugo) who voted against the government’s welfare cuts, to discuss the direction of Labour and Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn’s new political party. And - since Palestine Action was banned as a terrorist organisation back in July, more than 100 people have been arrested across the UK in protest. Nish and Coco discuss the future of civil disobedience with former Government lawyer and member of Defend Our Juries, Tim Crosland. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk USEFUL LINKS See us Live in London! https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/pod-save-the-uk/ Guests: Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa & Grangemouth Tim Crosland, Former Government Lawyer and Founder of Plan B Audio Credits: The White House Sky News Channel 4 News Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The co-Leadership bid of Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay represents continuity for the Greens - they sit in Parliament and have proven they can win seats, but is their friendly language enough to cut through to the British public? Rival Zack Polanski says his alternative “eco-populist” vision can bring the fight to Reform and win. Ellie and Zack sit down with Nish and Coco to make the case for their competing visions for the future of the Green Party - and answer your questions. Elsewhere - Nish and Coco dive into Labour’s union troubles and take a peek at Ed Miliband's “radical truth telling.” CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS WISE https://www.wise.com SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Guests: Ellie Chowns Zack Polanski Useful links: Join the Green Party https://join.greenparty.org.uk/ Audio Credits BBC Parliament TV Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode of Pod Save the UK comes live from Sheffield’s Crossed Wires Festival. Nish and Coco sit down with two special guests: former trader and economics commentator Gary Stevenson and South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard. Cracking open cans of Nish, provided by local brewery Triple Point, Nish and Coco discuss the recent vote on labelling certain protest groups as terrorist organisations and the not-so-slow creep in the loss of our rights. One year into Government - backflips on Labour’s Welfare Bill have led to a new round of supermassive black holes for the Chancellor Rachel Reeves to plug. Gary Stevenson gives us some ideas on how to do it… And what about tackling economic inequalities on a local level? Oliver Coppard reflects on the Government’s push to go further and faster on devolution and the difficult decisions he’s made to achieve his priorities for South Yorkshire. Finally, with Independent MP Zarah Sultana quitting Labour to form a new progressive party, everyone gives their two cents on what this will mean for the future of the left. Guests: Gary Stevenson Mayor Oliver Coppard Useful links: Gary’s Economics https://www.youtube.com/garyseconomics Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nish’s inappropriate occurrences report at Glastonbury is in: there were people kissing, some people had their butts out and nobody seemed to be slapping on the SPF - all very inappropriate. But this isn’t what the right-wing press or the government has taken issue with… You’ve heard it already - the controversy around Kneecap and Bob Vylan’s sets engulfed the political discourse over the festival weekend. But is the controversy the real story here? Nish and Coco shine a light on some of what was REALLY said at Glastonbury and question why those messages didn’t receive as much airtime. Later, as the government recovers from the brink of political crisis and the Chancellor’s position is drawn into question, Nish and Coco are joined by journalist and author Frances Ryan to discuss the u-turns on u-turns that led to the government’s welfare bill passing. But the battle isn’t over yet. Finally, Men’s health in the UK is in a sorry place. Nish is joined by Movember’s Dr Zac Seidler to discuss the government’s upcoming Men’s Health Strategy and why young men are being sucked into the manosphere. SEE US LIVE! https://crossedwires.live/podcast/pod-save-the-uk Useful Links: Contribute your thoughts to the Men’s Health Strategy https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/mens-health-strategy Frances Ryan: Who Wants Normal? https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/455467/who-wants-normal-by-ryan-frances/9780241629437 Write to your MP about the Welfare Benefit Cuts! https://www.writetothem.com/ Guests: Frances Ryan Dr Zac Seidler Audio credits: BBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a rollercoaster week of news - the threat of World War 3 suddenly felt a little overstated. But a few short hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran - both countries returned to a war of words and missiles - leading to President Trump delivering an outburst for the ages: “They don’t know what the F*** they’re doing”. But does Trump? Nish and Coco don’t think so. The UK has been swept up in the maelstrom - with the pomp and circumstance of diplomatic theatrics making little impact in a world where the US president acts unilaterally. Then, the gang speak to urban sociologist Dr Abi O’Connor about a potential way out of the affordability crisis in housing - rent controls. Abi breaks down the concept for us all to digest, with some listener questions along the way. Then, finally - the home secretary Yvette Cooper is seeking to proscribe Palestine Action as a terror group… WTF. SEE US LIVE! https://crossedwires.os.fan/pod-save-the-uk CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.auraframes.com CODE: AURA20 Useful Links Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Homes for Us Alliance https://homesforus.org.uk/ Guest: Dr Abi O’Connor, Urban Sociologist & Researcher for Homes for Us Alliance Audio Credits: The Guardian BBC Pod Save the World Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keir Starmer is not afraid of a U-turn. From abandoned policy pledges to reinstating the winter-fuel allowance, the list is growing. To add to this - this week, the PM has expressed his support for Israel’s military action against Iran, despite criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza. Then he caved in to calls for a full national inquiry into grooming gangs, despite earlier dismissing them as amplifying far-right demands. Whether you think these are sensible or sly, these political backflips have certainly led to a lot of headscratching when it comes to one question: what does our Prime Minister actually stand for? Nish and Coco sit down with New Statesman Editor in Chief, Tom McTague, who has spent months with Starmer trying to find out what lies beneath the title. The Government’s new Welfare Reform Bill is introduced in Parliament this week, which experts say will lead to nearly a quarter of a million more families being pushed into poverty. Nish heads down to Westminster to meet with hundreds of people who have gathered to call for an end to the rising tide of hunger and hardship in the UK. Nish speaks to Labour MP Brian Leishman, Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain and Green Siân Berry about the calls for an essentials guarantee - while hearing from the lived experience of people working at food banks around the UK. And as the Government's new data bill finally passes in the House of Lords, Nish and Coco voice their concerns about what it means for the creative industries. CORRECTION: A previous version of this podcast included an incorrect statistic about the rate of foodbank usage within the UK - which is estimated by the DWP to be at around 3% of households. We regret the error. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Guests: Tom McTague Siân Berry Brian Leishman Wendy Chamberlain Helen Barnard Emma Revie Useful links: Tom McTague’s profile of Keir Starmer https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/06/what-keir-starmer-cant-say Support the Trussell Trust’s call for an Essential Guarantee! https://www.trussell.org.uk/support-us/guarantee-our-essentials Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Audio Credits: BBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Reeves has delivered her very first spending review, promising to ‘renew Britain’ with big cash boosts for the NHS, housing and defence. It’s a marked change of tone but the Tories are calling her approach “spend now, tax later”. Nish and Coco dig into the details and are left with some questions. Are tax rises in the Autumn inevitable? Are high-stakes promises, like vowing to end spending on controversial asylum hotels, ill-thought-out? Will all this be enough to change the public mood? And as we’ve seen across the pond in LA this week, face masks have been critical to protect the identity of protestors demonstrating against immigration raids and deportations. But the UK government plans to ban them. Nish and Coco speak to Akiko Hart, director of human rights organisation, Liberty, about how we can uphold the right to protest and the latest on challenging the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. And finally - it gives us great joy to announce - Reform UK is in meltdown with (now former) party chairman Zia Yusuf performing the political equivalent of the hokey-cokey… is he in or out? CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Useful Links: See us live! https://crossedwires.live/podcast/pod-save-the-uk Liberty Human Rights https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/ Guests: Akiko Hart Audio Credits BBC Parliament TV Instagram / Richard Tice Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

England and Wales is still - unbelievably - operating under an 1861 law that criminalises abortion access. An unprecedented rise in prosecutions and the rise of an aggressive US-style anti-abortion movement in the UK have triggered calls for change. Labour MP Stella Creasy joins Nish and Coco to break down her bill to decriminalise abortion and make it a protected human right. Over in Scotland - Reform and Labour are battling against the SNP in a crucial by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on the outskirts of Glasgow. Former First Minister Humza Yousaf MSP shares his thoughts on this two-horse race, the Government’s complicity in genocide in Gaza, and what his next career moves might be. And finally - is Dominic Cummings, former special advisor to Boris Johnson - yes, the one who broke lockdown rules driving to Barnard Castle to “test his eyesight” - worth paying attention to… Stay tuned after the credits for a trailer for a special crossover with The News Meeting from the Observer, featuring our very own Coco Khan. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Useful Links: See us live! https://crossedwires.live/podcast/pod-save-the-uk Sign Stella Creasy's petition! https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/decriminalise-abortion-and-make-it-a-protected-human-right Write to your MP https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Guests: Stella Creasy MP Humza Yousaf MSP Audio Credits STV Piers Morgan Uncensored Sky Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stay out of wombs Nigel! Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wants us to have more babies - which for new mum Coco feels like being bamboozled into being rightwing. Not only this, Farage is even coming for abortion - saying it’s “utterly ludicrous” to allow abortion up to 24-weeks. Keep your wits about you! From leaked memos and inner-circle beef to U-turns and rumoured U-turns - Keir Starmer is feeling the pressure. Nish and Coco dive into the Westminster bubble to find out why the Government has become a leaky ship with Politico reporter Bethany Dawson. Half a decade on from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that shook the world, only one third of the recommendations of major reports to tackle endemic racism in the UK has actually been implemented and equality initiatives are facing a rightwing backlash on both sides of the Atlantic. So, is the UK backsliding on racial justice? Guardian community affairs correspondent and author Aamna Mohdin reflects on the personal and political legacy of the largest anti-racism rallies in the UK since the abolition of slavery. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Guests: Bethany Dawson Aamna Mohdin Useful Links: Scattered: The making and unmaking of a refugee by Aamna Mohdin https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/scattered-9781526652591/ Politico’s London Playbook https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/page/109/ Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reunited, Coco and Nish are finally back together in the studio to talk U turns, disability benefits, Brexit and… gimp masks? There’s a lot of politics to catch up on including some big shifts from the Labour government. First on Gaza - Keir Starmer and David Lammy changed tack with fierce criticism of the Israeli government. But critics argue that without an actual arms embargo talking tough with Israel is inadequate. So is it all too little, too late? And in another change of direction, the Prime Minister has been listening to voters and his own disgruntled MPs on benefits. He signalled a rethink on one of Labour's most unpopular moves - cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners. But reforms of disability benefits are still on the cards so Nish heads to Westminster where disability activists gathered to lobby their MPs. With a major rebellion on the cards from Labour MPs, can Starmer be steered into a U-turn on this too? Employment minister Alison McGovern explains how she’s going to get more young people into work and she has a message for Pod Save the UK’s disillusioned Labour voters. And did you think Brexit bollocks was in the rearview mirror? Well sorry - this week the Brexit undead returned with nonsense we thought was safely consigned to the dustbin of history. Guests: Alison McGovern MP Ellie Chowns MP Nadia Whittome MP Meg Thomas, Disability Rights Campaigner Audio Credits: Parliament TV BBC GB News Useful Links: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/mass-lobby-against-benefit-cuts-21st-may-be-there Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coco’s back! She’s both sleep and politics deprived, but Nish is ready to fill her in. The government's shake-up of legal migration laws landed this week - but the news has been dominated by one question. Is Keir Starmer Enoch Powell incarnate? His speech warned that we ‘risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks together’ - a careless comment or a reaction to Reform gains? Nish and Coco dissect and take a deep dive into the government’s plans with Minnie Rahman, CEO of migrants' rights charity Praxis. Next up, the Government are jumping for joy about the US-UK trade deal, but Nish struggles to find anything to say… is this just a downgrade portrayed as an upgrade? The race for the next leader of the Greens is on, and will Youngblud make a foray into politics? Nish and Coco discuss how to capture the youth vote. And grassroots football teams are fighting back against the FA’s ban on trans women playing football. CHECK OUT THIS DEAL FROM OUR SPONSOR Shopify: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk Useful Links: To find out more about how people will be impacted check out Praxis' socials and ⁠sign up to their emails⁠ for campaign actions.’ https://everpress.com/gdfc-let-the-dolls-play https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/nish-kumar-nish-dont-kill-my-vibe Guest: Minnie Rahman, CEO of Praxis Audio Credits: BBC Parliament TV Kemi badenoch / X Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices