How Labour should (but probably won’t) reset after Reform’s big win
There’s no ifs or buts - Reform had a won big in last week’s local elections - but it’s not all bad news. Near-total Tory wipeout, positive signs for the Liberal Democrats and Greens and a lesson for Labour: acquiescing to Nigel Farage will only empower him.  A slightly jetlagged Nish and a fresh as a daisy Zoë digest the results before diving into demands to end Israel’s occupation of Gaza… L...
51m May 08, 2025
51m
The UK Supreme Court ruling and the fight for trans rights
In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of woman should be based on biological sex, Nish and Zoë speak to LGBTQ+ activist Ellen Jones, author of "Outrage: Why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is not yet won and what we can do about it" about the implications for trans people .  They discuss how the campaigning of reactionaries like billionaire author JK Rowling led to...
55m May 01, 2025
55m
Nish and Coco spill the tea: your questions answered
As Parliament sits for Easter Recess, Nish and Coco dive into the PSUK mailbag to answer your burning questions.  There’s the serious political questions - who are the real progressive party? How can we fight Reform? Should we all just leave the UK?? But there’s some curveballs, too - like what’s up with Bob Dylan’s instagram posting? Boxers or briefs? And most importantly… Has Nish Kumar eve...
41m Apr 17, 2025
41m
Trump’s Tariffs: are you feeling liberated?
UPDATE: 10/04/25: President Trump has planned to pause extended tariffs on most countries for 90 days, while pushing ahead on plans to implement a 104% tariff on Chinese goods. A flat 10% tariff remains in place. Trump’s tariffs continue to cause chaos in the stock markets and the threat of a recession looms. As Rachel Reeves put it in her Spring Statement - the world is changing before our e...
48m Apr 10, 2025
48m
Waiting For The Apocalypse: tariffs, food security and the right to protest
Warning: this episode contains descriptions of sexually explicit and sexist song lyrics. While we wait to see if Trump’s tariff juggernaut is going to squash our fragile economy, Nish and Coco count the cost of the “bill-mageddon” we already face. It’s a perfect storm of steep rises in household bills and a bonkers global trade war.  While we’re staring economic apocalypse in the face, we see...
57m Apr 03, 2025
57m
Austerity 2.0: can Reeves cut her way to growth?
First the good news: we might just manage to build a lot of new houses. And the bad news? Millions of people will be worse off and about fifty thousand children will be pushed into poverty by welfare reform. Nish and Coco unpack Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement with the help of economist James Meadway, former advisor to John McDonnell. It was pretty bleak stuff from Reeves: the world is scary, g...
53m Mar 27, 2025
53m
Welfare cuts: are Labour copying Tory homework?
After weeks of speculation, Liz Kendall has confirmed what benefits are to be axed in order to save £5 billion from the welfare bill - but at what cost for sick and disabled people? Keir Starmer says the rising benefit bill is “devastating for public finances” and has “wreaked a terrible human cost”. But many of his own Labour MPs have accused him of selling cuts as compassion and in the words ...
45m Mar 20, 2025
45m
A true story of money, Mafia & the Vatican (Shadow Kingdom Episode 1)
Today we're excited to bring you the first episode of Shadow Kingdom: God's Banker. In the summer of 1982, the Vatican’s top money man was found dead. Roberto Calvi was at the center of a prolific money laundering scheme that put him in the crosshairs of the Sicilian mafia, a secret far-right chapter of the Freemasons, and the Catholic Church. Forty years after his death was ruled a suicide, Sh...
28m Mar 17, 2025
28m
Welfare, Warehouses and Playlist Diplomacy
We’ll start with the good news - Reform UK appears to be imploding. Nigel Farage has had a wildly public fallout with (now former) Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who was stripped of his whip and investigated by the police over alleged workplace bullying and “verbal threats” against the party chairman. As Reform flounders, the Government is busy making itself even more unpopular - if that’s possible - b...
50m Mar 13, 2025
50m
Keir Starmer - the unlikely leader of the free world?
A shouting match in the Oval Office probably should have been on everyone’s Trump 25 bingo card - but the extraordinary breakdown in relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy shocked the world. Keir Starmer rolled up his sleeves and spent the weekend in full-blown diplomacy mode - leading to Politico calling him the “unlikely leader of the free world”.  But with Trump pulling the p...
58m Mar 06, 2025
58m
Dear Donald: Can Starmer Tame Trump? w/ Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey
War - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. But this week we found out that defending the UK from it is going to cost us a lot of money. And the losers will be the world's poorest people - the money for Britain's boosted defence budget will come from foreign aid.  Sir Ed Davey - leader of the Lib Dems - tells Coco he has an alternative: bigger taxes on big tech (and some other ideas). And Co...
49m Feb 27, 2025
49m
Trump’s plan for “Peace” in Ukraine only pleases Putin + The Politics of Modern Love
As Europe looks on in disbelief, Donald Trump has been throwing his geopolitical weight around. A monumental meeting with Russia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine was held without Ukraine or Europe.Trump then branded Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and accused Ukraine of starting the conflict.  Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground i...
50m Feb 20, 2025
50m
Adventures in the Culture War w/ Ash Sarkar
The government has spent the week trying to out-Reform Reform by stirring up yet another moral panic about immigration. The Home Office has been boasting about its crackdown on “foreign criminals and illegal immigrants” and filming immigration raids and deportations. At the same time, it has toughened up rules to make it almost impossible for refugees who arrive in the UK via illegal routes to ...
47m Feb 13, 2025
47m
Trump’s Gaza madness ft Lewis Goodall
Donald Trump has left the world reeling with a plan to turn Gaza into *checks notes* “the Riviera of the Middle East”. He vowed that the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza strip, effectively endorsing the ethnic cleansing of 1.8 million Palestinians who would have “no alternative” but to leave.  With rumours circling that his inner-circle are calling him an “HR manager” rather than a leader...
46m Feb 06, 2025
46m
Masculinity and Misinformation: How JimmyTheGiant Escaped The Alt-Right Pipeline
Warning: this episode contains strong language and a term of racist abuse. Nish and Coco dig into some scary data about Gen Z. A poll of 13-27 year olds this week suggested nearly half of them favour authoritarian government. And nearly half of young men think women have been given too many rights. Youtuber JimmyTheGiant joins the pod to tell us about this mindset and how he disappeared into th...
45m Jan 30, 2025
45m
Trump 2.0: Fear and Loathing in DC
A trigger warning for progressives: this episode contains explicit Trump content. Nish and Coco’s nightmare begins with inauguration Trump meme coins, grinning tech bros and disputed Nazi salutes. Then comes the blizzard of executive orders targeting migrants and freeing rioters.  But this is not just a bad dream for our liberal hosts. This is the reality of Trump world. The groundwork of MAGA ...
48m Jan 23, 2025
48m
Facts versus F-wits: how to fight the Alt Reich
Artificial intelligence will be “mainlined into the veins” of the nation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared, with a multibillion-pound investment and huge public rollout. Amid bond market chaos and a falling pound, the Government is pinning its hopes for growth on the AI revolution - what could possibly go wrong? To unpick the technogobledigook with Nish and Coco is technology journalist...
51m Jan 16, 2025
51m
Billionaire BS: How can Britain Stop Musk’s Disinformation?
Happy New Year - is 2025 going to be the year of disinformation? Elon Musk started in attack mode with a flood of vitriolic and false tweets about UK grooming gangs. In Musk’s crosshairs: Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. He accused them both of cover ups. Can Nish and Coco survive a year of Musk madness - the man who already makes Nish want to “eat his own anus”? We’re join...
47m Jan 09, 2025
47m
Just Stop Politics - 2024 Wrapped! w/ Desiree Burch and Liz Bates
What a year! While Rishi Sunak held true to his January commitment to hold the election in the second half of the year - the spectacle that followed couldn't have been predicted as 2024 dawned.  Nish and Coco are joined by Sky News’ political correspondent Liz Bates and comedian Desiree Burch to chew over the gristle of the year that was.  From racist Tory donors, to milkshaked MPs, creative po...
51m Dec 19, 2024
51m
FIFA World Cup: Trade Deals 1, Human Rights Nil
In the same week FIFA decided an appalling human rights record is no obstacle to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, Keir Starmer was schmoozing the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What lengths will our former human rights lawyer PM go to in his pursuit of growth? Joey Shea from Human Rights Watch takes us through what went down during the visit. Back home, the government is ta...
50m Dec 12, 2024
50m
Toxic men and toxic politics: the problem with Gregg Wallace and Nigel Farage
As Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace faces a stream of allegations about inappropriate behaviour at work, Nish and Coco take on the entertainment industry’s toxic culture. Nish gives an insider’s view of why change is long overdue in an industry that enables massive egos, bad behaviour, even abuse. And Coco argues that to take women’s safety seriously we need to start with zero tolerance on bullying b...
52m Dec 05, 2024
52m
Who gets to decide how we die? w/ Rosena Allin-Khan MP
This Friday, MPs are challenged with an enormous question of conscience - should we allow people with six months left to live the right to die at a time of their choosing?  Joining Nish and Coco is Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting and A&E Doctor, to help us understand the strong feelings on both sides of the debate, the difficult decision that MPs are grappling with and how she decided ...
49m Nov 28, 2024
49m
How to avoid World War 3 + why won’t Elon Musk Leave the UK alone? W/ Jamie Bartlett & Stephen Bush
Russia’s war with Ukraine is escalating dramatically - as we record reports have begun to emerge about Ukraine firing British long-range “Storm Shadow” missiles into Russia. Nish and Coco are joined on the couch by Stephen Bush, associate editor at the Financial Times, to discuss the chance of...World War Three? Meanwhile - closer to home - we find out why farmers are descending on Westminster....
55m Nov 21, 2024
55m
How is Trump already infecting UK politics? w/ Beth Rigby + the university crisis
President-elect Donald Trump has a strong stance on many issues, from isolationism to border control, not to mention he’s an open climate change denier. Is his political platform already shaping UK party politics? Nish and Coco chat to Sky News Political Editor and host of Electoral Dysfunction Beth Rigby about what his looming second-term means for the UK. And with changes to university tuitio...
50m Nov 14, 2024
50m
Trump wins: where the hell do we go from here? w/ Katy Balls + Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
It’s a dark, dark day for the world. Donald Trump - a convicted criminal no less - has been elected 47th US president in a shocking political resurrection.  Nish and Coco are joined by the Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to discuss just how ready the UK Government is for Trump’s comeback and Kemi Badenoch’s leadership win.  Later, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP and chair of the All-Party ...
52m Nov 07, 2024
52m
Halloween budget: trick or treat? w/ Torsten Bell MP, Grace Blakeley & Katie Schmuecker
Double, Double, toil and trouble…the Government’s first budget has been unveiled on the eve of Halloween, and Nish and Coco are peering into chancellor Rachel Reeve’s cauldron. It’s a spooky episode, so buckle up, we find out if the Halloween budget is the horror show it’s been predicted to be. A seance with economic and political journalist Grace Blakeley helps us break down the raft of tax ri...
47m Oct 31, 2024
47m
How f***ed are we if Trump wins? + Is Jeremy Corbyn MP forming a new party?
The Government’s rallying cry to the nation to help fix the NHS via a public consultation has not disappointed. In what is fast becoming the National Health Service’s very own Boaty McBoatface moment, Nish and Coco dissect the wild and weird policy suggestions flooding the website. Then Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Party leader and Independent MP for Islington North, joins to tell us how the le...
46m Oct 24, 2024
46m
How ruthless is Keir Starmer willing to be? w/ Anushka Asthana and Josh Babarinde MP
With just two weeks to go until the Autumn budget, the Labour government is preparing to make some huge reforms. But just how ruthless is Keir Starmer willing to be in reshaping the UK? Coco and Nish dig into it with Anushka Asthana, ITV’s political editor and author of “Taken as Red: How Labour won big and the Tories crashed the party”. Later, in the wake of the Tories latest round of madness,...
53m Oct 17, 2024
53m
The Tories lose their minds (again) - can Starmer hold against the far right?
The Tory party have once again chosen violence against themselves, as Keir Starmer’s Labour party are languishing in the polls after 90-something days of a lack of action.  Nish and Coco burst the bubble on the news that Starmer’s Chief of Staff has been replaced by his election guru, joined by political journalist Ian Dunt to find out just how big a deal this backroom reshuffle is for the mach...
58m Oct 10, 2024
58m
Is Britain’s benefits system broken? w/ Caroline Selman and John Pring
The new Labour government has promised bold action to fix Britain’s benefit system. Last week, Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on benefit fraud and said people on long-term sickness benefits should look for work. But is this the answer? To chew over the Government’s plans, Coco and Nish are joined by Caroline Selman, senior research fellow at the Public Law Project, and John Pring, the found...
49m Oct 03, 2024
49m
Can Starmer’s upbeat note drown out the donation scandal? w/ Zoë Grünewald and Simon Kuper
Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer gave his first Labour Conference speech as Prime Minister this week - but his message of “national renewal” was slightly spoiled by a backdrop of poor polling, infighting and their never ending “garm drama”. Journalist Zoë Grünewald joins Nish and Coco on the couch to search for the “li...
54m Sep 26, 2024
54m
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer promised a Labour government would “turn the page” on scandal - but he’s already under fire after a late declaration of thousands of pounds of gifts. As the Tories clamour for an investigation, Nish and Coco take to the PSUK couch to weigh in on the row. Later, they’re joined by indepen...
52m Sep 19, 2024
52m
Inside out: How to fix the UK’s prison system + Labour embraces unpopularity
Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! The government has won a vote in the commons over its controversial winter fuel payments - but Keir Starmer knows he’s not winning over the public. Unpopular decisions are the theme of the day as Nish returns to join Coco on the PSUK couch.  Later, our hosts are joined by former inmate turned podcas...
50m Sep 12, 2024
50m
Time to nationalise Ticketmaster? “Cigarettes & Alcohol”, the Grenfell Inquiry concludes
Parliament is back in session and so is Pod Save the UK! Coco is joined by Zoë Grünewald, filling in for Nish, to discuss Keir Starmer’s gloomy new lines trailing what’s shaping up to be a miserable Autumn budget.  Free political point scoring around the Oasis/Ticketmaster fiasco probably isn’t going to be enough to offset the grim energy emanating from the Government’s plan to means test the W...
49m Sep 05, 2024
49m
Live! How comedy can bring hope in dark times - with Adam Hills and Kemah Bob
In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, recorded on 07/08/24, Nish and Coco are joined by comedians Adam Hills and Kemah Bob to talk about how political comedy offers relief in dark times, while still holding power to account.  The gang reflect on political flashpoints and what they learned from it, from dropping a spoonful of sugar to the unique lens that comedy can lend while ...
47m Aug 15, 2024
47m
Live! Finding hope in the wake of Britain's racist riots - with Ahir Shah & Tom Ballard
In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, Nish and Coco bring two special guests to talk about the racist riots tearing Britain apart.  **CORRECTION** This episode incorrectly states that the Baha Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out" has a sexist subtext, when it is in fact a song criticising misogyny. We regret the error. Nish, Coco and Ahir reflect on their personal feelings and experie...
57m Aug 08, 2024
57m
How Can We Fix The British Economy? With Paul Johnson From The IFS
It’s been a tough few weeks for new Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In a speech to the House of Commons on Monday, Reeves declared that despite going in to government with gloomy prospects, the financial inheritance was much worse than she had expected. Naturally, this didn’t go down particularly well with the now Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, as the two traded barbs whilst invoking the opinions of ...
51m Aug 01, 2024
51m
Red Rebellion, Just Stop Locking Up Activists And How To Fix Our Broken NHS With Clare Farrell And Victor Adebowale
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.  Cla...
1hr 4m Jul 25, 2024
1hr 4m
The Kings Speech, Knives Out for Vaughan Gething and An Education on Schools Policy with Liz Bates
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 Vaugh...
53m Jul 18, 2024
53m
Are Labour the party to finally fix housing? w/ Kwajo Tweneboa, Toby Lloyd and Sam Freedman
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 Conservativ...
49m Jul 11, 2024
49m
Labour Landslide - will things get better? With Torsten Bell MP and Femi Oluwole
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? The results of this election has shown massive changes in all directions and with all the parties. J...
55m Jul 05, 2024
55m
Would a Labour supermajority really be bad for democracy? Rory Stewart on why opposition is vital
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 think...
27m Jun 30, 2024
27m
Will “gamblegate” scandal obliterate the Tories Forever? Plus last few days of the election with Liz Bates
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...
42m Jun 27, 2024
42m
Chris Packham Vs Taylor Swift: Will People or Politics Save Our Planet?
The major parties have failed to pledge to make the radical changes needed to save our planet from climate catastrophe - but people power may well save us yet.  Nish and Coco are joined by conservationist Chris Packham to find out what more our politicians need to do and how citizens can get involved. Chris also questions the wisdom of Taylor Swift’s private jet usage and brings a suggestion of...
43m Jun 23, 2024
43m
Who gets the power? Devolution and the General Election.
It’s been a horrendous campaign for the Conservatives so far, careening from disaster to catastrophe, but the Tories don't have the exclusive on political drama. This week Nish and Coco focus on the action in the devolved nations, with a particular focus on Wales and Northern Ireland.  First, we check in with Welsh Journalist Will Hayward to learn about the recent vote of no confidence in First...
53m Jun 20, 2024
53m
Manifesto deep-dive: Is Labour’s at all progressive?
Following a week of political manifestoes dropping from UK parties - Nish & Coco take a deep-dive investigation to see how they hold up against one another. With a focus on manifestoes that have left-wing approaches - they discuss what policies are the most realistic and which hold up the best under scrutiny.  Joined by political journalist Zoe Grünewald, Nish & Coco look closely at welfare pol...
44m Jun 16, 2024
44m
How to make your vote count: is Tactical Voting a necessary evil? With Femi Oluwole
The polls are indicating a landslide victory for Labour come the election on July 4th. But that hasn’t stopped the calls - from both the left and the right - for citizens to vote tactically. But what does that really mean in Britain’s broken electoral system? Joining Nish and Coco on the PSUK sofa is Femi Oluwole, activist and campaigner, and Joe Twyman, a seasoned pollster covering his 9th ele...
43m Jun 13, 2024
43m
Why is it so hard to tax the rich? Would it fix our economy? With Gary Stevenson
The UK’s sorry state of affairs when it comes to water and railways is both a massive problem and an opportunity for the incoming government. Water companies are teetering on the brink of collapse and it feels inevitable that they will soon fall back in to public ownership. But how can we pay for renationalised services?  Cat Hobbs from We Own It talks to Nish and Coco about the history of priv...
47m Jun 09, 2024
47m
Jeremy Corbyn & Mhairi Black: Left Culled, Centre Cracked and Right Reformed?
In week two of the campaigns for the upcoming General Election - the fight for the centre vote has become a focal point. But the crucial question remains - what will this do for the future of politics in the UK? Are we at risk of losing diversity across parties? And as Keir Starmer appears to be purging the left-wing factions of the Labour Party, Nish and Coco speak to former Labour leader and ...
54m Jun 06, 2024
54m
Generational Warfare: Has Rishi Sunak’s electoral gambit misfired?
It’s week one of the campaign and after a comical series of false starts, Rishi Sunak and the Tories have fired the first shots in a campaign of generational warfare.  Nish and Coco are joined by political correspondent Liz Bates to find out if there are votes to be won in these wedge politics. Later, they speak to Christine Jardine from the Liberal Democrats about their differences with Labour...
42m May 30, 2024
42m