Pod Save the UK

Reeves’s make-or-break budget: should the rich have paid more?

Coco and Nish listened to Rachel Reeves' budget so you don't have to. But hang on, we could all have skipped the speech and read it online. Someone screwed up big time, pressing a button and releasing the budget before Reeves even stood up. That cock up was possibly the most exciting thing about Labour's second budget.  A bit vanilla for you? Too much tax for ordinary workers? Too little for the wealthy? Journalist Zoë Grünewald tells Pod Save The UK why this budget might have done enough to pacify the Labour backbenches by lifting the two child benefit cap while soothing the markets with tax and spend plans... Dr Faiza Shaheen, Director of Tax Justice UK, was hoping for bolder action on wealth taxes, but she spots some reasons to be cheerful in the mix.  In other news, Nigel Farage gets rattled by questions about his past. Nish and Coco enjoy the novelty of seeing him squirm but wonder if it will harm his electoral chances. And bring a bottle and bury the hatchets, can 'Your Party' make this weekend their kiss and make up moment? Send in your questions for Nish and Coco and they’ll answer them in our mailbag special. Email us at psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  SHOPIFY  https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk [https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk]  CALM  https://www.calm.com/PSTUK [https://www.calm.com/PSTUK]  AURA FRAMES  https://www.auraframes.com [https://www.auraframes.com] Code: PSUK GUESTS  Zoë Grünewald, Journalist  Faiza Shaheen, Director of Tax Justice UK USEFUL LINKS  https://www.yourparty.uk/founding-documents/ [https://www.yourparty.uk/founding-documents/]  Aditya Chakrabortty Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/wealth-tax-left-super-rich-britain-budget-2025 [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/20/wealth-tax-left-super-rich-britain-budget-2025] CREDITS House of Commons Live Sky News The New Statesman  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Mahmood’s Moral Mission: Copy Reform’s homework

Warning: this episode contains strong language and a term of racist abuse.  Just when we thought the disasters of the government couldn’t get any worse… New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has made it her “moral mission” to raise Nish and Coco’s blood pressure. Cruel new plans to end the permanent status of refugees and curb housing and support for asylum seekers do perhaps justify the government’s slogan of the biggest overhaul of the system “in modern history” - but at what cost? But - not to be outdone in terms of parties completely out of touch with reality - Your Party’s latest act of in-fighting leaves Nish and Coco with palms glued to their faces. Let’s face it - things have never been anything but fractious within the upstart political movement, but as their conference approaches the wind has never seemed further from their sails.  And ahead of the budget next week Chancellor Rachel Reeves is entertaining big cuts to the Warm Homes Plan in efforts to bring down energy bills. Nish and Coco chat to Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of environmental organisation Uplift, about why this quick fix is wrong-headed and short sighted.  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com [https://www.auraframes.com] Code: PSUK CALM https://www.calm.com/PSTUK [https://www.calm.com/PSTUK]  GUESTS  Robert Palmer, Deputy Director of Uplift USEFUL LINKS  Claims of racism and antisemitism in Nigel Farage’s adolescence  https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2025/nov/18/deeply-shocking-nigel-farage-faces-fresh-claims-of-racism-and-antisemitism-at-school [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2025/nov/18/deeply-shocking-nigel-farage-faces-fresh-claims-of-racism-and-antisemitism-at-school] CREDITS Shabana Mahmood / X Reform UK Parliament TV  Ed Miliband / IG Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk]Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Much a-coup about nothing? Labour take all the wrong notes from the Tories

Are knives being sharpened by disgruntled MPs planning a coup against the PM? As Keir Starmer’s team dig in against a supposed threat to the Prime Minister from Health Secretary Wes Streeting - has the Tory-brand of Westminster psychodrama come back for a new series?  Meanwhile the BBC is under fire from the left, the right, the centre and the US president. Nish and Coco dig into an existential crisis for the public broadcaster.  And as COP30 kicks off in Brazil - can we rescue the 1.5C climate target? Alex Reid from Global Witness drops in to give us a reality check.  Later - as Robert Jenrick begins posting AI generated slop to attack his political rivals -  Coco speaks to the AI and Online Safety Minister Kanishka Narayan. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS SHOPIFY https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk [https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk]  BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK [https://www.babbel.com/PSUK]  AUDIO CREDITS  BBC Radio 4 GUESTS Alex Reid, Head of Forests team at Global Witness Kanishka Narayan MP, AI and Online Safety Minister  Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk]Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What can the left learn from Zohran Mamdani’s win?

Nish and Coco celebrate the win of Progressive New York Democratic Mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani - and ponder what British lefties can learn from his social-media friendly campaign.  And is Chancellor Rachel Reeves about to rip up Labour’s manifesto promise not to introduce any new taxes on “working people”? She certainly seems to be laying the groundwork for it, after an unusual pre-budget speech on Tuesday. Nothing was announced - but it’s what wasn’t denied that tells a story…  Later - Nish and Coco discuss the disturbing influence of American anti-abortionist lobbies on the UK’s political system and what we can do about it with New York Times investigative reporter Jane Bradley and campaigner for sexual and reproductive health and rights Lisa Hallgarten. To nobody’s surprise, Nigel Farage is involved.  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS Babbel  https://www.babbel.com/PSUK [https://www.babbel.com/PSUK]  Calm  https://www.calm.com/PSTUK [https://www.calm.com/PSTUK]  Wise https://www.wise.com [https://www.wise.com] GUESTS Lisa Hallgarten - advocate, educator and campaigner for sexual and reproductive health and rights with a recent focus on young people’s right to better sex education. You can follow her on Instagram and Bluesky @FundamentalWrites  Jane Bradley - UK investigative reporter at the New York Times  USEFUL LINKS Crooked Christmas Gear  http://crooked.com/store [http://crooked.com/store] Jane Bradley's NYT article https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/world/europe/uk-abortion-farage.html AUDIO CREDITS CNN Sky News Reform UK Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk]Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Britain’s prison and asylum meltdown. Plus - the Renters’ Rights Act w/ Vicky Spratt

It’s been a painful week for the government, with a migrant sex offender accidentally released from prison and a damning report on the spiralling costs of the asylum system. But is a plan to house asylum seekers on military sites really the answer?  Political journalist Zoë Grünewald - standing in for Coco as Nish’s co-host this week - dives into how this re-hashed Conservative plan has managed to piss off, well, just about everyone.  In better news - it’s curtains for the hated section 21 ‘no-fault evictions’ notices. The long-awaited Renters’ Rights Act has become law! Nish and Zoe talk to housing journalist Vicky Spratt about how big a deal this is for renters across England.  Plus - why Housing Secretary Steve Reed's Maga-style 'build, baby, build' crusade looks likely to end in affordable housing targets more pathetic than they are now.   Then later – from spending £75,000 on flags to their only black party chair quitting - is Reform out-reforming Reform? And why is Jeremy Corbyn swapping parliament for panto this Christmas. GUESTS Vicky Spratt USEFUL LINKS Peckham Not For Sale https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/acapeckham/ [https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/acapeckham/] CREDITS Sky News X / Steve Reed  Talk TV LBC Reform UK ITV News IG / Pleasance Theatre  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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]