Pod Save the UK

Trump’s explosive start to 2026 - will Starmer find a backbone?

The US President put the season of goodwill behind him with a New Year Venezuelan coup and the threat of further action across Central America and the Caribbean. Then there’s the little matter of his promise to seize control of Greenland. Nish and Coco try to make sense of the senseless - and to assess the possibility that Donald Trump could end up destroying NATO - with Tommy Vietor from our sister podcasts Pod Save America and Pod Save the World.  Plus, comedian Cody Dahler gives us his take on how 2026 will shape up for politicians and satirists. How easy is it to make jokes while the world - literally and metaphorically - is on fire?  CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  WISE https://wise.com/ [http://wise.com] BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK  [http://babbel.com/PSUK] GUESTS  Cody Dahler, Comedian and Presenter of The Truth (In My Opinion) Tommy Vietor, Co-Host of Pod Save America and Pod Save the World Nida Jafri USEFUL LINKS Palestine Action Hunger Strikers: How to write to your MP [https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/]  https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/ Petition calling for action from the Justice Secretary [https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-on-mp-and-secretary-of-justice-david-lammy-to-intervene-and-protect-the-hunger-strikers/] https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/call-on-mp-and-secretary-of-justice-david-lammy-to-intervene-and-protect-the-hunger-strikers/ CREDITS Parliament TV Cody Dahler/TikTok Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBC One Tonight with Andrew Marr/LBC Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk]Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why does the Left make it so f***** hard? Question Time - PSUK-style

You asked, Nish and Coco answered! What are their most conservative opinions? Why do both the left and right hate NATO so much? Should we ditch GDP? Why doesn’t the UK have compulsory voting and why do some many progressives stay true to Labour when the party is failing to measure up? All that plus the latest on Coco’s love-hate relationship with AI and a quickfire round to make sure no question is left unanswered. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  BABBEL Babbel.com/PSUK [https://www.babbel.com/PSUK]  SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk [http://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk] CALM Calm.com/PTSUK [https://www.calm.com/c/pstuk?slug=pstuk&coupon=pstuk_podcast_q42025¬_subscribed_banner_string=Welcome%20Pod%20Save%20the%20UK%20listeners%21%20Enjoy%20this%20exclusive%20discount%20from%20Calm.&subscribed_banner_string=Welcome%20Pod%20Save%20the%20UK%20listeners%21&utm_medium=podcast&campaignSlug=PSTUK&yearly_coupon=pstuk_podcast_q42025&vanity_url=%2Fpstuk] Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk [PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk] Support PSUK! Don’t forget to like and subscribe. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK [https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk [https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk] Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk [https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk] BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com [https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com] Twitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk [https://twitter.com/podsavetheuk] Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk [https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

2025 in British politics: from Starmer’s flop-flops to AI slop

Warning: this episode contains a use of a racial slur. From the rollback of human rights and Trump’s BBC lawsuit to AI slop in politics - what the %@£! was that? Nish and Coco are joined by comedian Shappi Khorsandi and political commentator Jovan Owusu-Nepaul to make sense of the wild year that was.  Labour’s first full year in office was marked by u-turns and an inability to use the word ‘genocide’ but there were some significant new bills that boosted the rights of renters and employees.  Reform’s polling and local election success had mainstream parties running scared - but the reality of actually running stuff may have revealed the party’s limits. While Starmer focused on the threat from the right, the left was revitalised by the resurgence of the Greens and the (albeit chaotic) energy of Your Party - can they shift the political dial? As 2025 draws to a close - Nish and Coco hand out some very special awards and can we get a Palestinian lullaby to Christmas No.1? CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com [https://www.auraframes.com] Code: PSUK CALM calm.com/PTSUK [https://www.calm.com/c/pstuk?slug=pstuk&coupon=pstuk_podcast_q42025¬_subscribed_banner_string=Welcome%20Pod%20Save%20the%20UK%20listeners%21%20Enjoy%20this%20exclusive%20discount%20from%20Calm.&subscribed_banner_string=Welcome%20Pod%20Save%20the%20UK%20listeners%21&utm_medium=podcast&campaignSlug=PSTUK&yearly_coupon=pstuk_podcast_q42025&vanity_url=%2Fpstuk] SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk [http://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk] GUESTS  Shappi Khorsandi, Comedian Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Co-Host of What’s Left?  USEFUL LINKS https://togetherforpalestine.bandcamp.com/album/lullaby [https://togetherforpalestine.bandcamp.com/album/lullaby] CREDITS Labour Party/TikTok  Parliament TV Sky News/YouTube   Channel 4 News/YouTube  Channel 4 News/YouTube  BladeoftheSun/X  Shaparak Khorsandi/TikTok The Last Leg/Channel 4 Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg/BBC Basil the Great/X Sky News/YouTube 5 Live/BBC 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]

Trump blasts Europe and Sadiq Khan - but will his strong man act backfire?

Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Europe’s “weak” leaders over Ukraine and immigration including a special mention for - surprise surprise - Sadiq Khan, who got a shout out for being a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”. Honestly, why is he SO obsessed?!  But a Labour government trying to convince European allies to water down human rights law to deport people faster seems perfectly in line with Trump's vision. Nish and Coco are joined by Sky’s Deputy Political Editor Sam Coates. They also take a dive into the latest allegation swirling around Reform UK - this time the party’s election spending in Nigel Farage’s Clacton constituency is under the spotlight. And the scale of the homelessness crisis always seems more acute at this time of year - so the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, Alison McGovern, joins PSUK to explain how their new plan will be the one to finally make a difference. Finally - PSUK has watched the first episode of the Liz Truss Show, so you don’t have to. Nish and Coco give it a rating out of one to limp lettuce. CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK [https://www.babbel.com/PSUK]  AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com [https://www.auraframes.com] Code: PSUK SHOPIFY Shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk [http://shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk] GUESTS  Sam Coates, Deputy Political Editor at Sky News Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness USEFUL LINKS:  Nish’s Carol Performance [https://sohotheatre.com/events/comedians-do-carols/]  CREDITS Politico  The Liz Truss Show / YouTube Keir Starmer MP / TikTok Rishi Sunak MP / TikTok 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]

Will cutting juries fix our maggot-ridden courts?

“Dead and rotting seagulls within the roof insulation” and “maggots literally raining down on to the lobby” - this quote from a court in South Tyneside sums up the state of our creaking judicial system. So what are we going to do about it? Cut jury trials. Deputy PM and Justice Secretary David Lammy is hoping to clear the court backlog by scrapping jury trials for crimes with sentences of less than three years - but stories like these make Nish and Coco doubtful it will be the silver bullet Lammy hopes. Is removing one of the fundamental building blocks of our justice system worth some sweet sweet efficiency gains?  Then - is this the next post office scandal? Nish and Coco are joined by Liz Sayce OBE to discuss her damning report into how the Department of Work and Pensions failed to notify unpaid carers that they were accruing enormous debt for years.  And Your Party had its founding conference this weekend… and surprise surprise… it was a spicy one. In the end, Team Zarah’s collective vision for the party defeated Team Jeremy. Will this be a new chapter or - for a party prone to in-fighting - will this leadership model trip them up from the get go? Reminder to send in your questions for our mailbag special to psuk@reducedlistening.co.uk CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS  AURA FRAMES https://www.auraframes.com [https://www.auraframes.com] Code: PSUK BABBEL https://www.babbel.com/PSUK [https://www.babbel.com/PSUK]  WISE https://www.wise.com [https://www.wise.com] GUESTS  Liz Sayce, OBE CREDITS BBC News Turn Left Media The Mirror  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]