Pod Save the UK
Pod Save the UK
Pod Save the UK is your weekly fix of political news, big ideas and a shot of inspiration. Each week hosts, comedian Nish Kumar and journalist Coco Khan are joined by politicians, experts, and famous friends to unpick the latest news, look for solutions, and inspire action. From Crooked Media – the creators of Pod Save America – in partnership with Reduced Listening, tune in to new episodes of Pod Save the UK every Thursday wherever you pod.
Episodes
Mentioned books
25 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 53min
Truth, Lies and Donald Trump w/ Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee, comedian and columnist for The Nerve, brings sharp political satire and longform stand-up to the conversation. He discusses satirising a leader who benefits from being lampooned. He examines comedy’s role in turbulent times, media editing that enables misinformation, and why a rigorous weekly column matters.
Mar 21, 2026 • 36min
Can Britain’s myth and magic challenge the far right? w/ Zakia Sewell
Zakia Sewell, writer, DJ and broadcaster who explores British folklore and identity, shares her search for an inclusive sense of Britishness. She talks about rediscovering folk customs, how seasonal rites and songs offer alternative national stories, the politics around traditions like Morris dancing, and how artists can reshape what it means to belong in Britain.
Mar 19, 2026 • 58min
Farage’s Wild Week: Energy bill stunts and questionable Cameo videos
Anne McElvoy, POLITICO executive editor and political commentator. Ben Tarnoff, tech writer and co-author of Muskism. Quinn Slobodian, historian and co-author of Muskism. They dig into Reform UK’s energy-bill giveaway and its voter-data angle. They unpack Nigel Farage’s paid Cameo clips and the controversies around them. They explore Muskism, Big Tech’s power, and what that means for politics and sovereignty.
8 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 56min
The Mandelson Files Are Out
Louisa Munch, critical theorist and social commentator, dissects the government’s social cohesion strategy and university policy debates. She questions surveillance-heavy approaches and one-way integration rules. Louisa highlights shrinking community spaces, underfunded English support, and concerns that campus extremism is overstated while critical education is starved of resources.
Mar 5, 2026 • 53min
“No Winston Churchill”: is the special relationship over?
Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE, British–Iranian peace strategist and founder of ICAN, explains the human cost and legal questions around the Middle East escalation. She discusses targeted strikes on civilians, how such tactics fuel extremism, and diplomatic alternatives to further conflict. The conversation also links the crisis to UK policy, economic fallout and asylum rule changes.
Feb 26, 2026 • 57min
Are we stuck in never-ending political scandal? w/Ash Sarkar
Ash Sarkar, contributing editor at Novara Media and author of Minority Rule, offers sharp political analysis. She dissects Mandelson’s arrest and media blindspots. She explores whether politics can be rebuilt through different organising models. They also cover Labour factionalism, immigration politics, SEND reforms, and recent protest victories.
19 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 54min
Can she fix it? Hannah the plumber and politician on tackling Reform
Tom Southerden, Amnesty International’s law director, gives legal perspective on the High Court ruling about protest rights. Hannah Spencer, a local plumber turned Green candidate, talks grassroots campaigning in Gorton and Denton. They discuss protest law, community-focused politics, campaign life, online rumours, safety in politics and the stakes of a surprising by-election.
19 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 55min
McSweeney: the man who made Starmer and his ties to Mandelson
Paul Holden, investigative journalist and author of The Fraud, reveals how Morgan McSweeney rose through Labour and shaped Keir Starmer’s inner circle. He maps McSweeney’s ties to Peter Mandelson, Labour Together’s donor controversies, alleged PR investigations into reporters, and how influence was entrenched across the party. Short, sharp discussion of resignations, vetting failures and the political fallout.
Feb 5, 2026 • 54min
Will Mandelson be Starmer’s downfall?
Ann Pettifor, economist and author who predicted the 2008 crash, discusses how global finance behaves like a casino. She talks about the Mandelson revelations and their political fallout. Short takes cover pension privatisation, speculative capital, capital-flow controls, climate-linked financial risk, AI-driven bubble risks, and what bold monetary and policy reforms could look like.
11 snips
Jan 29, 2026 • 54min
Will Starmer’s control freakery deliver victory to Reform?
Dr Carrie Grant MBE, TV presenter and vocal coach who campaigns on SEND, and Zoë Grünewald, political journalist and commentator. They unpack Labour leadership manoeuvres and Starmer’s China trip. They also probe defections to Reform, Palantir’s NHS data concerns and a brewing fight over SEND reforms and legal rights.
