The News Agents

The morning after elections, political parties send their leaders out to areas where they outperformed expectations to try and sell a narrative about their results, even on the bruising nights.Such was the scale of Labour's defeat that for much of the night, it wasn't clear whether there was anywhere they could send Starmer. Eventually, he headed to Ealing where Labour kept control of the council. In West London, Starmer insisted he isn't "going to walk away". He acknowledged that "voters have sent a message about the pace of change". But isn't that message that they would like a Reform government? Isn't it at the very least that they do not want him to remain in Downing Street?Where does Labour go from here - and is Nigel Farage now measuring the curtains in 10 Downing Street?Later, Luke Tryl on the complete collapse of the two party system.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It’s polling day in elections across Great Britain. Labour is braced for a battering, at the hands of insurgent forces on every side. Birmingham is a microcosm of that picture: an unloved Labour administration dealing with complex problems and complex politics.But here it’s not just the Greens and Reform the party must contend with, but the rise of the so-called Gaza independents. A new political force appealing largely to British Muslims who, like everyone else, are disatissfied with the status quo.Is this really a new sectarian politics, as the newspapers suggest? And if it is - should we be concerned about who is propelling those forces? With the control of the biggest local authority in Europe up for grabs, Lewis has gone home to England’s second city to find out.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Brighton are known as one of football's best run clubs with a seemingly constant yearly profit margin above £100 million... and today they have officially announced that their 33 year old manager Fabian Hürzeler has signed a new contract.A club on the verge of a second season playing European football and that has recently announced they are the first club the world to have a purpose built women's football stadium.Their CEO Paul Barber joins Gabby and Mark to give us insight on what really happens behind the scenes to keep it so successful.Paul also tells all about his relationship with former managers Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi - followed by his history with Spurs, working under Daniel Levy.📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7💭 Tell us your thoughts in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/YMUvajQktqBuimgh6🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod📱Follow us on socials:TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thesportsagentsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesportsagents/X - https://x.com/sportsagentspod📥 Email: [email protected] Producer: Adonis PratsidesProducers: Sophie Penney & George Sexton-KerrVideo Producer: Samuel TrudgillSocial Media Editor: Jasmine WissartTom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast networkVicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for GlobalYou can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The Sports Agents".👕 The Sports Agents have merch! You can buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-sports-agents

Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, is back asking questions of those in power. His new best-seller investigates the mysterious death of young Zac Brettler in the heart of London. What does it tell us about dark money, lies and corruption in this gilded city - now home to the world’s billionaires? And why were the police either unwilling or unable to provide his family with answers? We talk about identity, reinvention and oligarchs in his latest book, London Falling.Later, Trump's Project Freedom in Hormuz ends on day one - has Trump capitulated or is a deal, finally, in sight?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Donald Trump launched "Project Freedom" over the bank holiday weekend - a "humanitarian gesture", aimed at guaranteeing the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz still stubbornly being controlled by Iran.The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announced today a "red white and blue dome" over the area as he insisted that the US holds all the cards in the conflict. There's just one problem: nobody seems to be buying it. Ships aren't moving through the Strait in any real volume, and there were fresh attacks from both sides over the weekend despite a ceasefire. Has Trump forgotten who started this war? And have other world leaders stopped listening to him?Later, has Zac Polanski peaked too soon ahead of the local elections on Thursday? One poll shows his approval ratings plummeting over the last week - why?The News Agents is a Global Production.The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/