Pod Save the UK

X has been firmly in the firing line after its Grok AI tool was used to create sexualised images of women and children. Elon Musk’s company could face a fine of up to 10% of its global earnings by internet regulator Ofcom, or a ban in the UK. He denies that the AI has done anything illegal and says users are responsible for the images they create.

How can we regulate AI? Nish and Coco speak to Rutger Bregman, historian and author who called out billionaires at Davos. He argues Big Tech should be treated like Big Tobacco, and gives his take on Iran, as thousands of protestors take to the streets, and what a radical policy platform looks like for the UK Left today.

Plus - what on earth is UKIP proposing as a terrifying rebrand? 

*Update on Palestinian Hunger Strikers*: On 14th Jan Heba, Kamran, and Lewie collectively paused their hunger strike. They made British history, lasting 73 days.

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GUESTS 

Rutger Bregman - Historian and Author of Moral Ambition, out in paper back on 15th Jan

USEFUL LINKS

https://www.moralambition.org/book

Let us know your experiences of SEND support in schools - or any other stories.

CREDITS

Liz Kendall MP, Technology Secretary - Parliament TV

Rutger Bregman - Publicae   

Rutger Bregman and Tucker Carlson - Now This

Tehran protests - Shaparak Khorsandi/Instagram

Donald Trump - New York Times

Laila Cunningham - Daily Express/YouTube

Nadim Zahawi - Sky News

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

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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? 

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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/

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/

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: [email protected]

Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK

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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.

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Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.

Contact us via email: [email protected]

Support PSUK! Don’t forget to like and subscribe.

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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?

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GUESTS 

Shappi Khorsandi, Comedian

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Co-Host of What’s Left? 

USEFUL LINKS

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: [email protected]

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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.

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BABBEL

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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 

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: [email protected]

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