Politics Uncensored gives you the news that matters. With unfiltered analysis and debate from leading politicians, journalists and experts, this show removes the political fluff to offer an honest and uncensored look at how Westminster really works.
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The Week Unwrapped New data shows one in eight young people out of work or education Just under one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training, according to new ONS data. The latest figures show 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were NEET between April and June, equivalent to around 13% of that age group Rupert Lowe set to be paid as much for divisive posts on Elon Musk’s X as for being MP Rupert Lowe is on course to earn almost as much from posting on Elon Musk’s X as he does from his salary as an MP, raising questions about whether the platform financially incenti
The Week Unwrapped Farage wins in Clacton, meanwhile Count Binface gets more than 25% of the vote We start with the news from the Clacton by-election, where Nigel Farage comfortably held onto the seat, securing more than 63% of the vote. Farage stood down as an MP in July, forcing the by-election. This came amid scrutiny over whether he should have declared a £5 million gift he received from a billionaire party donor in 2024. A parliamentary standards watchdog had been investigating the claim, but that investigation was paused when Farage resigned. Now that the Clacton seat is once again in th
The Week Unwrapped Voters head to the polls in Clacton-on-Sea by-election Voters are heading to the polls in Clacton-on-Sea for perhaps the weirdest by-election in a generation. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage resigned his seat last month following scrutiny over his financial support. He said he hoped that the vote would silence his critics and prove he has a mandate with voters. And a record 34 candidates are standing, presenting voters with the longest ballot paper in history. Zoë and Ali discuss what they think might happen. Trump confirms he switched planes after Nato summit because of poss
The Week Unwrapped Bev Craig wins in Greater Manchester Labour has won a decisive victory in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, with Bev Craig securing a strong result to succeed Andy Burnham. Zoë and Ali unpack what this means for Burnham’s premiership and why the scale of Labour’s win could be an important sign that voters are willing to give the party another chance. Jeremy Clarkson’s welfare solution? Jeremy Clarkson has offered his answer to Britain’s welfare crisis, suggesting in the Sunday Times, that unemployed young people claiming benefits should be made to write weekly letters
The Week Unwrapped Rejoin EU, say two thirds of Londoners A new poll by a team at Queen Mary University of London, has found that more than 65% of Londoners would vote to rejoin the European Union if a referendum was held 'tomorrow'. The survey also found the figure was even higher amongst young adults ages 18-35. Zoë and Ali unpack why they think this figure is quite low in reality as well as the regional and age-group divisions on Brexit. Reform UK reports Zack Polanski to police over guillotine T-shirt post Earlier this week, Reform UK reported Green Party leader Zack Polanski to the police
The Week Unwrapped: Andy Burnham is the UK’s latest Prime Minister We start with the biggest political story of the week. On Monday, Andy Burnham officially became the UK’s fifth Prime Minister in four years. This comes just over a month after he was elected as MP for Makerfield. Zoë and Ali unpack what they made of his first speech outside Downing Street. Mamdani says he lacks legal power to arrest Netanyahu From a former mayor to a current one. Since campaigning for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani has promised to honour an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Israel's Benjamin
No Ali in the studio this week, but joining us to discuss the latest is Ros Taylor, writer, journalist and broadcaster. The Week Unwrapped: Former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson, Ann Widdecombe, dies Former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson, Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her home in South West England on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries. A man in his twenties has been arrested, and counter terrorism police are now leading the investigation. The authorities say the alleged murder was a targeted attack, and are looking into a possible leftwing motivation. Her de
The Week Unwrapped Farage Resigns: First Reactions Another big week in British politics. Nigel Farage announced he will stand down as MP for Clacton. The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of his finances. Earlier this week, The Times reported that Farage had failed to declare benefits, including staff and security, provided by his long-time ally George Cottrell. Farage is already under investigation by the Parliament standards commissioner over an alleged failure to register a £5 million gift from a Thailand-based British cryptocurrency billionaire. Since Farage’s announcement, Labour,
The Week Unwrapped: US-UK drug deal could result in 229,000 excess deaths in England, analysis suggests A pharmaceutical trade deal between the UK and the US could lead to more than 200,000 avoidable deaths over the next decade, according to new analysis by the British Medical Journal. The agreement, struck last December, removed tariffs on UK pharmaceutical exports to the US but committed the NHS to higher spending on branded medicines. This could now see around £45 billion diverted away from NHS care towards purchasing new drugs. While ministers called it a “landmark deal”, critics say it am
In this special edition of Politics Uncensored, we discuss why Keir Starmer resigned as Prime Minister. Plus, with Andy Burnham looking like the next person to take the role, we talk through an exclusive archive interview to get an idea of what his policies could be. The Week Unwrapped: Keir Starmer Steps Down as Prime Minister After months of mounting pressure, Keir Starmer resigned as Prime Minister on Monday after just 23 months in office. Andy Burnham has now confirmed that he will stand in the Labour leadership contest following his dramatic victory in the Makerfield by-election. With sup
Ali hosts from Makerfield for the last time before the by-election. He’s joined by author and historian, Alex von Tunzelmann to unpack the big stories of the week. The Week Unwrapped: The US and Iran sign a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ - Just as we thought things in the Middle East were getting boring…The US announced that a framework peace deal with Iran has been reached, bringing the 15 week conflict to a tentative end. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Washington and Tehran, and both parties are set to meet in Switzerland later this week for the initial talks. Ali and Alex d
The Week Unwrapped What’s next for the war in the Middle East? Hopes for a truce in the Middle East are fading, as the United States launched a second round of airstrikes into Iran on Thursday morning. The attacks were launched after the downing of an American helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by targeting the US’s allies in the Gulf: Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday night that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalling peace negotiations. Zoë and Ali discuss what these breaches mean for peace, whether it is turning into a long-term war,
On this edition, body-cam footage of 18 year old Henry Nowak’s death in police custody has sparked division and outrage - we’ll unpack the latest. And later on we’ll find out why so many young people are out of work right now. The Week Unwrapped: Two weeks to go until the Makerfield by-election: Ali is in Makerfield again this week ahead of the consequential by-election on 18th June which could determine the future of leadership in Britain. Ali tells Zoë about the mood on the ground, what the polls are saying right now and the scrutiny that the Reform candidate, Robert Kenyon, is under. Hungar
Ali is presenting from Makerfield today, but he’s joined by Ros Taylor, writer, journalist and podcaster to cover the top stories of the week. The Week Unwrapped: Former SNP Chief, Peter Murrell, Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Party Funds Earlier this week, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. Murrell, who is also the estranged husband of previous first minister Nicola Sturgeon, used illicit party funds to purchase luxury goods including jewellery, two cars and a motorhome. Ros and Ali discuss how
The Week Unwrapped: Files related to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's appointment as trade envoy in 2001 have been released - A fresh batch of files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appointment as trade envoy in 2001 has been released by the government. Earlier this year, lawmakers agreed to publish the documents after the disgraced royal was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The pages reveal that there was no formal due diligence or vetting process undertaken prior to his appointment. Ali and Martha unpack whether this new information will be damaging to Buckingham Palac
The Week Unwrapped: US President, Donald Trump, is on a rare visit to China this week to meet with premier Xi Jinping. The summit aims to ease the fragile relationship between the two superpowers. Zoe and Ali discuss Trump’s surprising change of heart on China, the importance of Taiwan in these discussions and whether Beijing will assist Washington on Iran. Then, following on from our discussion last week: Reports confirm that Nigel Farage bought a £1.4 million property in cash shortly after he received a £5 personal gift from a Thailand based crypto billionaire. The revelation comes after The
This episode went live on polling day for the local elections, here's why local politics matters. But first it's the week unwrapped with winner of Make me a Prime Minister Natalie Balmain STORY 1: Hantavirus Outbreak, how worried should we be? Earlier this week, The World Health Organisation confirmed an outbreak of the deadly rodent-borne Hantavirus aboard a Dutch cruise ship. So far 3 of the 150 passengers have died and one British citizen has been taken into intensive care. The vessel, MV Hondus, was in transit from Argentina to the Canary Islands. The ship is expected to arrive at Granadil
The Week Unwrapped: Police are treating the stabbing of two men in Golders Green, in north London as terrorism. The assaults, claimed by Iran-linked terror group Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) follow a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in the capital since March. The suspect, who has been named as Essa Suleiman, has been described as hunting for anyone “visibly Jewish” to attack. Zoë and Ali discuss the rise of antisemitism in the UK, the concern around growing political violence and what the government can do beyond increased police funding. Then, new analysis shows the worl
It’s been a busy week in Westminster as it continues to reel from the news of Peter Mandelson’s failed vetting. To recap: last week, The Guardian published the explosive revelation that Mandelson did not secure vetting clearance before he was appointed as Ambassador to Washington in late 2024. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he was in the dark about the decision. On Monday afternoon, Starmer defended himself in the commons saying that it was “beggars belief" that the result was withheld from him by the since-sacked Foreign Office Chief, Oliver Robbins. In his own questioning, Robbins
Peter Mandelson was appointed as Ambassador to the US, despite failing his security check. The decision was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure he could take up his post as ambassador to the US, an investigation by the Guardian revealed. Ali and Zoe discuss this breaking story, the "partygate" vibes and if this is the end for Keir Starmer. Via the Guardian: According to multiple sources, Mandelson was initially denied clearance in late January 2025 after a developed vetting process, a highly confidential background check by security officials. Keir Starmer had by then announced he would
Benjamin Netanyahu has different plans then Donald Trump, aiming to expand their territory to make "Greater Israel", argues Professor Scott Lucas. No Zoe today so Ali breaks down the war in Iran so far before being joined by Professor of International Studies at the Clinton Institute in Dublin, and founder of the EA WorldView, Scott Lucas to chat about the shaky ceasefire between the US and Iran. We also rerun Zoe's interview with Matthew Spence, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy under Obama. After this Scott Lucas joins the show, where he breaks down the diff
On today’s show, we found out about the billionaires who really own London with investigative journalist Andrew Kersley. Then Zoe and Ali discuss Trump’s bold claim that his “objectives” in Iran are nearly complete. But first it's the Week Unwrapped: Grenfell was a “tragedy” but “everyone dies in the end”, this is what the now former Reform housing spokesman, Simon Dudley, said in an interview with Inside Housing. These comments have sparked outrage from Grenfell campaigners and the politicians alike. Simon Dudley this week in an interview with Inside Housing said in response to a question on
On today’s show, Meta and Google found negligent in social media addiction trial joining us to discuss this landmark ruling is Tech Reported for Politico Aaron Mak. But first it's the week unwrapped: Failed Reform candidate Matt Goodwin’s new book is reportedly filled with falsehoods and hallucinations after allegations that he extensively used ChatGPT to write it. Prompting him to have the nickname, MattGpt. The Reform UK candidate who lost a crunch by-election last month has defended using AI to help write his latest book. Matt Goodwin came in second place, behind the Green Party’s Hannah Sp
On todays show, Deputy Green Leader Mothin Ali to discuss Nick Timothy, Tory MP describing Ramadan prayers as an “act of domination”. Then, Matthew Spence, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy under Obama joins to break down the US war with Iran. But first it's the week unwrapped. Ali couldn't make it today so comedian, satirist and host of Privacy Settings on FUBAR Radio its Will Sebag-Montefiore! Zoe and Will discuss Nigel Farage's Cameo conundrum and Angela Rayner's splash back in headline politics. Nigel Farage has found himself in hot water after selling vid
Keir Starmer is beyond saving and it's time to jump ship - Ben Smoke. On todays show, the government plan to end jury trials for crimes with expected sentences of under 3 years. Ali and Zoe are joined by journalist Ben Smoke to discuss rising authoritarianism form the Labour Party. Then Pink News writer Amelia Hansford joins the show to break down NHS England’s review into HRT for trans adults. Before this, its the week unwrapped! From warnings over ‘reputational risk’ t to a £75,000 taxpayer-funded payout, the first tranche of Peter Mandelson files have been published! How damaging is this st
