Best Torsten Bell Podcasts (2025)

1
Pod Save an Island of Strangers 54:59

2d ago54:59

54:59

Coco’s back! She’s both sleep and politics deprived, but Nish is ready to fill her in. The government's shake-up of legal migration laws landed this week - but the news has been dominated by one question. Is Keir Starmer Enoch Powell incarnate? His speech warned that we ‘risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks together’ - a ca…

1
How Labour should (but probably won’t) reset after Reform’s big win 54:03

9d ago54:03

54:03

There’s no ifs or buts - Reform had a won big in last week’s local elections - but it’s not all bad news. Near-total Tory wipeout, positive signs for the Liberal Democrats and Greens and a lesson for Labour: acquiescing to Nigel Farage will only empower him. A slightly jetlagged Nish and a fresh as a daisy Zoë digest the results before diving into …

1
The UK Supreme Court ruling and the fight for trans rights 57:41

16d ago57:41

57:41

In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of woman should be based on biological sex, Nish and Zoë speak to LGBTQ+ activist Ellen Jones, author of "Outrage: Why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is not yet won and what we can do about it" about the implications for trans people . They discuss how the campaigning of reactionar…

1
Nish and Coco spill the tea: your questions answered 44:44

1M ago44:44

44:44

As Parliament sits for Easter Recess, Nish and Coco dive into the PSUK mailbag to answer your burning questions. There’s the serious political questions - who are the real progressive party? How can we fight Reform? Should we all just leave the UK?? But there’s some curveballs, too - like what’s up with Bob Dylan’s instagram posting? Boxers or brie…

1
Trump’s Tariffs: are you feeling liberated? 50:50

1M ago50:50

50:50

UPDATE: 10/04/25: President Trump has planned to pause extended tariffs on most countries for 90 days, while pushing ahead on plans to implement a 104% tariff on Chinese goods. A flat 10% tariff remains in place. Trump’s tariffs continue to cause chaos in the stock markets and the threat of a recession looms. As Rachel Reeves put it in her Spring S…

1
Waiting For The Apocalypse: tariffs, food security and the right to protest 59:47

1M ago59:47

59:47

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of sexually explicit and sexist song lyrics. While we wait to see if Trump’s tariff juggernaut is going to squash our fragile economy, Nish and Coco count the cost of the “bill-mageddon” we already face. It’s a perfect storm of steep rises in household bills and a bonkers global trade war. While we’re sta…

1
Austerity 2.0: can Reeves cut her way to growth? 53:40

2M ago53:40

53:40

First the good news: we might just manage to build a lot of new houses. And the bad news? Millions of people will be worse off and about fifty thousand children will be pushed into poverty by welfare reform. Nish and Coco unpack Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement with the help of economist James Meadway, former advisor to John McDonnell. It was pretty…

1
Welfare cuts: are Labour copying Tory homework? 48:14

2M ago48:14

48:14

After weeks of speculation, Liz Kendall has confirmed what benefits are to be axed in order to save £5 billion from the welfare bill - but at what cost for sick and disabled people? Keir Starmer says the rising benefit bill is “devastating for public finances” and has “wreaked a terrible human cost”. But many of his own Labour MPs have accused him …

1
A true story of money, Mafia & the Vatican (Shadow Kingdom Episode 1) 28:39

2M ago28:39

28:39

Today we're excited to bring you the first episode of Shadow Kingdom: God's Banker. In the summer of 1982, the Vatican’s top money man was found dead. Roberto Calvi was at the center of a prolific money laundering scheme that put him in the crosshairs of the Sicilian mafia, a secret far-right chapter of the Freemasons, and the Catholic Church. Fort…

1
Welfare, Warehouses and Playlist Diplomacy 53:29

2M ago53:29

53:29

We’ll start with the good news - Reform UK appears to be imploding. Nigel Farage has had a wildly public fallout with (now former) Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who was stripped of his whip and investigated by the police over alleged workplace bullying and “verbal threats” against the party chairman. As Reform flounders, the Government is busy making itse…

1
Keir Starmer - the unlikely leader of the free world? 1:00:39

2M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

A shouting match in the Oval Office probably should have been on everyone’s Trump 25 bingo card - but the extraordinary breakdown in relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy shocked the world. Keir Starmer rolled up his sleeves and spent the weekend in full-blown diplomacy mode - leading to Politico calling him the “unlikely leader of…

1
Dear Donald: Can Starmer Tame Trump? w/ Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey 52:08

3M ago52:08

52:08

War - what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. But this week we found out that defending the UK from it is going to cost us a lot of money. And the losers will be the world's poorest people - the money for Britain's boosted defence budget will come from foreign aid. Sir Ed Davey - leader of the Lib Dems - tells Coco he has an alternative: bigger ta…

1
Trump’s plan for “Peace” in Ukraine only pleases Putin + The Politics of Modern Love 53:43

3M ago53:43

53:43

As Europe looks on in disbelief, Donald Trump has been throwing his geopolitical weight around. A monumental meeting with Russia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine was held without Ukraine or Europe.Trump then branded Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and accused Ukraine of starting the conflict. Keir Starmer has said he is “ready…

1
Trump’s Gaza madness ft Lewis Goodall 49:28

3M ago49:28

49:28

Donald Trump has left the world reeling with a plan to turn Gaza into *checks notes* “the Riviera of the Middle East”. He vowed that the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza strip, effectively endorsing the ethnic cleansing of 1.8 million Palestinians who would have “no alternative” but to leave. With rumours circling that his inner-circle are ca…

1
Masculinity and Misinformation: How JimmyTheGiant Escaped The Alt-Right Pipeline 50:13

4M ago50:13

50:13

Warning: this episode contains strong language and a term of racist abuse. Nish and Coco dig into some scary data about Gen Z. A poll of 13-27 year olds this week suggested nearly half of them favour authoritarian government. And nearly half of young men think women have been given too many rights. Youtuber JimmyTheGiant joins the pod to tell us ab…

1
Trump 2.0: Fear and Loathing in DC 52:51

4M ago52:51

52:51

A trigger warning for progressives: this episode contains explicit Trump content. Nish and Coco’s nightmare begins with inauguration Trump meme coins, grinning tech bros and disputed Nazi salutes. Then comes the blizzard of executive orders targeting migrants and freeing rioters. But this is not just a bad dream for our liberal hosts. This is the r…

1
Facts versus F-wits: how to fight the Alt Reich 56:09

4M ago56:09

56:09

Artificial intelligence will be “mainlined into the veins” of the nation, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared, with a multibillion-pound investment and huge public rollout. Amid bond market chaos and a falling pound, the Government is pinning its hopes for growth on the AI revolution - what could possibly go wrong? To unpick the technogobledig…

1
Billionaire BS: How can Britain Stop Musk’s Disinformation? 51:10

4M ago51:10

51:10

Happy New Year - is 2025 going to be the year of disinformation? Elon Musk started in attack mode with a flood of vitriolic and false tweets about UK grooming gangs. In Musk’s crosshairs: Keir Starmer and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. He accused them both of cover ups. Can Nish and Coco survive a year of Musk madness - the man who already ma…

1
Just Stop Politics - 2024 Wrapped! w/ Desiree Burch and Liz Bates 55:41

5M ago55:41

55:41

What a year! While Rishi Sunak held true to his January commitment to hold the election in the second half of the year - the spectacle that followed couldn't have been predicted as 2024 dawned. Nish and Coco are joined by Sky News’ political correspondent Liz Bates and comedian Desiree Burch to chew over the gristle of the year that was. From racis…

1
FIFA World Cup: Trade Deals 1, Human Rights Nil 54:49

5M ago54:49

54:49

In the same week FIFA decided an appalling human rights record is no obstacle to Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup, Keir Starmer was schmoozing the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What lengths will our former human rights lawyer PM go to in his pursuit of growth? Joey Shea from Human Rights Watch takes us through what went down du…

1
Toxic men and toxic politics: the problem with Gregg Wallace and Nigel Farage 57:24

5M ago57:24

57:24

As Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace faces a stream of allegations about inappropriate behaviour at work, Nish and Coco take on the entertainment industry’s toxic culture. Nish gives an insider’s view of why change is long overdue in an industry that enables massive egos, bad behaviour, even abuse. And Coco argues that to take women’s safety seriously we …

1
Who gets to decide how we die? w/ Rosena Allin-Khan MP 53:39

6M ago53:39

53:39

This Friday, MPs are challenged with an enormous question of conscience - should we allow people with six months left to live the right to die at a time of their choosing? Joining Nish and Coco is Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour MP for Tooting and A&E Doctor, to help us understand the strong feelings on both sides of the debate, the difficult decision th…

1
How to avoid World War 3 + why won’t Elon Musk Leave the UK alone? W/ Jamie Bartlett & Stephen Bush 1:00:18

6M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

Russia’s war with Ukraine is escalating dramatically - as we record reports have begun to emerge about Ukraine firing British long-range “Storm Shadow” missiles into Russia. Nish and Coco are joined on the couch by Stephen Bush, associate editor at the Financial Times, to discuss the chance of...World War Three? Meanwhile - closer to home - we find…

1
How is Trump already infecting UK politics? w/ Beth Rigby + the university crisis 55:25

6M ago55:25

55:25

President-elect Donald Trump has a strong stance on many issues, from isolationism to border control, not to mention he’s an open climate change denier. Is his political platform already shaping UK party politics? Nish and Coco chat to Sky News Political Editor and host of Electoral Dysfunction Beth Rigby about what his looming second-term means fo…

1
Trump wins: where the hell do we go from here? w/ Katy Balls + Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP 56:44

6M ago56:44

56:44

It’s a dark, dark day for the world. Donald Trump - a convicted criminal no less - has been elected 47th US president in a shocking political resurrection. Nish and Coco are joined by the Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to discuss just how ready the UK Government is for Trump’s comeback and Kemi Badenoch’s leadership win. Later, Bell Ribeir…

1
Halloween budget: trick or treat? w/ Torsten Bell MP, Grace Blakeley & Katie Schmuecker 52:02

7M ago52:02

52:02

Double, Double, toil and trouble…the Government’s first budget has been unveiled on the eve of Halloween, and Nish and Coco are peering into chancellor Rachel Reeve’s cauldron. It’s a spooky episode, so buckle up, we find out if the Halloween budget is the horror show it’s been predicted to be. A seance with economic and political journalist Grace …

1
How f***ed are we if Trump wins? + Is Jeremy Corbyn MP forming a new party? 50:49

7M ago50:49

50:49

The Government’s rallying cry to the nation to help fix the NHS via a public consultation has not disappointed. In what is fast becoming the National Health Service’s very own Boaty McBoatface moment, Nish and Coco dissect the wild and weird policy suggestions flooding the website. Then Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour Party leader and Independent MP f…

1
How ruthless is Keir Starmer willing to be? w/ Anushka Asthana and Josh Babarinde MP 57:44

7M ago57:44

57:44

With just two weeks to go until the Autumn budget, the Labour government is preparing to make some huge reforms. But just how ruthless is Keir Starmer willing to be in reshaping the UK? Coco and Nish dig into it with Anushka Asthana, ITV’s political editor and author of “Taken as Red: How Labour won big and the Tories crashed the party”. Later, in …

1
The Tories lose their minds (again) - can Starmer hold against the far right? 1:02:34

7M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

The Tory party have once again chosen violence against themselves, as Keir Starmer’s Labour party are languishing in the polls after 90-something days of a lack of action. Nish and Coco burst the bubble on the news that Starmer’s Chief of Staff has been replaced by his election guru, joined by political journalist Ian Dunt to find out just how big …

1
Is Britain’s benefits system broken? w/ Caroline Selman and John Pring 54:15

8M ago54:15

54:15

The new Labour government has promised bold action to fix Britain’s benefit system. Last week, Keir Starmer announced a crackdown on benefit fraud and said people on long-term sickness benefits should look for work. But is this the answer? To chew over the Government’s plans, Coco and Nish are joined by Caroline Selman, senior research fellow at th…

1
Can Starmer’s upbeat note drown out the donation scandal? w/ Zoë Grünewald and Simon Kuper 59:03

8M ago59:03

59:03

Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer gave his first Labour Conference speech as Prime Minister this week - but his message of “national renewal” was slightly spoiled by a backdrop of poor polling, infighting and their never ending “garm drama”. Journalist Zoë Grünewald joins N…

1
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner 56:57

8M ago56:57

56:57

Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! Keir Starmer promised a Labour government would “turn the page” on scandal - but he’s already under fire after a late declaration of thousands of pounds of gifts. As the Tories clamour for an investigation, Nish and Coco take to the PSUK couch to weigh …

1
ReGeneration Rising S2E12: Re-enchanting the Earth with David Abram 54:35

8M ago54:35

54:35

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa discuss perception and language in a more-than-human world with cultural ecologist, Dr David Abram. David Abram is a cultural ecologist, geophilosopher, and the founder and creative director of the Alliance for Wild Ethics (AWE). His books include Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology and The Spell of the Sensuou…

1
Inside out: How to fix the UK’s prison system + Labour embraces unpopularity 54:50

8M ago54:50

54:50

Exclusive INCOGNI Deal ➼ go to https://incogni.com/podsavetheuk to get 60% off your annual plan! The government has won a vote in the commons over its controversial winter fuel payments - but Keir Starmer knows he’s not winning over the public. Unpopular decisions are the theme of the day as Nish returns to join Coco on the PSUK couch. Later, our h…

1
Time to nationalise Ticketmaster? “Cigarettes & Alcohol”, the Grenfell Inquiry concludes 53:44

8M ago53:44

53:44

Parliament is back in session and so is Pod Save the UK! Coco is joined by Zoë Grünewald, filling in for Nish, to discuss Keir Starmer’s gloomy new lines trailing what’s shaping up to be a miserable Autumn budget. Free political point scoring around the Oasis/Ticketmaster fiasco probably isn’t going to be enough to offset the grim energy emanating …

1
ReGeneration Rising S2E11: Making Embassy with Tyson Yunkaporta 34:07

9M ago34:07

34:07

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa welcome Dr Tyson Yunkaporta back for an extended yarn on relatedness and making embassy through community. Tyson Yunkaporta is an Aboriginal scholar, educator, maker, researcher, and poet. He is the founder of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab at Deakin University in Melbourne, and the author of two books, the…

1
Live! How comedy can bring hope in dark times - with Adam Hills and Kemah Bob 51:49

9M ago51:49

51:49

In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, recorded on 07/08/24, Nish and Coco are joined by comedians Adam Hills and Kemah Bob to talk about how political comedy offers relief in dark times, while still holding power to account. The gang reflect on political flashpoints and what they learned from it, from dropping a spoonful of sugar …

1
Live! Finding hope in the wake of Britain's racist riots - with Ahir Shah & Tom Ballard 1:01:54

9M ago1:01:54

1:01:54

In this special live episode from the Edinburgh Fringe, Nish and Coco bring two special guests to talk about the racist riots tearing Britain apart. **CORRECTION** This episode incorrectly states that the Baha Men's "Who Let The Dogs Out" has a sexist subtext, when it is in fact a song criticising misogyny. We regret the error. Nish, Coco and Ahir …

1
How Can We Fix The British Economy? With Paul Johnson From The IFS 55:35

10M ago55:35

55:35

It’s been a tough few weeks for new Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In a speech to the House of Commons on Monday, Reeves declared that despite going in to government with gloomy prospects, the financial inheritance was much worse than she had expected. Naturally, this didn’t go down particularly well with the now Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, as the tw…

1
ReGeneration Rising S2E10: Border Work with Bayo Akomolafe & Tyson Yunkaporta 54:17

10M ago54:17

54:17

In this episode, Philipa and Daniel talk about post-activism, border transgressions and making sanctuary with Dr Bayo Akomolafe and Dr Tyson Yunkaporta. Bayo Akomolafe is a widely celebrated international speaker, post-humanist thinker, philosopher, writer, activist and professor of psychology. He is the author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our …

1
Red Rebellion, Just Stop Locking Up Activists And How To Fix Our Broken NHS With Clare Farrell And Victor Adebowale 1:09:44

10M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

Three weeks haven’t yet passed since the election, but Keir Starmer’s Government has faced its first rebellion. The response to seven Labour MPs breaking rank over the Government’s stance on the two child benefit cap was swift and fierce, leading to the whip being removed and anger inside and outside the party. Nish and Coco ask if Starmer has only…

1
The Kings Speech, Knives Out for Vaughan Gething and An Education on Schools Policy with Liz Bates 58:13

10M ago58:13

58:13

As parliamentarians were ironing their robes in preparation for the King’s Speech, Trump’s new running mate JD Vance shocked the UK with flippant remarks that have sent a shiver down the spine of the New Government. Nish and Coco are joined by Liz Bates to discuss Vance’s comments, the themes behind the surprise-free King’s Speech and two shock res…

1
ReGeneration Rising S2E9: Thinking Like a Mountain with John Seed & Skye Mandozay 53:37

10M ago53:37

53:37

In this episode, Daniel and Philipa discuss the practices that can help us reconnect with the living world with renowned author and activist, John Seed, and deep ecology practitioner, Skye Mandozay. John Seed is the founder and director of the Rainforest Information Centre in Australia. Since 1979 he has been involved in the direct actions which ha…

1
Are Labour the party to finally fix housing? w/ Kwajo Tweneboa, Toby Lloyd and Sam Freedman 53:31

10M ago53:31

53:31

It’s week one in government and Labour have hit the ground running. We’ve got a new cabinet and big moves on planning reform and international relations are underway. But what about the opposition? Nish and Coco check in with Substack superstar Sam Freedman to uncover some of the challenges the new government faces over the course of the parliament…

1
Labour Landslide - will things get better? With Torsten Bell MP and Femi Oluwole 59:59

11M ago59:59

59:59

It’s official. The election results are in and we are in the era of a Labour government. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stepped up the 10 Downing Street - but one of the key questions for Nish and Coco is will things concretely improve under his leadership? What can we hope for in this new era? The results of this election has shown massive change…

1
Would a Labour supermajority really be bad for democracy? Rory Stewart on why opposition is vital 32:28

11M ago32:28

32:28

Counting down the last five days until the election results come flooding in, the Conservative Party is still blowing themselves apart from the inside. Why has the Tory campaign been such a clusterfuck and should we care if they implode? Would a Labour supermajority be good or bad for democracy as a whole? To discuss these points, Nish and Coco are…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Torsten Bell Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen