Although some Labour MPs are still fawning over Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York, they may be better off looking to a very different sort of American politician if they want lessons they can draw on in the attempt to recover the party's fortunes.

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator for the Times, is one of the UK's best connected and closest observers of Keir Starmer's government. And he's written this week about how Huey Long, the wildly controversial 1930s Louisiana populist, provides something of a model that Starmer could seek to emulate.

He came into the News Agents studio to speak to Lewis about why...

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Pippa York, then known as Robert Millar, was crowned the Tour de France King of the Mountains, winning three stages in the 1980s. But ever since she was five she wanted to be a girl. 

Years after quitting cycling, aged 41, she started a 10-year transition process to become Pippa York, who joins Gabby and Mark.

What was it like racing the Tour de France with gender dysmorphia? And what does she make of the debate around trans-inclusion in sport now?

Plus we look back at the best bits from The Sports Agents this week from Mo Salah's shock outburst at Liverpool, to Mike Tindall's plans to create more household names in rugby like Joe Marler and Ilona Maher.

"The Escape" by Pippa York and David Walsh is available now.

If you have been affected by any of the themes in this podcast help is available. You can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email [email protected]

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

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Trump has attacked a huge oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela - and when asked what would happen now to the oil responded “we will probably keep it". Is there actual strategy behind the piracy? Will it help him topple the illegitimate Venezuelan President Maduro? Or is it just about seizing assets? And what does Nobel peace prize winner Maria Machado make of Americas posturing?

Later, why is Tony Blair interviewing Shabana Mahmood at his own Xmas party? Is this a not too subtle endorsement? Or a friendly festive chat? Is the replacement of Keir Starmer now an open secret even in Blair circles? And who might the other contenders be?

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An exclusive investigation by Andy Hughes, co-host of The Crime Agents and LBC crime correspondent, raises disturbing questions about whether a London police officer was operating a grooming gang in the capital. He speaks to Lewis about his report, the accusations of a cover up, and the Met police response.

Later, Keir Starmer has been leading efforts today to get Europe to reform the ECHR. He's claimed that the best way to fight "the forces of hate and division" is to show that mainstream politics can fix the problem. Is he right? Jake Richards, the justice minister, came in to the News Agents studio to discuss what's at stake.

You can listen to the special investigation from The Crime Agents here:

https://www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/42L4DG/

Andy's video report is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9f_qHJeCpU

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Netflix and Paramount are locked in an epic fight to take over Warner Bros. Discovery. The price tag could well reach north of $100bn. And at stake - a huge back catalogue of blockbuster film and TV, a streaming giant, a Hollywood studio, even CNN.

Enter Donald Trump, who's expressed concern about the potential for a monopoly, and also reportedly wants a say on any potential restructuring of the news network under new ownership. The outcome could result in the mother of all media monoliths.

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren has claimed that Netflix and Warner Bros. combined would capture close to half of the streaming market -that figure is disputed by Netflix, which says it has less than a 20% market share.

Could it really be determined by Donald Trump's ire at one recent Marjorie Taylor Greene interview?

Later, Lewis speaks to Noah Oppenheim, the writer of 'A House of Dynamite', a film that deals with a nuclear strike on America. The Pentagon doesn't like his depiction - why?

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European leaders have met in Downing Street once again to discuss peace plans for Ukraine, following Trump's latest proposal - but once again it seems Zelenskyy has wound Trump up, leaving America and Europe at odds. And another document from the Trump administration illustrates an even deeper division. The 33 page National Security Strategy says Europe is facing "civilisational erasure" and says the US has an obligation to “cultivate resistance” in order to "correct" the current trajectory of the continent. Why does Trump's new strategy read like it was written by the Kremlin? Are the US and Europe still even allies?

Later, is Keir Starmer's new social media strategy enough to put speculation about his leadership to rest?

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While China is an engineering state, tech analyst Dan Wang says the America and the West are "lawyerly societies", reflexively blocking everything - good and bad - and it's halting real progress.

Dan joins Lewis in the studio this Friday to discuss why Europe stopped building, how lawyers contribute to a slow in progress, and what all this means for wider geopolitivs and the rise of the far right.

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Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy joins Gabby and Mark after his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis at just 47 years old.

What more does Chris think the government should be doing to help? How has his sporting background helped him? And why is he excited for the Darts World Championship?

And we bring you the best bits from The Sports Agents this week from President Trump meddling in the FIFA World Cup to rumours of a Serena Williams comeback.

📩 Got a question? Send it here: https://forms.gle/9SBbW1SYWqXLKnRT7

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🖥️ Watch our full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsAgentsPod

📱Follow us on socials:

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📥 Email: [email protected]

Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides

Producer: Sophie Penney

Video Producer: Sam Trudgill

Social Media Editor: Calum Scotland

Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network

Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global

You 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

Reform's Deputy Leader, Richard Tice, popped up on the BBC today and appeared to dismiss the antisemitism claims of Jewish men who’d been at school with Nigel Farage as “politically motivated…made up twaddle“. Hours later, Farage exploded at a BBC reporter during a press conference, demanding an apology for what he said was "despicable" coverage of the antisemitism row by the BBC.

Farage has previously admitted to the slurs but excused them as school boy banter. So, where does all this leave a party that claims to “take antisemitism very seriously"? Well, rather well off - some would observe. The party received a massive 9 million pound donation today, making UK history. Don’t donors mind? Or is the party impervious to cancellation?

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Today's episode is an exclusive interview with David Lammy - Justice Secretary, Deputy Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary.

Is he prepared to ignore the internal Labour criticism of his jury plans? Does he admit the budget was a fiasco? And what is going on with Labour and Brexit right now. Are we about to see a change of plan?

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In the sane world of the commons, the Shadow Justice Secretary was only two minutes into his speech before he called the justice secretary a “Lammy Dodger“ and accused him of going back on his previous position on jury trial. Today’s question is this does ending most jury trials speed up a sclerotic system? Or is it the wrong solution for the right diagnosis?

Later, is public sympathy with the striking junior doctors? And do they really expect to win more pay?

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