French prime minister Michel Barnier was forced to resign when his government collapsed in the wake of a no-confidence vote and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is heading for fresh elections in February. Amol and Nick are joined by Jose Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission, to look at what the crisis in those countries means for the EU as it faces economic decline, the rise of populist parties and a second Donald Trump presidency.

Plus, sports presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram pops in for Moment of the Week and to discuss her busy work schedule over Christmas.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH: * Send us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 * Email [email protected]

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Grace Reeve. Additional digital production was by Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

When Nigel Farage accepted the Spectator’s Newcomer of the Year Award, he suggested that his Reform UK party could get hundreds more MPs at the next election. In this week’s episode Amol and Nick discuss whether that’s possible with BBC political editor Chris Mason and Tim Montgomerie, who founded the Conservative Home website, but recently left the Tory Party to join Reform UK.

He explains why he decided to defect, how his friends in the Conservative Party have reacted and what he thinks can be learned from Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:

* Send us a message or a voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 * Email [email protected]

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Molly Higgins. Digital production was by Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

After a bumpy first few months in power Keir Starmer is giving a speech to outline his milestones for the next five years, so in this episode Amol and Nick are joined by the former Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth to discuss the prime minister’s approach to politics and whether the speech should be seen as a reset moment for his government.

Since winning the election in July, Keir Starmer chief of staff Sue Gray and transport secretary Louise Haigh have both resigned. He’s also faced a backlash over the decision to scrap the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners, there was a row over senior Labour figures receiving freebies and Rachel Reeves’ first budget got a frosty reception from some business leaders. But Jonathan Ashworth, who now runs the think tank Labour Together, insists the speech is not a reset for the government and is instead a moment for Keir Starmer to explain to the country how he will achieve his five missions.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you hit subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

GET IN TOUCH:

* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 * Email [email protected]

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

This episode was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

When Dame Esther Rantzen told Amol and Nick that she had joined the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland she helped reignite a debate about assisted dying in the UK. Now MPs are preparing to vote on a bill that would legalise it in England and Wales, so in this episode they catch-up with Dame Esther and speak to two MPs, Preet Kaur Gill and Warinder Singh Juss, about how their religion has influenced their thinking.

They also discuss the interview Amol did with the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, whose private members' bill could bring about this colossal social change.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer about presenting the Today programme or something they discuss on the podcast, get in touch by sending us a message on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email [email protected]

The Today Podcast was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane. Research and digital production was by Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Each year the Today programme gives guest editors the chance to explore the issues that matter to them. In this bonus episode one of this year’s guest editors, screenwriter and UK Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, tells Amol what he’s planning for his programme. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor. To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

The senior producer is Lewis Vickers and the producer is Nadia Gyane. Research and digital production by Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Daniel Ehrlich.

In this special episode two former Labour prime ministers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, reflect on the life of the former deputy prime minister who has died at the age of 86. Plus, Amol and Nick discuss their recollections of John Prescott and assess the impact he had on British politics.

You can listen to John Prescott on Desert Island Discs here, in an episode first broadcast in 2012: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b01c6trm

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

The Today Podcast was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane. The technical producer was Nathan Chamberlain. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Keir Starmer has said Labour will “smash the gangs” to stop the small boats carrying migrants across the Channel, so Nick joins Amol from the busiest border crossing in Europe to discuss whether that’s really possible.

They hear from Syrian men living in a Bulgarian refugee camp and meet a sniffer dog who can detect rubber boats being taken across the border. Plus, they answer your questions about the issues raised in Nick’s reporting and what it’s like taking Today on the road.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

The Today Podcast was made by Lewis Vickers with Nadia Gyane and Joe Wilkinson in London and Jade Bogart-Preleur and Oscar Pearson in Bulgaria. The technical producers were Philip Bull and Joe Lawrence. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.

Nick joins Amol from the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, which is also the border between the EU and rest of the world. What happens here has a direct impact on what happens in the English Channel, so in this special episode he reports on the migration routes into Europe - where people are coming from, why they're coming and what, if anything, can be done to stop the people smugglers.

Along the way he meets people hoping to make the crossing into Europe and some who ultimately want to come to the UK. He also hears how people smugglers use TikTok to advertise their offers and what is being done to stop people crossing the border illegally.

If you have a question for Nick about his reporting you can send them to us via Whatsapp on +44 330 123 4346 or email us [email protected] and he’ll answer them on an episode later this week.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode, and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producers are Jade Bogart-Preleur, Oscar Pearson and Nadia Gyane. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Nicola Brough and Pete Wise.

Ahead of a planned protest by farmers who are angry about the Budget, Amol and Nick talk to farmer and best-selling author James Rebanks.

Plus, as Donald Trump's top team takes shape and he hires Elon Musk to jointly lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency”, they discuss what his appointments tell us about his approach to China and the war in Ukraine.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either.

You can also listen to the latest episode of The Today Podcast any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.”

If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a message on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us [email protected]

The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producer is Nadia Gyane, research and digital production from Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Daniel Ehrlich.

In this bonus live episode Amol and Nick are joined by fellow Today presenter Justin Webb who is in Washington DC. Together they answer questions about what Trump does next, why the pollsters got it so wrong, what they would ask Donald Trump if he came on the podcast and when Justin gets some sleep after presenting the Today programme overnight from America.

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor. To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either. You can also listen to the latest episode of The Today Podcast any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.” Thanks to everyone who sent in questions for this episode. We do regular bonus Q&A’s, so if you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a message on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us [email protected] The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producer is Nadia Gyane, research and digital production from Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Ben Andrews.

In this episode we look forward and discuss what a second Trump presidency could mean for the world with Lord Sedwill who was the UK’s most senior civil servant and national security adviser when Trump was last in the White House. Amol and Nick also speak to Mike Gonzalez who is a senior fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington DC about what we can expect from Donald Trump this time round. The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson who are both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor. To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories and insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme make sure you subscribe on BBC Sounds. That way you’ll get an alert every time we release a new episode and you won’t miss our extra bonus episodes either. You can also listen to the latest episode of The Today Podcast any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.” If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a message on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us [email protected] The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producer is Nadia Gyane, research and digital production from Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Hannah Montgomery.