The News Agents

The day he was elected for the first time as MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage promised to root out the "few bad apples" from Reform. Farage told the country: "We’ll never have any of their type back in the organisation, you can have my promise on that”.
ITV's latest piece undercover in Reform shows just how hollow that promise was. Their own MP Sarah Pochin condemns the "chauvinist" attitude in the party. A man who failed Reform's vetting for sharing Tommy Robinson posts reveals he was called up and asked to stand for the party. And, perhaps most damningly, Farage appears to defend a candidate accused of racism by one of Farage's own aides, refusing to take action beyond forcing an apology to be issued.
Does ITV's reporting put to bed the idea that there are just a "few bad apples" in Reform? What about Reform appears to attract these "bad apples" in the first place? And could Nigel Farage get caught up in the fallout from what looks set to be a bombshell documentary this weekend?
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Manchester United’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid has left plenty to unpack — not least Lisandro Martinez’s explosive post-match comments. Mark Chapman and Nedum Onuoha react to the biggest talking points from another dramatic week in Europe.
Then, we turn to something far less visible but increasingly common inside football: Snus and nicotine pouch use.
Why has nicotine become so normal in dressing rooms? Why are players using it, and what happens when a habit that starts socially becomes something much harder to control?
We hear from a former Premier League footballer speaking candidly about his own addiction to snus, explore how these behaviours spread through teams and academies, and ask whether snus is really the story — or simply one symptom of a much wider issue.
From nicotine and gambling to nitrous oxide and the search for a release from the intensity of elite sport, this is a conversation about what happens away from the pitch — the dressing room culture which fuels addiction amongst footballers.

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Executive Producer: Adonis Pratsides
Senior Producer: David Finch
Video Producer: Sam Trudgill
Social Media Editor: Jasmine Wissart
Tom Hughes is Editor for The News Agents podcast network
Vicky Etchells is the Commissioning Editor for Global
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ITV spent a year undercover with various elements of the Reform party. Last night, they published a taste of what is to come in the full programme this Sunday. The misogyny, racism, bigotry and stupidity is off the charts. Three councillors have resigned. Are they outliers? Or do they tell us what the party is really like? And is the Chairman right when he says this is just what ordinary Britain sounds like away from the cameras? We speak to former Reform insider Tim Montgomerie.
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Just days after Donald Trump signed a deal with Vladimir Putin to import Russian oil into America, Ukraine has been dealt a new blow from the US. Elon Musk has been accused of restricting the use of his Starlink devices - crucial satellites used by Ukraine in their war against the Kremlin. Why does it appear that MAGA seems intent on throwing the war for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and, as Andy Burnham hosts Ukraine's president in Downing Street - is there anything he can do to repair the damage? We speak to Trump's former Special Representative for Negotiations with Ukraine, Kurt Volker.
Later, the Prime Minister has insisted he won't do any deal with the Greens while their 'Zionism is racism' motion remains party policy. Does he really mean what he says?
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Andy Burnham seems set on bringing the UK closer to the EU. How much closer still isn't clear - but some in Labour are now talking up the possibility of reversing Brexit entirely. Some Red Wall MPs aren't happy with that, but if Downing Street is serious about getting some growth into the economy, wouldn't it be one of the obvious levers to pull? And given, as the PM says, the public has moved more quickly than Parliament on Brexit - why are the Tories digging in on never going back? We speak to Kemi Badenoch's PPS John Glen.
Later, Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's house was raided by US federal agents, just three weeks ahead of crucial midterm elections. The DOJ says it's part of a federal criminal investigation - but is it simply an abuse of power intended to swing vote back to the Republicans?
The News Agents is a Global Production.
The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/