The Northern Agenda
The Northern Agenda is a weekly podcast covering politics and public affairs from across the North of England, voiced by journalists who are outside the Westminster bubble, reporting from the other side of the North/South divide.
From Blackpool to Barnsley and Bamburgh and everywhere in between, exploring subjects such as levelling up to buses, elections to the latest council scraps, The Northern Agenda brings you discussion and analysis of the North's big political stories, from people experiencing them on the ground.
Rob Parsons speaks to politicians, activists, campaigners, experts, community figures, journalists, business leaders, pollsters and more about the political stories that really matter to the North - and from the North - that you won't hear about from the national media in London.
The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin.
You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/
51
Is Manchester now the London of the North?
Rob Parsons asks his guests: is Manchester the new London? Is Andy Burnham on a collision course with the Government over his clean air plans? And why is Daresbury now a hotbed of the world's key new technologies?
48 min
52
This Is The North 2023: 'A Radical North – The ...
Rob Parsons reports from the This Is The North Convention 2023, organised by the People's Powerhouse, a movement that aims to bring people of the North together to discuss, explore, share and celebrate all the amazing grassroots organisations in the North.
43 min
53
Wear on the up: The transformation of Sunderland
In a special episode of The Northern Agenda podcast, Rob Parsons has spent time in Sunderland speaking to the people behind its ongoing transformation, as well as locals in the city itself.
67 min
54
Reaction to Jeremy Hunt's 2023 Autumn Statement...
Rob Parsons is joined by Treasury minister Gareth Davies, the NP11's Clare Hayward, and Henri Murison from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership
44 min
55
Dehenna Davison MP on her time as levelling up ...
Plus Rob Parsons quizzes the North's biggest bus operator about why West Yorkshire should not go down the route of franchising
53 min
56
The North in Numbers: Dangerous dogs
Annie Gouk is back with the podcast that looks at the human stories behind the statistics
31 min
57
✍️ A Writing Chance: how budding writers from u...
Claire Malcolm, the chief executive of New Writing North, and Katy Shaw, Professor of 21st Century Writing and Publishing at Northumbria University, tell Rob Parsons why the scheme is so important.
18 min
58
Tomorrow's MPs: Michael Crick lifts the lid on ...
Michael Crick, the broadcaster behind the Tomorrow's MPs Twitter account, sheds a light on the often secretive and murky way the main parties choose the candidates for winnable seats in Parliament.
42 min
59
📅 Rishi Sunak - One Year In: has the Prime Mini...
Rob Parsons is joined by the Liverpool Echo's Liam Thorp and Manchester Evening News' Joseph Timan to talk about a year of Sunak, Keir Starmer's challenging week dealing with unrest from Labour's Muslim MPs, and how shutting hotels for asylum seekers might cause more problems in the long term in Greater Manchester.
30 min
60
🏠 How do we solve the housing crisis and why ar...
Rob Parsons chats to Amy Newton, founder of the Manchester Tech Festival, about how people from the North's council estates can get the kind of jobs that are cropping up in the shiny sky-scrapers of Manchester city centre
49 min
61
✨ Glitter, smoke and mirrors | A view from Mers...
Interview with Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram and a look at Labour conference with Joseph Timan of the Manchester Evening News
50 min
62
Mancs but no thanks: Conservative Party Confere...
Rob Parsons is joined by the FT's Jennifer Williams and the MEN's Joseph Timan and Ethan Davies to dissect the Tory conference in Manchester so far
26 min
63
🗣️ How new Sheffield council leader Tom Hunt is...
Rob Parsons is joined by new Sheffield council leader Tom Hunt, who's plotting a bright future after a turbulent few years, and Northumbria academic Katy Show on a turning point in research coming from the North
31 min
64
🚌 Andy B's big bus gamble
Rob Parsons is joined by Joseph Timan to discuss the historic moment for public transport in Greater Manchester: buses coming back under public control with the launch of the Bee Network
32 min
65
⚔️ The battle for the North begins | Liverpool ...
"The battle for the General Election is just getting started," proclaimed Angela Rayner this week. Our two guests give us an idea about we can expect from the two main parties as we get closer and closer to choosing our next Government.
39 min
66
The North in Numbers: oversubscribed schools in...
The North in Numbers takes over the podcast this week with Annie Gouk investigating the competition for school places
17 min
67
⬆️ Preview of 'UP North: Innovative thinking fr...
Rob Parsons also chats to the Liverpool Echo's Liam Thorp about Rishi Sunak forcing violent criminals to face their victims in the dock, and how the Conservatives are playing fast and loose with the facts on fly-tipping.
47 min
68
🛒 How our high streets can survive - and thrive...
With Covid, the cost of living crisis and high businesses rates impacting our high streets, Rob Parsons asks how our towns and cities can not only survive - but thrive
38 min
69
💼 A Level results, Lionesses, and addressing th...
Rob Parsons is joined by Louis Taylor, chief executive of the British Business Bank, and the People Powerhouse's Ruth Hannan
38 min
70
The disabled young mum kicked off Hull council:...
Sarah Harper-Riches speaks to Rob Parsons about the shock of being kicked off Hull council and why her story matters for the diversity of who represents us at local level
25 min
71
🚢 From cul-de-sac to powerhouse, what does the ...
Rob Parsons is joined by Barrow MP Simon Fell, as well as diving into digital poverty with tech CEO Mo Isap
43 min
72
🦷 The tooth hurts: Inside the North's dentistry...
There's something rotten in the state of our teeth: Rob Parsons investigates the North-South divide in England when it comes to rotten teeth and oral health.
47 min
73
🌹 Rachel Reeves on what the new economic realit...
The shadow chancellor chats to Rob Parsons about innovation in the North, and Piers Forster discusses what the North can do to tackle the climate crisis
39 min
74
😮 Selby and Ainsty by-election: can the 25-year...
The Northern Agenda's Rob Parsons speaks to Keir Mather and Claire Holmes, the candidates for Labour and the Tories in the North Yorkshire seat
48 min
75
🔽 Can the New Conservatives slash UK migration?...
🔽 Can the New Conservatives slash UK migration? Bolton MP Chris Green on Westminster's new red wall pressure group
26 min