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/
76
π³οΈ Kim McGuinness on why she is standing for th...
Rob Parsons grabs a quick chat with the education secretary who voices her concerns about the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, and hears Kim Guinness' reaction to Jamie Driscoll being denied a place on Labour's longlist for their candidate for the new Mayor of the North East.
29 min
77
π© Sewage in the water, soaring interest rates a...
Rob Parsons is joined by Katherine Fletcher, the Tory MP for South Ribble, and the Mirror's Kevin Maguire to look at the week's more interesting political stories in the North
41 min
78
π» Labour's Charlotte Nichols on battling PTSD a...
Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons speaks to the Warrington South MP about her tumultuous time in Parliament so far, and whether the end is in sight for the UK's economic pain with Simon French
51 min
79
π₯ Why Ruth Hannan has picked a fight with North...
Ruth Hannan, a director of the People's Powerhouse, joins Rob Parsons to look at the big political stories affecting the North
27 min
80
π Why are hard-up councils spending Β£5m a week ...
Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons speaks to Contact's Una Summerson, a national charity for families with disabled children, and Tory MP for Stockton South Matt Vickers.
40 min
81
π§ The Northern brain drain: Why are so many you...
Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership joins Rob Parsons to discuss the Northern brain drain, and the metro mayors hitting the headlines: Ben Houchen and Andy Burnham.
46 min
82
πΉ Alastair Campbell on the success of levelling...
Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons chats to Tony Blair's former official spokesman and director of communications Alastair Campbell, as well as the Liverpool Echo's Liam Thorp about the big stories of the week
55 min
83
π³οΈ Who's up and who's down in the local electio...
29 min
84
π₯³ The Northern Agenda turns two! Is the North s...
Rob Parsons looks back at the past two years in Northern politics, and speaks to vaccine expert Dr Marie O'Brien about the region's major impact on global health
38 min
85
"It's about bread-and-butter, life and death is...
The Local Government Information Unit's Jonathan Carr-West discusses the races to watch in the North. Plus Edna Robinson of the People's Powerhouse talks about the North-South health divide.
47 min
86
β‘ The man bringing lightning fast broadband to ...
Will carbon capture make any difference to levelling up or net zero in places like Teesside, the Humber and the North West? Can fast broadband speeds reach rural or remote towns and villages in the North?
30 min
87
A Northern Agenda exclusive! The winner of the ...
There were lots of winners who got Β£20m here or Β£10m there for regeneration schemes but also many more losers who put time and money into their bids and got nowhere. But it turns out there was one big winner from the whole process and that's the consultancy firms who helped our cash-strapped local councils write their bids.
49 min
88
The North-South divide on asylum: a Northern Ag...
Rob Parsons reports from a conference in Newcastle where experts from a host of different fields put forward their view on how we can fix the country's broken asylum system.
23 min
89
π· Budget 2023: the reaction to Jeremy Hunt's fi...
In a special live edition of The Northern Agenda podcast, Rob Parsons is joined by a fantastic panel full of expertise about Northern politics to dissect what it all means for people in our region
39 min
90
ποΈ The challenges and opportunities facing our ...
Stephen Patterson, the CEO of the business improvement district Newcastle NE1, tells the podcast about the challenges and opportunities facing our cities - and whether Newcastle United's footballing success has rubbed off on local businesses. And Rob Parsons talks to Jack Shaw from the IPPR North think-tank about whether Jeremy Hunt's Budget will be a big moment for Levelling Up, and the cultural credit plus economic impact Eurovision could have on Liverpool this May.
46 min
91
Roads minister Richard Holden on electric buses...
Roads minister Richard Holden joins Rob Parsons to discuss the new zero emission buses coming to Yorkshire. And Rob looks at some of the top Northern politics stories with Tom Lees.
43 min
92
Louise Haigh on what Labour would do about our ...
Rob Parsons caught up with Louise Haigh to find out what Labour would do about our struggling bus and rail services. And Rob picked over some of the North's biggest political stories - from asylum seekers to buses and Parmos - with Edna Robinson, chair of the People's Powerhouse movement.
36 min
93
15-minute cities: an international socialist co...
Tory MP Nick Fletcher tells the podcast why he thinks the idea will "cost us our personal freedom", whilst a local councillor in Sheffield explains why the changes will make it easier to access services on your doorstep.
41 min
94
Do we need a Minister for the North? | Kim Lead...
Rob Parsons chews over some of the other big politics stories in the North with Henri Murison from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and speaks to Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, ahead of the party's Northern Skills conference
30 min
95
How we can save Northern football | Hydrogen: t...
Listen to our beginner's guide on how hydrogen - the most abundant chemical element in the universe - could hold the key to creating thousands of jobs all across the North. And why Northern football clubs are under threat with areas set to lose the βlifebloodβ of their communities without Government intervention.
41 min
96
Exclusive interview with Michael Gove from the ...
The Northern Agenda reports from the Convention of the North in Manchester, speaking exclusively to Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove
28 min
97
The (onshore) wind beneath our wings | Why cari...
40 min
98
πΌ Jonathan Ashworth on Labour's plan to help pe...
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, joins Rob Parsons on The Northern Agenda podcast this week to discuss his plans to help people get back into work.
The Leicester South MP, who grew up in Greater Manchester, used a major...
40 min
99
The year Leeds culture comes out of hiding | Th...
Hello and welcome to The Northern Agenda podcast - back for 2023 fully refreshed after a Christmas break and ready to take in invigorating new year dive into some of the big politics stories affecting the North.
Whilst we want to wish you a Happy New...
39 min
100
π³οΈ Preview of the Stretford and Urmston by-elec...
This week, The Northern Agenda podcast takes a look at the North's second big by-election in December to elect a new MP.
After Labour romped to victory in the City of Chester, can they do the same in the Greater Manchester seat of Stretford and...
27 min