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/
126
Jacob Young on the confidence vote and why ever...
In a week where 148 Tory MPs voted that they had no confidence in Boris Johnson, the Northern Agenda podcast speaks to two northern Conservatives who came to parliament in 2019 - and backed the prime minister in the confidence vote.
As the...
38 min
127
How the Tories are faring in the North's big ci...
In this episode of The Northern Agenda podcast, Dan O'Donohue is joined by a panel of experts to ask how the Conservatives are performing in the North - and why they perform poorly in northern cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle....
39 min
128
Lisa Nandy on Labour's vision for levelling up ...
This week's two guests on the Northern Agenda podcast are politicians on either side of the party divide, but each represent northern towns looking for answers about how best to move forward from their industrial pasts.
Lisa Nandy and Miriam Cates...
35 min
129
Susan Hinchcliffe on why Bradford should be a t...
As local authorities submit their bids for their share of the next round of the Levelling Up fund, Bradford council has published a compelling report which argues that the region should be a test case for the project.
Bradford City Council leader...
43 min
130
Tracy Brabin on her first year as West Yorkshir...
We have all heard of the North-South divide, but author Sam Bright believes that the gap is far bigger and covers a wider area.
The journalist and author of 'Fortress London' joins Rob Parsons on The Northern Agenda to discuss the "burning...
43 min
131
A 2022 local elections special | Rachael Maskel...
In a special edition of The Northern Agenda podcast we dissect all the results across the North in the 2022 local elections.Westminster Editor Dan O'Donoghue is joined by Liverpool Echo Political Editor Liam Thorp, Newcastle Journal Editor Graeme...
48 min
132
Damien Moore MP on war memorials | Professor He...
Do you know where your local war memorial is? If you do, the Imperial War Museums want to find out, too!
A campaign has been launched to document every war memorial across the nation ahead of Remembrance Day this year.
The drive has the backing...
41 min
133
TUC's Frances O'Grady on getting tough against ...
Ahead of the TUC's Annual Regional Conference in Hull, Frances O'Grady joins Rob Parsons on The Northern Agenda podcast to discuss the state of trade unionism - and her response to the mass sacking from P&O Ferries.
Hull is one of the major...
26 min
134
The influential Northerners you've (probably) n...
This week Rob Parsons speaks to the author of a new book setting out how the dramatic history of the North has shaped the region as it is today.Brian Groom, who wrote 'Northerners: A History, From the Ice Age to the Present Day', tells us about...
28 min
135
Catherine McKinnell on the cost of living crisi...
On this week's episode, Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell calls for more action on the cost of living crisis. The Labour MP tells Dan O'Donoghue that for many of her constituents 'there's really no light at the end of the tunnel', as she urged...
33 min
136
Dan Jarvis on his time as the Mayor of South Yo...
With voters returning to the ballot box on May 5, the local elections could result in some changes to the political landscape in England.
One of the guaranteed changes is in South Yorkshire, where the metro mayor Dan Jarvis is stepping down after...
35 min
137
Reaction to Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement | Du...
Though the levelling up agenda is supposedly at the top of the government's agenda, the phrase did not receive a single mention in Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement this week.
Some Northern leaders have called the Chancellor's mini-budget a "missed...
26 min
138
Behind the scenes at The Northern Agenda Live
In our first conference, held in Newcastle last week, The Northern Agenda asked the question: what will the North look like in 2030?
Speakers and panellists - from MPs to mayors, ministers to educators - offered their perspective on this topic,...
37 min
139
Highlights from The Northern Agenda Live
Thereβs widespread agreement that tackling regional inequality is one of the big political issues of our time, but how best to go about it?
How much progress can the North make by 2030, the date set by Michael Gove to judge the success of the...
23 min
140
πΊπ¦ Why Rochdale is "standing shoulder to should...
Leaders across the North of England have issued the united message of support for Ukraine, and offered a welcoming hand to those displaced by the invasion from Russian forces.
In Rochdale, the Greater Manchester town twinned with Lviv, members of...
15 min
141
π Northern bus crisis: a special report from Th...
When people think of Northern transport as a political issue, generally their minds turn to trains - and there's certainly no shortage of issues to discuss there.
But in this special episode of The Northern Agenda podcast, we're going to talk...
52 min
142
How Northern Gritstone is hoping to bridge the ...
There is a North-South divide - like many things - in research and development.
In 2019, northern universities attracted only 1.8 per cent of early stage venture funding, compared to 90 per cent that went to Oxford, Cambridge and London.
Duncan...
34 min
143
Lisa Nandy MP on Michael Gove and the Levelling...
The Convention in the North took place this week with levelling up secretary Michael Gove travelling to Liverpool to discuss the government's vision for the region.
His counterpart, Lisa Nandy MP, appears on The Northern Agenda podcast, sharing her...
33 min
144
Labour's Laura Pidcock on why she quit the NEC ...
In this week's podcast, former West Durham MP Laura Pidcock joins The Northern Agenda's Dan O'Donohue to discuss why she has quit Labour's governing body, the National Executive Committee.
The ex-Labour MP also gives her thoughts on Keir Starmer's...
42 min
145
Reaction to the Levelling Up White Paper: what ...
The Levelling Up White Paper - all 332 pages of it - was published today after a long wait for Boris Johnson to finally spell out the details of the mantra that's been in use since before the 2019 General Election.
Recorded live an hour after its...
53 min
146
Jake Berry MP on why he is backing Boris Johnso...
In a week where Northern Tory MPs are pondering how much they can stand behind Boris Johnson, The Northern Agenda podcast speaks to one of the prime minister's biggest allies in the region: Jake Berry.
The Rossendale and Darwen MP tells Westminster...
33 min
147
Scott Benton MP on Boris Johnson's leadership a...
It's safe to say that it has not been a good week for Boris Johnson with the prime minister facing growing dissent from his own party.
A chaotic Prime Minister's Questions saw Bury South MP Christian Wakeford cross the floor and join the Labour...
44 min
148
The Northern Agenda: Clean Air Zone special | R...
In a special episode, The Northern Agenda podcast takes a closer look at an issue that has reached boiling point in several cities across the North of England: the introduction of Clean Air Zones.
It is the controversial scheme where owners of the...
43 min
149
Omicron surges in the North West | Tim Farron o...
As the Omicron variant surges across the North West, The Northern Agenda podcast gives an update on how it is impacting the NHS across the region.
Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons discusses the Covid situation with Helena Vesty, the NHS, social...
47 min
150
It's a Northern Agenda Christmas Quiz!
Christmas is nearly here so why not grab a celebratory mince pie and test your knowledge of the year in Northern politics? Quizmaster Dan O'Donoghue puts Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons, Victoria Prest of Yorkshire Live and producer Dan McLaughlin...
23 min