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 and Liam Thorp look at 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/

News
Politics
News Commentary
76
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
77
The North in Numbers: Dangerous dogs
Annie Gouk is back with the podcast that looks at the human stories behind the statistics
31 min
78
✍️ 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
79
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
80
📅 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
81
🏠 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
82
✨ 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
83
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
84
🗣️ 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
85
🚌 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
86
⚔️ 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
87
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
88
⬆️ 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
89
🛒 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
90
💼 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
91
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
92
🚢 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
93
🦷 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
94
🌹 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
95
😮 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
96
🔽 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
97
🗳️ 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
98
💩 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
99
💻 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
100
🥊 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