Pod Save the UK

This week, Nish is back from tour and joins Coco to speak to rockstar economist, Mariana Mazzucato. Her brand of ‘mazzonomics’ has influenced governments and politicians around the world, and she digs into what a ‘common good economy’ might look like: less talking, more doing; fewer silos, more collective purpose. 
Mariana also explains why we should be recognising the social value of cultural places and events, like Notting Hill Carnival, and shares how she accidentally ended up on Wikifeet… We contain multitudes at Pod Save the UK! 
Also, Coco & Nish catch up on the Labour government’s latest, as Shabana Mahmood ‘softens’ her (still pretty hardline) immigration reforms, and Burnham tries to avoid a reparations row while opening the door to a formal state apology for Britain’s role in the slave trade.
And, it’s the blue wave! Pronouns back in your emails please! We check in with Tommy Vietor from Pod Save America to hear their take on the stunning set of midterm election results and what this means for the last years of Trump 2.0.  
USEFUL LINKS
Buy Mariana’s book: https://www.hive.co.uk/product/mariana-mazzucato/the-common-good-economy--a-new-compass/32296162 
Read the Empire of AI: https://www.hive.co.uk/product/karen-hao/empire-of-ai--inside-the-reckless-race-for-total-domination/31755930 
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SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk 
Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
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This week, while Nish is on tour, Coco is joined by journalist Zoë Grünewald to make sense of the first ‘steady-as-he-goes’ Burnham budget. From Burnham’s barnstormer, to Healey’s humdrum address… it was, fine I guess? Weeks of pitch-rolling and pre-announcements led up to this moment, which meant there were very few surprises in Parliament, but a few cans kicked into next year. 
Coco & Zoë speak to Helen Barnard, Director of Policy at the Trussell Trust, to understand what the budget means for those who really do need ‘breathing space’ the most. Keep an eye out for the Timms and Milburn reviews, due next month, to understand how the government intends to support the most vulnerable. 
Plus, Coco & Zoë discuss the recent election victories for progressive movements across the world–from Serbia to Brazil and beyond–and ask, what will it take to see the same over here in the UK? Are we too busy lime bike jousting, or are there bigger structural hurdles (electorally, and legally) that prevent the easy formation of mass protests in the same way…
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Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 
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It’s a bumper episode this week! Put on your big brain hats, as Nish & Coco are joined by two incredible thinkers from around the world: PSUK goes global.
First up, it’s pioneering (or ‘OG’) trans historian Susan Stryker who discusses her new book, ‘Changing Gender’: charting the history and development of the concept and language of gender, weaving in elements of memoir and observations from the present day. As “gender” has become the bogeyman for gender-critical campaigners, ethno-nationalists and religious conservatives alike, Susan traces the development of these transphobic ideologies, and sets out how the existence of ‘transness’ itself could offer the potential for human liberation. 
Next, we’re joined by academic and economist Thomas Piketty, who runs Nish & Coco through the Global Justice Report that was released this summer: a comprehensive roadmap to achieving global equality and planetary sustainability by 2100. What’s the catch? Look away, billionaires– it’s time for global redistribution. He also explains the significance of the mass student protests in France, and the role they may play in next year’s presidential election.
No prizes for guessing the common enemy in both conversations… What a treat! Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments, and don’t forget you can email podsavetheuk@crooked.com with any questions, musings, or thoughts! 
USEFUL LINKS
Read the Global Justice Report: https://globaljusticeproject.wid.world/global-justice-report/ 
Buy Susan’s book: https://www.hive.co.uk/product/susan-stryker/changing-gender--the-history-and-future-of-a-concept/26517789 
Justice for Joelle: https://www.translegalclinic.com/justice-for-joelle 
Further information about the NHS’s ‘single sex spaces’ guidance: https://genderedintelligence.co.uk/news/37-nhs-single-sex-guidance 
CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS 
SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk 
VANTA: https://www.vanta.com/PSTUK
Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk 
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Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk 
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This week, Nish & Coco reckon with the latest act of political desperation from Farage and his ailing Reform party: returning to their single-issue roots and promising to shut down England’s asylum system altogether. 
Plus, amidst the ongoing Manchester City scandal, we dive into the PSUK vault and return to an interview from June 2023 with then-mayor Andy Burnham, where Nish & Coco quizzed him on Abu Dhabi investment in the city. Back then, he said broader issues were a “matter for government”. Now he is the government–what next? Also, Nish outs himself as a football nerd. 
And, Brexit’s back on the table– again?! We’re joined by Professor of European Politics Anand Menon, to talk about whether rejoining the EU is desirable, or even possible anymore. Will this dominate the next ten years’ worth of political debate? Does Europe even want us back? We discuss, using a lot of Marvel metaphors…
USEFUL LINKS
Manchester Mill’s reporting on Abu Dhabi’s relationship with Manchester City Council: https://manchestermill.co.uk/exclusive-sheikh-mansour-contract-manchester/ 
UK in a Changing Europe website and resources: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/ 
Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! 
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Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk 
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This week, Nish & Coco are joined by Megan Kenyon, Political Correspondent at the New Statesman, to unpack some of the noisy headlines coming out of the Green Party conference over the weekend. They discuss what the passing of the ‘Zionism is Racism’ means for the party, and how the Greens are positioning themselves in relation to Labour: as a wholesale replacement, or as a way to hold Burnham to account? 
They also look ahead to the Holborn & St Pancras by-election (which is happening today as you listen!), and ask: who is the Conservative Party actually for in 2026? Dinkwads, Dumpys, or something in-between? 
Also, newly elected SNP MP Lara Bird joins us! She shares her experience navigating Westminster, reflects on how her work for Britain Palestine Project has shaped her politics, and explains why achieving the SNP’s core mission would put her out of a job…
**Coco was a little under the weather in this week’s episode, so you may hear some coughs. We tried to remove as many as we could, but there was so much interesting conversation we didn’t want to lose! ** 
USEFUL LINKS
Catch up with Megan’s reporting on the Green Party Conference and the ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2026/10/greens-vote-to-declare-zionism-as-racism 
Watch the I Think You Should Leave Hot Dog sketch Nish references: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfAf8oHrMo 
Join the National March for Palestine on the 10th October: https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-march-for-palestine-save-the-date/ 
Don’t forget you can get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! 
CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS 
HEXCLAD: https://www.hexclad.co.uk/PSTUK 
BETTERHELP: https://www.betterhelp.com/psuk    
SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk 
Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk 
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk 
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk 
X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk