The Northern Agenda

Oct 07 2024 163 ep. 54

The Northern Agenda Podcast artwork

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/

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A message from The Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons

Oct 07 2024 2 mins

The Northern Agenda podcast is changing - and our editor Rob Parsons shares the details! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reaction to the Labour party conference in Liverpool

Sep 27 2024 35 mins

For the last five days the eyes of the political world have been focusing on Liverpool's waterfront for Labour party conference, its first in power for 15 years. Thousands of people have piled into venues around the city, from party members and MPs to business leaders, metro mayors and of course senior Cabinet members - many of whom are from the North - and their teams. Rob Parso

Will Labour really deliver for the North? | Learning the lessons from HS2 fiasco

Sep 20 2024 63 mins

If you're into politics it's likely you'll be heading to, or at the very least reading about, one of the big party conferences happening this autumn. By far the biggest is Labour's annual get-together in Liverpool, their first as a new government. And anyone who's interested in the future direction of the Labour party will want to Rob Parsons' interview with one

Nasty individuals, racists and useful idiots | How riots unfolded in Rotherham and Middlesbrough

Sep 12 2024 33 mins

Only a few weeks ago the big story in many of our Northern communities was the rioting and disorder we saw this summer, seemingly sparked by the horrific killing in Southport. We saw violence break out across the country but it seemed like much of it was in the North, places like Sunderland and Darlington, Blackpool, Hull, Preston and Liverpool. Since then we've seen a steady strea

👶 Women failed from the day they're born | Joe Morris: the Labour MP in a seat that voted Tory for a century

Sep 03 2024 37 mins

There's a definite 'back to school' feeling in the air in politics this week. The news agenda is already being dominated by the issues that we're going to be hearing about again and again in the coming months - small boats, the housing crisis and the ravaged state of the public finances. It's back to school for the North's politicians too, and with Westminster resuming after the s

Thinking outside of the box: how embracing neurodiversity can harness creativity in the North

Aug 30 2024 38 mins

The Northern Agenda tries to think outside of the box when it comes to both our newsletter and podcast, and in this week’s episode, our guest does exactly that. Tina Catling is a renowned innovation consultant, author, and speaker, who advises organisations and people around the world on how to unlock creative potential and innovation. She has been running her Leeds-based busi

The Northern Agenda on the road: Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley

Aug 22 2024 70 mins

We all know there's a big North-South divide when it comes to pay, but which part of the North of England has the highest average wage? Here's a clue, it's not Manchester or Leeds. With an average median annual full-time wage of nearly £42,000, Ribble Valley in Lancashire is the highest-paid local authority area in Northern England. Its residents earn an average of £14,000 a yea

York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith on his "whirlwind" first 100 days | How visits to Bolton's pubs is shaping research

Aug 15 2024 37 mins

Politicians and pubs are a combination as old as the hills, with even the likes of teetotal ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak turning up for photo shoots at local watering holes on the election trail this year. But if our decision-makers stuck about after the cameras disappeared and observed the conversations ordinary pub-goers were having, would they be better informed about

What the future holds for our town halls after a turbulent and challenging last decade

Aug 09 2024 44 mins

So if you look at the biggest jobs in local government in the North of England, undoubtedly near the top of the list are the chief executives of the city councils of Manchester and Leeds. They're roles that come with responsibility for vital services in our region's two biggest cities, leading thousands of employees and overseeing annual budgets into the hundreds of millions. So

Is TransPennine Express on the right track for recovery?

Aug 02 2024 35 mins

Just over a year ago, TransPennine Express, which runs intercity services across the North of England, became the latest to come under government control due to its dire performance that had infuriated political leaders and customers. Installed not long after as managing director was Chris Jackson, faced with some formidable hurdles to overcome if TransPennine was to get back on t