Published by Tom Nicholas
Join Tom Nicholas for news updates and analysis from the UK and around the world.
Listen on Apple Podcasts17 min
Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s democratic socialist mayor revealed more details about his plans for city-owned grocery stores earlier this week. The move is part of a plan to tackle rising food prices in New York; with those price rises having been felt across America and much of the rest of the world too. What’s really interesting to me, however, is the manner in which the particular project reflects a far bigger trend in both US and UK politics over recent years towards a politics of price. Can this project, and others like it, help fight against predatory pricing models? The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
22 min
Where is Zack Polanski? Not too long ago, he was everywhere . He won the Green Party leadership against two sitting MPs, the Green Party membership exploded and then they won the Gorton and Denton by-election. It was all looking up for the Green Party. Now, it seems that that momentum has all but gone. Why has this happened? Has the Green Party taken a wrong turn somewhere? Have press attacks on Zack Polanski worked to turn potential Green voters against the party? Has Andy Burnham already managed to win left voters back to Labour? And is there any chance of them working their way back into the conversation? Find out on Slow News Day . The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
14 min
The death of a British politician is now being investigated as a potential act of terrorism. The former Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Maidstone and, more recently, spokesperson for the Reform Party, was found dead in her home in Haytor in Devon last Friday. But, with so much still unknown, as much of today’s story is going to be about Widdecombe’s political life, and about the public response to it. Because Widdecombe’s death has quickly come to be drawn into the debate surrounding Nigel Farage’s seemingly habitual acceptance of undisclosed funds for party political purposes. The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
17 min
Nigel Farage isn't the only scandal-ridden far-right political leader right now. His former MEP colleague, and French Presidential hopeful, Marine Le Pen, has just been found guilty (yet again) of the misappropriation of public funds. Yesterday afternoon, the leading figure in France’s far-right National Rally party headed to court to hear the verdict in her appeal against her conviction, last year, for embezzling European Parliamentary funds in order to use them for party political campaigning. The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
18 min
Two alleged instances of dodgy dealings with dodgy funders, including fresh allegations revealed this weekend of undeclared support from a convicted fraudster have opened up a path to Nigel Farage, the Reform Party leader, being removed from office. In today’s episode of SND , we’re going to take a look at those allegations, as well as explain what the potential consequences of these are. Could this spell big trouble for the Reform Party? The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
34 min
In this special episode of Slow News Day, you ask the questions and Tom answers! Last week, we asked you to message in on what topics you would like Tom to cover and we've got a selection of Tom's hottest takes on everything from voting reform to Doctor Who's cancellation. If you would like to see another Q&A SND, please email your questions over to snd@tomnicholas.com The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
15 min
The presumed next Prime Minister of the UK, Andy Burnham, has said that he plans to move at least part of 10 Downing Street to the north of England. Not physically. The door and Larry the Cat are staying where they are. But, in a speech this Monday, he said he was looking at establishing an additional office for his Prime Ministerial activities in Manchester, where he had been mayor for nine years. The idea is to try to rebalance political power in the UK, drawing civil servants and politicians into different parts of the country other than London. Will it work? Can Andy Burnham actually do anything about London's political, financial and cultural dominance over the UK? The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
19 min
Can anyone stop Andy Burnham from becoming Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the UK? No, is almost certainly the answer to that. And yet that’s not going to stop politicians on the right wing of the Labour Party (who aren’t super keen on Burnham) from trying. If there is to be a challenge to Andy Burnham taking over as Prime Minister, rather than him simply becoming leader of the Labour Party unopposed, it currently appears that there is one man left who can be that challenger. You’ve possibly never heard of him. (Or at least hadn’t until a couple of months ago). Most Labour MPs probably hadn’t heard of him until a couple of months either. In fact, among Labour Party members, he polls at just 2%. Let's talk about Al Carns. The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Producer: Jack Carter Editor: Georgia Burrows See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
24 min
Keir Starmer has officially announced that he will be standing down as Prime Minister, and Leader of the Labour Party, leaving the door wide open for Andy Burnham to replace him. Having just found his way back to Parliament, as the winner of the Makerfield by-election, the “King in the North” is all but certainly our next Prime Minister. But what does Andy Burnham actually believe? What kind of policies would be looking to implement should he enter 10 Downing Street? What is his thesis for what is wrong with Britain right now and how we might fix it? One of the challenges for Keir Starmer is that, while he was able to become Leader of the Labour Party and then Prime Minister, he didn’t particularly have a good answer to that question. Will Andy Burnham be any different? On this episode of SND, we’re going to find out. The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
21 min
Keir Starmer’s future as Prime Minister will be decided today, in the most unusual of ways: a by-election in the North West of England. Usually, Prime Minister's fates are decided in General Elections, and by-elections are somewhat inconsequential, outside of the constituency. Makerfield, however, is different because Andy Burnham is standing for Labour. If he is elected to Parliament, he may just become the next Prime Minister. Will he win? Or Will Reform UK scupper his plans? It's all happening today on SND. Apologies for only one episode this week. Tom's been sick, but don't worry, he's feeling much better now! The Slow News Day Team Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
14 min
Donald Trump will be celebrating his 80th birthday this Sunday, and he will be celebrating with style. If by style we mean gaudy excess. Donald Trump’s big birthday bash will consist of a specially-arranged, double title fight night of UFC matches being held on the South Lawn of the White House. The meeting of the American Presidency and the UFC might seem a little odd. So, today, I want to both take a look at the event itself, and recap the fairly long collaboration between Trump and America’s premier cagefighting franchise. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
19 min
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins this week, and even before kick off, the tournament has been caught under a mountain of scandal. We can put the blame for the situation at the feet of just one man: FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He may have been the man elected to save FIFA after a wave of arrests and rampant corruption, but has he saved or doomed the beautiful game? The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
16 min
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is due to go public next week. In effect, this means it will go from being a privately-held company owned by Musk and a number of friends and colleagues to being a publicly-tradable company which you, yes you, can buy stocks in too. There’s a real risk that SpaceX might be massively, massively over valued, meaning retail investors (and retirement funds) might end up being forced to buy a stock which rapidly loses value. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
20 min
Hasan Piker, the American Twitch streamer has been banned from entering the UK, along with The Young Turks host (and Piker’s uncle) Cenk Uygur. I’ve seen a few attempts to explain what’s going on here online, often by Americans and so I wanted to try and provide an explainer grounded a bit more in UK politics and law. So here we go. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
20 min
Elon Musk might be in the process of sabotaging the British far-right and inadvertently handing the Labour Party a massive win. Better still, I don’t think he knows he’s doing it or particularly cares. All of this relates to the by-election which is currently taking place in the constituency of Makerfield, where Andy Burnham’s biggest challenge to winning that seat should be Nigel Farage’s Reform party. But Elon Musk might be about to shoot that threat down with a good, old-fashioned bit of vote-splitting. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
13 min
New rules around single-sex spaces, such as changing rooms and bathrooms, were published towards the end of last week. These govern how businesses and organisations in the UK are (and crucially are not) allowed to provide for trans people. It's another win for British transphobes, I'm afraid. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
21 min
The so-called “steroid olympics” (officially called the "Enhanced Games") are taking place this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. Happening in a purpose-built stadium (for some reason) just off the Las Vegas strip, it will feature more than 40 athletes souped up on personalised regimens of performance-enhancing drugs to see just how far the human body can go (you know, if you add a bunch of performance-enhancing chemicals). Not to spoil the fun or anything, but I’m afraid I’m here to tell you it’s actually fuelled by a kinda weird mix of eugenics, right-wing anti-regulation campaigning and good old-fashioned grift. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
17 min
Can Britain Undo Brexit? We're just shy of a decade since the UK voted to leave the EU, but could we be bracing for another big debate about EU membership? Recently, Wes Streeting announced that it would be part of his platform for Britain to rejoin the EU, should he became a candidate to replace Keir Starmer. Could this actually happen, or is there something else going on? The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
16 min
The Eurovision Song Contest is in crisis this year, with five countries: Spain, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, and Slovenia having pulled out of the competition, with some refusing to broadcast, due to Israel's participation. Critics have accused Israel of using the show to distract from the genocide and human rights abuses in Gaza and the West Bank. There have also been investigations into voter manipulation. The Slow Newsroom Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
24 min
Keir Starmer is (almost) gone. Nearly 100 Labour MPs have publicly called for him to resign. But, when he goes, there will be a leadership contest for Leader of the Labour Party and, by extension, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So I want to dedicate some time in the coming week or so to lifting the lid on some of the key contenders for that role. Today, we’re going to take a look at the chap who is currently looking most likely to launch a challenge to Starmer’s leadership, or who would be likely to be one of the first to announce he’s running should Starmer resign: Wes Streeting. Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://nebula.tv/videos/slownewsday-is-this-britains-next-prime-minister *The Slow Newsroom* Creator and Host: Tom Nicholas Editor: Georgia Burrows Producer: Jack Carter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .