Wildfires, World Cup Football and Women’s Aid w/ Farah Nazeer

Wildfires, World Cup Football and Women’s Aid w/ Farah Nazeer

Author: Pod Save the UK July 16, 2026 Duration: 1:19:27

This week, with Andy Burnham’s coronation just days away, Coco & Zoe dig into why the whole thing felt like such a foregone conclusion, and unpack what we might expect from Burnham’s summer season.

Speaking of Burn-ing, the UK is literally on fire… so why are some politicians urging us to drop net zero targets altogether as we swelter through another heatwave? 

Also on the show: CEO of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer, joins to talk about their World Cup campaign, ‘The Other Kick Off’, and how we need cultural and structural changes to meaningfully move the dial on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. Plus, as the news of Ann Widdecombe’s death shocks us all, Coco & Zoe discuss the reality of being a woman in the public eye. 

Content note: This episode contains discussions of rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse.  

GUESTS 
Farah Nazeer 

USEFUL LINKS
Women’s Aid 
Refuge 
Research Digital Misogynoir Report — Glitch
Women’s Aid Reveals ‘The Other ‘Kick Off’ Time Thousands of Women Dread During the World Cup 

CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS 
SHOPIFY: https://www.shopify.co.uk/podsavetheuk

Pod Save the UK is an Intelligence Squared production for Crooked Media.

We’ll be doing another mailbag episode soon so get in touch! Contact us via email: podsavetheuk@crooked.com if you want to share questions, thoughts, or general musings! 

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


The political landscape in Britain is often dissected from within the Westminster bubble, but Pod Save the UK offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast cuts through the noise of the daily headlines with a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration, asking the bigger questions about power, policy, and what it all means for people across the country. The hosts, seasoned in activism and political commentary, break down the week’s events without relying on insider jargon or dry parliamentary procedure. You’ll hear discussions that connect government decisions to everyday life, exploring the real-world impact of legislation and the forces shaping national debates. It’s a space for understanding the mechanics of British politics while challenging the status quo, always with an eye on how to build a more equitable future. For anyone feeling adrift in the constant churn of news cycles, this series provides clarity and a sense of shared perspective, making complex issues accessible and engaging. Tune in for a candid, often witty, and consistently insightful take on the state of the nation, where the focus is on substance over spin and holding power to account.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Pod Save the UK
Podcast Episodes
Can AI really be your friend? w/Jamie Bartlett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:48
Coco and Nish are joined by top author and tech expert Jamie Bartlett. His new book is a deep dive into the ways AI is being used - highlighting its pitfalls and also where it might be beneficial.Jamie even created an AI…
Truth, Lies and Donald Trump w/ Stewart Lee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:56
Comedian and columnist Stewart Lee joins Nish and Coco to discuss the week’s big stories.They talk about Donald Trump’s deadly and yet utterly confusing war with Iran, as the US President continues to contradict his own…
The Mandelson Files Are Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:26
The first wave of Mandelson files have been published. We all wanted to know what Keir Starmer knew, and when he knew it. Now we can see it in black and white. And as it turns out - Starmer was warned there was a “genera…
“No Winston Churchill”: is the special relationship over? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
A world leader has been assassinated, schools and hospitals have been hit, and Donald Trump thinks that Keir Starmer is no Winston Churchill. It’s all kicking off as the US and Israel’s illegal war escalates across the M…
Are we stuck in never-ending political scandal? w/Ash Sarkar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:58
This week Nish and Coco are joined by friend of the pod, Ash Sarkar from Novara Media to talk about political scandal, trust and compromise. Ash’s book, Minority Rule, has a new afterword which talks about two progressiv…
Can she fix it? Hannah the plumber and politician on tackling Reform [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:19
This week Coco is joined by the comedian Cody Dahler while Nish takes a brief break and there’s so much to talk about!The Greens' Hannah Spencer has become the unexpected bookies favourite to win the Gorton and Denton by…
McSweeney: the man who made Starmer and his ties to Mandelson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:22
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet circles the wagons as he survives another hellish week in office. One that saw the loss of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his director of communications, Tim Allan, as the…
Will Mandelson be Starmer’s downfall? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:29
The release of the latest Epstein files triggered a deluge of revelations, spelling the end for one of UK’s biggest political characters. Nish and Coco chat about Lord Mandelson’s fall and the damage done to Keir Starmer…