Are Farage and Polanski already yesterday's men?

Are Farage and Polanski already yesterday's men?

The News Agents · 2026-07-23
42:00

Whisper it quietly - but are we witnessing the strange rebirth of good, old-fashioned two party politics?

Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch are now the only party leaders with net approval ratings among the public. Labour and the Tories are both within touching distance of Farage's Reform in a number of polls. Burnham has had a strong first week, and he and Badenoch are dominating the political airwaves at the moment in a classic row around tax and the State.

Nigel Farage's £5m donation and Claction by-election backfire seems to have taken the wind out of his sails. Zack Polanski too has struggled with questions around his tax and appears unable to force himself into the conversation in the way he did when he first took over the Green party.

Later, we speak to Labour MP Chris Curtis about Labour's new chapter and why he thinks growth still lies at the heart of what Burnham needs to achieve.

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The News Agents

Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall – three of the UK’s top journalists – host an award-winning daily news podcast: The News Agents.

They’re not just here to tell you what's happening, but why. Expect astute analysis and explanation of the day's news – and a healthy dose of scepticism and the ability to laugh at it all when needed.

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