Liz Truss - reports the Telegraph - has sent the Prime Minister a 'Cease and desist' letter threatening him with legal action for saying that she 'crashed the economy'. Her lawyers contest that the statement is 'false and defamatory' and contributed to her losing her Norfolk seat in the election.

So, what is the free speech champion hoping to achieve by this legal battle? And how do we decide if she 'did' crash the economy? We chat to her ally, Mark Littlewood.

Later, the Chancellor is heading to China just when rising borrowing costs are throwing the bond markets into turmoil. Is this wise? What's going on? And what's at the bottom of all the negative sentiment about the UK? We chat to Sky News economic and data editor, Ed Conway.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

It was only 8 years ago that Mark Zuckerberg found himself apologising for misinformation posted and shared by the Facebook algorithm, acknowledging the harm and damage it was capable of causing, and putting forward the steps to rectify it. But eight years is a long time. Particularly when you have faced threats of imprisonment from the incoming administration. And yesterday, the CEO went full MAGA and decided that following Donald Trump's election it was time to scrap the fact check operation - that will save them huge amounts of money - and allow for a similar process of 'content moderation' to the kind Elon Musk is happy to use on X. Did the damascene conversion come as a result of those threats? 'Probably, yes'. Trump agreed. So has Facebook given up on Fact? And who will be the next tech giant to cave to Donald Trump?

Later, we speak to Wes Streeting about election interference and why he thinks Tommy Robinson is now providing a template for some Tory MPs.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

As Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and Elon Musk call for a new inquiry into the grooming scandal, we speak to the man who uncovered the Rotherham abuse and whose reporting led to the original inquiry. Andrew Norfolk first wrote about this horrific widespread exploitation of young girls more than a decade ago as chief investigative reporter at The Times. He has given his first interview to The News Agents since Elon Musk's intervention to set the record straight on the scandal - and respond to those whom he accuses of 'shameful' behaviour - the weaponising of horrendous acts for political gain.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Keir Starmer has attacked those spreading lies over child grooming gangs. He didnt explicitly call out Elon Musk, but it was clearly he meant him. And he did explicitly call out Kemi Badenoch for sheepishly following Elon Musk's calls for an inquiry without exploring the myths he is peddling. Meanwhile, Musk has decided he's no longer a fan of Nigel Farage and has called for him to be replaced as leader of the Reform party. So who's up who's down as the year begins?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In our final installation of our festive "What If" series Jon, Emily and Lewis ask what might have happened if Boris Johnson had decided to back the remain campaign rather than the leave campaign during the Brexit referendum?

What if the Hong Kong handover hadn’t happened? Is there a world where Hong Kong’s democracy and independence could have been better protected?

And finally, what if Rishi Sunak hadn't called the election early? Would the Tories have had any time to redeem themselves? Or would Reform have been able to gain more of the vote share?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In the third episode of our Christmas "What if" series, Emily, Jon and Lewis bring you a US politics special.

First up, they ask how the world would have been different if George W. Bush lost to Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election. Would there still have been an invasion of Iraq? And would Donald Trump have ever risen to office?

Later, they ask what would have happened if Bernie Sanders had beaten Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary. Would Sanders have had a better chance of defeating Donald Trump?

And finally, what if Joe Biden had a quick nap before going head to head with Donald Trump in their Presidential debate earlier this year?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalist: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in America here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

What would have happened if to the Conservative Party if Dominic Cummings hadn’t needed to test his eyesight by driving to Barnard Castle? What if David Miliband was elected Labour leader instead of his brother, Ed Miliband? And what would have been the impact on British politics if the IRA had assassinated Thatcher in the 1984 Brighton bombing?

We answer more of you 'What if...' questions.

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

In the first episode of our 'What If' series, Emily, Jon and Lewis look back at some of the big sliding doors moments of our recent history and examine how much our politics has been shaped by these pivotal events.

Grappling with some of your submissions, The News Agents ask - what if Scottish independence had won out in the 2014 referendum?

What if Rupert Murdoch had never bought The Sun newspaper?

And, what if Gordon Brown hadn't been caught on hot mic making disparaging remarks against a Rochdale voter in the 2010 election campaign?

Tickets to The News Agents Live On Stage with HSBC UK are now on sale! You can get your tickets for Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh here: https://articles.globalplayer.com/7giHoMavXLgdrd6gaC3GxWG7T8

Editor: Tom Hughes

Executive Producer: Louis Degenhardt

Producer: Natalie Indge

Digital Editor: Michaela Walters

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Production: Rory Symon, Shane Fennelly & Arvind Badewal

Digital Journalists: Michael Baggs

You can watch Lewis's special report on the abortion crisis in Florida here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5BCL0ocFE

Don’t forget you can also subscribe to our other News Agents podcasts via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/thenewsagents

The News Agents USA now have merch! Click here to buy yours now: https://store.global.com/collections/the-news-agents-usa

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents"

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/