Footage of Henry Nowak’s murder sparks national outrage. Plus: The rising level of youth unemployment

Politics Uncensored

• Podcast Home
• Download Episode

Thursday, 4 June 2026 - 49 minutes

On this edition, body-cam footage of 18 year old Henry Nowak’s death in police custody has sparked division and outrage - we’ll unpack the latest. And later on we’ll find out why so many young people are out of work right now. The Week Unwrapped: Two weeks to go until the Makerfield by-election:Ali is in Makerfield again this week ahead of the consequential by-election on 18th June which could determine the future of leadership in Britain. Ali tells Zoë about the mood on the ground, what the polls are saying right now and the scrutiny that the Reform candidate, Robert Kenyon, is under.Hungary set to be the first EU country to introduce a wealth tax In April, long-term far right leader, Viktor Orban, was ousted from government and lost his 16 year grip on power. His replacement, Péter Magyar, won his campaign on the promise that he would crack down on corruption, funneling funds towards public services. And it seems he will be delivering on that promise - with his centre-right Tisza party expected to announce a wealth tax in the coming days. Zoë and Ali discuss how this originally left-wing policy has become mainstream, whether this feeling will spread across Europe and whether it will work in practice. The second set of Mandelson files are released A second set of files relating to Peter Mandelson’s time as UK ambassador to the US were released on Monday. The documents were published in an attempt to reveal what ministers know about Mandelson’s links to Epstein, but it seems we have been left with more questions than answers. Zoë and Ali unpick why this slow drip of new information will continue to make the public lose faith in the current administration. Murder of Henry Nowak sparks identity politics rowThe murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak has sent shockwaves across the UK. Last year, the Southampton student was handcuffed after killer Vickrum Digwa falsely claimed to police that Nowak had racially abused him. In reality, Digwa had stabbed Nowak five times with a blade he claimed to carry as part of his Sikh faith.Footage released this week shows Nowak pleading with officers that he'd been stabbed, one officer dismissed him. Nowak died shortly after. The case has sparked fierce political debate. Critics, including Nigel Farage and Elon Musk say the tragedy highlights two-tier policing, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused Farage of "exploiting tragedy to create grievance and division". Zoë and Ali consider the importance of centering his family in the discussions, how certain figures are using this as a political tool and the Right-wing’s changing views towards the police. Why are so many young people out of work in the UK?A new report released by the government last week says that one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET) - the highest level in more than a decade. The report’s author, Alan Milburn, outlined that career opportunities for young people are “not growing, they’re shrinking” and warned that “we are at risk of a lost generation.”  So why are so many people currently out of work? Dani Payne, Head of Education and Social Mobility at the Social Market Foundation joins us to dispel the myths of the ‘snowflake generation.’ She tells us about the factors that have led to such a high level of youth unemployment, the death of the ‘Saturday job’ and what the government can do next. Guest: Dani Payne - You can find her @danihpayne on Instagram and TikTokProducer: Monica Lillis

Subscribe to this podcast

• Apple Podcasts
• Apple Podcasts
• RSS Feed