Is the Press to Blame for Jason Arday’s Death?

Politics Uncensored

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Friday, 21 August 2026 - 49 minutes

The Week UnwrappedFarage wins in Clacton, meanwhile Count Binface gets more than 25% of the voteWe start with the news from the Clacton by-election, where Nigel Farage comfortably held onto the seat, securing more than 63% of the vote. Farage stood down as an MP in July, forcing the by-election. This came amid scrutiny over whether he should have declared a £5 million gift he received from a billionaire party donor in 2024. A parliamentary standards watchdog had been investigating the claim, but that investigation was paused when Farage resigned. Now that the Clacton seat is once again in the hands of Farage and Reform UK, the investigation is again underway. Zoë and Ali discuss this political move and the impressive performance by Count Binface.Reform’s Tice urges people to enjoy heatwavesThe party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, has been accused of spreading misinformation after he dismissed efforts to tackle the climate crisis at a press conference earlier this week. He said that there was no evidence that net zero would stop climate change, and urged British people to enjoy the hot weather. He also suggested that one of the benefits of warmer weather will mean that English wine will get better. His comments come amid one of the UK’s hottest summers on record, with extreme heat linked to thousands of deaths and increased pressure on the NHS. Zoë and Ali unpack why they think this is out of touch, and how this summer will act as  a ‘sea change” for climate awareness publicly.Scientists 'stunned' by children's lung recovery in ultra low emission zoneThere is evidence however, that some climate policies do work… A new study shows that children’s lungs have grown bigger and stronger since the introduction of Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone or ULEZ in 2019 - which restricts the most polluting vehicles from entering London. Examinations of the capital’s school children before and after the policy was introduced, found a restoration of lung capacity that had been previously stunted by exposure to pollution. Zoë and Ali discuss the good news, and how controversial the policy was when it was introduced.The Scrutiny of Jason Arday - are Black Academics held to a different standard in the UK?Jason Arday, a 41-year-old academic who resigned as Cambridge’s Professor of Sociology of education earlier this month, was found dead on Friday. In recent weeks, allegations surrounding his PhD thesis, alongside other claims about his achievements and charitable work, had come under intense scrutiny in the press. His story was dissected in more than 200 articles across the majority of the British media. His death has sparked widespread reaction. At the time of recording, more than 120,000 people have signed a petition calling for a public inquiry, which argues that Arday’s death was “the direct, foreseeable and foreseen result of press harassment”. So, what does the scrutiny surrounding Arday tell us about the pressures and expectations placed on Black academics in Britain? Dr Femi Owolade, Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society joins us to share his take. NUS campaign for Automatic Voter RegistrationStudents here in the UK have launched a campaign calling on the government to make it easier for people in full-time education to register to vote. The National Union of Students and Purpose Union are calling for a nationwide automatic enrolment system, which they say would remove the need for universities and colleges to manually encourage students to register. As of 2023, 60% of those aged 20 and under were not registered to vote. So could a new system help remove some of the barriers facing young voters and encourage more young people to have their say at the ballot box? Favour Samuel, President of the NUS joins us Guests:Dr Femi Owolade, Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. You can find him on X here.Favour Samuel, President of the NUS. You can find her on Instagram here.Producer:Monica Lillis

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