Strong Message Here Podcast
Armando Iannucci hosts a world-beating programme that gives you a cast-iron guarantee to be laser-focused on how politicians use language.
Armando Iannucci investigates which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe.
Each week he'll be joined by a guest to crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried?
You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political language from people on the inside who are both baffled and beguiled by it. They'll walk you through the various verbal fiascos of the modern political lexicon so that by the end you'll be oven-ready for an appearance on Newsnight.
Armando's erstwhile partner in de-baffling political lexicon, Helen Lewis, is away working in the United States in the autumn and so her seat will be kept warm by a rotating cast of co-hosts.
Warning: this podcast features strong political language that some listeners may find nonsensical.
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
Episodes to download
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The Threat from Within
Thu 20 Feb 2025
A tale of two speeches this week, as Helen and Armando look at Vance and Badenoch's lines.
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Build, Baby, Build!
Thu 13 Feb 2025
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis examine why politicians copy each other's language.
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Flying a Kite and Rolling the Pitch (with Rob Hutton)
Thu 6 Feb 2025
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis are joined by a guest, journalist Rob Hutton.
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Trump Derangement Syndrome
Thu 30 Jan 2025
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis identify the symptoms of Trump Derangement Syndrome.
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Free Speech Is Back!
Thu 23 Jan 2025
Helen and Armando use their free speech to decode Meta's new fact-checking rules.
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A Lawyer, Not a Leader
Thu 16 Jan 2025
Helen and Armando are back, and they're looking at what makes a good political attack.
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Listeners' Strong Messages
Thu 2 Jan 2025
Helen and Armando read some 'strong messages' from the listeners.
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Words of the Year
Boxing Day 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis break down the political language of 2024.
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The Tepid Bath of Managed Decline
Thu 19 Dec 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis take a dip in the tepid bath of managed decline.
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Reset, NOT Relaunch
Thu 12 Dec 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis hit the big button marked 'reset'.
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Becoming a Distraction
Thu 5 Dec 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis get distracted by politicians who become distractions.
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I Make No Apology For...
Thu 28 Nov 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis make no apology for examining the art of saying sorry.
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The Deep State
Thu 21 Nov 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis take a deep dive into the deep state.
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In Listening Mode
Thu 14 Nov 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis are talking about how politicians listen to the public.
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MAGA - Trump trumps Harris
Thu 7 Nov 2024
Armando Iannucci and Helen Lewis unpick the language that defined the 2024 US Election.
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Kemi-Kaze and political nicknames
Thu 24 Oct 2024
Armando and Helen look at the art of political name-calling.
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Introducing Strong Message Here
Thu 17 Oct 2024
Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci’s guide to the baffling world of political language.