Comedy

Strong Message Here

by BBC Radio 4

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United Kingdom · Comedy

#67

Pulse 13

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About the show

Armando Iannucci hosts the programme that gives you a cast-iron guarantee to be laser-focused on decoding the baffling world of political language. Each week he'll be joined by a guest to crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to demystify 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. Listen to Strong Message Here on Thursdays on Radio 4 at 9.45am, and an extended version is available on BBC Sounds. Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4.

Latest episodes

Political Capital (with Pierre Novellie)

September 30, 2026 · 33 min

Armando is joined by comedian Pierre Novellie this week, and they’re going to have an honest conversation about political capital. Looking at some of the phrases and language being used around Burnham’s decision to spend his political…
We Care, We Fight! (with Stewart Lee)

September 23, 2026 · 36 min

Stewart Lee returns to the show after a summer judging dog shows with Charlotte Church. He and Armando look at the Lib Dem conference, and why the 'word cloud' is not Ed Davey's friend. They also have some helpful and serious suggestions…
I Wasn't Even Listening (with Natalie Haynes)

September 16, 2026 · 33 min

Armando is back from a summer break to look at the use and abuse of political language. Joined by friend of the show, Natalie Haynes, they mournfully fell the Keir Starmer Metaphor tree, and find a suitable replacement for the Andy Burnham…
Doing Politics Differently (with Phil Wang and Pierre Novellie)

July 1, 2026 · 38 min

This week, Phil Wang steps in for Armando, and is joined by comedian Pierre Novellie to discuss 'doing politics differently'. Digging into the language of Burnham's speech, we examine what he means by 'place', and whether we will see an…
A Swift Transition (with Matt Forde and Ria Lina)

June 24, 2026 · 34 min

Armando is under the weather this week, so in true World Cup style, we have called up a super sub. Matt Forde steps in to host, and Ria Lina joins him to discuss the big news of the week. Is it a bit rich of the Labour Party to claim they…
It's All Signed (with Stewart Lee)

June 17, 2026 · 31 min

Stewart Lee joins Armando to look at the detail, or lack thereof in the US and Iran deal. What is a memorandum of understanding? Does the language of UFC apply to this deal? And are Shoreditch hipsters running Iran's social media…
Fanning the Flames (with Hugo Rifkind)

June 10, 2026 · 35 min

Hugo Rifkind joins Armando, fresh from interviewing a highland cow, to discuss the phrase 'fanning the flames'. Can a politician ever avoid politicising an issue? How is that different from weaponising? And does journalism have a role in…
There's Been An Under-Discussion (with Natalie Haynes)

June 3, 2026 · 36 min

Natalie Haynes joins Armando to look at the differing language used when discussing the benefits and risks of the AI revolution. Is it just 'a thing' which is beyond debate? What does non-zero actually mean? And we examine the language of…