In this week’s episode, we discuss whether MPs should be allowed to have side hustles second jobs, is it necessary given the potentially short lived career of MPs, or should they be fully focussed on the job at hand?

In Front Page Faceoff, we talk anxious women, and why young people can’t be bothered to get out of bed unless you pay them well.

Plus we open up the Rant Room, because this week there was plenty to rant about!!

And Maya leaves you, the audience, with a final challenge!

LINKS TO ARTICLES

Guardian Report on 2nd Jobs

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/apr/21/mps-second-jobs-parliament-guardian-analysis

Women Green Voters

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/25/young-men-reform-women-green-voters

Young People

Young Ppl not get out of bed for £40k https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/25/young-people-are-right-not-to-get-out-of-bed-less-40k/

Ed Sheeran

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/face/how-men-can-look-10-years-younger/

Ugly Baby names

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/the-big-business-of-baby-names/

If you would like to comment on this week’s topic and share your views, go to Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

TimeStamps:

START 00:00

Intro: 00:00:34

Nige Debate Start: 00:02:01

Maya: Debate Start: 00:14:09

FPFO: 00:26:30

Rant Room: 00:39:50

Leave Comments Outro: 00:49:10

In this week’s episode, we talk about reducing everyone’s working week to 4 days. Sounds like a great idea? Well you better listen in.

In Front Page Faceoff, we talk about the right to vote at the age of 16 - are 16 yr olds only good for a bit of fun, or are they actually mature enough to take an interest in their political future?

And we open up the Rant Room, where we discuss the recent Supreme Court ruling on ‘how to define woman’ in accordance to the Equalities Act 2010.

Links to articles

2023 BBC Article on 4 Day Working Week

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worklife/article/20230319-four-day-workweek-trial-the-firms-where-it-didnt-work

Votes for 16 yr olds

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/17/labour-keir-starmer-votes-16-year-olds-sorry-not-convinced

Supreme Court Ruling

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/16/critics-of-trans-rights-win-uk-supreme-court-case-over-definition-of-woman?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

If you would like to comment on this week’s topic and share your views, go to Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

TimeStamps:

START 00:00

Intro: 00:00:28

Maya: Debate Start: 00:01:14 Convince Me To Adopt A 4 Day Working Week

Nige Debate Start: 00:10:14 Convince Me Not To Adopt A 4 Day Working Week

FPFO: 00:34:48 Right To Vote For 16yr olds

Rant Room: 00:48:39 Supreme Court Ruling On The Definition of Woman

Leave Comments Outro: 01:07:22

In this week’s episode, we don’t mention Gary Stevenson once (unbelievable) but we do talk ‘strike action’ in the midst of the Birmingham Bin Strikes, which see rats running riots on the streets of the city (maybe?). Are strikes effective? What have we learnt from the junior doctors strike, the nurses strike, the Royal Mail strikes, the RMT strikes, aside from the fact that there have been a lot of strikes recently.

In Front Page FaceOff, we talk Liz Truss, not to Liz Truss, just about her, behind her back, as she is back in the limelight, writing an article in the Daily Telegraph, and launching a new social network, cos we need another one. Is she deluded, or genius, or a deluded genius?

Links to articles

Trump Is Right - article by Liz Truss

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/14/trump-bold-action-defeat-quangocracy/

Truss social network

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/apr/15/liz-truss-to-launch-uncensored-social-network-to-counter-mainstream-media

If you would like to comment on this week’s topic and share your views - go to Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Instagram or TikTok - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

TimeStamps:

START 00:00

Intro: 00:33

Nige Debate Start: 01:43 Convince Me Strikes Are Effective

Maya Debate Start: 07:14 Convince Me Strikes Are Not Effective

FPFO: 38:51 Liz Truss

Leave Comments Outro: 00:51:14

In this week’s episode, we take on the controversial subject of privatising the NHS (gasp!). As always, we try to avoid the drama as we present both sides of the issue, and suggest some reasons as to why this institution is so sacred among the British public.

In FrontPage FaceOff, we stay on topic and discuss the introduction of the NHS stamp by the Royal Mail, and another journalist is on a rant about people not using headphones on public transport (eye roll emoji).

In TikTok Takedown, Maya talks Ed Sheeran and his latest release Azizam - is he bridging cultural divides, or is it just cultural appropriation?

Obviously we give a shout out to Gary Stevenson, and the growing evidence that shows he just might be right.

If you would like to comment on this week’s topic and share your views, go to Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

Links to articles

Lord Darzi report into the state of the NHS:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-investigation-of-the-nhs-in-england/summary-letter-from-lord-darzi-to-the-secretary-of-state-for-health-and-social-care

Headphones article:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/09/where-have-all-the-headphones-gone-on-public-transport-the-noise-is-eating-into-my-soul?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

NHS Stamps article:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/09/nhs-letters-to-get-own-royal-mail-postage-class/

In this week’s episode, we get religious, kind of. Following the (right wing) media outburst last week when a Head Teacher at a primary school decided not to celebrate Easter, we decided to tackle the big question of whether Religious Education should be taught in schools at all.

In Front Page Faceoff, we’ll look at the phenomenon of ‘news avoidance’, and the value of ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees. We’ll also revisit last week’s episode on banning social media, with input from the UK Youth Parliament.

Plus Maya opens up the Rant Room, enters the Pink Pony Club and discussed Chappell Roan and her apparent disinterest in politics.

If you would like to vote in our poll, go to Spotify. Or leave comments on our YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

Links to articles

Deep & Meaningful - ONS Report

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/subject-report-series-religious-education/deep-and-meaningful-the-religious-education-subject-report#recommendations

News Avoidance

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/apr/01/outlets-seek-fresh-strategies-as-uk-poll-shows-news-avoidance-on-the-rise

Mickey Mouse Degrees

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/05/gen-z-shun-mickey-mouse-degrees-to-boost-career-chances/

Follow up on Social Media Ban

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/mar/27/banning-us-from-social-media-is-neither-practical-nor-effective-uk-teenagers-say

Having recently watched the brilliant Adolescence on Netflix, we decided to look at the pros and cons of banning social media for under 16s. Would this help to tackle the mental health crisis among 16-24 year olds, where there has been a noticeable increase in anxiety, depression, eating disorders etc? And what should we class as Social Media - TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat are the obvious ones, but what about WhatsApp, iMessages, Signal, Telegram - do they count?In Front Page Face Off, we consider the brilliant Gary Stevenson’s theories on inequality and whether a story in the Daily Telegraph proves his theory. And we also look at another Daily Telegraph article on immigration, and it’s not what you might think.And in TikTok takedown, Maya gets all riled up at GB News…… again…..If you would like to vote in our poll, go to Spotify. Or leave comments on our YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.ukSee you next week!Nige & MayaLinks to articlesMore In Common pollhttps://www.moreincommon.org.uk/our-w... US Government Reviewhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB... Daily Telegraph article on migrationhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/... Daily Telegraph article on holidayshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ne... TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@gbnews/video/... TimeStampsSTART 00:00Intro: 00:16:00Debate Start: 00:52:25 Debate End: 38:20:07FPFO: 38:25:05TikTok Takedown: 44:05:11Outro: 48:29:15

Given Keir Starmer’s Labour Government’s recent announcement of cuts to certain welfare benefits, namely cuts to PIP (Personal Independence Payment), we assess both sides of the argument - are they completely necessary, did the government have a choice?

Maya will deliver the poll results from last week’s episode on the Royal Family, and in Front Page Face Off, we look at the real effect of imposing VAT on Private School fees, in reference to a Daily Telegraph headline about a mass exodus of Brits abroad.

And in comment corner, Maya comes to terms with the vitriol of TikTok.

If you would like to vote in our poll, go to Spotify. Or leave comments on our YouTube, iTunes, Instagram - all @theconvincemepodcast.

If you'd like to get in touch, email us at studio@convinceme.co.uk

See you next week!

Nige & Maya

Links to articles

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/britons-rush-to-italy-and-greece-ahead-of-april-tax-raids/

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/10/no-exodus-to-state-sector-after-vat-added-to-private-school-fees-say-english-councils

PIP Eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/pip/eligibility

In this episode, we dive deep into the cases for and against the monarchy—its cost, its power (or lack thereof), and whether it still has a place in a modern democracy. From historical injustices to taxpayer burdens and the argument for an elected head of state, we explore the strongest reasons why abolishing the monarchy might just make sense.

Links to articles mentioned in the debate:

https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45654-where-does-public-opinion-stand-monarchy-ahead-cor

https://brandfinance.com/wp-content/uploads/1/bf_monarchy_report_2017.pdf

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18237280

Links to the article discussed in the front page face off:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/08/women-winning-more-than-ever-so-why-are-people-complaining/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/09/jobless-isolated-fed-misogynistic-porn-where-is-the-love-for-britains-lost-boys

Links to the article discussed in the rant room:

https://www.wired.com/story/x-ddos-attack-march-2025/

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To get in touch, email us at ⁠studio@convinceme.co.uk⁠

See you next week,

Nige and Maya

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