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Three Old Hacks

Three Old Hacks

By: Mihir Bose David Smith Nigel Dudley
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About this listen

Mihir Bose – former BBC Sports Editor, David Smith – Economics Editor of the Sunday Times and political commentator Nigel Dudley have been friends since they first met while working at Financial Weekly in 1980s. They have kept in touch regularly, setting the world to rights over various lunches and dinners. With coronavirus making that impossible, what do journalists do, deprived of long convivial lunches over a bottle of red wine or several? Why, podcast of course.Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com, we’d love to hear from you!© 2025 Three Old Hacks Politics & Government
Episodes
  • The vanity of Donald Trump
    Sep 19 2025

    The Three Old Hacks discuss the visit of Donald Trump and whether our Prime Minister's apparent fawning over him is the only way to treat someone so vain.

    "Flattery pays off with Trump", says David Smith, Economics editor of the Sunday Times. "You don't want to make an enemy of him".

    They note that Rupert Murdoch was on the guest list for dinner with the President of the United States, but Nigel Farage wasn't.

    "Farage is not as close to Trump as he makes out", says David.

    Also on their minds this week - political analyst Nigel Dudley, former sports editor of the BBC Mihir Bose, and economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith discuss the vulnerability of Keir Starmer's leadership of the Labour Party, Tommy Robinson's march in London and the role of the Office for Budget Responsibility.

    Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com, we’d love to hear from you!

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    1 hr
  • Trump wants a deal and Putin wants Ukraine
    Aug 21 2025

    The Three Old Hacks discuss the negotiations over Ukraine. Did Trump get rolled over by Putin? Would Mrs Thatcher have gone to America in the way the European leaders have? There have been lots of "vacuous generalisations" about what Europe's war aims are, but it is clear what the principal players want, says Nigel Dudley: Trump wants a deal and Putin wants Ukraine.

    Political analyst Nigel Dudley, former sports editor of the BBC Mihir Bose, and economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith discuss world affairs - Ukraine, Gaza, and for light relief they consider whether Britain is still a nation of tea drinkers and why a woman on a train wanted David's Sunday column for her hamster.

    Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com, we’d love to hear from you!

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    45 mins
  • When world leaders treat countries like personal playgrounds
    Aug 1 2025

    The Three Old Hacks look at what might lie behind Keir Starmer's announcement that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state, if Israel does not stop the war in Gaza.

    They celebrate the Lionesses' victory in the Euros and discuss Donald Trump's extraordinary behaviour during his recent visit to Scotland, where he behaved more like the country's monarch than a visiting dignitary.

    And they say goodbye to the satirist Tom Lehrer.

    Former Sports editor of BBC News Mihir Bose, political analyst Nigel Dudley and Economics Editor of the Sunday Times David Smith, aka the Three Old Hacks, setting the world to rights.

    Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com, we’d love to hear from you!

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    42 mins
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