Three Old Hacks

The past week has seen things go from bad to worse for Rishi Sunak, being called out for lying in the debate against Keir Starmer on the claim that Labour would increase taxes by £2,000 per household, then being accused of a lack of respect for coming home early from the D-Day celebrations, for which he has apologised. He cancelled media interviews at the weekend as support for the Conservatives d...

Mihir Bose, former BBC Sports News editor, talks to David Smith, Economics Editor of the Sunday Times, and political commentator Nigel Dudley about his memoir Thank you Mr Crombie - Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude to the British. Mihir grew up in India, just after Independence, part of a wealthy family with a hierarchy of servants, where as a child he was treated like a little prince. Had he stayed...

The Three Old Hacks have long memories. Former BBC Sports News editor Mihir Bose, Economics Editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political analyst Nigel Dudley have been covering the nation's major events for decades and are well placed to compare and contrast the pre-election antics of politicians. Harold Wilson smoked a pipe in public, in an attempt to appear a 'man of the people...

The Three Old Hacks discuss the power of the people. Recorded the day after the chaotic Gaza vote in Parliament, they consider the safety of MPs, the leverage voters have to influence them, the impact of a powerful grassroots movement supported by social media and also the power of TV drama to galvanise public opinion, as evidenced by the TV drama Mr Bates and the Post Office . They discuss the le...

The intrusions into the private lives of celebrities rehashed by the phone hacking case brought by Prince Harry against Mirror Group Newspapers represent a "dreadful low" in the history of British journalism, says Mihir Bose. The High Court ruled that Harry was a victim of phone hacking on multiple occasions, as were his friends. Former BBC Sports News editor Mihir discusses the "ch...

The Culture and Media Secretary Lucy Frazer has intervened to scrutinise the sale of the Daily Telegraph to a company backed by the Abu Dhabi ruling family, over concerns around public interest. Would they interfere with the editorial in pursuance of their interests? It wouldn't be the first time a newspaper owner had tried it, with more or less success. The Three Old Hacks, aka Sunday Times...

Our podcast with The Three Old Hacks, aka former BBC Sports News editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith, and political analyst Nigel Dudley, has been described as ‘the modern equivalent of Jerome K Jerome’s book Three Men in a Boat ‘ by broadcaster and journalist Lucy Beresford. Like George, Harris and Jerome they are old friends who consider themselves overworked and...

 Former BBC Sports News editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political analyst Nigel Dudley continue setting the world to rights with their podcast Three Old Hacks . This week their subject is spies, and how the journalistic profession lends itself to approaches from foreign powers.  Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com , we’d lov...

Much has been written and said about the Nigel Farage ‘debanking’ story. Thinking a client is a ‘disingenuous grifter’ or a xenophobic racist is not supposed to be a good enough reason for a bank to deny someone an account. But what about the journalism involved in breaking the story? Was the BBC’s Business Editor Simon Jack right to have broadcast a story based on the word of a very senior figure...

The Three Old Hacks, aka Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith , former Sports News editor at the BBC and author of many books about sport, Mihir Bose , and political commentator Nigel Dudley , have been chewing over the week's news - in particular the cricket, and whether or not the Australians have behaved abominably. Warming to their theme, they discuss gamesmanship, colonialism, the J...

 Flags flying upside down, Rishi Sunak being criticised for 'not being grounded in our culture' despite his perfect reading from the scriptures at the coronation, and Nigel being accused of being a Marxist for taking the dog for a walk during the ceremony. The Three Old Hacks chew over the coronation, the national anthem (time for a new one?) and the admirable state of Penny Mordaunt&apo...

From Gwyneth Paltrow to the protests in France and Israel and the perennial subjects of Boris Johnson’s career and the state of the economy, the Three Old Hacks, aka former BBC Sports News editor Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley, discuss the week’s news. Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com , we’d l...

As the war in Ukraine marks its grim one-year anniversary, the Three Old Hacks, aka former Sports News editor at the BBC Mihir Bose, Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley, discuss whether we have clear aims in this war and how it might end. 1:09 They talk about the SNP leadership battle and whether religion and politics mix in the 21st century. 13:...

Mihir Bose – former BBC Sports Editor, David Smith – Economics Editor of the Sunday Times and political commentator Nigel Dudley discuss the hot topic- Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs They thought he should jump, and apologise for embarrassing the Prime Minister, but as it turned out he was pushed, a couple of days after they recorded the podcast. They talk about the way he tried to turn the story aro...

“No nation in Europe is more haughty and disdainful, nor more conceited in an opinion of its superior excellence.” This quote from a French Viscount about Britain some 400 years ago reminds us nothing much has changed, says political analyst Nigel Dudley. He’s been reading “a wonderful book about the Stuarts”, Devil-Land by Dr Clare Jackson. In the first podcast of 2023 Nigel and his two old mates...

A football World Cup and a Budget, what better subjects could Mihir Bose, former sports news editor at the BBC, Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith and political analyst Nigel Dudley wish for, to talk about? Let's just say, in a pub quiz if either of those subjects came up, you would want these guys on your team. Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook.com , we...

The Sunday Times Economics Editor David Smith was with fellow ‘old hacks’ Mihir Bose, former sports news editor at the BBC, and political analyst Nigel Dudley recording their podcast for The Chiswick Calendar when the news broke on Friday that Kwasi Kwarteng had been jettisoned. New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already unpicked the growth strategy which David described as “a gamble that had failed s...

The Three Old Hacks, who regularly review the week's news for us, recorded a podcast on Thursday morning, before the Queen's death was announced. "Spare us from this false positivism", says Nigel Dudley, commenting on Liz Truss's keynote speech after she was elected Leader of the Conservative Party and our new Prime Minister. "She sounded like a midwife on speed"...

In their previous podcast Mihir Bose said he thought Boris Johnson would lead the Conservative Party into the next election and not only that, but he would win it. David and Nigel remind him of that as this week they discuss whether it will be Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak who will replace him. Former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose , Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political com...

Mihir Bose thinks he will and not only that, he will lead the Conservative party to win it. David and Nigel disagree. What will be the deciding factor? It's the economy, stupid.  Former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose , Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discuss the week’s news. Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@ou...

The Three Old Hacks discuss Partygate, racism in sport and the cost of living crisis. "We've never had a situation in the UK where job vacancies are greater than the number of unemployed" says David Smith. "Inflation is the highest it has been since the 1980s." Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose , Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and politic...

The Three Old Hacks discuss the world's response to Putin's war. UK journalists give the impression the whole world was pro-Ukraine, but that is not the case, says Mihir Bose. Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose , Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley discussing the week’s news with the jaundiced eye of those who have been...

The Three Old Hacks discuss the war in Ukraine, President Zelensky’s moving speech to the British parliament and Britain’s “mean-spirited” approach to refugees. Listen to former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose , Economics editor of the Sunday Times David Smith and political commentator Nigel Dudley on the events of the past week. Get in contact with the podcast by emailing threeoldhacks@outlook....

The Three Old Hacks are back, raising a glass to celebrate the work done by journalistic colleagues in unveiling the various parties that took place at Downing St during lockdown. Sky TV, the Mirror and the Daily Telegraph all come in for special mentions, as does Liz Truss, but she gets a special mention for rather a different reason: as the Foreign Secretary who didn’t know Rostov was in Russia....

The Three Old Hacks discuss this week whether or not the prime minister has lost it. He appears to be “teetering on the edge of appearing out of control” they think. It’s hard to bluster your way through a speech when someone else has written it for you and you clearly haven’t read it, especially as you’re just got to the “and here’s what we’re going to do about it” bit. There’s a distinct sound o...