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.
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.
This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to look at how political actors use language.
Wes Streeting says there is a 'deep disillusionment in this country', and says there is a “growing sense of despair about whether anyone is capable of turning this country round". Why is that? And does politicians speaking in that way confound our misery? We look at Sarah Pochin's comments about black and asian people in adverts, and the responses across parliament to that. We also look at how much news is just speculation, and how politicians use speculation to further their arguments.
We also look at how we get our news - is it exhausting to have to keep fact checking things ourselves? Is it preferable to the alternative?
Armando shares his confusion at Immersive experiences, and Stewart invents a new word, and we hear about Starmer's charm offensive.
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us on strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Listen to Strong Message Here at 0945 on Radio 4, and an extended version is available on BBC Sounds.
Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coodinator: Jodie Charman Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Recorded at The Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
This week, Armando is joined again by comedian Ria Lina, and Political Editor of The Spectator, Tim Shipman.
We're looking back at looking back. In a week where a scandal-hit Prince renounces his titles and the Chinese spy case continues to pose questions of language for the government, people's previous decisions are being put under the spotlight, we look at how public figures respond to the repercussions of their past. Of course, hindsight is 20:20.
Speaking of 2020, there's also chat about the covid inquiry, and whether we're getting the results we need, or just lurid detail?
Got a strong message for Armando? Email us on strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Recorded at The Sound Company
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
One one hand, the world is going to hell, on the other, the age of terror and death has ended, so which is it? Stewart Lee joins Armando to take a look at this maximal approach to political language.
How do you do moderate politics with caps lock on? What's the smart way to diffuse complex arguments about politics? And given the details still to be worked out in the Isreal Gaza peace process, is this week's Peace Summit Trump's 'Mission Accomplished' moment?
Have a message for Armando? Drop us a line on strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Listen to Strong Message Here at 09:45 on Thursday mornings on Radio 4, or the extended version on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman Executive Producer: James Robinson Sound Editing: Chris MacLean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
Did you know Keir Starmer's dad was a toolmaker? Of course you did, because he repeated it every time he was in front a microphone for years.
Armando is joined by Natalie Haynes to discuss the use of repetition. How it can be an effective rhetorical technique for the likes of Cicero and Tony Blair, but grates when coming from others? We also look at the language of the recent Tory Party conference, political chocolate bars, and have a debate about the 'debate' politicians often say we need.
Have a strong message for Armando? Drop us a line on strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Executive producer - James Robinson Production Coordinator - Jodie Charman Sound editing - Chris Maclean
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
Armando is at the Labour Party conference (well, in a portakabin in a car park nearby - the glamour!), and is joined by Newscast's Adam Fleming to chat all things conference.
Has message discipline killed the party conference? Or does their own momentum still make them newsworthy? Looking at conferences past, we look at what makes them an interesting part of the political calendar, and how language comes to the fore.
Listen to Strong Message Here on Radio 4 at 9:45 on Tuesdays, and an extended version is available on BBC Sounds.
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
Stewart Lee returns to the show, to join Armando in discussing 'hurty words'.
With Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, and in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder, free speech is in the spotlight again. Those who railed against 'cancel culture' are now getting into 'consequence culture'. We also discuss how Marvel's superheroes might respond to the actions of their new owners, and whether you can pray in your own homes in this country anymore (spoiler alert, you can).
Listen to Strong Message Here on Radio 4, Thursdays at 9:45, and an extended version is available on BBC Sounds.
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
In the first episode of the new series, Armando Iannucci and guest co-host, Ria Lina look at the use and abuse of political language.
The political summer is often called 'silly season', but with global conflict and rising tensions at home, Armando and Ria look at the language that defined recent months including Keir Starmer's "Phase 2" and the word "plastic".
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.
Got a question for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Listen to Strong Message Here on Radio 4 at 9:45, and an extended version is available on BBC Sounds.
Recorded at The Sound Company Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow Sound editing by Chris Maclean Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
In the last of our summer mini-series, Helen brings a book by Terry Pratchett. To Helen's surprise, this is a blind spot for Armando, who hasn't read any despite being told to do so many times. Where do you start with such an extensive back catalogue? What makes Pratchett's satire so timeless? and has Helen found a new Pratchett super-fan in Armando?
Strong Message Here will return next week. If you have a strong message for Helen and Armando, please email strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
Armando has been watch Tehran on Apple TV. This multi-language show about spy agencies in Iran and Israel sheds gives you a glimpse in to life on the ground in these countries that you can't get from headlines alone. Like the Post Office scandal in the UK, why does it sometimes take a dramatisation to mobilise the public, and bring about change?
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
If you're interested in fantasy, and fancy taking on a responsibility equivalent to a part-time job, Helen recommends Elden Ring. A wildly popular Japanese video game which allows you to live in a world created by George RR Martin. With place and character names reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, we ask why that is the accepted register of fantasy. Could it be the detail and care which Tolkien gave to his languages, and the sounds of words denoting a sense of place, building a rich landscape? And with companies coming out of Silicon Valley with names like 'Palantir' and 'Mithril', why are the Tech-Right so obsessed with his creations?
Helen also grills Armando on his video-gaming history (whatever the audio equivalent of a 'blink' is, do that, and you'll miss it).
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
In 1998, a Japanese man was filmed in solitary confinement for our entertainment. Naked as the day he was born, which led to his suggestive nickname, the Japanese people were gripped by Tomoaki Hamatsu's journey. Today, can we see how reality TV has infected our storytelling and our language? Whether it's someone in Big Brother proudly declaring they'll 'say it to your face' or an Apprentice-host-turned-President telling you 'you're fired' - are these reality shows replacing the art of storytelling?
And Armando asks 'what is structured reality?', 'What is America's Next Top Model, and, more generally, 'What?!'.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
What is xenising? And why do authority figures do it? Can we trace Farage back to the shamans of the past? Helen recommends Dr Manvir Singh's book Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, which helps inform a discussion around ritual and our desire for formality, and even otherness, from authority figures.
Helen and Armando also debate whether ayahuasca retreats are ego trips, or enlightening experiences, and why they could never follow Thatcher's night time regimen.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
Fancy trying a new author, but don't know where to start? Armando recommends a short novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, and Helen shares a tip on how to try on a new author for size before committing.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
Helen has been to the theatre recently, so you don't have to! Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita has a moment in it which can be enjoyed by anyone who happens to be near the venue at about 9pm most nights across the summer. You can enjoy the showstopper yourself, whilst also adding to the experience of those in the venue who are missing out.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
This week, it's Armando's term to recommend something, and he makes the case for a little known up-and-coming writer, William Shakespeare. Richard II doesn't get its due among the other historical plays. Armando wonders why? It's full of drama and it's written in verse, what's not to love? Helen also discusses it in the context of the time, and what made it such a brave piece of writing.
We also discuss which Shakespearean historical figure modern politicians might be.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Maclean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
This week, Helen picks a book she's enjoyed recently. Jason Roberts' book from this year, Every Living Thing, details Carl Linnaeus and Du Buffon's attempts at taxonomy.
The naming conventions of various parts of our world have informed so much of our lives. From what we call different animals and plants, to how relatively arbitrary classification of human races may have helped justify the slave trade.
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris MacLean Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
To start off this mini-series, Armando picks a film he's enjoyed recently. Tim Key and Tom Basden's hit film The Ballad of Wallis Island started life as a short film, and has won plaudits for its offbeat, funny and warm story. How do films get made, when is the British film industry at his best, and what makes a film like this so special?
Join Helen and Armando over the summer for more cultural recommendations, available weekly on BBC Sounds.
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Sound Editing: Chris Mac Recorded at The Sound Company
Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.
This week, Helen and Armando look back at a year of the Labour government. What language has come out of if, and why is it struggling to define itself?
Looking at phrases from the year, like "The tepid bath of managed decline" and "National Health Recovery Mission Champions", does their language connect, and are there opponents any better?
Strong Message Here will be back on Radio 4 in September, but subscribe to BBC Sounds to hear Helen and Armando over the summer in Strong Message Here: Strong Recommend; a series of short episodes with their language-based cultural recommendations.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Chris Maclean Production Coordinator - Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
This week, Helen Lewis is back! In the longer edition, you can hear what Helen has been up to in her absence, before Helen and Armando set their sights on the language around Net Zero.
They ask, Why has it taken long for them to cover it on the show? Is it being framed in a relatable enough way? And, does it suffer from being part of an 'omnicause'?
Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Chris Maclean Production Coordinator - Sarah Nicholls and Becky Carewe-Jeffries Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci decodes the utterly baffling world of political language.
This week, Helen Lewis is still away, so Journalist Marina Hyde steps in to join Armando. They discuss what an ordinary person might be, and examine if politicians use them as cover? Why is it always that things 'ordinary people' are saying 'on the doorstep' just so happen to be the exact things they wanted to do anyway?
We also look at delivery in politics. Do we believe politicians when they say they'll deliver? And do we reward them fairly when they do?
Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.
Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk
Sound Editing by Chris Maclean Production Coordinator - Sarah Nicholls Executive Producer - Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
