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Strong Message Here
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About this listen

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.

(C) BBC 2026
Episodes
  • Listeners' Strong Messages (with Stewart Lee)

    Listeners' Strong Messages (with Stewart Lee)
    Jan 1 2026

    It's New Year's day, so Armando and Stewart are dipping into the very real, physical listeners' mailbag.

    In a loose and end-of-term episode, with some adult humour, we talk about the misuse of the phrase 'bad apples', Stewart thanks Armando for his leadership, and are treated to unexpected, slightly fruity, film reviews of 'Who Dares Wins' and 'Cats'.

    We also hear about Armando's ambassador for 'pace', Stewart's artistic skills, and some alternatives to the phrase 'fighting age males'.

    Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

    Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Giulia Mazzu Executive Producer: Richard Morris Recorded at The Sound Company

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Words of the Year (with Natalie Haynes)

    Words of the Year (with Natalie Haynes)
    Dec 18 2025

    As the year comes to a close, Natalie Haynes joins Armando to discuss and dissect the words of 2025.

    Looking at official lists, and conjuring up some of their own, they set about breaking down the language that defined another frenetic year. We find out what links all of the official words of the year, and why we can learn a lesson from Austria when choosing them. Armando also denies he writes Pete Hegseth's speeches, and Natalie denies she is in a parasocial relationship with Taylor Swift

    Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

    Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Giulia Mazzu Executive Producer: Richard Morris Recorded at The Sound Company

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Civilisational Erasure (with Stewart Lee)

    Civilisational Erasure (with Stewart Lee)
    Dec 11 2025

    Is 'Civilisational Erasure' upon us?

    This week, Armando is joined again by Stewart Lee to look at this phrase, and others from the US' new National Security Strategy. Would this kind of language have been unthinkable even a few years ago?

    We also look at other elements of the strategy, and whether it's time to forget the idea that Trump is playing '3-dimensional chess' with his language. Outside civilisational erasure, we look at whether leaders need to communicate on social media, given Starmer's new TikTok account and Liz Truss' YouTube show both launched this week.

    If you want to know what Liz Truss has got against Gails, and why 70s sitcoms are back in the spotlight both sides of the Atlantic, then this programme is for you.

    Got a strong message for Armando? Email us on strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk to have your missive read out in our listener mailbag special.

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
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