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Michael Walker | |
|---|---|
 Michael Walker presentingTyskySour in 2020 | |
| Born | 1989/1990 (age 35–36) |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics (MSc) |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | PresentingNovara Live |
Michael Walker (born 1989 or 1990) is a British political journalist, presenter, commentator, and activist. He is a contributing editor atNovara Media, where he hosts the organisation's flagship live news programmeNovara Live (previouslyTyskySour).
Walker was born in 1989 or 1990.[1] Walker studied at theLondon School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he completed aMaster of Science degree in political sociology.[2]
Walker joinedNovara Media as a presenter and contributing editor. He hostsNovara Live, the organisation's regular live-streamed news and political commentary programme onYouTube, which was previously known asTyskySour.[3][1][4] Under Walker's hosting,Novara Live has been described as "the most watched online daily news show in the UK", with Novara Media's YouTube channel accumulating over 240 million total views and 739,000 subscribers.[5]
While covering the Labour Party conference in Brighton in September 2017, Walker and another journalist from Novara Media were denied entry bySussex Police. Reportedly refused press accreditation and barred from entering the event, Walker's exclusion was criticised by media freedom advocates including theIndex on Censorship, which described it as an infringement on journalistic freedom.[6]
Walker has also written articles for publications including theNew Statesman,[7]Jacobin,[8] andThe Independent.[9]
Walker launched the podcastCrash Course with Michael Walker in November 2022, with the first season focusing on Britain's rental crisis.[10] The podcast, described as "A crash course into the issues essential for understanding the word today", has published 52 episodes with an average length of 43 minutes.[11] In October 2024, Walker announced that the podcast would be taking a break until the new year, with plans for a relaunch featuring "a more consistent format and schedule".[12]
Walker regularly appears on television news programmes and debates, including appearances on theBBC,Sky News, andChannel 5. He has appeared onGB News, where he has been known to challenge the network's editorial stance on-air.[13] He has also appeared onPiers Morgan's programmes, includingPiers Morgan Uncensored.[14]
Walker's political views have evolved over time. In a 2019 podcast interview, he explained that he had "moved away from anarchism" and now identifies as a "class war social democrat". Walker's political commentary consistently focuses on economic inequality and housing policy. He has argued that "the failure of the state to build homes is the biggest cause of the affordability crisis, not restrictive planning laws".[7]
Walker was a strong supporter ofJeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party. In a 2019 appearance on BBC's This Week, Walker defended Corbyn's Brexit policy, arguing that Remainers had "struggled to get Leavers to back their campaign for a new EU referendum" and suggesting it was time Remainers "stopped blaming Corbyn for their own failings".[15] He has written analysis defending Corbyn's electoral performance, arguing inJacobin that "it wasn't only the media that defeated Jeremy Corbyn" but also internal party divisions.[8]
During an appearance on GB News in October 2023, Walker questioned the exclusive labelling ofHamas as a terrorist organisation, stating: "Only if we apply the same term to theIsraeli government." He argued that "there are extremists on both sides," cautioning against asymmetric moral framing. The comments prompted a fierce reaction fromKelvin MacKenzie, who denounced them as "an absolute shocker."[13]
In 2025, Walker was nominated alongsideAsh Sarkar for theAmnesty International UK Media Awards' inaugural "People's Choice Award", recognising their work onNovara Live. The nomination was made by Amnesty supporters who described their work as "informative, balanced and heroic" and praised their "commitment to independent, truthful journalism". The award was established to give the public the opportunity to vote for the UK journalist they believed had made an outstanding contribution to human rights reporting over the past year.[16][17]
Walker is gay.[18] In a 2017New Statesman profile, he described himself as an "activist first, journalist second" and a "class war social democrat".[1]