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Oh God, What Now?

543 episodes - English - Latest episode: 24 days ago - ★★★★★ - 70 ratings

Making sense of our political hell every Tuesday and Friday! Oh God, What Now? is the no-bulls**t politics podcast, making the unbearable bearable with top quality guests and analysis, plus poor quality jokes. 
Regulars include: Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry Of Truth: A Biography of Orwell’s 1984 and host of Origin Story • Alex Andreou, writer, commentator, cook, actor, secret agent • Writer and commentator Ros Taylor • Rachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Hannah Fearn of the i paper • Comedian Matt Green • New Statesman policy and politics corresponent Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis
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Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production

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Episodes

2024 preview: A pint of wine with friends

January 05, 2024 04:20 - 1 hour

It’s 2024 and Rishi Sunak is up to his old tricks. The panel discusses what lies ahead for the year, plus all you might have missed over the festive period – from Sunak's meeting with Cummings to the pint of wine discourse. And in the extra bit for subscribers, what’s in and what's out for 2024 according to our panel? “I think 2024 could be the year of reclassifying things off of your to do list.” – Zoe Grunewald “Sunak’s big problem is Reform UK.” – Alex Andreou “Why would you trust Domin...

End of Year Special: The 12 Absolute Worst People of 2023

December 21, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour

What have Donald Trump, Suella Braverman, and 495 voters in Uxbridge and South Ruislip all got in common? That’s right, they’re all terrible. For our last episode of the year, we’ve decided to put together a list of our 12 villains of Christmas. And in the extra bit for subscribers only, it’s the festive season – so what wholesome traditions does the panel have at Christmas? • “Nadine Dorries either genuinely has absolutely zero self-awareness, or she’s taking the piss.” – Alex Andreou • “Bo...

Confessions of a Bra Baroness

December 19, 2023 04:00 - 50 minutes

Michelle Mone admits lying to the media about her PPE links – but hey, that ain’t a crime! What will the repercussions be of her belated honesty? Plus, Labour is getting ready for a spring election. Should we be braced for campaigns to start in earnest once the tinsel’s been taken down? And Christmas is a boring time for political geeks. The panel discusses getting through a period of little to no Westminster news.  • “People do hate the press, but you only have to take it one step further to...

Do they know it’s Rishmas time? Part Two – Live at London’s Comedy Store

December 15, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

Ho Ho Ho God, What Now? It’s part two of the OGWN Christmas live show as Dorian, Ros, Alex and special guest James O’Brien return for a half-time freshener at London’s legendary Comedy Store and look to the future. What’s waiting down the line for the next Government (whomever they may be)? Who’s looking like a future Cabinet star and who looks like trouble? Plus questions from our well-refreshed audience.  Support us on Patreon to get early access to all our live tickets plus mugs, t-shirts...

Do they know it’s Rishmas time? Part One – Live at London’s Comedy Store

December 14, 2023 14:35 - 49 minutes

O come all ye tofu-eating wokerati… It’s part one of the OGWN Christmas live show with Dorian, Ros, Alex and special guest James O’Brien, LBC’s sharp-witted inquisitor-general, gathering before a well-refreshed audience at London’s world-famous Comedy Store. On the agenda: How did Sunak blow it so badly in 2023? We take a world tour of Planet Rishi and all its many troublespots. Part two will be with you tomorrow…   Support us on Patreon to get early access to all our live tickets plus mugs,...

Sunak feels the walls closing in

December 12, 2023 04:00 - 55 minutes

As Sunak squirms in the Commons and the COVID Inquiry, we wonder what will sink him first. His defence of Eat Out To Help Out The Virus? Or his own impossible-to-please backbenchers? Plus, how would the Tory Right’s feverish fan-fiction plan for a Boris Johnson-Nigel Farage Dream Ticket play out?  • “The last Tory leader who said ‘Unite or die’ was Ian Duncan Smith, two weeks before they ousted him.” – Seth Thévoz • “We’re treating the COVID Inquiry like it’s going to provide catharsis – and...

EmergencyCast: Sunak's Week from Hell – Plus, Johnson's COVID Inquiry Shame-Fest.

December 08, 2023 17:31 - 35 minutes

Rishi Sunak’s week from hell really got into full swing after our last recording – so here we are with an emergency podcast. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to explain why Jenrick’s resignation got Sunak sweating so much. Plus, Johnson’s been giving his evidence at the Covid inquiry – how’s that been going? And what should we pay attention to? “Sunak must also suspect this is a coordinated move, which makes it all the more menacing.” – Alex Andreou “All of this cannot continue to surprise u...

EmergencyCast: Sunak's Week from Hell – Plus, Johnson's COVID Inquiry Shame-Fest

December 08, 2023 17:31 - 34 minutes

Rishi Sunak’s week from hell really got into full swing after our last recording – so here we are with an emergency podcast. Alex Andreou joins Jacob Jarvis to explain why Jenrick’s resignation got Sunak sweating so much. Plus, Johnson’s been giving his evidence at the Covid inquiry – how’s that been going? And what should we pay attention to? “Sunak must also suspect this is a coordinated move, which makes it all the more menacing.” – Alex Andreou “All of this cannot continue to surprise u...

Braverman goes full Rivers of Blood.

December 07, 2023 12:05 - 1 hour

Poor James Cleverley. Can’t a guy just announce his psychotically cruel migration policy without Braverman heckling that it isn’t fashy enough in her resignation* speech? We look at the Tories’ performatively mean new immigration plans and why they’ll never be enough for Beerhall Sue. Plus your questions answered in a But Your Emails Special, why on Earth would Starmer say he admires Thatcher, and Lord Moylan rizzes up Alex. * FACT CHECK: She was sacked. • “These immigration rules are going t...

Braverman goes full Rivers of Blood

December 07, 2023 12:05 - 1 hour

Poor James Cleverley. Can’t a guy just announce his psychotically cruel migration policy without Braverman heckling that it isn’t fashy enough in her resignation* speech? We look at the Tories’ performatively mean new immigration plans and why they’ll never be enough for Beerhall Sue. Plus your questions answered in a But Your Emails Special, why on Earth would Starmer say he admires Thatcher, and Lord Moylan rizzes up Alex. * FACT CHECK: She was sacked. • “These immigration rules are going t...

How to endure Sunak's dying government

December 05, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

You might have noticed how terrible Rishi Sunak’s government is on basically everything, yet, if you listen to his cabinet you might think it’s all going swimmingly. How do we survive the next few months of a government eating itself alive without losing our sanity? Plus, why does British politics find it so hard to deal with religious issues? That’s Oh God, What Now? with guest Times Radio’s Hugo Rifkind. “It’s like watching a man who’s watching his house falling down, running from small DI...

ExtraCast! – Matt Hancock bullsh*ts the Covid Inquiry

December 01, 2023 17:28 - 32 minutes

Matt Hancock has been giving evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry and frankly he’s not done himself any good. Alex Andreou has been locked in to the sessions on Thursday and Friday. He joins Andrew Harrison to unpack what the former Health Secretary said – and just how badly he came across.  • “His appearance was always going to be very defensive.” – Alex Andreou • “He was doing the same bullshitting that he was being accused of.” – Alex Andreou • “Someone of his limited ability should never hav...

Israel/Hamas ceasefire: What's changed and what's next?

December 01, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

The first ceasefire deal in the Israel/Hamas conflict has been signed and hostages have been released. How will the war continue after this pause ends? Yair Wallach is a cultural historian of modern Palestine/Israel at SOAS University of London and joins the panel to discuss. Plus, With the Tories suffering so much in the polls how scared of the Reform UK party should they be? And in the extra bit for subscribers we ask: has Rishi Sunak lost his marbles? We unpack his row with Greece over anc...

James and the Giant Screech

November 28, 2023 04:00 - 58 minutes

Net migration is at a record high in the UK, and as you might expect the Tories are tearing their hair out over it. After the failure of the Rwanda plan, Home Secretary James Cleverly sayid that plan is not the “be all and end all”, angering those on the very right of his party. Can Sunak provide a credible answer to the backlash the Tory party has received over its migration policies? Or has it lost all public trust? And the general election is somewhere on the horizon, but does it really ma...

Mini-Budget ’23: Get Back in Your Red Box

November 24, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

Hold tight for the white-hot excitement of the Autumn Statement! Why is Jeremy Hunt cutting taxes when public services are in the toilet? And what’s gone under the radar? Special guest Miatta Fahnbulleh of the New Economics Foundation has the receipts and the cheats. Plus, the great inheritance tax panic. Why is a tax that only 4% of estates pay such a hot potato?  Boost the economy! Don’t miss the Podmasters Christmas Market at podmarket.co.uk • “Hunt said very little about how he’s going to...

Rwanda: Carry On Deportin’?

November 21, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

The Rwanda plan is in tatters but when did that ever stop the Government from ploughing on mindlessly? Plus, is it hard to wage war on the House of Lords when that’s where your new Foreign Secretary sits? And why Suella Braverman’s fulminating letter to Sunak was exactly the same as ‘Stan’ by Eminem.  Don’t miss the Podmasters Christmas Market at podmarket.co.uk ...with discounts available for backers! https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow • “The Tories are not trying to distract US with Rwand...

After All, You’re My Rwanda-Wall

November 17, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

Complete our listener survey for a chance to win an OGWN t-shirt or mug: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92531764 The Supreme Court throws out the Government’s Rwanda plan quicker than a Cruella tantrum. Is the infamous scheme dead or will the Government have the brass neck to appeal to the ECHR? Plus the Thug Life madness of the Braverman Letter, why David Cameron is the Harold Bishop of Conservatism, Greg Hands finds there is no job left, and Esther McVey, Minister for GB News.  This week’s s...

Revolting Doors: The Cruella and Cameron Show

November 14, 2023 04:00 - 56 minutes

Complete our listener survey for a chance to win an OGWN t-shirt or mug: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92531764 Suella Braverman’s out (finally) and former PM David Cameron’s in – what on Earth is going on?! The panel reflects on Braverman’s sacking and the latest reshuffle. Plus, free firework displays and other events of the sort are becoming more rare up and down the country. Are cash-strapped councils pricing young people out of culture? Is it even their fault? “Braverman was a liabilit...

Charlie and the Bullsh*t Factory

November 10, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

Complete our listener survey for a chance to win an OGWN t-shirt: https://www.patreon.com/posts/92531764 Imagine waiting 73 years to become King and then you get dog-end policies from the bottom of a dying government’s drawer for your first speech to Parliament. We look at what’s in Rishi’s Big Plans – cigs! pedicabs! – and what’s conspicuous by its absence. Plus, does it matter whether Starmer is “statesmanlike” on Gaza or not? And Dorian sets up the Institution for Neutral Thinking.  Dr R...

Bills and no mates

November 07, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

“Watch this space” said Rishi Sunak ahead of the King’s speech – well we have been watching it and it’s been catastrophic so far. Apart from vowing to halt climate saving policies, what is their long term plan and is there even a point of having one? PLUS, it’s almost exactly a year until the polls open in the US election, how are things looking? Could Trump turn it around, or is it in the bag for Biden and the Democrats? This week’s guest is Julie Norman, co-director of the Centre on US Poli...

F**k-pigs and Englishmen

November 03, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour

Dominic Cummings gave a colourful account of life in Downing Street at the Covid inquiry this week. Other than him describing people as “morons” and “useless f**k-pigs” – what else did we learn? Plus, our guest this week is the public policy editor of the Financial Times, Peter Foster. He joins the panel to discuss his new book – What Went Wrong With Brexit And What We Can Do About It.  Peter Foster’s book: https://canongate.co.uk/books/5012-what-went-wrong-with-brexit-and-what-we-can-do-abo...

Britain’s Not Got Talent? Plus Labour’s response to war in Gaza

October 31, 2023 04:00 - 53 minutes

War in Gaza is getting worse by the day. How is Labour and the rest of Europe dealing with the conflict between Israel and Hamas? TIME writer Yasmeen Serhan has been speaking to people inside the war zone – she shares what she’s learned from those conversations. Plus, who on Earth would want to be an MP in today's day and age? Well, hundreds apparently. Will the next generation emerge to be great political leaders? Or will we be short of Parliamentary talent once again?  "I can understand wh...

Inside the Great Water Rip Off – With Special Guest Feargal Sharkey

October 27, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

After being battered by two byelections, where could the Tories possibly turn next? That’s right more of the same – no wonder the votes of no confidence are pouring into the 1922 committee. PLUS, Speaking of pouring, the water companies are destroying our waterways and running away with huge profits. Why? And how can we fix the system? Prominent Water campaigner Feargal Sharkey joins the panel to discuss all that. And in the extra bit for subscribers the panel answers the question: How do we ...

Rishi Sunak and the One-Year Itch

October 24, 2023 02:00 - 1 hour

Two disastrous by-election losses have sent the Tories into crisis as Rishi Sunak approaches a year in office. What can we expect next from this flailing and failing party? Plus, is private healthcare becoming the norm for more Britons? And, if so, could that impact the NHS’s ability to provide a better service?  “Both Sunak and Hands are committed to this line that it’s all about turnout.” – Hannah Fearn “Why are Conservative PMs so bad with their phones?” – Zoe Grunewald We’re on YouTube...

Emergency By-Election Gloatcast – What Mid-Beds and Tamworth mean

October 20, 2023 12:45 - 24 minutes

SPECIAL EDITION: You’ve made your Mid-Beds, now lie in it. As Labour register stupendous victories in the former constituencies of tragic never-to-be Baroness Dorries (Mid-Beds) and poster boy for nominative determinism Chris Pincher (Tamworth), the Conservatives break out their emergency supplies of copium. What does it all mean? Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison read the entrails of two historic by-elections.  Audio producer: Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarv...

Can Europe handle another Trump presidency?

October 20, 2023 03:00 - 55 minutes

The Israel-Hamas conflict is as intense as ever – but who can we trust to tell us what we need to know? The panel discusses the latest. Plus, the prospect of Donald Trump winning the next US election looms. What would that mean for Europe? And in the extra bit for subscribers a group of MEP’s were diverted to Disneyland in a bizarre turn of events earlier this week, what’s the weirdest diversion our panel have faced in their careers? That’s Oh God, What Now? with guest Brian Klaas, associate ...

Gross and Grosser Negligence: Inside The COVID Inquiry

October 17, 2023 03:00 - 59 minutes

The second leg of the Covid Inquiry is very much underway and Johnson’s government looks evermore like a "terrible, tragic joke". They’re not our words but those of Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. What else did we learn about the handling of the pandemic? And there’s been a small influx of Tory defection to Labour, meanwhile, former SNP MP Lisa Cameron has moved over to the Conservatives. What’s going on? “It’s a sort of confirmation of what we thought might be the worst case scenario.” – Alex...

Can Starmer Get Back to the Future?

October 13, 2023 03:00 - 55 minutes

The Labour Party Conference is over – Keir Starmer glittered, but did he shine? We’ve got reaction from Labour MP Stella Creasy, Rock and Roll Politics host Steve Richards and The Trawl podcast’s Marina Purkiss. The panel also discusses the best political orators from the past and present. And in the extra bit for subscribers – what's the scary new appeal of the occult and the irrational? “It was quite bizarre really to be somewhere so normal.” – Jacob Jarvis. “It was an unremarkable speech...

Hope in Liverpool, horror in Israel

October 10, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

Labour’s Conference in Liverpool is rammed and optimistic but Starmer is desperate not to look triumphalist. What must he do this week to seal the deal with Britain? Plus, as Hamas’s atrocities horrify the world, we look at what the unprecedented crisis in Israel means – the monstrous arguments that certain people think it’s OK to make – and why blue ticks are a red flag.  Dorian Lynskey, Hannah Fearn and Alex Andreou are joined by special guest Hugo Rifkind of The Times.  • “If you compare...

The Tories Finally Lose Their Minds

October 06, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

We really didn’t think things could get much worse, then Rishi Sunak took to the stage. His Tory conference speech was almost indescribable in terms of how awful it was. Suella Braverman was also at it being her usual offensive self, while the party decided to have a little flirt with Nigel Farage too. Plus, we discuss the issue of respect in politics – and how MPs can prove to the public they respect them. Luke Tryl, the UK director of More in Common, joins the panel to discuss research on t...

In Manchester, So Much To Answer For

October 03, 2023 03:00 - 53 minutes

If Rishi Sunak hoped the Tory conference might be a gathering of friendly faces he must be very disappointed. The constant HS2 controversy is bogging him down and he’s witnessing rivals pitch to replace him already… Plus, while the Conservatives fall apart, Labour aren’t without their wobbles. Is Starmer too quickly knocked off course when the media turns nasty?  “There is a sense that the right-wingers are on the front foot, and that the one nation Tories are taking a back seat.” – Ros Tayl...

TASTER: Paper Cuts – Now 5 days a Week!

October 02, 2023 03:00 - 20 minutes

If you haven’t tried our new podcast PAPER CUTS yet, here are some of the best bits from last week... PAPER CUTS is the modern press review and it’s been such a hit that we’re now doing it five days a week. From Monday to Friday, Miranda Sawyer and guests look at what’s behind the biggest stories, and bring you the weirdest headlines, the biggest scoops and the most astonishing manifestations of mass newspaper neurosis. Guests this week include Marcus Brigstocke, Ava Santina, Grainne Maguire,...

The Great Train Robbery

September 29, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

Forget HS2, the current systems of public transport we have barely work. Other countries can manage it, so why can’t we? Are transport issues going to be a big selling point in the next election? Plus, Britons are more liberal now since the National Centre for Social Research began its first survey in 1983. Does that surprise you? And in the extra bit for subscribers, the Hollywood writers’ strike is over, what’s been agreed to get our favourite shows back on our screens? “People like the id...

If I Only Had a Train

September 26, 2023 03:00 - 55 minutes

HS2 was greenlit over a decade ago and now the Manchester extension seems doomed. What does that say about Sunak’s priorities? Does he even have a mandate anymore? And even if he does, is it too late to make it make sense? Plus, hands up, who hates London? Will the UK ever sort out the North vs South debate? That’s Oh God, What Now? with Andrew Harrison, Alex Andreou and Marie Le Conte. “In the end it will just be two steam trains between two villages ironically named HS2.” – Alex Andreou. ...

ExtraCast: Murdoch He Wrote

September 22, 2023 16:39 - 29 minutes

Rupert Murdoch has finally retired… kind of. He’s stepping down as Fox and News Corps chairman. His son, Lachlan, will now take on the role, how will he rule? And what does this all mean for Fox News and the rest of the media mogul’s empire? Dan Cassino is a Professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He’s also the author of Fox News and American Politics: How One Channel Shapes American Politics and Society. “I think we are past a crisis point with Fox News … and...

Green Goblin Sunak is Hostile to the Environment

September 22, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

This week's sponsor is the Disorder Podcast - listen here: https://linktr.ee/disorderpod Rishi Sunak disappoints again on the environment – the panel give their reaction to the delays he announced on key Net Zero deadlines. Plus, ‘Broken Britain’ is a phrase we’ve been hearing for a while but now it’s not just the left saying it. Is there a general consensus across all sides? And the online safety bill is still knocking around but it’s getting ever close to passing. Tech expert and founder of...

No Money for Old Blokes

September 19, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

This week's sponsor is the Disorder Podcast - listen here: https://linktr.ee/disorderpod As Liz Truss defends tanking the economy, the Government is wrangling whether to keep giving more money to OAPs. Is a pension crisis looming? Plus, Starmer’s been trotting around the world in an attempt to fix some of the damage of the last 13 years – will the likes of the EU listen? Or have we pushed it too far? “Starmer wants to see a cultural change in our attitudes to the EU - to take the toxicity ou...

Calm Before the Starm

September 15, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

With unions gathering for the TUC conference, parties are setting out how to engage with workers. Will Sunak change, and how will Starmer deal with them? Plus, we take a deep dive into Starmer’s leadership. How does he compare to the likes of Harold Wilson - when (if ever) will he have his own ‘white heat’ moment? That’s Oh God, What Now? With special guest Anthony Broxton, who runs the Tides of History project and is author of Hope and Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher’s Britain. https://www....

Chalk It Up to Experience

September 12, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

There’s no escape for Justice Secretary Alex Chalk as he faces questions over the state of our justice system. Daniel Khalife’s runner from HMP Wandsworth is only a small example of its decaying state. So why does a government with such a hardline stance on crime struggle to fund the justice system? Plus, comedian Matt Green tells us why our plight often makes us want to laugh as he discusses political comedy in bleak times. And hope is on the horizon – literally. The UK’s rejoining the EU’s ...

Schools and Hard Knocks – plus guest Barry Gardiner MP

September 08, 2023 03:00 - 57 minutes

There’s concrete evidence the Tories have messed up again – literally. School roofs are crumbling, but the Government is bragging at least most are fine… Plus, the PM says he cares about Net Zero, but does he really? And in the extra bit for subscribers, hot mic moments can reveal more than a whole interview. But are they ethical? That’s Oh God, What Now? With very special guest, Labour MP for Brent North, Barry Gardiner. “It’s a perfect physical manifestation of 13 years of the Tories being...

Every Day I'm Shufflin'

September 05, 2023 03:00 - 54 minutes

As Rishi Sunak wrangles with the school cement fiasco, he’s also been forced into a timid reshuffle. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has also tweaked his top team. Who’s in, who’s out and who cares? And Penny Mordaunt wants to give young people National Service (but not really) to increase "resilience and pride". Out of touch? Or is this a scheme that could actually work?  “It’s not so much mismanagement as it is the entire Conservative approach.” – Ros Taylor “It really is the epitome of everythin...

Crime Week and Punishment

September 01, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

Suella Braverman’s told the police to get tougher on crime – but do they have the resources? She’s also keen to get people back on the Bibby Stockholm and hasn’t ruled out putting tags on migrants. Plus, what slogan should Labour use next? The panel answers your questions. And, for subscribers only, a search for the Loch Ness monster has just taken place – the panel reveals the mysteries they were obsessed with as youngsters. “I think Braverman has come out of this Summer with her position i...

Dorries Seems to be the Hardest Word – plus guest Stella Creasy MP

August 30, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

Nadine Dorries has finally gone (we think), but her behaviour will stick in our minds forever. She’s not the only Tory MP to have let us all down over the last 13 years. So why are the parliamentary standards of this government so abysmal? Plus, a closer relationship with Europe could be key to the UK’s future. So how does Labour go about that, especially when it persists with its messaging that it will ‘make Brexit work’? That’s Oh God, What Now? with special guest, Labour MP for Walthamstow...

Is Britain a poor country?

August 25, 2023 03:00 - 58 minutes

Are we the sick man of Europe? We’ve got all the symptoms: broken economy, falling living standards, we could go on. Does anyone have the remedy to get us back up and running again? Plus, it’s nearly the bank holiday, so let’s look on the bright side. The panel discusses who in politics they admire. And in the extra bit for subscribers, what’s the BEST summer you’ve ever had? That’s Oh God, What Now? With guest We Are History’s John O’farrell. “It’s not just the poor who are poorer, it’s the...

Back to the 50s — Is Britain stuck in a time warp?

August 22, 2023 03:00 - 53 minutes

Living standards are falling to the lowest standards since the 1950s, so why is this government shouting about the so-called success it’s had? Plus, we need to build more homes - pure and simple. But how, and how can it be done? Hannah Fearn has 4 points Labour needs to hit if it gets into government. “This politics of nostalgia pretends that it can fix problems by going back to times before they existed.” – Tom Peck. “We have moved on, we just have a government that’s going nuts because it...

Have the Tories found their next Brexit?

August 18, 2023 04:00 - 57 minutes

The Tories have been way behind in the polls for a long time. But could a comeback be on the cards? The data shows that a Labour government isn’t guaranteed after 2024’s general election. What does Keir Starmer need to do? And has Sunak found the next Brexit in the European Court on Human Rights. Not many people fully understand what it is, but perhaps that plays into the Tory’s hands. Could they take us out? And in the extra bit for subscribers, our panel recounts the worst paid jobs they’ve...

Boaty McVolte-Face

August 15, 2023 03:00 - 56 minutes

“Small Boats Week” was a horrific failure. Why do the Tories keep getting it so horrendously wrong? Plus, are politicians playing up to the cameras to gain viral popularity? We unpack whether our politicians are more camera conscious ever as they chase online moments. We discuss with this week’s guest Ed Campbell from PoliticsJOE.  “The further we strip real human lives out of this, the more we avoid an actual human solution.” – Yasmeen Serhan “The problem is that Braverman does know how to...

Bibby Stockholm syndrome

August 11, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

The Tories have ramped their anti-immigration rhetoric up to eleven – can it help their election fortunes? With Lee Anderson going all in with belligerence and asylum seekers being moved on to the Bibby Stockholm barge, we pick apart the Government’s motives. Plus, who are the elite? Is it you? Is it us? Is being elite bad now? The panel tries to unpack it all. And in the extra bit for subscribers, is doing things by yourself always empowering?  “I think the Tories have decided that they wan...

Top of the populists

August 08, 2023 03:00 - 59 minutes

We’ve been governed by populism for over a decade now, as has a lot of Europe. Will it ever blow over? Or are we stuck with it forever? Well, there is one ray of hope and that’s Millennials. Statistics show they're becoming more liberal and overtaking the older right-wing generation in number. But how long could that take? And how could this millennial invasion REALLY impact British politics? “There is this deeply believed thing that the arch of history leads toward progress, and I don’t kno...

The Great Rishi Sunak Swindle

August 04, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour

Were we all conned by Calm, Collected, Competent Sunak? Have oil, cars, migration and woke-bashing revealed him to be the most right-wing PM since Margaret Thatcher? We look at the real Rishi who was unveiled last week, and how he’ll govern in the year (?) he’s got left. Plus, rent controls: a great fix for our housing hell or totally impractical? And in the Extra Bit, tat’s entertainment. We look at political merchandise. Joining Dorian Lynskey are Hannah Fearn, Geri Scott of The Times and ...

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