Oh God, What Now?

SPECIAL EARLY RELEASE! THE GREASED PIGLET IS OUT OF THE PEN... It’s his party and he’ll lie if he wants to… Boris Johnson finally, finally goes before the Privileges Committee. How did his tactic of sneering, blustering and lying go over? And is it finally sausage time for the Greased Piglet? Plus as the horrific Casey Report excoriates the Met, does London’s police force have to be dismantled? And in the Extra Bit, what’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to our panelists? “Johnson’s defence is ‘I am too stupid to understand the rules I myself set’.” – Geri Scott “Steve Baker is now a card-carrying member of the Europhilic wokerati. He’s noshing on his tofu right now.” – Naomi Smith “His argument is ‘Nobody told me not to do the bad thing that I was on telly every night telling you plebs not to do’.” – Ayesha Hazarika Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Ayesha Hazarika and Geri Scott. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boris Johnson is stealing the limelight from Rishi Sunak yet again as he faces a four-hour grilling from furious MPs. We look ahead to the greased piglets latest trial. Plus, the panel reflects on the Iraq War, 20 years on. How has it warped our politics? Then, in the extra bit for Patreon backers, we look to the skies and discuss who should occupy the moon base – and whether we really need one.  “It will be glorious – it has the outward architecture of farce already.” – Tom Peck  “His defence will be, ‘I’m sorry your honour, I’m very stupid.’” – Marie Le Conte  “What’s best for Sunak is Johnson goes away and shuts up – but that is something he doesn’t want to do.” – Tom Peck  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Tom Peck and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Hunt’s bland Budget offers little hope – but hey, at least we avoided a technical recession. The panel picks apart the Chancellor’s pledges. Plus, as Rishi Sunak lets his MPs duke it out – is he above the fray, or asleep at the wheel? Polly Mackenzie, chief social purpose officer at UAL and formerly director of Demos, is this week’s guest.  “The post-purge Tory party keeps on drifting to the right… it’s a significant problem.” – Ian Dunt  “Is Sunak someone who actually wants to make things work or does he just want to set things on fire?“ – Ian Dunt  “Most people of working age have only ever experienced the retirement age going up. We’re creating a nation of nihilists.” – Ian Dunt “We need to nuance the boundary between work and retirement. C’mon, life doesn’t end at 70.” – Polly Mackenzie www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt and Hannah Fearn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lineker versus the BBC ends 1-0 to the football legend. What does the ding-dong battle tell us about the broadcaster’s shortcomings? And why did the Government call this so wrong? Plus, what is going on with Trump and Fox News? The panel looks at the right-wing rage machines across the Atlantic. And, we discuss the protests in Georgia – and the nation’s desire to join the EU.  “Footballers are media trained, this feels like a fight the Government shouldn’t want to pick – but they keep doing it.” – Marie Le Conte  “It’s perfectly possible people don’t need to be on one side or another of a massive cultural divide. A lot of British people are rather unwilling participants of the culture war.” – Arthur Snell  “The BBC has invited critics to point out the way all of its leadership could be questioned over their impartiality.” – Yasmeen Serhan  “Nothing about the American media landscape shocks me anymore. Does it surprise me Fox News just said what its audience wants to hear? No.” – Yasmeen Serhan  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie Le Conte, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Braverman and Sunak’s callous and dehumanising “stop the boats” push is the latest moral shame bestowed upon us by this Government. Plus, we ask: is it ever okay for politicians to lie? We discuss the criticism of party leaders changing tack… And in the extra bit (for Patreon backers) – should we try harder to celebrate success in later life?  “The way the government has conducted itself over small boats is despicable.” – Ian Dunt  “Braverman gave less a word salad and more a word meringue, hard on the outside but inside it's all air.” – Gavin Esler  “They teach media literacy in Finland from kindergarten on, something that would put The Sun and Daily Mail out of a job over here.” – Gavin Esler  “I used to be a fan of the ‘good chap’ theory where politicians bow out, but what do we do about the ‘bad chaps’ and ‘bad women’ in politics?” – Gavin Esler www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt, Gavin Esler and Rachel Cunliffe. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OK, Matt Hancock entrusting his WhatsApp messages to the world’s least trustworthy woman is pretty funny. But is the Telegraph using them to rewrite history on COVID? Plus, our panel gently disagree on the wisdom of Keir Starmer hiring Sue Gray as his Chief of Staff. Sunak bets on cruelty to small boat refugees to reanimate his Prime Ministership. And as Harry and Meghan are turfed out of Frogmore Cottage, which homes were our panel glad to see the back door of? “There is no British male who has eaten more complimentary canapés than Stanley Johnson.” – Tom Peck “I hadn’t realised how much Simon Case is just another little boy in this WhatsApp group and not a senior civil servant with gravitas.” – Arthur Snell “There is a weird Alan Partridge vanity to Hancock. Somehow he’s worried about his legacy?” – Seth Thévoz “The more Johnson uses the honour system for outrageously nepotistic means, the easier it is for a future government to get rid of it.” – Tom Peck Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell, Seth Thévoz and Tom Peck. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Won’t somebody think of the Brexiters? Sunak’s “Windsor Framework” sucks all the anger out of the Northern Ireland border issue, so what is Boris Johnson going to do with his life now? Plus, Flat Broke: Why isn’t anyone talking seriously about housing? The latest source for Isobel Oakeshott to burn is the hapless Matt Hancock. Who could possibly have foreseen this? Vicky Pryce? And what’s the worst event YOU’VE ever been to? “We’ve seen how flexible and generous the EU can be just as long as they’re not being constantly attacked and insulted.” – Naomi Smith “We’re closer than ever to accepting that Brexit never had to be ‘hard’, ‘clean’ or any of those silly words.” – Ros Taylor “The UK is discovering that it can catch far more flies with honey than with vinegar.” – Naomi Smith Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Hannah Fearn, Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Audio producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rishi Sunak got Brexit done again – but will it be enough to satisfy the headbanging Leave die-hards who want to rule the Conservative Party? We discuss the latest NI protocol settlement after the PM’s meet with Ursula von der Leyen. And as the right-wing surges, the panel unpacks Suella Braverman’s immigration positions. Plus, Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner gives his take on the food shortages as tomatoes become more valuable than the pound.  “There was never enough good faith there in the past.” – Marie Le Conte  “We have a political class who seem uniquely confused by the concept of a sea.” – Ahir Shah  “There’s quite a lot of poetic justice for Boris Johnson involved here.” – Marie Le Conte  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ahir Shah, Marie Le Conte and Yasmeen Serhan. Producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson drags us back to 2018 with his NI protocol meddling we discuss the latest Brexit wranglings (yes, again…). Plus, a year on from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, we reflect on the conflict and how it has reshaped politics. And in the extra bit, in full for Patreons, we talk about the bizarre feeling of someone you disagree with making a smart point…  “If you’re applying a purity test – someone can always be purer.” – Seth Thévoz  “Sunak would be in a tricky position if he’s relying on Labour on a vote of this magnitude.” – Ian Dunt  “Keeping the Conservative base today will be the test for the rest of Sunak’s time as Prime Minister.” – Seth Thévoz  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Seth Thevoz. Producer: Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Keir Starmer casts Jeremy Corbyn out, the panel discusses what this means for the Labour Party, its former leader and wider politics. Could this set a new model for influential but independent MPs? Then – have you seen your gas bill yet? We unpack the latest in the energy cost crisis, as people suffer despite booming profits for providers. Plus – what Government departments would our team like to take over – would they copy Sunak and make any new ones?  “It’s really bad for a party to become a cult around one figure, I hope Corbyn and his fans see that.” – Ayesha Hazarika  “For Jeremy Corbyn, he had all of the power within the party, he couldn’t convert that into power within the country.” – Ayesha Hazarika “If you have to spend so much time exposing the endless screw ups of our current leaders, when do you get a chance to talk about what you want to talk about?” – Hannah Fearn www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ahir Shah, Ayesha Hazarika and Hannah Fearn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second half of our latest live outing, the panel discusses hope for the future and the prospect of rekindling the old EU flame… Is it time to rebrand rejoin? Plus, a special conspiracy theory quiz and some questions from our beloved audience.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow  Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Ayesha Hazarika. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To listen to this week's live show in its entirety before everyone else, join us from just £3 a month: www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow  What a difference a day makes… with Sturgeon gone and Starmer putting his foot down on Corbyn, the panel picks apart the latest political shake ups. What will this mean for the prospect of (whisper it), a Labour Government? Out early for everyone (and you’ll get it all on Patreon) here’s part one of our latest Leicester Square Theatre outing – with the second due in our usual Friday slot… Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Ayesha Hazarika. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gove convenes a stealth conference on how to make Britain work better with the EU. Is the time ripe to start talking about Britain rejoining? Is the Tories’ Red Wall emissary 30p Lee Anderson a disaster waiting to happen? Plus, with legendary works of fiction going out of copyright – we ask our panel what they would reboot or reimagine. Rachel Cunliffe, associate editor at New Statesman, is this week’s guest.  Get the last few tickets to Oh God, What Now? Live at the Leicester Square Theatre here. https://lsttickets.leicestersquaretheatre.com/ticketbooth/shows/873632997 Hear Mugshots with Michael Crick here. https://link.chtbl.com/mugshots-ep1 ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web says Ted Chiang. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/chatgpt-is-a-blurry-jpeg-of-the-web “This pseudo-butch rubbish stimulates a part of the Conservative base that Rishi Sunak is now actively trying to appease.” – Alex Andreou “It’s a continuation of the Brexit disease. Our body politic was infected with lies. This intake is the direct result of that.” – Alex Andreou  “If you see Brexit as a divorce, we can’t be aiming to get remarried any time soon, it’s more of a friends with benefits situation with the EU.” – Rachel Cunliffe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New series preview: How much do we really know about the people who make the headlines? In a provocative new series the acclaimed journalist Michael Crick, formerly of BBC, C4 and Newsnight, delves into the backgrounds of the powerful and the influential. In this first episode: Few newspaper editors wield as much power as the Daily Mail’s Paul Dacre. Feared and courted by politicians, he’s imposed his singular vision of Britain on successive governments – while sometimes stretching the law in pursuit of justice. But what makes Dacre tick? What does he want? And how might this epic career end? Like this excerpt? Hear the complete episode on all platforms right now here. And subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rishi Sunak shuffles his Cabinet pack and comes up with a couple of dog-eared former junior ministers plus 30p Lee. Is there any talent left in the Tory tank? And is Sunak really in charge? Plus, HORRIBLE BOSSES: The Dominic Raab Edition. Why do bullies appear to prosper in the Conservative Party? And when does “robust management” become office tyranny? And in the Extra Bit: After the bizarre resurrection of Liz Truss, what are the best comebacks of all time? Get your tickets for OGWN Live on Weds 15 Feb here: https://lsttickets.leicestersquaretheatre.com/ticketbooth/shows/873632997/events/128440767/seats?zone=Main%20House.  The Official Left-Wing Economic Establishment Mug is here: https://podmarket.co.uk/products/oh-god-what-now-left-wing-economic-establishment-mug “This is the core vote strategy that got the Tories a surprise win in 1992. It’s also the strategy that got them annihilated in 1997…” – Seth Thévoz “Sunak is scraping the bottom of the barrel, it's embarrassing.” – Hannah Fearn “When Truss became PM I got three separate texts from three separate people and they all said, ‘She’s crackers.’” – Alex Andreou  “Truss could at least have left it til people had finished trying to apply for the mortgages they now can’t get – because of her.” – Hannah Fearn Written and presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn, Seth Thévoz and Arthur Snell. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truss is back and Johnson never went away – what are they angling for? And can Sunak avoid these two figurative icebergs? Plus, the yob narrative is back on the agenda. Is Tory posturing on anti-social behaviour any more than pandering to curtain-twitchers? And with Australia choosing not to put Charles on its banknotes – who should we put on our money? The panel is joined by Geri Scott, political reporter for The Times.  Get your tickets for OGWN Live at the Leicester Square Theatre on Weds 15 Feb. Get your Official Left-Wing Economic Establishment mugs here. “She sounded like somebody who had lost the ability to assess empirical reality… if you were a close friend of hers you’d want to sit down and have a chat.” – Ian Dunt  “Boris Johnson could be moulded into any political position he finds useful.” – Ian Dunt  “There used to be these big debates: Heath vs Thatcher, Europhile vs Eurosceptic - where are those big debates within the Tory Party now?” – Ian Dunt  “I really don’t think [Liz Truss] has got many friends left, and that’s why she’s doing this kind of legacy making” – Geri Scott www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Conservative Party is dying. Can anyone resurrect it? Our panel, begrudgingly, looks at the challenges they’ll have to face if they’re ever to become a functioning party again. Plus, we discuss the parlous state of the UK’s military capabilities. Can we defend ourselves? We wade through the news with an all-star panel of Oh God, What Now? regulars.  “Voters won’t pick the most interesting PM, they’ll pick the one who will save them.” – Alex Andreou “It’s hard for someone to be better at being worse than Liz Truss.” – Arthur Snell “The Conservative Party is now in the realm of religion, not evidence-based policy.” – Alex Andreou “I’m certain that the bulgy eyed weirdos controlling the Tory party will be the first to grab it back and they'll lose another two elections badly.” – Arthur Snell  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou, Ahir Shah and Arthur Snell. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the PM and his party on the back foot – have they just given up? Our panel picks apart Sunak’s dither and delay in his sacking of Nadhim Zahawi. Plus, are we seeing a new, even more hostile, hostile environment? And we forcefully quit the anti-growth coalition as we discuss alternatives to Trussonomics. This week’s guest is Rachel Cunliffe, senior associate editor at New Statesman.  “If Rishi Sunak didn't know about this, what is the point of ministerial vetting processes? What is the point of saying you’re going to bring integrity back to Government?” – Rachel Cunliffe  “Even an experienced PM would struggle to put the box in what Johnson is doing.” – Ian Dunt  “All of the things you need to fix the problems that we have takes much longer than Sunak has.” – Ian Dunt “The Tories have a talent pool problem and an exhaustion problem. That is really problematic because we need the best Government we can to weather the storm.” – Miatta Fahnbulleh  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt and Miatta Fahnbulleh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Alex Rees. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tories are on the Zahawi to hell as briefing wars break out over sleaze scandals as Johnson lurks on the sidelines. Plus, voter ID is rolling out this year – but it turns out plenty of people don’t have a clue. What might mass disenfranchisement mean? Heidi Alexander, former MP, current Deputy Mayor of London and parliamentary candidate for South Swindon, is this week’s guest.  “This exposes just how rigged the game is if you’re really rich.” – Naomi Smith  “The more people see of Sunak, they’re not impressed with him… he is not popular on the doorstep.” – Heidi Alexander  “Johnson is absolutely out to come back, and we should be aware of this and that his ambitions have not died.” – Ros Taylor  “Britain needs a hard reset, switch us off and back on again.” – Naomi Smith  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the nation feels the squeeze, the Tories revel in sleaze. We get down to brass tacks on Nadhim Zahawi’s taxes. And while they ditch levelling up, do this cabal of cronies even understand what needs fixing? Plus, we ask: is it time for the West to go full throttle in backing Ukraine in the war against Russia? Our guest this week is Rock and Roll Politics host Steve Richards.  “The Tory party hasn’t really reformed and changed, the same issues that brought them down in ‘97 have just recurred.” – Steve Richards “The people who are running this country just live in a different world, they have no conception of what real life is.” – Arthur Snell  “The chaos around levelling up announcements conveyed the emptiness of the policy.” - Steve Richards  “What happens to some of these people is that they get into as ort of fantasy mindset when they’ve been in power for so long they become immune to how they will be perceived.” – Steve Richards  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Arthur Snell and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Law, huh, what is it good for? According to the Tory Brexiteers, not a lot, as they move to scrap thousands of EU regulations. The panel discusses what an act of legislative vandalism this truly is. Plus, COVID conspiracies become the new… COVID conspiracies. Anti-vaxx rhetoric is back and being weaponised by the right. What are Andrew Bridgen et al up to? And, in the extra bit (in full for Patreons) we keep tabs on the politics of cigarettes. Get tickets for OGWN Live in London on Weds 15 Feb here. Don’t miss our new documentary series Jam Tomorrow. “They have no idea what law it is they’re getting rid of… and they admit it.” – Ian Dunt “You are repealing law – once you hit that date, the law just goes off the statute book… it’s really hard to undo.” – Ian Dunt “Sunak is weak and he’s not getting things through, and he’s too weak to face down the ERG, so hitting abort on this bill is unthinkable.” – Naomi Smith “For all his many faults Sunak isn’t dim, and he knows that this arbitrary deadline is going to cause mayhem and serious economic damage.” – Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Seth Thévoz. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’d think Rishi Sunak would be pushing ministers to take the flack amid the current crises – but they’re remarkably quiet. Where are the rest of his Cabinet? Plus, while Eurosceptics suggested Britain’s EU departure would weaken the bloc, the opposite has happened. Quelle surprise… And we talk about the spread of toxic masculinity online. Can we stop it earlier? Special guest Anoosh Chakelian, Britain editor at New Statesman, joins our panel this week.  “Hunt is like the villain in a kids’ cartoon, you never see him but you hear whispers of him” – Marie Le Conte  “It’s slim pickings for Sunak, he’s inherited a party that was deliberately purged.” – Tom Peck  “Politicians can only do okay in the media if they have okay policies, and everything is so bad right now there’s no win for the Government.” – Tom Peck  “People abroad have no idea how things have ended up so bad in Britain.” – Anoosh Chakelian Check out the latest podcast from Podmasters, Jam Tomorrow – an assessment of the promises made to Britain after the Second World War: https://kite.link/JTS1  Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie Le Conte and Tom Peck. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special preview of our new series - search for Jam Tomorrow in your favourite podcast app or visit https://kite.link/JTS1 How did Britain’s dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly? •  “If you’re going to have a foundation myth it might as well be one where you destroy Nazism.” – Al Murray •  “If the response to air raid wasn’t stoicism there was a fear that morale would break down.” – Lucy Noakes •  “The Keep Calm And Carry On poster was designed for a type of war that never arrived.” – Henry Irvine •  “Britain went into the war not alone but at the head of the world’s biggest empire… When Britain went to war, so did vast part of the world.” – Lucy Noakes   Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rishi Sunak is constantly trying to reject the idea he could be out of touch – but, seriously, does he have any idea what Britain wants? This week’s guest Ben Walker, of Britain Elects and New Statesman, picks apart the polls to get in the mind of voters. Plus, political donations – how can we avoid undue influence and, dare we suggest it… corruption? Are more stringent rules needed?  “Everyone is feeling the cost of living crisis, going to a supermarket is like a radicalising process.” – Ben Walker  “The economy was where the Conservatives were always king – but not now.” – Ben Walker  “Sunak doesn’t have that sort of Blair talent to know intuitively what people want.” – Arthur Snell “It still feels like a Chancellor who happens to be Prime Minister, rather than watching a Prime Minister.” – Ahir Shah  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow This week's edition is sponsored by Policy Mogul - a real-time political and parliamentary monitoring, influence, and stakeholder mapping platform for public affairs and policy professionals. Find out more at policymogul.com and don't forget to mention Oh God, What Now? if you send them an enquiry. Presented by Ros Taylor with Arthur Snell and Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunak and Starmer's battle of the speeches marked this year’s first blue on red ding dong. What are their respective pitches? The panel plays a game of spot the difference between the pair’s positions and policies. Plus, as the PM tries to hibernate through the new Winter of Discontent – is he sleepwalking towards a General Strike? And, finally, we unpack the pros and cons of tea-spilling biographies. Anybody heard about one of those recently? “None of these policies mean anything. There’s no time given for debt falling.” – Ian Dunt  “It’s not about what the people want, it’s about wavering target voters.” – Ian Dunt  “I can’t see a world where Sunak doesn’t lead the Conservatives into the next election, so now Labour knows who the opponent is.” – Marie Le Conte  “The Government assumed the usual dynamics around strikes would prevail, and they have not prevailed.” – Ian Dunt  “We have a bunch of not very talented people shunted into ministerial positions saying what they think they’re meant to say.” – Gavin Esler  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Gavin Esler, Ian Dunt and Marie Le Conte . Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, a new year. A time to reflect and make changes. And here comes Sunak with his five pledges… Well, I guess there’s always next year (thanks very much, fixed-term parliaments act). With the NHS in crisis, strikes never ending and the cost of living spiralling out of control – surely we need more than more maths lessons? Plus, after Christmas drew charity into focus – has the state simply offloaded its responsibilities to Good Samaritans? “The crisis is the result of nearly 13 years of Tory Government and it will take a really long time to fix the damage that they’ve done.” – Naomi Smith “Sunak’s speech was a pretty mealy-mouthed set of pledges with a maths lesson thrown in.” – Arthur Snell “It felt like Sunak was saying. ‘I became a millionaire with maths, you can too.’” – Naomi Smith                      www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor, Arthur Snell, Naomi Smith and Seth Thévoz. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good will to all men and all that but first, join us for a final airing of grievances. What are the top 10 most infuriating, baffling and rage inducing events of the past year? Our panel counts down to number one in the second half of our 20 worst moments from 2022. They unpack everything from record temperatures, tyrannical leaders to unprecedented sewage spills – and that’s not a metaphor for Boris Johnson or Liz Truss, they get mentions of their own… “Trump didn’t realise that you can’t just declassify materials by thinking it. This is not a telepathic presidency.” – Arthur Snell "Is the Royal Family now just a conduit of unhappiness of how Britain has treated its colonies?” – Ros Taylor “The Government basically cold-called countries like a double glazing salesman and the first country to say sure, we’ll take your money was Rwanda.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Arthur Snell, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So what were the REAL big events of 2022? From Matt Hancock stinking up the jungle to the true meaning of Wagatha Christie to the Mail’s efforts to get Beergate off the ground, we look back on 12 months of mendacity, grift, fantasy and denialism – and that’s just Boris Johnson.  “Truss was more useless and more mad than even Johnson realised” – Tom Peck “We should have Wagatha Christie once a year as a tradition. Pick two celebs who have a very stupid fight that ends up in court”. – Marie le Conte “Johnson’s leaving speechwas a good reminder that no, he hasn’t changed. He’s exactly who he said he was going to be”. – Tom Peck Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte, Ahir Shah and Tom Peck. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Eva Kaili and the corruption arrests in Brussels, is EU democracy really in trouble? Meanwhile, as all the little strikes coalesce into a big one, why do governments love “sending the army in to fix it”? And new research shows working class participation in the creative industries has halved since the 70s. We go behind the figures to ask why. Ian Dunt, Hannah Fearn and Alex Andreou join host Andrew Harrison to huddle around a warm mixing desk.  “UEFA and FIFA are cesspits for siphoning dirty money, money which infects the rest of our body politic.” – Alex Andreou “It’s unbelievable how there were no basic checks on modern slavery during the pandemic.” – Hannah Fearn  “The Telegraph suggest bringing in the army for every problem at least 8 times a month.” – Ian Dunt “Our biggest export is Downton Abbey, so of course our biggest actors are the ones who went to Eton.” – Alex Andreou Get our new merch here: https://podmarket.co.uk/  Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Hannah Fearn and Ian Dunt. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scramble back from the bar for Part Two of OGWN LIVE at London’s 21Soho club. We pick apart the Main Characters of 2022 and ask who made the more lasting mark on the world: Musk, Zelenskyy, the Lionesses or… someone else? Plus more Peer and Loathing and audience questions too. Get the mulled wine in. It’s as good as being there. PATREON BONUS: Live video coming soon too… Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with panelists Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Geburtson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the OGWN panel LIVE at London’s 21Soho club to look back on 2022 in a gala evening of high-octane political complaining. On the agenda: The ongoing collapse of the Conservative Party, the Year in Keir, and a fiendish Christmas party game called Peer And Loathing. Get the mulled wine in and turn up the volume. Part Two coming tomorrow, Weds 14.  Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with panelists Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Audio producers: Alex Rees and Robin Leeburn. Producer: Jet Geburtson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keir is striking fear into peers with plans to ditch the Lords – but why not look at electoral reform first? The panel picks apart Labour’s plans for reform. Plus, with major strikes inbound – is this a new winter of discontent? Can the Government succeed in the Grinch narrative, or does that show just how weak our ministers are? “Just as trickle down economics has failed, trickle down democracy has failed.” – Naomi Smith  “I think Starmer is going to be quite boxed in by the economic situation. But what he could do that is different is something constitutional on the Lords.” – Ayesha Hazarika “The Tories are a very divided party, that’s why Sunak is having to drop bills or dilute them.” – Naomi Smith  “With Gordon Brown it was never going to be pithy, but it’s amazing seeing a politician believe in things.” – Ayesha Hazarika www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Get our new merch here: https://podmarket.co.uk/  Presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn, Naomi Smith and Ayesha Hazarika. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Jacob Rees-Mogg et al keep telling us the sunlit uplands of Brexitville are just over the horizon, we pick apart their broken promises. What’s fallen to the wayside on the way to this broken Brexit apparently nobody voted for? Plus, the panel looks at protests in China and Iran, and the regime change they could effect. And finally, we ask: “Why can’t the left take a compliment?”  Make Christmas Woke Again with OGWN gifts from podmarket.co.uk. Order by 8 Dec to beat the Christmas post. “Countries are naturally going to take advantage of the fact you’re desperate for quick wins. We will be negotiating this stuff forever.” – Ros Taylor  “Britain’s economy was always the wrong economy for Brexit.” – Arthur Snell “The ripe fruit of Brexit is the soggy tomato at the bottom of the fridge you’re going to throw out.” – Gavin Esler  Presented by Alex Andreou with Arthur Snell, Gavin Esler and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunak is trying to act tough on Russia and China but being bullied over wind farms at home. Can he shake off the image of being a weak link? Plus, we discuss the census results – and unpack the reaction to England and Wales being minority Christian nations. This week’s guest is New Statesman’s deputy political editor Rachel Wearmouth. “You lose credit with the voters and then you lose credit within the party.“ – Rachel Wearmouth  “Conservative MPs are probably looking at a long period in opposition and maybe they don’t fancy it.” – Rachel Wearmouth “Keir’s boring accountant vibe definitely beats Sunak’s boring carphone salesman energy.” – Alex Andreou “China is so big, we need some level of engagement and despite the tough guy schtick Sunak is warming Chinese relations.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Get our new merch here: https://podmarket.co.uk/  Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Manston scandal and Braverman’s bluster lay our disastrous immigration policy bare. And just when we need more workers, Keir Starmer comes out against looser rules. Why can’t we talk honestly about this most emotive issue? Plus: will we ever defeat NIMBYism? And Planet Deepfake: why AI-generated images and video will soon outnumber human-made content.  Get your perfect OGWN Christmas presents at podmarket.co.uk “When the Chinese government sends soup kitchens to the demonstrations, that’s the sign to go home or you’ll get shot.” – Gavin Esler “We don’t actually live in a sea of bigotry like politicians think we do.” – Hannah Fearn “Any content can now be generated perfectly by AI. This is a huge turning point for human communication.” – Nina Schick  “In Glasgow, you’re a Weegee. And if you’re a refugee, you’re accepted as a Refuweegee.” – Gavin Esler “We will experience more technological change in our lifetime than in the entirety of human history.” – Nina Schick Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn, Gavin Esler and Nina Schick. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What did we learn from the furore caused by whispers of a Swiss-style EU deal? Are we getting ready to mingle with the single market? The gang chats Brexit rumblings while it feels as though the narrative is shifting… Plus, as Labour touts Lords reform – should it top the list of constitutional conundrums? What other changes would the panel prefer to see happen?  “The bloated upper chamber is going to grow.” – Naomi Smith  “Westminster barely works, at any level.” – Ian Dunt “ “Why the hell is our government based in a house?” – Ian Dunt  “Brexit doesn’t predict how people vote anymore.” – Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Get our Black Friday merch here: https://podmarket.co.uk/  Presented by Alex Andreou with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Justin Quirk. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hunt’s autumn statement has wound everyone up while whispers of a Swiss-style Brexit deal are sparking more Tory fury. How is Sunak going to handle anger from the public and his party? And how will parties to the right of the spectrum capitalise on the current disquiet? Plus, as Dorries looks to pen a Johnson biography we discuss the best and worst books of the political genre. This week’s guest is Rosie Campbell, director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and professor of politics at King’s College London.  “The public are not stupid, they know everybody is going to be a lot poorer.” – Ayesha Hazarika  “I cannot see a world in which we do something involving a Swiss-style deal.” – Ayesha Hazarika  “I think in the long term the Conservative Party keeps going down this anti-woke agenda.” – Rosie Campbell  “If Farage does enter the fray, I think it does cause problems for the Conservative Party.” – Ayesha Hazarika  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Ayesha Hazarika and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out a day early to JUST beat the fiscal announcement… As Jeremy Hunt’s cuts come in, we look at why austerity has never worked before and won’t work now – and whether the infamous fiscal Black Hole is even real. Plus, Labour activist Michael Chessum of Another Europe Is Possible and Momentum talks about his new book This Is Only the Beginning: The Making of a New Left, from Anti-Austerity to the Fall of Corbyn. And in the Extra Bit… Gerontocracy Now? From Biden to Lula to Putin, why do rocky systems end up with ancient leaders? Listeners can get 25% off Michael’s book This Is Only the Beginning. Go here and use the code Whatnow_25 https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/this-is-only-the-beginning-9780755641284/ “We are going to have to pay the Truss-Kwarteng Idiot Premium for decades to come.” – Alex Andreou “There’s huge public support for union action now that we’re in a crisis… You can hear the rumble of the cavalry in the distance.” – Michael Chessum “This isn’t a fiscal hole. Truss and Kwarteng created a credibility hole.” – Alex Andreou “Hunt is banking on Keir Starmer making the same mistake that Ed Miliband did… We’re not hearing a clear anti-austerity line from Labour.” – Michael Chessum Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Yasmeen Serhan. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Geburtson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunak is performing ex-Prime Minister karaoke, pulling together failed ideas and giving them a go. Has he got anything fresh up his sleeve? Plus star guest Philippe Auclair, football journalist and singer songwriter, joins to discuss the moral perils of the upcoming Qatar World Cup. And finally after a string of seemingly culture averse Culture Secretaries, we ask the panel what they’d do if they took on the job.  Listen to the new series of Origin Story: https://kite.link/OS2E1Rand “It’s not just that we’re back to austerity, it’s austerity on austerity.” – Ros Taylor  “Why is rejoining the single market not part of the debate? I despair.” – Philippe Auclair  “I’ve never seen a World Cup that’s been approached in such a way.” – Philippe Auclair  “Hosting the World Cup is not about reputation, it’s about wielding power.” – Philippe Auclair  Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Ahir Shah. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rejected Alan Partridge character “Sir” Gavin Williamson resigns to spend more time with his tarantula. (Poor Cronus). Is Sunak even paying attention to anything that isn’t the economy? Plus, the US Mid-Terms weren’t quite as hellish as expected. UCL politics professor Julie Norman explains what it means for Biden’s next two years and the spectre of Trump II. And the latest on Elon Trussk wrecking Twitter.  Get your tickets for our Christmas show on Mon 12 Dec here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/MDQXAzs4dr  “Gavin Williamson was that embarrassing middle-aged guy who’s never seen any service but wets himself when he meets the SAS.” – Arthur Snell “I’m pathetically sentimental about the British-French relationship… When it’s not good, it upsets me.” – Ian Dunt “Biden’s agenda is pretty much done now… Republicans will air all the bad stuff they possibly can from now on.” – Julie Norman Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt and Arthur Snell. Producers: Alex Rees and Jet Gerbertson. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rishi Sunak promised stability but here we are, back in a u-turn vortex. If he can’t stop the rot, what’s the point of the new PM? Does he have a political north star? And as Braverman’s shirks blame, we agree the asylum system is broken – just not in the way she thinks. What needs fixing? Plus, Matt Hancock joins the shameful list of reality TV politicians. Seriously? This week’s guest is Satbir Singh, managing director of openDemocracy.  Get tickets for A VERY OH GOD, WHAT NOW? CHRISTMAS on Mon 12 Dec at 21 Soho, London here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/MDQXAzs4dr “If there's one thing we know about Sunak it is he very obviously panics quite quickly.” – Marie Le Conte “Sunak will piss off several parts of the Parliamentary party no matter what he does.” – Marie Le Conte  “As a country we’ve never been capable of having a sensible debate on asylum.” – Tom Peck  “I feel physically sick hearing some of the things being said by ministers.” – Satbir Singh  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Tom Peck and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Jet Gerbertson. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We thought they couldn’t do worse than Priti Patel. As conditions in Manston reveal Suella Braverman’s stupendous callousness, it turns out that yes, they could. We unpack the rank incompetence, as well as the rank and incompetent. Plus, New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg joins us to look ahead to the US midterms – and the unfortunate parallels in politics both sides of the pond.  “The blue tick is going to become a sign that basically you’re a huge dork.” – Michelle Goldberg  “Everyone in the Conservative Party now thinks they’re Winston Churchill.” – Seth Thévoz  “What you’re seeing with Braverman is the Republicanisation of British politics.” – Seth Thévoz  “The Republicans are now a party that has turned its back on democracy.” – Michelle Goldberg “It’s frustrating that only the people who believe in language take it seriously.” – Michelle Goldberg www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Arthur Snell and Seth Thévoz . Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trick or Tweet? Elon Musk buys Twitter to impose his half-formed ideas about free speech on the online world. Will he just make things worse? Suella Braverman doggedly refuses to take responsibility for either her emails or the migrant processing crisis. How long can she hang on? Plus, Labour’s attack lines for the Sunak Era. And why is Hallowe’en growing while Bonfire Night fizzles? Get tickets to Origin Story Live on Weds 2 Nov here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/OHXEPSMwj1 “Somehow even Priti Patel is showing more moral backbone than Suella Braverman.” – Hannah Fearn “Sunak is finally, finally the evidence of Cameron detoxifying the Tory Party." – Ahir Shah “Halloween is Goth Christmas. What’s not to love?” – Marie Le Conte Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Hannah Fearn, Marie le Conte and Ahir Shah. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production: Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the hope that kills you. We didn’t have lots, but c’mon Rishi – Braverman? You know when a band reforms, with a couple of members swapped out for session musicians? Imagine they were always crap and it’s not a band, it’s the Cabinet. We chat through the no-shuffle. Plus, guest Adam Wagner, author of Emergency State: How We Lost Our Freedoms in the Pandemic and Why it Matters, to discuss his book and the imminent torching of more EU regulations. “If you’re going to do sensible politics, you’re not going to give Braverman any job. Sunak has given up the chance to be mature.” – Ian Dunt “This government knows this is their last chance to win back any credibility in the country.” – Ros Taylor “Sunak just looks like a political hangover.” – Ian Dunt “Braverman was genuinely the worst Attorney General, and as Home Secretary she was a walking disaster.” – Adam Wagner www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like OGWN? You’ll love Doomsday Watch – and there’s a brand new series out right now. Hear former diplomat and OGWN regular Arthur Snell explore more faultlines and danger zones that threaten global stability. From the balance of power after Ukraine to the scattered conflicts that spawn bigger confrontations to American’s democratic death spiral, these are the flashpoints of the future. Hear Ep.1 right now here, plus Patreon supporters get every episode a week early. Visit doomsdaywatch.co.uk and sign up to get Episodes 1 and 2 immediately, and subsequent editions a full week early. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So Rishi Sunak, that bloke who couldn’t use a contactless card, is set to bring total normality to No.10. How will this megabrained and approachable (he owns a hoodie) maestro, you may remember from such successes as ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, lead us through this crisis? Plus, even if you’ve forgotten Liz Truss, the world hasn’t forgotten us having her as PM – we look at the international reaction to her downfall.  “Johnson’s fervent wish to destroy Sunak will not have gone away.” – Tom Peck "People imagine Rishi Sunak provides some economic ballast because he worked in the City. But he's provided no credible economic case for Brexit." – Tom Peck "Individuals making economic decisions looked at the slate of policies, and were horrified." – Alex Andreou "The occupants of No. 10 Downing Street will be richer than those of Buckingham Palace." – Yasmeen Serhan www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Tom Peck and Yasmeen Serhan. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a sad little life, wokerati. I hope you’re happy. Liz Truss is off. After being in office for less time than it takes to listen to Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd, she’s on the way out of Downing Street. The Daily Star’s infamous lettuce looks set to roll into Number 10, and we ask: what the f**k is going on? “We’re laughing but I also want to cry, I’m just so angry they’re inflicting this on us again.” – Ros Taylor  “She couldn’t even deliver a resignation speech properly, it was boring and full of mistakes.” – Alex Andreou  “The party cannot agree on anyone, there is no continuity candidate. They will continue to tear themselves apart.” – Ros Taylor “It was so obvious to anyone looking from the outside that she would be entirely out of her depth.” – Alex Andreou  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An out-of-her-depth politician gets sacked by an out-of-her-depth politician who should get sacked. Tofu’s surprisingly high protein content boosts the Wokerati to victory over Suella Braverman – will Truss be the next victim of these Guardian-reading hooligans? Our panel talks about the Tory chaos (loath to say it’s the latest at this point), and even gets into a bit of Remainiacs style red meat to discuss rejoin. Our guest this week is ARD correspondent and New Statesman columnist Annette Dittert. Get tickets to Origin Story Live here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/OHXEPSMwj1 Browse our Tofu-Eating Wokerati and Anti-Growth Coalition merchandise here: https://podmarket.co.uk/ “It’s so clear Truss cannot go on like this, I don’t know why they don’t find a solution other than having her sitting there like a dead puppet.” – Annette Dittert “This is not even sub-GCSE economics. It’s fetish.” – Seth Thevos “It’s party before country, but they can’t be serious whilst Liz Truss is around.” – Annette Dittert “Nobody would like to rejoin the EU more than me. But this the work of years, as much as we would like it to happen tomorrow.” – Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith and Seth Thevoz. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now twice a week, because you demanded it… Liz Truss is definitely not hidden under a desk – but we can’t necessarily confirm she’s still in Number 10. And if she is, who knows how long she can stay without hiding somewhere. We look at the new power of Prime Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and the Tories’ ever falling standing in the latest opinion polls. Is a general election (or a genny leccy between friends) inevitable? This week’s special guest is veteran pollster and BBC election night mainstay, John Curtice. Get tickets for ORIGIN STORY LIVE here: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/OHXEPSMwj1 Get our coveted ANTI-GROWTH COALITION mugs and more here: https://podmarket.co.uk/products/oh-god-what-now-anti-growth-coalition-mug “Hunt constantly looks like he’s been startled, like he's woken up in the middle of the night by a loud sound downstairs.” – Ian Dunt  “How did it not occur to Truss that she would have to explain her ideology to the country?” – Marie Le Conte “Anyone from the leadership election would be better than Truss. Even Peter Bone wouldn’t have messed it up this badly.” – Ian Dunt “Truss and Kwarteng found the high spending and taxation of the post-covid world impossible.” – John Curtice www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kwasi go gos and the Government’s spinning around like a yo-yo – Andrew and Naomi pick apart the wreckage in an ever more regular EmergencyCast. What forced the PM’s hand and will it save her career – or has she just made yet another enemy? The Truss bus ploughs on full steam ahead, with or without anybody at the wheel… “She spoke abstractly to the markets in a very robotic way – and so far, they haven’t reacted well.” “The disconnect between Truss and reality is unbelievable.” “This market fundamentalism policy approach has been roundly rejected by, guess who… the markets.”  “The one thing we can rely on the Conservatives for is sheer ruthlessness.” www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truss and Kwarteng’s politically-charged synchronised diving routine continues as the pair flip flop until the pound drops. Do they even understand what’s going wrong? And, as the Government’s spiral into a vortex of shame embarrasses anyone with an ounce of self awareness – what should opposition parties do? Alan Wager, research associate at the UK in a Changing Europe, is this week’s guest. Get our sought-after ANTI-GROWTH COALITION mug and more here: https://podmarket.co.uk/  “Everything going on is the preamble to a series of embarrassing u-turns.” – Alex Andreou  “Truss talks about growth, but she also needs confidence and at the minute she doesn’t have it.” – Hannah Fearn  “Who would want to pour money into this f***ing binfire at the moment?” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Hannah Fearn and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Truss micro-Government twists on a hook of its own making, we take a taxi to an anti-growth North London podcast studio to examine a week of Tory torment, conference catastrophes and 33% Labour leads. Are the Conservatives on the verge of an actual extinction event? Former Justice Secretary and Conservative exile David Gauke is our special guest.  “Can you imagine anyone, in any pub, going on about the Anti-Growth Coalition?” – Ian Dunt “It seems that Truss genuinely doesn’t think she even needs a democratic mandate to do what she does…” – Ros Taylor  “Her authority is extraordinarily low and she doesn’t have any political capital at all.” – David Gauke “Well done, the first thing you've done in your whole administration is tank the economy.” – Ian Dunt  Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truss and Kwarteng’s mini-budget madness has sparked a Black Wednesday 2.0 – will the quids be alright? Plus, as Starmer takes Keir of business with a successful outing at conference, we look at Labour’s standing. This week’s special guest is former Labour minister turned mystery novelist Alan Johnson. “It’s too long ago to blame the last Labour government for everything so now they’re blaming one that doesn’t exist yet.” – Ros Taylor  “This looks like two economics A-Level students have been let loose. The inexperience they’re displaying is just mind-boggling.” – Alan Johnson  “There is no easy way out for them and neither should there be given the magnitude of error that they’ve made.” – Alan Johnson  “To climb down from this plan would be a repudiation of everything Truss stands for.” – Ros Taylor “You can almost feel the mood of the country shifting towards Keir Starmer.” – Alan Johnson www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Tickets to Doomsday Watch Live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba Presented by Alex Andreou with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trickle down economics is the talk of the town as Liz Truss relaunches her Britannia unhinged agenda. Can she sell her growth narrative to the public? What will the so-called fiscal event (definitely not a budget) look like? Plus, we discuss what voters want to see from the party conferences with our guest Luke Tryl, UK director of More in Common.  Tickets to Doomsday Watch live: https://www.tickettext.co.uk/etmejHAuba  “Levelling up has been completely abandoned as an issue under Truss, I don’t think Tory MPs imagined this hyper-right Government.” – Ros Taylor “It’s like Truss has gone in as ’90s Thatcher trying to impose the Poll Tax on Day One.” – Alex Andreou “The person who wins a Culture War today often loses it tomorrow.” – Luke Tryl "The top three issues in focus groups are cost of living, cost of living, cost of living." – Luke Tryl www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You didn’t think we weren’t going to give you some tough Truss talk, did you? In the second half of our latest London live show we decipher what we can about the new PM, from the relatively few bits of politics we’ve seen in recent days.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a week. The panel discusses the nation’s almighty gear shift, in part one of our latest London live show. How did they feel about the death of the Queen? And what have they reckoned to the reaction? Out in the usual Friday time slot, with the second half to follow tomorrow…  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liz Truss is in Downing Street and we’re here to deliver, deliver, deliver our thoughts on the new PM. She’s promised to do all the stuff and fix all the things – but hasn’t really said how. Does she know herself? We delve into the mind of the new Tory figurehead. Our guest this week is journalist and historian Seth Alexander Thévoz, author of The Secret Life of London Private Members’ Clubs.   “Perhaps boring could play well for her, but it has to be backed up by detail. It was the boring version of Johnson.” – Hannah Fearn  "She's embracing being a dull PM after the whirlwind of Johnson." – Ros Taylor “Truss cannot move people, she cannot inspire people. So she has to use a borrowed ideology and riff on that.” – Ros Taylor  “No prime minister ever wants to start banging on about an energy crisis. It’s the worst possible set of circumstances to be in.” – Seth Alexander Thévoz www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Hannah Fearn and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boris Johnson to the dustbin of political history, here we go. With the PM set to finally leave Number 10 we look back on his tumultuous tenure. Plus, with the prospect of Prime Minister Liz Truss looming, we assess the future of democracy in Britain. Things can only get… worse? Sam Fowles, author of Overruled: Confronting Our Vanishing Democracy in 8 Cases, is this week’s guest.  “It turned out the gloomsters were right all along.” – Hannah Fearn  "Boris’s ego is why we don’t have a government during an unprecedented crisis.” – Hannah Fearn “The Conservative Party always knew he was a tool of power – and when he proved himself useless, he had to go.” – Hannah Fearn  “It’s interesting in British politics, you can be absolutely rubbish at your job, but we let you get on with it.” – Sam Fowles  “Boris loves trading off future power for instant gratification.” – Marie Le Conte www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Hannah Fearn and Marie Le Conte. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Levelling up goes down the drain as its champion Gove vanishes. Whatever happened to the Tory pledge to the re-grout the Red Wall? Plus, as sewage on the beaches turns us into the dirty man of Europe, is the case for nationalising utilities now unanswerable? This week’s guest is Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe think tank. “If the Tories have a plan, they are not sharing it with us yet… and that is causing a lot of anger.” – Ros Taylor  “There's not much space for levelling up when you're in full crisis mode." – Ros Taylor  "Did Tory MPs vote for shit to be pumped into rivers? No. Did they stop it? No." – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Johnson in holiday mode, what do we make of Starmer’s move to fill the void with his own cost of living plans? Does his energy bills freeze proposal go far enough? Plus, special guest Tim Walker joins to discuss his Brexit showdown play Bloody Difficult Women and his time working alongside Johnson at The Telegraph.  “Brexit is like this awful family secret. The day granny got done for shoplifting that no one wants to talk about…” – Tim Walker “The cost of living is driving people into conditions you don’t associate with one of the world’s wealthiest countries. It’s really desperate.” – Arthur Snell  “Boris Johnson has always been an effortlessly selfish human being.” – Tim Walker  “Journalists have got into bed with the most useless, incompetent and damaging government of my lifetime.” – Tim Walker www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve got bills, they’re multiplying and the Government has lost control. Will the cost of living crisis ever end? What might Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak (hey, you never know…) do about it? And after Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort was raided, we look at the scandal surrounding the former US president. Satbir Singh, managing director at openDemocracy, and technology journalist Charles Arthur join us as our special guests this week.  Complete our listener survey and be in with a chance of winning an OGWN t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zIkaqc  “Being dragged into reality is not part of Truss’s plan until September 5th at the earliest.” – Ros Taylor “I thought we WANTED to be a high-wage economy? Apparently not yet!” – Alex Andreou "Trump’s social media platform is doing encouragingly badly.” – Charles Arthur “In the case of Sinema, the state of Arizona is holding the world to ransom on climate change.” – Satbir Singh www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keir Starmer and the unions: Can Labour keep its distance from striking workers without paying a price? Or will everything get better if you picket? Plus, is Rishi Sunak really catching up on Loopy Liz Truss? As Cosplay Thatcher executes rapid policy reversals, is this lady definitely up for turning? And as the Lionesses Bring Football Home™, our panelists revisit the trauma of sport at school.  Complete our listener survey and be in with a chance of winning an OGWN t-shirt: https://bit.ly/3zIkaqc  “Apparently we’ve taken back control of our borders, without taking responsibility for what happens there in either direction. That’s Brexit.” – Alex Andreou “Liz Truss is basically out with her mates but she doesn’t realise that all the rest of can see her and hear what she’s saying.” – Sara Gibbs “For Truss, how she looks supporting Ukraine is clearly more important to her than actually supporting Ukraine.” – Nina Schick “What we are really seeing now is the endgame of the Brexit era… which is to tell the lie that most closely corresponds to your audience’s understanding of the facts.” – Alex Andreou “What happened in Fukushima is very unlikely to happen in Germany. No tsunamis, right?” – Nina Schick “People are dead in Ukraine because Truss told them to go there to fight and then disavowed them…She is a very dangerously stupid person on the international stage.” – Alex Andreou Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick and Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production: Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Sunak and Truss trade blows in a classic blue-on-blue bout, we ask if we’ve really seen the end of the Johnson era. Plus, we unpack the crises either candidate will face should they win. Growing NHS waiting lists, queues in Dover and an ever-deepening cost of living crisis. Do either of them have a plan? This week’s guest is New Statesman deputy political editor Rachel Wearmouth.  “I wonder if Sunak has lacked the stomach for the fight, that kind of killer instinct.” – Rachel Wearmouth  "Truss is running a targeted campaign. Sunak is running a glossy PR campaign." – Rachel Wearmouth "If you're mansplaining, you're losing." – Rachel Wearmouth  "Truss is the Boris Johnson continuity candidate." – Rachel Wearmouth "It's a bunch of old men saying, I like her, she reminds me of Thatcher." – Alex Andreou  "We heard more about earrings and shoes than we did about climate change." – Naomi Smith  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Monday we put out Oh God, What Else?, a special mini-cast exclusively for Patreon backers. To show you what you’re missing, here’s a bonus selection of some of our best episodes featuring our Ian, Naomi, Ros, Dorian, Alex and Minnie in Now That’s What I Call Oh God, What Else? You can get a brand new “OGWE” every Monday when you back us on Patreon. Just go to www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow to find out more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunak or Truss. No, this isn’t a fever dream – one of them will be the next Prime Minister. The panel analyses this gruesome twosome, in the immediate aftermath of Mourdant’s elimination from the Tory leadership race. This week’s guest is Independent columnist and freelance journalist Hannah Fearn. And Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell joins to discuss his new book How Britain Broke the World.   “The debates were a terrible mistake. What was the point in them when the public have no say?” – Hannah Fearn  “I’m all for redoing Brexit in a way in which we don’t do it at all.” – Arthur Snell “Truss matches Starmer’s worst qualities, and none of his better ones. She will be a gift for Labour.” – Hannah Fearn “Compared to the cost of war, diplomats are very cheap.” – Arthur Snell “PMQs was the party pushing someone out of a window and applauding as they make flapping motions before they hit the ground.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Tory leadership contestants fighting like rats in a sack we pick apart the hopefuls vying to succeed Johnson. Is there a least worst candidate in this rotten bunch? And what policies might any winner actually push forward with? Our guest is Ali Milani, who was Labour’s candidate against Johnson in 2019 and is author of The Unlikely Candidate.  “I’m glad to see the back of Johnson. He’s one of the most dangerous men to walk into Number 10.” – Ali Milani  “This was always going to be the end of the Boris Johnson story.” – Ali Milani  “The next party leader is going to want to significantly distance themselves from Boris Johnson.” – Ali Milani  “​The Speaker was giving off real substitute teacher vibes at PMQs." – Alex Andreou  "Never have I seen such a thin-skinned group of politicians." – Ali Milani www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That’s it. Boris Johnson is to resign – sealing his place in history as the most shambolic excuse for a PM ever. We recorded a speedy-release edition on Wednesday, with 36 Government departures. Now we’re over 50. What the hell happened overnight? The resignations wouldn’t stop. Gove managed to get sacked. Johnson was due to fight on – before rather unceremoniously putting his fists down.  “The idea of Boris Johnson as caretaker, a man not known for taking care is ridiculous” – Dorian Lynskey “Silver lining: if Raab agreed to become caretaker, it would mean he’d have to give up all ambitions of having a leadership campaign” – Alex Andreou “Johnson has been a lightning rod for anger at how the government has behaved. And if you take that away, the lightning might strike the house.” - Ros Taylor “People were hypnotised by Johnson. We all lost our minds. And he’s a reminder that we must never, never let this happen again.” – Ros Taylor “It is one of the most astonishing self-owns we will ever see in British politics.” – Ian Dunt “My relief that he’s finally gone is tempered with anger that we let this happen.” – Ros Taylor  “He goes through his career thinking he’s Churchill and ends up just about beating Neville Chamberlain.” – Ian Dunt www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid a resignation tsunami, who knows how many ministers will have quit by the time you read this sentence? Boris Johnson is clinging to power like a leech full to the brim with the lifeblood of the Conservative Party. Is this finally the end? Plus, Fine Gael spokesperson on European Affairs Neale Richmond joins us as we unpack Starmer’s Brexit stance and the latest from that neverending conundrum.  “We deserve a better class of bastards." – Ian Dunt  "This isn't analysis, this is giggling euphoria. It's our real time reaction to resignations." – Ian Dunt "I'm an elected TD. I've got potholes to fill and babies to kiss - so this is my problem." – Neale Richmond  "Wednesdays are my busiest day of the week. I could do without having to watch Sky News all day." – Neale Richmond  “British people say the EU would never let us back in, we’ve burned our bridges… Well the British people haven’t burned their bridges. Boris Johnson burned his bridges.” – Neale Richmond www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Boris Johnson’s face covered in egg after two humbling by-election defeats, we assess the PM’s standing. What further turmoil is coming down the line? Plus, the post-Johnson future will need big political ideas. Guest Geoff Mulgan, former head of policy in the Prime Minister’s office under Tony Blair, gives us some pointers from his new book Another World is Possible. “Nobody in British politics ever learns anything from any other country any more. Not Scotland, Wales, France or anywhere.” – Geoff Mulgan “Truss, Wallace and Sunak are all looking for a reason to go off in a huff and start their leadership campaigns.” – Alex Andreou “The time horizons of politics have shrunken to days or weeks… The mainstream media just aren’t interested in thinking about the future. And that generates enormous pessimism.” – Geoff Mulgan “Johnson is not humble, he does not feel the effects of accountability.” – Minnie Rahman “Johnson probably will lead the Tories into the next election because there isn’t an alternative.” – Geoff Mulgan  “What the Government needs is something that divides the public again.” – Minnie Rahman www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Minnie Rahman. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Tories suffer two crushing by-election losses and Oliver Dowden resigns, mark this a good morning for Britain. In a special by-election emergencycast, Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt discuss the fallout from a disastrous night for the Conservatives, what next for Johnson’s leadership, and if Labour and the Lib Dems have finally worked out how to defeat the Tories. “Dowden doesn’t have any honour whatsoever, it’s very good that he’s resigned.” - Ian Dunt “The worse things are at home, the more time Johnson spends overseas” - Ros Taylor “If the Tories are threatened with extinction, they will find the necessary changes to get rid of the problem.” - Ian Dunt “What we’re seeing is a deal between Starmer and Davey, and voters reading the signals.” - Ian Dunt “If the Conservatives change their leader, they can win the next election.” - Ian Dunt Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic and Alex Rees. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Conservatives trying to blame Labour for this week’s strikes we unpack this latest bemusing attack line. Plus, we assess the ongoing Brexit dilemmas six years on from the referendum, with even ardent leavers dismayed and question marks over Labour’s position on the situation. This week’s guest is Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester and co-author of Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics. This week we're out early, watch out for an emergency edition on Friday…  “Both Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer are trapped in this one-dimensional narrative of how strikes play with the general public.” – Robert Ford  “It’s not going to get off the runway that strikes that are happening on your watch are the fault of the opposition.” – Robert Ford  “Boris Johnson is toxic with most voters. His ratings are terrible and they’re not getting better.” – Robert Ford  “The Government can run from the truth but they can’t hide from the truth.” – Naomi Smith  “Johnson has tried to squash the freedom of the press." – Naomi Smith "It feels painful to look back on Britain's political leaders." – Minnie Rahman www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith and Minnie Rahman. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patel’s eviction flights to Rwanda fall apart at the last minute and spark the ire of the European Court of Human Rights. But is a blazing row with “European judges” exactly what this collapsing Government wants anyway? Plus the Good Friday Agreement goes under the Brexit bus, David Davis’s “Remainer’s Brexit”, and Carole Cadwalladr defeats Arron Banks in court. Jack Blanchard of Politico is our special guest. (This edition recorded before the resignation of Lord Geidt) Also this week: A tribute to Dom Phillips, the British journalist who was murdered in the Amazon, from his friend and colleague Dorian. “Yes it’s a horrible fiasco and a waste of our money… But from a purely political point of view, the Government are probably rather pleased at how this is going.” – Jack Blanchard “If the Government had done the Rwanda story through legislation they’d have been on stronger ground… but they just didn’t want the scrutiny.” – Minnie Rahman “Tories are seeing majorities like Tiverton disappearing and wondering if Johnson really is an election winner after all…” - Jack Blanchard Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the nation due a vibe shift? With the Conservative Party in disarray, it would appear the times are a-changing… Plus, the Jubilee weekend has raised questions over the future of the monarchy. Dorian, Ian, Alex, Ros and special guest Rafael Behr mull over the state of the UK and how it might change in the near future.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Johnson clinging on to power after a dramatic week in Westminster, the panel unpacks VONC aftermath live in Brighton. What next for the embattled PM – can he linger around like a foul political stench for much longer? Dorian, Ian, Alex, Ros and special guest Rafael Behr mull over the latest drama in the first half of our latest in-person outing – from Hove, actually. “The Conservative Party has been in the grip of a personality cult.” – Ros Taylor  “Johnson will try to pacify everyone and fail.” – Alex Andreou “Being in control and having a plan takes hard work, and that’s an element he’s not willing to put in.” – Alex Andreou  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Johnson says he won’t quit thanks to a newfound sense of responsibility, we assess the chance of him being ousted. No confidence letters to 1922 Committee chair Graham Brady are reportedly nearing the magic 54 number. Will that happen? Then, what next? Plus, with Platty Joobs upon us, we discuss the panel's thoughts on a Royalist shindig. Guardian sketch writer John Crace is our special guest. “The idea that Johnson might do the decent thing or feel a note of shame… he’d need a character transplant for that.” – John Crace “You have to be a very anaemic Tory MP to think this can be allowed to rumble on forever.” – Ian Dunt “It’s getting harder to imagine the Tories winning the next election, whoever is in charge.” – Ros Taylor Presented by Alex Andreou with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifth birthday edition! Let the PM who has not accidentally arrived at a party during a pandemic lockdown cast the first stone... The panel unpacks Johnson’s latest partygate excuses now the hottest report of the year has dropped. Plus, special guest Francis Fukuyama gives his take and joins to discuss his latest book Liberalism and Its Discontents. And a special OGWN Backstage Confidential in the Extra Bit…  “People weren’t just having a quick drink, this was people getting drunk to the level they were vomiting.” – Naomi Smith “We live in an age where there is so little accountability. Entire Governments would’ve fallen over this, let alone just the people at the top.” – Naomi Smith  “The key words in the report were ‘we seem to have got away with it’… and they will.” – Ros Taylor  “It’s no secret that Johnson’s tactic is to draw out every scandal until the public gets tired of it.” – Naomi Smith  “To play this term out with Johnson in charge, purely because nobody else wants the job, it feels like the last days of Rome.” – Ros Taylor  “Liberalism was invented due to the European wars of religion, and India is heading down that path.” – Francis Fukuyama  “Ukraine has been one of the biggest disasters in authoritarian decision-making history.” – Francis Fukuyama www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NEW PODCAST: In a brand new 6-part series, Ian and Dorian explore the histories of the most misrepresented ideas in politics. Here’s a taster of the first episode: McCarthyism. Was it really a crusade against communists or just a grifter’s opportunity that got out of hand? How did a witch-hunt morph into a way to denounce any critic, no matter who? And did Joe McCarthy really write the rulebook for Trumpism? It’s a new smash hit from the House of OGWN! Get the full episode here: https://kite.link/OS1McCarthy Back Origin Story on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/originstorypod Written and presented by Dorian Lynskey and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Jade Bailey and Alex Rees. Music by Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The panel unpacks our eternally wise Government’s ingenious cost of living fix – simply try to be richer! How did certain politicians come to suggest better jobs and working more as quick fixes to escape poverty? Is the old “no such thing as society” mantra rearing its head? Plus, the Article 16 standoff goes on, who were the charlatans who signed up to this dodgy deal? “What Rishi Sunak actually does with his money is give fuck-off donations to his old private school.“ – Ros Taylor “The Bank of England doesn’t have many levers it can pull, and raising interest rates is quite a painful one.” – Ian Dunt “As an MP, even visiting a food bank you’re a tourist in a strange land.” – Alex Andreou “When you’re poor, a trip to the dentist can knock your finances out of orbit for a year.” – Alex Andreou “Big Dog is not under immediate pressure, so Big Dog does not need to act.” – Ros Taylor Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Starmer goes bhuna or bust, we discuss his big gamble and the ongoing curry furore. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran joins us to discuss who’s pushing the story and whether Keir’s response was the right move? Plus, the panel unpacks the local elections, now the dust from the ballot boxes has settled. And, what are the big things we should be worried about from the Queen’s Speech? “Johnson is a great asset for the Labour Party.” – Naomi Smith  “What Keir Starmer is in fact doing is what I think most people would hope most politicians would do in this situation.” – Layla Moran  “The Durham Police get to decide who gets to be leader and deputy leader of the Labour Party." – Ros Taylor "The media mudslinging affects all politicians." – Layla Moran "The government hasn't made new laws, just scrapped old ones." – Ros Taylor "It's just 38 bills of awfulness." – Layla Moran Come to OGWN Live in Brighton with special guest Rafael Behr on Weds 8 June: https://www.theoldmarket.com/shows/oh-god-what-now-live-in-brighton www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock talks Westminster sleaze, Starmer’s fighting spirit and tussles with the ultra-left. He and the panel unpack the rot in Government and the decline in standards – which he suggests could undo Johnson in the long run. Neil also reflects on his own time heading up Labour, while addressing what the party needs to do now and for the future. “Keir Starmer is not Kinnock, or John Smith, or Tony Blair. He is in fact Keir Starmer.” – Neil Kinnock “I think that Keir was probably born mature.” – Neil Kinnock “Keir is not a warrior but a consistent relentless fighter, and that’s why he’s a forensic lawyer. That’s why in his case, he says: ‘Don’t get mad, get even.’” – Neil Kinnock “Labour leaders most of the time have to manage their parties to an extent that other party leaders don’t have to do.” – Neil Kinnock “Compromise for a realistic political leader is like oxygen for human beings.” – Neil Kinnock “If you live in the real world, as you must, a life without compromise is unlivable.” – Neil Kinnock “It’s no good Labour leader’s whinging about mistreatment from the press.” – Neil Kinnock "Labour has a galaxy of meaningful policies, but no overall mission.” – Neil Kinnock "Blair's fall from esteem was almost Greek in dimension." – Neil Kinnock "Elections are won and lost over years, not weeks." – Neil Kinnock  https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson’s teflon covering is scratched away, we chart a potential path to his political demise. The panel analyses the latest x-rated scandal in the Commons, that newspaper article and the Prime Minister’s turmoil. Plus, we look at Elon Musk’s controversial Twitter takeover. Sir Anthony Seldon, political historian and author of The Impossible Office? The History of the British Prime Minister, is this week’s guest.    “Boris Johnson has passed the supposed point of no return in his leadership about 97 times.” – Sir Anthony Seldon “Tories love power, that’s why they’re the longest serving party in history, whereas Labour are more purist.” – Sir Anthony Seldon “This drip, drip of partygate information has helped Johnson, but harmed the Conservatives.” - Alex Andreou “After the past few years the public expect politicians to break the law and get away with it.” – Minnie Rahman “To be a successful leader you need to appreciate history… arrogance will only lead to your downfall.” – Sir Anthony Seldon “All his life Johnson has played his own game, by his own rules and got his own way.” – Sir Anthony Seldon “The cost of living crisis feels like a Tory crisis, and that’s where Labour's political opportunity is.” – Minnie Rahman www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Naomi Smith with Alex Andreou and Minnie Rahman. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unpack Johnson’s latest partygate pseudo-apology and analyse the Government’s controversial Rwanda asylum plans. Might the PM’s hubris finally catch up with him? The panel also casts an eye to France as the nation’s presidential election comes to its climax, with veteran correspondent John Lichfield joining as this week’s guest. “The Conservatives are looking around thinking: 'This is a party absolutely stacked with shite.'” – Ian Dunt  “If the worst Johnson can do is compare Starmer to Corbyn, then he's in a pretty terrible state.” – Ian Dunt "The Rwanda plan is designed to rile up people like us." – Ian Dunt “France is, very dangerously, becoming split in three ways” – John Lichfield “The French have written off Boris some time ago as someone not to be taken seriously.” – John Lichfield “I think Macron is going to be re-elected, and that is an extraordinary exploit.” – John Lichfield  “I don’t think anyone is actually going to get sent to Rwanda… the plan has so many holes in it I just can’t see it working” – Arthur Snell  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Arthur Snell and Ian Dunt. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johnson becomes the first PM to be convicted of a crime when in office. We look at the times Britain HAS changed its PM during a war, the fines that are coming – and how Johnson is now hiding behind the Ukrainian people so he doesn’t get No Confidenced. Aussi, la merde frappe le ventilateur in the French elections. And Penny Mordaunt, Tank Girl. Labour MP for Leeds NW Alex Sobel is our special guest.  “You don’t have to be a Non-Dom to be a Chancellor – but it helps, right?” – Naomi Smith “The question is, where is the bottom of the Tories’ moral compass? How low can Johnson go?” – Alex Sobel “My own father died during COVID and I wasn’t able to touch him – because I, like everyone else except our leaders, followed the rules.” – Naomi Smith “I would be willing to put my hand on my heart and say that Rishi Sunak will never be Conservative Party leader.” – Alex Sobel “Populism is the promise that the harshest possible laws will apply to everyone else. That is the Le Pen offer.” – Alex Andreou “Everyone forgets that the main reason Sunak became Chancellor was simply because he was compliant.” – Alex Sobel Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dorries decides to sell Channel 4 (definitely not out of revenge), it’s two years of Keir, and populism wins again with Orbán. Guest Matt Forde, comedian and host of The Political Party podcast, joins us to look at how Labour has shifted under two years of Starmer and where it goes next. Plus, we look at what’s behind Nadine Dorries’ decision – and what will come of another Orbán victory in Hungary? “Starmer didn’t want to be in a position where he had to remove the whip from Corbyn, it didn’t make his life easier.” – Ian Dunt  “For the first time since Gordon Brown, Labour has the better candidate to be Prime Minister.” – Matt Forde  “Labour might not be 20 points ahead of the Tories, but they are 25 points ahead of where they were under Corbyn.” – Ros Taylor  “I think he [Johnson] has totally underestimated how livid people are… I think he is totally out of touch with the anger and the hurt.” – Matt Forde “Channel 4 is an easier target than the BBC. People are less attached to it, and Dorries is less afraid to take it on.” - Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Elina Ganatra. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Partygate fines being dished out, special guest Emily Thornberry joins us to discuss Government scandals and sleaze. The shadow attorney general weighs in on Boris Johnson’s position, as it appears evermore untenable. Plus, we discuss the Labour’s future prospects, hopes for change …and the Tories eternally wading into the war on woke.  “You can’t have some rules for some people and no rules for other people. We don’t have gods among us.” – Emily Thornberry  “Of course the British people want to help people, but we don’t have a government that can step up to that.” – Emily Thornberry  “We have to win so many seats back and to do it in one leap is going to be difficult.” – Emily Thornberry  “You can be as radical and beautiful as you want to be, but if you don’t get elected, you’re no use to anybody.” – Emily Thornberry  "If Labour isn't the party for the disempowered and marginalised, then why are we here?" – Emily Thornberry www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We analyse whether there was anything but jam tomorrow from the chancer Chancellor in his Spring Statement. During a historic cost of living crisis, has Rishi Sunak come anywhere close to meeting the moment? Plus, as scandals surrounding Boris Johnson and his Government resurface, we dive into the sleaze. Will Davies, a professor in political economy and co-author of Unprecedented?: How COVID-19 Revealed the Politics of Our Economy, is this week’s guest.  “This statement struck the wrong note for the challenge we as a country are facing.” – Alex Andreou “It is useful for Johnson to draw a line between himself and Europe, and the EU can get more done without Britain.” – Ros Taylor  “Johnson will no doubt want to use Ukraine in any way he can to distract from partygate.” – Will Davies “Sunak had the choice of doing right by the country or right by the party, and he chose the latter.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Government shortcomings amid Ukraine’s invasion are clear, with questions over refugee support and Russian influence in British politics. The panel discusses oligarch controversy, issues for those trying to flee to Britain and global shifts the present crisis is sparking. Guardian columnist and The Long View presenter Jonathan Freedland is our special guest this week.  “You can’t deal with this on your own, of course not. It has to be European solidarity.” – Jonathan Freedland  “If you’re mixing at parties with celebrities and politicians, you’re going to have gossip on them.” – Naomi Smith  “We’ve seen a realignment of the world into dictatorship vs democracy.” – Jonathan Freedland  “Russians are the first victims of Putinism, they’ve been both gagged and blindfolded, and we need to liberate them.” – Jonathan Freedland  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live in London… How will Putin’s Ukraine gamble play out? Has Johnson got away with Partygate? Which pundit wins the Worst Take on Ukraine award? Ian, Dorian, Ros, Minnie (live debut!) and special crossover guest Arthur Snell of Doomsday Watch/The Bunker discuss these issues and more before a brilliant live audience at the Leicester Square Theatre. Text the word SUPPORT to 70150 to send £10 to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Minnie Rahman, Arthur Snell and Ian Dunt. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Special thanks to Jess Davies and all at the Leicester Square Theatre. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ukrainian resistance awes the world, can EU sanctions stop Russia – or are the risks of confronting Putin just too great? Plus the Government’s cruel refugee policy, unexplained oligarch wealth, and the ignominy of Stop The War. This week’s special guest is former Conservative MP, defence minister and Change UK leader Anna Soubry. “Ukraine has made people realise what the nature of a refugee really is.” – Anna Soubry “The financial assault on Russia is economic warfare of the highest order.” – Ian Dunt “Parliament voting against airstrikes in Syria in 2013 was a dreadful mistake. It showed Putin he could essentially do what he wanted.” – Anna Soubry “There are two frontlines. There’s the battle in Ukraine and the financial assault on Russia.” – Ian Dunt “This is almost a betrayal… We have spent eyewatering amounts of money on nuclear weapons and it turns out that the bully can win anyway?” – Ann Soubry “Zelenskyy puts himself in the public eye and in harm’s way, exactly the way Putin doesn’t.” – Naomi Smith Find resources to help the Ukrainian people here: https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/ www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Naomi Smith. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Alex Rees, Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**This episode was recorded prior to Russia's assault on Ukraine on Thursday.** Putin pounces. Ukraine in peril. COVID sidelined at home.  Romeo Kokriatski, managing editor of New Voice of Ukraine, joins us from Kyiv to talk about the horror posed by Russia’s aggression. Plus, comedian and creator of The Room Next Door Michael Spicer joins us to discuss what’s going on domestically, as Boris Johnson tries to ignore his way out of the pandemic.  “Putin is a dictator, he doesn’t need a reason to do anything.” - Romeo Kokriatski  “Russia’s demands were completely unacceptable. It would leave NATO countries on Russia’s borders completely undefended.” - Romeo Kokriatski “Apart from the US, Britain can hurt Russia the most, yet we aren’t fulfilling our obligations.” - Ian Dunt  “Covid is not the same as a cold. How are people meant to protect others if they don’t know they have it?” - Minnie Rahman  “There’s been a running narrative of ‘when will they get this right?’ about this government.” - Michael Spicer  “As long as this Government is in charge, there will always be material for comedy.” - Michael Spicer www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Minnie Rahman. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia insists troops are being withdrawn from the Ukrainian border, but is there a genuine deescalation? What happens next? We assess the crisis and Britain’s reaction to it. Plus, with our institutions in disarray as the Government remains embroiled in scandal, what needs to change? Former diplomat and civil servant Alexandra Hall Hall is today’s special guest. “I find it so frustrating that Russia is spinning this narrative that NATO’s actions are somehow provocative.” - Alexandra Hall Hall “This situation is the best opportunity for Boris Johnson to perform his ‘wannabe Churchill’ routine.” - Alexandra Hall Hall “There has been a hollowing out of the ethos of the senior civil service.” – Alex Andreou  “In order to deliver Brexit, so many conventions were trampled upon.” – Alexandra Hall Hall www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson is busted with bubbly, will new No.10 arrivals come to his rescue – or are they too late to the parties? Journalist and author Marie Le Conte joins us from sister podcast The Bunker to discuss the latest ins and outs at Downing Street and the mini Cabinet reshuffle. Plus, while the PM loses friends at a rapid rate, a constant ally remains in the form of Nadine Dorries. We ask, what’s her deal? “Like Matt Hancock, this rambling scandal will disable Johnson – but it’ll be something else that gets rid of him.” – Alex Andreou “It doesn’t matter if Johnson apologises about the Savile smear. The point is, in the country the moral line has held.” – Ian Dunt “The penalties for accusing someone of lying are far worse than the lying itself, and that cannot stand.” – Ian Dunt "Johnson has built a parliamentary party of morons, and surrounded himself with the worst of them." - Alex Andreou "Dorries' behaviour is so bizarre that people have to come up with explanations, but the basic answer is she's shit." - Ian Dunt www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Naomi Smith with Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boris Johnson remains consistent in at least one regard – he continues to disappoint yet fails to surprise with his actions. With the PM’s bluster having backfired of late, journalist and author of Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition Sonia Purnell joins us to discuss his position. Meanwhile, questions have been raised over “dirty money” from Russia “flowing into” London. How does this tie in with our politics – and place on the world stage?  “Boris was driven by the agenda of his own career. He had to be number 1 and of course the most powerful person in the country is the Prime Minister.” - Sonia Purnell  “It’s getting hard to defend the system.” - Ian Dunt  “Tory MPs have essentially desensitised themselves, and there are no boundaries to what they will defend.” - Ros Taylor  “Johnson is not a nice, cuddly teddy bear. There is a loss of control when he’s under threat.” - Sonia Purnell  “For the Tory party to change, you have to hurt it at the ballot box.” - Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the party nearly over for Boris Johnson, or can he continue to have his cake and eat it? With a police investigation launched into Downing Street’s lockdown shenanigans, and the publication of Sue Gray’s report apparently imminent, we assess the Prime Minister’s seemingly ever-precarious position. Beyond that we look at Rishi Sunak’s manoeuvres and motivations, as he’s touted as a successor to Johnson. What are the Chancellor’s chances? “The Government has lied so many times, over and over, that it’s genuinely impossible to tell whether they’re telling the truth at all.” – Naomi Smith  “The people of Ukraine are not a press office for you to fire off press releases when things aren’t going well for you in the Commons.” – Ian Dunt  “What sort of crazy world is it where Johnson welcomes an actual criminal investigation by the police, where he could be prosecuted, as some sort of relief, just because it extends his time in power.” – Naomi Smith “How can the Met investigate these breaches when they happened under their noses.” – Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sue Gray report is imminent, Tory backbenchers are sending in their letters to the 1922 committee, and Bury North MP Christian Wakeford has defected to Labour. Is Boris Johnson a dead man walking, or can he really ride this out? Plus, we discuss the Government’s latest attack on the BBC, and how to fund the national broadcaster in the age of streaming. The Financial Times’ Chief Features Writer Henry Mance is our special guest this week. “Johnson must have thought he was home free, then on the last question David Davis called for his resignation in the strongest terms.” - Alex Andreou “Christian Wakeford having a majority of only 402 in a red wall seat is probably a motivating factor in him having switched.” - Minnie Rahman “Older MPs rebelled against Cameron and May, yet they now think they’re in a position to tell newer MPs ‘you shouldn’t rebel’.” - Henry Mance “Attacks on the BBC are incoherent, the Government want it to be a patriotic national broadcaster, yet they also want it to be like Netflix.” - Henry Mance www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When is a party not a party? As Boris Johnson slobbers out a pitifully insincere apology for No.10’s Turbo Garden Rave 2020, has he finally lost the Tory Party as well as most of the country? Plus, Liz Truss: Portrait of a Woman Who’s Dire. What makes Cosplay Thatcher run? And who would our panel put in the Lords? Comedy writer of HIGNFY fame Sara Gibbs is our special guest.   “I can’t pretend I’m not enjoying this absolute lying bastard getting his comeuppance… He is boxed in by his own bullshit.” – Ian Dunt “I’ve been to some bad parties but none so bad I thought they were work meetings.” – Naomi Smith” “Trying to get a COVID LFT is like trying to get a five star meal.” – Ian Dunt “In Liz Truss’s infamous cheese speech you could see her brain going ‘Do a smile now.’ I have no idea what’s going on in there. She’s naked ambition in a skin suit.” – Sara Gibbs “It’s a lie within a lie within a lie, tumbling into oblivion.” – Ian Dunt “The mistake with Boris Johnson was treating him like a bumbling buffoon… We made him seem innocuous. I worry about doing the same with Liz Truss.” – Sara Gibbs “I’d rather Boris Johnson stayed there as a dead man walking… But the alternatives do look very, very beatable.” – Ian Dunt Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the first Oh God, What Now? of 2022, and we’re going back to our roots by looking at good old Brexit. What joys will our prolonged divorce from Europe bring in the year ahead? Plus Keir Starmer put his “Contract with the British public” on the table in a speech earlier this week, but what exactly is it? And in the extra bit, we discuss Netflix’s apocalyptic comedy Don’t Look Up. “Macron has nothing to lose with this rhetoric, anti-vaxxers aren’t going to vote for him anyway and the vaxxed don’t want a lockdown.” - Ros Taylor “What we’ve learnt is that the sub-tribes within the Brexit tribe want very different things.” - Alex Andreou “The Brexiteers promised IMAX, but instead they’re huddling round a black and white TV showing the Australia trade deal again.” - Dorian Lynskey “The Tories are really struggling to maintain the culture war, and without it politics returns to a discussion of material conditions.” - Ian Dunt “The Tony Blair peerage debate is one of the most boring debates, there should be a button on Twitter to shut down discussion on Blair.” - Ian Dunt www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our intra-Christmas special to tide you over til January, we present some of the best bits of OGWN from 2021. From scourge of the No.10 party person Pippa Crerar to representative of endangered species the ‘sensible Tory’ David Gauke, from the Sunday Times Insight Team’s incredible work on the Government’s pandemic failures to favourite guests Andy Burnham and Sarah Gibb, here are some of our favourite moments. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, Ian Dunt, Minnie Rahman and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎶 “Simply having/A terrible cheese and wine…” 🎶 In the last OGWN of 2021, our Christmas stocking bulges with troubles for Boris Johnson. Lord Frost bails out, the UK caves over the ECJ and the Northern Ireland Protocol, people have never been so angry about cheese and/or wine, and he’s lost control of COVID measures – again. What a way to end the year. Plus: The panel reads the tea leaves for reasons to be optimistic in 2022. The many faces of the Liz Truss Multiverse. And what’s the worst Christmas our panel have ever had? “The Brexiters can’t let Northern Ireland be seen as the only part of the UK to make a success of Brexit… because it’s still in the Single Market.” – Naomi Smith “Lord Frost’s resignation was timed to cause maximum damage to an already damaged Johnson. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the rivals had offered him a job.” – Alex Andreou “Liz Truss is oozing with desperation for the top job, it’s almost embarrassing.” – Naomi Smith “If the Government is saying we need something in a week, the science is probably saying we needed it a week ago.” – Minnie Rahman Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou, Minnie Rahman and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SHORT SHARP SHROP: Christmas comes early as Johnson’s Tories are utterly humiliated in the North Shropshire by-election, with the ignominious loss of a 23,000-vote majority in a Tory heartland – and the biggest swing to the Lib Dems since 1993. What brought about this debacle: sleaze, scandal, Christmas parties, Johnson selling out farmers, Owen Paterson’s arrogance, or Johnson’s own repellent personality? And did Labour play it right by not campaigning too hard? Ros, Naomi and Dorian gather for a nice hot glass of mulled schadenfreude. “This shows there isn’t yet huge appetite for a Starmer government. What there is, is disgust at the Conservative government.” – Ros Taylor “Unlike Chesham and Amersham this wasn’t Remainers’ Revenge. This was very much a verdict on Johnson.” – Naomi Smith “The Paterson affair shows Johnson’s fatal flaw: hubris. This will be his downfall.” – Ros Taylor Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boris Johnson finally looks vulnerable, but should we really want him to go on the eve of the Omicron Wave? Is Partygate plus COVID fatigue a recipe for non-compliance? Did Plan B happen so fast to save Johnson’s skin – and should Lib Dems, Greens and the Left really make common cause with libertarian Tories over vaccine passports and mandatory vaccinations? Plus, the Afghanistan Withdrawal was among the most shameful episodes of 2021. We ask Kim Ghattas – Middle East expert and author of Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Rivalry that Unravelled the Middle East – if the West will ever have positive influence in the region again. “This is a hugely weakened Johnson… Nobody could have predicted he’d collapse so badly, so soon.” – Naomi Smith “We are in a very scary place now with the virus. Soon we’ll run out of testing capacity – and we will have no idea how many people have COVID.” – Ros Taylor “I look at Partygate and think maybe we should be kinder to our own politicians in Lebanon. Maybe they’re not so bad.” – Kim Ghattas “If there’s one thing worse than going into this stage of the pandemic with the Tories in charge, it’s going in with nobody in charge.” – Ros Taylor “The Taliban have realised they can’t operate like they did in the 90s… They have to let technocrats who are women to go back to work, because they know how to run a country.” – Kim Ghattas Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Thanks to Stephen and Mandy for the graphic. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s their party and they’ll lie if they want to… Mere hours after Allegra Stratton fell on her sword, the Oh God, What Now? panel assemble before a baying crowd at the Leicester Square Theatre, London, for our Christmas special. What does the party-that-wasn’t mean? What were the ten worst things about 2021? And what would our panelists do if they were suddenly made Dictator?  Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you thought the Culture War was a recent invention, you’d be wrong. Investigative mischief-maker JON RONSON joins us to explain how its roots run a lot deeper than you might think – as he learned from making his new podcast series Things Fell Apart. Plus, are progressive politics finally turning the corner? The Guardian’s RAFAEL BEHR on the difference between where Starmer is and where he needs to be. And what will the NEXT Culture War be about?  • “If you fill your head with ideology then there is no room for curiosity.” – JON RONSON • “The Government only has two approaches: total lockdown or Plague Party.” – NAOMI SMITH • “There is no Blairism left in the Labour Party. But there is anti-Corbynism.” – RAF BEHR • “Every generation wants to solve the problems of the previous one.” – JON RONSON • “Brexit was sold on controlling the borders – but you can’t do that if you only control one side of the border.” – RAF BEHR Listen to Jon Ronson’s Things Fell Apart: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m0011cpr Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Johnson makes a pig's ear out of his speech to the CBI, and with unrest sizzling on the Tory backbenches over social care, is the Prime Minister in danger of getting smoked out, or can he use red meat to buy off his MPs? Plus continental Europe is facing a fourth wave of COVID, reaching case rates the UK has seen for months! Will Britain avoid another lockdown, and are we changing our behaviour as Christmas approaches? Naomi, Dorian and Alex are joined by special guest Gavin Esler on this week’s show. “Johnson turning up and winging his speech is effectively another way of saying ‘fuck business’.” - Alex Andreou “I hate commentators using the word ‘authentic’, some people are authentically shit.” - Gavin Esler  “Johnson is under attack from all groups in the party, this makes it very difficult for him to buy them off.” - Naomi Smith “One person I think has a good chance is Jeremy Hunt. He’s biding his time, outside the cabinet of disasters.” - Gavin Esler “The UK became desensitised after the 80,000 death second wave, something that other European countries didn’t go through.” - Alex Andreou Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the House of Funds… Parliament’s sleaze scandal rolls into yet another week. But have no fear! Boris Johnson has announced plans to reform the rule for second jobs MPs can do, and this time it’s totally going to work, you guys. Gracie Mae Bradley from human rights group Liberty joins us to discuss the week’s news...  Will the Tory old guard be impressed with Johnson threatening to take away their nice little earners, and is there any stopping serial filibusterer Christopher Chope from ruining votes at the last minute?  Plus, President Putin is piling the pressure on his regional allies, and refugees are being used a political pawn by Belarus. We take a look at why the story isn’t bigger here in the UK, and how the erosion of democracy on the other side of Europe affects us all.  “Johnson had a torrid time at PMQs, the speaker told him in politer terms to sit down and shut up” - Alex Andreou “MPs are paid to be full time representatives of their constituency, so any jobs should be agreed with that in mind” - Alex Andreou “Conservative MPs elected in marginal seats look at Christopher Chope and think ‘what impression is he giving the public of us?’” - Ros Taylor “All that Johnson has going for him is that he wins, that’s the only reason people in the party like him” - Dorian Lynskey “There is a horrible continuity between the accounts of people in Calais and on the Belarus/Poland border” - Gracie Bradley “All of this is Putin’s way of testing Biden’s resolve” - Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Don’t forget the OH GOD, WHAT NOW? Christmas live show - tickets are selling fast so get yours at https://bit.ly/3CvhpqH Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vultures circle as the Owen Paterson scandal disintegrates into a circular Tory firing squad featuring Geoffrey Cox (hon. member for the Virgin Islands), vengeful whips, an absentee unmasked PM… and a collapsed Conservative poll lead. Plus COP26 winds down, we talk to PETER STOTT, author of Hot Air to find out how climate denial has morphed into a campaign to smear climate mitigation as “too costly”. And ARTHUR SNELL drops in to introduce our new sibling podcast Doomsday Watch, a deep dive into mammoth global threats that media and leaders are ignoring.  “Being in power is not enough. They need to be in power with nobody looking over their shoulders. And now, everyone is looking over their shoulders.” – ALEX ANDREOU “The Paterson story is so simple. Man took money. Government changed rules to get him off. Even the Mail could see it.” – NAOMI SMITH “There’s an internal implosion going on in the Conservative Party – and it’s delightful to witness.” – ALEX ANDREOU  “We need to stop talking about climate ‘sceptics’. They’re not sceptics. Scepticism is a tool of science. They’re deniers.” – PETER STOTT “The Tories are terrified at this story that they’ve all got their noses in the trough because… they’ve all got their noses in the trough.” – ALEX ANDREOU Paterson no, Patreon yes! Back us at www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Buy Peter Stott’s Hot Air: https://amzn.to/31JkIxD Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A sneak peek at a brand new series from the producers behind Oh God, What Now? To hear more, visit kite.link/doomsday The world has never stood as close to the apocalypse as it does today. Hosted by ARTHUR SNELL, a former British diplomat and counter-terrorism operative who has seen service in Yemen, Helmand and Zimbabwe, DOOMSDAY WATCH meets experts and eyewitness for an unflinching look at the threats that conventional media ignores. On this first edition: Is a toxic combination of extreme partisanship, detached elites and Trump’s incitement driving the world’s greatest democracy to a second Civil War? • “This is the story of a great project that has torn itself apart from the inside.” – ARTHUR SNELL • “At what point do we stop saying this is a democratic country?” – BRIAN KLAAS • “Where there is anger and polarised states, democracy may not work any more.” – JACK GOLDSTONE DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell and produced by Robin Leeburn – with assistant production from Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music is by Paul Hartnoll. The group editor is Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A bingo card of Tory sleaze…” It’s COP26 week so naturally the Tory Government puts the recycling out – bringing back 90s corruption by overturning the suspension of self-enriching paid lobbyist MP OWEN PATERSON. What were they thinking, will it bite them back in the end, what exactly were Randox getting for their money, and can we consign “standards in public life” to the box of quaint historic relics? Plus our guest this week is PAUL HAWKEN, author of Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.  • “Johnson's like a greasy pastry. The sleaze is baked in.” – NAOMI SMITH • “Politics is the most environmentally destructive industry in the world.” – PAUL HAWKEN • “The Brexit Party saved Labour from an even worse defeat in 2019… ‘Thank God for Nigel Farage’ is quite a statement” – DORIAN LYNSKEY • “The only thing Bolsonaro hates more than trees are the indigenous people living among them.” – NAOMI SMITH www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Buy Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Paul-Hawken/Regeneration--Ending-the-Climate-Crisis-in-One-Generation/25990481 Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Government sanctions explosive leaks of noxious material, leaving the country nauseated. But enough about the Budget. As National Sewage Week comes to a glorious end, we reach around the political S-Bend to see what Rishi Sunak has left in Britain’s economic pan. Also we welcome guest MICHAEL BRADDICK, author of 'A Useful History of Britain: The Politics of Getting Things Done’ to ask if ‘Britishness’ really exists. Plus, what would our panel do if they were dictators? * “Clean water would bankrupt the water industry? I see problem there…” – Alex Andreou * “If you drink liqueurs on domestic flights, this is the Budget to help you.” – Ian Dunt * “If you want people to feel British, then make Britain work for them. Don’t just tell them they’re British” – Michael Braddick www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MPs want the Online Harms Bill to be tightened to take in “hateful speech” – yet the murder of David Amess appears to have had nothing to do with social media. Are they trying to insulate themselves from criticism. Special guest, news and policy blogger David Allen Green, joins us to look at the fallout from David Amess’s killing, plus the confirmation that, yes, the UK government signed the Withdrawal Agreement always intending to break it.  “Just because extremists are on social media, it doesn’t mean that social media is the reason they’re extremists” - Alex Andreou “It’s strange that MPs are demanding the end of anonymity online when they’re so deft at using ‘off the record’ to get messages into the media.” – David Allen Green  “It’s always fun to see the ones who brought you ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE bringing up Angela Rayner’s ‘scum’ comments.” – Dorian Lynskey “This is a betrayal of the central argument that got the Government elected – and everyone just shrugs?” – Alex Andreou “Think how different things would be if we’d had the wit to call the EU the Winston Churchill Memorial Organisation…” – David Allen Green www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brexit’s back! Unelected bureaucrat Lord Frost resurrects the nightmare by tearing into the disgraceful deal and NI Protocol negotiated by dastardly unelected bureaucrat Lord Frost. Wait til he finds that guy… Plus, Johnson re-enacts the late 70s by going on holiday during a national crisis and unfortunately misses the interim COVID report which pins a large chunk of blame on Boris Johnson. Just another perfectly normal week in a perfectly normal country.  “Johnson is like a man who has pissed themselves and then says they’re wearing yellow trousers” - Ian Dunt “When you have a Government who wants to shrink the state, you can’t be surprised that when a crisis does occur the state can’t handle it” - Alex Andreou “What kind of Government would tear up their own territorial customs arrangements?” - Ian Dunt “The DUP’s handling of Brexit when they had the whip-hand at Westminster has seen their support plummet” - Naomi Smith “Johnson is not going to go without a turkey at Christmas. This is class war, plain and simple.” - Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An extra for Oh God What Now listeners! Every Monday morning we put out an exclusive, brand new microcast for our Patreon backers, called (inevitably) OH GOD, WHAT ELSE? Our regulars tide you over between episodes by talking about politics but also politics-adjacent stuff like movies, food and the terrible decisions they’ve made in life. Here’s a supercut taster edition so you can hear what you’re missing. If you’d like to get OH GOD WHAT ELSE every Monday morning, search PATREON OH GOD WHAT NOW PODCAST and back us for as little as £2 a month. It’ll be the best few quid you spend all month… (Oh, and Ian meant to say Cenobites, not Cenotaphs) Featuring Minnie Rahman, Ros Taylor, Alex Andreou, Dorian Lynskey, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Assistant producer Jelena Sofrenijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Oh God, What Else is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Conservatives drift through a self-congratulatory conference, special guest David Gauke – former Conservative Justice Secretary, now rōnin of old-school Toryism – joins us to sieve Johnson’s speech for an atom of real content. Plus, does the BBC’s Blair & Brown: The New Labour Revolution give us new insight into the TBGBs? And after Facebook goes down, would we miss it if it went away forever?  “Johnson’s speech was jibbered nonsense, like a human jelly spitting at you for 45 minutes.” – Ian Dunt “Article 16 isn’t quite what everyone thinks… It’s not like in one bound Britain will be free.” – David Gauke “It was pathetic see a grown man, with all the power and influence he has, making jokes about beavers.” – Ros Taylor “If the Conservatives cared about free speech they wouldn’t introduce any of Patel’s measures – but they only cares about it as something to beat the Left with.” – Ian Dunt “No Russians ever came to me offering donations. What was I doing wrong? I had to rely on little old ladies giving £50…” – David Gauke www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, how did that Labour conference go? Did Keir Starmer snatch victory from the jaws of fratricidal defeat with that closing speech? Special guest Clive Lewis MP joins us to work out whether Labour is back on the road to recovery – and what was missing from the Conference. Plus, the German elections a row of light for the centre-left? And is it really so terrible if politicians call other politicians “scum”? “If you were casting hecklers to look mad and unsympathetic, you couldn’t have done a better job.” – Alex Andreou “Starmer won on a platform of sensible Corbynism. Now he’s changed into a New Labour tribute band.” – Clive Lewis “Labour’s choice is they can be the biggest coalition party under PR – or be in opposition forever under FPTP.” - Naomi Smith “The Conservative Party is the most successful party in the world – which by default makes Labour the most unsuccessful.” – Clive Lewis www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Mr Spaff Goes to Washington. But as Boris Johnson chums up to Joe Biden, an energy crisis is looming back home. With two providers collapsing and more on the way, what does the winter have in store?  And on Saturday the Labour Party conference kicks off at the scene of Neil Kinnock's seaside tumble in Brighton. Can Keir Starmer capture a post-Covid comeback with his own Militant moment? Guardian journalist and host of Politics on the Couch RAFAEL BEHR joins the panel to hash out this week's stories.  "At least The Simpsons' power plant is still running. Well done, Mr. Burns." - Dorian Lynskey "The government should be buying out, not bailing out, the companies that are failing." - Minnie Rahman  "Our energy market is failing consumers and the planet." - Minnie Rahman. "People have stopped listening to Labour." - Rafael Behr.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded before this week’s reshuffle was finalised. For full analysis, listen to our Emergency Pod! As Boris Johnson kicks Gavin Williamson out from the cabinet, the issues of trade with the EU, especially in Northern Ireland, have been kicked into the long grass once again. Independent MLA Claire Sugden joins the panel for the view from across the Irish Sea.  Plus, as the chess pieces move around him, Health Sec Sajid Javid announces the government’s plan to tackle Covid in England over the winter.  And, a year since Ian’s book was released, he reflects on Covid’s effect on liberalism and what it means to be free in a world where freedoms are being suppressed across the world…  "Liberalism demands of you to imagine what life is like for others." - Ian Dunt "How can it be five years, and we're still talking about Percy Pigs at the border?" - Ian Dunt "Our government has got its eyes on lowering food standards." - Naomi Smith "I'm less concerned about when the Northern Ireland administration collapses, and more what happens afterwards." - Claire Sugden www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow How to be a Liberal is out in paperback now with an exclusive chapter at Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-be-a-liberal/ian-dunt/2928377065010 Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mince pies and P45s arrive on the shelves earlier every year. That’s right, it’s reshuffle season - and we’re here with an emergency pod to assess the latest shower of sycophants.  With Oliver Dowden taking over as party chair, are the Tories now on election footing? What awaits the justice system with Dominic Raab in charge? Can the panel bring themselves to speak the name of the new Culture Secretary, Nadin- Nadine Do- Na- oh, never mind, we can’t do it either. “It’s sense of moral despair that the Justice system is a consolation prize to someone who’s messed up elsewhere” - Ian Dunt “Tory members see Truss as a modern day Thatcher” - Naomi Smith “Liz Truss has been able to produce ‘copy and paste’ trade deals very effectively” - Naomi Smith “You get the sense this will be the team that will lead the Tories into the next election” - Ian Dunt “The best cabinet is where you have people who disagree, who raise problems, rather than closing yourself in an echo chamber” - Ian Dunt “Grant Shapps is doing an awful job at transport, especially on HGV drivers, yet he’s still in there” - Alex Andreou  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does it matter when a Government breaks a keystone promise? Former Blair advisor John McTernan joins us to look at Boris Johnson’s punitive National Insurance hike and ask whether even a serial liar can get away with a whopper like this. What sort of devil is in the detail of the Government’s social care plans? Plus, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 we ask whether the baleful effects of the terrorist attacks on Western politics could ever have played out differently.  “Breaking a promise is a profoundly important moment for any government… Promises go to leadership, and that matters.” – John McTernan “The likelihood that we’ll fall into a conspiracy theory is so much greater that at the time of 9/11 simply because of the way we access information now.” – Minnie Rahman “There are people within Labour who want to seek out new ideas and energy with the aim of crushing them.’” – John McTernan “It’s not the rate that matters, it’s the complexity. This is a new layer of complexity, and that always benefits the rich.” – Alex Andreou “Johnson was elected on levelling up and now he’s going to level down, to the tune of £1,000 a year for some people.” – John McTernan www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Afghanistan left to the mercies of the Taliban, Dominic Raab filibusters his own Foreign Affairs committee and ensures that no lessons are learned. Ian gives his verdict on the Pen Farthing pet evacuation spectacle. Plus, the five big issues on the Government’s plate in the autumn. And with Michael Gove out dancing in Aberdeen, we ponder the loneliness of the single politician on the pull.   “Pen Farthing made me so angry I could burst through my skin.” – Ian Dunt “The very wealthy old men who own our press don’t care about saving the planet in the future. They want low taxes now.” – Alex Andreou “The international law around drones is not clear. But Biden will keep using them anyway.” – Ros Taylor “Even as you’ve got these medieval fanatics coming for people, the response from Britain is still ‘Papers please.’” – Ian Dunt www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Dominic Raab tries to get his deposit back from Tui, we ask how he got here and what he wants. Meanwhile the pandemic recedes, exposing supply chains and worker pools dangerously denuded by Brexit – meaning empty shelves, shuttered shops, care homes without carers, and missing milkshakes at McDonald’s. How is the Government going to get out of this one? Our special guest is Independent sketchwriter Tom Peck.  “If you’re fleeing the Taliban, you don’t have time to fill in a form and wait for a Government to protect you.” – Minnie Rahman “If we have a crap Christmas there will be plenty of Brexiteers saying this is what a REAL Christmas looks like.” – Tom Peck “Brexit has created a new kind of brain drain, an EXPERIENCE drain, and it’s going to be a big drag on the British economy for years to come.” – Alex Andreou “People will regret throwing their milkshakes at Nigel Farage now they can’t get another one…” – Tom Peck www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Intern: Nat Amos. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Government’s flat-footed and callous response to the collapse of Afghanistan and the resultant refugee crisis has enraged even the House of Commons. What should Britain do to help the people who helped us? And was the whole enterprise for nothing? Also, after the the horrific killings in Plymouth, should we see the incel culture as terrorism? “This is cutting deep into the Tories’ idea of who we are… They have woken up to the fact that Biden like Trump is pursuing an America First policy.” – Ian Dunt “The Government has called this wrong… The British public are bloody sympathetic to Afghan refugees and want them helped.” – Naomi Smith “The promise to people who helped us was that we will protect you. That’s a promise we have completely broken.” – Ian Dunt “This is not a reformed, humane Taliban… Everyone who disagrees with their interpretation of Islam is in danger of violent, painful death.” – Nina Schick www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Nina Schick and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Intern: Nat Amos. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the shine comes off the Prime Minister and the Cabinet gets fractious, is the country ready for a brutal Rishi-on-Boris battle? Special guest Gracie Bradley, interim director of Liberty, takes us through the Government’s suite of repressive civil liberties legislation. What can listeners can do about them? Plus, in the Extra Bit, the frankly astonishing tale of teenage Minnie Rahman’s meeting with… David Cameron?  “Boris Johnson has no principles. Rishi Sunak has terrible principles. Take your pick.” – Ian Dunt “It’s a complete myth that Boris Johnson is a libertarian. As London Mayor he a bought a water cannon. There’s nothing libertarian about him.” – Gracie Bradley “The Home Office is using the costs of cases against them for behaving unlawfully as a reason to cancel judicial review. Why not just stop behaving unlawfully?” – Ian Dunt “We don’t protest because there’s a law that says we can protest. We protest because it’s our freedom to do so.” – Gracie Bradley www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Naomi Smith with Ian Dunt and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With new cases of COVID declining, are we really seeing COVID dwindle? Or is this the calm before the next wave? The expert’s expert Christina Pagel of independent SAGE joins us to explain whether we really are turning the corner. Plus, what does the Tories’ ‘Advisory Board’ tell us about cronyism, nepotism and how our governing party preserves its privilege? Ete operae pretium sit Latine discendi?  “It’s fair to say that nobody was expecting the decline in COVID infections… What this ISN’T is herd immunity emerging.” – Christina Pagel “Relations with France are as bad as they’ve ever been… We’re danger of becoming a country that nobody can do business with at all.” – Alex Andreou “State aid could well become another way for friends and colleagues of the Conservative party to enrich themselves – enabled again by Brexit.” – Ros Taylor “After Spanish Flu in 1918 there was a mini-epidemic of Parkinson’s. We just don’t know the risk of NOT vaccinating.” – Christina Pagel www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if they held a Culture War and nobody turned up? A new report says Jo and Josephine Public are less riled by hot button rage issues than we think. Plus, all of a sudden Johnson is wobbling, with a disastrous crime policy launch, his vapid “levelling up” speech, and cratering approval numbers. Are Labour finally making headway on policy or is Johnson getting found out? Plus, the world’s least sporty panel discusses the Olympics.  “Maybe the Government’s plan is to make the roads so unsafe we can’t get to the supermarket to see how empty the shelves are.” – Naomi Smith “Parts of the system aren’t holding firm because the Prime Minister is marking his own homework.” – Ian Dunt “The strange this is that for a lot of people Johnson has DE-toxed the Tory Party…” – Ros Taylor “Finance, farming, fashion… All the F’s have been F’d by Brexit.” – Naomi Smith www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Cummings:Kuenssberg gives us yet more Classic Dom content, are we now fine with unelected advisors trying to topple Prime Ministers – or for that matter, Prime Ministers giving the Queen COVID? Freedom Week: has the Government just given up trying to control the virus? Special guest Charles Arthur, author of Social Warming: The Dangerous and Polarising Effects of Social Media, explain the forces that make Facebook and Twitter increasingly noxious. And 60 glorious years of Prime Minister’s Questions. “Cummings’ sniggering face when he gives his answers tells you far more than the answers themselves.” – Ian Dunt “If you shove everyone into a room and make them talk to one another, you’re going to get fights.” – Charles Arthur “PMQs is the absolute worst of Parliament and the best at the same time.” – Minnie Rahman “You do not go for the barricades for the most embarrassing people on your side.” – Dorian Lynskey Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Johnson and Patel’s dog-whistling finally brings all the racists to football’s yard (who could have predicted this??) but England’s young black players are making fools of their critics. As the country lines up behind Rashford, Saka, Sancho and Mings, is the Culture War about to consume the chancers who started it? Plus, libertarian dogma is frogmarching us towards the indiscriminate unlocking of ‘Freedom Day’ – but what are we going to do with the fun-hating 26% of the population who think clubs, casinos and other seats of depravity should stay closed forever?  “They thought they could ride the Culture War tiger to power. But when arrive, you might be finished with that tiger – but it’s not finished with you.” – Alex Andreou “What the Sun’s ‘We’ve Got Your Back’ front page shows is that The Sun can spot political danger better than our government.” – Naomi Smith “We shouldn’t have to look to football for leadership, but it’s so hard to find anywhere else.” – Ros Taylor “This is the fourth time we’ve relaxed lockdown. And every previous time it’s gone horribly wrong.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Government abandons clear rules for “common sense” and “personal responsibility”, even Sajid Javid admits we’re entering “uncharted territory”. We find out why Priti Patel’s latest immigration regulations amount to one big xenophobic, mendacious grey area. Our special guest is Sara Gibbs, comedy writer for HIGNFY, Dead Ringers and The Mash Report and author of the memoir of her autism diagnosis Drama Queen. And friend of the podcast Gavin Esler risks his status as a Scot by telling us why he’s been supporting England in the Euros.  “What this means for asylum seekers is a decade of life with no safety at all and the constant threat of being returned to the country you fled from.” – Ian Dunt “OK the George Cross for the NHS is a lovely honour, but you can’t pay your bills with honours.” – Sara Gibbs “What the unlocking policy is showing is that the Government are a set of moral delinquents with no capacity for sustained inquiry.” – Ian Dunt “Would any major business decide on a massive move by committing to the date before deciding what it is?” – Gavin Esler www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Naomi Smith with Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sara-Gibbs/Drama-Queen-One-Autistic-Woman-and-a-Life-of-Unhelpful-Labels/25681162  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Labour wins something shocker! As Kim Leadbeater’s victory in the most rancid by-election of modern times ignites a festival of pundit hindsight, we bring the panel together to assess Labour’s tight squeeze in Batley and Spen. How did she do it? What does it mean for Starmer? Did Galloway’s 8,000 votes constitute some sort of success? Can the Tories really blame their defeat all on Hancock? And was it Naomi Smith’s leafletting wot won it?  “Kim Leadbeater ploughed her own furrow and was rewarded for it – and that’s really positive.” – Alex Andreou “Had we not seen the withdrawal of the Green candidate and we would have woken up to a very different result.” – Naomi Smith “The Tories threw everything at this by election and the fact that they didn’t win will hurt.” – Alex Andreou www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does LOVE RAT MATT’s embarrassing self-own tell us anything we didn’t already know about Boris Johnson’s moral universe? And should we stop chortling given that his replacement Said Javid is promising “irreversible” unlocking? Why is Batley and Spen the ugliest by-election in recent history, and how much of that is George Galloway’s fault? Plus, the fiasco of isolation for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren. And what’s going wrong at GB News?  • “You can’t have ethics and standards as a resigning matter because if you do, Boris Johnson will have to go himself.” – Ian Dunt • “I found myself ogling the Hancock video and thinking, What have I become?” – Ros Taylor • “I don’t mind if Matt Hancock has an affair but I don’t want to pay for it.” – Ian Dunt • “There’s a new politics of resentment to the rest of the UK and the feeling is, you’ll only get investment if you vote for a Tory MP.” – Ros Taylor www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Happy” Referendum-versary! Special guest Ailbhe Rae of the New Statesman joins us to look at the meaning of the Lib Dem victory in Chesham and Amersham – don’t mention the Blue Wall – and explain what the DUP’s current game of Musical Stegosauruses means for Northern Ireland. Plus as Dido Harding offers to head the NHS and rid it of those pesky foreign nurses, we take a look at the Toryverse’s most inveterate failer-upper. And what would we do if WE were forced to take the plum job of Government Brexit Opportunity Unit Director?  “The Tories are ripe for a flanking. They’ve left themselves exposed.” – Alex Andreou “Chesham was a Screw You Boris vote and it really does open up a gap between the new Tory North and the old Tory South.” – Ros Taylor “Labour is definitely in crisis right now, don’t get me wrong – but Chesham and Amersham is only a footnote in the crisis.” – Ailbhe Rae www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynsley with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As yet another self-justifying Dominic Cummings megablog arrives, will this latest real-life No.10 Spider-Man meme affect actual politics? Barrister Jolyon Maugham joins us to explain “de facto opposition” the Good Law Project’s work on the Government’s breathtaking cronyism and back-handers, and what happens in a country where there’s no cost to lawbreaking. And five years on from the Brexit vote, Tom Peck of The Independent joins us to look at the Referendum winners who lost – and the losers who won.  “Is anyone is shocked any more by shocking revelations of Boris Johnson behaving like Boris Johnson?” – Tom Peck  “Matt Hancock is Boris Johnson’s human shield. The more the focus on Hancock, the less heat falls on Johnson.” – Naomi Smith “This Conservative Party is like the Sex Pistols. They don’t know what they want but they know how to get it.” – Jolyon Maugham “Biggest loser from Brexit? Dominic Cummings. He’s literally back where he started.” – Tom Peck www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Alex Andreou with Naomi Smith with Tom Peck and Jolyon Maugham. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will US journalist Tom McTague’s lengthy profile for The Atlantic help us comprehend the dumbfounding appeal of Prime Minister Posh Benny Hill? Plus, what does the G7’s Biden-boosted tax rate for multinationals tell us about legislating against companies that are bigger than countries? And on the eve of the Euros, our not-very-football panel ponder the most political preamble to a sporting tournament ever.  • “Johnson is a master of getting away with it. He’s that breed of privileged person who fails upwards.” – Naomi Smith  • “Nothing in certain in life except death and taxes – unless you’re Amazon and Facebook.” – Nina Schick  • “Don’t vote for something just because it will f**k up another part of the country. Cos it will come back and f**k you.” – Dorian Lynskey  • “It seems that you have to be some sort of sadist or masochist to want to be in British public life.” – Nina Schick  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Britain’s hostile border environment starts to entrap visitors from the EU, is the Home Office’s Brexit-infected immigration arm out of control? And why does the Home Office turn reasonable Ministers into monsters? Plus, new Netflix documentary Nail Bomber: Manhunt unravels the story of the neo-Nazi terrorist who bombed Brick Lane, Brixton and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho in 1999. What it teach us now that far right terror is once again on the rise?  • “The Home Office is like a giant game of Jenga, with new legislation balanced on top of already chaotic policy.” – Minnie Rahman  • “When you follow this route on immigration, you end up detonating your own trade network to win the freedom you never needed in the first place.” – Ian Dunt • “The awful function of Home Secretaries is to give Prime Ministers a Hard Cop they can define themselves against.” – Ros Taylor  • “Border Force are extremely shady with no accountability… They can’t even say how many sites there are.” – Minnie Rahman  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt, Ros Taylor and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s our FOURTH BIRTHDAY edition! And what a sumptuous spread Classic Dom has laid on for us. The classic line-up of Dorian, Naomi, Ros, Alex and Ian reassemble in an actual physical studio (!) to discuss Cummings’ committee drive-by on Johnson and his vendetta against multi-sackable Matt Hancock, and why he supported a PM he knew was unfit for the job. Plus a special treat for listeners: yes, we’re talking about the Progressive Alliance! This edition out early as a special bonus for our loyal listeners. • “When Cummings reports that Johnson ‘loves chaos because it shows who’s in charge’, that has the ring of truth.” – Alex Andreou • “Cummings knows he’s the reason Johnson is in No.10… and his ego was big enough to fool him that he could stop Johnson’s worst excesses.” – Ros Taylor  • “There are no great points of principle here. Cummings just hates Johnson’s girlfriend and he’s a spiteful, resentful t**t.” – Ian Dunt • “Hancock was working on what he could claim as a success at the next press conference… He was disrupting all the long-term work.” – Alex Andreou  • “We don’t have democratic equality in this country… We are the only ones who use antiquated FPTP.” – Naomi Smith  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, Brexit five months in – how’s it going? As the Government prepares to pauperise Britain’s farmers with its Australian trade deal, and as Unionists compare the NI Protocol to the Vichy Regime, are the wheels finally off the Brexit bus? Plus the FT’s Chief Political Correspondent Jim Pickard joins us to look at David Cameron’s performance in committee and how the Greensill saga is playing out. And we say goodbye to a beloved friend of the podcast.  Audio warning: Jim is recording from inside a cupboard in the House of Commons. Please be kind.  “All of these ‘teething problems’ should have been dealt with in the transition period. How long did business get to prepare? Six days.” – Alex Andreou “Why are we bringing a dead cow from the other side of the world? Is Australian beef really that much better?” – Jim Fitzpatrick “This Prime Minister flip flops more than most men change their socks.” – Nina Schick “Cameron promised to clean up lobbying while simultaneously selling himself for dinners on the Conservative website.” – Alex Andreou “For those of us following Cameron’s story closely, there were some hilarious excursions into parallel reality.” – Jim Fitzpatrick Presented by Naomi Smith with Nina Schick and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Government celebrates its electoral victories with a bout of naked voter suppression and intimidation of protest, we look at Labour’s farcical response and where the party goes from here. Plus we talk to Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnot, co-authors of Failures Of State: The Inside Story Of Britain’s Battle With Coronavirus. Exactly what went wrong in the pandemic response and how can a colossal crime of Government negligence happen in plain sight – and go unreported? • “It’s almost as if this government is afraid of the task ahead of it, because it know the vaccine bounce can’t last.” – Ros Taylor • “The Government’s problem is that young people don’t vote Conservative, so they want to stop them voting.” – Ian Dunt  • “Those last nine days, when Boris Johnson was implacably against lockdown and the majority of deaths occurred, are squarely on Boris Johnson.” – George Arbuthnot • “Scientists were clear to us that the first wave might have been understandable but the second and third were absolutely unforgivable. Johnson knew what he had to do and didn’t do it.” – Jonathan Calvert www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of what looks like a not-great election day for everyone who isn’t Boris Johnson, the SNP, a Labour metro mayor or Count Binface, are we witnessing the final mopping up of the 2019 General Election? The Independent’s sketchwriter TOM PECK joins us for Election Doomwatch ’21. Plus, the Conservatives pack cultural institutions in an act of Home Counties Orbanism. And why do politicians insist on being photographed with pints?  • “If I could tell you why people aren’t angry, believe me I’d have put it in the column.” – TOM PECK. • “The Government seems to be trying, without any sense of irony, to cancel cancel culture.” – NAOMI SMITH • “Saying it’s ‘the same old Tories’ doesn’t work when a load of people have just voted for them for the first time” – TOM PECK • “Come on, what kind of country would lower itself to allowing Brad Pitt to live there?” – IAN DUNT on points-based immigration  • “Sleaze is shagging your secretary… What’s going on now is straightforward corruption.” – TOM PECK  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Johnson’s odious comments about “bodies piling up” collide with Carrie Antoinette’s golden wallpaper splurge and the Vengeance of the Cummings, has this barrage of sleaze finally putting the PM on the ropes? Tech expert Alexi Mostrous of Tortoise joins us to explore what Big Tech and Bigger Data have in store for our democracies. Brexit eats another of its children in the shape of Arlene Foster. And what will our film critics make of Matt Hancock’s blockbuster COVID: The Movie? “This is like me going shoplifting, then dropping a tenner in the till a year later and saying it’s OK, I paid for it.” – Alex Andreou “Never mind Chatty Rat, there are clearly multiple rats who don’t want Johnson around any more. Gove and Vine are like Pinky and the Brain.” – Minnie Rahman “Maybe mistresses and illegitimate children cost a lot of money. Who knew?” – Alex Andreou  “So Chris Whitty is waving a terrifying graph at Johnson while Carrie Symonds is showing him a Farrow & Ball chart?” – Dorian Lynskey “It’s quite a revelation that in the DUP universe, Arlene Foster is the reasonable one.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It turns out that all you need to fix your tax problems is the PM’s mobile number! We look at Britain’s sprawling corruption problem and whether the Government even wants to control it. Plus, after the Super League fiasco, can politicians really tell private companies what to do – even if they’re football teams? And the Allegra Stratton Press Conference Room lasts about as long as, er, the Super League. Our special guest Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Mirror, explains what it all means.   “Johnson hates apologising. He sees it as a sign of weakness that his opponents will hold against him forevermore.” – Pippa Crerar “The COVID sceptic pub landlord thing sent me into an all-caps Brian Blessed rage for a moment.” – Alex Andreou “If this Government feels like they can get away with something then they’re going to go ahead with it regardless.” – Pippa Crerar Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Ireland descends into violence and it seems that Boris Johnson just doesn’t care. We ask Belfast-based political journalist Amanda Ferguson how much of the rioting is down to Brexit, or are the causes deeper? And does the border in the Irish Sea put us on course for worse troubles? Plus: Does public indifference over the death of Prince Philip indicate bad news for the future of the Monarchy? Or did we just know it all already from watching The Crown? And why it’s your duty to get out and shop. “Unionists feel betrayed by Boris Johnson… They see their Britishness being diluted.” – Amanda Ferguson “The Royal Family act as this kind of warped, gilded mirrors of ourselves.” – Ian Dunt “We haven’t seen the end of this. All the grievances that were there before the riots are still there now.” – Amanda Ferguson “The idea that Philip being obnoxious and rude ‘breaks the ice’ is just utterly ridiculous.” – Minnie Rahman “We’re a country that has culture wars over children’s books. An elected head of state would be a culture war minefield.” - Ian Dunt Presented by Naomi Smith with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vaccine passports: thin end of the authoritarian wedge or a grim necessity that we liberals should grit our teeth and support? Plus, who’s writing the first draft of Brexit history? Guests Jill Ritter and Alan Wager of UK In A Changing Europe tell us about their oral history project the Brexit Witness Archive, where the people who were there tell us where the bodies are buried. And what do Labour’s Starmerphobes actually want? Read the Brexit Witness Archive here: https://ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-witness-archive/ “People in Northern Ireland are being made to feel like second class citizens. You’re going to get angry young men seeking an outlet for that resentment.” – Naomi Smith “The fact that we’ve got a range of vaccines is an international miracle. We can’t let them get hijacked by nationalist shysters.” – Alex Andreou “The general uselessness of the official Remain campaign is a recurrent theme in what we found…” – Jill Rutter “Maybe whoever followed Corbyn was always going to be Labour’s rebound boyfriend.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Prime Minister’s affair with a woman who was receiving large amounts public money is confirmed – and nobody is talking about it? We look at the corruption and the democratic toxin behind the Johnson-Arcuri leg-over. Plus, a weirdos’ gallery of old Brexiters is setting up a ‘Museum of Brexit’. How can it possibly be balanced, like they claim? And why the school protests outside Batley Grammar should worry everyone.  “The intended audience for the Government’s report? White people.” – Alex Andreou  “What’s important about the Arcuri scandal isn’t the sex, it’s the money.” – Ian Dunt “Free speech is sacrosanct. No matter how outrageous someone’s beliefs are, they should have the right to express them.” – Nina Schtick “The assumption that ‘people will be decent’ isn’t enough to protect us any more.” – Alex Andreou “A brown paper envelope stuffed with money? Every gets that. The arrangements around procurement arrangements, that’s a harder sell.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou, Nina Schick and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside Home Secretary Priti Patel’s insidious new plans for asylum seekers – why moves that claim to reduce the use if people traffickers will actually increase them, and why the cruelty is the point. And special guest the legendary Anglo-Indian musician Nitin Sawhney joins us to talk about making multicultural music in an increasingly insular Britain, his brilliant globe-spanning new album Immigrants (which is very us) and how he got Andy Serkis to sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as Theresa May.  “On vaccine supplies, we’ve sacrificed ‘just in case’ for ‘just in time’.” – Alex Andreou “What Priti Patel is trying to do is roll back the asylum convention… She’s trying to make it practically impossible to claim asylum in Britain.” – Minnie Rahman “From the optics and politics of it, this is red meat to the worst kind of libertarian hard right voters.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Alex Andreou with Minnie Rahman and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can anything hold back Priti Patel’s assault on the great British tradition of noisy, disruptive protest? Plus: partisan or penniless: what’s the future of media in the coming age of news-mangling tech giants and GB News? Special guest James Harding – former Director of BBC News, ex-Times editor and now co-founder of Tortoise Media – joins us to examine the future of the news. And on the first anniversary of Lockdown 1, we look back on a moment when real life turned into John Wyndham novel.   “The pivot to Asia is basically the ‘pivot to video’ of foreign policy, and will probably be about as successful.” – Ian Dunt “It’s really significant that even Theresa May, given her time at the Home Office, has serious misgivings about this bill.” – James Harding “Spot the Cop might be an intriguing game on nights out…” – Ros Taylor “I’m sure there are protests performed by mimes – but any others that make noise, the police can close down anything they want.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham joins us to talk about Westminster vs the Regions and whether Labour is opposing Johnson hard enough. What actually happened in that moment when London strong-armed Manchester into Tier 3 with scant compensation? Will the Government’s derisory 1% pay rise for nurses turn into a political albatross on the scale of Black Wednesday or Iraq? And as the levelling up scam begins to unravel with money flooding to Conservative constituencies, how can Canterbury be placed in Level 1 but Salford Level 2? Plus: Will the Meghan Markle Royal racism scandal be reduced to another stupid culture war point instead of a real moment of change? And the panel try to persuade soft southerner Ian that there’s life outside London. “Westminster makes frauds of people. It’s much more fun being a mayor.” – Andy Burnham “We should stop calling this an insulting pay rise for nurses. It’s a pay cut.” – Ian Dunt “Levelling up is the most potent theme since I’ve been in politics. Labour needs to not just criticise it but set out how we’d do it better.” – Andy Burnham “To say pay rises for nurses aren’t affordable just won’t wash any more. You’ve just chosen not to afford it, haven’t you?” – Andy Burnham “Would the Government have done what they did to us to London? The answer has to be, no they wouldn’t.” – Andy Burnham “If Labour’s London-centric it’s setting itself up for a slow death.” – Andy Burnham Presented by Naomi Smith with Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So what did Sunak’s Budget actually mean? How did he manage to keep both Brexit and the North out of his wheezes? What sort of Chancellor does he really want to be? And is the secret message of the Budget that we should prepare for an early election? Plus: there’s a Museum of Communist Terror on the way, to reshape our understanding of totalitarianism. So why is it backed almost exclusively by culture warriors who think we shouldn’t re-examine our ideas about history? “The CRG, the ERG and all the other ’RGs are like displacement activity to stop Conservative MPs from feeling unloved.” – Alex Andreou “The UK Government decided not to levy big taxes on imports after Brexit, so what is the point of freeports anyway?” – Ros Taylor “This is an investment bonanza for the cash-rich. The rest of us, not so much.” – Alex Andreou “This was a great pension if you’re a wealthy pensioner.” – Ros Taylor “If you don’t want teachers to be left-wing, pay them big bucks.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Boris Johnson’s slow-burn unlocking actually – shock – the right thing to do? Will he be led by data, dates, deaths or whatever the CRG shouts at him? What will fertilise that “crocus of hope”? And will the panel all go turbo on June 21? Plus, what are the elephants in the room that we’ve been neglecting throughout the COVID-Brexit nightmare? Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt and Minnie Rahman join Naomi Smith for this week’s communal gaze into the abyss of politics.  “If you hate Zooms as an adult, you can’t begin to understand how awful it is watching kids trying to ‘play’ on Zoom.” – Ros Taylor “The rationale is, it’s fine if we put unimaginable pressure on the NHS as long as we don’t actually overwhelm it. And of course it’s NOT fine.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Naomi Smith with Ros Taylor, Minnie Rahman and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if they gave a War on Woke and nobody came? The Government decides to both defend free speech (if you’re a right winger on campus) and restrict it (if you run a stately home named after a slave owner). So that makes sense. Plus: As there’s no credible recovery programme for education, Gráinne Hallahan of the Times Education Supplement joins us to set one out. Gav, call us yeah?  Meanwhile… Ros gets a COVID jab! The Arts get their own special No Deal Brexit! And in the Extra Bit, we watch Adam Curtis’s collage-doc digital jeremiad Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.  “Each side of this culture war is proclaiming itself as the true arbiter of history.” – Nina Schick “Voltaire and Rousseau wrestled with free speech. Now the Government has decided it’s time for Gavin Williamson to sort it out.” – Alex Andreou “The Government likes the idea of free speech but doesn’t want on engage in any of the complexities.” – Ros Taylor “History is never static.… Let Britain’s monuments be evaluated in terms of what they mean now.” – Nina Schick “Boris Johnson thinks schools are safe, it’s just the children going into them that make them dangerous…” – Gráinne Hallahan “If the National Theatre can’t tour the EU, then nobody can do it.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick, Alex Andreou and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Piles of fish, cheese, bees, toys, guitar cases and banking deals are LITERALLY rotting at Britain’s ports. How long can the government keep claiming we’ve only got import/export “teething problems” when it’s full-blown trade/dental collapse? Politicshome’s Brexit and Westminster Correspondent Adam Payne joins us on the dock of the bay. Plus: Have virus truthers finally hit Britain’s bullsh*t ceiling? Flag-angst and Starmerphobia in Labour. And is that COVID burnout you’re feeling or something deeper? Like Frasier Crane, our panel of Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Dorian Lynskey are listening.  “When we’re being relentlessly tw*tted by events it’s a bit much to expect Starmer to produce the magnificent work of art about how to live.” – Ian Dunt “If these customers in the EU start to look elsewhere for their fish, they probably won’t come back.” – Adam Payne “If Britain wanted to be self-sufficient in food, we’d literally have to polytunnel the entire North East.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week’s EU:UK vaccine stand-off put Ursula von der Leyen squarely in the spotlight, but what makes the President of the European Commission tick? And is there a sane Conservative Party somewhere in our political future? Matthew d’Ancona – formerly deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph and the Spectator, now partner-editor of the slow news site Tortoise – joins us to look at what might come after Johnsonism. Plus, Dacre at OFCOM, foreign bees comin’ over ’ere pollinating our plants… and why are we paying EU citizens to leave the UK? Regulars Minnie Rahman of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and commentator Alex Andreou join Dorian Lynskey to ask – yet again – “Oh God, what now?” “The great offices of the state are now in the hands of C-list populists.” – Matthew d’Ancona “Everything from bees to cheese is undergoing a death by a thousand papercuts” – Alex Andreou “It’s as if there was a party game at Number 10 to work out who would be the worst chair of OFCOM, and they came up with Paul Dacre.” – Matthew d’Ancona “It doesn’t feel like the hardline post-Brexit immigration approach is coming from Johnson. It’s pure Priti Patel.” – Minnie Rahman “The vaccine episode proved that as far as the EU are concerned, yes, we are a foreign country.” – Matthew d’Ancona Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has Brussels just handed Brexiters the killer argument they so desperately needed? The EU’s bizarre decision to impose and then cancel restrictions on COVID vaccines crossing the border from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland exasperated pro-Europe campaigners and left the Brexit press crowing. Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou look at what this terrible error means.   Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the EU considers restricting exports of the COVID vaccines, are we in the midst of the first authentic post-Brexit row between the EU and the UK – or are Brexiters just using it as a distraction from their own failures? And who’s really to blame for the vaccine shortage? Plus, what has the Year of Living Isolatedly done to Britain’s appetite for alcohol and “miscellaneous stimulation”? What will an independent English parliament look like if (when) it happens? And, in the Extra Bit, what did we think of Russell T Davies’s AIDS drama It’s A Sin? “Boris Johnson did far LESS than he should have. 100,000 deaths should be a resigning matter.” – Naomi Smith “Maybe after five years of Brexit campaigning, British people really DO trust celebrities more than scientists…” – Alex Andreou “If we create vaccine passports we’re just reserving travel for the richest countries.” – Yasmeen Serhan “We’re entering a dangerous phase in the UK:EU relationship where each side is trying to use the other side’s failure of their own success.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Yasmeen Serhan and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a little bit later than usual but still early for Patreon backers… Our long international nightmare is over – for now. As Trump exits the White House to fester in Mar-A-Lago, former UK Ambassador to the USA Kim Darroch joins us to look at what the Biden/Harris Era will mean for British trade, British foreign policy, and Boris “Britain Trump” Johnson. Plus: What does that huge exodus of immigrants from the UK mean for the character of our cities and the future of our country? And why do middle-class British people insist on claiming they’re working class? “There was never a moment where you felt that Trump would ever be a normal President…” – Kim Darroch “British Customs policy is like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic after the Titanic has sunk.” – Naomi Smith “There’s no doubt that ending Freedom of Movement was a cynical ploy to get non-EU immigrants to support Brexit.” – Nina Schick “If you ever followed Trump’s career, you knew it was a no-brainer that he would never accept losing an election.” – Kim Darroch “Priti Patel’s home office isn’t iron-fisted, it’s ham-fisted.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Nina Schick. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast recorded before the impeachment vote. As Republicans distance themselves in horror from Donald Trump’s violent sedition, can we finally conclude that yes, he was a fascist all along? Will the GOP or Johnson pay any price for their years of fawning before Agent Orange? Special guest Philip Stephens of the Financial Times joins us to talk about his new book Britain Alone: The Path from Suez to Brexit and the strange psychodrama of Britain’s search for a foreign policy identity. Plus, when is it right to kick extremists – and extremist presidents – off popular social networks like Twitter, MySpace and Club Penguin?   “What we have to remember is that Trump is a failed populist and failed autocrat.” – Yasmeen Serhan “It doesn’t matter that Trump is too inarticulate and dimwitted to understand what fascism is. He was unable to deliver it.” – Ian Dunt “Cabinet ministers just don’t know what it’s like to run out of money on a Thursday.” – Philip Stephens “The most vital thing we need in the next few years is for the Right to start policing its own norms.” – Ian Dunt “Blair would tell us pro-European journalists that he was absolutely pro-EU that we were going to join the Euro. And then he’d tell Trevor Kavanagh from The Sun that we’d never, ever give up sterling…” – Philip Stephens Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Yasmeen Serhan and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast recorded before the invasion of the Capitol building in Washington DC. “Happy” New Year! With Britain’s kids getting one whole day of virus-spreading schooling, is a third lockdown any use in the absence of a coherent COVID policy? And how are we coping with yet more home schooling and working from home without even a takeaway pint to assuage the misery? Plus trade expert David Henig joins us to point out the hidden traps in Johnson’s make-do trade deal and explain what the UK needs to do to get EU trade back to a passable standard.  “The deal we have does nothing like what’s needed for a modern trading relationship.” – David Henig “On Brexit, Starmer is becoming less distinguishable from Johnson. He needs to remember that most people no longer support the Brexit vote.” – Naomi Smith “Other than spite, I have no idea why we didn’t choose to participate Erasmus.” – David Henig “Keeping schools open was the only thing the Government could cling to as a success. No wonder they clung to it like wreckage.” – Ros Taylor “We’re already getting companies saying, With all these data barriers is it really worth us being based in the UK?” – David Henig “It’s pretty clear that Johnson agrees with the last person he spoke to… and that Dominic Cummings’ influence was perhaps not as malign as we thought.” – Ros Taylor “There’s a Greek saying: If you’ve eaten a whole donkey, don’t forget to eat the tail.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Ros Taylor, Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intra-Christmas Emergency Edition. Having cancelled Christmas, Johnson then ruined what was left of it by crowing about his Deal. But what’s in it? How should Remainers feel about it? Where did Britain cave? Have British fish been sold down the river? Why is nobody talking about services? And exactly how much of that tasty, tasty control has Brexit Britain really taken back? “The dominant narrative is ‘Don’t scrutinise this deal, it’s all water under the bridge now.’ When does accountability happen?” – Alex Andreou “This is a piss-poor deal even by its own standards… It’s a base camp to us eventually getting closer and closer to Europe.” – Ian Dunt “The Withdrawal Agreement was the first one where the EU got exactly what it wanted… and now the Trade Deal is the second.” – Alex Andreou “There are concrete reasons to think this is the start of us going back, not the end of us leaving.” – Ian Dunt “I hate to say it, but the EU really has taken back control.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new mutant strain of COVID has shattered the Government’s Christmas strategy and plunged Britain into isolation and chaos. Is government dithering to blame or are the hard right, libertarian, chlorinated chickens coming home to roost? Are we really looking at 20,000 new hospital admissions and 5,000 deaths a day in the New Year? And how is Britain going to cut a Deal with the EU when Johnson has ensured we’re more cut off from Europe than at any time since 1939? “I would not be surprised if Johnson had been told about the new strain but not listened – and continued with his usually bloody bombast.” – Naomi Smith “Johnson has learned nothing from any of this. Everything will be back to normal by Easter? He just makes the next easy promise.” – Alex Andreou “Would Johnson really have mocked Starmer as a Christmas killer on Wednesday if he knew he’d be cancelling Christmas on Friday?” – Dorian Lynskey “The BBC are normalising catastrophe. Reporter after reporter was repeating the line that this ‘proves’ we’re ready for No Deal…” – Naomi Smith “It’s astonishing that the Conservatives have won the last three elections by saying ‘Don’t vote for THEM, it’ll be CHAOS…’.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out early to beat potential Deal obsolescence! All we want for Christmas is… a deal. Any deal. Has an agreement already been concluded and is it just waiting for the window-dressing? We assemble the full panel to explain where Johnson has caved, how Labour might have a get-out-of-jail clause, and why there’s not much wriggle room on fish. Oh, and the Government’s incomprehensible Christmas advice. Plus, we present the Oh God, What Now? Awards for 2020. Who are the winners, losers, disasters and great moments of this wonderful year which we enjoyed so much? And the panel’s closing thoughts this Very Mini Christmas.  “We’re hearing that Johnson’s accepting the European Court of Justice as final arbitrator. That would be massive .” – Alex Andreou “Everything we’ve heard about what Rishi Sunak does behind the scenes confirms that he’s deeply, deeply wrong.” – Ian Dunt “Somehow the scientific advice became secondary to what anti-lockdown Tories will put up with. And that’s really dangerous.” – Alex Andreou “In any other cabinet Matt Hancock would be by far the worst member. In this one, somehow he’s pretty much the best.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt, Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson joins Ursula von der Leyen for the worst dinner since Mr Creosote in The Meaning Of Life, we’re joined by LBC frontline key worker and friend of the ’cast James O’Brien to discuss Britain on the brink of No Deal and his new book How Not To Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind. Plus, who decided that this catastrophe was Remainers’ fault all along?  “I’m walking the tightrope between complete vindication and avoiding triumphalism…” – James O’Brien  “How can Johnson ever say he achieved anything if we leave without a deal?” – Minnie Rahman “Everytime Farage farts, the whole Conservative party holds their nose.” – James O’Brien Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the arrival of a COVID vaccine really mean for No.10’s virus strategy? Who’s the real opposition? Cool, calm and perhaps-too-collected Keir Starmer, or the wild men and women of the CRG – the disaster artists formerly known as the ERG? Plus special guest Giles Whittell of Tortoise Media joins us to explain Britain’s national security future and tell us why we should be optimistic about Russians, if not Russia.  Shout out to @DMReporter for an unbeatable episode title. “As soon as we get the vaccine it’s like, Would you like some pernicious lying tribalism to go with your optimism?” – Ian Dunt “Britain badly needs a reality check… so I’d actually like to see a cataclysm on 31 December.” – Giles Whittell  “Even a deal as bad as this would be good for Remainers, because it gives us what we need to build back.” – Ian Dunt “Biden aptly described Brexit as the dog that caught the car, and then the car reversed over the dog.” – Giles Whittell  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are we calling the Government’s COVID backhanders and gilded inner circle a “chumocracy” when it’s just straightforward corruption? Brace yourselves, it’s going to get worse. Plus, former civil servant Alex Andreou gives the inside track on diminutive bully Priti Patel’s brazen escape from the consequences of her actions. As No Deal comes up against the urgent reality of bringing perishable COVID vaccines into the country, could Johnson end up begging for an extension after all? And why David Davis holds ALL the cards in his renegotiation with Vodafone.  “Sturgeon and Johnson will rub their hands in glee if Labour back the Brexit deal.” – Naomi Smith “The death rate from COVID is roughly equivalent to the death rate of American troops storming the beaches of Normandy.” – Ben Stewart “We’re expecting a Brexit deal that’s skinnier than a 90s supermodel.” – Naomi Smith “The Government has frittered away its soft power and now thinks it can replace it with hard power, entering cyberspace conflict decades too late.” – Alex Andreou “People are losing their businesses in the name of Daniel Hannan’s imaginary concept of free trade. It’s heartbreaking” – Ben Stewart “The practice of ‘declaring interest’ is absurd, as if taking money over the table is somehow better than taking it under the table.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the real state of play between Keir Starmer and newly independent MP Jeremy Corbyn? Where does Boris Johnson go now that his external brain Dominic Cummings has put up the GONE BLOGGIN’ sign? Pfizer vs Moderna – whose vaccine is so hot right now?  Plus a taster of our new, extended edition of Oh God, What Now – exclusive to Patreon backers.  “There’s nobody around to fill the Angry Gonad position that Cummings has just vacated” – Naomi Smith “As soon as politics goes back to policies and economics, the Tories’ electoral alliance falls apart.” – Ian Dunt “I can't believe Dishy Rishi wants to bring back Eat Out To Help out when it turned out to be a superspreader event.” – Minnie Rahman “If you banned the world ‘woke’, modern conservatism would fit on the back of an envelope.” – Dorian Lynskey “With the vaccine, right now it’s eight year olds versus eighty year olds.” – Minnie Rahman Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Minnie Rahman, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IGNOMINY DOMINIC: As the Prime Minister’s attack weasel Dominic Cummings finally “resigns” to spend more time with his WordPress, Ian Dunt reflects on the meaning and manner of his departure. Can Johnson continue without his external brain, is Carrie Symonds really that powerful, and what are we going to do without SuperDry Gollum to kick around? Includes exciting live radio moments! “At least his blogs will stay in a little corner of the internet rather than at the heart of the British Government” “What this has shown us about Boris Johnson, again, is he’s just clothing with no skin in it” “There is never going to be a point where these guys are going to own Brexit, they will always blame someone else” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does the rise of President Joe mean for Britain and our shapeshifting creep of a PM? If Donald Trump can’t win in America’s democracy, would he really destroy it? And why are politicians so bad at Twitter? We’re thrilled to welcome special guest Emily Bazelon from the podcast that inspired us, the Slate Political Gabfest, to dissect the monsters produced by Trump’s electoral death throes. “I just can’t believe that people are prepared to mess around with the most important thing about a country – that democracy continues” – Emily Bazelon “If we’ve got a Republican Party that thinks delegitimising an entire election is worth doing, that’s incredibly dangerous” – Emily Bazelon “What is Dominic Saab scared of? He’s scared of a nutcase with a smartphone” – Alex Andreou ““We lost the election and now we’re going to blame the person who RAN the election?” – Emily Bazelon “It’s always progressives who are urged to reach out, never the other way around” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Back OH GOD, WHAT NOW? and help us make political life more bearable. Get every new episode a whole day early, plus new and classic merchandise when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  For the moment we’re still at remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the despair of Wednesday morning, could Biden actually win the US election? Were the polls really so wrong? And why are the Left so bereft at the prospect of President Diamond Joe? Plus Nigel Farage’s new promotional vehicle, Labour’s ongoing problems with “Long Corbyn”, the BBC’s bizarre social media balancing act, and Lockdown: Part Deux. All in the latest edition of the podcast formerly known as Remainiacs. “Trump’s supporters don’t seem as authoritarian. They see him as a champion of personal freedom.” – Ros Taylor “When you’ve got a two-party system, you’re left with a terrible choice and a bad choice.” – Minnie Rahman “Farage is Britain’s most successful backseat driver” - Dorian Lynskey Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Minnie Rahman. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sure picked the right day to relaunch the podcast. As Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn after the damning EHRC report shone a light on the party’s antisemitism issues, IAN DUNT and ALEX ANDREOU join Andrew Harrison to explain what it all means. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant Producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music: Cornershop. Art direction: Mark Taylor. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The secret is out. Remainiacs has a new name – but the same team and the same commitment to dispelling the misery of politics with humour and sharp analysis. On OH GOD, WHAT NOW? this week: There’s no such thing as a free lunch (if you’re a poor kid). The Taming of the Feral Tory Intake. Why the Far Right is actually on the fade across Europe. And as a new podcast era dawns, our panel look to how the future really, really could be better. “We are now the insurgents. Let’s embrace it” – Alex Andreou “The spirit of Remainiacs isn’t going anywhere” – Naomi Smith “There’s nothing paternalistic about Boris Johnson. And that’s not just because we don’t know how many children he’s got.” – Ros Taylor “COVID has created a paradoxical situation where Liberals are in favour of control and closing borders” – Naomi Smith “The Conservatives keep going back to this muscle memory for what they did in the 1980s.” – Ian Dunt “We now have this weird mix of and anti-masking. Let us breathe only the germs of our own people!” – Naomi Smith Last chance to can get 10% off Ian Dunt’s new book How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. Offer ends Oct 30. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Will that punishment beating for King In The North Andy Burnham make ex-Red Wallers think again about their unwise pre-Christmas fling with raffish Londoner Boris Johnson? Brexit and Coronavirus merge into COVEXIT, the uncontrollable MegaZoid of misery. Are Schrödinger’s Brexit Talks dead, alive, or both at the same time? And for the first time ever, a thrilling cliffhanger – no scrolling to the end…  “Seeing Andy Burnham now is like running into an ex who’s been working out. Like, YOU’VE changed…” – Dorian Lynskey “This government treats everything as a foam block they can just crash through. But they crash against concrete walls over and over again.” – Alex Andreou “This crisis has been shaping up as a populists’ nightmare.” – Yasmeen Serhan “We’ve been trying to analyse what the Government does through the prism of sanity. But this Government is insane.” – Alex Andreou Listeners can get 10% off Ian Dunt’s new book How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. Offer ends Oct 30.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Yasmeen Serhan, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. We have big news coming. Be the first to find out exactly what, and get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Government’s piecemeal lockdown driving as big a wedge between the North and South of England as there is between Westminster and the devolved governments? Plus our special guests, Manchester University politics professors Rob Ford and Maria Sobolewska, join us to talk about their new book Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics. Do the roots of Brexit really go back to the 1960s? And where do we go now that we’re all alone in Brexitland, our only home?  “Once voters see politics as a big fight of us against them, it’s really hard to get them to think about anything else.” – Rob Ford “In Johnson’s conference speech, the only mention of the North was a jibe at North London.” – Ros Taylor “People may want lockdown, but not necessarily for themselves” – Ros Taylor “If Remain had won, the leavers in the Conservative party wouldn’t have given up as easily as Cameron assumed” – Maria Sobolewska Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having lost control of the virus, the economy and now the Conservative Party, can mojo-free COVID casualty Boris Johnson relaunch himself with a war on Lefty Luvvies? Behind the scenes, are we looking at an autumn Sunak vs Gove smackdown? Is the big winner of Donald Trump’s COVID diagnosis really… Donald Trump? And how to fight – and win – a culture war.  “History goes in the direction you fight for.” – Ian Dunt “You’re more likely to have a criminal record than attend a party conference so yes, technically they’re all deviants.” – Naomi Smith “From cinemas to music to comedy, you can see a future where the government has turned the country into a cultural wasteland.” – Ian Dunt Listeners can get 10% off Ian Dunt’s new book How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Nina Schick and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the final round of trade talks EU grind into low gear, should we brace ourselves for another heroic climbdown from the Prime Minister? Comedian, podcaster and voice of Trump, Starmer and Johnson on the new Spitting Image MATT FORDE joins us to talk about his new book Politically Homeless and life on the Labour rollercoaster. Plus, could YOU survive… Exile on Priti Island? “The UK will have to make embarrassing concessions, while spinning them as victories” - Alex Andreou “Labour needs to apply the mindset of 1997 to the problems they face now” - Matt Forde Listeners can get 10% off Ian Dunt’s new book How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This edition recorded before Kent was made an independent statelet… As the Internal Market Bill takes a wrecking ball to the Good Friday Agreement, Alliance Party Deputy Leader and North Down MP Stephen Farry explains why this will shift every aspect of politics in Northern Ireland. Plus, Can Britain face going back to square one on COVID for a further six months? Keir Starmer’s new progressive patriotism, the travesty of COVID outsourcing, and untold tales of Stephen’s constituent, foghorn mask denier Van Morrison… Listeners can get 10% off Ian Dunt’s new book How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. “It’s not just that the Internal Market Bill won’t make the EU back down. It actually makes reaching a deal at all even harder.” – Ian Dunt “The Protocol isn’t an imposition from the EU. It’s the natural consequence of the UK’s own decisions.” – Stephen Farry Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just how precarious is Tory support for the Government’s disavowal of international law via the Internal Market Bill? Up-and-coming young author Ian Dunt joins us to discuss his new book How To Be A Liberal, the airport thriller of reason-based political thought. And are we allowed to throw a party as long as all guests bring guns?  Listeners can get 10% off How To Be A Liberal using this link. Just add 'HTBAL10' on checkout. “Liberalism is a kicking, fighting school of thought. It doesn’t tell you what to think, it tells you how to think.” – Ian Dunt “Once you’ve broken this law, you’ve set a precedent. Why would you not do it again?” – Ian Dunt “That exact phrase ‘Will of the People’ is right there in Cromwell’s tyranny and Stalin’s rule. Every time it’s as a challenge to liberalism.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Johnson scrapes his Oven-Ready Deal into the bin, we ask why would any other country ever trust Britain’s word ever again? We explore the new Internal Market Bill’s staggering contempt for international law. And the authors of Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn – Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire – join us to explain what really went on during Jeremy’s Wild Years.  “The government is a 24-hour rolling embarrassment and I’m not sure what’s supposed to be distracting from what.” – Dorian Lynskey “You have to wonder why the UK has chosen this hill to die on. Does it want No Deal not just to be thinkable or possible, but inevitable?” – Ros Taylor “The Brexit tribe is fraying round the edges and Cummings is looking for something for them to rally around.” – Alex Andreou “By the end the Labour Party was at war with itself, and everyone was desperate to say why nothing was their fault.” – Gabriel Pogrund Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As MPs prepare to return to work, what should we look out for in the new parliamentary session? And after a summer of u-turns galore, what policy reversal will the Tories whip out next? Plus, political columnist STEVE RICHARDS joins us to discuss his book ‘The Prime Ministers’ and to give his take on the best and worst leaders from Wilson to Johnson. “When you’ve won a landslide election, that gives you an authority to do what you want” - Steve Richards “In Boris Johnson we are dealing with someone completely different from Prime Ministers of the past” - Steve Richards "Brexit will fascinate historians not just in 40 years’ time, but 200 years’ time." - Steve Richards  Presented by Alex Andreou with Ian Dunt and Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. REMAINIACS is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded before Germany pulled Brexit from next week’s summit AND before “mutant algorithm”. This week, after his feeble response to the Summer of Messes, is governing just too hard for our work-averse Scarlet Pimpernel of a Prime Minister? Minnie Rahman of the JCWI joins us to look at who’s weaponising the Channel refugees issue, and what the Dublin Regulation really means. Plus: the brain-destroying fake ‘Land of Hope And Glory’ row and our Clickbait Government. And Johnson trolls us by toying with loutish escapee from Australian politics and all-round big galah Tony Abbott as our “trade supremo”.  “We haven’t heard anything from Johnson on A-Levels or anything that matters – but as soon as there’s a culture war story, up he pops.” – Ian Dunt “The British people are in a constant state of shock and disbelief. They just don’t believe that really bad things can happen to them.” – Minnie Rahman “Ideology is now conflicting with real life and it’s making the cultists look desperate.” – Naomi Smith “Boris Johnson approaches being Prime Minister like one of these YouTube influencers who want to be famous without doing any of the things that actually make you famous.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Image: Roger Muggleton, Flickr reproduced under Creative Commons. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Belarus fights its way towards true democracy, we speak to a protestor who’s on the ground in Minsk about what’s really happening and what we can do to help. Plus: Can Kamala Harris thread her way past hard right lies, sexism, racism and a left that can’t be satisfied? Plus ‘Leftwaffe’, ‘Starmtroopers’ and our least favourite political neologisms. Special guest Marie Le Conte joins us to discuss these weighty matters – plus the horrific Politics Gossip Drought of 2020.  “We’re governed by unexceptional people from exceptional schools.” – Dorian Lynskey “If the word ‘sleaze’ became attached to the Major government, ‘incompetence’ is attaching itself to this government.” – Ben Stewart Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who’s got the Ben & Jerry’s? In our gala 200th edition, our original core team of Dorian Lynskey, Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou gather not to pore over the past but to look at the future. What are the big issues that will shape our world in the post-COVID, post-Brexit, post-employment future? Plus a few of our favourite bits from the past 200 shows. Altogether now: “Don’t! Start! Thinkin’ about tomorrow…” Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far, from our Patreon backers to our regular listeners. And a special shout to our panelists past and present who aren’t on today’s show: Ingrid Oliver, Nina Schick, Peter Collins, Ben Stewart and all of our team.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attention, bots, trolls and rogue A.I.s! This week our own Nina Schick publishes her new book Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse: What You Urgently Need To Know – and its revelations about how high technology can create terrifyingly plausible fake humans in video or audio, for political ends, will scare the hell out of you. What can we do to stop bad actors from Russia, China and elsewhere from bringing about the literal collapse of consensual reality? Plus: The Brexit Drain to Spain. Peer-to-peer perfidy in the new Lords. And Iain Duncan Smith forgets to read the small print, again.  “The number one goal is to create chaos and distrust on authority. Russia has been pushing the narrative that the CIA created COVID to kill Chinese people.” – Nina Schick “Trump has stoked this mistrust… Our damaged information system is corrupting our democracy.” – Nina Schick “If everything can be faked, and everyone has plausible deniability, then that’s open season for bad actors.” – Nina Schick Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Nina Schick and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuity Corbynism picks a fight with the Starmer Leadership in the aftermath of the antisemitism court settlement. Will anything ever end the party’s Left-Right Infinity War? Plus: Brace yourself for a “low quality, low profile” face-saving Deal with the EU. And special guest John Crace, the Guardian’s demob-happy parliamentary sketch writer, takes us through the highs (subs pls check) and lows of the Johnson Parliament so far.  “Starmer has proved a lot more ruthless than anyone expected as leader.” – Ros Taylor “If Starmer’s made a mistake it’s treating Johnson like a ten-year old, when in fact Johnson’s more like a toddler.” – John Crace “Keir Starmer, a former DPP, will have a fairly good idea of when a case ought to be stopped…” – Alex Andreou  “If people are on their knees, Boris Johnson’s buffoonish persona will not play well with them.” – John Crace Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Приветствую! Welcome to podcast where panel talk about how great nation of Russia did not interfere with British elections, no way. Is Russophobia only. Честно! Also, do not read Russia Report, is also Russophobic. Спасибо!” Meanwhile: Is now a good time to pick a fight with China, however badly China might be acting? Why have MPs who demanded control of our trade deals just voted away their power to, er, control our trade deals? And there’s a job going where you report to Dominic Cummings.  “The moral is, if anything in any way affects our special Brexit cult, then apparently we must not look at it.” – Arthur Snell “We now know these guys are weak. They won’t defend the country.” – Ian Dunt “We do have to get real. Russian interference alone could not have swung the Referendum.” – Naomi Smith “This government is attacking Labour for being soft on Russia – while literally being soft on Russia itself and taking money from Russia.” – Dorian Lynskey  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ian Dunt and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a Russian Report special on today’s edition of our little sibling podcast The Bunker, with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Helen Lewis talking about the sheer cynicism of the Government’s do-nothing approach to Putin’s interference with our democracy. Here’s a taster – get the whole thing here or wherever you get your podcasts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Government launches yet another, definitely final campaign to sell the “benefits” of No Deal. What do we think of Britain’s bold New Start into £13bn of 1970s-style red tape and towering tariffs on food basics? Plus, concreting over the Garden of England: there is some corner of a Kent field that will forever be a giant lorry park. The return of Ian Dunt. And Monarchy In The UK: With the Queen and Harry AWOL in moments of crisis and Prince Andrew definitely sweating now, is there any point to the Royals any more?  “I just wish we had SOME decent libertarians…” – Ian Dunt “Why do we NEED the pomp and ceremony of the monarchy? Why do we need the spectacle?” – Ros Taylor Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh Rishi you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow our minds… Or will he? Will Sunak’s £10 off Groupon Meal Deal save the British economy? Do the Government’s free-spending interventions amount to the death of Old School Conservatism? Plus we welcome veteran Brexit blogger Chris Grey to look at the Ghosts of Brexit Past and Brexit Yet To Come. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The matter is closed!” Special guest Nick Cohen of The Observer joins us to look at the fall-out from Cummings taking down the country’s most senior civil servant, the reeking corruption of the Robert Jenrick/Richard Desmond affair, and the Starmer-Long-Bailey face-off. Plus: how on earth did shady contrarian factory Spiked elbow its way into the spotlight of politics, and are they really as influential as TV producers think? And British satellites. Galileo? Galileo. Galileo? Bismillah no, our fake GPS will not go. Also, some squid news from Ros.  “An underestimated thing about Starmer is, he’s seen it all… he’s seen the most savage political war.” – Nick Cohen “Johnson wants to be thought of as a great Prime Minister by the easiest route possible… because he’s a really, really lazy man.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson continues to fumble everything he touches, are the Tory Right losing patience with their flop-haired figurehead? Gove is preparing a “shock and awe” ad campaign to sell No Deal to voters. How did we get from “sunlit uplands” to deliberately inciting fear among the public? Plus, Britain thinks of itself as a magnet for foreign students. But will COVID and the Corona recession, the toxic legacy of the Hostile Environment and Brexit itself combine to wreck Britain’s university sector? We talk to higher education analyst Martin McQuillian.  “The question is, which generation, which region, which voters will Johnson betray?” – Naomi Smith “I’m always suspicious when government announces a big number like £1 billion. It reminds me of Dr Evil…” – Martin McQuillian “I can’t believe they’re cancelling the wives of people who fly racist banners. Where will this cancel culture end?” – Dorian Lynskey “The UK only has three successful export industries: the Premier League, the arms trade and higher education.” – Martin McQuillian Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the world gripped by the most significant anti-racist demonstrations in half a century, why are we still obsessing over Churchill? Do we overstate the power and significance of ageing Nazis in off-brand polo shirts running around Trafalgar Square? Could Britain actually shrink its police? Plus: so farewell then, DFiD. How the spread of fake data is producing a “Liar’s Dividend”. And why Marcus Rashford can only nutmeg the Government once.  “The goal of far right politics IS violence. So in a sense the conduct of its supporters is beside the point.” – Alex Andreou “Creating new crimes to support their authority is what autocrats do.” – Ros Taylor Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Boris Johnson fights to undo the unfair deal imposed on us by treacherous pro-EU operative *checks notes* Boris Johnson. Alex Andreou explains his epic investigation into whether the Government really did follow the science on COVID (spoiler: they didn’t). Who’s batting for chlorinated chicken in our cabinet of all the talentless? And get ready to eat rollmop herrings for Britain.  “I foolishly thought that government would put the right to an education above commercial concerns. I was so wrong.” – Ros Taylor Presented by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How hard will a No Deal/COVID double whammy hit the British economy? New research from Best For Britain shows it will devastate the places you don’t expect as well as Brexitland. Could Black Lives Matter and America’s revolt against institutional racism cross over to the UK? And special guest Daniel Trilling of The Guardian explains how the new immigration regulations aren’t designed to “take back control” but to rip off workers.  “We’ve proven you can’t bury No Deal under Corona… Some 7 million jobs are doubly impacted by both.” – Naomi Smith “In typical style, Mogg took an innovation that was working pretty well and decided they’d replace it with something old… just because they could.” – Ian Dunt “This government tries to sweep away criticism with cheery British optimism and it’s toxic.” – Daniel Trilling “What is it that Boris Johnson wants? Without Cummings, there’s nothing there.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Support our theme tune artists Cornershop! Buy their music on Bandcamp on Friday June 5 and they’ll get 100% of the proceeds.   Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dom’s last stand (again): how did the supergenius who instinctively understands Britain’s heartbeat become the most hated man in the UK? SDLP MP Claire Hanna makes a welcome return to Remainiacs to explain the state of play in Northern Ireland vis-a-vis both COVID-19 and the cliffhanger Brexit trade negotiations. And Tobias Jones calls in from Parma, Italy to tell us how it felt to live through one of Europe’s grimmest COVID experiences.  “Cummings has upset one of the biggest and most dangerous constituencies in Britain: grandparents.” – Helen Lewis “You can get out of a mess. But it’s hard to get out of being a punchline.” – Ian Dunt “Lobby journalists quite like the idea that Britain’s being run by some Einstein in a spaghetti hoops t-shirt. But the reality is more boring.” – Helen Lewis Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Helen Lewis. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Government went up in flames over Dominic Cummings’ flagrant breaches of his own lockdown rules, Dorian, Alex, Ros and Andrew got together for an Emergency CummingsCast for The Bunker. For our subscribers who weren’t on social media over the weekend and may have missed it, here’s a teaser. Find the whole show and subscribe to The Bunker here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week… Keir Starmer, a man out standing in his field, and why you don’t want to get on the wrong side of Big Donkey. Where do the hands of the EU Negotiations Doomsday Clock stand? How are COVID and the increasingly perilous EU trade negotiations looking from Germany? Rachel Stern from TheLocal.de joins us from Berlin to explain. And your Brexit news round-up, all with Dorian Lynskey, Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. “If the furlough scheme ends for ordinary people but not Monaco-based billionaires, that won’t go down too well.” – Ben Stewart “It remains to be seen what Johnson will give up next. Watch out, fishermen and farmers.” – Naomi Smith “Generation Rent’s future is being comprehensively screwed by people who then turn around and call them snowflakes.” – Ben Stewart Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“It’s all right, it’s OK/The press will look the other way/And we will fail to understand/Can’t Britain find a better man?” This week: Boris Johnson’s deceitful advice on unlocking. Why appealing to magical “common sense” is his ultimate get-out clause. And as Spain reopens its own society we talk to Fiona Govan of TheLocal.es about what the crisis has done to Spain’s politics.  “No-one really knows what common sense means. It’s just a dogwhistle.” – Ros Taylor “The closer you look at these rules, the more they look like they were written by clowns. And then they talk about common sense?” – Ian Dunt “For Scotland and Wales to effectively say ‘you are not welcome here’… that’s a big thing.” – Ros Taylor  “This isn’t to do with liberals vs authoritarians. It’s about basic ability to deal with complexity.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Naomi Smith with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Britain registers the worst COVID toll in Europe, why is blame for the failure sliding off Boris Johnson? Lovelorn Prof Neil Ferguson feels the sap rising. Operation Bookshelf Barbarossa. Why VE Day belongs to us, not the petty nationalists. Is the fish a credible war animal? And who decided that if you’re pro-Brexit you’ve got to be pro-virus too? Dorian Lynskey, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt police one another’s tones.  “People are saying this is not the time to criticise the government. It’s TRIPLY the time to criticise the government.” – Ian Dunt “VE Day wasn’t about victory OVER Europe. We can’t let the Daily Mail own it.” – Naomi Smith “If anyone’s going to fight to the death to go to the pub right now, it’s me.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week in Euro-Plague news: How is Sweden’s risky approach to the COVID crisis really working? James Savage of news network The Local joins us from Stockholm to give us the view on the ground. Plus: That weird feeling when the person demanding a proper merciless lockdown is… evil Dominic Cummings? Alan Sugar’s totalitarian boomer tweets. And why we shouldn’t trust people who say we don’t trust journalists. Also… towns!  “The Brexiters are realising that the economic hit of COVID will be so enormous that Brexit will seem small beer. And they are hoping to take advantage of that.” – Ros Taylor  “They’ve created the idea that they’re fighting a sentient enemy… because the alternative is to admit that our government was outwitted by goo.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“They want power, but they don’t know why.” How this government’s obsession with rebutting bad COVID news is masking a total absence of ideas. As No.10’s story on our failure to join the EU joint purchase of medical equipment falls apart, Naomi gives a true crime fan’s guide to the timeline. Fire and brimstone among the Brexiters as a few heretics float the idea of extending transition. And is exiting under No Deal in midwinter – prime COVID Wave 2 time! – really a good idea, Minister? “The government prioritised its own image over the country’s health, and that decision has been disastrous.” – Naomi Smith “These are cosplay politicians. And in a real crisis, pretend politicians cost lives.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Priti Patel’s nonpologies. Former Green MEP and Brighton & Hove Mayor Alex Phillips joins us to look at how the Corona crisis could at least provide an opportunity for a green reboot of economics. Alex and Dorian read the entire leaked Labour antisemitism report so you don’t have to (they wish THEY didn’t have to). Will the EU Corona bailout actually work for European countries – and is Britain really going to stampede towards No Deal, now of all times?  “The same people who told us Brexit was more important than the economy are now telling us there’s NOTHING more important than the economy.” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Brussels’ hamfisted approach to resurrecting the European economy really a danger the EU’s own existence? Will Boris Johnson’s hospitalisation expose the flaws in his Corona policy? Where in the world is Priti Patel? And we’re joined by Fleur Anderson MP, the only Labour gain in the 2019 General Election, to look at Keir Starmer’s options to regenerate Labour – and the party’s future position on Europe. (This edition recorded before the EU stimulus deal was struck on Thur 9 April). “The EU was always going to be really terrible at Part One of this crisis. But Part Two, the reconstruction, is where the EU can come into its own.” – Alex Andreou “We are about to see something properly seismic in the world economy… If we see material deterioration in poorer economies that will be very, very bleak indeed.” – Ian Dunt  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will the seismic trauma of COVID-19 provide the moment of clarity we need to change the way we live? Authoritarian governments seize on Corona to enact the repressive moves they’ve always craved. Chemicals and ventilators: is the Government’s slipperiness with facts undermining its Corona message? Transition denialism drags us towards the abyss. And our special guest, former Labour MP for Bury James Frith, give his totally disinterested take on the arrival of the Starminator.  “There IS a money tree – and it isn’t magic. It is sensible to spend money when you need to.” – Ian Dunt “There will be an upside to this crisis if it makes us confront the changes we need to make in society and in work… It could force a welcome change.” – James Frith “You hear people saying don’t question the police, it’s an emergency, don’t complain… That is precisely the opposite to the approach we should be taking.” – Ian Dunt Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REMOTELY RECORDED FOR YOUR HYGIENE… Has the deepening Corona crisis rendered the Brexiteers’ plans for economic nirvana obsolete? Why the EU’s big financial guns are coming out. Special guest Charlotte Potts – London political correspondent for Deutsche Welle – tells us what Germany thinks of Britain’s efforts on transition, Johnson’s wayward handling of COVID-19… and Angela Merkel’s unexpected last stand. And have the Brexit years created a hysterical media that’s no longer fit to cover a real emergency? “The people who’ve spent the last five years calling everyone a snowflake had a meltdown on day one of the pubs being closed. Was it their Safe Space?” – Alex Andreou Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  Our new companion podcast THE BUNKER is now DAILY too. Get it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RECORDED FROM SECRET BUNKERS ACROSS EUROPE… As the Corona Crisis deepens, is the Government blowing its response? Will Fortress Britain have to request an extension to our transition out of EU arrangements? Guest Mike Galsworthy of Scientists 4 EU tells us what’s really going on with the science of the COVID battle. Plus, the truth about Dominic Cummings’ secret science army. The heroic return of Our Man in Mykonos Alex Andreou, if only in a virtual context. And top tips for working from home.  Please forgive our wayward sound quality. We’re recording in rooms spread across London (and in the Cycladic Islands…). Remainiacs is on lockdown. What else is new?  “If you keep electing people whose explicit aim is to atrophy the State, you can’t complain when the State can’t spring into action when you need it.” – Alex Andreou “Dominic Cummings clearly loves science – but he’s hurting the thing he loves.” – Mike Galsworthy Presented by Ros Taylor with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crisis? What, MORE crisis? How well is plucky Brexit Britain set up to cope up with the Coronacession? (Spoiler: badly). Investigative academic Seth Alexander Thévoz shows the breathtaking power of untraceable dark money in UK elections – and how it helped the Tories knock down the Red Wall. The EU shames itself in the Greece-Turkey refugee crisis. Toilet paper: Britain displays its Bumkirk Spirit. And the clucking awful truth about chlorine chicken.  “The economy was screwed already. Boris bounce? Absolute rubbish. The economy has been flatlining. And now here comes Coronavirus.” – ROS “The question isn’t ‘Is there Russian money in British politics?’ It’s ‘Why should Britain be the only country where there ISN’T Russian money sloshing around?’” – SETH Presented by Naomi Smith with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer: Jacob Archbold. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Coronavirus bites, the government decides it’s a good time to cut us off from the EU Pandemic Warning system. PLUS: who makes the Nazis? HOPE Not Hate’s Nick Lowles on how Brexit rolled out the carpet for the extreme right, up to and including actual Nazi Satanists.  Red tape bad, blue tape good: the 50,000 customs officers nobody asked for. And how mad do you have to be to think that No.10 loves the Priti Patel scandal because it keeps the Russia report quiet?  ”The reason the traditional far right is so weak is that you’ve got people in the very centre of politics saying exactly the things they used to say.” – Nick Lowles Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Radio Free European Britain this week… The Independent’s sketch writer Tom Peck on our politics’ descent into self-lacerating madness. Heroes of Remain and creators of our theme tune Cornershop join us to discuss their new album ‘England Is A Garden’ and making defiant, multicultural pop in a xenophobic era. The Brexiters’ ongoing Culture War turns into an actual war on culture. The Points-based Pandora’s Box continues to spill its poison. And a glorious future of British “champagne” industry.  “Brexit was both parties losing at once. And when parties lose, they go mad.” – Tom Peck Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Government’s immigration plans are out and yes, they’re every bit as narrow, vindictive, boneheaded, vicious and philistine as we expected. What next when the hostile environment leaves the people who voted for it without the health care and other workers they need? Plus former Lib Dem MEP Caroline Voaden explains what Brussels and Strasbourg really think of us. And RTÉ’s London Correspondent Sean Whelan on what Brexit Britain needs to know about Ireland. (It’s a lot).  “The first rule of Rejoin Club is: Never talk about Rejoin Club.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Ros Taylor and Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed and amused but mostly enraged (in a good way). Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(This episode recorded just before Sajid Javid got Cummingsed…) The long campaign for our EU friends and neighbours is on. As Johnson’s government breaks its promises to UK-resident EU citizens daily, MONIQUE HAWKINS of campaigning group the3million updates us with horrific stories of government indifference and incompetence. Plus: If Remainers are now the “fruitcakes and loonies” as Farage says, is there freedom in having nothing left to lose? Returning regular Ben Stewart of Led By Donkeys on the Star of the White Cliffs of Dover and where we go next. Can Continuity Corbynism nobble Alpha Centrist Dad Keir Starmer? And more fire for your pro-European belly.  “We may have a 40 year fight on our hands. But at least we live in an era when we know things can change VERY quickly.” – Naomi Smith Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. If you like Remainiacs, try our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clear the lobby for special guest JOHN BERCOW, the most controversial Speaker in recent history. He visits Remainiacs to talk about his time in charge of Commons at war, his new autobiography Unspeakable, what Remain got wrong, David Cameron’s disastrous miscalculations, whether he’d do Strictly… and those incendiary bullying allegations.  Plus: The Government starts its relationship with the EU as it means to go on, in loutish bad faith. Why Cummings is losing a war with Sajid Javid that nobody understands. What Ros saw in Parliament Square on Brexit night. And why it isn’t wrong to point out when stupid people do stupid things.  “As far as David Cameron was concerned his principle WAS his career so the idea of giving up your career for your principles was somewhat alien to him.” – JOHN BERCOW Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Don’t forget our new companion podcast THE BUNKER, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there was ever a good day to try our new, no-Brexit politics podcast THE BUNKER then it’s today, Friday 31 Jan. Every Wednesday we’ll be talking about the wider world of politics with voices both familiar and new. Subscribe to THE BUNKER (or bookmark it) on… APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-bunker/id1496246490 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/1g7XYt7lI0XNVZ4Ze8mDau?si=hs0KKFCUSGOhF1JEvcycsg ACAST: https://play.acast.com/s/the-bunker RSS: rss.acast.com/the-bunker See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our bloody but unbowed Brexit Day edition. As Britain slopes out of the EU like an embarrassed pub drunk, Leaver triumphalism is strangely muted. Is the Brexiters’ victory is beginning to feel a little hollow? Maybe the REAL Brexit was the enemies we made along the way.  Plus, period of reflection latest! The Labour Party sets the “days since we decided Jeremy did everything right” clock back to zero. Why the trade talks will inevitably turn into a culture war too. What we Remainiacs have learned during this battle. Alex rouses the spirits. And a final addition to the Brexit Time Capsule.  It’s a bad week. But we’ll be back in seven days time, and onwards for as long as you want us.  “The country has run out of season finales. All politics has left now are the mid-season filler episodes.” If (understandably) you want to think about anything but Brexit today, may we recommend our new companion podcast THE BUNKER? It’s on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and more platforms every day. Oh and RSS too.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: fish, food, agriculture, immigration, Scotland and our special guest, Labour’s deputy leadership candidate and only Scottish MP, IAN MURRAY. On the menu: Labour’s existential crossroads, why the party lost Scotland, the Brexit vs Corbyn blame game, and what Labour needs to do to win back Britain’s confidence. Plus: Why crossing the imaginary Brexit finish line won’t change Britain’s inevitable reckoning with the immigration issue. What use is the Government’s greenwashed Agriculture Bill when it won’t protect us from low-standard food imports? Do “Britain’s fish” really matter? And why you CAN fly your European flag after Jan 31.  “The only consolation here is that the chlorinated chickens will come home to roost on the doorstep of Number Ten.” Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou, Ingrid Oliver and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Remainiacs isn’t going away just because Brexit is happening. We’ll be here throughout to keep the pro-European movement informed, entertained and fired up. Get every new episode a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode, plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Britain spirals down to a Bonkers Big Ben Brexit Day Breakdown, we avert our eyes and look to the future, specifically the policies Labour might need in (gulp) 2024. Plus, has the UK actually done the EU a favour in the long term by Brexiting? And we fill up the swear jar as we ask whether Johnson can govern on a “F*** business” platform. Also: Has Brexit really cost us $170bn, more than the cost of all our contributions to the European community since we joined it 47 years ago? Why the Australians are wise to us trying to pinch their doctors and nurses. And Alex has a killer macro policy platform for Labour in 2024. Listen to find out… “Leave voters will have to blame Johnson one day… because otherwise they’ll be blaming themselves.”  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou, Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle to keep Britain in the EU is over but with Parliament neutered, Brexit needs more scrutiny than ever. This week: Does Boris Johnson’s “plea for unity” amount to a pass-agg order to shut up and accept whatever Brexit be fancies? From continuity Corbynistas to closet Centrist Dads, we run the rule over the Labour leadership candidates. Uri Geller applies for a job with Classic Dom. And Ingrid talks for the first and last time about her mum becoming a Tory MP. Yes, Remainiacs is back and we’ll keep Brexit under the microscope as long as we’re needed. And that could be a very long time indeed.  “There’s a reason they call it truth and reconciliation. We haven’t had the truth — so how can we have the reconciliation?” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Ingrid Oliver and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brexit roasting on an open fire! Rees-Mogg nipping at your toes! Yes, it’s a miserable old Christmas for Remainers, but whatever. We need to gird our loins for a big year in 2020, so we present inspirational messages from a few of our regulars: Ros Taylor, Ian Dunt, Dorian Lynskey, Ingrid Oliver, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison. (Naomi Smith wasn’t feeling up to it, so she sent a very special guest). Listen now, at 3pm on Christmas Day, or maybe Christmas morning just like Jeremy Corbyn does. Also our panelists choose tunes to cheer you up over the Christmas period. You can hear them in full on our Spotify playlist.  Thanks again to everyone for listening and supporting us throughout the year. We’ll be back in the second week of January to continue the rearguard action. Team Remainiacs wishes you and yours a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We got knocked down but we’ll get up again. Join the panel of REMAINIACS for our last live show of 2019 and our last full podcast of the decade – recorded onstage in London’s Leicester Square Theatre on Tuesday 17 December. It’s election post-mortem time but there’s no room for misery. How did the Remain parties blow it so spectacularly? Was it really all down to Corbyn’s massive turn-off factor? Where should Remain’s tattered but unbowed legions put their energies now? And what awaits in the 2020s? Plus our panel play one final round of popular party game Leave Or Remain? And there’s a special treat for listeners with the live debut of disco troupe ARTICLE 54, creators of The Hustle: A Brexit Disco Symphony – now streaming near you.  That’s it for 2019 but we WILL be back in 2020, come hell, WAB or high water. Maybe we can’t stop Brexit any more but we can shine a light on what’s happening in a way the opposition parties seem constitutionally incapable of. As ever, your support is what keeps us going. We wish every listener and Patreon backer a happy Christmas and a hopeful new year.  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ian Dunt, Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou. Post-production by Alex Rees. Many thanks to Jess and the whole Leicester Square Theatre team, and to Article 54: Rhodri Marsden, Susannah Henry, Sharron Fortnam, Mira Manga and Helene Bradley. Top photo: Emma Quinn. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, we got a kicking. Remain parties might have edged the popular vote but it didn’t stop Boris Johnson winning the majority he always craved. So what now? Is Remain dead? Where do we put our energies from now on? Are lies and contempt for basic scrutiny the new normal for political campaigns? Will Labour face its culpability for the hard right’s greatest success since Thatcherism? And exactly how much sleep did our panel get? Incredible though it seems, we’ve done the easy stuff. Now it’s a hard road ahead. “We are the opposition now.” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“GET IN THE FRIDGE!” As the polls tighten on the eve of the vote, we tell you exactly where to vote tactically, how to persuade waverers, and why a Johnson majority might prove to be a curse... on Boris Johnson.  Plus: Will the PMs’ foul attitude to a sick kid in a Leeds A&E finally, finally move the needle among his supporters? Ian’s tips on how to stay awake for the full horror of Election Night. Where will the anger go if Brexit ever DOES “get done”? Boris Johnson reveals himself to be a thin-skinned autocrat. And why we need to gear up for the mightiest pro-immigration campaign that Britain has ever seen.  We’ve come this far. We’re not giving in. See you on Friday for a post-election wrap-up…  “We are going to be fighting many many battles over the next year, all at once.” Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deck the balls with Multi-level Regression and Post-stratification polling! Our penultimate live show of the year saw a full-panel turnout for a festive evening of the latest Brexit analysis, campaign horror stories, pre-election recrimination and the hellishly difficult Have I Got Brexit For You quiz. If you were there you can relive it. If not, you can pretend you were. Hold tight for Naomi Smith, Dorian Lynskey, Ian Dunt, Ros Taylor, Nina Schick, Ingrid Oliver, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison in a special two-part live show of top quality discussion, poor quality jokes and audience questions at the end. We look at the election campaign and how the parties have fared, plus the state of populism and – as the political decade ends in farce and deception – a few Big Ideas that might make the 2020s more optimistic and tolerable than the 2010s. Gather the family! Special thanks to Leicester Square Theatre for sound recording. Post-production by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than two weeks to go, how is this simultaneously the most terrifying and consequential – yet somehow boring – General Election in history? Even with the Conservatives looking to stack every aspect of the constitution permanently in government’s favour? Plus: what the party leaders’ stock reactions to the London Bridge terror attack reveal about how they see the electorate. Did Labour’s leaks about NHS privatisation come from Russian hackers? WTF is an Australian points-based immigration system anyway and where does performative nastiness figure in the mass psychology of politics?  Not long to go now, Britain. It’ll all be over soon. And then it’ll start up again.  Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Ian Dunt, Ingrid Oliver and Dorian Lynskey. Audio production and script by Alex Rees. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s halfway through the election campaign… Producer Andrew is away for Thanksgiving this week, so our regulars are off the leash and the metaphors get a little… colourful. In the wake of updated tactical voting data, we discuss the possibilities that lie ahead on polling day and try to bring some cheer to proceedings while keeping references to “flesh piñatas” to a minimum.  Campaign speed bumps abound for the main parties, as Jeremy Corbyn is grilled by Andrew Neil in an interview Boris Johnson hasn’t turned up for himself, while we assess presentational issues for Jo Swinson as leader of the Lib Dems.  "I think it’s too late for the Lib Dems to recoil from the Revoke policy,” says Naomi. “What you’ve got to do now is bed in and do it passionately, and if you’re going to do it, stick to it, and speak from the heart about why stopping Brexit is the best thing for this country." We’re also discussing the lack of reckoning over the sins of Empire that has in part led to the strain of British exceptionalism inherent in the Brexit campaign. Nice bit of lightness before the most important election of our lives, then.  Plus, a second round of questions in our ASK REMAINIACS election special. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Audio production and scripting by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first episode of Remainiacs to be verified by "Fact Check UK” as “proper good, five stars on iTunes from us…” Who won the first debate of the campaign between Johnson, Corbyn and Corbyn’s enormous specs?  We discuss manifestos, polls and potential landmines for the main parties, and how wave after wave of scandals like CCHQ's @factcheckUK con, dubbed Actually Orwellian by our Orwell expert Dorian Lynskey, have dulled our reaction to them.  “If I step on a turd and walk into this studio, all of you will smell something iffy. If I step on a turd and we record a sewer, none of you would notice.” Plus, ASK REMAINIACS returns. We’re doing another part next week, so get your questions in below or at info@remainiacs.com. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid Oliver, Alex Andreou and guest panelist Helen Lewis. Audio production by Sophie Black, with scripting by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A first for Remainiacs as we welcome a guest from the Telegraph! But don’t worry, it’s their eminently sensible Europe Editor PETER FOSTER with a tour d’horizon of the frosty future that Britain faces if Johnson gets the Brexit he says he wants.  Plus! Why can’t we read this Russia report, then? As Nigel Farage pulls a wheeze too far, the Jacobin Rebellion finally comes home in the Brexit Party. Why Tom Watson’s face is like an HBO box set. Is there really more Remain stuff in the Telegraph than there is Leave stuff in the Guardian? And word of the week: epistocracy.  “The idea that Boris Johnson is running round the country saying Get Brexit Done? Brexit is just beginning.”  Presented by Naomi Smith with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special mini-episode, Alex Andreou puts his mellifluous voice to a Twitter thread he did with Best for Britain earlier this week, about the need to start saying “No” to the so-called strongmen who don’t understand the meaning of the word…  The column is dedicated to Ruth, on her birthday.  Follow Alex @sturdyAlex on Twitter, and B4B @BestForBritain. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first live show in Manchester YES OK SALFORD on Sat 2 November was a smash hit. Dorian, Ros and Ian joined special guest Rob Ford of the University of Manchester onstage at The Lowry theatre to deal with the state of play in those far-off days of the weekend we were supposed to leave the EU but, erm, didn’t. This special bonus podcast went out to our Patreon backers early last week, so if you want to be first with extra Remainiacs content, why not sign up as a supporter now? On the agenda: Can the Bojo Mojo withstand the rigours of a General Election? How can we survive the Age of Rage once Brexit is (somehow) “done”? Rob explains the hidden factors behind Brexit, complete with research. And the panel play a few rounds of ‘Leave or Remain?’ Who will get the comic book characters and who will get heroes of Manchester music? If you enjoyed this show, don’t forget our last Remainiacs Live of 2019 at the Leicester Square Theatre on Mon 2 Dec. Tickets are going fast and Patreon backers get a discount with the code “extension”.  Your panel is Dorian Lynskey, Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt with special guest Rob Ford. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Special thanks to all at The Lowry for making us so welcome. We’ll be back. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election Week One: everyone sabotages themselves! Farage vs Rees-Mogg! Trump vs Johnson! Plus tactical voting: our panelist Naomi Smith on the controversy over her organisation Best For Britain’s advice site. Is B4B’s data really a better guide than the 2017 results… and why is everyone so angry about it? Also: What sort of coalition to prepare yourself for. The most effective Parliamentary petition you didn’t know about. How Nick Clegg is still damaging independent political lobbying from beyond the grave. And what would Nigel Farage’s dæmon look like? “Britain just isn’t big enough to fight in a shark full of tanks.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Ben Stewart of Led By Donkeys. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Christmelection 2019 finally, finally, finally gets under way, could Boris Johnson’s good-time blustering turn out to be a campaigning bug, not a feature? Why we should all have looked harder at the opinion poll which claimed that voters were OK with political violence as long as they got their way on Brexit. And The Guardian’s magnificent political sketch-writer JOHN CRACE joins us to talk about his new book Decline And Fail – and Brexit’s endless race between satire and reality.  “One thing we’ve learned about Brexit is, it makes fools of fools.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Ingrid Oliver and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Elsie Bath at Soho Radio. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Need a bit more Dunt for your Friday? Britain’s sweariest pundit is the special guest on this week’s edition of our companion podcast On The House, where Lib Dem MPs and Tory escapees Sam Gyimah and Phillip Lee convene over a pint to try and work out what the hell has gone on in their workplace this time.Here’s a tiny excerpt. You can listen to the full rare Dunt away fixture on…Apple Podcasts Spotify Acast Have a listen to get Ian’s take on this week’s razor’s edge votes in the Commons… the allegiances and self-deceptions that will shape the next phase of the Brexit saga… why Macron is playing bad domestic politics at home in France as well as having a terrible Brexit… plus Sam and Phillip’s insider tales of exactly what goes down in the House when it’s crisis time like it is now. And if you listen to the end you’ll hear Ian trying to turn two Members of Parliament on to reading comics.We record in the Feathers pub in Westminster so expect an atmosphere of crowd and urgency. On The House comes out every Friday and you can subscribe on your favourite podcast app. We hope you enjoy it.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson experiences embarrassing Brexitus Interruptus, the Remainiacs team discuss this week’s knife-edge Commons votes… what the Pause means for the Cause… and whether voters really are coalescing around the Deal when they literally don’t know what’s in it. This week’s special guest, undisputed godfather of election psephology JOHN CURTICE, brings more granular polling detail than you can handle. Where are battlegrounds of opinion? Has Labour’s “unusual” Brexit position set the electorate’s imagination afire? And should people learn to shut up and fall back in love with pollsters? Plus, exciting transfer news as we sign Ben Stewart of Led By Donkeys as a regular panelist, bringing strength in depth to our midfield engine room for the crucial European qualifiers.  Prresented by Dorian Lynksey, Naomi Smith and Ben Stewart. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were expecting a funeral march. Instead we got a victory procession – of sorts. After the big march and the even bigger vote, heroic Best For Britain march organiser Naomi Smith and truly knackered journo Ian Dunt join Andrew Harrison in an echoey Portcullis House to work out exactly what happened, and what happens next.Plus, news from the soundsystem and the joyous street activities! Who says we can only do gloomy EmergencyCasts, eh? This one will put a smile on your face.Remember, it’s an EmergencyCast recorded on lo-fi equipment so be prepared for rough and ready sonics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vote. The March. The Deal and the Amendments. The balance of power. And the decision? As we steel ourselves for the biggest day in this whole struggle, Dorian Lynskey, Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt assemble to examine what’s on the table, how we got here and how we might get out of it. “This deal is not going to be popular for very long. It’s not very popular NOW…” Re. the March: We’ll see you on the corner of Curzon St and Park Lane tomorrow from 12 noon. And remember: whatever happens, however it shakes out, nobody will ever be able to tell you you didn’t keep fighting right to the very end. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Engineered by Sophie Black at Soho Radio. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So we’re finally here. Boris Johnson thinks he’s got a deal. Arlene Foster isn’t so sure. Nobody knows what’s in the deal – but some of the ERG think it’ll pass the Commons anyway. The Remainiacs team gather to work out what we know, what we don’t know… and what we think will be put before Parliament on Saturday. Plus special guest Mike Butcher of TechForUK joins us to explain the digital tools he and his cross-platform team of wonks and ninjas have built to fight Brexit, and which ones will come into play at Saturday’s March in London. You can find them all at Brexit.tools.  Presented by Ros Taylor with Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Sophie Black. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remainiacs on a Friday, like it's 2017 or something? As the clock ticks down to Zero Hour, will the Government’s performative anti-Brussels bolshiness come back to bite it? What are the real factors that are making the GNU the most endangered animal in politics? Project Fear comes true, but still can’t cut through. How to shut up people who shout “LISBON TREATY!” as if it’s some magic word to dispel all anti-Brexit argument. And what are we going to spend all that Get Ready For Brexit ad money on? Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Sophie Black. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s not a deal if only one person wants it. This week, the Government breaks its promise on no customs checks in the island of Ireland with an offer the EU can’t excuse. Is Johnson throwing Ireland under the Boris Bus (again) and why does the government’s creation of narrative take precedence over actually solving the border issue?  Plus: Priti Patel decides that Britain is not a country but a Russell Group university. Civil unrest updates: why you can’t use the threat of people rioting to get what THEY want just get what YOU want. What really makes Dominic Cummings tick? And special guest Chris Southworth of the International Chamber of Commerce gives us the latest on those amazing WTO terms that the Brexiters think will save our antibiotics-laced bacon.  Spoiler: “You don’t have to change tariff environment very much at all to make the UK unviable.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's audio from our second live show from Mon 23 Sept, with special guest MARK GATISS of The League of Gentlemen and Doctor Who fame joining regulars Ros Taylor, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison for a gala evening of pre-Supreme Court conjecture. Whether you came on the night and want to relive it or you couldn’t make it, it's 90 minutes of quality RemainiAction.  On the menu: What did we think would happen in the Supreme Court the following day (and how wrong were we)? Who are our Brexit Heroes and why? What has Brexit done to the nature of British identity? And – most importantly – who will get what in the next rounds of Leave Or Remain? It’s all worth listening to and still 90% relevant. As it’s a live show the sound quality and levels are necessarily a bit rough and ready, so please bear with us. Thanks to Charlie Elwess for remastering it, @AliQuack for the photo and all at the Leicester Square Theatre for their help.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Sunday bonus: the first of our two DEMOCALYPSE 2019 shows at the Leicester Square Theatre from Monday 23 Sept, in case you couldn’t make it or you want to “experience the magic” again. Listen up as Dorian, Ingrid, Ian and special guest James O’Brien dig into the Supreme Court, the phenomenon of “Chaos Voters”, and the future of Divided Britain… and they play a few rounds of that ‘Leave Or Remain’ game that’s been doing the rounds lately too. Who will get what category and is Jim Royle from The Royle Family a Lexiter? We recorded this show the night before the Supreme Court judgment came down, so please make allowances for certain things which might have dated it. Hold tight for audio from our second Democalypse 2019 show from the same night, with the great Mark Gatiss as our special guest. Our Patreon backers will get that show first, like they got this one too. If you want to receive all our podcasts early via your own RSS feed, plus loads more benefits, sign up at https://www.patreon.com/remainiacscast Special shout to Paul Freedman for the title pic, to Charlie Elwess for scrubbing up the sound recording, and to all at the Leicester Square Theatre. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid OIiver and Ian Dunt. Special guest James O’Brien. Producer by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters Production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK! As Parliament returns in righteous anger and the Brexit Press bleat about how the Supreme Court has DESTROYED DEMOCRACY, the Remainiacs team reconvene to find out if everything really has changed. Special guest ROBERT WEBB – Peep Show star, author and fellow appalled Brexit-watcher – joins us to explore this next circle of hell.  This week: Watching history in the pouring rain. Should the Labour Party be grateful that the Supreme Court furore took the spotlight off the Brexit stitch-up at its conference? Who spiked Geoffrey Cox’s latte with crazy juice and how did Barry Shearman handle it? Do the Nazis in the Mitchell & Webb “are we the baddies?” sketch hold the key to Britain’s psyche? And why won’t Boris Johnson resign? “The government’s plan is so clearly to smear Parliament because it couldn’t shut it down.”  Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Sophie Black. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Incredible scenes on a monumental day, as guests Schona Jolly QC and David Allen Green hotfoot it across London to join Naomi Smith in Remainiacs HQ. Just how damning was the Supreme Court judgment on Johnson’s illegal prorogation? How on earth can the Government brief against the most significant constitutional judgment in – possibly – centuries? Where do we go from here? Should we all go out and get drunk? And who would pick fight with Lady Hale, with her laser eye and her spider brooch?  “The Government can study this as long as they want. There’s no route for them to appeal it.”  Presented by Naomi Smith, recorded by Elsie Bath at Soho Radio. Remainiacs is a Podmasters Production.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the legality of prorogation being tested in the crucible of the Supreme Court, we welcome Good Law Project director and Remain legal vanguard JOLYON MAUGHAM QC to the studio to discuss exactly what’s at stake. If the Government wins this one, could future administrations simply suspend Parliament whenever it likes, as if in some authoritarian Hokey-Cokey? Plus, the maddening detail of what would be required to implement Johnson’s imaginary deal. What does the Lib Dems going broke for revoke mean for future dealings between the Remain parties? Is Jo Swinson out-Hulking the other party leaders? Does Corbyn’s reiteration of Labour’s neutrality in any future referendum actually mean anything? And Ian finally gets to discuss modern politics as explained by the character arc of the Incredible Hulk. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Mike Kemp for Soho Radio. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“And finally monsieur, a wafer-thin Brexity mint…” The “distinguished”* legal expert DAVID ALLEN GREEN joins us to explain the consequences of the Scottish Court of Sessions’ bombshell ruling in a little extra Remainiacs for one week only.* As endorsed by the House of Commons.Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Prorogue Leader’s plans fall apart at the first hurdle, we look at the fallout of The Week It All Went Wrong. Will a silenced Parliament speak louder than an active one could? Does Johnson have any real power left? And will there be anything remaining of the Tory Party after #ClassicDom Cummings has finished “remodelling” it? Plus BRIDGET PHILLIPSON, Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, joins us to correct a few myths about the Left Behinds, shine a light on the path marked No Brexit, and give us the latest on Labour’s ever-changing Brexit moves. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid Oliver, Alex Andreou and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was that the shortest honeymoon since Cher married Greg Allman? The Johnson- Cummings plan is in bits on the floor of Parliament and Bojo’s jolly mask has well and truly slipped. As the petulant boy king threatens a General Election he can’t deliver, the Remainiacs team gather with special guest and journo Jonathan Lis of think tank British Influence to work out what happened and what it all really means. Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Sophie Black. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform . You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too.  #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things are moving far too fast to wait ’til next Friday. Ros Taylor, Alex Andreou and guest David Allen Green gather in the studio to look at the legality of prorogation, the chances of beating it in the courts or elsewhere… and the poor performance of Her Majesty The Queen. Or was it? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The moment of truth is finally here. Johnson-Cummings have decided it’s necessary to destroy parliamentary sovereignty in order to “save” it. But the Remain Alliance finally has its act together — and the numbers to stop No Deal. Alex Andreou is optimistic. Remain Wonder Woman Naomi Smith is ready for battle to be joined. Host Andrew Harrison is panicking. And special guest HUGO RIFKIND of The Times wonders why he picked this week to do Remainiacs… Listen up. The Endgame is on and we can’t give up now. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison with Naomi Smith and Alex Andreou. Audio production by Sophie Black. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform . You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What you’ve got to remember is, even the good guys are sociopaths.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ros Taylor and Ingrid Oliver. Audio production by Elsie Bath at Soho Radio, London. The producer is Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Remainer Conservatives and Lib Dems can’t swallow their notion of Jeremy Corbyn, Interim Prime Minister, who CAN they agree on? Exactly how would we get to our Government of National Unity anyway? How long would it last? Why there is no Season Finale Reset Button for Article 50. What would the Remain Dominic Cummings do? And the dawn of the Meat Loaf Remainers: “They’ll do anything to avoid No Deal… but they won’t do that.” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Audio production by Will Fitzpatrick at Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Why Dominic Cummings is putting out information chaff to create the impression of activity. Which good Remainy cause are YOU going to donate your shiny Brexit 50p to? Would Paddington Bear be rejected for Settled Status? Why are the Brexiters placing their faith in the WTO and Trump just as Trump is trying to neuter the WTO itself? And your autumn timetable of what (not) to worry about.  “This Government is exactly like Brexit Twitter. And it behaves like Brexit Twitter.” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison with Alex Andreou, Naomi Smith and Ian Dunt. Audio production by Elsie Bath at Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the agenda: The headlong rush to an end nobody voted for, and why No Deal is a man-made asteroid strike. When is the right time for a No Confidence motion against the Government? Linguistic programming as Johnson drills the buzzphrase “undemocratic backstop” into the national mind. Scenario planning and horizon scanning. Ingrid – our secret agent within the Tory Party – finally succumbs to Stockholm Syndrome. The Government’s snappy 1,400 page No Deal for small businesses. And why food shortages, when they happen, will be all YOUR fault.  “Every day in Parliament now matters. It could be that every sitting hour matters.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid Oliver and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Spy story music ‘Intruder’ courtesy of zapsplat.com. Audio production by Elsie Bath at Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lib Dems on the march? General Election plans scattered? As the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election result reduces Johnson’s majority to just one, Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and guest Rob Blackie convene to sort out what it all means.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week HEIDI ALLEN – independent MP, recovering Tory and battle-scarred CHUK veteran – joins us in the Brexit blunderdome. How can we create a Remain Alliance when the clock is ticking? What’s Johnson planning for Election ’19 and how do we fight the Vote Leave ERG Goverment? What can we learn from the CHUK episode? And much, much more   Presented by Ros Taylor with Ian Dunt and Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees ad Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production.   Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan   remainiacs.com   Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So it’s come to this… Boris Johnson finally gets to sit in the Big Chair. Where do we go from here? Can he turn Brexiter fantasy into governmental reality? Is there a real Awkward Squad assembling on the Tory backbenches? And how do we get through this new low with our sanity intact?   Plus special guest Gavin Esler talks us through his new book Brexit Without The Bullshit, his short rollercoaster ride as a Change UK candidate, and the war of facts vs fiction that defines Brexit. Oh, and there is hope! Her name is Jo Swinson. Can the new Lib Dem leader turn the party’s Remain bounce into more than just a one-issue advantage?   Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Naomi Smith and Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production.   Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan   remainiacs.com   Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They put tweets that Brexiters would rather forget on giant billboards, chased Farage around the country with reminders of his lies, and annoyed loony-right glove puppet Guido Fawkes so much he outed them for spite. Now guerrilla artists and Remainiac heroes LED BY DONKEYS join us on the podcast to tell us what it’s like when an idea in the pub goes on to the country alight. Ben Stewart and Olly Knowles from LBD tell us who deserves a proper lampooning (and who doesn’t), why the British will accept anything from a man in a hi-viz jacket… and how they used their own brand of street theatre to hack the media, the political system and the brain of Britain itself.  Plus: Why we need to stop calling it ‘prorogation’ and call it an executive coup instead. The March of the Mini-Hoeys. The dawn of Brexit Stalinism… or is it Stalinist Brexit? Nina destroys the argument that we have to leave the EU to trade freely in a hot minute. And why there are only effectively nine working days to stop No Deal.  “The only thing that needs to happen for No Deal to occur is… nothing. If nothing happens, No Deal happens.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Nina Schick and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Sophie Black at Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So much for the Special Relationship… In an unprecedented week in which PM-to-be Boris Johnson effectively fired Britain’s ambassador to the USA to placate a bullying Donald Trump, we look into Britain’s humiliating future as a taker of orders from bigger international players. Plus independent-minded Labour MP for Ilford North WES STREETING joins us to explain what the party’s shift of Brexit policy means. Corbyn now says he wants another vote – but would Labour really fight a General Election on leaving the EU? All this and more.  “Do you understand that where this ends is Washington telling us what to do?” Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid Oliver and Ian Dunt. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Alex Rees at Soho Radio, London. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production. Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform. You’ll also get our monthly Ask Remainiacs special episode plus smart merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan remainiacs.com Get your free download of our theme tune ‘Demon Is A Monster’ by Cornershop.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices