Oh God, What Now?

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By: Podmasters

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

They're mad as hell and we don't want to take it anymore
#305
Yesterday at 5:00 PM

What on earth were they thinking? The Conservative Party’s weird, dystopian, GOP-style attack ad on Sadiq Khan shows just how much the party has lost its mind. The panel unpack what was wrong with it and why the Tories might have thought this was a good idea at all. And Jeremy Hunt says £100k a year “doesn’t go far” – is he right? Or is he just massively out of touch? Plus, in the extra bit for subscribers what could replace the Labour Party’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ ring-walk tune for the 2024 election?


• “They do a...


Here comes The Sun, Little Starmer
#304
Last Tuesday at 4:00 AM

Is The Sun newspaper starting to pivot towards supporting Keir Starmer? Will any of the rest of the Tory press follow suit? And does political endorsement from a newspaper even matter any more? Plus, double outrage as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledges that Margaret Thatcher was, you know, quite a big deal. Was she right to do so and why can't we stay level-headed around the Iron Lady?


• “I think there’s an acknowledgment from the papers that you can’t ignore Labour anymore.” – Rachel Cunliffe

• “Any papers who don’t want to back Labour jus...


Failure to Relaunch
#303
03/22/2024

Rishi Sunak is going for yet another relaunch. Will it work? (Probably not…) Plus, plucky newcomer Vladimir Putin has won the Russian presidential election with a massive landslide of 87% which is DEFINITELY legitimate. What have we learned from this sham election and what does it mean for Russia? Dr Ben Noble is an associate professor of Russian politics at UCL and chats with Alex Andreou. And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, will Aaron Taylor-Johnson kick ass as the new James Bond, or will he bomb quicker than a bullet train? 

 

• “Sunak might be breathing a sigh of re...


Banging Your Head Against a Red Wall
#302
03/19/2024

Why are we so obsessed with ‘The Red Wall’? What does it mean and are the Tories about to lose all of those seats in the North? Plus, new research shows the government’s levelling-up project has not worked… at all. Only 10% of the approved fund has been spent by councils. Why? And were the government’s missions ever achievable? 


• “The red wall are actually voters who should’ve been Tory for quite a long time.” – Marie Le Conte

• “It was more of an F YOU to the whole system.” – Hannah Fearn

• “It’s quite fun to hav...


The End of the Tories as We Know Them (and I Feel Fine?)
#301
03/15/2024

As the Tories face another racism row, we imagine a world where the Conservative Party simply didn’t exist. Would that be for the best for everyone? Plus, according to new research, only Uzbekistan is more miserable than the UK. What does this tell us about the British psyche? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, is Kate Middleton just bad at Photoshop or is there a darker conspiracy at play? (PS. It’s definitely the first one.)


• “There are certain trends that are making Conservative MPs really worried.” – Rachel Cunliffe

• “I think that Ander...


30p Lee: You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit!
#300
03/12/2024

Lee Anderson has thrown a strop and joined Reform UK. What is this political journeyman trying to do – other than seek a load of attention? And, the budget hasn’t managed to win hearts and minds for the Tories. In fact, it made the dial creep in the wrong direction. What will they try next?


• “If the Tories choose to radicalise, then I’m sure Lee Anderson could find a home back within the party.” – Hannah Fearn 

• “Talking up the numbers of defectors is just a way of spooking the Tories.” – Rafael Behr 

• “Sunak ha...


Kicking the Budget
#299
03/08/2024

Jeremy Hunt’s budget has arrived. We unpack the good, bad and ugly – and ask: “Are we all going to be much richer now?” Short answer: No. Also, the BBC’s first-ever disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring joins the panel to discuss her new book Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland, how she wards off online hate – and why social media is so rife with conspiracy theorists. 


Buy Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commiss...


Is Galloway the game-changer he thinks he is?
#298
03/05/2024

Is Galloway’s victory in Rochdale quite the seismic event that Gorgeous George claims it is? With even Mail readers more likely to vote Labour than Tory, do the papers still have the power they used to? And there’s a debate brewing on assisted dying. What do our panel think? Plus, Budget tips, the Supreme Court on whether Trump gets on the ballot, and why Marie le Conte considers herself a Space Arab.  

 

• “Literally nobody wants tax cuts. If your ceiling is leaking, the upstairs neighbour giving you £20 towards your service charge is not an answer to y...


Sunak, Bigotry and 30p Lee
#297
03/01/2024

After Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman’s recent outbursts, why are the Tories so scared of the word Islamophobia? And how deep does this issue run in the party? Plus, it’s a But Your Emails special! In the second half the panel answers as many of our listeners burning political questions as possible. Then in the Extra Bit for subscribers, what are political marches good for? The panel discusses their own experiences. 


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Man Behaving Bad Lee
#296
02/27/2024

30p Lee has shown his real worth by claiming that Islamists have “got control” of Sadiq Khan. Suella Braverman, however, says they’re already in charge. Why hasn’t she lost the whip but Lee Anderson has? The panel discusses whether we have an intimidation issue in politics. Plus, as the Tories head for oblivion, why do political parties fail to learn from their mistakes before it’s too late?


• “The Tories are Anderson’s enablers and for a reason – because it’s useful to them to have someone blowing that particular dog whistle.” – Alex Andreou.

• “I...