British newspaper columnist
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• Podmasters is 10 years old! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. And OGWN is nine years old! Today: A Labour candidate up against a local plumber in a North-Western by-election? It's beginning to feel a lot like Groundhog Day. If Andy Burnham beats Reform's Robert Kenyon in Makerfield his path to Number 10 gets a lot clearer. But has Burnham just walked into a Reform bear trap? Plus: Brexit is back, right on cue. Wes Streeting lobs a grenade into the Burnham campaign by raising the Europe question. Could this leadership battle finally break Britain out of its Brexit loop of denial? And in the Extra Bit for Patreons, we do that Find Your Politics thing to discover whether we're secret Leninists or Freemen of the Land without realising it. (And why no talk of the Greens, you ask? We did a big will-they-won't-they bit and then they announced a candidate so we had to drop it. More next time). • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. ESCAPE ROUTES • Marie is getting set to host her Outsiders Art Club, a social club putting emerging artists in the spotlight • Matt has been bingeing Imperfect Women on Apple TV. • Raf went to see Zambian singer and rapper Sampa the Great at the Brighton Festival • Andrew has been listening to Tomora, the new duo comprising Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands and Norwegian singer Aurora. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr, Marie Le Conte and Matt Green. Producer: James Liddell. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Guardian columnist Rafael Behr talks through a tumultuous day for Labour and Keir Starmer – following the resignation of health secretary Wes Streeting, and the renewed possibility of a Westminster comeback for Andy Burnham. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. Early release as the news is moving fast… Keir Starmer's wild week is feeling more and more disastrous. As the PM clings on to power (by the time you hear this, that may have changed), who's waiting in the wings? Wes Streeting resigned right after we recorded the episode, so who knows what's next… Plus, Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Donald Trump in Beijing – but what does each man want and will either walk away the winner? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to break down the biggest stories of the week. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• Podmasters is 10 years old! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon support – that's 20% in total. Amid the rubble of last week's elections, Keir Starmer announces he's suddenly getting real and ready to win back voters. But is it all too little, too late – and after months of drift, will anyone believe him anyway? Plus, were the Reform and Green surges really as unstoppable as an overwrought media want us to believe? Friend of the pod and psephology don Rob Ford of Manchester University joins us to dig deep on the elections… and whether Labour gets what really happened. NB Andrew apologies for his hoarse voice. He'll be back to normal next time. • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf recommends By The Sea, Abdulzarak Gurnah's Nobel Prize-winning novel of escape and migration. • Rob Ford recommends The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuczinski, concerning the downfall of Haile Selassie. • Ros recommends the TV drama Believe Me about John Worboys, streaming on ITV. • Andrew recommends 30 Rock with Tina Fey, now finally on Netflix. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Ros Taylor and Rafael Behr. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lowdown election special with Rafael Behr of The GuardianBrexit Britons away with the fairies- and believing in at least 6 impossible things before Breakfast! In the local - and national elections, British voters voted for parties in Wales & Scotland that want to destroy the United Kingdom and for Nigel Farage and his fellow Reform con artists who conned 17.4 million people into voting for Brexit and geo-political isolation and economic impoverishment! WTF planet do these people inhabit?In his latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to Rafael Behr - the distinguished Guardian columnist - about the political crisis facing Britain and the Labour Party following recent election defeats across Scotland, Wales, London, and English local government. The two political commentators discuss Labour's leadership challenges, with Sir Keir Starmer facing significant unpopularity, and examine potential successors including Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, and Andy Burnham. They discuss how the Labour Party lacks a clear identity or heartland support, while also addressing the rise of the Green Party and Reform Party as electoral forces. Nick and Raf conclude with analysis of Britain's broader political fragmentation, including the dominance of pro-independence parties across Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and the challenges facing centrist politics in the current political environment.Read all about it!Rafael's recent book Politics: A Survivor's Guide: How to stay engaged without getting enraged is published by W.F.Howes Ltd and available at Amazon and in all good bookshops.Support the show You can also read his wonderful columns in the Guardian. His X handle is @rafaelbehrNick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing for The Bunker. King Charles' US state visit has gone well so far — but what does it really mean for the UK's increasingly strained “special relationship” ? Plus: we discuss the horrific attack in Golders Green, Keir Starmer dodges a parliamentary enquiry into the Peter Mandelson appointment, and finally, the end of hereditary peers. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Rafael Behr to unpack the biggest stories from the past week. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Producer: Kathleen Johnston and Jake Preston. Audio production: Simon Williams. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, north-west London, has become the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks. So is rising antisemitism now a national emergency? And is more security for the Jewish community really the answer? Helen Pidd is joined by columnist Rafael Behr – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
• Podmasters is 10 years old! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon support – that's 20% in total. Another week, another assassination attempt… Will the latest attack on Trump change anything apart from making the crazy people crazier? And will he get his ballroom out of it? Plus, Reform announce plans to make the teaching of history more patriotic. On the curriculum: more Winston Churchill and Battle of Britain, less slave trade, even less Ireland and no Britain being anything other than brilliant. Are you kids ready for the Old Man In A Pub version of Our Island Story? • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk. ESCAPE ROUTES • Gavin went to see music inspired by the Bridget Riley: Learning To See exhibition at Turner Contemporary… but you've missed it. Sorry. • Matt is the latest panelist to recommend medical drama The Pitt on HBO Max. • Raf recommends drum'n'bass artist Nia Archives' new single Danger • Ros recommends French-language murder mystery Une Unique Lueur by Fred Vargas. Not out in English yet though. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Matt Green, Gavin Esler and Rafael Behr. Audio Production by Tom Taylor and Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. Cryptocurrency has come a long way since it was a fringe enthusiasm for get-rich-quick bros and anti-state libertarian fantasists. Now “stablecoins” like Tether are on the verge of becoming a parallel banking system in the US, except much less regulated. And the moneymaking opportunities that crypto affords are corrupting American politics to a staggering degree. Why is stablecoin more potent than regular crypto? Is the Trump Administration's crypto boosterism essentially an enrichment scheme for the Trump family? WTF is going on with “Trumpcoin” and “Melaniacoin”? How deeply are Nigel Farage and Reform UK committed to bringing all this to Britain? And what happens if a mega stablecoin falls over? The FT's Katie Martin takes Rafael Behr on an enthralling nightmare tour of “the biggest conflict of interest in history.” www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Producer: Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Chris Jones. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• It's Podmasters' 10th birthday! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. The news is no longer what people in power want to hide – it's what algorithms say will keep you clicking. And it's become a breeding ground for misinformation. As powerful, politically-connected people tighten their grip on what we read and hear, how do you know what to trust? Eliot Higgins of the investigative journalist group Bellingcat tells Rafael Behr how the news environment is evolving, and why open-source intelligence – freely-available information that's hiding in plain sight – can break us out of the world of managed news. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Rafael Behr. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Mandelson Files are beginning to dribble out and they don't look good for Keir Starmer. Will this be the final albatross round the PM's neck? Zoë Grünewald and Rafael Behr talk over the unfurling consequences of the second-worst files in the world. Plus, liberalism has taken a battering this past decade, but don't worry! Centrism can still save the world. Bloomberg columnist Adrian Wooldridge's new book Centrists of the World Unite! is a battle cry to get liberalism back into the game. What went wrong? What does liberalism even mean in the 21st Century? Does anything unite left liberals, neoliberals and managerial liberals and why do they keep screwing up? And in the battle between liberalism and tech power, who wins? Buy Centrists of the World Unite! through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too ESCAPE ROUTES • Adrian recommends Southland on Netflix. • Zoë recommends anything by the Danish painter Anna Ancher but if you can get to the Dulwich Picture Gallery it's definitely worth a visit. • Raf has been reading Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Zoë Grünewald with Rafael Behr. Audio and Video Production by Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trump's war in Iran continues and Britain's right wing gang are desperate for Starmer to get more involved despite the obvious reasons not to. Why are they cheerleading what could be another disastrous and drawn out conflict in the Middle East? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss what's going on and how the UK may or may not get further involved. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On the upside, a tyrannical theocrat and much of his entourage are dead. On the downside, so are thousands of innocent children and adults. As Trump's open-ended and ill-defined Iran adventure unfolds, is it game over for the tattered remnants of the so-called Special Relationship between Britain and the US? Are there any good choices left for Starmer? And is Britain's rah-rah right-wing press fantasising that British people support this war? Plus: after the Greens' win in Manchester is Gorton & Denton Derangement Syndrome driving the legacy parties over the edge? And in a special extended Extra Bit: Dubai Schadenfreude, or: Won't anyone think of the influencers? ESCAPE ROUTES • Jonn recommends The Lady on ITV. • Marie recommends Stefan Zweig's Burning Secret • Raf recommends Departure(s) by Julian Barnes. • Matt recommends Murder Most Foul by Guy Jenkins www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Matt Green with Jonn Elledge, Marie le Conte and Rafael Behr. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rafael Behr on why Donald Trump's war on Iran presents a strategic dilemma for Keir Starmer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Trump's attacks on Iran have thrown the Middle East into chaos and left the world on the brink of what feels like an existential crisis. What is he doing and why now? And how will this situation develop and worsen in the coming days? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and the latest British politics updates in Start Your Week. Back us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Donald Trump delivered a record-length State of the Union address this week, in a marathon rant that has become the new normal. Plus, we explore the looming special educational needs reforms in the UK and check in on Kim Jong Un. And also, the weird story of an army of robot vacuum cleaners… Jacob Jarvis is joined by The Guardian's Rafael Behr to comb over another wild week. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Producer: Liam Tait and Kathleen Johnston. Production Assistant: Jake Preston. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
“There is no British security without Europe,” Keir Starmer told the Munich Security Conference this weekend. Nobody wants a wider war in Europe, but we might get one anyway – and Britain's military isn't ready for it yet. So how can we change our armed forces and our wider society to ensure that Putin won't want to risk a conflict with Britain and our allies? Ed Arnold of the Royal United Services Institute joins Ros Taylor and Raf Behr to talk about how Russia uses hybrid “grey zone” attacks on democracies which stop just short of open warfare… the sobering truth about NATO Article 5… and why we have to budget for the next threat but one, because “What comes after Putin may be worse.” ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf rewatched Terry Gilliam's Brazil. • Ed has been enjoying England in the Six Nations rugby. • Ros recommends the comedy drama about stand-up comedy, Is This Thing On? , out now in cinemas. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor and Rafael Behr. Audio and video production by Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Keir Starmer's now former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has gone, so what does this mean for the Prime Minister's project and government? Zoë Grünewald is joined by Rafael Behr to discuss the fall out and where we go from here in a special bonus emergencycast. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Zoë Grünewald with Rafael Behr. Audio Production by Simon Williams. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
“I'm Mandy – buy me.” Peter Mandelson's career finally collapses in a scandal more poisonous than Profumo, more serious than Partygate, and more shameful than Suez. How did Mandelson get away with his shifty behaviour for so long? Will Starmer's errors of judgment taint his government irrevocably? And how come it's on British figures like Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who are suffering the consequences of their associations with Epstein? ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf recommends the app DJay Pro for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. • Ros went to see the National Theatre production of Terence Rattigan's Man And Boy. • Jonn is watching A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones spin-off, on Sky Atlantic. • Andrew recommends the Marvel series Wonder Man on Disney+. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Jonn Elledge, Ros Taylor and Rafael Behr. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn and Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yet more damning information linking Andrew to Epstein has emerged and former diplomat Peter Mandelson has also quit Labour due to new information. Will this scandal ever reach a conclusion? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the fallout and the week ahead in news. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Catching you up on the big stories of the week… Trump blusters, threatens and rambles his way through the World Economic Forum week in Davos, insulting America's allies. Where does this shitshow leave the semblance of Western security? Plus: the Chinese mega-embassy, super-intelligent cows, whatever the hell is going on with the Beckhams… and would you fly RyanAir if Elon Musk owned it? The Guardian's Rafael Behr reads the entrails of another brain-dissolving week with Andrew Harrison. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by Liam Tait with Kathleen Johnston. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Artwork by James Parrett. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trump is trying to bully and blackmail the world with cashgrabs and tariff threats. How will his actions play out and how will leaders respond? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the key issues and questions for the days ahead. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What does Trump's attack on Venezuela mean for the world – and what happens if he's serious about Greenland? Plus, back home in the UK, politics is incredibly fractured. Reform UK leads many polls, Labour's favourability is drowning, and the Green Party is neck and neck with the Lib Dems. But can the tide be turned in time to prevent Nigel Farage becoming PM? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, as we start a new year, our panel describes the things they're looking to do to push them out of their comfort zones. ESCAPE ROUTES • Marie: All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West • Seth is reading a series of memoirs by disgraced politicians. • Jonn: King & Conqueror on BBC iPlayer • Raf: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders If you buy through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Seth Thévoz with Rafael Behr, Jonn Elledge, and Marie Le Conte. Audio Production by: Robin Leeburn. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. https://www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Well, the year has started with chaos and conflict. With Trump meddling with Venezuela and beyond, how will these events play out? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss the weeks and months ahead as 2026 shapes up to be another big year. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. ENDS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What went wrong with “Your Party”? As absolutely nobody could have predicted, the new Left vehicle's first conference collapses amid factional squabbles. Zarah Sultana gets to rule over the ruins but will all that new energy on the left now head over to Zack Polanski's Greens? Plus: After a budget that pleased nobody, is Labour really taking young people seriously? And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people, will the War on London ever end?
Wrapping up the stories of the week… Jacob Jarvis is joined by Rafael Behr to break down the stalled US–Russia peace talks, Putin's strong-arming, and what Trump's shaky negotiating team tells us about the state of American power. Back in Westminster, they dig into the fallout from the OBR's budget leak and what it all means for Labour's economic credibility. Plus: Trump's latest embarrassing moment caught on camera, Raf's heroes and villains, and the story that slipped under the radar this week. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Design by James Parrett. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's the word of the moment. “Enshittification” is the reason Google is all ads and no useful results, Amazon serves you crappy overpriced products, your phone spies on you and you can't find your friends on social media – but you WILL be persecuted by bots, brands and Nazis all day long. So how are we going to fix it? Leading tech critic Cory Doctorow joins Andrew Harrison and Rafael Behr to talk about whether digital platform rot is inevitable, his book Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It … and the many, many ways to conjugate the verb “to enshittify”. NB Trust us, this is NOT an edition you want to listen to at 1.5x speed. • Buy Enshittification through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. ESCAPE ROUTES • Cory recommends the podcast No Gods No Mayors. • Raf went to see the touring production of Fiddler on the Roof which you can still just about catch in Sunderland and Birmingham. • Andrew recommends child abduction drama All Her Fault on Now TV plus colossal CD box sets from Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Propaganda. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal at nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and Video Production by: Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's a big week for Starmer and Reeves as the Budget looms. How's it going to go down? Plus, talks over a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, Trump gets a new best friend and Cop30 ends on a disappointing note. Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss the news to look out for this week. Support us on Patreon for episodes ad free and early: www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social www.patreon.com/bunkercast • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Center-Left's Struggle Against Radical RightNick Cohen talks to The Guardian's chief political correspondent Rafael Behr discuss the failure of the Western centre-left to effectively counter the rise of the radical right, using examples from the United States and Britain. They highlighted the Democrats' inability to stop Trump's return to power and Labour's struggles under Keir Starmer despite a significant majority. The discussion touched on the fragmentation of the centre-left vote into Greens and socialists, which has weakened their ability to present a unified front against their opponents.Rafael's chilling warning of the UK's political directionRafael is very pessimistic about the future as a result of Labour's ability to fight the Radical Right: "it is increasingly my view that the evidence that we need - historically - to track the trajectory of where a lot of the salient politics that we're in at the moment leads is into the abyss, right? Although we don't know exactly what is in that abyss, we know that, you know, nationalism that is on this sort of self-reinforcing, spinning outward ever into, increasingly extreme versions of itself leads to really, really dark places..."Rafael adds, "the best arguments we have against extreme nationalism are, for fuck's sake, read some history! Look at who these people are! Just, you know, pay attention to who, what these people are, what they're saying, who their friends are. What a bunch of nasty, angry, racist, thieving, kleptocratic, psycho self-serving, venal bastards they actually are! Look at that. Just look at them in the face! Look in the face of the Gorgon! Be petrified and don't vote for it. Right. And that argument, which I feel is, should be incredibly compelling, isn't working."Read all about it!Rafael's recent book Politics: A Survivor's Guide: How to stay engaged without getting enraged is published by W.F.Howes Ltd and available at Amazon and in all good bookshops.Support the show You can also read his wonderful columns in the Guardian. His X handle is @rafaelbehrNick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There was outrage from Labour MPs on Monday evening as Shabana Mahmood outlined her plans to shake up the asylum system. Will these policies be watered down? John Harris finds out what is happening behind the scenes with Kiran Stacey. Plus, now that Labour has adopted Reform UK rhetoric on immigration, where does the party go from here? John talks to Guardian columnists Gaby Hinsliff and Rafael Behr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
Is Trump finally falling apart? His approval ratings are catastrophic, the Republicans took a hammering in the November elections, his gross-out distraction tactics no longer work… and as more Epstein emails are released, the scandal is lapping ever-higher around his cankles. Molly Jong-Fast of The Atlantic, Vanity Fair and the unmissable Fast Politics podcast joins Andrew Harrison and Rafael Behr to discuss the teetering tyrant and the damage he will leave. • This episode recorded before Trump decided he wanted the Epstein Files released after all. ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf has been reading Moby-Dick (because why not?) and listening to funk and soul covers by Scary Pockets. • Molly recommends When All The Men Wore Hats by Susan Cheever. • Andrew is going crazy for Pluribis on Apple TV+. When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Head to https://nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and Video Production by Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Starmer's position remains in question after a week of chaos and the announcement of controversial new asylum plans. Can the narrative shift? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and more as they outline the news to look out for this week. Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome back to the Weekly Wrap-Up, where we break down the biggest news, the weirdest stories, and the important bits that slipped under the radar. Today on The Bunker, Jacob Jarvis and Rafael Behr dig into Starmer's briefing war with Wes Streeting, unpack the latest revelations from the Epstein files, and ask the big question: could the BBC survive a billion dollar lawsuit from Donald Trump? Head to nakedwines.co.uk/thebunker to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. www.patreon.com/bunkercast Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bunkerpod.bsky.social Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editors: Robin Leeburn. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
After the collapse of the China spying case, do we have to accept that Britain is way past being able to spar with Beijing? Especially when we depend so much on their students? Green MP Siân Berry talks about the party's future under new eco-populist leader Zach Polanski, how to square green infrastructure with their support's suspicion of development, and whether the Greens would enter a coalition with Labour to keep Farage out. And in the Extra Bit for Patreon people… Sunak's back, sort of. What do ex-PMs get up to these days? And the terror of the A.I. Margaret Thatcher ChatBot. • Our partner pod American Friction just won Best News and Politics show at the Independent Podcast Awards. Listen and see what you've been missing. ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf recommends Film Club on BBC iPlayer. • Rachel recommends The Finest Hotel In Kabul by Lise Doucet. • Siân Berry recommends The French Lieutenant's Woman . • Ros recommends The Line on ITVX. Buy The Finest Hotel In Kabul through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Head to nakedwines.co.uk/ohgodwhatnow to get 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It's risk- free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more. Written and presented by Ros Taylor with Rachel Cunliffe and Rafael Behr. Audio production by Tom Taylor. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by award-winning Chris Jones. Managing Editor: award-winning Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Starmer is Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party – but does he feel totally in charge of things? Plus, the race to be Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is down to the final two. Who's the most likely to take the role? And Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham is being increasingly tipped to swoop back to Westminster. Could he be the answer Labour has been searching for, realistically? Join Ros Taylor, Jonn Elledge, and Rafael Behr for all of that and a deep dive into the reality of party democracy. Escape Routes: • Jonn: Buy Clown Town through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Ros: Buy Waterland through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. She also watched Hostage on Netflix. • Raf recommends a band called This Is The Kit - specifically a song called Our Socks Forever More www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Ros Taylor with Rafael Behr and Jonn Elledge. Audio/ Video Production by: Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Guardian columnist Rafael Behr discusses the government's reshuffle after Angela Rayner's resignation as deputy prime minister, and asks whether Labour can recover from here. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
The (former) Deputy Prime Minister resigns literally two minutes before we press “record”. Regulars Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison plus special guest Steve Richards of the Rock'n'Roll Politics podcast rage at the brutal destruction of Angela Rayner and the uncontrolled power of the far-right press – and ask if there's any place for flawed humans or the working class in politics at all. Plus: As Steve publishes Tony Blair a razor-sharp analysis of Britain's last great Prime Minister, we look at the long reign of the leader they once called “Bambi” and ask whether Labour will ever get over it. • Buy Tony Blair [through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! ESCAPE ROUTES • Steve has been watching classic Michael Parkinson interviews on YouTube, especially this one with Peter Sellers. • Raf has been playing folk-style live shows with a bit of blues with Theo Bard. • Andrew recommends the scorching Swedish rock'n'roll of The Hives. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon or ad-free listening, bonus materials and more. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It seems like there's no end to the horrors in Gaza, the torment of the Israeli hostages and Netanyahu's expansionism. And the more events escalate, the less we understand this nightmare. Today we're joined by UCL politics professor Julie Norman to take as sober a look as possible at how the Middle East has changed after the October 7 attacks and Israel's devastating response. Is Netanyahu prolonging the war to say in power? Does it fit the description of a genocide? And what happens next? Plus we have excellent questions on this topic in a special But Your Emails. This episode was recorded before the anti-war protests in Israel over the weekend. • Don't forget you can watch full video of our panel editions on Spotify. If ever we needed ESCAPE ROUTES it's this week… • Julie recommends Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run on its 50th anniversary. • Raf recommends The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis. • Andrew recommends Alien Earth on Disney+. When you buy books through our affiliate bookshop you help fund the podcast by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here https://nordvpn.com/ohgodwhatnow. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Back us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more. Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and video production by Chris Jones. Theme music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Constitution expressly forbids anyone from seeking a third term as US President. But since when did that ever stop Trump from doing anything? Ex-congressional staffer turned politics professor at George Washington University Casey Burgat joins Guardian leader writer Rafael Behr and Andrew Harrison to look at the many weird ways Trump could cling to the White House… the hidden rivalries within MAGA… and what happens to a personality cult when (if) the personality vacates the scene. • Don't miss Talk '90s To Me: Nirvana with Miranda Sawyer. • Buy Casey's book We Hold These “Truths” through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund OGWN by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too. ESCAPE ROUTES • Raf went to see Erasure at Brighton Pride. • Casey went to see The Lumineers live. • Andrew recommends Fantastic Four: First Steps and the first couple of songs from Saint Etienne's final album International. • Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more • Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here. It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee! www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr. Audio and video production by Chris Jones. Music by Cornershop. Art direction: James Parrett. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trump and Putin are due to meet in Alaska in a bilateral meeting despite a global push to ensure Zelenskyy is brought to the table. Will anything come of this, or is this just going to be a meeting of two super-egos? Rafael Behr joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss this and other news to look out for this week in Start Your Week. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to Indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fragmentation special! It's all kicking off on the right and the left. Are our panic-stricken political classes talking Britain into a Farage premiership just by making it sound inevitable? And could Zarah Sultana's (possibly premature) launch of a new party of the anti-war left turn into a genuine threat to Labour? We're calling it CorbTana. It's going to catch on. Really. ESCAPE ROUTES • Hannah recommends Couples Therapy on BBC iPlayer. • Jonn recommends the US version of Ghosts. • Raf saw War at the A Love Supreme festival. • Andrew saw Goat and Infinity Song at Glastonbury. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rafael Behr, Jonn Elledge, and Hannah Fearn. Audio Production by: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dog whistle think pieces seem to be back in fashion and right wingers are more frequently using rhetoric that sounds a bit like Enoch Powell. Powell was condemned for Rivers of Blood, why isn't sounding like him so damaging for the modern right? Plus – AI and copyright. It's put Labour at odds with Elton John, never a good place to be. Politico's Joseph Bambridge joins the panel to talk through the furore. Read Joseph's piece in Politico: https://www.politico.eu/article/ai-copyright-political-nightmare-labour-uk-models-tech/ ESCAPE ROUTES • Rachel watched Virgin Island on Channel 4 • Raf has been reading Barbara Kingsolver novels • Joseph watched The Contestant • Dorian watched Black Ops www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Rafael Behr and Rachel Cunliffe. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by: Robin Leeburn. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trump came down that golden escalator ten years ago this week, and thus began America's descent to the depths of madness. The gang looks back on his political journey, from launching into the GOP race from Trump Tower to whatever you'd describe where we are now. Plus, Reform UK won loads of council seats – and now it actually has to take charge of things. So, how's that going? (We promise we say more than just bad.) Then in the Extra Bit for supporters – can we ever be as happy as Finland? And what does that even mean? • Listen to The Bunker including Andrew's interview with Peter Ricketts. ESCAPE ROUTES • Matt went to see The Ballad of Wallis Island at the cinema • Zoe went to Primavera in Barcelona – and she says to watch Chappell Roan's set online if you can! • Raf went to see Showstopper! • Dorian suggests Decoder Ring www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Rafael Behr, Zoe Grunewald and Matt Green. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The world is watching in horror as Los Angeles turns into a real-life immersive Rage Against The Machine song. Is the President looking for a Reichstag to set on fire as he threatens to use US troops on US citizens? Plus, the Battle of the Bastards! First, what does Trump's mega fallout with Musk tell us about the realities of far right politics… if anything? Then, what's behind Zia Yusuf's on-off resignation from Reform UK? Escape Routes • Raf recommends Maybe I'm Amazed by John Harris. • Alison recommends Scarface (1983) directed by Brian de Palma. • Matt recommends Your Friends And Neighbours with John Hamm and The Studio with Seth Rogan on Apple TV+. • Andrew recommends All Asimov And No Fresh Air by Half Man Half Biscuit. www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Alison Phillips, Rafael Behr, and Matt Green. Audio Production by Robin Leeburn. Video Production by Chris Jones. Music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The defence review is the big talking point of the moment – what's new and how will Starmer frame it? Plus, Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss other pressures on Labour, the state of conflicts across the globe and Trump's latest conspiracy theory thinking. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. Listen to the latest podcast from Podmasters, Crime Scene, the truth behind true crime with Alison Phillips and Bernard Hogan-Howe: https://linktr.ee/crimescenepodcast www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Jacob Jarvis with Rafael Behr. Audio production: Tom Taylor. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Tory press and pundits reacted as rationally as you'd expect to the new UK-EU deal, accusing Starmer of sneaking back into the EU, betraying the British taxpayer, and all their favourite themes. But exactly what are they saying and how much of it is legit? Plus, with the potential abolition of the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, we ask why governments can't see the positives of culture? And in the Extra Bit for subscribers, it's 20 years since The Thick of It hit our screens. Politically, does it still hold up? Today's special guest is Emma Kennedy, writer and host of our sibling science and psychology podcast Why? – new series out now! • Get tickets for Oh God, What Now? Live at 21 Soho, London, with special guest Marcus Brigstocke. • Don't miss our fascinating new series Crime Scene. Latest episode: Who killed the Essex Boys? www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey, Rafael Behr and Zoë Grünewald. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio. Production by Robin Leeburn. Music by Cornershop. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The government has suspended trade talks with Israel and denounced its actions in Gaza. But why are we only now seeing this kind of action and moral outrage? John Harris speaks to Melanie Ward, a Labour MP and former chief executive at Medical Aid for Palestinians. Plus, after Keir Starmer's reset with the EU, how does the public feel about the politics of Brexit? Guardian columnist Rafael Behr and Sophie Stowers from More in Common join John to discuss. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod
We're on a highway to Helsby… As Reform take Runcorn, rack up council seats and take Staffordshire and Lincolnshire county councils, Rafael Behr joins Andrew Harrison to explain what it all means. Is it really Farage's night? Who's more damaged, Badenoch or Starmer? Is this definitive proof that Labour can't beat the enemy by becoming the enemy? And… Andrea Jenkyns. Sheeeeesh. • Back us on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus materials and more. Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music by Cornershop. Produced by Chris Jones. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Donald Trump's tariff masterplan is working! Well that's just utter bulls**t, isn't it? Trump's decision to reverse global tariffs for 90 days caught everyone by surprise, even us! Dorian, Hannah, Matt and Marie recorded the whole pod before the announcement, but don't fear, Andrew Harrison and The Guardian's Rafael Behr were on-hand to add some reaction to the tariff u-turn. And don't miss the panel on Trump's obsession with big MAN jobs. • Tariff craziness meant we got a longer-than-usual edition so we've split it in two, Dune-style, and brought it to you early. Be here on Friday morning for Part Two in which we ask… Is it time to start taking the Lib Dems seriously? • We're on YouTube!: https://www.youtube.com/@ohgodwhatnow www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Dorian Lynskey with Hannah Fearn, Matt Green, Marie Le Conte, Rafael Behr, and Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones Audio. Production by: Simon Williams. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's a goons rights bonanza, with Devon subbing in for November to talk about the ongoing wave of gig economy apps for ex-Navy SEALs to turn random people into clouds of pink mist on behalf of crypto influencers who want to look richer than they are… also we check in on Humane, and read a column by Rafael Behr. In the second half, Economist Nina Eichacker joins Riley half to talk tariffs (specifically) and how Wall Street's “Masters of the Universe” traded their pre-eminent positions in capital markets for revenge on their woke, home-working employees (generally). Get the whole episode on Patreon here! *MILO ALERT* Check out Milo's UK Tour here: https://miloedwards.co.uk/live-shows Trashfuture are: Riley (@raaleh), Milo (@Milo_Edwards), Hussein (@HKesvani), Nate (@inthesedeserts), and November (@postoctobrist)