Oh God, What Now?

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 • Writer and commentator Ros TaylorRachel Cunliffe of the New Statesman • Writer and host of This Is Not A Drill Gavin Esler • Social affairs journalist Hannah Fearn • Comedian Matt Green • The Lead's Westminster Editor Zoë Grünewald • Group Editor Andrew Harrison • Journalist Marie Le Conte • Podmasters Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis • New Statesman columnist Jonn Elledge • Guardian writer Rafael Behr

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Oh God, What Now? is a Podmasters production

News
Politics
Society & Culture
351
The Blather’s Grim – Tory conference with guest...
63 min
352
Brighton Rocked? – with guest Clive Lewis MP
58 min
353
Clause IV Concern: Energy drains and Labour pai...
60 min
354
Back to Drawing Borders?
52 min
355
Emergency: Oh God, Who Next?
Responding to the Parliamentary Clustershuffle
23 min
356
The End Is N.I.
<p>Does it matter when a Government breaks a keystone promise? Former Blair advisor <strong>John McTernan</strong> 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 <strong>20th anniversary of 9/11</strong> we ask whether the baleful effects of the terrorist attacks on Western politics could ever have played out differently.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><ul><li><em>“Breaking a promise is a profoundly important moment for any government…&nbsp;Promises go to leadership, and that matters.” </em><strong><em>–&nbsp;John McTernan</em></strong></li><li><em>“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.”</em><strong><em> – Minnie Rahman</em></strong></li><li><em>“There are people within Labour who want to seek out new ideas and energy with the aim of crushing them.’”</em><strong><em> – John McTernan</em></strong></li><li><em>“It’s not the rate that matters, it’s the complexity. This is a new layer of complexity, and that always benefits the rich.” </em><strong><em>–&nbsp;Alex Andreou</em></strong></li><li><em>“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.”</em><strong><em> – John McTernan</em></strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><a href="http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow</a></p><br><p>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. <strong>OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.</strong></p><br><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>
60 min
357
Pets over people: “The last smear on our charac...
<p>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.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><ul><li><em>“Pen Farthing made me so angry I could burst through my skin.”</em><strong><em> – Ian Dunt</em></strong></li><li><em>“The very wealthy old men who own our press don’t care about saving the planet in the future. They want low taxes now.” </em><strong><em>– Alex Andreou</em></strong></li><li><em>“The international law around drones is not clear. But Biden will keep using them anyway.” </em><strong><em>– Ros Taylor</em></strong></li><li><em>“Even as you’ve got these medieval fanatics coming for people, the response from Britain is still ‘Papers please.’”</em><strong><em> – Ian Dunt</em></strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><a href="http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow</a></p><br><p>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. <strong>OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.</strong></p><br><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>
55 min
358
Foreign Sec’s On The Beach
<p>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 –&nbsp;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 <strong>Tom Peck</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><ul><li><em>“If you’re fleeing the Taliban, you don’t have time to fill in a form and wait for a Government to protect you.” </em><strong><em>– Minnie Rahman</em></strong></li><li><em>“If we have a crap Christmas there will be plenty of Brexiteers saying this is what a REAL Christmas looks like.”</em><strong><em> – Tom Peck</em></strong></li><li><em>“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.”</em><strong><em> –&nbsp;Alex Andreou</em></strong></li><li><em>“People will regret throwing their milkshakes at Nigel Farage now they can’t get another one…”</em><strong><em> – Tom Peck</em></strong></li></ul><p><br></p><p><a href="http://www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow</a></p><br><p>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. <strong>OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production.</strong></p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>
60 min
359
Worse than Suez: Afghanistan abandoned
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? ...
61 min
360
Swot vs Blot – The Sunak-Johnson Smackdown
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 li...
57 min
361
The Last Days of COVID?
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 T...
55 min
362
Everyday Britain vs the Cultural Arsonists
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 “levelli...
59 min
363
Stranger Pings
As Cummings:Kuenssberg gives us yet more Classic Dom content, are we now fine with unelected advisors trying to topple Prime Ministers –&nbsp;or for that matter, Prime Ministers giving the Queen COVID? Freedom Week: has the Government just given up...
57 min
364
It’s Coming Home, To Roost
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, ...
59 min
365
Death by Common Sense
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...
51 min
366
🚨 EmergencyCast: Truly, Batley, Deeply 🚨
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 d...
26 min
367
Matt Hancock booted off Love Island
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 th...
51 min
368
Dido’s Life For Rent
“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 –&nbsp;don’t mention the Blue Wall – and explain what the DUP’s current game of Musical Stegosa...
51 min
369
“Totally F***ing Hopeless”: Dom’s Blog-Buster S...
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’...
53 min
370
On tour with the Minister of Chaos
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 compani...
45 min
371
Welcome to Britain. Now get out.
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...
62 min
372
MegaMind vs the Mayor from Jaws
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...
62 min
373
Young Ex-PM seeks fun partner for £££ times!
So, Brexit five months in –&nbsp;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...
52 min
374
The Morning After The Fight Before
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...
54 min
375
Elections ’21: Nothing Breaks Like A Hartlepool
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 jo...
52 min