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...
May 20, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 91
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 peop...
May 13, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 90
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 p...
May 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 89
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 leaders...
Apr 29, 2022•59 min•Season 2Ep. 88
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...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 87
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 qu...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 86
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 ...
Apr 08, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 85
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...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 84
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...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 83
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 a...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 82
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 b...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 81
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.” ...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 80
**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...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 79
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 “...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 78
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 somethi...
Feb 11, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 77
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 ...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 76
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, t...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 75
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 ...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 74
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 bullshi...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 73
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 ...
Jan 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 72
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 Rah...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 70
🎶 “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 Chr...
Dec 23, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 69
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 fo...
Dec 17, 2021•24 min•Season 2Ep. 68
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 ...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 67
I t’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. Assist...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Season 2Ep. 66
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 th...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 65
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 wee...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 64
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 ...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 63
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 ...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 62
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 pa...
Nov 10, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 63
