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 fu...
Oct 20, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 121
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 Ditt...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 121
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, Jo...
Oct 17, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 120
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...
Oct 14, 2022•17 min•Season 2Ep. 119
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 goi...
Oct 14, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 118
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...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 117
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 le...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 116
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...
Sep 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 115
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. ...
Sep 17, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 114
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 Sofronijevi...
Sep 16, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 113
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 versi...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 112
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 d...
Sep 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 111
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 u...
Aug 26, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 110
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 condit...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 109
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...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 108
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/3zIkaq...
Aug 05, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 107
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...
Jul 29, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 106
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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 25, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 105
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...
Jul 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 104
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 ...
Jul 14, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 103
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 “Si...
Jul 07, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 102
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 euphori...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 101
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....
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 100
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 m...
Jun 24, 2022•23 min•Season 2Ep. 99
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, w...
Jun 23, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 98
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 tribu...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 97
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 R...
Jun 11, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 96
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 fa...
Jun 10, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 95
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 tran...
Jun 03, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 94
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 t...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 93
